Ocean Current Driven Turbine Test Apparatus

The study of turbine blades at slow speeds, e.g., in slow moving currents like the Gulf Stream, is nearly nonexistent. This paper focuses on the design and implementation of an experimental test station to quantify the effectiveness of current-driven turbines for the design of efficient turbines at slow speeds. Using experimental 3-D printed turbines made for a related project that investigated the use of turbines to power a water purifier and desalination prototype [1], the current project builds on the findings of [1] and refines the methodology by which turbines are tested to streamline the turbine-design process.