Abstract

During the boreal summer of 2015, a full-scale hydrokinetic turbine was deployed in the Kvichak River (Alaska), delivering electricity to the village of Igiugig. Here, quantification and analysis of the hydrodynamic modifications in the river caused by the turbine are presented. Field observations are used to produce a unique three-dimensional data set of fluid velocities in the vicinity of the turbine before and after turbine deployment. Three dynamic regions are distinguished in the wake. There is an induction zone just upstream of the turbine, where velocities decrease and turbulence increases. There is a near wake just downstream of the turbine, where the reduced velocities recover slightly and the elevated turbulence decays rapidly. Finally, there is a far wake well beyond the turbine, where reduced velocities are persistent and turbulence remains elevated. The results are used in a coarse energy budget for the river, including quantifying the total energy dissipated by turbulence in the near wake. This wake dissipation is found to be almost as large as the energy extracted for electricity generation, even when the turbine is not operational. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.