A study on the interaction of fish and marine hydrokinetic turbine wakes: Insights gained via laboratory tests and large-eddy simulations*

The study of fish behavior in the wake of marine hydrokinetic (MHK) turbines is vital to address the environmental sustainability of renewable energy technology. To gain insight into the connection between the fish behavior and fine-scale turbulent structures, we link the results from our high-resolution large eddy simulations (LES) to experimentally measured fish trajectories in the wake of vertical axis turbines (VAT). The LES results exhibit significant alignment with experimental data on fish behavior, providing a turbulence map to elucidate fish movement within the flow. In addition, the combined effects of rotational direction and lateral distance between twin vertical axis turbines on system efficiency is investigated. Comparative studies conducted in narrow and wide experimental flumes highlight critical factors affecting turbine performance and environmental compatibility.