Turbulence measurements: An assessment of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler accuracy in rough environment

Type Article
Date 2021-04
Language English
Author(s) Mercier Philippe1, Thiébaut Maxime2, Guillou Sylvain1, Maisondieu ChristopheORCID3, Poizot Emmanuel1, 4, Pieterse AlineORCID2, 3, Thiébot Jérôme1, Filipot Jean-Francois2, Grondeau Mikaël1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Normandie Université, UNICAEN LUSAC, EA 4253, 60 rue Max Pol Fouchet, CS 20082, 50130 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
2 : France Energies Marines, 525 avenue Alexis de Rochon, 29280 Plouzané, France
3 : Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, 1625 route de Sainte-Anne CS 10070, 29280 Plouzané, France
4 : Cnam-Intechmer, Boulevard de Collignon, 50110 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
Source Ocean Engineering (0029-8018) (Elsevier BV), 2021-04 , Vol. 226 , P. 108819 (9p.)
DOI 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2021.108819
WOS© Times Cited 11
Keyword(s) Turbulence, Lattice Boltzmann Method, Large-Eddy Simulation, ADCP, Environmental flows
Abstract

The deployment of tidal turbines requires a precise hydrodynamic characterisation of the production site. Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP), usually employed for measuring the time-mean characteristics of environmental flows, could also be used for assessing the main features of turbulence. ADCP measurements are sensitive to many sources of uncertainties associated mainly with the spreading of the beams or the assumptions made on flow homogeneity. The ability of ADCPs to accurately measure the hydrodynamic parameters of a given flow can be tested on a synthetic dataset. However, it is difficult to generate a dataset representative of a real environmental flow. In this work, large-eddy simulation of a high Reynolds flow over a rough seabed is performed and used to assess the accuracy of two, coupled, 4-beam ADCP systems forming an 8-beam arrangement. The study confirms the relevance and efficiency of the tested 8-beam configuration for the characterisation of turbulence. The results near the seabed are of a lower quality, with up to 50 % error on the Reynolds stresses for elevations under twice the roughness height, which questions the interpretation of ADCP measurements in the lower part of the water column. Also, the spatial averaging over ADCP cells leads to an underestimation of the turbulence intensity of 10 % to 20 %.

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Mercier Philippe, Thiébaut Maxime, Guillou Sylvain, Maisondieu Christophe, Poizot Emmanuel, Pieterse Aline, Thiébot Jérôme, Filipot Jean-Francois, Grondeau Mikaël (2021). Turbulence measurements: An assessment of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler accuracy in rough environment. Ocean Engineering, 226, 108819 (9p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2021.108819 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00685/79745/