Many of the high-flow tidal channels targeted for worldwide in-stream hydro-electric development are impacted by surface gravity waves incident from a large exterior basin (e.g. the Bay of Fundy/Gulf of Maine/North Atlantic). As they propagate against the outgoing tidal current, these waves grow and break, creating both wave orbital velocities comparable to the tidal current, and a source of additional turbulence at the sea surface. The associated flow conditions are complex, highly non-linear, and typically quite nasty, representing an added risk for the tidal power industry. This project is part of on-going research into remote measurements of turbulence in high-flow, well-mixed tidal channels using new generation acoustic Doppler techniques. The research will lead to improved measurements and validation of algorithms for estimating turbulence in the presence of surface gravity waves.
Principal Investigators: Dr. Alex Hay and Dr. Anneke ten Doeschate, Dalhousie University