Modelling and materials making progress in NEMMO Project

Work was well underway on developing the next generation of tidal turbine blade, with NEMMO partners reporting the following achievements during the project update meeting in Haifa, Israel on 6 November.

• High-fidelity CFD models based on a hydrofoil performed well in the initial stages of testing and will be developed further to incorporate the Magallanes’ blade design. 
• Work has begun on the creation of a set of tailored nano-enhanced composites, designed to resist fatigue and impact. 
• Micro-textures found in the natural world are being explored for their anti-biofouling properties, so that they can be replicated when developing blade surfaces.

During the meeting, a key objective for the team was to make sure that all the different aspects – blade design, modelling, coatings, biofouling and nanoparticles – interact in a productive and efficient way.