Operational coastal ocean modelling for tidal stream turbine arrays

Operational ocean models are widely applied for Earth and ocean observation for real-time predictions of ocean processes at large scales. Adaptations of these systems could cater more specific engineering and finer, metre-scale, applications. With this in mind, we consider the operational modelling for tidal stream turbine arrays, where multiple scales of coastal ocean hydrodynamics must be reconciled to facilitate the conversion of hydrokinetic energy. In monitoring an array's performance, impact, and ocean interactions, an operational modelling system must resolve both metocean forcing from tens of kilometres away and fine-scale flow patterns around individual turbines. This study demonstrates the functionality, utility, and sensitivity of such a system to support the design of tidal arrays. We focus on a turbine array operating in the Pentland Firth, Scotland. The tidal array operational model is designed to operate in real-time, allows web clients to ingest data, and returns design data summarised and visualised in a web dashboard, alongside a series of appropriate metrics. We note significant trade-offs with respect to the modelling setup balancing resolution and accuracy against measured data. We also demonstrate the value of multi-scale ocean modelling from an operational perspective, which focuses computational effort where it is most needed to deliver near-real-time information reliably.