Wakana Tsuru Assistant Professor

Research overview

Aiming to Aid the Practical Application of Marine Current Power Generation through Research into the Suppression of Cavitation Working to Raise the Efficiency and Lower the Costs of Marine Current Power Generation Systems
I have studied cavitation since I was a university student, and I have been endeavoring to improve the efficiency and lower the costs of marine current power generation systems through the application of this experience.

■ Ocean Energy with Potential
Ocean energy is attracting significant attention as various initiatives aimed at achieving a carbon-free society are gaining traction. It holds significant promise for Japan, which is surrounded by seas, and its development as a source of clean energy is being promoted. While there are many different types of ocean energy, like ocean thermal energy conversion, wave energy conversion, offshore wind power generation, marine current power generation, and hydrogen energy, I am working on marine current power generation, which harnesses marine current that fluctuate uniformly.

Lower maintenance costs, development of the power generation systems suited to Japan’s seas, highly efficient turbine designs, development of power units needed for drawing more energy from marine current, and more are needed for practical application of marine current power generation. One major challenge is the cavitation that occurs around turbines during power generation. I am conducting research into the thresholds at which cavitation occurs in relation to the water’s depth and the turbine’s rotational speeds, optimal blade design, and suppression of cavitation, and I believe that I can aid practical application by using this research and developing turbines for high-output marine current power generation systems.

■ Institute of Ocean Energy, the Base of My Research
Saga University’s Institute of Ocean Energy was designated a Joint Usage/Research Center in the area of ocean energy, and it has established a research foundation for Saga University’s ocean energy research. In particular, in the area of ocean thermal energy conversion, it is one of the world’s leading authorities in terms of technical expertise, and it has accomplished world-class feats, including the establishment of a research facility that primarily studies ocean thermal energy conversion in Malaysia.

Because the institute is a Joint Usage/Research Center, there are many researchers from multiple fields, both within and without the university, and I believe that this rich variety is a huge benefit in the area of research as it is leading to broader horizons and enables discussions that span disciplines at times.

It is my wish to pursue research into the area of marine current power generation in this conducive environment and work to enable Saga University to become a leader in its practical application, just like it has become a leader in ocean thermal energy conversion.

• 

  Marine current power generation turbine that is allowed to float and sink (illustration)

• 

  Marine current power generation turbine that is fixed to the ocean floor and cavitation (illustration)