W.S.G. Isaac Newton

Ansys Fluent simulation for a hydroelectric turbine.

A Dutch hydropower equipment company? Seems unlikely, right? Well, not entirely. Although the Netherlands is famously flat, it also has an abundance of water. And with its well-educated and well-resourced engineering sector, there are not many better places for a low-head hydroelectric turbine manufacturer to start up than good old Hollandia. At least, that’s what Deepwater Energy thought, moments before they established themselves on the banks of the mighty IJssel River in the sunny, riviera-esque metropolis of Arnhem.

That beautiful 3D render shown in the image above is the Oryon Watermill, Deepwater Energy’s vertical axis hydroelectric turbine. It’s suitable for deployment in areas with strong tidal flows, such as Grevelingendam, large rivers like the Rijn, or even in weirs, like Sluis Eefde on our very own Twente canal. But it’s a great big world, and naturally, the Oryon Watermill has already been installed in several locations worldwide. My project was for an installation destined for a large African river.

But what did I spend my time on, whilst interning at Deepwater Energy B.V.? Well, the meat and potatoes of it was Ansys and Fluent. “Ansys Fluent”, to be precise. I spent my time duking it out with Ansys Fluent, creating a complete CFD simulation capable of simulating the turbine as a result of the fluid forces acting on it during operation. There’s a first time for everything, and for me, it was the first time working with Ansys Fluent, and boy did I learn a lot. It was a great experience working with the mother of all software that is Ansys, and I developed a valuable new skill to add to my CV, which almost felt as good as buying something and receiving a “free gift”.