Stability analysis of the catamaran pontoon for a floating system hydrokinetic turbine VAHT-SBC

Hydrokinetic energy is a renewable energy that utilizes the kinetic energy of water to rotate turbines which are converted to electrical energy. Hydrokinetic energy is a renewable energy that has the potential and is widely developed, one of which is the Hydrokinetic Power Plant with a floating mechanism. Hydrokinetic Power Plant with a floating mechanism is composed of a catamaran pontoon. Between the hull of the pontoon, a turbine is placed which rotates when it is subjected to current. The catamaran pontoon will shake continuously due to the force from the currents and waves which will cause the turbine to tilt. Turbine tilt due to forces from currents and waves will affect turbine performance. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the stability of the catamaran pontoon by providing variations in the hull of the pontoon, the shape of the pontoon, and the placement of the turbine. Variations in the distance between the hulls of the pontoon are 0.6 meters, 0.75 meters, and 0.9 meters. Variations in the shape of the pontoon are the symmetry pontoon and the outer flat pontoon. The variation in the placement of the turbine is in front of 0.25 meters from the middle, in the middle, and behind 0.25 meters from the center. The stability analysis in this research is determined using Computational Fluid Dynamic. Based on the actual response graph, the variation of the distance between the pontoon hull and the outer flat pontoon parameter showed fluctuating results with the distance between the pontoon hull of 0.75 m having the largest maximum pitching angle of 6.11° and the distance between the pontoon hull with the pontoon parameter of symmetry, the results were more the width of the distance between the pontoon hulls, the greater the maximum pitching angle. Variations in the shape of the pontoon found that the outer flat pontoon has a smaller maximum pitching angle of 9.22° compared to the symmetry pontoon which is 15.34°. Variations in the placement of the turbine were obtained that the placement behind 0.25 meters from the center had the smallest pitching angle of 11.67° compared to the placement of the turbine in the middle of 13.46° and in front of 0.25 m from the center of 15.14°. All variations carried out are still in a state of positive stability because they have a positive metacentric height.