About BOSHEP
This project aims to develop an innovative, environmentally friendly, low-noise current turbine system with reduced cavitation effects for generating electricity from the currents of the Bosphorus. The bidirectional and multi-layered current structure of the Bosphorus creates a highly complex operating environment for turbine systems. Counter-directional currents, flow disturbances, tanker passages, and inter-turbine interactions are among the key factors affecting turbine performance.
Within the scope of the project, site selection, current potential analysis, hydrodynamic design, and energy integration studies will be carried out, taking into account the conditions specific to the Bosphorus. Turbine blade geometries will be optimized to evaluate power, efficiency, and cavitation performance; system validations will be performed through numerical analyses and laboratory experiments. In addition, innovative methods for reducing cavitation and hydroacoustic noise will be developed, and different design alternatives will be compared.
Furthermore, turbine–generator integration, energy storage, and charging infrastructure studies will be conducted; autonomous support systems for maintenance and operation processes will be evaluated. The project's ultimate goal is to develop a high-efficiency, sustainable current-energy concept adapted to Bosphorus conditions, thereby contributing to the electrification of maritime transport.
BOSHEP PROJECT TEAM
NAME: Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering ; SOE: Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering ; ASTR: Astronautical Engineering ; AERO: Aeronautical Engineering.
Subprojects
BOSHEP comprises 7 subprojects.
Subproject 1
High-Efficiency Turbine Design for Energy Generation from the Bosphorus Currents
The aim is to determine the optimum turbine design suited to Bosphorus current conditions and to evaluate its performance experimentally. Within this scope, cavitation and noise effects will be examined, improvements made, and energy generation demonstrated through model experiments.
Subproject 2
Site Selection and Feasibility Analysis for Installing a Current Turbine in the Bosphorus
The aim is to carry out site selection, environmental and navigational suitability, infrastructure connection, and overall feasibility analysis for a model-scale current turbine planned for installation in the Bosphorus.
Subproject 3
Hydrodynamic Investigations and Hydroelastic Analyses of Underwater Turbines Under Unsteady Flow Effects
The core aim is to examine the fluid–structure interaction of current turbines operating under the complex hydrodynamic conditions of the Bosphorus, thereby developing modeling methods for reliable, efficient, and economical turbine designs.
Subproject 4
Harvesting and Storing Electrical Energy from the Bosphorus Current and Designing a Marine Vehicle Charging Station
The aim is to design, manufacture, and experimentally validate a laboratory-scale preliminary prototype of approximately 500 W for an integrated system generating electricity from Bosphorus currents.
Subproject 5
Emission-Focused Environmental Impact Analysis of the Transition to Electric Boats for Sustainable Maritime Transport in Istanbul (Social Impact Sub-Project)
While the main project focuses on clean energy generation, this social-contribution sub-project makes visible the use of the generated electricity in maritime transport and the environmental and social benefits it creates.
Subproject 6
Autonomous Boat Design for Turbine Maintenance to Support Electricity Generation from the Bosphorus Currents
This project aims to design and develop a prototype of a special, fully autonomous boat for carrying out turbine maintenance and servicing activities.
Subproject 7
Development of an Acoustic Transfer Function to Improve Measurement Accuracy and Precision in the Cavitation Tunnel
The aim is to accurately predict the acoustic behavior of water turbines using noise data measured in cavitation tunnels. To this end, an acoustic transfer function is intended to be developed for noise reduction and minimization of environmental effects.
