The aim of this research study is to perform experimental tests on a new morphable mini Wells turbine designed to operate in presence of waves with limited energy content which presents a high frequency of occurrence along the Mediterranean coasts. The small size and low investment costs of the turbine make it particularly suitable to be installed either in existing structures, such as anti-reflective perforated caissons, or in devices for the coastal defense from erosive phenomena located on shallow water conditions. The need to carry out experimental tests derives from the difficulty of handling in a virtual Computational Fluid Dynamics environment the huge difference in the time scale of the turbine, which spins at 1500-3000 rpm, and the wave periods, in the order of some seconds. Properly designed lab tests are mandatory to characterize the behavior of Wells turbines to be employed in the Mediterranean Sea.
