Tidal Energy

Part I: Tidal Turbine

The moon's gravitational pull on water bodies creates tides. In turn, this movement creates
kinetic energy that is carried by the water. Anything that moves has kinetic energy, whether it's
wind or a ball rolling down a hill. Kinetic energy can be captured by humans through windmills.
Researchers are trying to tap into the power of the tides through a design similar to a windmill.
Underwater (or tidal) turbines are a fairly straightforward concept, as far as cutting-edge energy
technology goes. They are essentially windmills installed onto an ocean floor or river bed.
Three bladed rotors are placed on a vertical stack and are move by the motion of the water. The
rotor turns a magnetic coil generator in the shaft housing which creates an electrical current.
The higher the flow rate of the water, the more electricity is generated. The major difference is
that underwater turbines are designed to work with water flow from either the front or the back.
This allows them to take advantage of the back and forth motion of tidal wave systems.
Tidal turbines are very much like underwater windmills except the rotors are driven by
consistent, fast-moving currents. The submerged rotors harness the power of the marine
currents to drive generators, which in turn produce electricity. Water is 832 times denser than
air and consequently tidal turbine rotors can be much smaller than wind turbine rotors thus they
can be deployed much closer together and still generate equivalent amounts of electricity.
Devices that harness marine current energy present a unique set of engineering challenges in
terms of design, installation and maintenance. During operation, the force of the tidal flow in
Strangford Lough is equivalent to a 345 mph wind generating 100 tonnes of thrust on the rotors.
The unique design of tidal turbines allows capture of the maximum amount of tidal energy
whilst keeping maintenance and connectivity costs low.

Figure 1 Tidal Turbine Anatomy

Although underwater turbines are essentially the same thing as windmills, they have a few
advantages over their above-ground cousins. Windmills require land, especially wind farms.
The future of land use is becoming a major topic of discussion. With 6 billion people on the
planet and counting, space is at a premium not just for housing, but for crop production and
more. Underwater turbines overcome this problem.
Another advantage of underwater energy capture comes from water's high density. Water is
denser than air, which means that the same amount of energy can be produced by an underwater
turbine as a windmill, but at slower speeds and over less area. The amount of wind that passes
over any given area of land can be unpredictable, the kinetic energy of tidal areas is dependable.
The ebb and flow is so predictable, a given tidal region can be expressed in the amount of
kilowatt hours of electricity it can produce per turbine.
Scientists have been examining the amount of energy found in a tidal pool in month long
periods. There are two main measurements. Mean spring peak velocity is the highest velocity
of tidal movement that can be found in an area during a single month. Mean neap peak cycle
is the lowest point in velocity that a tidal area experiences in a month. These two measurements
can help approximate the greatest and least amounts of velocity found in any given tidal pool
over the course of a month.
Besides the tides, there are other characteristics that affect the velocity of water. The
surrounding terrain for example, whether the area is rocky or sandy determines how water
moves. Whether a tidal area is narrow or wide can also impact velocity. A narrow channel can
concentrate water's movement, causing it to speed up.
Aquatic researchers have a pretty good handle on the movement of water in tidal areas, but
some factors remain unknown. Some researchers fear that humans may push underwater
turbine technology along quickly, without fully understanding the impact it can have. What
happens when vast numbers of underwater turbines are concentrated in tidal areas? While
energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can be captured and transferred to other uses, like
fulfilling our electrical needs.
One reason some fear we may jump into tidal turbine energy production too quickly is that the
technology is attractive. Underwater turbines produce no CO2 emissions. And the technology
is benign. Turbine energy production is passive, simply capturing some of the kinetic energy
found in the tidal movement and transforming it into electricity.
There's little data concerning the impact underwater turbines can have on marine ecosystems.
A rapidly spinning blade could easily turn a little fishie into chum with a single swipe. At
present, underwater turbines spin slowly, one set turns at 10 to 20 rotations per minute (rpm).
Turbines that move a couple feet per second don't pose much of threat to fish.
Underwater turbine pilot projects have been created throughout the world. The first to produce
electricity is found on the bottom of the Kvalsund Channel in Norway. This turbine features
33-foot-long blades that spin at a rate of 7 rpm and stands nearly 66 feet tall at its highest point
beneath the water's surface. In September 2003, the turbine's generator was connected to the
electrical grid of Hammerfest, a local village. The single turbine produces 700,000 kilowatt
hours annually, which provides power to an average of 35 homes in the area.
Another group is evaluating the impact of turbines on aquatic life. Verdant Power deployed
five 35-kilowatt turbines with equipment to monitor the surrounding aquatic life. Fish are
detected and tracked within 54 feet (18 meters) of the equipment and the data is recorded. So
far, no fish has been struck by the turbines.
Verdant is also involved in a project in New York's East River. Six 35-kilowatt tidal turbines
were installed in a channel with currents that flow at a rate of up to 4 knots (about 4.6 miles
per hour). The six turbines currently produce electricity that powers a grocery store and parking
garage nearby. Verdant is planning to add more turbines to the channel, which should produce
enough electricity to power 4,000 homes.
The United Kingdom is also studying the potential for underwater turbine electricity
production. The U.K. Company Marine Current Turbines has planted a pair of turbines attached
to a single pile, driven into the floor of the North Sea off the coast of Ireland. The turbines are
massive; each blade is 60 feet long. As they spin, the turbines produce 1.2 megawatts of
electricity.

Figure 2 Verdant Tidal Turbine

Part II: Tidal Barrages
Tidal barrages work like a hydro-electric scheme like a dam. A barrage is built across a river
estuary. When the tide goes in and out, the water flows through tunnels in the dam. As the tide
comes in, the dam allows the sea water to pass through into a holding basin. As soon as the tide
is about to reduce, the dam is closed. The water held back in this way will be used to feed the
turbines at low tide. The ebb and flow of the tides can be used to turn a turbine, or it can be
used to push air through a pipe, which then turns a turbine. Large lock gates, like the ones used
on canals, allow ships to pass.

Figure 3 Tidal Barrages

There would be a lot of benefits, including protecting a large stretch of coastline against damage
from high storm tides, and providing a ready-made road bridge. However, the drastic changes
to the currents in the estuary could have huge effects on the ecosystem, and huge numbers of
birds that feed on the mud flats in the estuary when the tide goes out would have nowhere to
feed. A major drawback of tidal power stations is that they can only generate when the tide is
flowing in or out. In other words, only for 10 hours each day. However, tides are totally
predictable, so we can plan to have other power stations generating at those times when the
tidal station is out of action.
La Rance Tidal Barrages:
The largest tidal power station in the world and the only one in Europe is in the Rance estuary
in northern France, near St. Malo.

Figure 4 La Rance Estuary - St.Malo, France

It was started in 1966 completed in 1967. The plant consists of 24 bulb type turbine generators
5.35 metres in diameter, 470 tonnes in weight, and rated at 10MW each which generate
electricity whether the tide is going in or out. The tidal range (the difference between high and
low tides) averages 8 metres and reach up to 13.5 metres. Although the technology is well in
place, tidal power is an expensive affair. Operating and maintenance costs of tidal power plants
are very low because the fuel, being seawater, is free. However, the overall cost of electricity
generated is still very high.
Figure 5 La Rance Estuary Workflow Diagram

It generates 544GWh electricity per annum. In addition, the barrage carries a dual carriageway
road and shortened the distance between St. Malo and Dinard from 45 km to 10 km. Access
for shipping is provided by locks and a swing bridge on the west bank of the estuary. The
purpose of such a project has typically been one, or several of: transport links, flood protection,
harbour creation, or tidal power generation.