ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

Lecture-58 : TIDAL WAVE- THEORY AND

WORKING PRINCIPLE
ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

Contents
1.1 Learning Outcomes

1.2 Tidal Wave- Theory and working principle with associated terms.

1.3 Concluding Note

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.1 Learning Outcomes

 The students will learn concept behind Tidal Wave.

 The students will be able to describe the Theory, working principle and terms associated with
Tidal Wave.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2 Tidal Wave- Theory and working principle

1.2.1 TIDE& WAVE- An Introduction

 Tide is a periodic rise and fall of the water level of sea which are carried by the action of the sun

and moon on water of the earth.

 The large scale up and down movement of sea water represents an unlimited source of energy.

 If some part of this energy can be converted into electrical energy it would be an important

source of hydro-power.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.2 TIDE& WAVE- Mechanism

 The main concept of this tidal cycle is the difference in water surface elevations at the
high tide and low tide. If the same differential head could be utilized in operating a
hydraulic turbine, the Tidal energy could be converted into Electrical energy by means of
an attached generator.

 At high Tide time- Water is at high level and can be let into a basin to be stored at a high
level there. The same water can be let back into the sea during the low tide via turbines
and hence producing Power, supporting schematic sketch is attached herewith as figure
01.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

• Mechanism-

Figure 01: Schematic Figure of Tidal Power Generation setup

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.3 Challenges Involved in Tidal Wave

 Tides although free suffered from real challenges viz,

 Inconvenient as they come at varing times from day to day.

 Have varying ranges & large output desires heavy expenditures.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.4 Overview of First Tidal PLant

 First Tidal plant was commissioned by General De-Gaulle at La Rance in 1966.

 On that average tidal range is 8.4 m (+-4.2 m), and a maximum is 13.5 m.
 Effective basin surface is 22 km2 and basin volume is 184,000,000 m3.
 It has used a single basin and submerged reversible propeller type turbine generator
and could generate power with the water flowing in either direction through the
turbine runner.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.5 TIDE& WAVE- Current & Existing Tidal Plant

 Current TIDAL POWER PLANT- Presently there are two Tidal power stations
operating, one in France and one in USSR.
 Disadvantage: The main disadvantage of Tidal power plant is that the production of
power from Tidal station occurs at times and magnitudes which are dependent on
relative position of earth, moon and sun to one another and not on the electrical
demand of consumers
 Practical Existing Tidal projects in India: Gulf of Kutch, Cambay and on smaller
scale, in the Sundarbans regions of Bay of Bengal.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.6 Basic Principle of Tidal power:

 Tides are produced mainly by the gravitational attraction of the moon and the sun
on the water of solid Earth and oceans.
 Approximately 70% of the tide producing force is due to the moon and 30% to the
sun. The moon is thereby the major factor in the tide formation.
 Surface water is pulled away from the earth on the side facing the moon,
consequently the solid earth is pulled away from the water on the opposite side.
Thus higher tides occur in these two areas with low tides at intermediate points.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.6 Basic Principle of Tidal power continue…

 As the earth rotates, the position of a given area relative to the moon changes, and
so also do the tides. Hence here exist a periodic succession of high and low tides.
 Exceptions: Two tidal cycles occur during a lunar day of 24 hrs and 50mins.
 From the schematic sketch 02, the range is being reflected in between the higher
and the lower point A and B respectively during the entire period of 24 hrs 50 mins.
 Here from the figure, we have two high tides and two low tides termed as Semi-
diurnal tides. Here rise and fall of the water level follows a sinusoidal curve, as
point A(High tide point) and B(Low tide point).
 Average time for the water level to fall from A to B and then rise to point C is
approximately 6 hrs 12.5 min.
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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

Figure 02: Schematic Figure of Tides of Sea

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.7 Terms Associated with Tidal Waves

Range

Neap Tidal
Tides Range

Spring Mean
Tides Range

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.7 Terms Associated with Tidal Waves continue…

• Range of tide: It may be defined as the difference between high and low water levels.

• Tidal Range(R): From schematic sketch02,It may be stated that,

• R = Water elevation at high tide – Water elevation at low tide.

• Spring Tides: At times near full or new moon , when Sun, moon and earth are approximately in
line , the gravitational forces of sun and moon enhances each other. The tidal range is then
exceptionally large, the high tides are higher and low tides are lower than the average.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.2.7 Terms Associated with Tidal Waves continue…

• These high tides are called Spring tides as visible in schematic sketch 03.

• Neap Tide: From schematic sketch 03, Near the first and third quarters of the moon, when the
sun and moon are at right angles with respect to earth, that results neap tide.

• Mean Range: It is approximately one third of the spring range.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

Figure 03: Schematic Sketch of Range variation of Tides

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

1.3 Note

The tides are a periodical phenomenon but no two tides in any cycle are alike

 Of the two high tides in a single day, one tide is higher than the other.

 The mean tidal range varies from place to place. The shape of the tidal cycle depends upon the
interaction of the sea with the coast-line.

 In spite of their complexity, the tides are amenable to mathematical analysis which results the
exact time and the water level for a high and low tide may be forecast with accuracy.

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ROE-086 Renewable Energy Resources Unit-5

Reference
• GD Rai, a textbook of Non- conventional Energy Sources.

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