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    15 views11 pages

    Tidal Energy

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    bhupengera

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 11
    Tidal Energy 8.1 INTRODUCTION ey All flowing waters carry with them kinetic energy. When such water encounters a turbine, part of the momentum of the flowing water is transferred on to the turbine, causing it to rotate. The rotation of the turbine can then be used to generate electricity. Whether the water is in the open ocean, an estuary, or a river, its motion can thus be utilized in generating energy. The tides occurring in the oceans are one such source of energy based Tides are generated by the action of gravitational forces of the sun and the moon on the oceans, by the spinning of the earth around its axis and the relative positions of the earth, moon and the sun. The tides are the periodic vertical rise and fall of ocean water. The period between Tidal movement differs from wave movement. Waves have a period of only about 6 seconds, whereas tides have a period of 12.5 hours. Waves are caused by surface winds, whereas tides are caused by the gravitational forces of moon and sun on ocean Wane The amplitude of tides covers a wide range from 25 cm to 10 m. The speed of tidal currents is in the range of 1.8 km/h to 18 km/h. The tides and tidal currents possess renewable energy. The rise and fall of the water level follows a sinusoidal curve, shown with point A indicating the high tide point and point B indicating the low tide point. The average Period of time for the water level to fall from A to B and then rise from B to C is ext, approximately equal to 6 hours 12.5 minutes (Figure 8.1), ‘he difference between high and low water levels is called the range of the tide. The tidal range R is defined as: R = water elevation at high tide — water elevation at low tide. 157 Renewable Energy Sources: Their Impact on Global Warming and Pollution Ne A “4 R tidal range +2 FIGURE 8.1 The tides of sea. Because of the changing positions of the moon and sun relative to the earth, the range varies continuously. There are however, some characteristic features of this variation. At times during full or new moon, when sun, moon and earth are approximately in a line, the gravitational forces of sun and moon are enhanced. The tidal range is then exceptionally large, the high tides are higher and low tides are lower than the average. These high tides are called spring tides. On the other hand, near the first and third quarters of the moon, when the sun and moon are at right angles with respect to the earth neap tides occur. The tidal range is then exceptionally small; the high tides are lower and the low tides higher than the average. Hence, the range is not constant. It varies during the 29.5 days, lunar month (Figure 8.2), and is maximum at the time-of new and full moons (called the spring tides), and minimum at the time of the first and third quarter moons (called the neap tides). The spring-neap tidal cycle lasts one-half of a lunar month. A typical mean range is roughly one third of the spring range, The actual variations in range are Somewhat complicated by seasonal variations caused by the ellipticity of the earth's orbit around the sun. ‘The variations in the periodicity and monthly and seasonal ranges must, of course, be taken into account in the design and operation of tidal power plants. The tides, however, are usually predictable, and fairly accurate tide tables are usually available. Tidal ranges vary from one earth location to another. They are influenced by such conditions as the profile of the local shoreline and water depth. When these are favourable, a resonance like effect causes very large tidal ranges. Ranges have to be very large to justify the huge costs of buildings dams and associated hydroelectric power plants. Such tides occur only in a few locations in the world, The tides along most coastlines ate about a metre high, but in constricted areas where they are amplified by a funnelling action, they ‘may rise by 10 metres or more. It is in these constricted areas that the most effective tidal power plants may be located. A dam or sluice gate is placed across an ocean bay or estuary. An incoming tide fills up the enclosed basin while passing through a row of hydraulic turbines. After the basin is filled Es a a a a ee Chapter 8 + Tidal Energy EER New First Full Third New moon quarter moon quater moon e ) ° © @ 1225 min : Spring Neap ‘Spring Neap tide tide tide tide FIGURE 8.2 Relative high and low tides showing variation in range during lunar month. with water, the gates are closed and the turbines are shut down. Then the turbine blades are reversed and the gates opened again to let the water surge out, Thus, turbines would be rotated either way generating electric power. 8.2 MAIN TYPES OF TIDAL POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS As stated above, a tidal power development scheme essentially involves the construction of a long barrier across a bay or an estuary to create a large basin on the landward side, The barrier includes dykes, gate-controlled sluices, and the power house. Tidal power schemes have the following different configurations in common use: 1. Single Basin, Single Effect Tidal Power Scheme 2. Single Basin, Double Effect Tidal Power Scheme 3. Linked Basin Scheme In the Single Basin, Single Effect Tidal Power Scheme, the basin is filled by keeping the sluices open and letting the water flow from the sea to the basin during flood tide. Power is generated by letting the water flow from the basin to the sea through the turbines during ebb tide (Figures 8.3(a) and 8.3(b)). In a Single Basin, Double Effect Tidal Power Scheme, power is generated during flood tide, with water flowing from the sea to the basin through the turbines, and also during ebb tide, with water flowing from the basin to the sea through the turbines. In this case, the turbine blades should be reversible with proper blade angles depending upon the direction of flow (Figures 8.4(a) and 8.4(b)). FEE renewabie Energy Sources: ‘Their Impact on Global Warming and Pollution Lr Basin 2 + -_—_ fi FIGURE 8.3(a) Single basin, single effect tidal ower scheme, Power house Sluices Dyke ‘S enerating; P: pumping; W: waiting: F ting FIGURE 8.3(6) Single basin, single effect tidal power scheme: schematic top view, Chapter 8 + Tidal Energy Dyke Sluices Sea <— SFB rower novse Sluices. S Dyke FIGURE 8.4(a)_ Single basin, double effect tidal power scheme. Sea level Water level (ft) Water level (ft) Pumping (MW) Generation (MW) Pumping (MW) Generation (MW) mT — 6 2 7 G: generating; P: pumping; W: waiting; F: fling FIGURE 8.4(b) Single basin, double effect tidal power scheme: schematic top view. Eon et Ty 0 12 "7 EEA tenenabie Energy Sources: Ther Impact on Global Warming and Pollution Beneration at low heads, and, consequently, of handling large discharges. It may be seen rom Figures 8.3(a,b), 8.4(ab), and 8.5(a,b) is rather limited compared to the third scheme is shown in Figure 8.6, High basin RAD Power house Sluices Sea y 7 FIGURE 8.5(a) Linked basin scheme. 8.3 POTENTIAL OF TIDAL POWER AND PRESENT STATUS OF ITS UTILIZATION ————— UZATION Hope atial for electric power generation by tidal action is estimated at about il The maximu: 550 billion kilowatt-hours per year, Although these numbers seem impressive, they are fer nat misleading. The number of good sites inthe world for the development of tidal power are extremely limited. They include the San Jose Gulf in Argentina, Severn estuary in England, several coastal sites in France, four locations in the Soviet Union, Cook Inlet in Alaska, Puget Sound in Washington, the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, ng the adjacent Passamaquoddy Bay in Maine. fe much as 29000 MW could be generated from the massive tides of the Bay of Fundy, however, the three best sites there would aed 27% cr tots Of only about 9000 MW. Nevertheless, this could supply between 20% and 27% of the electricity consumed by New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces Information on the tidal power systems Presently operative across the world is summarized in Table 8.1. I Chapter 8 + Tidal Eneroy BRE] High basin level Water level (ft) PH HB e LB z = 5 z § § 5 g 5 6 2 8 2 2 & & é 2 oe oO 5 12 14 16 20 0 8 12 18 Hours peaking Hours energy | PH: Power house, G: generating, |: idle (no generation), HB: high basin, LB: low basin, F: filling, : emptying, W: waiting; C: closed basin. FIGURE 8.5(b) Linked basin scheme: schematic top view. | Gantry crane. Gantry i Intake gate aa | Maximum, operating pool Minimum operating poo! Trash rack L——— Basin side | FIGURE 8.6 Layout of a typical tidal power house. EEE enewabie energy Sources: Their Impact on Global Warming and Pollution 8.3.1 Advantages and Limitations of Tidal Power Generation Advantages i 1. The biggest advantage of tidal power, besides being inexhaustible, is that it is completely independent of the uncertainty of precipitation (rain). Even a continuous dry spell of any number of years will have no effect whatsoever on the tidal power generation. Tidal power generation is free from pollution, as it does not use any fuel and also does not produce any unhealthy waste like gases, ash or atomic refuse. Tidal power plants do not require large areas of valuable land because they are on the bays (seashore). Peak power demand can be effectively met when it works in combination with thermal or hydroelectric systems. x 2 s Limitations and some of their solutions here are a number of reasons why the tidal power generation is still a novelty, rather than a normal source of energy. The reasons are: 1. The fundamental drawback to all methods of generating tidal power is the variability in output caused by the variations in the tidal range. 2. The tidal ranges are highly variable and, thus, the turbines have to work on a Wide range of head variation. This affects the efficiency of the plant. Since the tidal power generation depends upon the level difference in the sea and an inland basin, it has to be an intermittent operation, feasible only at a certain stage of the tidal cycle. This intermittent pattern could be improved to some extent by using multiple basins and a double cycle system. The tidal range is limited to a few metres. As the bulb turbine technology was not well developed for this range, use of conventional kaplan runners was the only alternative. This was found to be unsuitable, Now, with the development of reversible flow bulb turbines, this difficulty is overcome. . The duration of power cycle may be reasonably constant, but its time of occurrence keeps changing, introducing difficulties in the everyday planning of the load sharing in the grids. This handicap can be removed now with the help of computerized programming. = » Sea water is corrosive and it was feared that the machinery may get corroded, Stainless steel with a high chromium content and a small amount of molybdenum and the aluminium bronzes proved to be good corrosion resistant at La Rance project. The vinyl paint exhibited good results. Construction in sea or in estuaries is found difficult. Cost is not favourable compared to the other sources of energy. It is feared that the tidal power plant would hamper the other natural uses of estuaries such as fishing or navigation. 2 = : 2 yon Information about the different tidal power schemes the world over is given in Table 8.1. Some more details about the tidal power schemes in different countries are given next. a i Chapter 8 + Tidal Energy EUS TABLE 8.1 World's tidal power sites and estimated potential power Location Average R Basin RA Average Potential range R area A potential annual (an) (em) (han?) (yan?) poner P energy E | (10° kW) (10° kWh) North America 552305 262 799 1800 15800 | Bay of Fundy Passamaquoddy Cobscook 55 30.3 106 3212 722 6330 | Annapolis 64 41.0 83 3403 765 6710 Minas-Cobequid 1074 7 88578 19900 175000 | Amherst Point 1074 10 1140 256 2250 | Shepody 98 96 17 11232 2520 2100 Cumberland 10.1 102 73 7446 1680 14700 Peutcodiac 107 4 31 3534 794 6960 Memmramcook 107114 23 2622 590 5170 ih Subtotal 29027 255020 | South America ii Argentina i San Jose 59 34.8 750 26100 5870 51500 | Europe ii England Severn 98 96.0 70 6720 1680 14700 ij France i Aber-Benoit 5.2 27.0 29 78 18 158 i Aber-Wrach 5.0 25.0 a 28 6 53 i Arguenon and Lancieux 8.4 70.6 280 1977 446 3910 Frenaye 74 548 12.0 658 8 1300 La Rance* 84 70.6 220 1553 349" 3060 Rotheneuf 8.0 64.0 1d 70 16 140 Monttain Michel a4 70.6 610 43066 9700 85100 Somme 65 423 49 2073 466 4090 Subtotal 1149 97811 India See Table 8.2 { USSR Kislaya Inlet* 2.37 5.62 20 uw 2s 2 i Lumbovskii Bay 420 176 70 1232 277 2430 White Sea 565 31.9 2000 63800 14400 126000 Mezen Estuary 660 43.6 140 6104 1370 12000 Subtotal 16049 140452 Grand Total 63775 559483, * Power plants in operation | FEE enewabie Energy sources: Their Impact on Global Warming and Pollution France On 26 November 1966, the ‘La Rance tidal power plant’ went into operation. In about a Year’ time, the plant had been fully commissioned, with 24 bulb turbines of 10 MW. each, and has been operating successfully since then. The annual energy production is of the machines have been available for neatly 94% of the time, the balance 6% having been used for planned maintenance of the system. The problem of turbine blade corrosion due ‘o saline water has been overcome by using elaborate cathodic protection. Former USSR Although the ‘Kislaya Guba power plant’ in the former USSR has an installed capacity of only 400 kW, the feasibility of the floating method of construction for tidal power stations was demonstrated, The power house was constructed in dock; it was floated; towed to the bay of Kislaya; and finally placed under water on Prepared foundation— a half metre thick layer of graded soil. China The notable tidal power schemes are the “Baishakou tidal Power station’ with a capacity of 6 x 160 kW, which was commissioned in 1978, and the ‘Tiangxia tidal power station’ with a capacity of 6 x 500 kW in 1980. The ‘Baishakou tidal Power station’ is the single basin, single effect type, while the Jiangxia tidal power station ie the single basin, double effect type. India The most attractive tidal power sites are the Gulf of Cambay and the Gulf of Kutch, where the maximum tidal range is of the order of 11 m and 3 am respectively and the is about 3.25 km. The scheme is expected to cost Rs 6000 crores, according to 1993 prices, But this project was not taken up as it was too expensive when compared to the conventional range of 5.0 m and an average tidal range of 3.0 m. The promising sites for tidal power plants are located in Gujarat state and West Bengal state. Table 8.2 gives the reference data, Survey of other sites in Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, Andaman Nicobar, etc. is being done by the Non-conventional and Renewable Energy Department. The sites hove good prospects, but require extremely high investments compared to conventional Power plants of the same rating. The estimated tidal power potential in India is about 15000 MW.

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