Tidal action caused by gravitational effects

of moon and sun on earth’s oceans.

Common tidal energy system is a barrage
system as shown in the following slide.
200 m Top view

250 m

barrage
 Front view

200 m

High tide
6m
3m
Low tide
20 m
8m
12 m
4m
4m

turbine blades
 High tide depth (h) = 6 m Width = 200 m Length = 250 m
Depth of water at low tide = 12 m
Seawater  1027 kg/m3
Tidal period = 12 hrs
Area behind barrage (A) = 200 m x 250 m = 50,000 m2

Estimate of total energy stored at high tide (assuming all

mass is located at mid- high tide depth (11 m):

h 1
E = mass water  g    A  h    g  h
2 2
1 1 8 2 kg m
  A    g  h  10  m 1027  3  9.81 2  (3  m) 2
2

2 2 m sec

E  2.27x109 joules = 629.7 kWhr.

•Assume power generated only during ebb tide
(flow out). Time of flow out = 6 hrs.

•Assume all water stored during flow in is

discharged during ebb tide

Volume of water stored during inflow:

V = 6 m (250 m x 200 m) = 3 x 105 m3

 Assume average flow rate out of barrage is given by:

V 5 m
F  5 x 10
6 hrs hr

Assume all of this flow passes through the barrage

opening of 20m by 4 m. Let a = 20m x 4 m = 80 m2
Average fluid velocity through this opening is given by:

v = F/a = (5 x 104 m3/hr)/80 m2 = 625 m/hr

In this opening there will be 5 turbine generators with blade

radius equal to 2 ft.
Turbine power equation (same as for wind
turbine) for each turbine generator is:

1
P   At    v 3

2
A t  area covered during rotation of rotor blades.
At =   r 2
r  length single blade
 3
1 kg  m
P     (2  m) 1027 3   625   34w
2

2 m  hr 

For 5 turbines, Ptotal  5  P  169w

Total Energy for one tidal cycle

= Ptotal  6 hr  0.203 kWh
 Power calculations for tidal currents and
underwater turbine generators:

Assumptions:
m
Tidal current (v) = 0.1
sec
Turbine blade radius (r) = 5 m
kg
 Seawater density () = 1027 3
m
 1 1 kg m 3
P     r   v     (5  m)  1027  3  (0.1 
2 3 2
)
2 2 m sec

P  40 w (per turbine generator)

Fairly low power output, but can run 24 hrs a

day in all weather (tidal currents are reasonably
constant)
For comparison a person riding a bicycle
with the rear wheel linked to a generator can
produce about 75 watts of electricity. The
problem is that most people can’t keep this
up for more than an hour.

(A possibility for Appledore is to open a

recreation/fitness center with 10 or 15 bikes
connected to generators).

By contrast Lance Armstrong can generate

500 watts --- but only for 20 minutes
In all of these options energy is lost in the
transfer from mechanical to electrical
energy. Typical efficiency of the overall
processes is 40 – 50%.
Other “ocean – power” options include
capturing wave energy. Some of these
options are shown in the following slides.

There are only a few of these schemes in

actual operation so there is not sufficient
data to assess their effectiveness – plus
Appledore Island generally doesn’t
experience significant wave action.
 Ocean
Shore