Seminar Report on Tidal Energy

PREFACE

This seminar report has been prepared as per the requirement of the syllabus of
Mechanical engineering course structure under which the students are required
to prepare seminar for final year. My job during the preparation of this project
report was to get knowledge about TIDAL ENERGY and its various
generating methods.

It was a great experience for me that to get exposed to the professional set up.

During seminar, we had very knowledgably experience. We found in this project

that we gain a lot of knowledge in Electrical Field.

Now we take opportunity to present report and sincerely hope that it will be as
much knowledge enhancing to the readers as it was to use during the field work
of project and compilation of the report.

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 Seminar Report on Tidal Energy

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I am deeply indebted to many people for the successful completion of this

report. I would like to take this opportunity and go on record to thank them
for their help and support.

I am deeply indebted to the Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and

Technology. for all the pains and trouble they have gone through on my
behalf and all the support they continue to provide me with.

I express my deep sense of gratitude and sincere feelings of obligation to my

guide faculty Er. Jasvir Singh who helped in overcoming difficulties and
who imparted me the necessary conceptual knowledge.

I would also like to thanks Er. Simerpreet Singh (H.O.D Electrical

Department) who have directly or indirectly extend their kind co-operation
and support by guiding me systematically and methodically in completion of
the report. I wish to express my greatness to all my friends and teachers for
their helpful input, insightful comments, steadfast love and support. Thank
You for being there for me every time.

Sanat Kumar Sharma

(4th year B. Tech., VIII sem.)

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 Seminar Report on Tidal Energy

CONTENTS

S.No Title Page No.

1. Preface 1

2. Acknowledgement 2

3. Tidal Energy 4

4. Tides 4-5

5. Generation Of Tidal Energy 6-8

6. Generating Methods 8

7. Tidal steam generator 8-9

8. Tidal barrage 9-11

9. Dynamic tidal power 11-13

10. Tidal lagoon 13*14

11. Tidal power development in UK 14

12. Tidal power issues 15-17

13. Basics science of tides 17-19

14. Advantages 20

15. Disadvantages 21

16. References 22

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 Seminar Report on Tidal Energy

TIDAL ENERGY

Gravitational forces between the moon and, the sun and earth cause the
rhythmic rising and lowering of ocean waters around the world that result in tide
waves. Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that
converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity.
Although not yet widely used, tidal power has potential for future electricity
generation. Tides are more predictable than wind energy and solar power.
Among sources of renewable energy, tidal power has traditionally suffered from
relatively high cost and limited availability of sites with sufficiently high tidal
ranges or flow velocities, thus constricting its total availability. However, many
recent technological developments and improvements, both in design (e.g.
dynamic tidal power, tidal lagoons) and turbine technology (e.g. new axial
turbines, cross flow turbines), indicate that the total availability of tidal power may
be much higher than previously assumed, and that economic and environmental
costs may be brought down to competitive levels. Historically, tide mills have
been used, both in Europe and on the Atlantic coast of North America. The
earliest occurrences date from the Middle Ages, or even from Roman times. The
world's first large-scale tidal power plant (the Rance Tidal Power Station) became
operational in 1966.

Tides

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of
the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the
Earth.

In Maine (U.S.) low tide occurs roughly at moonrise and high tide with a high
moon, corresponding to the simple gravity model of two tidal bulges; at most

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 Seminar Report on Tidal Energy

places however, moon and tides have a phase shift. Tides are the rise and fall of
sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces.

Spring and Neap Tide

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GENERATION OF TIDAL ENERGY

Tidal power is extracted from the Earth's oceanic tides; tidal forces are periodic
variations in gravitational attraction exerted by celestial bodies. These forces
create corresponding motions or currents in the world's oceans..

Variation of tide over a day

The magnitude and character of this motion reflects the changing positions of the
Moon and Sun relative to the Earth, the effects of Earth's rotation, and local
geography of the sea floor and coastlines

Tidal power is the only technology that draws on energy inherent in the orbital
characteristics of the EarthMoon system, and to a lesser extent in the Earth
Sun system. Other natural energies exploited by human technology originate
directly or indirectly with the Sun, including fossil fuel, conventional hydroelectric,
wind, biofuel, wave and solar energy. Nuclear energy makes use of Earth's
mineral deposits of fissionable elements, while geothermal power taps the

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Earth's internal heat, which comes from a combination of residual heat from
planetary accretion (about 20%) and heat produced through radioactive decay
(80%).

Turbine under the water

A tidal generator converts the energy of tidal flows into electricity. Greater tidal
variation and higher tidal current velocities can dramatically increase the potential
of a site for tidal electricity generation.

Because the Earth's tides are ultimately due to gravitational interaction with the
Moon and Sun and the Earth's rotation, tidal power is practically inexhaustible
and classified as a renewable energy resource. Movement of tides causes a loss
of mechanical energy in the EarthMoon system: this is a result of pumping of
water through natural restrictions around coastlines and consequent viscous
dissipation at the seabed and in turbulence. This loss of energy has caused the
rotation of the Earth to slow in the 4.5 billion years since its formation. During the

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last 620 million years the period of rotation of the earth (length of a day) has
increased from 21.9 hours to 24 hours;[4] in this period the Earth has lost 17% of
its rotational energy. While tidal power may take additional energy from the
system, the effect is negligible and would only be noticed over millions of years.

GENERATING METHODS

Tidal Stream Generator

Tidal Barrage

Dynamic Tidal Power

Tidal Lagoon

Tidal stream generator

A tidal stream generator, often referred to as a tidal energy converter (TEC) is

a machine that extracts energy from moving masses of water, in particular tides,
although the term is often used in reference to machines designed to extract
energy from run of river or tidal estuarine sites. Certain types of these machines
function.

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Tidal stream generator

very much like underwater wind turbines, and are thus often referred to as tidal
turbines. They were first conceived in the 1970s during the oil crisis.

Tidal stream generators are the cheapest and the least ecologically damaging
among the three main forms of tidal power generation.

Similarity to wind turbines

Tidal stream generators draw energy from water currents in much the same way
as wind turbines draw energy from air currents. However, the potential for power
generation by an individual tidal turbine can be greater than that of similarly rated
wind energy turbine. The higher density of water relative to air (water is about
800 times the density of air) means that a single generator can provide significant
power at low tidal flow velocities compared with similar wind speed. Given that
power varies with the density of medium and the cube of velocity, it is simple to
see that water speeds of nearly one-tenth of the speed of wind provide the same
power for the same size of turbine system; however this limits the application in
practice to places where the tide moves at speeds of at least 2 knots (1 m/s)
even close to neap tides. Furthermore, at higher speeds in a flow between 2 to
3 metres per second in seawater a tidal turbine can typically access four times as
much energy per rotor swept area as a similarly rated power wind turbine.

TIDAL BARRAGE

A tidal barrage is a dam-like structure used to capture the energy from masses
of water moving in and out of a bay or river due to tidal forces. Instead of
damming water on one side like a conventional dam, a tidal barrage first allows
water to flow into a bay or river during high tide, and releasing the water back
during low tide. This is done by measuring the tidal flow and controlling the sluice
gates at key times of the tidal cycle. Turbines are then placed at these sluices to
capture the energy as the water flows in and out.

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The Rance Tidal Power Station, a tidal barrage in France.

Tidal barrages are among the oldest methods of tidal power generation, with
projects being developed as early as the 1960s, such as the 1.7 megawatt
Kislaya Guba Tidal Power Station in Kislaya Guba, Russia.

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Dynamic Tidal Power

Dynamic tidal power or DTP is a new and untested method of tidal power
generation. It would involve creating large dam-like structure extending from the
coast straight to the ocean, with a perpendicular barrier at the far end, forming a
large 'T' shape.

This long T-dam would interfere with coast-parallel oscillating tidal waves which
run along the coasts of continental shelves, containing powerful hydraulic
currents (common in e.g. China, Korea, and the UK). The concept was invented
and patented in 1997 by Dutch coastal engineers Kees Hulsbergen and Rob
Steijn.

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Top-down view of a DTP dam. Blue and dark red colors indicate low and
high tides, respectively.

A DTP dam is a long dam of 30 to 60 km which is built perpendicular to the

coast, running straight out into the ocean, without enclosing an area. The
horizontal acceleration of the tides is blocked by the dam. In many coastal areas
the main tidal movement runs parallel to the coast: the entire mass of the ocean
water accelerates in one direction, and later in the day back the other way. A
DTP dam is long enough to exert an influence on the horizontal tidal movement,
which generates a water level differential (head) over both sides of the dam. The
head can be converted into power using a long series of conventional low-head
turbines installed in the dam.

Benefits

A single dam can accommodate over 1 GW (1000 MW) of installed capacity, with
a capacity factor of about 30%, for an estimated annual power production of each
dam of about 4.6 TWh .To put this number in perspective, an average European

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person consumes about 6800 kWh per year, so one DTP dam could supply
energy for about 6.76 hundred thousand Europeans. If two dams are installed at
the right distance from one another (about 200 km apart), they can complement
one another to level the output (one dam is at full output when the other is not
generating power). Dynamic tidal power doesn't require a very high natural tidal
range, so more sites are available and the total availability of power is very high
in countries with suitable conditions, such as Korea, China, and the UK (the total
amount of available power in China is estimated at 80 - 150 GW).

Tidal Lagoon

A new tidal energy design option is to construct circular retaining walls

embedded with turbines that can capture the potential energy of tides. The
created reservoirs are similar to those of tidal barrages, except that the location
is artificial and does not contain a preexisting ecosystem. The lagoons can also
be in double (or triple) format without pumping or with pumping that will flatten out
the power output. The pumping power could be provided by excess to grid
demand renewable energy from for example wind turbines or solar photovoltaic
arrays. Excess renewable energy rather than being curtailed could be used and
stored for a later period of time. Geographically dispersed tidal lagoons with a
time delay between peak production would also flatten out peak production
providing near base load production though at a higher cost than some other
alternatives such as district heating renewable energy storage. The
proposed Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay in Wales, United Kingdom would be the
first tidal power station of this type once built.

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Tidal Power Development In The UK

The world's first marine energy test facility was established in 2003 to start the
development of the wave and tidal energy industry in the UK. Based in Orkney,
Scotland, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has supported the
deployment of more wave and tidal energy devices than at any other single site
in the world. EMEC provides a variety of test sites in real sea conditions. Its grid
connected tidal test site is located at the Fall of Warness, off the island of Eday,
in a narrow channel which concentrates the tide as it flows between the Atlantic
Ocean and North Sea. This area has a very strong tidal current, which can travel
up to 4 m/s (8 knots) in spring tides. Tidal energy developers that have tested at
the site include: Alstom (formerly Tidal Generation Ltd); ANDRITZ HYDRO
Hammerfest; Atlantis Resources Corporation; Nautricity; OpenHydro;
Scotrenewables Tidal Power; Voith.[19] The resource could be 4 TJ per
year.[20] Elsewhere in the UK, annual energy of 50 TWh can be extracted if 25
GW capacity is installed with pivotable blades.

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Tidal Power Issues

Environmental concerns

Tidal power can have effects on marine life. The turbines can accidentally kill
swimming sea life with the rotating blades, although projects such as the one in
Strangford feature a safety mechanism that turns off the turbine when marine
animals approach. Some fish may no longer utilize the area if threatened with a
constant rotating or noise-making object. Marine life is a huge factor when
placing tidal power energy generators in the water and precautions are made to
ensure that as many marine animals as possible will not be affected by it.
The Tethys database provides access to scientific literature and general
information on the potential environmental effects of tidal energy.

Tidal Turbines

The main environmental concern with tidal energy is associated with blade strike
and entanglement of marine organisms as high speed water increases the risk of
organisms being pushed near or through these devices. As with all offshore
renewable energies, there is also a concern about how the creation of EMF and
acoustic outputs may affect marine organisms. It should be noted that because
these devices are in the water, the acoustic output can be greater than those
created with offshore wind energy. Depending on
the frequency and amplitude of sound generated by the tidal energy devices, this
acoustic output can have varying effects on marine mammals (particularly those
who echolocate to communicate and navigate in the marine environment, such
as dolphins and whales). Tidal energy removal can also cause environmental
concerns such as degrading farfield water quality and

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disrupting sediment processes. Depending on the size of the project, these

effects can range from small traces of sediment building up near the tidal device
to severely affecting nearshore ecosystems and processes.

Tidal Barrage

Installing a barrage may change the shoreline within the bay or estuary, affecting
a large ecosystem that depends on tidal flats. Inhibiting the flow of water in and
out of the bay, there may also be less flushing of the bay or estuary, causing
additional turbidity (suspended solids) and less saltwater, which may result in the
death of fish that act as a vital food source to birds and mammals. Migrating fish
may also be unable to access breeding streams, and may attempt to pass
through the turbines. The same acoustic concerns apply to tidal barrages.
Decreasing shipping accessibility can become a socio-economic issue, though
locks can be added to allow slow passage. However, the barrage may improve
the local economy by increasing land access as a bridge. Calmer waters may
also allow better recreation in the bay or estuary.[46] In August 2004, a humpback
whale swam through the open sluice gate of the Annapolis Royal Generating
Station at slack tide, ending up trapped for several days before eventually finding
its way out to the Annapolis Basin.

Tidal Lagoon

Environmentally, the main concerns are blade strike on fish attempting to enter
the lagoon, acoustic output from turbines, and changes in sedimentation
processes. However, all these effects are localized and do not affect the entire
estuary or bay.

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Corrosion

Salt water causes corrosion in metal parts. It can be difficult to maintain tidal
stream generators due to their size and depth in the water. The use of corrosion-
resistant materials such as stainless steels, high-nickel alloys, copper-nickel
alloys, nickel-copper alloys and titanium can greatly reduce, or eliminate,
corrosion damage.

Mechanical fluids, such as lubricants, can leak out, which may be harmful to the
marine life nearby. Proper maintenance can minimize the amount of harmful
chemicals that may enter the environment.

Fouling

The biological events that happen when placing any structure in an area of high
tidal currents and high biological productivity in the ocean will ensure that the
structure becomes an ideal substrate for the growth of marine organisms. In
the references of the Tidal Current Project at Race Rocks in British Columbia this
is documented. Also see this page and Several structural materials and coatings
were tested by the Lester Pearson College divers to assist Clean Current in
reducing fouling on the turbine and other underwater infrastructure.

BASIC SCIENCE OF TIDES

Lunar Tidal Dynamics

The constant interaction between earth and its moon make for one of the most
complex yet overlooked scientific phenomena: the tidal system. For our purposes,
we will explore the coastal tidal system which includes such structures as inlets,
rivers, and bays. Although vital in the understanding of these smaller scale

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structures, the open ocean dynamics will be avoided as these systems are relatively
futile in terms of pertaining to energy systems.
Dynamically speaking, the earth and the Moon are two masses that display
centrifugal forces on one another. First, we must consider a particle of mass m which
is located on the earths surface. Given Newtons law of gravitational state we
introduce the equation:
F = G m1m2 (1.1)
2
R
where the F is the force created between mass1 and mass2, G is the universal
gravitational constant whose value depends only on the chosen units of mass,
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length, and force (typically 6.67 x 10 N m kg ). If we then take the difference
between the force towards the moon and the force necessary for earths rotation
(1.1) we generate the tidal producing force (Pugh 62):
Tidal Force = 2Gmm1a (1.2)
3
R
where m is the mass of the earth, a is the mean radius of the earth and R is the
distance between earth and the lunar surface. The net effect of this equation is to
displace particle m1 away from the center of the earth. Thus, we can conclude that
diurnal tides are
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generated because the maxima and minima in each daily rotation are unequal in
amplitude. (Pugh 64) This is ultimately, in its simplest form, the process behind the
half-day cycle which results in a period of 12 hours 25 minutes between successive
high waters. (Johansson 515) Figure 1.3 demonstrates Tidal Force and its tendency
to create bulging at the waters surface; thus making for the differential sloshing
effect.

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 Seminar Report on Tidal Energy

Spring-neap tides are a second significant tidal pattern type. The fortnightly
modulation in semidiurnal tidal amplitudes is due to the various combinations of
lunar and solar semidiurnal tides. The minimum ranges occur at the first quarter
and last quarter. This is because at times of spring tides the lunar and solar
forces combine together, but at neap tides the lunar and solar forces are out of
phase and tend to cancel. (Pugh 82) Figure 1.4 illustrates the difference between
Neap and Spring ellipses; notice during the Spring Tide, the ellipse is drawn
outward toward the Sun, allowing for increases tidal activity in terms of range.
During the Neap Tide, one gets a significant decrease in tidal activity due to the
gravitational strain at the poles instead of at the Equator. Unfortunately, although
predictable, this tidal pattern makes for increased
variation in terms of expected power output; if tidal power produced 25% of a
large citys power peak load, the city would be forced to find another source of
power during times of Neap Tide. This has always been a significant factor when
considering tidal energy schemes as a significant portion of a populations energy
requirement.

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 Seminar Report on Tidal Energy

ADVANTAGES

It reduces the dependence upon fossil fuels

Tidal and wave energy is free, renewable, and clean source of energy
It produces clean electricity, with no production of greenhouse gas or
pollution.
Tidal and wave energy generation and consumption creates no liquid or
solid pollution
Highly efficient resource (compared with coal and oil at 30%, tidal power
efficiency is about 80%)
Energy capturing and conversion mechanism may help protect the
shoreline
Energy capturing and conversion mechanism has little visual impact
About 60 billion watts of energy from tides can be used for electricity
generation
Tides are active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Tidal power is a renewable source of energy.
It produces energy for free, once the initial costs are recovered.

DISADVANTAGES

It is not cost effective because fossil-fuel power stations do not pay for the
cost of their carbon emissions to the planet. This will change as fossil fuel
is valued at its real price.
It leads to the displacement of wild life habitats.
It can only be used where there is suitable tidal flow or wave motion. So it
can not be used inland.
It only produces electricity during tidal surges.
Barrage systems require salt resistant parts and lots of maintenance.

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 Seminar Report on Tidal Energy

The frames of the turbines can disrupt the movement of large marine
animals and ships through the channels on which the barrage is built.
The barrage systems have the disadvantages of disrupting fish migration
and killing fish passing through the turbines, therefore, there is also the
risk of destruction of ecosystem that rely on the coming and going of tides.
The ecosystem is disrupted during the construction of building the tidal
fence. this affects the fishes and also the fishermen who depends their life
on it.
Fossil fuels can be moved to just about anyplace to create energy on the
spot. This is what allows a car to work while moving.

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Refrences

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_power
https://www.scribd.com
https://www.slideshare.net/
Book G.D Rai

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