Tidal Power

Atul Raturi

Lecture based on Renewable Energy Resources: Twidell and Weir

 Main Points
The level of water in oceans rises and falls in a regular manner,
There are two main tidal periods : diurnal (24 h) and semidiurnal
(12.25 h).
The change in height between high and low tides is called the range
R ( between 0.5 m to 10 m).
The seawater can be trapped to produce tidal range power
The average range tidal range power is given by

AR 2 g
P
2
where R is the range , A is area of the dam and is the tidal period .
 Main points (contd.)
The movement of water produces tidal currents with speeds
reaching 5 ms-1.
Seawater can be trapped at high tide to produce tidal power
Tidal currents can be used in a manner similar to wind energy to
produce power.

The power per unit area in a current ~0.1 u03 where u0 is the
maximum speed of the current.
The optimum tidal power generation is not synchronized with the
demand.
Changing power production due to changing tidal flow.
Large capital costs
Ecological harm possible in case of tidal range systems.
 Power from tides
Tidal Current Power

Tidal Range Power

Tides
 Spring Tide

Neap Tide
Global distribution of 3-types of tides
 Enhancement of tides
The normal mid-ocean tidal -range is <1 m
and is of little value for power generation.
Near many estuaries ,enhancement of
tidal range may occur by
i. Funneling of tides
ii. By resonant coupling
It is important that there is a local
enhancement if tidal power is to be used.
 Tidal wave
Tidal wave: The whole column of water from
surface to sea bed moves with same velocity .
The wavelength is >> sea depth
These waves have a velocity c gh
where h = depth of the sea
For major oceans h ~4000m and c ~ 750
km/hour
 Tidal current power

Twidell & Weir)

An example of a tidal current device

Tidal currents carry enough energy to produce strong water

currents near the coastlines and between the islands. This
energy can be used to produce electrical power.
The principle behind tidal power is similar to that for
wind power.
Tidal power vs. Wind power

Advantages:
Predictable power generation
Smaller turbines since water density is 1000 times greater

Disadvantages:
Fluid velocity is small
Difficult environment to operate in
Tidal Power

www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/hydro/tidal-power/
 Tidal Current Power: Theory
The power density in the water current ( similar to
that for wind) is
u 3
q
2
Only a fraction of this power is usefully converted
with a maximum efficiency of 40%.

Tidal current velocities vary with time as

u u0 sin 2t

Where is the period of natural tide(12 h 25 minutes
for a semidiurnal tide) and u0 is the maximum speed
of the current.
 Electrical Power
Average electrical power generated per unit
cross-section is

t
4
3 2t
( )dt
sin

0.2 u03 (
0.4 3
q u0 t 0
3
)( 4 )

2 t
4

dt
t 0

0.1u03 Taking efficiency of

conversion as 40%

u 0.1u 3
0
 Power potential
We have

u 0.1u 3
0

For a maximum current of 5 ms-1(occurs in few inter-island

channels)
`Average power ~14 kW m-2
For a similar power output a much larger wind turbine would
be required.
A Water Turbine
Swanturbines

The "Swanturbines" design is different

to other devices in a number of ways.
The most significant is that it is direct
drive, where the blades are connected
directly to the electrical generator
without a gearbox between. This is
more efficient. Another difference is
that it uses a "gravity base", a large
concrete block to hold it to the seabed,
rather than drilling into the seabed.
A water turbine farm
 Tidal Range Power
Water is trapped in a basin during high tide
and then allowed to run through a turbine
at low tide.
Theory: Tidal Range Power

Surface area A
High tide range

Range R

Low tide range

Turbine

Barrier Schematic of a tide range power

generation system

The basin has a constant surface area .The trapped water has a mass
= AR and its centre of gravity is at R/2 above the low tide level. This
water is assumed to run through the turbine at low tide. The potential
maximum energy available per tide if all the water falls through R/2 is

energy per tide = AR g R (1)

2
Averaging this energy over the tidal period , the average potential power for
one tidal period is

AR 2 g
P
2 (2)
The range varies through the month from a maximum Rs for the spring tides
to a minimum Rn for the neap tides. The variation is sinusoidal with a period
of half the lunar month (14 days) .
At any time t after a mean high tide within the lunar month
of period T (=29.53 days), the range is given by

R Rs Rn Rs Rn

2 4 4
sin 4t T (3)
If Rn = Rs , then the range is given by
R
Rs
2

1 1 sin 4t T
(4)
The power is obtained from the mean square range

dt
T
1 1 sin 4t
2

R 2 T
R2 s 0
4 T
(5)
dt
0

hence
(6)
R
2 Rs2
8

3 2 3 2
The mean power produced over the month is

Ag Rs2
Pmonth
2 8
3 2 3
2
(7)
Where = Rn /Rs and is the intertidal period.
Taking =0.95, we get

Ag 2
P (R )
2 (8)
and
Ag ( Rmax
2
Rmin
2
)
P (9)
2 2
Where Rmax and Rmin are the maximum and minimum
ranges respectively.
 Main features of Tidal Range
Power
Power generation cannot be maintained
near to low tide conditions
The turbines have to operate at low heads
with large flow rates (similar to run of the
river hydropower).
There is a time lag between the maximum
head and peak demand.
High efficiencies are possible.
World Tidal Range Sites
Le Rance Tidal range System,
France

240 MW
Commissioned 1967