TIDAL ENERGY

AANCHAL GUPTA
1RV07EC001
 The Current Situation
• Tidal Energy is sustainable, clean, reliable, widely distributed
renewable source of energy, and can offer significant benefits to
many marine nations.
• Tidal Energy can be captured in an efficient and cost-effective way.
• Overall potential of 3000 giga-watts from movement of tides.
• Tidal energy projects are extremely site specific. The quality of the
topography of the basin also needs to facilitate civil construction
of the power plant.
• Only 40 sites around the world.
• Tidal Energy is not yet recognized as an energy resource that
should receive support and funding for its development.
 Introduction
• The daily rise and fall in the level of ocean water relative to the
coastline is referred to as tide.
• Tides generated by the combination of the moon and sun’s
gravitational forces and the rotation of the earth
• The relative motion of the three bodies produces different tidal
cycles which affect the range of the tides.
• The tidal range is increased substantially by local effects such as
shelving, funneling, reflection and resonance.
• Greatest affect in spring when moon and sun combine forces
• Bays and inlets amplify the height of the tide
• For the tidal energy method to work effectively, the tidal difference
should be at least 4m.
 Introduction (Cont..)
• Environmental concerns exist mainly to do
with higher silt formation at the shore and
disruption to marine life near the tidal basin.
• Wave energy projects have lesser ecological
impact than tidal wave energy projects but
tidal energy projects are more predictable than
those harnessing solar or wind energy, since
occurrences of tides are fully predictable.
 Origin
• The moon exerts a larger gravitational force on the
earth, though it is much smaller in mass, because it is a
lot closer than the sun. This force of attraction causes
the oceans to bulge along an axis pointing towards the
moon. Tides are produced by the rotation of the earth
beneath this bulge in its watery coating, resulting in the
rhythmic rise and fall of coastal ocean levels.
• The gravitational attraction of the sun also affects the
tides similarly, but to a lesser degree. The oceans also
bulge slightly towards the sun.
• Coastal areas experience two high and two low tides
over a period of slightly above 24 hours .
 Spring Tide

When the earth, moon and sun are positioned in a straight line i.e on the
occasion of a full or new moon, the gravitational attractions are combined,
resulting in very large spring tides.
 Neap Tide
At half moon, the sun and moon are positioned at right angles, resulting in
lower neap tides. 
 Ocean
Shore
 Generating Methods
Tidal power can be classified into three generating methods:
• Tidal stream generator
TSGs make use of the kinetic energy of moving water to power
turbines, in a similar way to wind turbines that use moving air.
This method is gaining in popularity because of the lower cost
and lower ecological impact compared to tidal barrages.
• Tidal barrage
Tidal barrages make use of the potential energy in the
difference in height (or head) between high and low tides.
Barrages are essentially dams across the full width of a tidal
estuary, and suffer from very high civil infrastructure costs, a
worldwide shortage of viable sites and environmental issues.
 Generating Methods
• Dynamic tidal power
DTP is a theoretical generation technology that would exploit an
interaction between potential and kinetic energies in tidal flows.
It proposes that very long dams (for example: 30–50 km length)
be built from coasts straight out into the sea or ocean, without
enclosing an area.
Tidal phase differences are introduced by the dam, leading to a
significant water level differential (at least 2–3 meters) in
shallow coastal seas featuring strong coast-parallel oscillating
tidal currents such as found in the UK, China and Korea. Each
dam would generate power at a scale of 6 - 15 GW.
How it Works?
 First Generation, Barrage-Style Tidal Power
Plants
• It involves building a dam, across a bay or estuary that has
large differences in elevation between high and low tides.
Water retained behind a dam at high tide generates a power
head sufficient to generate electricity as the tide ebbs and
water released from within the dam turns conventional
turbines.
• Though they have proven very durable, barrage-style power
plants are very expensive to build and are fraught with
environmental problems from the accumulation of silt
within the dam catchment area (requiring regular, expensive
dredging). Accordingly, they are no longer considered.
First Generation, Barrage-Style Tidal Power
Plants
• The basic elements of a barrage are caissons,
embankments, sluices, turbines and ship locks.
• Sluices, turbines and ship locks are housed in caisson
(very large concrete blocks).
• Embankments seal a basin where it is not sealed by
caissons. The sluice gates applicable to tidal power are the
flap gate, vertical rising gate, radial gate and rising sector.
• Sites in France (La Rance), Canada (Annapolis), and Russia
• Future sites possibly on Severn River in England, San
Francisco bay.
First Generation, Barrage-Style Tidal Power
Plants
Barrage Style Tidal Power Plant
 Second-Generation Tidal Power Plants
• It use turbines to generate electricity via large current
areas such as Cook Strait in New Zealand.
• Engineers have recently created two new kinds of devices
to harness the energy of tidal currents (AKA ‘tidal streams’)
and generate renewable, pollution-free electricity.
• These new devices may be distinguished as Vertical-axis
and Horizontal-axis models, determined by the orientation
of a subsea, rotating shaft that turns a gearbox linked to a
turbine with the help of large, slow-moving rotor blades.
Both models can be considered a kind of underwater
windmill.
Second-Generation Tidal Power Plants
• While horizontal-axis turbine prototypes are
now being tested in northern Europe (the UK
and Norway) a vertical-axis turbine has already
been successfully tested in Canada
• More efficient because they allow for energy
production on both the ebbing and surging
tides
• One site has potential to equal the generating
power of 3 nuclear power plants
Second-Generation Tidal Power Plants
Tidal Energy can be
captured
• efficiently and
• inexpensively
using the helical
turbine
Schematic view of the helical turbine
mounted in a frame.
Features of the
Helical Turbine:

Basic Concept

• designed for hydroelectric applications

in free-flowing water
• operates in ocean, tidal, and river currents
• does not require expensive dams that can
harm the environment
Features of the
Helical Turbine

Operation

• self-starting with flow as low as 0.6 m/s

• smooth-running
• rotates in same direction regardless
of the direction of flow, making it ideal
for tidal applications
Features of the Helical
Turbine
35% Efficiency
Features of the
Helical Turbine
Power increases 8 times
when velocity doubles
2500
I Knot =
2000
1.69 ft/sec
Power (watts)

1500
I M/sec =
1000 3.28 ft/sec

500

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Free Flow (Ft/sec)

Source: GCK Technology

 Features of the Helical Turbine
Installation Cost: dollars/kw
14000
13000
12000
11000
Red: high estimate
10000 Blue: low estimate
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0

Source: GCK Technology, Inc.

 The Worldwide
Distribution of Tidal
Energy
Developing Nations that
could receive significant
benefits from Tidal
Energy
________________________________________

Indian Ocean: Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles.

Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam.
Pacific Ocean: Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New
Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
Central and South America: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador,
Guyana, Panama, Surinam.
Atlantic Ocean: Cape Verde.
All coastal nations with tidal passes between coral reefs or offshore islands.
 La Rance Tidal Power Station
• The world's first tidal power station located on the
estuary of the Rance River, in Brittany, France.
• With a peak rating of 240 Megawatts, generated by its
24 turbines, it supplies 0.012% of the power demand of
France.
• The annual output is approximately 600 GWh.
• The barrage is 750 m long, from Brebis point in the west
to Briantais point in the east.
• The power plant portion of the dam is 332.5 m (1,091 ft)
long. The tidal basin measures 22.5 km2(9 sq mi).
Aerial View of La Rance Tidal Power Station
 Indian Context
• India being surrounded by sea on three sides has a
high potential to harness tidal energy.
• The three most potential locations in this regard are
– Gulf of Cambay,
– Gulf of Kutch (west coast) and
– Ganges Delta, Sunderbans, West Bengal (east coast).
• The total potential of tidal energy in India is
estimated at 8,000 MW with Gulf of Cambay
accounting for over 90 per cent.
Proposed Tidal Power Projects in
India
 Kachchh Tidal Power Project
• It was identified in 1970 by the CEA.
• More than twelve specialized organizations of Govt. of India and
Govt. of Gujarat were involved in the field of investigations for sea
bed analysis.
• The proposed tidal power scheme envisages an installation of 900
MW project biggest in the world, located in the Hansthal Creek. It
comprises of the following:
• The main tidal rockfill barrage of 3.25 Km length was proposed to be
constructed across Hansthal Creek which will accommodate the
power house, sluice gates and navigational lock.
• It envisages installation of 900 MW capacity comprising of 36 geared
bulb type turbo-generators units of 25 MW each and 48 sluice gates
each of 10 M. x 12 M. size would generate 1690 Gwh of energy
annually. Unfortunately, this project execution has not been taken
up so far because of unknown 
 Durgaduani Creek

• The country's first tidal power generation

project is coming up at Durgaduani Creek of
the Sundarbans. The 3.75 mw capacity
Durgaduani Creek tidal energy project is a
technology demonstration project and will
span over an area of 4.5 km. (Oct 2008 data).
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Tidal Energy
 Advantages
• No pollution
• Renewable resource
• More efficient than wind because of the density of
water
• Predictable source of energy vs. wind and solar
• Second generation has very few disadvantages
– Does not affect wildlife
– Does not affect silt deposits
– Less costly – both in building and maintenance
 Tidal Barriers Problems Faced in Exploiting Tidal Energy

• Intermittent supply - Cost and environmental problems, particularly barrage

systems are less attractive than some other forms of renewable energy.
• Cost
• The altering of the ecosystem at the bay - Damages like reduced flushing,
winter icing and erosion can change the vegetation of the area and disrupt
the balance.
• Several prerequisites that make it only available in a small number of
regions. For a tidal power plant to produce electricity effectively, it requires a
basin or a gulf that has a mean tidal amplitude (the differences between
spring and neap tide) of 7 meters or above. It is also desirable to have semi-
diurnal tides where there are two high and low tides everyday. A barrage
across an estuary is very expensive to build, and affects a very wide area -
the environment is changed for many miles upstream and downstream.
Many birds rely on the tide uncovering the mud flats so that they can feed.
There are few suitable sites for tidal barrages.
 Tidal Barriers Problems Faced in Exploiting
Tidal Energy
• Only provides power for around 10 hours each day, when
the tide is actually moving in or out.
• Present designs do not produce a lot of electricity, and
barrages across river estuaries can change the flow of water
and, consequently, the habitat for birds and other wildlife
• Power is often generated when there is little demand for
electricity 
• Limited construction locations
• Barrages may block outlets to open water. Although locks
can be installed, this is often a slow and expensive process.
 Tidal Barriers Problems Faced in Exploiting
Tidal Energy
• Barrages affect fish migration and other wildlife- many fish like
salmon swim up to the barrages and are killed by the spinning
turbines.
• Fish ladders may be used to allow passage for the fish, but these
are never 100% effective.
• Barrages may also destroy the habitat of the wildlife living near it.
• Barrages may affect the tidal level - the change in tidal level may
affect navigation, recreation, cause flooding of the shoreline and
affect local marine life.
• They can only be built on ocean coastlines, which mean that for
communities which are far away from the sea, it's useless.