Tidal Energy Resource Measurements

2017 ◽  
pp. 121-136
Author(s):  
Jim Thomson ◽  
Brian Polagye ◽  
Vincent S. Neary
Keyword(s):  
Energy Resource ◽  
Tidal Energy

scholarly journals Modeling Assessment of Tidal Energy Extraction in the Western Passage

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 411
Author(s):  
Zhaoqing Yang ◽  
Taiping Wang ◽  
Ziyu Xiao ◽  
Levi Kilcher ◽  
Kevin Haas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Resource Assessment ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Energy Extraction ◽  
Technical Specifications

Numerical models have been widely used for the resource characterization and assessment of tidal instream energy. The accurate assessment of tidal stream energy resources at a feasibility or project-design scale requires detailed hydrodynamic model simulations or high-quality field measurements. This study applied a three-dimensional finite-volume community ocean model (FVCOM) to simulate the tidal hydrodynamics in the Passamaquoddy–Cobscook Bay archipelago, with a focus on the Western Passage, to assist tidal energy resource assessment. IEC Technical specifications were considered in the model configurations and simulations. The model was calibrated and validated with field measurements. Energy fluxes and power densities along selected cross sections were calculated to evaluate the feasibility of the tidal energy development at several hotspots that feature strong currents. When taking both the high current speed and water depth into account, the model results showed that the Western Passage has great potential for the deployment of tidal energy farms. The maximum extractable power in the Western Passage was estimated using the Garrett and Cummins method. Different criteria and methods recommended by the IEC for resource characterization were evaluated and discussed using a sensitivity analysis of energy extraction for a hypothetical tidal turbine farm in the Western Passage.

scholarly journals Tidal energy resource characterization in Chacao Channel, Chile

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maricarmen Guerra ◽  
Rodrigo Cienfuegos ◽  
Jim Thomson ◽  
Leandro Suarez
Keyword(s):  
Energy Resource ◽  
Tidal Energy

scholarly journals Effect of waves on the tidal energy resource at a planned tidal stream array

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 ◽  
pp. 626-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Reza Hashemi ◽  
Simon P. Neill ◽  
Peter E. Robins ◽  
Alan G. Davies ◽  
Matt J. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Energy Resource ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Tidal Stream

scholarly journals In-Stream Tidal Energy Resources in Macrotidal Non-Cohesive Sediment Environments: Effect of Morphodynamic Changes at Two Bays in the Upper Gulf of California

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anahí Bermúdez-Romero ◽  
Vanesa Magar ◽  
Markus S. Gross ◽  
Victor M. Godínez ◽  
Manuel López-Mariscal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Renewable Energy Resources ◽  
Error Statistics ◽  
High Resolution Models

While many in-steam tidal energy resource studies have been carried out globally, very few studies have assessed the effect of seabed changes on tidal energy resources. For coastal regions in particular, where the seabed is generally more mobile than in deep waters, bathymetric evolution could have a significant effect on tidal energy production. Here two high-resolution models, one purely hydrodynamic and one morphodynamic, are used to analyse the potential effect of natural morphodynamic evolution on tidal energy resources at two macro-tidal sandy bays, Adaír Bay and San Jorge Bay, in the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico. The high-resolution models are validated using a low-resolution model and ADCP observations to assess the agreement between model predictions and observations of tides at three ADCP moorings within the domain of interest. The models’ skill is evaluated using several error statistics such as the mean relative error, the root mean square error (RMSE), and the correlation coefficient. It was found that the regions with the largest bed changes, and also the largest renewable energy resources, were near the shore. Moreover, the results indicated a good correlation between a) regions with the most significant depth changes, and b) the regions where the difference in annual energy production with and without depth change was largest. Finally, the morphodynamic model was run for two years, and the evolution of a zonal profile (in the west-east direction) off the coast at the southeastern corner of Adaír Bay was inspected. This profile evolved towards a featureless equilibrium profile, in good agreement with the morphological classification for macro-tidal sandy environments and with the model assumptions. But most importantly, this natural evolution would not be detrimental to tidal energy exploitation at the site.

scholarly journals Bardsey – an island in a strong tidal stream: underestimating coastal tides due to unresolved topography

Ocean Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1337-1345
Author(s):  
J. A. Mattias Green ◽  
David T. Pugh
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Phase Lag ◽  
Wake Effect ◽  
Tidal Dissipation ◽  
Tidal Energetics ◽  
Tidal Stream ◽  
Tidal Streams

Abstract. Bardsey Island is located at the western end of the Llŷn Peninsula in northwestern Wales. Separated from the mainland by a channel that is some 3 km wide, it is surrounded by reversing tidal streams of up to 4 m s−1 during spring tides. These local hydrodynamic details and their consequences are unresolved by satellite altimetry and are not represented in regional tidal models. Here we look at the effects of the island on the strong tidal stream in terms of the budgets for tidal energy dissipation and the formation and shedding of eddies. We show, using local observations and a satellite-altimetry-constrained product (TPXO9), that the island has a large impact on the tidal stream and that even in this latest altimetry-constrained product the derived tidal stream is under-represented due to the island not being resolved. The effect of the island leads to an underestimate of the current speed in the TPXO9 data in the channel of up to a factor of 2.5, depending on the timing in the spring–neap cycle, and the average tidal energy resource is underestimated by a factor up to 14. The observed tidal amplitudes are higher at the mainland than at the island, and there is a detectable phase lag in the tide across the island; this effect is not seen in the TPXO9 data. The underestimate of the tide in the TPXO9 data has consequences for tidal dissipation and wake effect computation and shows that local observations are key to correctly estimating tidal energetics around small-scale coastal topography.

Effect of Wave-Current Interaction on Strong Tidal Current

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandar Jakovljević ◽  
Martin Dumont ◽  
Frédéric Dias
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Field ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Stokes Drift ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Tidal Turbine ◽  
Wave Heights ◽  
Wave Energy Spectrum

We consider the influence of wave-current interactions (WCI) on the tidal energy resource through changes in the velocity field of tidal currents. In order to investigate this, we have run three models: SWAN (stand-alone), ROMS (stand-alone) and COAWST (two-way coupled ROMS and SWAN model). The research area of our studies is Alderney Race, France, an area with strong currents, which has a strong potential for tidal turbine deployment. The time period used for the simulations was March 2008, when a strong storm hit the Alderney Race area and produced significant wave heights (Hs) of up to 7 m and a Stokes drift near the surface close to 0.3 m/s. Furthermore, in order to see the extent of the influence of large waves on current parameters, two virtual storms with larger waves have been generated by magnifying the wave energy spectrum and changing the frequency of the spectrum of the real storm in March 2008. The 3D and the barotropic velocity field were analysed in order to see if the WCI in the waters of Alderney Race during storm conditions can cause a significant increase or decrease of the current speed and through which mechanisms. This study also investigates the Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) in order to portray the turbulent conditions in the area of interest which are important for resource characterisation and device design.

scholarly journals Numerical modelling of hydrodynamics and tidal energy extraction in the Alderney Race: a review

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2178) ◽  
pp. 20190498
Author(s):  
Jérôme Thiébot ◽  
D. S. Coles ◽  
Anne-Claire Bennis ◽  
Nicolas Guillou ◽  
Simon Neill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Modelling ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Resource Assessment ◽  
Spatial Modelling ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Energy Extraction ◽  
Model Case ◽  
Eddy Simulation

The tides are a predictable, renewable, source of energy that, if harnessed, can provide significant levels of electricity generation. The Alderney Race (AR), with current speeds that exceed 5 m s −1 during spring tides, is one of the most concentrated regions of tidal energy in the world, with the upper-bound resource estimated at 5.1 GW. Owing to its significance, the AR is frequently used for model case studies of tidal energy conversion, and here we review these model applications and outcomes. We examine a range of temporal and spatial modelling scales, from regional models applied to resource assessment and characterization, to more detailed models that include energy extraction and array optimization. We also examine a range of physical processes that influence the tidal energy resource, including the role of waves and turbulence in tidal energy resource assessment and loadings on turbines. The review discusses model validation, and covers a range of numerical modelling approaches, from two-dimensional to three-dimensional tidal models, two-way coupled wave-tide models, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) models, and the application of optimization techniques. The review contains guidance on model approaches and sources of data that can be used for future studies of the AR, or translated to other tidal energy regions. This article is part of the theme issue ‘New insights on tidal dynamics and tidal energy harvesting in the Alderney Race’.

The role of tidal asymmetry in characterizing the tidal energy resource of Orkney

2014 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 337-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon P. Neill ◽  
M. Reza Hashemi ◽  
Matt J. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Energy Resource ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Tidal Asymmetry
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