Tidal Power

Aislinn Schepers
Seth Dilday

What Is Tidal Energy?

A type of inexhaustible energy source
Uses tides to harness energy and transfer it into
electricity
o Tides are predictable because of the magnetic pull
of the Sun and Moon
Considered to be green, since it is non-polluting and
will not run out

How is the energy source made

usable?
http://www.tidalenergyltd.co
m/?page_id=1370

Requires a coastal location to generate this

type of power
Desired area must have significant tidal range,
which is the difference between high and low tides.

Three ways to generate tidal power;

Tidal Streams
Barrages
Tidal Lagoons

Tidal Streams:an ocean current produced by the tide

Turbines are placed into the tidal streams.
o Turbines are most effective in shallow water.

After turbines have harnessed the tidal energy, it

is changed into electricity using a tidal energy
generator.
Complex method of harnessing tidal energy
o Turbines are large, causing disruption to the
environment.
o Marine life and other nearby creatures can get
caught in the generators.

Barrages

http://www.worldcolleges.info/ScienceTech/tidal-barrages.php

Works like a dam, but larger

o Water is captured and held in holding basin
o As the tide level drops, the dam closes
o The flow of the tide is either;
Directly used to power turbine OR
Pushed through a tube, which then turns a
turbine

Tidal Lagoons
Similar to barrages, but can be self-contained
structures, instead of invading estuaries
Have a higher input then barrages and also the lack of
environmental impact makes them more attractive
Allows for inflowing water to power turbines, creating
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/business/ene
more electricity
rgy-environment/swansea-bay-generating-powerfrom-tidal-lagoons.html?_r=0

Infrastructure Requirements for Tidal

Energy
Tidal power plant:
o Can use dams and reservoirs after trapping energy
similar to hydroelectric energy
o Requires a use of a generator, turbine, and/or
barrage
Location is a key role in the success of this energy method
o Northern coasts of oceans have more fluctuation,
making it ideal to harvest tidal energy
o More populated coasts can cause issues with lack of
tide and pollution

Advantages
Tides are easily predictable
making it a reliable source of
power.
They have little to no
environmental impact.
More powerful compared to
wind energy, because water is
more dense than air.
The possible locations on the
coastline are plentiful.
Always predictable due to
lunar and solar control of tides

Drawbacks
Tidal barrages are extremely
expensive compared to their
river counterparts.
Have to be able to withstand
heavy corrosion from salt water.
Low heads (40 meters or less in
depth) of water lower the
maximum capacity of single
generators to 25-50 megawatts
Can interfere with fish migration
Cannot be put in all locations of
our world , only on coastlines
Very expensive to start-up

Emerging Technologies to Better

Tidal Energy
M3 Wave
o Bidirectional turbine with small footprint
Hydrofoil (Created by Brown University)
o Can collapse to prevent wildlife and marine
vehicles from being stranded
o As the water flows past that spoiler it oscillates and
produces energy
Ocean Mills
http://www.tidalenergyltd.
com/?page_id=1375

Potential for Tidal Energy

In total the few tidal energy sites being utilized have a capacity of less
than 250 megawatts.
The global potential however greatly exceeds this being over 450
terawatts (most in Asia and North America)

http://atlantisresourcesltd.com/marinepower/global-resources.html

Sources Used
Energy Source: Tidal Power. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pembina.org/re/sources/tidal
Tidal energy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/tidal-energy/?ar_a=1
Virtual Vacationland: "Hands on" Activity. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bigelow.org/virtual/handson/water_level.htm
What is Tidal Energy? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tidalenergyltd.com/?page_id=1370
(n.d.). Retrieved from http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ei.lehigh.edu%2Flearners%2Fenergy%2Fimpacts4.htm

Bellis, M. (n.d.). How Tidal Power Plants Work (Three Basic Ways). Retrieved from
http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/tidal_power.htm
Tidal Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.oceanenergycouncil.com/ocean-energy/tidal-energy/
Two New Ideas in Wave and Tidal Power - IEEE Spectrum. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/green-tech/geothermal-and-tidal/two-new-ideas-in-wave-and-tidal-power
Gardiner, B. (2014, October 29). Generating Power From Tidal Lagoons. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/business/energy-environment/swansea-bay-generating-power-from-tidal-lagoons.html?_r=0