TIDAL

TECHNOLOGY
LITERATURE
REVIEW
BACKGROUND

Tidal technology origins from ocean and is an extensive source of renewable

energy
Two types of tidal energies: tidal range and tidal current
World potential renewable ocean energy is about 337 GW
Tidal renewable energy can be predicted
Able to attract national grid and potential investors
Tidal range power plants produce huge amount of electricity more than any
sole form of renewable energy production
 Financial Costs

Rotor and power train of tidal device have the highest percentage of overall cost
which 30%
System Percentage of overall cost (%)
Rotor and power train 30
Structure 25
Installation 16
Offboard electrical equipment 13
Generator and other onboard electrical 12
equipment
Design, engineering, management and 4
insurance
Financial Costs

Prototype level of tidal technology devices capital cost is around 5000 to

8000 per MW
Connection cost and energy cost for devices under growth - 100 to 185 per
MWh
Upscaling to commercial scale and optimizing the design able to reduce the
high cost
In UK, average capital expenditure and operating cost for the tidal project
service life is 2.7 million per MW and 0.03 million per MW per year
respectively
European Commission and Community Research and Development Information
Service (CORDIS) is helping out with investment at Europe level. Done through
national government departments
Financial Costs

Scotland have their own funding schemes with previous funding of 13 million
and 10 million for wave and tidal energy support
Estimated current production cost by Carbon Trust is 0.30 /kWh and assumed
to decreased to 0.16 /kWh by 2020 some sources foresee a step decrease to
compete with other technologies
 Financial Costs

Sihwa Tidal Power in South Korea (254 MW) EUR La Rance Tidal Power in France (240 MW) EUR 0.04/kWh
0.02/kWh
552.7 GWh electricity generated annually equivalent to
315,000 tons of CO2 or the amount produced by 100,000
cars produce annually
Technological & Commercial
Feasibility
Diurnal cycle changes the tidal currents considered feasible
Cycle repeats every 24 hours from the effect of Earths full rotation with respect
to the sun
Tides produced will be constant along the year but varies according to specific
location
Power to be generated from highly predictable
No external source needed tides occurs naturally feasible for
commercialisation
Ocean surface raise and lower at periodic timing rotation of earth within suns
and moons gravitational field
Technology & Potential
Application
Tidal range & Tidal currents
Tidal range hydropower based on estuarine (meeting point of tide and river
current) developments
Reservoir created behind barrage when it encloses an estuary low-head hydro
turbine included
Turbines located between the basin When basin are filled and emptied, the
turbine generates electricity.
Multiple basin scheme more flexible power generation due to almost
continuous power generation
Technology & Potential
Application
Advancement in single or multiple offshore basins
Basins located at tidal lagoons & away from estuaries
Development at lagoon more flexible in output & capacity minimal or no
impact on estuarine environment
Bi-directional bulb turbine used in tidal range can be used for electricity
generation & pumping during high tide
Gradually sloping coastlines are favorable sites for tidal range power plants
Technology & Potential
Application
Tidal current technology extracting kinetic energy from tidal currents using
tidal energy converters
Tidal current turbines differs from river or ocean current turbine works in
both direction since tidal current flow in both direction river and ocean
current turbine, unidirectional
Categorized based on operating principle
Axial Flow
Turbine
- Operates about the horizontal
axis

- Eg: Twin turbine horizontal axis

device
Cross Flow
Turbines
- Operates at horizontal axis

- Eg: Cross flow device

Cross Flow
Turbines
- Operates at vertical axis
Technology & Potential
Application
Factors like cavitation, reversing flows and harsh underwater marine conditions
must be considered when designing marine turbine conversion system
Axial flow turbines must be able to respond to reversing flow direction
Cross flow turbines operate regardless of current flow direction
Axial flow turbine - either nacelle (housing for all the generating components)
or turbine rotor blades will be having a fixed position
To enhance hydrodynamic performance of turbine the flow velocity through
rotors increased and tip losses reduced using rotor shrouds
Shroud cost will be outweighed by the additional energy capture
Technology & Potential
Application
Reciprocating devices operation depends on the basic fluid flow
Mostly are concept device early stage of development
Two oscillating device prototype trial run on UK shores
Eg Oscillating Hydrofoils
Legal

There is a main legal framework defined in The United Nations (UN) Convention
for ocean usage.
Low-water mark for territorial sea is up to 12 nautical miles from baseline
Country has rights on the economic zone extended up to 200 nautical miles
from the baseline of territorial sea
Ocean energy devices will be and have been installed within the territorial sea
region.
Most of the countries, doesnt have specific legal and regulatory framework for
ocean energy
Ireland environmental and maritime law to ocean energy
Legal and regulatory issues are one of the barriers to ocean energy
development
Legal

For example, in USA, 23 federal and state regulatory agencies are associated for
the ocean energy projects getting approval will take a long procedure.
Renewable Energy Directive 2001 updated in 2009 made legally compulsory for
the countries agreed to participate to achieve the renewable target
European Union imposes penalties to countries who fails to meet the target
Cyprus and Poland had been imposed penalties in 2011 for not transposing the
targets of Renewable Energy Directive to their own nation
Environment

High chances for marine mammals to blade strike near the seabed
Studies shows that marine animals population will be at risk due to tidal farm
Up to date, theres no evidence marine animals harmed
Installing Tidal array shown changes in sediment dynamic impacted benthic
(lowest level of ocean or sea) ecosystem and bed morphology
Fish and marine mammals could experience discomfort and distress situation
Population might be affected imbalanced ecosystem
Environment

Commissioning generate noise

Construction noises and vibrations may affect the living ecosystem.
Assessment entire systems noise effects rather than individual modules
Very little information present on the sound levels of operational noise
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on tidal energy converters
No production of greenhouse gases or pollutant emission
Exact environmental impacts uncertain expected minimal - environmental
monitoring on several commercial and pilot projects study environmental
impacts
THANK YOU