Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity. The first study of large scale tidal power plants was by the US Federal Power Commission in 1924 which would have been located if built in the northern border area of the US state of Maine and the south eastern border area of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, with various dams, powerhouses and ship locks enclosing the Bay of Fundy and Passamaquoddy Bay (note - see map in reference). Nothing came of the study and it is unknown whether Canada had been approached about the study by the US Federal Power Commission. The world's first large-scale tidal power plant (the Rance Tidal Power Station) became operational in 1966..continue..
Tidal energy, or tidal power, is a little known and little used energy source. Yet it is a very old energy source, dating back to the middle ages in Europe. Tidal energy is created by the relative motion of the Earth, Moon, Sun, and the gravitational interactions between them. Every coastal region has two high and two low tides in each approximate 24 hour period. A big advantage of tidal energy is its predictability. The size and time of tides can be predicted very efficiently..continue..
Although some people are calling tidal power the future of electricity production, the use of tidal power dates back to about 900 AD when early civilizations constructed tide mills. These mills used the force of the tide to turn a waterwheel, which in turn was used to grind grain into flour 1. Ocean tides are created from the gravitational pull of the moon and the rotation of the earth, causing the tides to ebb and flow twice a day. Only certain areas in the world are economically viable locations to harness the power of the tides. That’s because the difference between the high tide and low tide must be more than 16 feet to harness tidal enough power needed to produce electricity 2. Tidal power is generated by using up to three different methods...continue..
Tidal power traditionally involves erecting a dam across the opening to a tidal basin. The dam includes a sluice that is opened to allow the tide to flow into the basin; the sluice is then closed, and as the sea level drops, traditional hydropower technologies can be used to generate electricity from the elevated water in the basin. Some researchers are also trying to extract energy directly from tidal flow streams...continue..
As you probably already know, tidal energy is using the shifting of the ocean's tides to generate some form of energy. This was done in 900 A.D. by using naturally-occurring basins close to the ocean, and building a barrage (or dam) across the opening. The basin would fill when the ocean's tide rises, and would empty when the tide lowered. Usually when the tide would come in to the basin it would spin one water wheel, and spin a different one when it drained back into the ocean. These early water wheels were not used to generate electricity (as they didn't know about it at the time), but instead would grind grains and corn into flour. This saved the farmers a lot of laborious hard work, so it changed the farming industry in a very positive way. .continue..
Tidal power traditionally involves erecting a dam across the opening to a tidal basin. The dam includes a sluice that is opened to allow the tide to flow into the basin; the sluice is then closed, and as the sea level drops, traditional hydropower technologies can be used to generate electricity from the elevated water in the basin. Some researchers are also trying to extract energy directly from tidal flow streams...continue..
In a novel use of clean energy, the world’s most northerly town will soon be the first to get electricity from an underwater power station run on tidal currents tugged by the moon. Gigantic forces in the oceans — waves, currents and tides — have often proved too costly or awkward to harness, compared with wind or solar power, in the global efforts to cut reliance on nuclear power or on fossil fuels blamed for global warming. However, a tidal current will start turning the blades of a windmill-like turbine standing on the seabed near Kvalsund at the Arctic tip of Norway..continue..
Basic parameters governing the design of tidal power schemes are identified and converted to dimensionless form by reference to (i) the mean tidal range and (ii) the surface area of the enclosed basin. Optimum values for these dimensionless parameters are derived and comparison made with actual engineering designs. A theoretical framework is thus established which can be used (i) to make a rudimentary design at any specific location or (ii) to compare and evaluate designs for various locations..continue..
Great article about Tidal Energy. I always was fascinated about different renewable energy available. I hope different companies will make this their source of power. I am currently studying Electrical Training Courses so that I can be able to help this industry rise.
ReplyDeleteHi haley, thank you for liking my post. renewable energy is indeed gonna be the future for power generation.
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