TIDAL GENERATOR

Small Scale Tidal Generator



Abstract

Among sources of renewable energy, the development of tidal energy has traditionally been plagued by relatively high costs and limited availability of sites with sufficiently high tidal amplitudes or flow velocities. However, many recent technology developments and improvements, both in design (e.g. dynamic tidal power, tidal lagoons) and turbine technology (e.g. new axial turbines, cross flow turbines), showed that the economic and environmental costs may be brought down to competitive levels comparing to other conventional energy sources. It has long been identified that the Bay of Morecambe is one of the world's premier locations for the development of tidal power generating systems, since it has some of the world's largest tidal ranges. Consequently, several proposals have been made in the recent years to find economical ways to harness the power of tides. Presently, there is considerable interest in installing tidal lagoons in the Bay of Morecambe.

The lagoon concept involves temporarily storing seawater behind an impoundment dike and generating power by gradually releasing the impounded seawater through conventional low-head hydroelectric turbines. A tidal lagoon will inherently modify the tides and tidal currents regime in the vicinity of the lagoon, and possibly induce effects that may be felt throughout the entire Bay of Morecambe. The nature of these hydrodynamic impacts will likely depend on the size of the tidal lagoon, its location, and its method of operation. Any changes in the tidal hydrodynamics caused by a tidal lagoon may also impact on the transport of sediments throughout the region and upset ecosystems that are well adapted to existing conditions. The scale and character of the potential hydrodynamic impacts due to tidal lagoons operating in the Bay of Morecambe have not been previously investigated. The present study endeavours to investigate these potential impacts to help the development of sustainable, science-based policies for the management and development of clean energy for future generations. After outlining fundamental aspects of tidal power projects taken in consideration in the Bay of Morecambe, an analysis of present knowledge on tidal lagoons was conducted in order to provide a focus for subsequent investigations. Hydrodynamic modelling was used to quantify any of the potential hydrodynamic changes induced in the Bay of Morecambe due to the presence of tidal lagoons. In the last part of the thesis, new relationships were derived in order to describe the amount of energy removed from tidal lagoons associated with its hydrodynamic impacts.

Keywords: Bay of Morecambe, Tidal renewable energy, Tidal power, Hydrodynamics, Numerical model, 2D hydrodynamic model

Abstractii

Background1

Main objectives2

Literature Review: Tidal Power Projects3

Introduction3

Tidal Barrage4

Tidal lagoon5

Characteristics of tides5

Sluice modelling for tidal power projects9

Model Development10

Description10

Strickler's Equation11

Model Grid13

Model Boundaries14

Computational Grid Resolution14

Boundary Conditions14

Hypothetical Tidal Lagoons Scenarios15

Coastal and offshore tidal lagoon design by DMC15

Operating Mode16

Technical Design of Tidal Lagoons and Model Development17

Tidal Generator Layout17

Plant configuration17

Power generation and the scale of lagoon development18

Operation Protocol18

Influence of lagoon operation protocol19

Conclusion20

Business Plan22

Section : Project Plan27

Planning Phase28

Analysis Phase28

Systems Design Phase28

Installation29

Documentation29

User Training29

Financial Considerations30

Initial Set-up Cost30

Sources of Funding31

Financial Plan32

Strength32

Weaknesses33

References34

Small Scale Tidal Generator

Background

Over a century, the world's energy usage has been dominated by the ...