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Estimating the power potential of tidal currents and the impact of power extraction on flow speeds

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  • Vennell, Ross

Abstract

A simple method for estimating the potential of currents in tidal channels to produce power is presented. The method only requires measurement of the peak tidal volume transport through the channel without turbines, along with a bottom drag coefficient and the channel’s dimensions. A recent existing method for estimating potential requires measurements of the undisturbed transport as well as water levels at both ends of the channel to give the head loss. The adaptation of the existing method presented here exploits analytic solutions for the transport and optimal farm drag coefficient and does not require measurement of the head loss. The equations presented allow both the channel’s potential and the flow reduction due to power extraction to be estimated using a calculator. Thus the presented method has much of the ease of use of the older KE flux method, but is more reliable as it includes retardation of the flow by the turbines. The presented method can be used for the initial assessment of channels to determine if the additional measurements required to use the existing method are warranted. It can also be used where the headloss in the channel is too small to measure reliably. The presented equations enable the maximum power available to be simply traded off against environmentally acceptable flow speed reduction. The presented method is applied to two example channels. Cook Strait NZ has an estimated potential of 15GW, while the entrance channel to Kaipara Harbour has a potential between 110MW and 240MW.

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  • Vennell, Ross, 2011. "Estimating the power potential of tidal currents and the impact of power extraction on flow speeds," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 3558-3565.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:36:y:2011:i:12:p:3558-3565
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2011.05.011
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    1. Garrett, Chris & Cummins, Patrick, 2008. "Limits to tidal current power," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 2485-2490.
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    1. Obara, Shin’ya & Kawai, Masahito & Kawae, Osamu & Morizane, Yuta, 2013. "Operational planning of an independent microgrid containing tidal power generators, SOFCs, and photovoltaics," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 1343-1357.
    2. Ross, Lauren & Sottolichio, Aldo & Huybrechts, Nicolas & Brunet, Pascal, 2021. "Tidal turbines in the estuarine environment: From identifying optimal location to environmental impact," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 700-713.
    3. Wei-Bo Chen & Wen-Cheng Liu & Ming-Hsi Hsu, 2013. "Modeling Evaluation of Tidal Stream Energy and the Impacts of Energy Extraction on Hydrodynamics in the Taiwan Strait," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Lam, Wei-Haur & Bhatia, Aalisha, 2013. "Folding tidal turbine as an innovative concept toward the new era of turbines," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 463-473.
    5. Plew, David R. & Stevens, Craig L., 2013. "Numerical modelling of the effect of turbines on currents in a tidal channel – Tory Channel, New Zealand," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 269-282.
    6. Work, Paul A. & Haas, Kevin A. & Defne, Zafer & Gay, Thomas, 2013. "Tidal stream energy site assessment via three-dimensional model and measurements," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 510-519.
    7. Vennell, Ross & Major, Robert & Zyngfogel, Remy & Beamsley, Brett & Smeaton, Malcolm & Scheel, Max & Unwin, Heni, 2020. "Rapid initial assessment of the number of turbines required for large-scale power generation by tidal currents," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1890-1905.
    8. Widén, Joakim & Carpman, Nicole & Castellucci, Valeria & Lingfors, David & Olauson, Jon & Remouit, Flore & Bergkvist, Mikael & Grabbe, Mårten & Waters, Rafael, 2015. "Variability assessment and forecasting of renewables: A review for solar, wind, wave and tidal resources," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 356-375.
    9. Park, Young Hyun, 2017. "Analysis of characteristics of Dynamic Tidal Power on the west coast of Korea," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 461-474.
    10. Pérez-Ortiz, Alberto & Borthwick, Alistair G.L. & McNaughton, James & Smith, Helen C.M. & Xiao, Qing, 2017. "Resource characterization of sites in the vicinity of an island near a landmass," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 265-276.
    11. Funke, S.W. & Kramer, S.C. & Piggott, M.D., 2016. "Design optimisation and resource assessment for tidal-stream renewable energy farms using a new continuous turbine approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 1046-1061.
    12. Tang, H.S. & Kraatz, S. & Qu, K. & Chen, G.Q. & Aboobaker, N. & Jiang, C.B., 2014. "High-resolution survey of tidal energy towards power generation and influence of sea-level-rise: A case study at coast of New Jersey, USA," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 960-982.
    13. Vennell, Ross & Funke, Simon W. & Draper, Scott & Stevens, Craig & Divett, Tim, 2015. "Designing large arrays of tidal turbines: A synthesis and review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 454-472.
    14. Vennell, Ross, 2012. "Realizing the potential of tidal currents and the efficiency of turbine farms in a channel," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 95-102.
    15. Vennell, Ross, 2012. "The energetics of large tidal turbine arrays," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 210-219.
    16. Vennell, Ross, 2013. "Exceeding the Betz limit with tidal turbines," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 277-285.
    17. Khan, N. & Kalair, A. & Abas, N. & Haider, A., 2017. "Review of ocean tidal, wave and thermal energy technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 590-604.
    18. Fairley, Iain & Evans, Paul & Wooldridge, Chris & Willis, Miles & Masters, Ian, 2013. "Evaluation of tidal stream resource in a potential array area via direct measurements," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 70-78.
    19. Smeaton, Malcolm & Vennell, Ross & Harang, Alice, 2016. "The effect of channel constriction on the potential for tidal stream power," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 45-56.

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