Tidal Power Energy Renewable Energy in Future

Fan Zou

Tidal Power HistoryTidal Power History

One of the oldest forms of energy, tide mills in use on the Spanish, French and British coasts, date back to 787 A.D.

The first tidal power station began working in France in 1965

More and more commercial-scale tidal barrage was put in service

Why there are tidesWhy there are tides

Tides in physicsTides in physics

Motions of Earth, Moon and Sun Renewable resource Contains extreme amounts of potential energy Requires large tidal difference for generating power Affects environment less than other fuels and gasses Might be a solution of current energy problems

ADVANTAGESADVANTAGES

Renewable resource, it needs no fuel to maintain, and free of charge

Little pollution, unlike fossil fuels, it produces no greenhouse gases or other waste

It will protect a large stretch of coastline against damage from high storm tides

More efficient than wind

Predictable source of energy, it is independent of weather and climate change and follows the predictable relationship of the lunar orbit

Disadvantages Disadvantages Very expensive to build and maintain

Barrage has environmental affects Fish and plant migration

Silt and mud deposits

Waste and sewage blocks

Technology is not fully developed 

Only provides power for around 10 hours each day, when the tide is actually moving in or out

How it worksHow it works First generation, barrage-style tidal power plants

Works by building Barrage to contain water after high tide, then water has to pass through a turbine to return to low tide and generating electricity

Sites in France (La Rance), Canada (Annapolis), and Russia

Bulb Turbine

Rim Turbine

Tubular Turbine

Category of generation Category of generation Ebb generation

Generation occurs as the tidal ebbs

Flood generation

Generation occurs as the tidal floods

Two-way generation

Generation occurs both as the tidal ebbs and floods

Two-basin schemes Two-basin schemes

Second-generation tidal power plantsSecond-generation tidal power plants

Barrage not need, limiting total costsTwo types- vertical axis and horizontal axisHarness the energy of tidal streamsMore efficient because they allow for

energy production on both the ebbing and flooding tides

One site has potential to equal the generating power of 3 nuclear power plants

Second-generation tidal power plantsSecond-generation tidal power plants

RepresentativeRepresentative tidal projects tidal projects

La Rance (France)

RepresentativeRepresentative tidal projects tidal projects

Annapolis Royal

(Canada)

RepresentativeRepresentative tidal projects tidal projects Jiangxia (China)

Conclusion & discussion Conclusion & discussion Comparing with wind power energy and solar energy, tidal

power seems not a big sustainable resource

We have to make the cost lower, so that it can be built in a large scale

Turbine has to be more effective, technology of its working process should be fully developed

We should never neglect the environment impacts of tidal power, we do need a way to solve the current problems.

Thank you!!