These Tidal Energy Facts Will Inspire You To Be Environment Friendly
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Tidal energy is produced from the kinetic energy of the movement of tides.
Usage of tidal power has been around for a long time. However, not many advancements in the field have been made.
Tidal power is predictable and continuous, so it produces a large amount of energy. However, it's still quite costly to produce, owing to the machinery used in the process being underwater at all times.
The largest power plant in today's world is located in South Korea, which generates a whopping 254-megawatt of power. Read on to know more about tidal energy.
Tidal Energy History
Tidal energy is not new at all as it has been around for ages, from some 1400 years ago or so. Our ancestors created plants and wheels to harness the energy from ocean waves. Since then, we have been making many advancements through technology.
The gravitational pull of the sun and the moon creates large tides in the ocean. The intensity of these tides is usually near the sea bed.
This intense water movement creates kinetic energy, and to use this energy, tidal turbines are installed as tidal fences near the seafloor. This uses the ocean's tides to produce electrical power, like the power plant located on the Rance River in Brittany, France, where barrages are used for this process.
Back in the days, our ancestors built similar barrages across basin openings, which were used for grinding grains and were called tide mills. These tide mills would allow the basin to be filled up at one side when the tide rose.
When the tide dropped later, they would hold the water to release it through a waterwheel. This didn't generate as much energy as today's tidal machinations, but they provided power for as much as three hours per day.
The settlers took this idea with them to America in the 17th century, where it caught the attention of many people in the country at a faster rate. During the late 19th century, people even became serious about generating electricity through tides.
An engineer, Dexter Cooper, was the first to come up with ideas on methods to create tidal power. As demand for electricity was increasing, they found hope through this.
Even when they acknowledged that a plant could produce millions of horsepower, they couldn't build one because of the cost. Many years went by, and the United States kept making plans to create plants, but to no avail.
France started the first modern, commercial-scale tidal power plant in 1965 on the Rance River near St. Malo, France. They installed a whopping 24 generators to generate clean energy.
The second commercial-scale tidal barrage was created in Nova Scotia in 1982 to highlight the new invention by Switzerland's Escher-Wyss, the STRAFLO turbine. It had its problems in the beginning, but it now generates more than enough electricity without any problems.
The largest tidal power plant in the world is located in South Korea, the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station. Built in 2011, this power plant has the ability to generate 254 megawatts or 254 million watts of power.
Source And Process Of Tidal Energy
Currently, there are three ways to generate tidal energy: tidal lagoons, barrages, and tidal streams. In these three ways, tides from lagoons, dams, and streams are used through machinery to generate tidal energy.
Tidal lagoons: Tidal energy generation through tidal lagoons would work much like the barrages from the middle ages, but these would be built along the coastline. As high tide approaches, these lagoons would be filled with ocean water and appear as a sea wall during low tides.
The only problem with it is that the energy generated from this power plant would be quite low.
Tidal barrages work exactly like dams on a river. There are turbines inside the barrages that harness tidal power.
When the tide rises, barrage gates are opened and are closed when high tide occurs. Then they release the accumulated pool of water through the turbines as engineers control the machinations to create the required power. Tidal barrages cost more than single tidal turbines and also need constant supervision.
Tidal streams: In tidal stream power stations, turbines are installed in a river where tides are seen most. As tides are more predictable and stable than wind, tidal generators here produce a reliable and steady stream of electricity.
Placing tidal turbines in shallow water works best and becomes complex to place these large machines in tidal streams. In a similar manner to wind power generation, tidal stream power can produce about 3800 terawatt-hours every year.
Advantages
There are many advantages to this renewable source of energy that generates more power than wind turbines or solar panels.
Water is denser than air which means tidal turbines will keep generating energy even when the water is moving slowly. Whereas, on a day with no wind, wind turbines may not generate any energy. This makes tidal power much more effective.
Tidal lagoons and tidal turbines installed in shallow waters can be environment-friendly. In tidal lagoons, large marine animals can't enter, so smaller marine organisms and birdlife can thrive there. In shallow waters, turbines move slowly, so it doesn't harm the surrounding marine life. It's also cleaner than many other energy sources as greenhouse gases are reduced in tidal power.
The average lifespan of solar panels and wind turbines is about 20-25 years, whereas barrages made of concrete have a lifespan of nearly 100 years which is four times longer when compared. Additionally, the machinery used in solar or wind energy can diminish and slowly become obsolete in terms of efficiency.
Tides are quite predictable, much similar to the sun. Turbines can be installed at a place where the highest tidal energy will yield, and it will keep producing large amounts of energy. Comparatively, wind can be quite sporadic and uncontrollable.
Tidal power is a renewable source of power similar to solar and wind energy. Tidal energy depends on the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon, which is not diminishing anytime soon. That's why, unlike fossil fuels, which will run out in the distant future, tidal power is a renewable energy source.
Disadvantages
Along with its many advantages, tidal power bears a few disadvantages as well, like being costlier than other energy sources, having some bad effects on marine life, and more.
The strongest currents are usually located close to land, and the fastest of them are found in shipping lanes or in places that are hard to access. Tidal power is also quite costly to move long distances, so it becomes a problem to find a suitable place to establish a power plant.
In terms of large barrages and tidal streams, turbines disrupt the natural flow of water and change the salt deposit in the water as well as the structure of the estuaries. This disrupts the natural lives of marine animals and plants. The moving blades also pose a threat to the lives of swimming animals.
Compared to solar and wind energy, no similar advancements have been made in tidal energy. Hence, the cost behind tidal power still remains larger than other renewable energy sources. It can only be profitable when comparatively newer technologies are used.
The machinery used in generating tidal power always remains underwater. Hence, these machines have to withstand saltwater and its constant movement. This can corrode the machinery, so continuous maintenance is required. If corrosion-resistant materials are used, they become quite expensive and owing to slow technological advancement, it still requires maintenance.
FAQs
Who invented tidal energy?
Dexter Cooper, an engineer, invented tidal energy in the '20s.
How long does tidal energy last?
Tidal energy powers a turbine for about 18-22 hours per day.
Where is tidal energy used?
Tidal energy is used in industries and homes to supply electricity.
How efficient is tidal energy?
Tidal turbines are about 80% efficient.
Which country produces the most tidal energy?
South Korea produces the most tidal energy.
Can tidal energy power cars?
Yes, tidal energy can power cars.
Which type of turbine is commonly used in tidal energy?
Kaplan turbine is commonly used in tidal energy.
How sustainable is tidal power?
Tidal power is one of the few renewable sources of energy that comes from nature and is quite sustainable.
Why is tidal power not used?
Tidal power is still not used extensively because of its high cost and very few available places with enough flow velocities.
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.
Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.
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