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Tidal Power and Ocean Energy Overview

The document discusses various forms of ocean energy, including tidal power, ocean thermal energy conversion, ocean wave energy, magnetohydrodynamic power generation, and fuel cells. It outlines the principles, advantages, and disadvantages of each energy source, highlighting their potential for renewable energy generation. Key components and operational mechanisms of tidal power plants and fuel cells are also explained, emphasizing their efficiency and environmental impact.

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21 views12 pages

Tidal Power and Ocean Energy Overview

The document discusses various forms of ocean energy, including tidal power, ocean thermal energy conversion, ocean wave energy, magnetohydrodynamic power generation, and fuel cells. It outlines the principles, advantages, and disadvantages of each energy source, highlighting their potential for renewable energy generation. Key components and operational mechanisms of tidal power plants and fuel cells are also explained, emphasizing their efficiency and environmental impact.

Uploaded by

aaadav5
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

MODULE 4

TIDAL POWER
 Tidal energy is a form of ocean energy.
• Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the
gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, and the rotation of the
Earth.
• When the tide comes to the shore, they can be trapped in a reservoir behind
the dams.
• When the tide drops the water behind the dam can let out just like in a
hydroelectric power plant.
• In order for tidal energy work well , minimum 5 meter exist between high and
low tide.
• There are only a few place in earth where this tide change is occurred.

• The rise and fall of water level as like a sinusoidal waveform as shown.
• The point A indicates high tide
• Point B indicates Low tide
TIDAL POWER PLANT

• Major components
 Power house – water turbine, electric generator and auxiliary
arrangements.
 The dam or barrage to form a pool or basin arrangement.
 Sluice way or gates from the basin to sea and vice versa.

• Types of basin arrangements


 Single basin arrangement
 Double basin arrangement
SINGLE BASIN ARRANGEMENT
• The basin is filled water during high tide. It is called EBB CYCLE.
• Power house is located at the mouth of the basin.
• The turbine in the power house will operate only during the discharge of
the water to the outer sea during low tide.
• Power generation is intermittent.
DOUBLE BASIN ARRANGEMENT

• Two basins at different levels are available and a turbine is provided in


between them.
• Inlet and outlet sluice gates are made in the dam.
• Water in the upper basin is maintained above the level of water in the
lower base.
• Water flows into the upper basin during high tide.
• And water from the lower basin is evacuated during low tides.
• When water flows from upper basin to lower basin, the turbine rotates to
generate power.
• The operation can be controlled to cause continuous water flow from
upper to lower basin only.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SINGLE BASIN AND DOUBLE BASIN

Advantages
• It is pollution free.
• Energy is freely available
• Power available around the year.
• It is unaffected by the unpredictability of monsoon.
Disadvantages
• The capital cost of the plant is high and needs a long construction time.
• Tidal power output is not constant throughout the day.
• Sedimentation of the basins is a problem.
• Sea is water is very corrosive in nature.
• Marine life is affected.

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM


• Ocean thermal conversion is a method for generating electricity which uses
the temperature difference that exist between deep and shallow water.
• By use this difference a heat engine can be run.
• Methods of power generation
1. Open cycle or Claude cycle
2. Closed cycle or Anderson cycle
OPEN CYCLE OR CLAUDE CYCLE

• The warm water from the ocean surface is pumped to deaerator , which
separate the non-condensable gases.
• Then the water is fed to flash evaporator which produce low pressure
steam.
• This low pressure steam is then sent to Turbine.
• Then heat energy is converted in to mechanical energy.
• The electrical generator coupled to this turbine convert mechanical energy
to electrical energy.
• The output steam from the turbine is condensed by condenser and sent the
cold water to ocean itself.
• The condenser uses the cold water from deep ocean.
CLOSED CYCLE OR ANDERSON CYCLE

• In closed cycle a working fluid is used which has low boiling point like
Ammonia, Freon, propane etc.
• It mainly consist an evaporator, turbine , generator , condenser and pumps.
• The warm water (0 to 30 degree Celsius) is pumped to evaporator or heat
exchanger.
• The working fluid is vaporised in the evaporator by the warm water.
• Then heat energy is converted in to mechanical energy.
• The electrical generator coupled to this turbine convert mechanical energy
to electrical energy.
• The output vapour from the turbine is condensed by condenser and the
working fluid is again sent to evaporator.
• The condenser uses the cold water from deep ocean.
Advantages
• Power developed is continuous and it is independent of weather.
• There is a small variation in power output from season to season .
• The system uses conventional power plants needing only small changes in
design.
• It can produce simultaneously the desalinated water and nutrients for
agriculture.
Disadvantages
• Capital cost is very high.
• Efficiency of energy conversion is very low.
• Needs very large sized turbines due to use of low pressure of steam having
high specific volume in case of open cycle.
• It uses expensive power working fluids in case of closed cycle.
• Cost of electric power generation per kWh is very high.

OCEAN WAVE ENERGY


• Ocean wave energy is another type of ocean based renewable energy
source that uses the power of the waves to generate electricity.
• Wave power converts the periodic up-and-down movement of the oceans
waves into electricity by placing equipment on the surface of the oceans
that captures the energy produced by the wave movement and converts
this mechanical energy into electrical power.
• One of the wave energy conversion device is Oscillating water column type
converter.
Oscillating water column type

• Oscillating water columns (OWCs) are a type of wave energy converter that
harness energy from the oscillation of the seawater inside a chamber or
hollow caused by the action of waves.
• OWC are devices with a semi-submerged chamber or hollow open to the
sea below, keeping a trapped air pocket above a water column.
• Waves force the column to act like a piston, moving up and down, forcing
the air out of the chamber and back into it.
• This continuous movement forces a bidirectional stream of high-velocity
air, which is channeled through a power take off (PTO).
• The PTO system converts the airflow into energy.
• In models that convert airflow to electricity, the PTO system consists of a
bidirectional turbine.
• This means that the turbine always spins the same direction regardless of
the direction of airflow, allowing for energy to be continuously generated.
Advantages
• Zero emissions. Inherently, wave energy does not emit greenhouse gasses
when generated, like fossil fuels do. ...
• Renewable. Like all alternative energy sources, wave power is renewable. ...
• Enormous energy potential. ...
• Reliable energy source.

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC (MHD)POWER GENERATOR


• The magneto hydrodynamic (MHD)power generation is a direct energy
conversion system which converts the heat energy directly into electrical
energy, without any intermediate mechanical energy conversion.
• The principal of MHD power generation is very simple and is based on
Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction, which states that when a
conductor and a magnetic field moves relative to each other, then voltage
is induced in the conductor, which results in flow of current across the
terminals.
• In an MHD generator the hot ionized gas or conducting fluid replaces the
solid conductor.
Working

• The MHD generator requires a gas source of high temperature, which can
be either a coolant of a nuclear reactor or can be high-temperature
combustion gases produced from coal.
• As the gas and fuel pass through the expansion nozzle, it decreases the
pressure of the gas and increases the speed of fluid/plasma through the
MHD duct, and increasing the overall efficiency of the power output.
• The exhaust heat produced from the fluid through the duct is the DC
power.
• It used to run the compressor to boost the fuel combustion rate.
• Fuels like coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are capable of
producing high temperatures can be utilized in MHD generators.
• MHD generators are of two types – open cycle and closed-cycle systems.
• In an open cycle system, the working fluid is passed only once through the
MHD duct.
• This produces exhaust gases after generating electrical energy, which is
released to the atmosphere via a stack.
• The working fluid in a closed cycle system is recycled to the heat source for
reusing it repeatedly.
• The working fluid used in an open cycle system is air, whereas helium or
argon is used in a closed cycle system.
Advantages
• Here only working fluid is circulated, and there are no moving mechanical
parts. This reduces the mechanical losses to nil and makes the operation
more dependable.
• The temperature of working fluid is maintained by the walls of MHD.
• It has the ability to reach full power level almost directly.
• The price of MHD generators is much lower than conventional generators.
• MHD has very high efficiency, which is higher than most of the other
conventional or non-conventional method of generation.

FUEL CELL
 A fuel cell can be defined as an electrochemical cell that generates electrical
energy from fuel.
 Fuel cells require a continuous input of fuel and an oxidizing
agent (generally oxygen) in order to sustain the reactions that generate the
electricity.
 A fuel cell is similar to electrochemical cells, which consists of a cathode, an
anode, and an electrolyte.

Hydrogen -oxygen fuel cell


 The fuel consists an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte. Hydrogen is passed
through the anode and the oxygen is passed through the cathode.
 At the anode hydrogen molecules gets split into electrons and protons.
 The protons pass through electrolyte and electrons generate electricity
through circuit.
 At cathode electrons, protons and oxygen combine to form a water molecule.
Chemical reaction
Anode : H2 → 2H+ + 2 e
Cathode : ½ O2 +2H+ +2e → H2O
Cell : H2 + ½ O2 → H2O

Difference between Fuel cell and Battery


Battery cell Fuel cell
They store energy in the form of They cannot store energy. Fuel cell
chemical energy converts chemical energy to electrical
energy.
Reactants are inside the cell itself. Reactants for chemical reaction are
supplied continuously.
Chemical reaction products remain Chemical reaction products are
inside the cell itself removed from the cell
Less efficiency High efficiency
It consists of limited amount of fuel Needs a continuous supply of fuel and
and oxidant and these reactants oxygen from an external source
diminish with time
Supply energy for a limited period of Supply energy for a long period of time
time
Less expensive They are expensive
Example : lithium ion batteries Example : hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell

Common questions

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OTEC systems exploit the temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep ocean water to run a heat engine. In the open cycle, warm ocean surface water is used to produce low pressure steam, which drives a turbine to generate electricity. The steam condenses back to water using cold deep ocean water . In the closed cycle, a working fluid with a low boiling point is evaporated using the warm surface water and then condensed back using the cold deep water, recycling the fluid .

MHD power generation offers high efficiency and fewer mechanical losses since there are no moving mechanical parts. It can quickly reach full power levels, and its cost is lower compared to conventional generators . However, it involves high temperatures and complex materials, which can pose technical challenges. The choice of working fluid and the need to handle exhaust gases in open cycle systems are also issues .

The OWC type converter utilizes wave energy by harnessing the oscillation of seawater within a semi-submerged chamber. The movement acts like a piston that forces air in and out of the chamber, driving a turbine that converts this airflow into electricity . Advantages of OWCs include zero emissions during operation, their renewable nature, and the significant energy potential of waves. They provide a reliable energy source as waves are more consistent than some other forms of renewable energy .

MHD systems are economically beneficial because they operate without many mechanical parts, reducing maintenance costs and mechanical losses. They achieve high efficiencies quickly due to the direct conversion of thermal into electrical energy. Unlike traditional combustion methods, MHD generators can use diverse fuels and maintain stable operation without needing complex turbine systems, reducing overall operational complexity .

Tidal power plants are environmentally friendly in terms of pollution-free energy production, but they pose challenges like habitat disruption and sedimentation in basins, which can affect marine life. Economically, the high capital costs and long construction times are significant drawbacks, coupled with non-constant power output due to tidal cycles . The corrosive nature of seawater makes maintenance challenging and potentially costly .

OTEC systems can produce desalinated water as a byproduct of electricity generation, providing fresh water for irrigation and thereby enhancing agricultural productivity. Furthermore, the nutrient-rich cold deep water brought to the surface can support aquaculture and fertilize crops .

Fuel cells differ from batteries by not storing energy internally as chemical energy. Instead, they convert chemical energy from continuously supplied fuel and oxygen into electrical energy. In contrast, batteries store internal chemical energy, which is consumed until depleted . Fuel cells maintain efficiency by continually providing power, unlike batteries which have a limited operational period before recharging is necessary .

The efficiency of OWC converters depends on wave consistency and amplitude, the design of the chamber and air column, and the efficiency of the power take-off system. The bidirectional turbine must effectively manage the fluctuation in air pressure caused by wave action to maintain optimal energy conversion . Factors like location and environmental conditions also impact efficiency, as they dictate wave characteristics .

Single basin configurations inherently face intermittency, generating power only during outflows. However, integrating energy storage solutions like batteries could mitigate this. Double basin configurations can maintain continuous water flow, reducing intermittency. Environmentally, both systems can minimize impacts by carefully managing sluice gate operations to balance ecological footprints with economic benefits, such as improved fish ladder designs and sedimentation control .

In single basin tidal power arrangements, the basin is filled with water during high tide, and power generation is intermittent since the turbine operates only when water discharges back to the sea during low tide . The double basin arrangement involves two basins at different levels, where water is stored in the upper basin during high tide. The turbine operates continuously as water flows from the upper basin to the lower basin, allowing for more constant power generation .

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