K.S.R.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, TIRUCHENGODE
(An Autonomous Institution, Affiliated to Anna University, Chennai)
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
THE WAVE AND TIDAL STREAM TECHNOLOGIES
A TECHNICAL REPORT
Submitted by
Name of the Student : MYTHILI B
Register number : 1614512
Section :B
Programme : B.E – Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Subject : 16EE722 – Technical Writing and
Presentation
Year/ Semester : IV Year / VII Semester
Academic Year : 2019 – 2020 / Odd Semester
Faculty Signature Head of the department
Submitted to the Technical writing and Presentation examination held on _______
Internal Examiner-I Internal Examiner-I
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THE WAVE AND TIDAL STREAM TECHNOLOGIES
A TECHNICAL REPORT
Submitted by
MYTHILI B
REGISTER NUMBER: 1614512
B.E. - ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
K.S.R. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING,
(An Autonomous Institution, Affiliated to Anna University, Chennai)
TIRUCHENGODE-637215
OCTOBER 2019
2
ABSTRACT
Twice each day, thanks to a gravitational pull on earth from our rotating moon, the
world's oceans produce powerful water currents and rising and falling tides. Humans have
studied and exploited the tremendous power of the tides for millennia, including
harnessing tidal power in 10th century dams to turn millwheels for grinding flour. Forty
years ago, the first tidal dams were constructed to convert tidal power into electricity. One
of the first such tidal dams was constructed on Canada’s Bay of Fundy, where tides rise by
as much as 12 meters (45 feet). Now, new energy technologies (NOT dams) that generate
electricity from tidal currents could help produce as much electricity as the largest
hydroelectric dams or nuclear and fossil fuel generating stations, without producing
greenhouse gases or harming the environment. This paper focuses on need of renewable
energy sources, tidal power superiority over other types of renewable energy sources.
Paper also gives brief information of construction, basic components& types of tidal
power plants.Information regarding turbines used in tidal plants are also given.
Advantages& disadvantages of tidal power plant is also discussed. The paper also includes
case study of La-Rance in France is given for more information regarding this important
power source.
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE
Every day we rely on energy to provide us with electricity, hot water, and fuel
for our cars. Most of this energy comes from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural
gas. These are non-renewable energy sources, which means that if we use them all up,
we can never get more during our lifetime. Fossil fuels also contribute greatly to
global climate change by releasing carbon dioxide into the air when they are burned.
Because fossil fuels can run out and are bad for the environment, it is important that
we start switching to other energy sources, like renewable energy sources. These are
energy sources that are constantly being replenished, such as sunlight, wind, and
water. This means that we can use them as much as we want, and we do not have to
worry about them running out. Additionally, renewable energy sources are usually
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much more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels. Overall, they release very few
chemicals, like carbon dioxide, that can harm the environment.
Figure 1 : Eco-Friendly system
TIDAL ENERGY
Tidal power or tidal energy is the form of hydropower that converts the energy
obtained from tides into useful forms of power, mainly electricity. Although not yet
widely used, tidal energy has potential for future electricity generation. Tides are more
predictable than the wind and the sun. Among sources of renewable energy, tidal
energy has traditionally suffered from relatively high cost and limited availability of
sites with sufficiently high tidal ranges or flow velocities, thus constricting its total
availability. However, many recent technological developments and improvements,
both in design (e.g. dynamic tidal power, tidal lagoons) and turbine technology (e.g.
new axial turbines, cross flow turbines), indicate that the total availability of tidal
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power may be much higher than previously assumed, and that economic and
environmental costs may be brought down to competitive levels.
Historically, tide mills have been used both in Europe and on the Atlantic coast
of North America. The incoming water was contained in large storage ponds, and as
the tide went out, it turned waterwheels that used the mechanical power it produced to
mill grain. The earliest occurrences date from the Middle Ages, or even from Roman
times. The process of using falling water and spinning turbines to create electricity
was introduced in the U.S. and Europe in the 19th century.
The world's first large-scale tidal power plant was the Rance Tidal Power
Station in France, which became operational in 1966. It was the largest tidal power
station in terms of output until Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station opened in South
Korea in August 2011. The Sihwa station uses sea wall defense barriers complete with
10 turbines generating 254 MW.
Figure 2 : Tidal power plant
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Tidal energy's source is a result of the effects of the sun and moon's
gravitational fields, combined with our planet's rotation around its axis, which
results in low and high tides. With this in mind, the power source of tidal
energy is potentially renewable, whether we are talking about tidal barrages,
stream generators, or the more recent technology, dynamic tidal power
(DTP).FIGURE 2 shows the tidal power plant layout.
figure 3 : top view of tide mill
CATEGORIES OF TIDAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
There are three categories of tidal energy technologies. The first category, tidal
range technologies use a barrage – a dam or other barrier – to harvest power from the
height difference between high and low tide. The power is generated through tidal
turbines (most of them come from hydropower design, such as bulb turbines) located
in the barrage, and their commercial feasibility has been well established through the
operation of plants in France (240 Megawatts (MW), Canada (20 MW), China
(~5 MW) and Russia (0.4 MW) from the 1960s and 1970s. In 2011/2012, South Korea
opened the largest and newest tidal barrage (254 MW).
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The second category, tidal current or tidal stream technologies have had more
than 40 new devices introduced between the period 2006-2013. The major differences
among the devices are the turbines, which can be based on a vertical or horizontal
axis, and in some cases are enclosed (ducted). Full-scale deployment of single turbines
have been achieved, and the next step is the demonstration of arrays of turbines
(Energy Technologies Institute (ETI)/ UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), 2014).
Up to 2010, the industry was dominated by small entrepreneurial companies, but in
the last three years large engineering firms and turbine manufacturers like ABB,
Alstom, Andritz Hydro, DCNS, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy
Industries, Siemens, and Voith Hydro have entered the market. Furthermore,
companies like General Electric (GE) have also shown an interest and are supplying
the electrical power systems for some of the prototypes. Also, large utilities like Bord
Gáis Energy, Électricité de France (EDF), GDF Suez, and Iberdrola are running
demonstration projects.
The final category, hybrid applications are forms of tidal range technologies that have
great potential if their design and deployment can be combined with the planning and
design of new infrastructure for coastal zones. Project proposals for hybrid
applications exist in Canada (British Columbia), China, the Netherlands
(Grevelingen), Norway (E39 road project) and the UK (Bristol Channel).
Furthermore, there are plans for a hybrid form of tidal range and current power
generation called ‘dynamic tidal power’. Again, no full-scale prototype has been
tested or demonstrated yet.
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TIDEL TURBINE:
Figure 4 : Turbine of tide mill
Figure.4 shows the turbine of the Tide mill.Tidal turbines are very much like
underwater windmills except the rotors are driven by consistent, fast-moving
currents. The submerged rotors harness the power of the marine currents to drive
generators, which in turn produce electricity. Water is 832 times denser than air and
consequently tidal turbine rotors are much smaller than wind turbine rotors and
therefore can be deployed much closer together and still generate equivalent amounts
of electricity. FIGURE 4 shows the turbineof the tide mill.
Tidal turbines are fixed to the seabed either via a gravity base or fixed (drilled) pylons.
They are connected to the grid via an armoured power export cable and are typically
controlled via a standard SCADA system. Our tidal turbines have active pitch and yaw
and can be installed quickly offshore, once the foundations are established on the
seabed.
A typical turbine has an operational life of 25 years, with a 5-year maintenance
cycle.The Atlantis turbine division is the amalgamation of two of the world’s leading
tidal turbine generation teams – the Marine Current Turbines SeaGen team and
Atlantis Turbine and Engineering Services team – brought together via acquisition in
2015.
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PRINCIPLE :
Figure.5 Variation of tides over a day
Tidal power is taken from the Earth's oceanic tides. Tidal forces are periodic
variations in gravitational attraction exerted by celestial bodies. These forces create
corresponding motions or currents in the world's oceans. Due to the strong to the
oceans, a bulge in the water level is created, causing a temporary increase in sea level.
As the Earth rotates, this bulge of ocean water meets the shallow water adjacent to the
shoreline and creates a tide. This occurrence takes place in an unfailing manner, due to
the consistent pattern of the moon's orbit around the earth. The magnitude and
character of this motion reflects the changing positions of the Moon and Sun relative
to the Earth, the effects of Earth's rotation, and local geography of the sea floor and
coastlines.
Tidal power is the only technology that draws on energy inherent in the orbital
characteristics of the Earth–Moon system, and to a lesser extent in the Earth–Sun
system. Other natural energies exploited by human technology originate directly or
indirectly with the Sun, including fossil fuel, conventional hydroelectric, wind,
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biofuel, wave and solar energy. Nuclear energy makes use of Earth's mineral deposits
of fissionable elements, while geothermal power utilizes the Earth's internal heat,
which comes from a combination of residual heat from planetary accretion (about
20%) and heat produced through radioactive decay.
A tidal generator converts the energy of tidal flows into electricity. Greater tidal
variation and higher tidal current velocities can dramatically increase the potential of a
site for tidal electricity generation.
Because the Earth's tides are ultimately due to gravitational interaction with the Moon
and Sun and the Earth's rotation, tidal power is practically inexhaustible and classified
as a renewable energy resource. Movement of tides causes a loss of mechanical
energy in the Earth–Moon system: this is a result of pumping of water through natural
restrictions around coastlines and consequent viscous dissipation at the seabed and in
turbulence. This loss of energy has caused the rotation of the Earth to slow in the
4.5 billion years since its formation. During the last 620 million years the period of
rotation of the earth (length of a day) has increased from 21.9 hours to 24 hours in this
period the Earth has lost 17% of its rotational energy. While tidal power will take
additional energy from the system, the effect is negligible and would only be noticed
over millions of years.
TYPES OF TIDEL TURBINES :
1. AR2000 :
Atlantis and GE have already been working in partnership since September 2018 on
the development and performance validation of Atlantis’ AR2000 tidal generation
system, which is expected to be the world’s largest and most powerful single axis
turbine available. This record-breaking system is expected to be deployed on future
phases of Atlantis’ iconic MeyGen Project in Scotland, the wider Atlantis project
pipeline and will also be available for sale to commercial developers. This next
generation turbine will be capable of accommodating rotor diameters of between 20 –
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24 meters, site dependent, with a cut in speed of less than one meter per second and a
maximum output of 2.0 MW at 3.05 m/s for a machine with a 20 meter rotor diameter.
The AR2000 has been in development for over two years and builds on the successes
and lessons learned from the AR1500 deployment and operation on the world leading
MeyGen project in Scotland. SAE has invested more than £5m in the development of
this machine which is expected to be deployed on future phases of the MeyGen
Project and will be available for sale to commercial developers in Q4 2019.
The AR2000 will feature an innovative new electro-mechanical pitch system, 360
degrees of yaw, upgraded onboard health monitoring and diagnostics systems and
optimised critical system redundancy. The AR2000 will have a 25-year design life
with quarter-life interventions for routine maintenance. The system utilises a quick
connect wet-mate system, designed for rapid and safe deployment on either a gravity
base or mono-pylon of up to eight turbines per day.
2. AR1500 :
The AR1500 is a Lockheed Martin designed, 1.5MW horizontal axis turbine
complete with active pitch and yaw capability. The nacelle weighs
approximately 150 tonnes in air and has a design life of 25 years. The rotor
diameter is 18 meters and all key operational systems have triple redundancy
built in to maximise reliability offshore.
3. SeaGen U :
SeaGen U is a 1.5MW horizontal axis turbine complete with an active pitch
system taken from the SeaGen-S series development, and yaw capability from
the AR1500. The full turbine weighs approximately 150 tonnes in air and has a
design life of 25 years. The rotor diameter is 20 meters and all key operational
systems have redundancy built in to maximise reliability offshore.
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4.SeaGen-S/F :
The SeaGen system designed for floating or surface piercing foundations is an
up to 1.0MW horizontal axis turbine complete with an active pitch. The full
turbine weighs approximately 100 tonnes in air and has a design life of 25
years. Rotor diameter can be provided to suit the deployment and system
redundancy plus accessibility combine to maximise reliability offshore.
BLADES :
Figure 6 : Blades of Tidal mill
Blades are a critical part of a turbine, as they capture the energy of the flowing water
and deliver it to the hub. High speed tidal current flows contain a lot of energy, which
means that tidal turbine blades are highly loaded, and turbulence in the flows means
the load varies continuously. Consequently, blades need to be not only an efficient
shape, but also very strong. The AR1500 blades are formed in two halves made from
carbon fibre ‘skins’ which both give the foil shape, and carry the loads. This efficient
structure means that the blades are relatively thin - which results in better
hydrodynamic performance for the rotor, lighter weight and improved cost
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effectiveness. The blades are fitted to pintle shafts on the hub, located with a cross-pin
in an arrangement that can be mounted and dismounted very quickly. The outside
casings of the integrated gearbox and generator are in direct contact with the seawater
so that both are passively cooled by water flowing past them ensuring increased life
for the components. This is simple, but effective, and means they run at low
temperatures without the need for more regular maintenance that would be necessary
with active cooling systems.
HUB & PITCH SYSTEM:
Figure 7 : Inner parts of turbine which includes Hub and Pitch
system
From the low currents at which the turbine can start up to its rated current, the blades
are held at a fixed pitch angle. Above rated current, the blades are progressively
pitched to shed energy and maintain the turbine at rated power. The AR1500 pitch
system is hydraulically driven; the actuation system is self-contained within the dry
hub. The system is collective, so that a single actuator drives all three blades at the
same time; much the same as variable pitch marine propulsion units are actuated.
This reduces the number of components in the system, and means that multiple levels
of redundancy can be incorporated, all increasing total reliability.
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GEARBOX & GENERATOR UNIT :
Figure 8: Gearbox and generator unit.
The gearbox is a 2-stage, epicyclical design using flexible planet pin technology to
produce a product that is tolerant of both shaft deflections and shock loads. This
makes the whole drivetrain robust and insensitive to movement of the nacelle and
shaft under load. The gearbox has a redundant, pumped oil lubrication system that
ensures good cooling and lubrication of all the gear meshes and bearings. The
generator is integrated with the gearbox, with the generator rotor supported by the
gearbox output shaft bearings. This means there are no independent generator
bearings, and the whole rotating unit is covered by the same, high-capacity lubrication
system. The generator is a permanent magnet type which operates at high efficiency
over a wide speed range.Figure. 8 shows the position of gearbox and the generator.
MAIN SHAFT & BEARING :
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The hub mounts on the flange of a shaft that supports the rotor and transmits the
torque to the gearbox. The shaft runs on a large-diameter roller bearing at the front,
and is supported by the gearbox input bearing at the rear. An automatic grease
lubrication system ensures that the bearing is kept clean and lubricated between
services.
Figure 9 : Main shaft and bearing
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DYNAMIC SEAL :
Figure 10 : Dynamic Seal
The turbine utilises a multiple-lip seal on the low speed shaft to keep seawater out of
the turbine. The seal unit is derived from proven ship’s propeller shaft seals, and is
actively grease lubricated to preserve its life and exclude water. It contains sensors to
alert the operator of any leakage or deterioration so that corrective action can be taken.
FIGURE 10 shows the dynamic cell.
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NACELLE MAIN BODY :
Figure 11: Nacelle main body structure
The nacelle main body is a steel fabrication that supports the driveline, translating
all loads down towards the foundation, and provides a dry housing for the key and
ancillary equipment. When onshore, the inside of the nacelle can be accessed through
a single hatchway for maintenance. The turbine is designed for high quality and easy
of manufacture. Components are pre assembled and acceptance tested into core
modules, most of which are assembled to the nacelle main body. All flange joints
between the core modules and the nacelle main body have double static seals, for
redundancy and so that the joints can be easily vacuum pressure tested to ensure the
finished product is water tight, prior to turbine deployment. FIGURE 11 shows the
nacelle main body structure.
YAW DRIVE :
The turbine always operates facing the oncoming current. A yaw system is required to
ensure realignment to the changing tide; approximately every six hours. Tidal currents
are generally in a consistent direction during a single ebb or flood tide, so the yaw can
be fixed when the turbine is generating, and the yaw system only needs to be activated
at slack water, between tides. The AR1500 has a novel yaw locking mechanism which
makes for a compact, simple design.
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STAB & CONNECTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS) :
The turbine is connected to its support structure via a gravity stab mechanism. This
comes in two halves, with the male on the turbine and the female on the support
structure tower. The turbine is lowered onto the structure by a DP vessel, without any
need for divers or ROVs. The stab is designed to progressively align the turbine with
the support structure as the two parts are brought together. Once mated, the turbine is
held in place by gravity, not requiring any locking mechanism. The Connection
Management System (CMS), uses wet-mate connectors, proven in the oil and gas
industry to join the turbine’s electrical and control systems to the subsea cable back to
shore. This happens passively as the two halves of the stab come together, with the
stab controlling the alignment and rate of descent of the turbine to ensure a smooth,
repeatable connection. The connectivity from the shore to the turbine can be tested
before the DP vessel releases the turbine to ensure everything is ready for operation.
SUPPORT STRUCTURE & LOWER CMS :
The turbine can be fitted to a variety of foundations: gravity base, mono pile or
pinned structures. The choice of foundation depends on site-specific factors. The
lower part of the CMS and the subsea cable are fitted to the support structure after it is
installed, as a separate operation. Though the lower CMS is designed to last for the
life of the turbine without maintenance, having it removable means that problems with
it or with the subsea cable can be rectified without having to remove the whole
support structure.
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CONTROL SYSTEM, SCADA & CONDITION MONITORING :
The turbine is controlled by an onshore PLC (programmable logic controller), which
communicates with the turbine through fibre optics in the subsea cable. The turbine
has an independent safety circuit within it that shuts the turbine down in the event of a
malfunction, and protects the system from damage. The system has extensive
diagnostic capabilities, and all trips can be reset from shore. A SCADA system
provides remote internet access to one turbine or an array of turbines, and collects
operating data. The turbine has a comprehensive condition monitoring system that
uses a wide variety of sensors and inputs to detect changes within the turbine and to
warn of potential maintenance needs.
WORKING OF TIDEL TURBINE:
Marine or tidal currents, unlike many other forms of renewable energy, are a
consistent source of kinetic energy caused by regular tidal cycles influenced by the
phases of the moon. Intermittency is a problem for wind, wave and solar power as the
sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. These sources of
renewable energy often require backup from traditional forms of power generation.
However, the inherent predictability of tidal power is highly attractive for grid
management, removing the need for back-up plants powered by fossil fuels. Tidal
turbines are installed on the seabed at locations with high tidal current velocities, or
strong continuous ocean currents where they extract energy from the flowing water.
The unique design of subsea connection systems for the AR1500 and SeaGen turbines
allows capture of the maximum amount of tidal energy whilst keeping maintenance
and connectivity costs low. Unlike a wind turbine, all of the power conditioning
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equipment (inverters, converters and frequency controllers) are located onshore in the
substation building, enabling quick and easy access in the event of unscheduled faults.
Once a foundation has been established on the seabed floor, a turbine can be installed
in a very short amount of time. Typically, it takes 45 minutes to install a turbine
nacelle and 45 minutes to retrieve it. No divers are involved in this operation.
FIGURE 12 shows the working of the tidal power plant.
Figure 12 : Working of Wind power plant.
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PROS AND CONS OF TIDEL ENERGY:
PROS :
Renewable source of energy: Tidal power cannot run out since moon’s
gravity and earth’s rotation continues to cause tides. This gives it a
sustainability edge over other fossil fuels.
No pollution: Tidal power is a clean source of energy. It does not emit harmful
substances or any green gases making environmentally friendly.
Predictable: Occurrence of tides is highly predictable making it easier to
construct the tidal plant system with the right dimension for efficient electricity
generation.
Effective at low speeds: Water has a higher density than air making it easy to
produce electricity at low speed. You can generate power at 1m/s.
Efficient: Compared to other fossil fuel plants, tidal power plants are more
efficient. A tidal plant can convert 80% of kinetic energy to electricity whereas
a coal plant can only produce 30% energy.
Long lifespan: The power plants have a life span of 75-100 years. They are
very efficient even after years of use.
Consistent: Since tidal power is consistent, it is much easier to plan for the
extraction and also manage electricity consumption throughout the day.
Low operation cost: Although the initial investment is very high, the power
plants have a low operational cost.
High potential: A tidal waves carry at least 14000 Terawatt hours of potential
energy in a year.
Reliable: The occurrence of high and low tide cycles can be measured to
determine the amount of power the tidal plant will generate in a given period.
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CONS :
Expensive: The cost of acquiring new technologies to harness tidal energy is very
high. It is projected that the tidal power is commercially profitable if new
technologies are used to generate electricity on a large scale which may be very
expensive.
Environment disruptions: Tidal barrages leads to manipulation of ocean level
causing some effects to the environment. The tidal plant affects the tidal cycle and
the salinity of water in the tidal basins.
Useful period: Although the tides are predictable, the power plants can only
produce energy for 10 hours in a day. This makes their useful period to be 40% per
year.
Distance from the grid: Tidal plants are often built away from the grid and this
makes the connection to the grid difficult and very expensive. The distance from
the grid affects how electricity is consumed.
Location-specific: Tidal power plants can only be built on areas that meet
specific criteria. The fact that tides are predictable, the plant construction is
limited.
Death of marine life: Constructing a tidal plant to harness electricity affects the
growth of marine species and the surrounding environment.
Aesthetics of the area: The construction of tidal power plant affects the beauty of
the area and this can affect other economic activities like tourism attraction in the
area.
Few implementations of tidal plant: Due to location-specific issues, few tidal
plants have been implemented and no proper evaluation has been done on the
success of the equipment used.
Effects on recreation: Once a tidal energy is built, people will be limited to
access part of the coastal area.
Pollution: Sometimes if the workers are not careful, the oil spillage can cause risk
to their lives and those around them.
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