Research Report 2 - Tidal Technologies

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Research Report 2 - Tidal Technologies Tidal Power in the UK Research Report 2 - Tidal technologies overview An evidence-based report by Entec for the Sustainable Development Commission October 2007 Sustainable Development Commission Tidal Technologies Overview Contract 2 Final Report May 2007 Creating the environment for business Copyright and Non-Disclosure Notice The contents and layout of this report are subject to copyright owned by Entec (© Entec UK Limited 2007) save to the extent that copyright has been legally assigned by us to another party or is used by Entec under licence. To the extent that we own the copyright in this report, it may not be copied or used without our prior written agreement for any purpose other than the purpose indicated in this report. The methodology (if any) contained in this report is provided to you in confidence and must not be disclosed or copied to third parties without the prior written agreement of Entec. Disclosure of that information may constitute an actionable breach of confidence or may otherwise prejudice our commercial interests. Any third party who obtains access to this report by any means will, in any event, be subject to the Third Party Disclaimer set out below. Third-Party Disclaimer Any disclosure of this report to a third-party is subject to this disclaimer. The report was prepared by Entec at the instruction of, and for use by, our client named on the front of the report. It does not in any way constitute advice to any third-party who is able to access it by any means. Entec excludes to the fullest extent lawfully permitted all liability whatsoever for any loss or damage howsoever arising from reliance on the contents of this report. We do not however exclude our liability (if any) for personal injury or death resulting from our negligence, for fraud or any other matter in relation to which we cannot legally exclude liability. Document Revisions No. Details Date 0 C020i First draft January 2007 1 C042i Second draft, additional March 2007 details added in all sections according to comments on C020i and discussions with SDC. 2 C055i Third draft, incorporating May 2007 reviewer comments and executive summary 3 C055i2 Final report, incorporating June 2007 comments from SDC © Entec UK Limited Page ii Doc Reg No. 19495 C055i2 May 2007 Creating the environment for business Executive Summary Purpose of this Report Entec UK Ltd. were commissioned as independent consultants by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) to produce this report, which explores the varied issues surrounding the generation of tidal power in the UK from the perspective of sustainable development. This report has been produced for the purpose of providing the SDC with a high-level overview of the main technological, environmental, economic and social issues relating to the UK’s tidal energy potential. The SDC will use the information in this report (and reports from other consultants working on their tidal power project) as an evidence base for the preparation of a report (provisionally entitled ‘Tidal Power in the UK’) which will provide the basis for the SDC position on tidal power, and will inform its advocacy and advice to the UK Government, the Devolved Administrations and the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) on this issue. The report is an overview of tidal energy in the UK, introducing key concepts and issues to the reader, and referring them to referenced information sources for more detailed analysis. The technological, environmental, economic and social issues surrounding the generation of tidal power are multiple and interlinked. An attempt has been made in this report to unravel the complexities of the subject by presenting information in four clear sections which set out the key points and ideas in a coherent fashion. Following a general introduction to the concept of tidal power, which explores the different technologies available and their methods of action, wider issues surrounding the technologies, the environmental effects and the social and economic issues are set out in separate sections. The key points from each of these sections are summarised below. Sections use available information to differentiate between different tidal energy technologies, and to present the benefits and disbenefits of each technology type. The issues raised in each section are intended to relate to a generic technology type rather than to a specific device or proposed scheme. However, in some cases it has not been possible to avoid reliance on information from certain technologies or specific schemes as a result of a lack of general information. Tidal technologies The waters of the ocean rise and fall twice every 24 hours as a result of gravitational interactions between the sun, moon and earth. The rise and fall of tides can be used to generate electricity, and is a highly predictable source of renewable energy. There are two ways in which electricity can be generated from the tides: • When tides rise and fall, water moves in and out of shallow basins and estuaries, and this causes a change in the height of the water. The tidal range is the difference in height between high and low tides. This difference in height can be used to generate electricity. The tidal range resource is greatest in shallow waters. © Entec UK Limited Page iv Doc Reg No. 19495 C055i2 May 2007 Creating the environment for business • As tides rise and fall, differences in pressure between areas of sea cause water to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. As the water moves, it can be accelerated around headlands and through channels. This is the tidal stream, and the movement of water can be used to generate electricity. The tidal stream resource is found in both shallow and deep water. Tidal range technologies exploit the difference in height between high and low tides by holding back water at high tide and releasing it through turbines at low tide. Tidal barrages and tidal lagoons are tidal range schemes; barrages span an estuary or embayment, whereas tidal lagoons enclose a discrete area of water in shallow coastal locations. Tidal stream technologies generate electricity using the flow of water created by the tides and accelerated by coastal topography. There are many different types of tidal stream devices, although they all work on the principle of the tidal stream causing a part of the device to move, and this movement being used to generate electricity. The moving part may be a hydrofoil, or a horizontal or vertical rotor. Some devices have a duct around the rotor to increase the flow of water. Some tidal stream devices are fixed to the seabed on monopiles or concrete bases, while others float and are moored to the seabed using chains and anchors. Some devices are completely submerged, while others may have parts above the water. In the majority of cases, the moving part of the tidal stream devices is directly moved by the tidal stream flowing past it; however, in venturi systems the movement of water is used to cause flow through a turbine in a secondary circuit. Currently in the UK there are no functioning commercial tidal energy schemes, although there is a significant tidal range and tidal stream resource in UK waters, and therefore a strong potential for the generation of tidal electricity. There are a number of functioning tidal barrages in the world, but no tidal lagoons. There are a wide range of tidal stream devices currently in development in the UK and elsewhere in the world. Several of these are at the stage of prototype or part-scale model deployment, and are receiving funding from various sources including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Scottish Executive. Technological differentiators Tidal energy, in common with other renewable sources of energy, would have the advantage of reducing the UK’s overall carbon emissions from electricity production. By replacing electricity production by fossil fuels, tidal energy schemes such as the Cardiff-Weston barrage could reduce carbon emissions by over 7 million tonnes per year; the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon scheme could reduce emissions by over 53,000 tonnes per year, and a tidal stream farm by up to 1 million tonnes per year (depending on the quality of the tidal stream resource exploited). Such emissions reductions are a significant environmental and political driver for the development of the UK’s various renewable energy industries. There are many different factors which affect the economic and commercial viability of tidal power generation in the UK, and many of these factors differ between different types of tidal energy schemes. The key issues are: • The size and accessibility of the tidal range and tidal stream resource; © Entec UK Limited Page v Doc Reg No. 19495 C055i2 May 2007 Creating the environment for business • The amount of electricity which can be generated by a scheme; • The ability to transmit this electricity to consumers; • The cost of constructing, maintaining and decommissioning the tidal energy scheme; and • The cost (actual and competitive) of the electricity produced. Resource size and accessibility The tidal range resource of the UK is difficult to accurately assess, but has been estimated to be in the region of 19 TWh/y. This has the potential to supply almost 5% of the UK’s electricity demand. Some sources estimate the tidal range resource in the UK to be as high as 50 TWh/y. The majority of the tidal range resource is located along the west coast of England and Wales, with the Severn Estuary alone accounting for 17 TWh/y. Smaller and shallower inlets around the coast have the potential for tidal range schemes, but there are engineering difficulties with exploiting the resource here, and barrage schemes in these areas may not be commercially viable.
Recommended publications
  • A Scoping Study On: Research Into Changes in Sediment Dynamics Linked to Marine Renewable Energy Installations
    A Scoping Study on: Research into Changes in Sediment Dynamics Linked to Marine Renewable Energy Installations Laurent Amoudry3, Paul S. Bell3, Kevin S. Black2, Robert W. Gatliff1 Rachel Helsby2, Alejandro J. Souza3, Peter D. Thorne3, Judith Wolf3 April 2009 1British Geological Survey Murchison House West Mains Road Edinburgh EH9 3LA [email protected] www.bgs.ac.uk 2Partrac Ltd 141 St James Rd Glasgow G4 0LT [email protected] www.partrac.com 3Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Joseph Proudman Building 6 Brownlow Street Liverpool L3 5DA, www.pol.ac.uk 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study scopes research into the impacts and benefits of large-scale coastal and offshore marine renewable energy projects in order to allow NERC to develop detailed plans for research activities in the 2009 Theme Action Plans. Specifically this study focuses on understanding changes in sediment dynamics due to renewable energy structures. Three overarching science ideas have emerged where NERC could provide a significant contribution to the knowledge base. Research into these key areas has the potential to help the UK with planning, regulation and monitoring of marine renewable installations in a sustainable way for both stakeholders and the environment. A wide ranging consultation with stakeholders was carried out encompassing regulators, developers, researchers and other marine users with a relevance to marine renewable energy and/or sediment dynamics. Based on this consultation a review of the present state of knowledge has been produced, and a relevant selection of recent and current research projects underway within the UK identified to which future NERC funded research could add value. A great deal of research has already been done by other organisations in relation to the wind sector although significant gaps remain, particularly in long term and far-field effects.
    [Show full text]
  • Nuclear Power
    No.59 z iii "Ill ~ 2 er0 Ill Ill 0 Nuclear Family Pia nning p3 Chernobyl Broadsheet ·, _ I. _ . ~~~~ George Pritchar d speaks CONTENTS COMMENT The important nuclear development since the Nuclear Family Planning 3 last SCRAM Journal was the Government's The CEGB's plans, and the growing opposition, after Sizewell B by go ahead for Sizewell B: the world's first HUGH RICHARDS. reactor order since Chernobyl, and Britain's News 4-6 first since the go ahead was given to Torness Accidents Will Happen 1 and Heysham 2 in 1978. Of great concern is Hinkley Seismic Shocker 8-9 the CEGB's announced intention to build "a A major article on seismic safety of nuclear plants in which JAMES small fanilty• of PWRs, starting with Hinkley GARRETT reveals that Hinkley Point C. At the time of the campaign In the Point sits on a geological fault. south west to close the Hinkley A Magnox Trouble at Trawsfynydd 10-11 station, and .a concerted push in Scotland to A summary of FoE's recent report on increasing radiation levels from prevent the opening of Torness, another Trawsfynydd's by PATRICK GREEN. nuclear announcement is designed to divide Pandora's POX 12 and demoralise the opposition. But, it should The debate over plutonium transport make us more determined. The article on the to and from Dounreay continues by facing page gives us hope: the local PETE MUTTON. authorities on Severnside are joining forces CHERNOBYL BROADSHEET to oppose Hinkley C, and hopefully they will Cock-ups and Cover-ups work closely with local authorities in other "Sacrificed to • • • Nuclear Power" threatened areas - Lothian Region, The Soviet Experience Northumberland, the County Council Coalition "An Agonising Decision• 13 against waste dumping and the Nuclear Free GEORGE PRITCHARD explains why Zones - to formulate a national anti-nuclear he left Greenpeoce and took a job strategy.
    [Show full text]
  • Tidal Turbine Array Optimization Based on the Discrete Particle
    China Ocean Eng., 2018, Vol. 32, No. 3, P. 358–364 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13344-018-0037-6, ISSN 0890-5487 http://www.chinaoceanengin.cn/ E-mail: [email protected] Tidal Turbine Array Optimization Based on the Discrete Particle Swarm Algorithm WU Guo-weia, WU Hea, *, WANG Xiao-yonga, ZHOU Qing-weia, LIU Xiao-manb aNational Ocean Technology Center, Tianjin 300112, China bSatellite Environment Center, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing 100094, China Received May 18, 2017; revised February 11, 2018; accepted March 23, 2018 ©2018 Chinese Ocean Engineering Society and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature Abstract In consideration of the resource wasted by unreasonable layout scheme of tidal current turbines, which would influence the ratio of cost and power output, particle swarm optimization algorithm is introduced and improved in the paper. In order to solve the problem of optimal array of tidal turbines, the discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm has been performed by re-defining the updating strategies of particles’ velocity and position. This paper analyzes the optimization problem of micrositing of tidal current turbines by adjusting each turbine’s position, where the maximum value of total electric power is obtained at the maximum speed in the flood tide and ebb tide. Firstly, the best installed turbine number is generated by maximizing the output energy in the given tidal farm by the Farm/Flux and empirical method. Secondly, considering the wake effect, the reasonable distance between turbines, and the tidal velocities influencing factors in the tidal farm, Jensen wake model and elliptic distribution model are selected for the turbines’ total generating capacity calculation at the maximum speed in the flood tide and ebb tide.
    [Show full text]
  • The Energy River: Realising Energy Potential from the River Mersey
    The Energy River: Realising Energy Potential from the River Mersey June 2017 Amani Becker, Andy Plater Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZT Judith Wolf National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool L3 5DA This page has been intentionally left blank ii Acknowledgements The work herein has been funded jointly by the University of Liverpool’s Knowledge Exchange and Impact Voucher Scheme and Liverpool City Council. The contribution of those involved in the project through Liverpool City Council, Christine Darbyshire, and Liverpool City Region LEP, James Johnson and Mark Knowles, is gratefully acknowledged. The contribution of Michela de Dominicis of the National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool, for her work producing a tidal array scenario for the Mersey Estuary is also acknowledged. Thanks also to the following individuals approached during the timeframe of the project: John Eldridge (Cammell Laird), Jack Hardisty (University of Hull), Neil Johnson (Liverpool City Council) and Sue Kidd (University of Liverpool). iii This page has been intentionally left blank iv Executive summary This report has been commissioned by Liverpool City Council (LCC) and joint-funded through the University of Liverpool’s Knowledge Exchange and Impact Voucher Scheme to explore the potential to obtain renewable energy from the River Mersey using established and emerging technologies. The report presents an assessment of current academic literature and the latest industry reports to identify suitable technologies for generation of renewable energy from the Mersey Estuary, its surrounding docks and Liverpool Bay. It also contains a review of energy storage technologies that enable cost-effective use of renewable energy. The review is supplemented with case studies where technologies have been implemented elsewhere.
    [Show full text]
  • Before the Flood Greenhouse Effect Plutonium Flights of Fancy Ministry
    ., Th~ Safe Energy ,J - Journal - July I August 19 88 75p Before the Flood Greenhouse Effect Plutonium Fl ights of Fancy Ministry of Truth - Chernobyl Lies CONTENTS COMMENT Flights of Fancy? 3 In the words of Or Tom Wheldon, at the Fourth STEVE MARTIN reviews the regulatory Annual Low Level Radiation and Health Conference log-jam in the US over planned held in Stirling, to say that radiation has existed in plutonium flights from Europe to Japan. the environment since the dawn of humankind and News 4-7 is therefore not a problem is just as daft as saying Ministry of Truth 8-9 that crocodiles have been around since the begin­ PATRICK GREEN accuses MAFF of ning with no perceived adverse effects - they will trying to rewrite history in their evidence to the Agriculture Com­ still bite your leg off, given half a chance. mittee. The Irresistible Force 10-11 The second report on the incidence of childhood meets the Immovable Object leukaemia near Dounreay from COMARE, of which ANDREW HOLMES asks what will Or Wheldon is a member, is a valuable contribution happen to nuclear research after privatisation. to the debate; but don't forget what happened to Snug as a Bug ••• 12 the 1976 Flowers Report. For the uninitiated, DON ARNOTT assesses the evidence Flowers recommended, among other things, that no that bacteria have been found in the large scale nuclear power ordering programme be burned-out core of the Three Mile Is­ land reactor. embarked on until the nuclear waste problem had Milk of Human Kindness? 14-15 been solved.
    [Show full text]
  • Cost Assessment Methodology and Economic Viability of Tidal Energy Projects
    energies Article Cost Assessment Methodology and Economic Viability of Tidal Energy Projects Eva Segura 1, Rafael Morales 1,* and José A. Somolinos 2 1 Escuela de Ingenieros Industriales de Albacete, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain; [email protected] 2 Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Navales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +34-967-599-200 (ext. 2542); Fax: +34-967-599-224 Received: 15 September 2017; Accepted: 6 November 2017; Published: 9 November 2017 Abstract: The exploitation of technologies with which to harness the energy from ocean currents will have considerable possibilities in the future thanks to their enormous potential for electricity production and their high predictability. In this respect, the development of methodologies for the economic viability of these technologies is fundamental to the attainment of a consistent quantification of their costs and the discovery of their economic viability, while simultaneously attracting investment in these technologies. This paper presents a methodology with which to determine the economic viability of tidal energy projects, which includes a technical study of the life-cycle costs into which the development of a tidal farm can be decomposed: concept and definition, design and development, manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance and dismantling. These cost structures are additionally subdivided by considering their sub-costs and bearing in mind the main components of the tidal farm: the nacelle, the supporting tidal energy converter structure and the export power system. Furthermore, a technical study is developed in order to obtain an estimation of the annual energy produced (and, consequently, the incomes generated if the electric tariff is known) by considering its principal attributes: the characteristics of the current, the ability of the device to capture energy and its ability to convert and export the energy.
    [Show full text]
  • Collision Risk of Fish with Wave and Tidal Devices
    Commissioned by RPS Group plc on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government Collision Risk of Fish with Wave and Tidal Devices Date: July 2010 Project Ref: R/3836/01 Report No: R.1516 Commissioned by RPS Group plc on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government Collision Risk of Fish with Wave and Tidal Devices Date: July 2010 Project Ref: R/3836/01 Report No: R.1516 © ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd Version Details of Change Authorised By Date 1 Pre-Draft A J Pearson 06.03.09 2 Draft A J Pearson 01.05.09 3 Final C A Roberts 28.08.09 4 Final A J Pearson 17.12.09 5 Final C A Roberts 27.07.10 Document Authorisation Signature Date Project Manager: A J Pearson Quality Manager: C R Scott Project Director: S C Hull ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd Suite B, Waterside House Town Quay Tel: +44(0)23 8071 1840 SOUTHAMPTON Fax: +44(0)23 8071 1841 Hampshire Web: www.abpmer.co.uk SO14 2AQ Email: [email protected] Collision Risk of Fish with Wave and Tidal Devices Summary The Marine Renewable Energy Strategic Framework for Wales (MRESF) is seeking to provide for the sustainable development of marine renewable energy in Welsh waters. As one of the recommendations from the Stage 1 study, a requirement for further evaluation of fish collision risk with wave and tidal stream energy devices was identified. This report seeks to provide an objective assessment of the potential for fish to collide with wave or tidal devices, including a review of existing impact prediction and monitoring data where available.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of a Severn Barrage a REPORT PREPARED for the NGO STEERING GROUP
    Analysis of a Severn Barrage A REPORT PREPARED FOR THE NGO STEERING GROUP June 2008 © Frontier Economics Ltd, London. i Frontier Economics | June 2008 Analysis of a Severn Barrage Executive summary......................................................................................iv 1 Introduction .........................................................................................7 1.1 Background...................................................................................................7 1.2 Overview.......................................................................................................8 Part 1: What is the role of Government? 2 Approach ..............................................................................................9 3 The role of Government ..................................................................... 11 3.1 Rationale..................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Objectives .................................................................................................. 16 Part 2: How does a barrage compare? 4 Approach ............................................................................................ 19 4.1 General background ................................................................................. 19 4.2 Overview of approach to modelling ...................................................... 21 5 Analysis and discussion .....................................................................26 5.1 Sensitivity
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of the Optimal Deployment Location for Tidal Energy Converters
    EGY9197_grabs ■ 24 August 2016 ■ 1/1 Energy xxx (2016) 1 5 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect 6 7 Energy 8 9 10 journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/energy 11 12 13 14 15 1 16 2 17 3 Highlights 4 Two areas of high tidal stream exergy are identified in the Ria de Vigo region. The energy output of two TEC farms, based on different turbines, is estimated. 15% of the 22.5 MW hourly extractable power per site can be tapped by the farms. The estimated power output is between. Q3 Depending on the used TEC, the farms can feed between 4411 and 6638 Spanish homes. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.06.055 0360-5442/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Please cite this article in press as: Mestres M, et al., Analysis of the optimal deployment location for tidal energy converters in the mesotidal Ria de Vigo (NW Spain), Energy (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.06.055 EGY9197_proof ■ 24 August 2016 ■ 1/9 Energy xxx (2016) 1e9 55 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect 56 57 Energy 58 59 60 journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/energy 61 62 63 64 65 1 Analysis of the optimal deployment location for tidal energy 66 2 67 3 converters in the mesotidal Ria de Vigo (NW Spain) 68 4 69 a, b, * b a, b a, b 5 Q5 Marc Mestres , Maria Grin~o , Joan Pau Sierra , Cesar Mosso€ 70 6 a 71 7 International Centre for Coastal Resources Research (CIIRC), c/Jordi Girona 1-3, Modul D1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain b Laboratori d’Enginyeria Marítima (LIM-UPC), Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, c/Jordi Girona 1-3, Modul D1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain 72 8 73 9 74 10 article info abstract 75 11 76 12 Article history: The potential power output expected from the installation of a tidal farm near the mesotidal Ria de Vigo 77 13 Received 23 February 2016 (NW Spain) is assessed using two different tidal stream energy converters (TEC).
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Renewables
    January 2009 Number 324 MARINE RENEWABLES Britain has an EU mandated target to meet 15% of its account for less than 0.1% of the energy produced energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. worldwide. The UK has the largest wave and tidal resources in Europe, so marine renewables are a candidate for Figure 1: Wave and Tidal Resources in contributing to this target. Around 15-20% of the UK’s the UK: 2 Coloured bands show wave electricity could potentially be produced from marine resources, with purple denoting the 1 renewable sources, but the technology is not mature. greatest resource. Red circles show This POSTnote considers the technologies available and some of the most significant tidal the environmental, economic and technological power sites. Tidal resources are closer challenges involved in their deployment. to shore than wave. Background Tidal Power • ‘Tidal stream’ devices use the flow of water due to tides to generate electricity. • ‘Tidal range’ devices use the change in height of water Government Support due to tides, using principles similar to a hydroelectric The Renewables Advisory Board (RAB), a government dam. There are only a few tidal ‘barrages’ (see Box 1). advisory body, suggests that to meet the EU target, 32% Tidal lagoons (structures built at sea to capture water of UK electricity must come from renewables by 2020. at high tides) are also possible. The government has set a further target to cut carbon Wave Power emissions by 80% by 2050. This has increased interest Wave devices use the motion of water caused by winds in all low carbon energy sources, including marine.
    [Show full text]
  • SOUTH WEST ENGLAND and the WAVE HUB 10 July 2009 NICK HARRINGTON – HEAD of MARINE ENERGY SOUTH WEST RDA WAVE & TIDAL RESOURCE
    SOUTH WEST ENGLAND AND THE WAVE HUB 10 July 2009 NICK HARRINGTON – HEAD OF MARINE ENERGY SOUTH WEST RDA WAVE & TIDAL RESOURCE • Could provide 15% - 20% of UK demand • European resource 290GW • Worldwide annual revenues of €65 - €200 billion WAVE POWER LEVELS IN kW/m OF CREST LENGTH IN EUROPEAN WATERS Source: Wave Energy Utilization in Europe (European Thematic Network on Marine Energy) TIDAL RESOURCE IN SW ENGLAND DECC TIDAL RESOURCE IN SW ENGLAND Marine “Shoots” Barrage Current 1GW Turbines “SeaGEN” * “Severn” Barrage 8GW “Outer” Barrage 15GW SOUTH WEST WAVE RESOURCE DECC WAVE HUB Source: JP Kenny WAVE HUB WAVE HUB PROVIDES • Consented sea area • Grid connected 5MW per berth at 11kV • Monitoring and testing • Opportunities to collaborate • Access to suppliers and research base • Experience of operations • Can be upgraded to 50MW with 33kV operation UK ROUTE TO COMMERCIALISATION R&D NaREC Demonstration Initial prototype EMEC Refined prototype Wave Hub Pre- commercial device Market entry with commercial product Market penetration TIMETABLE • Landowner agreements signed- June 2009 • Funding unconditional - June 2009 • Developer commitments - June 2009 • Operating and capital budgets confirmed - July 2009 • Decision to proceed - July 2009 • Order sub-sea cable - July 2009 • Set up operating company - Summer 2009 • Onshore works - Autumn 2009 • Tender installation contracts - Autumn/Winter 2009 • Cable and equipment delivery - Spring 2010 • Installation and commissioning - Summer 2010 CHALLENGES Devices • Demonstrate and improve performance
    [Show full text]
  • Hybrid Neural Fuzzy Design-Based Rotational Speed Control of a Tidal Stream Generator Plant
    sustainability Article Hybrid Neural Fuzzy Design-Based Rotational Speed Control of a Tidal Stream Generator Plant Khaoula Ghefiri 1,2,* , Izaskun Garrido 2 , Soufiene Bouallègue 1, Joseph Haggège 1 and Aitor J. Garrido 2 1 Laboratory of Research in Automatic Control—LA.R.A, National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), University of Tunis El Manar, BP 37, Le Belvédère, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia; soufi[email protected] (S.B.); [email protected] (J.H.) 2 Automatic Control Group—ACG, Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, Engineering School of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country, 48012 Bilbao, Spain; [email protected] (I.G.); [email protected] (A.J.G.) * Correspondence: kghefi[email protected]; Tel.: +34-94-601-4443 Received: 20 August 2018; Accepted: 12 October 2018; Published: 17 October 2018 Abstract: Artificial Intelligence techniques have shown outstanding results for solving many tasks in a wide variety of research areas. Its excellent capabilities for the purpose of robust pattern recognition which make them suitable for many complex renewable energy systems. In this context, the Simulation of Tidal Turbine in a Digital Environment seeks to make the tidal turbines competitive by driving up the extracted power associated with an adequate control. An increment in power extraction can only be archived by improved understanding of the behaviors of key components of the turbine power-train (blades, pitch-control, bearings, seals, gearboxes, generators and power-electronics). Whilst many of these components are used in wind turbines, the loading regime for a tidal turbine is quite different. This article presents a novel hybrid Neural Fuzzy design to control turbine power-trains with the objective of accurately deriving and improving the generated power.
    [Show full text]