Wave and tidal energy harnessing are becoming a new viable potential form of alternative energy. New innovations with increasing advancements in technology are rapidly changing the course in the production of a clean, pollution free, and efficient use of energy through the consumption of the one of the world’s largest natural resource, the ocean. Illustrating the developments of wave energy, there are more suitable geographic locations than others for greater potential of wave and tidal energy production of electricity. These areas tend to be most active between 30º and 60º latitude in both hemispheres and greatest on the west coast. Waves are produced by the wind running across the ocean surface. However, tidal energy is driven by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. Tidal energy is also capable of being consistently predicted because through Newton’s law of Universal Gravitation we have the capability of calculating the gravitational pull between the moon, the sun, and the earth. Ocean wave energy is read either in gigawatt-hours (GWh) or in terawatt-hours/year (TWh/yr). There are three types of wave energy technologies. The first type uses the rise and fall of the ocean swells that generate electricity through floats, buoys, or pitching devices to drive hydraulic pumps. The second type uses the rise and fall of water that is within a cylindrical shaft to generate electricity through an air driven turbine. These are also known as oscillating water column
In recent years there has been great concern over the growing demand for energy, and the lack of non-renewable energy resources to meet the demand in the future. In addition, the question of “sustainability”—the ability to balance social, economic, and environmental needs in energy production to meet both current and long-term requirements—has come to the fore. It is clear that America must expand energy production quickly, and that we must develop renewable, sustainable energy sources to meet long-term demand and protect our future. There are many proposed solutions, such as wind and solar power. But the technology for these resources is not yet fully developed, making them, at best, low-output alternatives. Because renewable sources are
Fossil fuels and other power generates are slowly changing the world. Alternative power sources are slowly becoming more popular in everyday life while the technology progresses. Using these power sources that don’t pollute the atmosphere could be the change in the world that completely changes the way the world uses energy. Engineers and technicians have been producing these alternative ways for years and years. A few, but not limited to consist of: Solar panels, Wind turbines, Wave tech and much more.
2. tidal currents that pass through narrow channels can be used to turn underwater pivoting turbines, which produce energy. potential for usable tidal energy increases with an increase in tidal range because a higher tidal range means more water moving in and out of the turbine system.
“Tidal power generates energy from the tides moving in and out…wave power generates energy from the rise and fall of waves.” (Cunningham.) Capturing the ocean’s movement is a great form of renewable energy with waves never running out and that they are available in many areas of the world. There will be no byproducts that will be harmful or will pollute the environment, and to receive the energy there can be many different gathering techniques. In retrospect towards marine growth, submerged wave energy converters will make “safe havens” because they will become artificial reefs with a closed off surface areas. “They insist that if all 28,000 miles of U. S. roadways are covered in these solar cells, it would generate three times more power…” (Cunningham). The hexagonal solar panels would be able to make more productive areas such as a solar parking lot, additionally paying for themselves and power other homes or businesses. In order to improve the safety of every community, there would be heating elements to keep roads snow/ice free, and LEDs to make road lines. There is little maintenance to ensure that the solar panels are in working order, and they are a silent producer of energy. When compared to burning fossil fuels in power stations, solar energy stands out by the fact that it saves money and gives energy security in households. “Human waste is taken to a treatment plant…methanogens go to work…methane is produced as a byproduct.” (Cunningham). Currently, over 200 millions tons of human waste go untreated, and once they get into the clean water, many die from diseases in contact with the fecal matter. When methane is burned as electricity, there would be a decrease in treating water and disposing
A more advanced version of hydropower is hydroelectric power. It is the electricity created by water. For example, when the waterwheel receives water pressure, it begins to turn. Connected to a motor, the wheel begins to generate energy. Eventually, the power is dished out and distributed
This is why tidal energy generation would be much more efficient than hydroelectricity energy generation in Nova Scotia because there are not many strong flowing rivers. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) located in California stated that the Bay of Fundy had potential to be the best site in North America for tidal energy generation. I believe that Nova Scotia should take advantage of these tides and use them as an important resource for our province. After the costs of the infrastructure and maintenance, tidal energy generation would be essentially free, as the tides move on their own. A lot of energy can be created through tides, as tidal power is very sensitive to speed. The amount of energy formed is the cube of the speed of the water. For example, if the speed of the flowing water doubles, the energy output is eight times greater. This energy can be formed from both the change in the height of tides, which is potential energy, and the flow of the water, which is kinetic energy.. As of now, the main technologies used are in-stream devices, barrages, and tidal lagoons. I think the best solution for Nova Scotia right now would be to build a tidal lagoon in the bay of Fundy. A tidal lagoon is like a barrage (which is essentially a dam built across the whole estuary) but it can be built as a self contained structure. This makes the cost much lower and they can also continuously generate, unlike a
For renewable sources of energy it is the most reliable even though it is variable. Different power generation methods have finite resources that will eventually run out. Other renewable energy resources while powerful are either unreliable such as wind are not always available such as solar energy. Through the use of dams we can store water to be used when needed to supply the demand caused by energy consumption. Using gravity water is allowed to flow through a turbine causing a generator to make electricity. When demand is low the water can be pumped back up into the containing reservoir to make another hydroelectric head. This process can just be continued creating a reliable capacity of energy. In the use of tidal power generation electricity comes in and out with the tide. There is a small marginal effect on the environment because no emission or hazardous waste is being made. While most prime locations for traditional hydroelectric power plants are already taken, there are plenty of locations to be used for tidal power generation. Once the technology to build underwater structures that are able to last against the harsh waves is more manageable there will be plenty of new location ready to be taken throughout the ocean. These generation plants will just be using water and gravity to supply power to meet the ever growing demand of the population. Using water to it full advantage in every facet possible from traditional hydroelectric pumped storage, run of the water types, tidal barrage using shoreline bays and tidal current using the oceans current will make it the greatest resource on
Hydroelectric power works but having a turbine placed in moving water. The water that rushes past the turbine forces the turbine to move and spin this creates electricity and the fast or bigger the turbine the more electricity that is created. Once the power is created by the turbines turning it is sent out through power lines to either power plants to store the electricity or to homes and building to power them.
One resource that is essential to produce electricity is renewable energy. Providing one’s own energy consists of utilizing solar panels, wind turbines and micro hydroelectricity. Solar panels absorb energy from the Sun to produce solar energy. A great number of people who live off the grid use solar power. Wind turbines generate electrical power from the wind and functions in the reverse manner as a fan does. Micro hydroelectricity is another source of energy, which fascinatingly “uses a source of running water, like a stream, to generate electricity” (Dunn 3). Between all three sources of renewable energy, micro hydroelectricity is the most efficient, reliable and commonly used form.
Last year for my science fair project I personally invented my own version of a sun tracking solar panel. The solar panel was able to produce three watts of power per hour regardless of its small three-inch by three-inch size, showing me that having direct access to the sun can increase the amount of watts gained multifold. This year, instead of researching over the topic of solar panels, I instead inquired alternative methods of producing energy from economical sources. In this experiment I chose to use a water turbine to produce electricity which in the long run was much more difficult to do.
With the use of a literature review, this paper will attempt to uncover tidal energy’s potential in terms of a viable renewable energy. From the literature review, a methodology, aim, research question and objectives will be set in order to achieve the answer.
The demand for an efficient renewable energy source is a driving force in ongoing research. Thermal energy conversion is one such potential source that is under constant investigation and has endless avenues of possibility. The two requirements of energy production are efficiency and renewability. Many possibilities exist for energy production including: Fossil Fuels (natural gas, oil, coal, oilshale), nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and wastes, & hydroelectric. Efficiency of the use of these resource are directly related to the location and the demand in that location. For example Hawaii is a prime candidate for the use of the oceans mechanical wave action, the thermal gradient of the ocean, wind, and biomass from the high
Tidal energy is converted based on the movements of tides. Tidal power is the result of Earth’s rotation combined with the sun and moon’s gravity. The tides come mostly from the Moon’s gravity and a little from the Sun’s gravity. So as the Earth rotates, the ocean surface rises and falls. Compared to nuclear reserves or fossil fuels, the resource of tidal energy will not run out or end unless the sun and moon does. Usually, there are two high tides and two low tides each day. With all the water moving up and down, we can capture the kinetic energy from the tides. It works just like wind turbine except ocean tides turn the blades instead of wind. (Climate Kids,
An energy source that could prove useful that is not yet fully online yet that I found interesting is tidal energy. Tidal energy is a form of hydropower that works by converting energy from ocean tides into electrical energy. It is not a popular source of energy used at the moment, but it could be very useful source for electrical energy in the near future. One of the advantages of using tidal energy is that it is a renewable source meaning that it will be around to use for a very long time before having to worry about this resource ceasing to exist. Tidal energy is also environmentally friendly and easily predictable so it’s easier to determine the best places to construct proper systems to develop the energy. Unlike coal, a very popular energy resource used, tidal power doesn’t emit any climate gases. Coal on the other hand produces a variety of harmful gases including carbon monoxide. The life span of tidal plants is believed to be long and ultimately leads to a reduction in the costs of power plants. While there are many advantages to tidal energy there are also some disadvantages. For example the costs of building a tidal plant can be very expensive. On the other end of the spectrum coal is one of if not the cheapest source for energy and which is probably why the United States gets almost half of its electrical energy from coal. Another negative that comes from using tidal energy is that there are limited sites that would be sufficient enough to sustain successful
For years man has relied on energy in order to be successful in life. The industrial revolution relied on coal for the new inventions brought into the world. Life as has never been the same since then. However since that time, there has been little done to improve on energy efficiency and humans still primarily rely on fossil fuels for energy. For over a hundred years the Earth has become more polluted and dirtier than ever before. Now, with new, innovative technology there is an opportunity to change that and to rely on renewable, cleaner sources of energy. The main source of energy for the world should be alternative energy instead of energy from fossil fuels.