Multi-effect distillation system for seawater desalination driven by tidal energy and low grade energy

A multi-effect distillation technology for seawater desalination driven by tidal energy and low grade energy is presented.In the system,tidal energy is utilized to supply power instead of coventional electric pumps during the operation,resulting in the decrease of dependence on steady electric power supply and a reduction in the running costs.According to the technological principle,a testing unit is designed and built.The effects of the feed seawater temperature and the heat source temperature on the unit performance are tested and analyzed.The experimental results show that the fresh water output is 27 kg/h when the heating water temperature is 65 ℃ and the absolute pressure is 25 kPa.The experimental and theoretical analysis results indicate that the appropriate heating water temperature is a key factor in ensuring the steady operation of the system.

The assessment of extactable tidal energy and the effect of tidal energy turbine deployment on the hydrodynamics in Zhoushan

In this study, we construct one 2-dimensional tidal simulation, using an unstructured Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model （FVCOM）. In the 2-D model, we simulated the tidal turbines through adding additional bottom drag in the element where the tidal turbines reside. The additional bottom drag was calculated from the relationship of the bottom friction dissipation and the rated rotor efficiency of the tidal energy turbine. This study analyzed the effect of the tidal energy turbine to the hydrodynamic environment, and calculated the amount of the extractable tidal energy resource at the Guishan Hangmen Channel, considering the rotor wake effect.

Analysis and Prediction of Influence Imposed on Jiaozhou Bay Tidal Currents and Tidal Energy of M_2 Tidal System by Jiaozhou Bay Reclamation

The 3-D ECOMSED ocean model was applied to establish a time-dependent boundary model for Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), in which the operator-splitting technique was used and the ‘dry and wet’ method was introduced. The influence caused by JZB reclamation on the surface level, residual currents, tidal system and tidal energy of M2 tidal system were predicted and analyzed. The results show that JZB reclamation has slight impact on the M2 tidal system, in which the variation of amplitude and phase is less than 1%.The changes of the currents and residual currents in Qian Bay and near the reclamation areas are greater, but in other areas the changes are smaller, in which the currents have a change of around 1%, while the residual currents change ranges from 1.82%–9.61%. After reclamation, the tidal energy fluxes increase by 2.62%–5.24% inside and outside the JZB mouth, but decrease by 20.21%–87.23% near Qian Bay and the reclamation area.

Numerical study of power production from tidal energy in the Khuran Channel and its feedback on background hydrodynamics

This study focuses on the development of a farm of tidal turbines in the Khuran Channel.The important factors include the location of turbines and their hydrodynamic effects on the environment.A three-dimensional circulation model for the Persian Gulf is employed for the comprehensive evaluation of the tidal energy potential throughout the study area.The model is validated by using in situ observations of water level and current data.The appropriate potential points for extracting the tidal energy were identified in the Persian Gulf using the model results.The Khuran Channel,located in the north of Qeshm Island,was found to be the best place to extract tidal energy inside the Persian Gulf.By adding the term of momentum losses to the governing equations,the feedback of extracting energy on the hydrodynamic around Qeshm Island was studied.The simulation results show that the average daily power production of a tidal farm with 99 turbines for one month is approximately 1.3 MW.This tidal farm also has a significant impact on the water level inside the Khuran Channel,especially near the tidal farm where these fluctuations exceed 4 cm.The change in the current speed caused by wake reaches 0.4 m/s.Wake effects were active up to 7 km downstream of the turbines.The current velocity was also estimated to be 1.6 m/s and 2.1 m/s during the spring and ebb tides within the channel,respectively.

Tidal Energy Fluxes and Bottom Boundary Layer Energy Dissipation in the Bering Sea

The spatial distribution of the energy flux, bottom boundary layer （BBL） energy dissipation, surface elevation amplitude and current magnitude of the major semidiurnal tidal constituents in the Bering Sea are examined in detail. These distributions are obtained from the results of a three-dimensional numerical simulation model （POM）. Compared with observation data from seven stations, the root mean square errors of tidal height are 2.6 cm and 1.2 cm for M2 and N2 respectively, and those of phase-lag are 21.8~ and 15.8~ respectively. The majority of the tidal energy flux off the deep basin is along the shelf edge, although some of this flux crosses the shelf edge, especially in the southeast of the shelf break. The total M2 energy dissipation in the Bering Sea is 30.43 GW, which is about 10 times of that of N2 and $2. The semidiurnal tidal energy enters mainly to the Bering Sea by Samalga Pass, Amukta Pass and Seguam Pass, accounting more than 60% of the total energy entering the Being Sea from the Pacific.

Tidal energy budget in the Zhujiang(Pearl River) Estuary

Tidal energy budget in the Zhujiang（Pearl River） Estuary（ZE） is evaluated by employing high-resolution baroclinic regional ocean modeling system（ROMS）. The results obtained via applying the least square method on the model elevations are compared against the tidal harmonic constants at 18 tide stations along the ZE and its adjacent coast. The mean absolute errors between the simulation and the observation of M_2, S_2, K_1 and O_1 are 4.6, 2.8, 3.2 and 2.8 cm in amplitudes and 9.8°, 15.0°, 4.6° and 4.6° in phase-lags, respectively. The comparisons between the simulated and observed sea level heights at 11 tide gauge stations also suggest good model performance. The total tidal energy flux incoming the ZE is estimated to be 343.49 MW in the dry season and larger than 336.18 MW in the wet season, which should due to higher mean sea level height and heavier density in the dry season. M_2, K_1, S_2, O_1 and N_2, the top five barotropic tidal energy flux contributors for the ZE,import 242.23（236.79）, 52.97（52.08）, 24.49（23.96）, 16.22（15.91） and 7.10（6.97） MW energy flux into the ZE in dry（wet） season, successively and respectively. The enhanced turbulent mixing induced by eddies around isolated islands and sharp headlands dominated by bottom friction, interaction between tidal currents and sill topography or constricted narrow waterways together account for the five energy dissipation hotspots, which add up to about 38% of the total energy dissipation inside the ZE.

Analysis of Tidal Current Energy Potential in the Major Channels of the Bohai Strait Based on Delft3D

The utilization and development of tidal current energy can help alleviate the current energy shortage,improve the global ecological environment,and maintain sustainable development.In this study,numerical simulation is carried out on a rectangular grid using Delft3D.The tidal current energy potential of the major channels in the Bohai Strait is further simulated and estimated by comparing the simulated and measured data.Results show that the flow module in Delft3D has good modeling ability for the assessment of tidal current energy potential.The average flow velocity,maximum flow velocity,and energy flow density are consistent.The Laotieshan Channel,located in the northern part of the Bohai Strait,shows a large tidal current energy potential.The maximum flow velocity of this channel can reach 2 m s-1,and the maximum energy flow density can exceed 500 W m-2.The tidal current energy in the Laotieshan Channel is more than 10 times that in other channels.Therefore,this study advocates for the continued exploration and exploitation of the tidal current energy resources in the Laotieshan Channel.

Economic evaluation of reverse osmosis desalination system coupled with tidal energy

A reverse osmosis （RO） desalination system coupled with tidal energy is proposed. The mechanical energy produced by the tidal energy through hydraulic turbine is directly used to drive the RO unit. The system performances and the water cost of the conventional and tidal energy RO systems are compared. It is found that the proposed tidal energy RO system can save water cost in the range of 31.0%-41.7% in comparison with the conventional RO system. There is an optimum feed pressure that leads to the lowest water cost. The tidal RO system can save more costs at a high feed pressure or a high water recovery rate. The optimum feed pressure of the tidal energy RO system is higher than that of the conventional RO system. The longer lifetime of the tidal energy RO system can save even more water cost. When the site development cost rate is lower than 40%, the water cost of the tidal energy RO system will be lower than that of the conventional RO system. The proposed technology will be an effective alternative desalination method in the future.

Estimation of Annual Energy Output from BCM Tidal Barrage and the Corresponding Marine Environmental Impact

Based on the finite-volume coastal ocean model （FVCOM）, a three-dimensional numerical model FVCOM was built to simulate the ocean dynamics in pre-dam and post-dam conditions in Bachimen （BCM）. The domain decomposition method, which is effective in describing the conservation of volume and non-conservation of mechanical energy in the utilization of tidal energy, was employed to estimate the theoretical tidal energy resources and developable energy resources, and to analyze the hydrodynamic effect of the tidal power station. This innovative approach has the advantage of linking physical oceanography with engineering problems. The results indicate that the theoretical annual tidal energy resources is about 2x 108 kwh under the influence of tidal power station; Optimized power installation is confirmed according to power generation curve from numerical analysis; the developable resources is about 38.2% of theoretical tidal energy resources with the employment of one-way electricity generation. The electricity generation time and power are 3479 hours and 2.55~104KW, respectively. The power station has no effect on the tide pattern which is semi-diumal tide in both two conditions, but the amplitudes of main constituents apparently decrease in the area near the dam, with the ME decreasing the most, about 62.92 cm. The tidal prism shrinks to 2.28×107 m3, but can still meet the flow requirement for tidal power generation. The existence of station increases the flow rate along the waterway and enhances the residual current. There are two opposite vortexes formed on the east side beside the dam of the station, which leads to pollutants gathering.

A Review of Tidal and Wave Energy in Southern Waters of Iran

This paper discussed the historical review and current status of tidal current energy,problems,and challenges in this energy commercialization.Fossil fuels are nonreplicable and also have negative greenhouse effects on the environment,so the world needs new and sustainable energy resources such as the ocean,wind,solar,biofuels,etc.This review paper focused on the initiative tidal current energy technology and efforts in the development of such energy to extract power from.Iran’s southern waters have been selected in this review.Some former projects and studies,current status,and impact of the tidal current and wave energy on the environment and aquatic life are discussed.Also,the limitations,challenges,and problems in the way of using this energy and infrastructure to transfer the generated power such as grid connections are proposed.It is decided that Chabahar,Bushehr,and Khowr-Moussa are the best locations for harnessing tides and wave energy.This study is among the first review of works done in the aspect of the tidal current energy in Iran and the results will help the investors,policymakers,companies,and researchers to have access to a comprehensive list of up-to-date studies and statistics to better understand the current situation to secure the projects in this field.

Investigation of the Potential Use of Tidal Current Turbines in the Ocean City, Maryland Inlet for Renewable Energy Generation

There is enormous potential and interest in renewable energy generation from marine tidal currents. Tidal currents have been recognized as a valuable resource for the sustainable generation of electrical power. Tidal currents are particularly attractive for power generation and advantageous when compared to other renewable energies due to their high predictability and fluid properties. The inlet between Ocean City, Maryland and Assateague Island has highly predictable tides and may have potential as a resource for renewable energy generation. In this paper, measurements of the tidal current velocity are made at various locations within the inlet. Measurements are made near the surface due to the energy flux of tidal channels being higher near the surface. The data show that the inlet is a potential candidate for deployment of vertical axis tidal turbines for small-scale renewable energy generation.

Analysis of the integrated test and evaluation methods of tidal current energy generating devices in the offshore testing site

Actual sea condition testing and inspection and evaluation method research are carried out for tidal energy devices to provide scientific and effective technical support for the ocean high-tech achievement transformation and marine renewable energy development. By analyzing three core indicators, including the power output characteristics of the tidal current device, the generating capacity, energy conversion efficiency, proposed the test contents and evaluation methods of indicators are proposed in this paper; and based on the research of wind farms, power quality testing and assessment methods of offshore tidal energy device are proposed; given the security access to the test contents of tidal current energy device, tidal current energy device running conditions in the testing ground are comprehensively assessed.

Modeling assessment of tidal current energy in the Qiongzhou Strait, China

In the present study, an existing three-dimensional finite volume computational ocean model （FVCOM） was refined and configured including an algorithm for computing the power density and mean power density at Qiongzhou Strait of China. The refined model was validated with the measured tidal levels and tidal currents at different gauging stations. The model results are in reasonable agreement with the measured data. Based on the modeling results, we assess the resource of the tidal stream energy in the Qiongzhou Strait and discuss the temporal and the spatial distribution of the tidal current energy there. The conclusion is extracted： the higher power density occurs in the middle area of the strait, and lower at both sides. Characteristics of power density such as the maximum possibility speed, maximum power density during the spring tide period and the neap tide period, have the similar distribution. The southeast part and central area of the strait are of rich tidal current energy, where the maximum possibility speed can reach to 4.6 m/s, and the maximum power density of the spring tide period and the neap tide period can reach 5 996 and 467 W/mz separately in the surface layer The annual mean power density can reach 819 W/m2. Statistical length of accumulative time of the velocity exceeding 0.7 m/s is about 4 717 h at local point during a year. The total theoretical tidal current energy resource is approximately 189.55 MW and the available exploited energy on present technology condition is 249, 20.2 and 263 GW/a separately by using the methods FLUX, FARM and GC in the Qiongzhou Strait.

Experimental Study on Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Vertical-Axis Floating Tidal Current Energy Power Generation Device

To study the characteristics of attenuation, hydrostatic towage and wave response of the vertical-axis floating tidal current energy power generation device （VAFTCEPGD）, a prototype is designed and experiment is carried out in the towing tank. Free decay is conducted to obtain attenuation characteristics of the VAFTCEPGD, and characteristics of mooring forces and motion response, floating condition, especially the lateral displacement of the VAFTCEPGD are obtained from the towing in still water. Tension response of the #1 mooring line and vibration characteristics of the VAFTCEPGD in regular waves as well as in level 4 irregular wave sea state with the current velocity of 0.6 m/s. The results can be reference for theoretical study and engineering applications related to VAFTCEPGD.

Evaluation of tidal stream energy and its impacts on surrounding dynamics in the Eastern Region of Pingtan Island, China

Using an improved FVCOM numerical model, combined with the momentum-sinking scheme based on the structural characteristics of specific turbines, this study analyzed the temporal and spatial distributions of tidal energy resources before and after the deployment of tidal turbines near Pingtan Island, China. Considering factors such as the distribution of tidal stream energy, bathymetry, topography, and the design parameters of the turbines, an appropriate location for a demonstration tidal turbine was selected and the corresponding energy resource was evaluated. Several sites with strong tidal streams were considered： south of the northern cape, east of the southem cape, and the southern end of Haitan Bay. The former was thought most suitable for the deployment of a tidal energy turbine, with projected power generation for approximately 470 h per month. The average power of this demonstration was about 2.4 kW, and the annual electricity output was approximately 17.47 MWh. The intervention of the turbine device had little influence on the near-field tidal stream or water level. The tidal stream was reduced slightly in the area south of the northern cape, although the effect weakened further from the turbine. Conversely, the velocity increased slightly on both sides of the demonstration site. The difference in current speed with and without the turbine was greater at slack tide than still tide. The influence of turbine operation on water level was minor. The method adopted in this study can be considered a reference for the selection of sites for the demonstration of tidal stream energy. However, the method is unable describe the dynamic characteristics of the turbulent flow surrounding the deployed turbines, which has an important role regarding the optimal designs of the turbine blade and pile foundations. Therefore, we will continue to work to improve this model in future research.

Assessment of the Tidal Current Energy Resources and the Hydrodynamic Impacts of Energy Extraction at the PuHu Channel in Zhoushan Archipelago,China

An unstructured model FVCOM(The Unstructured Grid Finite Volume Community Ocean Model)with sink momentum term was applied to simulate the tidal current field in Zhoushan Archipelago,China,with focus on the region named PuHu Channel between Putuo Island and Hulu Island.The model was calibrated with several measurements in the channel,and the model perform-ance was validated.An examination of the spatial and temporal distributions of tidal energy resources based on the numerical simula-tion revealed that the greatest power density of tidal energy during spring tide is 3.6kWm^(−2)at the northern area of the channel.Two parameters were introduced to characterize the generation duration of the tidal array that causes the temporal variation of tidal current energy.The annual average available energy in the channel was found to be approximately 2.6MW.The annual generating hours at rated power was found to be 1800 h when the installed capacity of tidal array is approximately 12MW.A site for the tidal array with 25 turbines was selected,and the layout of the array was configured based on the EMEC specifications.Hydrodynamic influence due to the deployment of the tidal array was simulated by the modified FVCOM model.The simulation showed that the tidal level did not significantly change because of the operation of the tidal array.The velocity reduction covered a 2km^(2)area of the downstream the tidal array,with a maximum velocity reduction of 8cms−1 at mid-flood tide,whereas the streamwise velocity on both sides of the farm increased slightly.

Maximum Power Point Tracking of Hybrid Tidal Current—Supercapacitor Energy Conversion System

This paper proposes control of maximum power tracking system of tidal current energy system. A permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) works as a variable speed generator in the proposed energy system. A controller was applied to achieve the maximum power control of tidal current turbine on a wide range of water current speed change. A dynamic model and simulation of the energy system coupled with current change are presented. The measured DC voltage and DC current are used to determine the position of maximum power point that controls the DC/DC boost converter duty cycle depending on the Hill Climb Search (HCS) algorithm. This algorithm doesn’t require any information or measurements about current’s speed change or generator’s characteristics. A supercapacitor added to fix the load voltage despite of tidal current speed or load variations. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the controller proposed system.

Motion Responses Analysis for Tidal Current Energy Platform: QuadSpar and Catamaran Types

ωOne approach to support floating tidal current turbines is by using a moored catamaran, a barge type platform.Considering its low draft, one might expect that it performs best at typical straits with sea states of small wavelets to small waves. The problem is that the high rotational motion responses of the catamaran due to wave loads tend to reduce the turbine performance. This paper looks for a possibility to deteriorate these rotational responses by introducing a platform with four buoyant legs referred to as a quad-spar considering its good stability performance.The platforms are moored by four catenary cables as their mooring system. The motion response modeling was undertaken by Computational Fluid Dynamic(CFD) simulation based on three-dimensional potential flow theory.Considering sea states of straits with typical tidal current energy potentials, the environmental load was set on random wave with the significant wave height, Hs, of about 0.09 to 1.5 m and the wave period, T, of about 1.5 to 6 s corresponding to the wave frequency,, of about 1.1 to 4.2 rad/s. This study found that lower motion responses can be satisfied by the quad-spar, in which its yaw, roll and pitch responses are on average about 5%, 44%, and 38%,respectively, compared to those of the catamaran. This result indicates that the quad-spar is more effective in reducing rotational motion responses needed to keep a high performance of the tidal current energy system.

An approach to estimate tidal dissipation with single-point high-frequency ground wave radar data

Using the single-point ground wave （GW） radar data at Shensi Station and the water level data at three stations （Shengsi, Luchaogang and Daishan）, the authors obtained the flow vectors from the radial velocity of GW radar observation, and calculate four sub-tidal harmonic constants （O1, K1, M2 and S2）. The tidal characteristics derived from the GW radar dataset agreed well with those from the tidal gauge data. The authors also analyzed the tidal energy flux and tidal energy dissipation rate. There was a good relationship between the tidal energy dissipation rate and topography. The study showed a good way to calculate tidal energy dissipation rate using GW radar data.

Marine renewable energy in China: Current status and perspectives

Based on a general review of marine renewable energy in China, an assessment of the development status and amount of various marine renewable energy resources, including tidal energy, tidal current energy, wave energy, ocean thermal energy, and salinity gradient energy in China＇s coastal seas, such as the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea, is presented. We have found that these kinds of marine renewable energy resources will play an important role in meeting China＇s future energy needs. Additionally, considering the uneven distribution of China＇s marine renewable energy and the influences of its exploitation on the environment, we have suggested several sites with great potential for each kind of marine energy. Furthermore, perspectives on and challenges related with marine renewable energy in China are addressed.