Tidal Energy

Ally Wheelock, Chris Pai, Joe Henderson, Ryan Bailey

Scientific AdvancementsTidal Barrage - Dam-like structure

used to capture the kinetic energy of masses of water moving in and out of a bay due to tidal forces

Tidal Turbines - arranged underwater in rows, they function best at currents between 4 and 5.5 mph

• Tidal Fence- Turnstiles spin due to tidal currents

• Typical coastal waters travel between 6 and 9 MPH, and could generate as much energy as winds travelling at much higher speeds

• In currents of those speeds, a tidal turbine 49.2` in diameter could generate as much energy as a 197` wind turbine

How is tidal energy produced? Tidal energy turbines are placed in areas with high tidal movements

The turbines are designed to capture the kinetic motion of the ebbing and surging of ocean tides, and in doing so, produce electricity

How is tidal energy transported? Tidal energy must be converted first into electricity before is can be transported to the consumer

Though it is not ideal, this conversion is not inconvenient

• The electricity produced by the turbines is channeled into cables, which

How will the consumer use tidal energy?Because tidal energy can be converted into

electricity, it can be used to power many things

It can potentially power buildings, homes, and even plug-in hybrids

The use of power generated by tidal energy is virtually unlimited

Anything that requires electricity

Pros of Tidal Energy

Transmission lines are usually short

Renewable Does not emit harmful gases High efficiency (around 80%) Predictable output

Low operating cost (building the structure is expensive, but running it isn’t)

Structures last very long (expected to live 75-100 years)

Effective at low speeds (the water doesn’t need to be moving fast to generate electricity) (compare to wind power, where wind needs to be moving much faster than water does to spin the turbines)

Cons of Tidal Energy Expensive to build strong

structures that sit in strong areas of surf (packet)

Location specific (there aren’t strong/large tides everywhere)

Non-continuous, backup required

Far from the electrical grid, so transporting the energy produced is expensive and not easy to do

The structure can only produce energy about 10 hours out of the day (during high tides?)

Local environmental impact (disturbing animal’s homes, harming animals that come into contact with the turbines)

Restricts access to open water

How many tidal power plants does NY/US have? According to the US Department of Energy, there are no power plants in the United States at this time

The Pacific Northwest and Atlantic Northeast regions the U.S. are said to have sustainable conditions for tidal power

How much (%) electricity is currently being generated by tidal power in NY/US? Since there are no tidal power plants in the United States, no electricity is currently being generated It is estimated by the US department of Energy that tidal power plants will potentially account for about 15% of the United States electricity needs by 2030

The US should invest in Tidal Power because…

It is an inexhaustible source of energy It does not produce greenhouse gases 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water,

making tidal energy is easy to generate because of the abundance of water

The rise and fall of tides is predictable, unlike the strength of wind, or hours of sunlight

Efficiency of tidal power is approximately 80%, which is much more efficient than coal, solar or wind energy

Works CitedWorks Cited

"Energy Basics: Tidal Energy." U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

(EERE) Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.eere.energy.gov/basics/renewable_energy/tidal_energy.html>.

"New Interactive Map Reveals U.S. Tidal Energy Resources | Department of Energy."

Energy.gov | Department of Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.

<http://energy.gov/articles/new-interactive-map-reveals-us-tidal-energy-resource

s>.

"Tapping into Wave and Tidal Ocean Power: 15% Water Power by 2030 | Department of

Energy." Energy.gov | Department of Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.

<http://energy.gov/articles/tapping-wave-and-tidal-ocean-power-15-water-power

-2030>.

"Tidal Energy (Tidal Power) Pros and Cons | Renewable Green Energy Power."

Renewable Green Energy Power. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.renewablegreenenergypower.com/tidal-energy-tidal-power-pros-an

d-cons>.

"Tidal Power: Pros and Cons." TriplePundit: A Media Platform for the Triple Bottom

Line. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/06/tidal-power-pros-cons/>. MLA formatting by BibMe.org.