Tidal Range Answers
March 14, 2012
Question 1
a) The frequency is 2 divided by the period and the period for M2 is 12.42
hours, so
2
T
2
12.42
0.5059rads/hour
b) Write down the potential energy for this enclosed basin.
EP ot
4gSA2
EP ot
4 1028 9.81 60 106 32
EP ot
EP ot
EP ot
21.783 1013 W s
21.783 1013
= 6.05 109 W h
3600
6.05 GW h.
c) Given that the efficiency for the turbines is only 25%, calculate the energy
yield per year. (There are 705 tides per year)
The annual energy yield is the potential energy for one tide given above
times the number of tides times the overall efficiency:
En = EP ot 705 0.25
En =
6.05 109 705 0.25
En =
1066.5 109 W h/yr
En =
1.0665 1012 W h/yr
En =
1.0665 T W h/yr
Question 2
a) What is the tidal range for a neap and spring tide? The tidal range for the
spring tide is the sum of the M2 and the S2 constituents:
ASpring
M2 + S2
ASpring
3.5 + 1 = 4.5 m
The tidal range for the neap is the difference of the M2 and S2 constituents:
AN eap
M2 S2
AN eap
3.5 1 = 2.5 m
b) Calculate the energy yield from the spring and neap tides assuming an
efficiency of 25%.
Start by calculating the area of the lagon, S = r2 :
2
4
2
4 = 12.57 km2
12.57 106 m2
Now calculate the energy for the Spring tide:
ESpring
4 g S A2Spring
ESpring
4 1028 9.81 4 106 4.52 0.25
ESpring
2.566 1012 W s
ESpring
712.8 M W h
Similarly for the neap tide
EN eap
4 g S A2N eap
EN eap
4 1028 9.81 4 106 2.52 0.25
EN eap
7.921 1011 W s
EN eap
220.0 M W h
c) Calculate an estimate for the annual energy yield for this lagoon given there
are 705 tides per year.
Initially find the energy yield from the average tide
EAv
EAv
ESpring + EN eap
2
712.8 + 220.0
= 469.1M W h
2
2
Now use this energy yield to calculate the todal for the year as
E
= EAv 705
469.1 705
330.72GW h
Question 3
A tidal range empoundment is built which has vertical walls and a simple sinusoidal external tide. Show that the optimal pump height for the tidal range
system with instantaneous pumping and generation is given by
B = 2A
,
1
where B is the pump height, A is the tide amplitude and = G P is the round
trip efficiency. Therefore show that the optimal energy is
E = 2gSA2 G
1
,
1
where is the water density, g is the acceleration due to gravity and S is the
constant cross sectional area with depth. The energy put into pumping into
the basin is given by the potential energy required divided by the efficiency of
pumpin, P . Thus the pumping energy is given by
EP
EP
EP
1
mgh
P
B
1
SBg
P
2
1
gSB 2 .
2P
The energy gained from generating at low tide is given by
EG
m g h G
EG
S (2A + B) g
EG
1
gS(2A + B)2 G .
2
2A + B
G
2
The net energy yield is therefore
E
E
E
= EG EP
1
1
=
gS(2A + B)2 G
gSB 2
2
2P
1
1
2
2
=
gSG (2A + B)
B
2
G P
3
1
1
gSG 4A2 + 4AB + B 2 B 2
2
1
(1 ) 2
gSG 4A2 + 4AB
B
2
The optimal energy boost is given by
E
=0
B
and therefore
E
B
1
(1 )
gSG 4A 2
B =0
2
so
4A 2
(1 )
B
2A
1
Substituting this back into the energy equation yields the optimal energy as
2 !
1
(1 )
2
E =
gSG 4A + 4A 2A
2A
2
1
1
1
gSG 4A2 + 8A2
4A2
E =
2
1
1
1
gSG 4A2 + 4A2
E =
2
1
2
E = 2gSA G 1 +
1
1
+
2
E = 2gSA G
1
1
2
E = 2gSA G
1
As required.
Question 4
Using the same lagoon as in question 2.
a) What is optimal pump height for the spring and neap tides and therefore
their optimal energy yield for G = 0.8 and P = 0.5? From 2 S = 4 106 ,
ASpring = 4.5m and AN eap = 2.5m. The optimal boost height for the spring
and neap are thus given by
BSpring
BSpring
BSpring
1
0.4
= 2 4.5
0.6
= 6m
=
2ASpring
and
BN eap
BN eap
BN eap
1
0.4
= 2 2.5
0.6
= 3.33m
2AN eap
b) Hence write down the annual energy yield. The annual energy yield from
the Spring tides is given by
1
1
ESpring
4gSA2Spring G
ESpring
4 1028 9.81 4 106 4.52 0.8
ESpring
1.369 1013 W s
ESpring
3.8 GW h
1
0.6
The energy from the neap tides is
1
1
EN eap
4gSA2N eap G
EN eap
4 1028 9.81 4 106 2.52 0.8
EN eap
4.224 1012 W s
EN eap
1.17 GW h
1
0.6
The annual energy yield is thus
E
E
E
1
(ESpring + EN eap ) 705
2
1
=
(3.8 + 1.17) 705
2
= 1.75 T W h
c) The internal water level height is restricted to the spring tide level, thus
allowing pumping only on neap tides. Calculate an estimate of the annual energy
yield. The energy at Spring tides is just the non-pumped value and is given by
5
ESpring
4gSA2Spring G
ESpring
4 1028 9.81 4 106 4.52 0.8
ESpring
8.212 1012 W s
ESpring
2.28 GW h
The maximum pumped height for the neap tides is B = ASpring AN eap = 2m.
This is less than the optimal value of 3.33m, so we use the largest we can. Using
the net energy equation we derived and doubling it for the ebb and flood phases
we get
1
(1 ) 2
EN eap = 2 gSG 4A2N eap + 4AN eap B
B
2
1
0.6
22
EN eap = 2 1028 9.81 4 106 0.8 4 2.52 + 4 2.5 2
2
0.4
EN eap
2.94 1012 W s
EN eap
0.817 GW h
The annual energy yield is therefore given by
E
E
E
1
(ESpring + EN eap ) 705
2
1
=
(2.28 + 0.817) 705
2
= 1.09 T W h
=
