The only carbon emissions involved in harvesting tidal power come from producing and servicing the turbines.īut that doesn’t mean tidal power causes no environmental problems. Tidal energy is also green and sustainable because it produces no pollution. As long as there’s a moon in the sky, the tide will continue to flow in and out every day. Tidal energy is renewable because it doesn’t depend on any resources that can be used up. Is tidal power renewable and sustainable? According to the Energy Information Administration, power plants only release 30% to 45% of the energy stored in these fossil fuels. That’s more efficient than current wind or solar energy systems and much more efficient than coal, oil, or natural gas. Engineering company N-Sci says tidal turbines convert 80% of the energy of the tides to electricity. Tidal energy systems can be very efficient. But so far, no one has tried this idea out in the real world. These could capture power continuously, as the tide would always be shifting from one side of the dam to the other. It would require very long dams extending out from shore into open ocean. One new idea for capturing tidal energy is dynamic tidal power (DTP). No tidal lagoons exist yet, though there are some under construction. Turbines capture the energy of water flowing in and out of the lagoon. Tidal lagoonsĪ tidal lagoon is a large section of ocean enclosed by a retaining wall. A row of these vertical turbines on the seabed is called a tidal fence. But blades can also be mounted vertically, like a turnstile. Most tidal turbines have horizontal blades, like most wind turbines. Sluice gates control the flow of water through turbines built into the barrage. This is a dam-like structure across an ocean inlet or tidal river that creates an artificial tidal basin. The most efficient way to capture tidal energy is with a tidal barrage, a common type of hyropower energy system. Unfortunately, there’s only a limited number of these locations available. Tidal streams are fast-moving bodies of water created by tidal flow, like straits or ocean inlets. The simplest and most common tidal system places one or more turbines underwater in a tidal stream. At this time, there are a few main types of systems used to capture tidal energy. They can either float or rest on the sea floor, and they can operate singly or in arrays (groups). Tide-powered turbines can work anywhere there’s a strong enough tidal current-natural or artificial. Source: National Energy Education Development Project (Public Domain) Types of tidal systems Tidal energy can also be used to supply power for ocean industries such as aquaculture or ocean research. These turbines drive generators, and underwater cables transmit the electricity into the grid. Tidal turbines work like wind turbines, but they’re turned by the flow of water rather than air. Tidal energy systems do the same thing with the water currents created by the tide rolling in and out. How does tidal energy work?įor over 140 years, we’ve been using hydropower, or the flow of water in rivers, to power electric generators. But we’ve only learned to convert it to electricity within the last 60 years. More than 1,000 years ago, we started using it to turn water wheels for grinding grain. Humans have used the power of the tides for thousands of years to launch boats. This animation from SciJinks shows how it works. This pulls water away from other ocean areas, creating low tide. In these areas, the water in the oceans rises, creating a high tide. It causes the earth to deform slightly, bulging outward on the sides directly facing the moon and directly opposite. However, this pull is strongest in the areas closest to the moon. The moon’s gravity exerts a force on all parts of the earth. Specifically, it comes from the pull of the moon-and, to a lesser degree, the sun-on the earth’s oceans. Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a by-product of gravity. Scientists will need to find ways around them to make tidal power a major energy source. But this technology is quite new, and it has a lot of limitations. Using turbines, we can harness the power of moving water to generate electricity. Today, we can take advantage of that regular ebb and flow as an energy source. It goes in and out twice a day like clockwork, and nothing can change it. Hundreds of years ago, Geoffrey Chaucer said: “Time and tide wait for no man.” This quote highlights how regular and predictable the tide is.
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