Tide power
Tide power
(OP)
I live reasonably close to Strangford Lough in the north of Ireland. It has a narrow mouth and funnels millions of gallons of tidal water at speeds up to 14Km/hr. It has always impressed me as an ideal location for an underwater, environmentally benign turbine plant. You cannot fail to be impressed by the power of the water that ebbs and flows here in the tidal cycle. The experience of power is especially enhanced when you are aboard a 200HP fishing boat that barely makes way! However, they are doing some experimental work with the bedrock to ensure that the turbine can be anchored securely. Apparently the turbine is to be fitted with huge blades much like a wind turbine. This surprised me somewhat since I perceived water turbines to be more of a funnel device. Are blades the usual method?
Disappointingly, the turbine is to power only the equivalent of 600 houses.
Disappointingly, the turbine is to power only the equivalent of 600 houses.
Regards,
Lyledunn






RE: Tide power
ht
It seems pretty impractical to me. The power is there but maintaining anything underwater is not easy. There is also the fishing boats you were talking about, wait till one of then drops their anchor on a "windmill" and gets wound underwater.
It would be smarter to put the thing on the underside or a barge with a mechanism to raise it up. You would also have the top side of the barge to mount a wind turbine.
RE: Tide power
http:/
"Venditori de oleum-vipera non vigere excordis populi"
RE: Tide power
see
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/western/tidal.html
RE: Tide power
In the case you are talking about, you may have large water currents but if you install a small turbine (with a large torque required to move it) most of the water will flow past the turbine and not thru the turbine to make any productive work. This will be the inverse in the case of a very large blade.
RE: Tide power
The funnels concentrate and accelerate the water flow to truck- sized cylinders in which rotate car-sized blades.
An open- water turbine of similar power would have to be quite a bit larger.
Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
RE: Tide power
Sorry, back to the topic...
Will the turbines be bi-directional?
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past." Douglas Adams
RE: Tide power
RE: Tide power
RE: Tide power
Bung
Life is non-linear...
RE: Tide power
RE: Tide power
Yoy may find the website for a company called MCT who are building these types of tubines useful. It shows how they operate and how they can be raised for maintenance etc. The web site is www.marineturbines.com. They may be the company installing in your area as they are based in Bristol.
Sean