Friday 13 September 2013

Future Tidal Energy Support To - Indian Renewable Energy Sector


Author: Tarun kumar
As we keep on saying that we have huge amount of potential for  Solar/Wind  power generation, but how do we forget that our own beautiful Earth is surrounded  with 70% of sea water which we can utilize as for current and future power generation and would help us in also sustaining our life for longer future needs.
Tidal power  is  the only  form of energy which derives directly  from  the  relative motions of  the  Earth–Moon  system, and  to a  lesser extent  from  the Earth–Sun  system. The  tidal  forces produced by  the Moon and Sun,  in  combination with Earth's  rotation, are responsible  for  the  generation  of  the  tides.
An Analysis  by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Indian government shows the country has an estimated 8,000 megawatts of tidal energy potential. The majority of this potential lies in the Gulf of Cambay where 7,000 megawatts of energy could be reportedly harnessed. The Gulf of Kutch has 1,200 MW of potential, while the Gangetic Delta offers 100 MW of recoverable energy.
India has a long coastline with the estuaries and gulfs where tides are strong enough to move turbines for electrical power generation. The Gulf of Cambay and the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat on the west coast have the maximum tidal range of 11m and 8m with average tidal range of 6.77m and 5.23m respectively. The Ganges Delta in the Sundarbans is approximately 5m with an average tidal range of 2.97m.
Facts  About Tidal  Energy :
  • 2m high ocean wave with a period of 10sec has an energy flux of between 50 to 70 kW per metre of width.
  • Power per length of wave form  generated is Directly Proportional to Density &Amplitude of water wave form .
  • Seawater is 832 times more dense than air, an 8 knot current is equivalent to a land based wind turbine  receiving 380kph wind storm, tidal power is more efficient than wind.
Barriers for  development of tidal energy :
  • Not well regulated sufficient policy environment for this form of energy .
  • Still ,we say that we live in technology ERA but we don't have exact tool or mechanism for the prediction of the wave lengths and potential of wave for particular time interval.
  • Power generated from these tidal waves is not considered so efficient in terms of transmission as compare to Solar and Wind Transmission. So here  we need to look for improvements.
  • Fixing the right  Design Strategy according to the situational analysis plays  important  role for the production so we need to introduce a kind of flexible ,may be mobile  designs for certain situations.
  • Operational costs are reasonable. But building and maintaining those plants is expensive. Therefore, the return on investment takes a while. It is furthermore problematic when it comes to getting the power to shore.
What New Can Happen in For Tidal Energy Development :
  • We can implement  systems for generation of tides inside sea bed  according to requirement and feasibility. For this we can make utilization of geothermal energy from deep under the sea. (An experimental suggestion ).
  • Should make shallow water turbines , these turbines are most effective in shallow water. This produces more energy and allows ships to navigate around the turbines.
Thus, we also need to focus for the  development of Tidal Energy as God has given such an opportunity to make our life dependent on Renewable Energy.
About the Author

MBA POWER MANAGEMENT NPTI B.TECH MECHANICAL. 
WORKS AT CLIMATE CONNECT, KEEN INTERESTS -RENEWABLE -SOLAR INFRASTRUCTURE,READINGS

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