Abstract
Sufficiently accurate and low-cost estimation of tidal velocities is of importance when evaluating a potential site for a tidal energy farm. Here we suggest and evaluate a model to calculate the tidal velocity in fjord entrances. The model is compared with tidal velocities from Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements in the tidal channel Skarpsundet in Norway. The calculated velocity value from the model corresponded well with the measured cross-sectional average velocity, but was shown to underestimate the velocity in the centre of the channel. The effect of this was quantified by calculating the kinetic energy of the flow for a 14-day period. A numerical simulation using TELEMAC-2D was performed and validated with ADCP measurements. Velocity data from the simulation was used as input for calculating the kinetic energy at various locations in the channel. It was concluded that the model presented here is not accurate enough for assessing the tidal energy resource. However, the simplicity of the model was considered promising in the use of finding sites where further analyses can be made.
Highlights
Tidal current energy conversion is an emerging field of renewable energy
If the freshwater input is ignored, the continuity equation can be written as: dhi dt where Af is the area of the enclosed bay; hi is the water level inside the bay; and Q is the flow through the channel
The velocity measured with the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) was compared with the simulated velocities from the TELEMAC-2D simulation output (Figure 9)
Summary
Tidal current energy conversion is an emerging field of renewable energy. In Norway, with a coastline83,000 km long, a tidal amplitude of ±1–2 m and numerous fjords along the coastline, there are many interesting sites for tidal energy development. For other resource assessments throughout the world, numerical models have been applied to estimate the velocity and sometimes the resource [2,3,4,5]. These models have increased the knowledge of the complex tidal regime in narrow channels where the hydrokinetic power is strong. As was pointed out by Grabbe et al [1], various numerical models, calibrated with tidal level data, have been conducted in Norway before [6,7,8,9], not for the use of estimating the tidal current resource
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