Tidal energy generator experiments in Littlehampton.

[SaltIre]

The experimental SeaGen was indeed at Fall of Warness.
The first grid connected tidal device in Scotland : EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre
66 of the devices are to be installed off South Ronaldsay.
Marine Renewables in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters » Brough Ness

 

[PeterWright]

The generator among the Orkney Islands is commercial - not experimental.
The 680-tonne turbine is now anchored in the Fall of Warness where a subsea cable connects the 2MW offshore unit to the local onshore electricity network.

And that report is a classic example of the issue I raised in post #53 above. A2MW installed capacity device "will meet the needs of 2000 homes. Assuming these homes have an average demand of 1 kW, the 2 MW generator will meet their needs when the tide is in full flow, but won't meet any needs at slack water! Again, I'm all in favour of developing these new generation technologies, but the claims being made (mostly by journalists) are as crazy as fifties reports of nuclear power becoming too cheap to meter.

Peter.

 

[SaltIre]

Sorry, bit confused. Does it float? On watching interview it seemed to be undersea, but text says it is on surface.

The interview was done standing on top of it. It floats.

 

[dgadee]

Wouldn't like to be swept down onto an array of those.

 

[SaltIre]

Wouldn't like to be swept down onto an array of those.

The SeaGen array will be on the seabed, so if you are swept into it you will indeed be in trouble.
Tidal Turbines | Installation & Procurment | Atlantis Resources

 

[dgadee]

Ah, we are talking about two different systems.

 

[SaltIre]

There are multiple systems on multiple sites. You can search the local newspaper for them here.

 

[Wing Mark]

I have had the opertunity to watch the tides in the estuary from the boat many times.

The river flow is such that until the flood tide reaches a good incoming flow it overcomes the early flood, holding it back.

Then a 'scum line' can be observed making its way up the river, moving steadily and following the course of the deeper channel. Seabirds scavenging on this 'scum line' mark it clearly. It is perhaps one sixth of the width and moves at about a knot. Outside this scum line the river flow is still going out until the flood volume increases, giving a short period of slack water

Shortly after the flood takes over and the tide is ripping in again.

Threequarters of an hour later the same situation occurs at Arundel, the river almost, but not quite overcoming the flood.

It is certainly different to a river with little flow.

On full ebb, it really rips, more than six knots at springs in the narrows.

I've sailed dinghies out of Arun YC a few times, the tide is quite something.
Trying to sail back to the club you can see the tide is rising, but the current remains against you.
My Dad always said the outgoing fresh water from the river went over the top of the denser incoming seawater, but I can't advise taking his word for it.

A lot of shallower rivers don't have much incoming tide when it rains, the river flow just 'backs up'.

 

[Wing Mark]

The experimental SeaGen was indeed at Fall of Warness.
The first grid connected tidal device in Scotland : EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre
66 of the devices are to be installed off South Ronaldsay.
Marine Renewables in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters » Brough Ness

" The Brough Ness tidal array will have a total generating capacity of 99MW – enough power for nearly 100,000 homes."
Provided none of those homes have electric heating or electric cars.....

If all the engineering man hours expended on these mickey mouse tidal schemes went into nuclear, we might have a viable solution.

 

[dgadee]

If all the engineering man hours expended on these mickey mouse tidal schemes went into nuclear, we might have a viable solution.

It has and we still don't know what to do with all the waste. I may be banned for that ...

 

[lustyd]

It has and we still don't know what to do with all the waste. I may be banned for that ...

We do, actually. Nuclear waste is very well contained and relatively small. What we never quite figured out is how to manage the waste of coal, gas, oil, etc. which is currently causing issues globally. It's a common issue with human perception that immediate danger overrules long term danger. Nuclear waste is immediately dangerous if you lick it, but if you encase it in concrete or spread it out thinly enough it's not dangerous in the long term. CO2 and Methane on the other hand are completely safe to touch but may destroy the human race because we can't contain them.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Might suggest that River flow is not constant over the width or length of a river , usually .

So with carefull selection of the various place for the 'flow' to be harnesed a 'flow' generation can be achieved ; Plus our Rivers HT / LT etc are different accross our Island so guess that each 'tide' flow generation can supply our National Grid , so ensuring that we have a continuos supply ; similar to the Wind Generators , they are spread arround our Country as the wind speed /direction is not constant ; so a little from some it all ads up plus our Electricuty is desired at all time all around the clock !

 

[dgadee]

We do, actually. Nuclear waste is very well contained and relatively small. What we never quite figured out is how to manage the waste of coal, gas, oil, etc. which is currently causing issues globally. It's a common issue with human perception that immediate danger overrules long term danger. Nuclear waste is immediately dangerous if you lick it, but if you encase it in concrete or spread it out thinly enough it's not dangerous in the long term. CO2 and Methane on the other hand are completely safe to touch but may destroy the human race because we can't contain them.

True on fossil fuels but two problems don't make a solution. We have seen the huge advances in renewable technology which demonstrates to my extreme skepticism that it's a better way forward than trying to deal with nuclear power waste - not the stuff out of hospitals etc. - which continues to present problems for policymakers. See http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/POST-PN-0531/POST-PN-0531.pdf

 

[PilotWolf]

How many environmental friendly energy producing machines are produced using renewable power to manufacture, install or maintain?

Never noticed any solar wind farm vessel for example…

PW.

 

[Cariadco]

Can't help myself, commentating on this little lot. The way the UK's generation is going...well, edge of a precipice springs to mind. Basically it all started to go wrong with the obsessive compliancy with the Labour Party's 2008 Climate change Act. Basically none of the UK generators could make money out of the market and one by one, bye bye.
Today we have a shadow of the old, reliable electricity generation ability. It won't be long before the Blackouts begin, assuming we don't suffer the big one, a UK wide black out.
So, the answer? We need to keep a variety of Generators, some running constantly providing the stable 10% or so Margin backbone, and all the others, effectively managed and are added as needed. You name it, Wind, Solar, Gas, Oil burners, even Nukes. Believe me, the National Grid really know what they are doing but even them guys are totally exasperated by the governmental forces both political and financial, exerted on the country's Electricity Generation.
I really like the Tidal generators idea, dotted all over the country to take advantage of the different tide's times.
I am of the view though, it's all gonna be too little, too late.
Sorry to be a prophet of Doom.