Tides Turbines Butterflies

[madman]

Yesterday, I was out sailing and noticing I was'nt getting anywhere fast we put into the nearest port for a rest. We struck up conversation with an elderly sea dog painting an even more elderly boat (Impetigo I think it was called). He very patiently explained to us that this was due to the tiadal effect which I was surprised to learn made water go sideways as well as up and down. He also explained that this sideways motion could be used to generate power through the use of a turbine and stated that in a well known sailing area, the Solent, that one will be placed in the Needles channel . i was surprised and thought it might be a hazard to submarines which have got to go that way as there is a submarine barrier at the other end. The elderly gent had a bad fit of coughing at that point so we thought we'd better leave him alone to get better. So ... what effect will this generator have on the environment and will it cause loads more butterflies to flap their wings in the Amazon rain forest?

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[jimi]

The elderly gent's name was'nt Ken by any chance, and if he was up the pole, was he using a harness or Bosun's Chair? On your other question, I'd suggest a considerable amount of chaos would result although the logical point for the planned generator woul be at the narrowest point where the tidal flow would be strongest.

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[byron]

<font color=blue>The barrier at the Pompy end of the Solent stretch's between the land to the Forts, there is ample room for major vessels such as the QE2 and bigger to pass between the forts.

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[Twister_Ken]

No, no. What I heard was that the tidal turbine was going to be placed in the lock at Hythe marina.



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[davidhand]

I think for best results you would need a dam, but what would you do with the backwards electricity you get when the tide reverses?

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[bigmart]

No No No, Its not backwards electricity. You get the negative on the ebb, to go with the, positive generated on the flood.

Martin

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[Twister_Ken]

AC

So that's what's meant by alternating current.

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[jimi]

I would have thought the best place to be Hurst Narrows
thus providing enough free electricity to supply most of the South of England, giving the IOW a much needed land link, enabling land reclamation of much of Christchurch Bay. Boats wishing to exit could do so via a big huge waterwheel along the lines of the Forth/Clyde canal.

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[Twister_Ken]

Start messing with the tides, mate, and you'll screw-up the sun's gravity. Planet earth could whazz off into hyperspace. The where would we be? Apart from the Andromeda galaxy, of course.


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[bigmart]

Re: AC

Yeah! I suppose they have to be careful where they put them to ensure that you get a perfect Sine wave. No using those double high water areas.

The only thing I can't work out is how they get the tide to go in & out 50 times a second.

Martin

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[madman]

Yes but they float on top of the water rather than underneath, maybe that makes a difference?

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[nicho]

A wind turbine would be better at Hythe - there's a great deal of hot air to be captured there....

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[jimi]

Well you'll just be having tae stop the beans and sausages fur brekkie then unless you want tae be kent as the stinkie on a sailboat wi' a carpet!

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[Twister_Ken]

That's not hot air, that's greenhouse gas.

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[nicho]

No, no, not sausages, but a couple of pints of 6X ale and I'm lethal - no naked flames please!

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[bigmart]

OK But where do the Butterflies in the Rainforest come in to all this.

Martin

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[Twister_Ken]

>But where do the Butterflies in the Rainforest come in to all this.<

Through the window, or the door. Doesn't matter either way.

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