Tidal power resource analysis and the consideration of resource economics

摘要

The first step in the development of a site that is potentially suitable for tidal current power generation is an assessment of the tidal currents themselves. Developers look at the navigational charts, tide tables, current tables and other commercial sources of tidal information, e.g. oceanographic laboratories, oil companies etc. From this data, rough calculations may be made as to the potential power generation capability of the site. At the present state of tidal current power development, little thought is given to how the full potential can be realised and the economic implications of this. In 2001, the CECDGXVII funded project "Opt-Current" developed a robust methodology and toolbox for the analysis of electrical power and economic efficiency of sites for tidal power generation. The algorithm made a number of assumptions, in the absence of more reliable data, on generator farm layout based upon existing data on wind farms. There are, however, a number of significant differences between tidal and wind farms, not least the topology and their effect on the resource providing the power. The work presented here uses the Opt-Current methodology, with considerations to take account of more recent research into tidal farm layout to examine idealised simple channel topographies and evaluate the effects on the efficiency of utilisation of the resource and the economics of energy production.