Investigation of the Potential Use of Tidal Current Turbines in the Ocean City, Maryland Inlet for Renewable Energy Generation

摘要

There is enormous potential and interest in renewable energy generation from marine tidal currents. Tidal currents have been recognized as a valuable resource for the sustainable generation of electrical power. Tidal currents are particularly attractive for power generation and advantageous when compared to other renewable energies due to their high predictability and fluid properties. The inlet between Ocean City, Maryland and Assateague Island has highly predictable tides and may have potential as a resource for renewable energy generation. In this paper, measurements of the tidal current velocity are made at various locations within the inlet. Measurements are made near the surface due to the energy flux of tidal channels being higher near the surface. The data show that the inlet is a potential candidate for deployment of vertical axis tidal turbines for small-scale renewable energy generation.