![]() ![]() Neap tides occur during the quarter moon phase. The net result is a smaller pulling action on the sea water creating much smaller differences between the high and low tides thereby producing very weak tides. The other tidal situation arises during neap tides (minimum) when the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun are against each other, thus cancelling their effects. These spring tides occur during the full or new moon phase. Such tides are known as spring tides (maximum). When the moon is in perfect alignment with the earth and the sun, the gravitational pull of the moon and sun together becomes much stronger than normal with the high tides becoming very high and the low tides becoming very low during each tidal cycle. This ebbing and flowing of the tides happens twice during each period of rotation of the earth with stronger weekly and annual lunar cycles superimposed onto these tides. Likewise when the earth and the moons gravity are at 90 o to each other, the influences of these two gravitational forces is weaker and the water flows away from the shore as the mass of water moves to another location on the earth, creating a “low tide” condition. With BlueTEC, Bluewater introduces a breakthrough solution to the emerging tidal energy industry based on over 30 years of offshore experience.When the earth and the moons gravity lines up with each other, the influences of these two gravitational forces becomes very strong and causes millions of gallons of water to move or flow towards the shore creating a “high tide” condition. Using our expertise in the design of floating systems, marine operations and offshore maintenance, we have developed a floating support platform for tidal turbines called BlueTEC: Bluewater’s Tidal Energy Conversion platform. The main challenge is to install these turbines in the oceans and maintain them there at acceptable and competitive costs. Generating electricity from tidal energy is a proven concept, and very predictable. This electricity is then exported through a power cable to the shore. Water rotates the blades of a submerged turbine, driving a generator that generates electricity. It is a form of hydrokinetic power, which is harvested by capturing the energy from tidal currents and converting it into electricity. Tidal energy is a clean, safe and reliable source of energy. Sites that are suitable for installing tidal devices can be found all over the globe. Turbines placed in tidal currents will rotate and thus harness the tidal energy. ![]() ![]() These water flows are called tidal currents and typically there are two tides per day due to the rotation of the Earth. The movement of the water at a given location is cyclical and predictable. A tidal cycle involves water flowing into a region due to these forces, and then flowing out from that region again. The gravitational forces of the moon, and to a lesser extent the sun, on the Earth move the water of the oceans. With current technologies it is assumed that at least 60,000 MW of the resource are technically extractable. The physical capacity of tidal energy worldwide is estimated at 3 TW (3,000,000 MW) (source: IEA-OES Annual Report, 2009). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |