A review of tidal energy - Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions

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A review of tidal energy - Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions. / Neill, Simon; Haas, Kevin; Thiebot, Jerome et al.
In: Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Vol. 13, No. 6, 062702, 11.2021.

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

HarvardHarvard

Neill, S, Haas, K, Thiebot, J & Yang, Z 2021, 'A review of tidal energy - Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions', Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, vol. 13, no. 6, 062702. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0069452

APA

Neill, S., Haas, K., Thiebot, J., & Yang, Z. (2021). A review of tidal energy - Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 13(6), Article 062702. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0069452

CBE

Neill S, Haas K, Thiebot J, Yang Z. 2021. A review of tidal energy - Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 13(6):Article 062702. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0069452

MLA

VancouverVancouver

Neill S, Haas K, Thiebot J, Yang Z. A review of tidal energy - Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 2021 Nov;13(6):062702. Epub 2021 Oct 26. doi: 10.1063/5.0069452

Author

Neill, Simon ; Haas, Kevin ; Thiebot, Jerome et al. / A review of tidal energy - Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions. In: Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 2021 ; Vol. 13, No. 6.

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A review of tidal energy - Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions

AU - Neill, Simon

AU - Haas, Kevin

AU - Thiebot, Jerome

AU - Yang, Zhaoqing

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - The ocean contains a variety of renewable energy resources, little of which has been exploited. Here, we review both tidal range and tidal stream energy, with a focus on the resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions. The review covers a wide range of timescales of relevance to tidal energy, from fortnightly (spring-neap) and semi-diurnal variability, down to array, and device-scale turbulence. When simulating the regional tidal energy resource, and to assess environmental impacts, it is necessary to account for feedbacks between the tidal array and the resource itself. We critically review various methods for simulating energy extraction, from insights gained through theoretical studies of “tidal fences” in idealized channels, to realistic three-dimensional model studies with complex geometry and arrays of turbines represented by momentum sinks and additional turbulence due to the presence of rotors and support structures. We discuss how variability can be reduced by developing multiple (aggregated) sites with a consideration of the enhanced phase diversity offered by exploiting less energetic tidal currents. This leads to future research questions that have not yet been explored in depth at first-generation tidal sites in relatively sheltered channels (e.g., the interaction of waves with currents). Such enhanced understanding of real sea conditions, including the effects of wind and waves, leads to our other identified primary future research direction—reduced uncertainties in turbulence predictions, including the development of realistic models that simulate the interaction between ambient turbulence and the turbulence resulting from multiple wakes, and changes to system-wide hydrodynamics, water quality, and sedimentation.

AB - The ocean contains a variety of renewable energy resources, little of which has been exploited. Here, we review both tidal range and tidal stream energy, with a focus on the resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions. The review covers a wide range of timescales of relevance to tidal energy, from fortnightly (spring-neap) and semi-diurnal variability, down to array, and device-scale turbulence. When simulating the regional tidal energy resource, and to assess environmental impacts, it is necessary to account for feedbacks between the tidal array and the resource itself. We critically review various methods for simulating energy extraction, from insights gained through theoretical studies of “tidal fences” in idealized channels, to realistic three-dimensional model studies with complex geometry and arrays of turbines represented by momentum sinks and additional turbulence due to the presence of rotors and support structures. We discuss how variability can be reduced by developing multiple (aggregated) sites with a consideration of the enhanced phase diversity offered by exploiting less energetic tidal currents. This leads to future research questions that have not yet been explored in depth at first-generation tidal sites in relatively sheltered channels (e.g., the interaction of waves with currents). Such enhanced understanding of real sea conditions, including the effects of wind and waves, leads to our other identified primary future research direction—reduced uncertainties in turbulence predictions, including the development of realistic models that simulate the interaction between ambient turbulence and the turbulence resulting from multiple wakes, and changes to system-wide hydrodynamics, water quality, and sedimentation.

U2 - 10.1063/5.0069452

DO - 10.1063/5.0069452

M3 - Review article

VL - 13

JO - Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy

JF - Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy

SN - 1941-7012

IS - 6

M1 - 062702

ER -