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Hello Tidal
Power - Goodbye Fossil Fuels
One of the most innovative and new technologies for
electricity production is tidal power.
As of today, a few sites in the ocean are operating to test efficiency of
this method of energy production, and if these plants
are successful, tides and currents could be an
environmentally friendly alternative to burning
fossil fuels.
Because this process is not only clean, but also completely renewable, it
is an option that we may need in order to survive in the
coming generations.
To be productive, waves must be large. The amount of power that is
generated by a wave is dependent on its height, the
speed of the current or tide, the wavelength, and the
topography of the seafloor.
A wave's energy is generally most efficiently gathered at the surface,
although deep pressure currents can be used as well.
Locations in the temperate zones during the winter
season create the most power. |
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TOPICS
◙
Renewable Energy -
Saving our Earth
◙
Building a Green Home
◙
Wind Power
-
Advantages
◙
Solar Cells - How
they Work
◙
Biofuel as an
Alternative
◙
Ethanol - Gas of the
Future
◙
Hybrid Vehicles
◙
Generators - How
they Work
◙
The Greenhouse
Effect
◙
The Future of
Hydrogen Energy
◙ Geothermal Energy
◙
Tax Incentives
◙
Goodbye Fossil
Fuels
Hello Tidal Power |
One of the problems
this process of creating energy faces is the need for
equipment that can hold up to this tough job.
Because of the high level of salt and other minerals in
the seawater, metal is easily and quickly worn away with
constant motion.
Not only does the equipment have to stand up to this every day type of
wear and tear, but it also must withstand storms,
which are often very violent at sea.
The equipment being produced for this work today is still in the
prototype stages of development, and researchers are
looking for a way to produce new equipment that the cost
of building the power plants does not exceed the benefit
of gathering energy from the sea.
Recently, more money has been put into developing wave power
technology.
There are four basic types of systems used to collect energy from
waves. A pontoon is pushed or pulled by the waves
to push or pull a generator.
Waves are used in another type of system to compress the air into a
tunnel and drive a generator.
A third type, called a CETO, is being used currently in Austrailia. This
system uses seafloor pressure to run a hydraulic pump,
which then runs water to shore to power a hydroelectric
generator.
Lastly, waves can be captured in a reservoir, where they are then
used to run hydroelectric generators.
Each of these tidal power systems is relatively simple to set up
and when they become more cost efficient, they could
provide the earth with energy that is renewable and
environmentally friendly.
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