Tidal current energy resource assessment in Ireland: Current status and future update

O'Rourke, Fergal; Boyle, Fergal; Reynolds, Anthony

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.039

Cited by 71 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Along this coastline are numerous inlets and islands between which there are channels which are ideal for tidal-current-energy extraction due to the high tidal current speeds. Strong tidal currents are common along the north and east coasts and are particularly energetic entering the Irish Sea from the St. Georges Channel and the North Channel [10]. Figure 1 illustrates the oceans around…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ireland’s tidal energy resource; An assessment of a site in the Bulls Mouth and the Shannon Estuary using measured data

O'Rourke

Boyle²,

Reynolds³

2014

Energy Conversion and Management

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The issues associated with Ireland's over reliance on fossil fuels to meet energy demands have sparked an interest in renewable energy. Renewable energy resources typically are intermittent and vary significantly in energy intensity. Tidal energy however has the advantage of predictability over large time scales and high power densities. A study of Ireland's tidal-current-energy resource has identified several viable sites. As part of this resource assessment, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers were installed at two locations along Ireland's west coast, at a site in the Bulls Mouth and the Shannon Estuary. The Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers measured tidal current speed and direction at 30 minute intervals over a 30 day period at a range of depths through the water column. This is the first time the measured data appears in the literature as it has only recently been made public. This paper presents tidal current speed and direction, frequency of occurrence of speed, tidal roses at several depths through the water column, and a comparison of theoretical tidal-current-speed profiles with measured data for a site in the Bulls Mouth and in the Shannon Estuary. The paper compares power density at both sites over a lunar month and also proposes a best fit power law exponent with the measured data through the water column. Finally, the paper presents an energetic performance comparison for a tidal current turbine operating at both sites. The data presented in this paper can be used in the design process to estimate the hydrodynamic and structural performance of a tidal current turbine operating under real-life conditions. The data can also be used to assess different control strategies and to design a tidal current turbine to suit the site-specific characteristics.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ireland’s tidal energy resource; An assessment of a site in the Bulls Mouth and the Shannon Estuary using measured data

O'Rourke

Boyle²,

Reynolds³

2014

Energy Conversion and Management

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“…The second site is the 10 MW Tidal Energy Limited site in Ramsey Sound [19]. Furthermore, there are multiple potential tidal-stream energy sites throughout the Irish Sea: the Bristol Channel [20], eastern Ireland [9,14], and a Crown Estate tidal energy demonstration zone planned off Anglesey that has support from the Welsh Government, who themselves have a commitment of 4 GW low carbon energy generation by 2025 [19]. Consequently, it is appropriate and timely to quantify the Irish Sea tidal-stream energy resource.…”

Section: Case Study: the Irish Seamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, the importance of model spatial resolution is unknown for resource assessment; however coarse resolution hydrodynamic models (i.e. > 2 km horizontal resolution) are generally considered to be unsuitable because of their inability to sufficiently resolve bathymetric and flow features [9]. Moreover, the importance of phasing strategies for tidal energy have recently been realised (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resource assessment for future generations of tidal-stream energy arrays

Lewis

Neill

Robins

et al. 2015

Energy

196

122

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a b s t r a c tTidal-stream energy devices currently require spring tide velocities (SV) in excess of 2.5 m/s and water depths in the range 25e50 m. The tidal-stream energy resource of the Irish Sea, a key strategic region for development, was analysed using a 3D hydrodynamic model assuming existing, and potential future technology. Three computational grid resolutions and two boundary forcing products were used within model configuration, each being extensively validated. A limited resource (annual mean of 4 TJ within a 90 km 2 extent) was calculated assuming current turbine technology, with limited scope for long-term sustainability of the industry. Analysis revealed that the resource could increase seven fold if technology were developed to efficiently harvest tidal-streams 20% lower than currently required (SV > 2 m/s) and be deployed in any water depths greater than 25 m. Moreover, there is considerable misalignment between the flood and ebb current directions, which may reduce the practical resource. An average error within the assumption of rectilinear flow was calculated to be 20 , but this error reduced to~3 if lower velocity or deeper water sites were included. We found resource estimation is sensitive to hydrodynamic model resolution, and finer spatial resolution (<500 m) is required for regional-scale resource assessment when considering future tidal-stream energy strategies.

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“…As extensive in situ observations cannot reasonably encompass the tidal hydrodynamics conditions at the regional scale, the associated resource assessments rely, most of the time, on numerical modeling tools. Besides the uncertainty of these large-scale predictions [5][6][7], these resource assessments consider generally a restricted number of parameters, primarily the averaged and maximum amplitude of tidal current and associated stream power, setting aside further studies about the spatial and temporal variability of available kinetic energy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tidal Turbines’ Layout in a Stream with Asymmetry and Misalignment

Guillou

Chapalain

2017

Energies

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A refined assessment of tidal currents variability is a prerequisite for successful turbine deployment in the marine environment. However, the numerical evaluation of the tidal kinetic energy resource relies, most of the time, on integrated parameters, such as the averaged or maximum stream powers. Predictions from a high resolution three-dimensional model are exploited here to characterize the asymmetry and misalignment between the flood and ebb tidal currents in the "Raz de Sein", a strait off western Brittany (France) with strong potential for array development. A series of parameters is considered to assess resource variability and refine the cartography of local potential tidal stream energy sites. The strait is characterized by strong tidal flow divergence with currents' asymmetry liable to vary output power by 60% over a tidal cycle. Pronounced misalignments over 20 • are furthermore identified in a great part of energetic locations, and this may account for a deficit of the monthly averaged extractable energy by more than 12%. As sea space is limited for turbines, it is finally suggested to aggregate flood and ebb-dominant stream powers on both parts of the strait to output energy with reduced asymmetry.

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Tidal current energy resource assessment in Ireland: Current status and future update

Cited by 71 publications

References 26 publications

Ireland’s tidal energy resource; An assessment of a site in the Bulls Mouth and the Shannon Estuary using measured data

Ireland’s tidal energy resource; An assessment of a site in the Bulls Mouth and the Shannon Estuary using measured data

Resource assessment for future generations of tidal-stream energy arrays

Tidal Turbines’ Layout in a Stream with Asymmetry and Misalignment

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