Tapping Tidal Power

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tom baker

tom baker

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About 5 years ago there was a topic here on tidal power. I don't recall much else other than there was a question on the Tacoma Narrows, where the tides run fast and deep.
But the lead article in the Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003931009_wavepower07m0.html
States that we are with tidal power where wind power was 20 years ago.

""It's the Kitty Hawk days for tidal energy," said Craig Collar, of the Snohomish County Public Utility District, which already has permits for trial runs in several Puget Sound straits famed for their rushing tides."

The article states that FERC has received 20 requests to site tidal generators off the coast of Washington and Oregon.
 
Tom:

About 20 or so years ago I was intrigued by this method of generation, I remember reading somewhere that there was some research that stated if multitudes of these generating plants where installed the tidal generation could slow the rotation of the Earth.
 
brian john said:
Tom:

About 20 or so years ago I was intrigued by this method of generation, I remember reading somewhere that there was some research that stated if multitudes of these generating plants where installed the tidal generation could slow the rotation of the Earth.
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That would probably cause global warming too:roll:
 
That's a lot of energy. If you just do some rude math with the diameter of the earth as a sphere, there's 2.6x10^29 Joules of energy represented. That's 7.22222222x10^19 megawatt hours. Wow.
 
brian john said:
Tom:

About 20 or so years ago I was intrigued by this method of generation, I remember reading somewhere that there was some research that stated if multitudes of these generating plants where installed the tidal generation could slow the rotation of the Earth.
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If I were a bettin' man, I'd put down money the moon has a greater effect on the rotation of the earth than mankinds' feeble and primitive efforts in harnessing energy.
 
480sparky said:
If I were a bettin' man, I'd put down money the moon has a greater effect on the rotation of the earth than mankinds' feeble and primitive efforts in harnessing energy.
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Funny you mention the moon. There are some theorists who believe that if we harness enough tidal power, and slow the tides, the moon will also slow. This, they believe, will bring the moon down in its orbit and eventually cause it to crash into the earth.
 
I used to know a chic that once she got toasted enough, she had some of her own pretty cosmic conjectures about how we could make all bad things go away if everybody just did a tantra at the same time all over the world.:roll: Anyway, another source of unused energy would be harnessing waves for their energy. Not the surfers ones, but the ones smashing up against breakwalls and so forth. Anybody who lives along the Pacific knows exactly how much potential I am talking about.
 
mdshunk said:
Funny you mention the moon. There are some theorists who believe that if we harness enough tidal power, and slow the tides, the moon will also slow. This, they believe, will bring the moon down in its orbit and eventually cause it to crash into the earth.
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That's one I don't buy. The moon's already heading out. 3.8cm/yr thanks to a reflector left on it's surface by Neil and Buzz. I don't think stopping the tides (which are a function of the moon's gravitational pull anyway) can exert enough force to overcome that amount off mass going away from us, no matter how slowly. So the next time you have a chance to see a total solar eclipse, make sure you do. Someday they won't exist.

But I do know this type of technology works. I saw a program on (I think it was) the Discovery Channel where a generator was installed in a river. Somewhere in US, along the coast, but I don't remember where. This generator harnesses the tidal currents in the river mouth to create electricity. The show ended with footage of a small mom-and-pop grocery store operating their lights, coolers, etc with this energy.
 
Yeah but the tidal energy convertors are tough on fishing tackle!!

Knowing how corrosive the ocean can be, I wonder how that can be addressed for the long term.
 
mdshunk said:
Funny you mention the moon. There are some theorists who believe that if we harness enough tidal power, and slow the tides, the moon will also slow. This, they believe, will bring the moon down in its orbit and eventually cause it to crash into the earth.
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Good, because before the crash, when it's orbiting only a couple thousand feet or so, a bunch of us are gonna want to pound some rods into that truly pure, virgin, "isolated ground!"
 
Already in the works in NYC's East river.

http://radio.weblogs.com/0105910/2004/08/14.html

verdant_turbines.jpg
 
can exert enough force to overcome
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Just remember that at the turn of the last century, the automobile was welcomed as the transportation to end of pollution of our cities. NO MORE ROAD APPLES to clean up.
 
It must be a very small block of very small buildings. In all seriousness, I don't see any signifigant gains from this type of renewable energy. (From a cost/benefit standpoint.) IMHO the feds should just build about 3-400 small nuclear power plants of the same exact design, with 6-8 in each State, and have one central control center operating them all remotely. Now that's cheap power!
 
LawnGuyLandSparky said:
IMHO the feds should just build about 3-400 small nuclear power plants of the same exact design, with 6-8 in each State, and have one central control center operating them all remotely. Now that's cheap power!
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Sounds like socialism. I'd rather a private enterprise propose to do the same.
 
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