Wave Kinetics and Tidal Energy as an Alternative - Research Paper Example

? Wave Kinetics and Tidal Energy as an Alternative Energy Resources No: Wave Kinetics and Tidal Energy as an Alternative Energy Resources The law of conservation of energy states, “Energy can neither be created nor it can be destroyed, it can be transformed from one form to another” (Denecke 2006). If we look around, we can find many resources of energy like the fossil fuel has the chemical energy stored in it and when it is burnt, the chemical energy transforms to thermal energy, which can be utilized for majority of purposes. Wind has also energy stored in it, which can be transformed to a usable form by utilizing windmills or wind generators. Similarly sun provides us both light energy and thermal energy. Both of the solar energy types can be transformed to other energy forms to be utilized in a usable manner. Running water has also an energy stored in it, which is a hydrodynamic energy, which is due to the mass of the water and the gravitation of the earth. In the similar manner, biomass provides the biogas, which has a high concentration of methane in it which can be burnt to attain thermal energy. Energy can also be attained from high and low tides. The main concern of the modern world is the emissions of green house gasses that are the result to burning of the fossil fuels like coal, furnace oil, etc to attain the high amounts of thermal and kinetic energy. Fossil fuel is considered to be a conventional resource to attain energy and modern world is looking forward to utilize the alternative resources like wind, tidal, solar geothermal, hydro, etc. The utilization of these alternative resources ensures low or no carbon and green house gasses emissions and if the energy is utilized for the generation of power, low operational costs are also ensured. In this research, my major focus is to discuss the environmental and economic aspects of utilizing the wave kinetic and tidal energy for the generation of power (Pikeresearch 2011). The other matter that should be discussed is the potential of wave kinetic and tidal energy to meet the demand for the energy and is the resources have more or less potential or low capital costs than harvesting other alternative energy. The higher the capital cost (effective cost to establish an energy harvesting system), the higher will be the unit price of the power. Wave kinetic or a hydrokinetic energy is the energy that is attained by the force of waves that have a deep impact on the shores. This type of energy has the enough potential to generate power on the shores, near shores and off shores. Moving water has a crushing power that could be utilized to generate power. It will be a difficult task for a swimmer to swim opposing the waves. The power of moving water can be seen in a hydro power plant that is able to generate the power that could fulfill the requirements of more than one city. The wave kinetic energy is an alternate type of energy that has enough potential to generate power that could replace many coal fired power plants. Tidal energy can also be utilized as an alternate energy resource to generate power. Running water is utilized to produce tides that are essentially utilized to generate power. Water in the form of tides has a hydrodynamic energy. The tidal energy can be collected from rivers, where turbines that are able to transform the kinetic energy of the water into electrical energy. The tidal generator is similar to a wind turbine generator but the major difference is that the tidal energy generators are lie under the surface of water to capture the hydrodynamic energy of water. Tidal energy can also be attained from oceans, as tides also influence the ocean water. The system utilizes a separation with an empty space at lower end to install a tidal generator, between the ocean and basin. At high tide the level of water at the ocean side rises and pressure of water rises towards the basin side. The pressure of water enables the tidal generator to generate several kilos to mega watts of energy. The separation is sometimes referred as barrage. Both of the energy are renewable and provide sustainability to the power generation sector. Researchers have the view that by 2025, the tidal and wave energy both can take the place of twenty two thermal power plants that utilizes coal to generate energy (Union of Concerned Scientists 2008). Oceans and rivers shape the world and it has a higher possibility to utilize the valuable resources for the generation of energy. Both of the technologies are associated to each other as both of the technologies deal with the utilization of hydrokinetic energy or hydrodynamic energy. The researchers have the view that if a little amount of the Gulf Stream, not more than 0.1, is utilized to generate power; it can generate power that can be utilized to provide power that could satisfy the 35% power consumption of the Florida (Union of Concerned Scientists 2008). Moreover, the pattern and amount of tides are more predictable as compared to other alternative resources. The prediction not only gives a reliability to the power generation sector but also enable the scientists and engineers to calibrate the generators according to the prediction of the tides. Unlike other alternative resources the oceans waves are much reliable in generating a continuous power. There are many technologies to capture to the wave and tidal energy to make them usable like generating electric power. The flow of water in the rivers was utilized in the ancient times for performing various tiring mechanical works like making designs on the wood logs, cutting wood logs, grinding the wheat and other grains, etc. However, now a day, it is more feasible to transforms the other types of energy to electric energy as it can easily be transmitted from one place to another and it has the capability to transform into any other form of energy. From many years people utilized tide for many purposes but not to generate energy, but today, all these purposes are done by utilizing the fossil fuel (Carddock 2008). A moving water column or an oscillating water column utilizes the force of air and water. A water column is a half submerged in such a way that air remains trapped inside the column. As the water under the column moves up and down forming a pattern of waves in water, the trapped air inside the column allows the air piston to move up and down. The motion of the piston makes the electric generator to generate electrical power. The trapped air also prevents the partial submerged column from drowning. A point absorber has an air filled cavity which is vertically attached with a turbine by utilizing a heavy gauged string. Tension is maintained between the air filled cavity and the turbine. Principles of buoyancy are utilized to maintain the tension between the string and the buoy. The turbine and the generator assembly are attached to the floor of the ocean. As the waves from every direction strike the buoy, the tension in the string increases and decrease producing kinetic energy in the turbine that runs the generator. Sometimes a compressed chamber is utilized the compresses and decompresses as the tension in the string alters, which is connected to the generator that converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy (Union of Concerned Scientists 2008). Attenuators or heave surge devices lies parallel to the surface of ocean capturing the wave kinetic energy. The device is not a single piece but jointed parts that move at different angles as the each part rides the waves. The kinetic motion is captured through the joints between the parts and converted to the electrical energy by utilizing such generator assembly that continues to move as the parts of the attenuator move. Sometimes a piston assembly is utilized for the continuous motion. A hydraulic piston assembly is able to be coupled with a heavy generator (Union of Concerned Scientists 2008). An over topping device is a type of reservoir that can be built on shore or can float on the surface of the water in the ocean. The device is such built that the waves can enter the reservoir by the force of a wave but it the water can only be expelled with an outlet. The outlet is positioned at the lower side of the reservoir. The outlet holds a turbine that runs the generator. When the level of the water in the reservoir rises, the outlet expels the water making the turbine to rotate and run the generator to generate energy. Tidal turbines are rotating devices that utilize the kinetic energy of flowing water that run the turbine and thus generate power. Tidal streams are the major source of energy in which the tidal turbines have the job to generate energy (Twidell & Weir 2006). Tidal turbines have the similar design and shape as that of the wind turbines but tidal turbines are submerged into the water for the extraction of energy. If we consider the economic aspect of utilizing the above five technologies to convert the kinetic energy from the water to generate electrical power, the price of power attained from these alternative resources is low. The capital cost to initialize the projects involving the attenuators, point absorber, moving column, floating reservoirs or tidal turbines is low as compared to that of the nuclear, solar or wind. Moreover, tides and waves are more predictable then wind. There are many sites available for the generation of hydro kinetic energy, as most of the countries and regions in the world are blessed with vast oceans and seas that can help generate the power utilizing the hydrokinetic energy of the waves. In the similar manner, many rivers are utilized to install the tidal turbines. In this way, the transmission cost of electricity can also be saved, which makes the tidal and wave kinetic energy cheap and sustainable and continuous alternate resource to provide energy. However, some of the technologies are even not given life and a large amount of money and devotion is required to determine the economic feasibility of the system. Even most of the installed technologies are at their initial stages. The massive production of the parts related to the energy generation system will reduce the cost of the system. If we look at the environmental aspects of the wave and tidal energy, we will find that as the technology has no carbon and green house emissions, the generation of power through these technologies is safe for the environment and a balance between the ecosystem and the generation and utilization of power can be maintained. However, some researchers have the view the technologies that collect energy from waves may produce a difficulty for the marine like clamps, fishes, oysters, etc and may produce problems for the migrating sea mammals and fishes. Moreover, if the devices produce some electrostatic charge, the marine life will also be influenced. However, if the power generation systems are installed at some of the well researched sites utilizing the previous studies about the migration of marine habitat, the problems of making the marine life to be in danger can be resolved. Wave kinetic energy and tidal energy are the most versatile alternative technologies and have more economic and environmental sustainability. The technologies are able to collect energy from the waves of ocean. As waves are able to produce continuous kinetic motion, waves can generate a continuous power. Moreover, as the energy through these technologies does not burn coal or other fossil fuel, the technologies are much environmentally friendly emitting no carbon and green house gasses emissions to the environment. References Union of Concerned Scientists. (2008). Clean Energy: How Hydrokinetic Energy Works. Union of Concerned Scientists: Citizens and Scientists for Environmental Solutions retrieved on 15th December 2011 from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-hydrokinetic-energy-works.html Denecke, Edward J. (2006). Barron's New York State Grade 8 Intermediate Level Science Test. New York: Barron’s Educational Series. Pikeresearch. (2011). Hydrokinetic and Ocean Energy: Renewable Power Generation from Ocean Wave, Tidal Streams, River Hydrokinetics, Ocean Currents and Ocean Thermal Technologies. Pike Research: Cleantech Market Intelligence. Retrieved on 15th December 2011 from http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/hydrokinetic-and-ocean-energy Craddock, David. (2008). Renewable Energy Made Easy: Free Energy from Solar, Wind, Hydropower, and Other Alternative Energy Resources. Florida: Atlantic Publishing Company. Twidell, John and Weir, Anthony D. (2006). Renewable Energy Resources. New York: Taylor and Francis. Read More