Is tidal wave power is the best solution to electricity generation?

Question

Is tidal wave power is the best solution to electricity generation?

Answer 1

I am afraid not,but it would help.In its France 95% of its energy is Nuclear,I hope you realise where this conversation is going.Until some one pops up with a better idea,then this is the awful truth.

Answer 2

i don't think so

Answer 3

Tidal wave?  As in a Tsunami?  Assuming you knew WHEN one was coming, WHERE it was coming from, and could actually direct it to an EXISTING hydroelectric power plant, it still would not produce electricity for the whole world.  Not even close.

Don't forget you would have to make sure the tidal wave didn't kill the populace in the process.

Answer 4

I have always thought this would be a great

untapped source of energy.  Not just the

tidal waves, but all wave action.

  On both coasts, we have a lot of waves

coming in and they never stop.

  If some turbines could be put under the

waves, the power would be tremendous.

  The problem is that the powers that be

can only think of OIL.  that's all they understand and they won't stop until every

last drop is gone.  Problem is:  that's not

very far away.

  As long as all our resources are still being

spent on getting oil out of the ground and

refining it, there is no incentive to look toward the long term.

  I actually hope the high gas prices stay.

It is the only way that people will begin thinking of alternative energy souces.

Answer 5

tidal stream resource

according to the carbon trust;

'# The UK technically extractable tidal stream resource is ~18 TWh/year ± 30 %, which is roughly 5% of current UK electricity demand. This is the amount of energy that could be extracted without significant environmental or economic impacts. After application of site-specific SIFs.

# Approximately half of this resource lies at deep water (>40m depth) sites with a mean spring peak velocity, Vmsp, greater than 3.5 m/s. About one fifth is at sites of depth 30m to 40m.'

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/technology/...

this commercial site (good maps) says about 11% of 2005 installed capacity.

http://www.tidalgeneration.co.uk/backgro...

the first commercial tidal stream generator is in and running at strangford lough, northern ireland hooray!

http://www.marineturbines.com/3/news/art...

severn barrage;

SEVERN BARRAGE STATS

Length: 16.1km (10 miles)

Generating capacity: 8.64 gigawatts (GW)

Annual average output: 17 terrawatt hours (TWh)

Percentage of UK electricity: 4.4%

Estimated cost: £15bn

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7021...

wave power capacity

the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) say;

'[wave power] could potentially provide between 11- 15% of the current UK electricity demand.'

http://www.ciwem.org/policy/factsheets/f...

overviews; the carbon trust site

variability and integration with other renewable sources;

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/technology/...

technical overview page on wave and tidal stream energy;

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/technology/...

Answer 6

Could be, but the investment is costly at the outset. Nuclear is the best option for sustainable and reliable power at the moment, though the greens don't like it. Reality tells us that we will have to lessen reliance on oil products and go nuclear for the future.

Answer 7

There is a whale of a difference between tidal wave and tide. Tidal wave or tsunami is a very high amplitude sea wave generated by earthquakes and other natural or unnatural disasters. The occurrence of tidal waves can not be predicted as we can not yet predict  earthquakes. Also the occurrence is very scarce so that to build a generator which will harness the awesome power of a tidal wave would not be practical because you don't know if another tidal wave would again hit the same area where the generator is located. Also a generator that will harness the power of one tidal wave would also be a monstrosity and may not be economical.

If you are talking about the change in water level due to the tide, yes it can be a source for electric power, like other hydroelectric power generators. In fact there is one such tide power plant operating in France.

The main factor which makes tide power generators attractive is that the tide is predictable unlike wind or ocean waves which are relatively unpredictable but can also be used for power generation.

Tide operating power plants can contribute to power generation but may not be the best because of the limited change in water level due to the tide. The pressure head difference is quite small compared to those available in hydroelectric plants operating on dams.

Also, there are other means of generating electricity which are much more commercially viable.