Ocean energy sources may be broadly divided into the following four categories :

1.Tidal energy.
2.Wave energy.
3.Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC).
4.Energy emanated from the sun-ocean system from the mechanism of surface
water evaporation by solar heating i.e. hydrological cycle.

Tidal Power Plants

Introduction:
 The periodic rise and fall of the water level of sea which are carried by the
action of the sun and moon on water of the earth is called the 'tide'.
 Tide Tides are produced mainly by the gravitational attraction of the Moon
and the Sun.
 Earth is able to hold onto everything except the water.
 Since the water is
 always moving, the Earth cannot hold onto it, and the moon is able to pull
at it.
 About 70% of the tide producing force is due to the moon and 30% to the
sun.
 The moon is the major factor in the tide formation.

• Tidal energy can furnish a significant portion of all such energies which are
renewable in nature. The large scale up and down movement of sea water
represents an unlimited source of energy. If some part of this vast energy can be
converted into electrical energy, it would be an important source of hydropower.

• The main feature of the tidal cycle is the difference in water surface elevations
at the high tide and at the low tide. If this differential head could be utilized in
operating a hydraulic turbine, the tidal energy could be converted into electrical
energy by means of an attached generator.
Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the
energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity. Tides are the waves
caused due to the gravitational pull of the moon and also sun(though its pull is
very low). During high tide, the water flows into the dam and during low tide,
water flows out which result in turning the turbine.

 Ocean tides are the periodic rise and fall of ocean water level occurs twice
in each lunar day.
 During one lunar day (24.83 H) the ocean water level rises twice and fall
twice.
 Time interval between a consecutive low tide and high tide is 6.207 hrs.
 Tidal range is the difference between the consecutive high tide and low
tide.

Video Explanation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkTRcTyDSyk

Tidal power:
When a basin exists along the shores with high tides, the power in the tide can be
hydroelectrically utilized. This can be realized by having a long dam across the
basin and locating two sets of turbines underneath the dam. As the tide comes in
water flows into the basin one set of turbines. At low tide the water flows out of
the basin operating another set of turbines.

Components of Tidal Power Plants

The following are the components of a tidal power plant:
1. The power house - the turbines, electrical generator and other auxiliary
equipments.
2. The dam or barrage - to form a barrier between the sea and basin or
between one basin and the other in case of multiple basins.
3. Sluice ways - the sluice ways are used either to fill the basin during the high
tide or empty the basin during the low tide , as per operational
requirement. These are gate controlled devices.
It is generally convenient to have the power house as well as the sluice-
ways in alignment with the dam.

Classification and Operation of Tidal Power Plants

Tidal power plants are classified as
follows:
1. Single basin arrangement
(i) Single ebb-cycle system
(ii) Single tide-cycle system
(iii) Double cycle system.
2. Double basin arrangement.

Single Basin Arrangement :

This scheme has one barrage and one water storage basin, one way system, the incoming tide is
allowed to fill the basin through sluice ways during the tide a

nd the impounded water is used to generate electricity by letting the water flow from basin to
the sea through the turbines.
(i) Single ebb cycle system.
When the flood tide comes in, the sluice gates are opened to permit sea-water to
enter the basin or reservoir, while the turbine sets are shut. The reservoir thus
starts filling while its level rises, till the maximum tide level is reached. At the
beginning of the ebb tide the sluice gates are closed. Then the generation of
power takes place when the sea is ebbing and the water from the basin flow over
the turbine into lower level sea water.
(ii) Single tide cycle system.
In single tide cycle systems, the generation is affected when the sea is at flood
tide.The water is admitted into the basin over the turbines. As the flood tide
period is over and the sea level starts falling again, the generation is stopped. The
basin is drained into the sea through the sluice ways.
(iii) Double cycle system.

The power generation is affected during the ebb as well as in flood tides. The
direction of flow through the turbines during the ebb and flood tides alternates,
but the machine acts as a turbine for either direction of flow. In this method, the
generation of power is accomplished both during emptying and filling cycles. Both
filling and emptying process take place during short periods of time, the filling
when the ocean is at high tide while the water in the basin is at low tide level, the
emptying when the ocean is at low tide and the basin at high-tide level. The flow
of water in both directions is used to drive a number of reversible water turbines,
each driving an electrical generator. Though the double cycle system has only
short duration interruptions in the turbine operation, yet a continuous generation
of power is still not possible. These problems are solved to some extent in the
two-basin scheme.

Double Basin Arrangement :

It requires two separate but adjacent basins. In one basin called ‘upper basin’, the
water level is maintained above that in the other, the ‘lower basin’. Because there
is always a head between upper and lower basins, electricity can be generated
continuously.

Advantages and Limitations of Tidal Power Generation

Advantages:

1) Tidal power is completely independent of the precipitation (rain) and its

uncertainty, besides being inexhaustible.
2) Large area of valuable land is not required, because they are on the sea
shore.
3) When a tidal power plant works in combination with thermal or hydro-
electric system, peak power demand can be effectively met with.
 4) Tidal power generation is free from pollution, as it does not use any fuel
and also does not produce any unhealthy waste like gases, ash, atomic
residue.
5) As 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water, there is scope to generate this energy
on large scale.
6) We can predict the rise and fall of tides as they follow cyclic fashion.
7) Efficiency of tidal power is far greater as compared to coal, solar or wind energy. Its
efficiency is around 80%.
8) Although cost of construction of tidal power is high but maintenance costs are
relatively low.
9) The life of tidal energy power plant is very long.
10) The energy density of tidal energy is relatively higher than other renewable energy
sources.

Limitations:

1) Due to variation in tidal range the output is not uniform.

2) Since the turbines have to work on a wide range of head variation (due to
variable tide range) the plant efficiency is affected.
3) There is a fear of machinery being corroded due to corrosive sea water.
4) As compared to other sources of energy, Cost of construction of tidal power plant
is high.
5) There are very few ideal locations for construction of plant and they too are localized to
coastal regions only.
6) Intensity of sea waves is unpredictable and there can be damage to power generation
units.
7) Influences aquatic life adversely and can disrupt migration of fish.
8) The actual generation is for a short period of time. The tides only happen twice a day so
electricity can be produced only for that time.
9) Frozen sea, low or weak tides, straight shorelines, low tidal rise or fall are some of the
obstructions.
10) Usually the places where tidal energy is produced are far away from the places where it
is consumed. This transmission is expensive and difficult.
 WAVE ENERGY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZN5CthZhvg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KehkHkV7nL4

 Ocean and sea waves are caused indirectly by solar energy like the wind.
 Wave energy derives from wind energy, which drives in turn from solar
energy.
 As stated earlier, the wind energy is caused by the uneven solar heating.
 Wave energy is much more concentrated than that solar energy.
 Devices that convert energy from wave can therefore produce much higher
power densities that solar devices.

Wave energy conversion Devices

(i) Wave energy conversion by floats
(ii) High level reservoir wave machine

1. Wave energy conversion by floats

Wave motion is primarily horizontal, but the motion of the water is
primarily vertical. Mechanical power is obtained by floats making use of the
motion of water, and then electrical power is generated.
2. High level reservoir wave machine
The pressurized water is elevated to a reservoir above the wave generator.
The water in the reservoir is made to flow through a turbine coupled to an
electric generator, and then back to sea level.
Advantages
(i) The wave energy has the advantage over wind or solar that the energy has
been naturally more concentrated.
(ii) High power density.
(iii) It is a free and renewable energy source.
(iv) Wave power devices do not use large land masses.
(v) These devices are relatively pollution free, because they remove energy
from the waves.

Limitations
(i) The major disadvantage of wave energy, as compared to wind, is that the
energy is available on the ocean.
(ii) The extraction equipment must operated in a marine environment will all
that implies in terms of maintenance, life time, and reliability.
(iii) The energy must be transported a greater distance to shore.
(iv) Wave, energy converters must be capable of withstanding very
severe peak stresses in storms.
(v) Capital investment, repair and replacement cost are high.