A PAPER ON HYDROKINETIC RENEWABLE

ENERGY SOURCES
BY
D.ARUMUGA SELVAN
sixkarthi@gmail.com

J.VINOTH KUMAR
Jvkumar007@gmail.com

III YEAR

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

P.S.R ENGINEERING COLLEGE

SIVAKASI-626140
 intensive to build, and very intrusive to
the surrounding area. In this paper,
Abstract:
various forms of current and future

The current energy crisis is one of the hydrokinetic systems will be

most widely discussed issues in the news summarized, along with the associated

today. While gas prices most obviously benefits and drawback of each, and of

illustrate growing trends towards higher the technology as a whole.

energy costs, the effects can be seen in

every energy sector. Because of this,
Introduction:
numerous pursuits are being made
Hydrokinetic power in river applications
towards alternative sources of power.
is extremely analogous to wind power.
These sources may be nonrenewable,
Simply, a turbine of some form is placed
such as nuclear energy, or renewable,
directly in the flow path of the fluid
such as solar, wind, and water power.
which causes rotational motion and
Traditional dam turbine hydro power is
electrical power. This form requires no
one area of renewable energy that has
impoundment of water [1].
been very effectively implemented
around the world. A second type of While a simple concept, the
hydro power, termed hydrokinetic implementation has taken on a variety of
power, has proven potential to make a forms which all seek to increase the
significant and lasting impact. output wattage output and efficiency in
various types of flow. Factors affecting
Hydrokinetic power differs most notably
these parameters include the kinetic
from the traditional hydropower systems
pressure head and the turbulence. Also,
by harnessing the kinetic energy
slow, deeper flows up to 100 feet must
possessed in velocity of water, instead of
be handled differently than fast shallow
harnessing the potential energy arising
flows of less than 10 feet. The array of
from pressure differential developed in
physical implementations has created an
dam. This creates the ability to harness
equally large variety of solutions. Sizes
energy without structures that are
of power harnessing units for example,
expensive, time consuming and labor
range from several meters to 30 meters
or more in diameter. Accordingly, the
weight of the units can range from a few
hundred pounds to many tons. While
different systems and applications are
being investigated, a common
denominator is the fact that the power
output is directly related to the velocity
of the flow [2].
One area that has undergone particularly
intense growth in interest is wave
energy. There are several methods for
harnessing the kinetic energy of waves.
One design, the Pelamis, consists of a
caterpillar-like series of tanks that
produce energy based on their relative
vertical displacement relationship to
each other. The waves cause fluctuations
in these displacements which move
pistons that pump oil through tubes that
move power generating turbines.
Wave power formula;
In deep water where the water depth is
larger than half the wavelength, the
wave energy flux is[A 1]
with P the wave energy flux per unit of
wave-crest length, Hm0 the significant
wave height, T the wave period, ρ the
water density and g the acceleration by
gravity. The above formula states that
wave power is proportional to the wave
period and to the square of the wave
height. When the significant wave height
is given in meters, and the wave period
in seconds, the result is the wave power
in kilowatts (kW) per meter of wavefront
length.[4][5][6]
Example: Consider moderate ocean
swells, in deep water, a few kilometers
off a coastline, with a wave height of 3
meters and a wave period of 8 seconds.
Using the formula to solve for power, we
get
meaning there are 36 kilowatts of power
potential per meter of coastline.
In major storms, the largest waves
offshore are about 15 meters high and
have a period of about 15 seconds.
According to the above formula, such
waves carry about 1.7 MW of power
across each meter of wavefront.
An effective wave power device
captures as much as possible of the wave
energy flux. As a result the waves will
be of lower height in the region behind
the wave power device.
Energy Conversion:
Another system, the Aquabouy, focuses
on the pressure drops produced when a
buoyant object pulls away from a fixed
unit because of the force of the harmonic
pull rom the waves. This pressure drop
sucks water into the system which turns
a power generating turbine. Aquabouy
systems generally consist of dozens of
units that work in a type of unified web
of power generation. Other buoy systems
that are being researched use the
magnet-coil form of energy production
where the coil system is buoyant enough
to move up and down relative to the
magnetic coils to generate small
amounts of electricity.
Many new systems are being created as
a way to harness ocean tidal currents in a
way other than from current tidal power
energy plants that are essentially just
dams that use common hydro-electric
generating methods for tidal flows. Tidal
energy is primarily the harnessing of the
kinetic flows of the tides coming in and
receding. The new system designs
usually use stand alone fans that spin
turbines to generate power. Another
method of tidal power generation is
simply a harnessing of the simple
harmonic motion of the overhead waves
caused from tidal currents[4]. They are
completely dependent on the moon’s
gravitational pull of the water inland.
The systems are generally only
applicable in areas of intense tidal
influence, in narrow waterways and bay
entrances. They can range from only a
couple meters tall to systems that reach
heights of 50 meters[4].
Clearly, hydrokinetic power is a carbon
free, low impact and domestic source of
renewable energy. Moreover, a recent
study by the Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI) found that by 2025, the
U.S. could develop a minimum of
13,000 megawatts of river and ocean
based hydrokinetic power.
estimates suggested the U.S. could
potentially double its hydropower output
with newly developed technology. This
is enough energy to power roughly 12
millionhomes Another assessment, done
by the Idaho National Laboratory stated
that nearly 30,000 MW of hydropower
exist within the United States, and that
over 60% of this energy is available in
western states, and could be harnessed
without any additional dams [2].
Wave energy follows the
principals of other hydro kinetic power
designs. It is completely renewable, and
because of the density of
compared to the density of air, it is
expected to be able to
considerably more energy over smaller
areas. These systems are also desirable
because of their ability to be unseen. The
systems are generally stationed miles
offshore and away from public interest,
unlike the wind turbines that can be seen
for miles in any direction.
When considering tidal energy research,
some coastal areas have such intense
tidal pulls that it would seem wasteful to
ignore the potential energy that could be
harnessed. The Alaskan coast alone has
Earlier
two tidal areas that alone could produce
as much as 10,000 MW of electricity an
hour. These new tidal units would be
similar to the wave power generation
systems in that they can be completely
out of public sight[4]. The tidal systems
can be completely submerged many
meters below the water and can pose
little to no danger to area wildlife.
Quick Facts:
Hydrokinetic technologies use the power
similar of moving water – ocean waves or
currents in canals, rivers, and tidal
channels - to produce electricity.
water New hydrokinetic generation
technologies are primarily in the
harness development, demonstration, and pilot
phases of deployment and have not yet
been commercialized.
In 2009 the United States had installed
hydrokinetic generation capacity of less
than 1 megawatt (MW), as compared to
more than 77,000 MW of conventional is not new. For centuries people have
hydroelectric generation capacity.1,2 harnessed the power of river currents by
Many hydrokinetic development projects installing water wheels of various sorts
are underway in the United States - as of belts.4
2009, the Federal Energy Regulatory Modern ocean wave energy conversion
Commission (FERC) has issued 146 machines use new technology that is
preliminary applications to study designed to operate in high amplitude
development of 9,000 MW of proposed waves, and modern tidal/river/ocean
hydrokinetic generation capacity. current hydrokinetic machines use new
Some experts predict that hydrokinetic technology that is designed to operate in
energy could provide 13,000 MW of fast currents. Both of these emerging
new generation capacity to the United technologies have the potential to
States by 2025.3 provide significant amounts of
Like some other renewable energy affordable electricity with low
sources, ocean wave power is variable, environmental impact given proper care
with actual generation changing with in siting, deployment, and operation.
fluctuations in wave height and/or Description
period. Unlike wind and solar power, Tidal/river/ocean current energy and
however, this variability is highly wave energy converters are sometimes
predictable (for days ahead) facilitating categorized separately,5 but this
the integration of ocean wave power into factsheet covers both types of
electricity grid operations. Tidal current technology under the general term
flows can be nearly constant throughout “hydrokinetic power.” Another marine
the year, so these hydrokinetic power energy technology, ocean thermal
sources can supply baseload generating energy conversion, is not covered in this
capacity. River currents typically factsheet because it is not applicable to
fluctuate seasonally and with the continental United States but rather
precipitation events.BackgroundThe to tropical areas.6 Tidal barrage
power of tidal, river and ocean currents technology, in which tidal flows are
and ocean waves is tremendous, and the trapped behind a dam across an estuary
basic concept behind hydrokinetic power or tidal channel and then released
through turbines, is also not covered in Portugal, and an illustration of its
thisfactsheet. operation.

Wave energy converters take many

forms. The simplest are tethered floating
buoys that convert the energy in the rise
and fall of the passing waves into
electricity (often via hydraulics). Other
machines have chambers that, when
filled and emptied by rising and falling
wave water, compress and decompress
air to drive an electric generator. Yet
another type of machine looks like a
giant sea snake with floating pontoons
that heave and sway on the ocean Source: Pelamis Wave Power, August

surface, driving hydraulic pumps to 2009.

power an electric generator (Figures 1

and 2). All of these machines are
anchored to the seabed and must
withstand marine environments. Waves
powerful enough to drive these
generators are often found off coasts
with large oceans to their west
(providing long wind fetch) and strong
prevailing winds such as the west coasts
of the United States, Chili, and Australia Source: Pelamis Wave Power, August

and in the North Sea, amongst many 2009.

other places.7
Rotating devices take a variety of forms
Figures 1 & 2: The 750kW Pelamis sea
but in general capture energy from water
“snake” converting wave energy to
flowing through or across a rotor. Some
electricity during sea trials in Aguçadoura,
of these devices are shaped like
propellers and can swing, or yaw, to face
changing tidal currents. Other rotating
devices are shaped like a jet engine,
having many vanes turning within a
fixed outer ring (see Figure 3). Fast
currents, like those in the Missouri and
Mississippi Rivers, in tidal channels
such as the Puget Sound, or in ocean
currents such as the Gulf Stream off
Florida, have enough power to turn large
rotating devices. The power from a
hydrokinetic machine is proportional to
the cube of the current velocity. Faster
currents are better, and sites with current
velocities reaching 3 meters per second
(m/s) are desirable.
Environmental
Benefit/Emission Reduction
Potential:
Deploying hydrokinetic power
generation instead of relying on fossil
fuels for electricity generation avoids
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and
other air pollution associated with fossil
fuel use. It has been estimated that, at
full potential, hydrokinetic generation in
the United States could produce 350
billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year,
equal to nearly 9 percent of total United
States electricity generation in 2008.8
Assuming hydrokinetic generation
displaces generation from the current
mix of U.S. fossil fuel power plants, this
level of hydrokinetic power generation
would avoid over 250 million metric
tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
per year, equal to 4 percent of total U.S.
CO2 emissions in 2007.9,10
Unlike conventional hydroelectric
generation, hydrokinetic power does not
require a dam or diversion, thus avoiding
the negative environmental impacts
associated with dams. Cost Because no
commercial hydrokinetic power projects
are currently licensed and operating in
the United States it is difficult to
estimate the cost of hydrokinetic power
production. A 2005 report by the
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
estimated that some U.S. utility-scale
wave power projects could produce
electricity for about 10 cents per kWh
once the technology has matured.11 The
present state of technology makes
hydrokinetics a long-term investment
opportunity with potentially significant
but highly uncertain returns. In the
meantime, the early stage of the
technology and high regulatory costs
associated with lengthy permitting
requirements and licensing uncertainties tidal energy potential. For river
are likely to continue presenting major hydrokinetic energy, large inland rivers
economic hurdles to commercialization such as the Mississippi, Missouri, and
of the technology. Yukon have promising potential power.
Current Status of Hydrokinetic Electric
Conclusion:
Power
There are a number of hydrokinetic
A number of hydrokinetic generation
devices that have had successful trials
machines have reached the pilot or
and remained in operation after many
demonstration stage in the United States.
years of service. Notable among these
Development of hydrokinetic projects
are: the WaveGen 500 kW oscillating
has reached the early commercial stage
water column plant which was installed
in other countries, including the 300
on the island of Islay in Scotland in 2000
MW Wando Hoenggan tidal current
and is still operating today; Pelamis
project under development in South
Wave Power’s 0.75 MW wave machine,
Korea and the 22 MW Aguçadoura wave
which operated for a year at EMEC in
power project in Portugal. In the United
Scotland in 2004/200
States, the two largest projects to date
Reference:
are Verdant Power’s 200 kW Roosevelt
1.Leijon, Mats et. al (9 April 2008).
Island Tidal Energy (RITE) project in
"Wave Energy from the North Sea:
the East River in New York City and
Experiences from the lysekil Research
Hydro Green’s Hastings project in
site"
Minnesota permitted for 250 kW
capacity.
Areas in the United States known to
have good wave energy potential include
most of the continental U.S. west coast,
Hawaii, and Alaska. For tidal energy,
good sites exist in the Puget Sound, San
Francisco, a variety of east coast tidal
channels, and in Alaska -- which has
more than 90 percent of the nation’s