JAL-CHAKRA: TIDAL POWER PLANT

TACKLING POWER CRISIS IN INDIA

Ever since man first noticed the brilliance of the flickering yellow fiery flames, we have
strived to illuminate our homes and bring light into our darkness filled worlds. Today, we are
lighting more bulbs, powering more machines and guzzling more fuel than ever before and
with six billion people, all competing for more energy, the future looks dire. Currently, there
are 2 billion people worldwide without modern energy supply. With growing populations and
ballooning demands for goods, energy and services, a new crisis – the energy crisis stares us
at point-blank. There is an urgent need for change, one that is fast and effective, to ensure that
humans continue to survive and evolve on the planet that is our only home.

Some of the statistics shows that with a generating capacity of 150GW and estimated peak
demand of 103GW, we can serve a peak load of only 93GW. At the current annual generation
capacity of 1, 30,000 MW, India faces shortages of nearly 9 per cent; the peak load deficit is
higher at 10-11 per cent.

India is not only experiencing an electricity shortage but is also increasingly dependent on oil
imports to meet demand. The country’s ability to secure a reliable supply of energy resources
at affordable prices will be one of the most important factors in shaping its future energy
demand.

Look up at the tops of buildings, and on any given day, you are likely to find three, four or
six smokestacks poking out of each, blowing gray-black plumes into the clouds. If the
smokestacks are being used, it means the power is off and the building whether bright new
mall, condominium or office is probably being powered by diesel-fed generators.

The stock of coal and oil etc. will not last for long. So, there is a need to use renewable
sources of energy. This has led to increasing interest in renewable sources such as biodiesel,
solar energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, wave power, and wind energy etc. In our
opinion India must harness TIDAL ENERGY and we are proposing a plan for that here.
TIDAL ENERGY

Although not yet widely used, tidal power has potential for future electricity generation.
Tidal power, sometimes also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the
energy of tides into electricity or other useful forms of power. Tidal energy is generated by
the relative motion of the water which interacts via gravitational forces. Periodic changes of
water levels, and associated tidal currents, are due to the gravitational attraction by the Sun
and Moon. The stronger the tide, either in water level height or tidal current velocities, the
greater the potential for tidal energy generation. The power of tides can be harnessed in two
ways:

1. Barrage System
This involves building a barrage across a bay or river that has high and low tides. Turbines
installed in the barrage wall generate power as water flows in and out of the estuary basin,
bay, or river.

2. Tidal stream systems

Tidal stream generators draw energy from currents in much the same way as wind turbines. A
higher density of water (832 times that of air) means that a generator can provide significant
power, even at low tidal flow velocities (compared with wind speed). This method is gaining
popularity because of the lower cost and lower ecological impact compared to barrages.

WHY TIDAL ENERGY

Free-flow tidal power is fast emerging as the preferred technology for tapping ocean power.
Since it is underwater, it produces power whether the tide ebbs or flows, generating vastly
more power in a highly predictable manner, while providing economic efficiency and
environmental benefits. The turbines can be placed in the ocean or any river with a constant
current over two meters per second. It has one of the lowest impacts on the environment of
any means of energy production, according to a 168-page report released in 2006 by the
Electric Power Research Institute. Tidal power is also one of the most reliable renewable
energy resources. Scientists know the movement of the tides for the next 1000 years, which
means that power companies can accurately predict exactly how much power they will get
and when. Tidal turbines are somewhat better for the environment than the heavy metals used
to make solar cells. Since the sun only shines on average for half a day, solar is not always as
predictable due to cloud coverage. Although tidal and wind share the same basic mechanics
for generating electricity, wind turbines can only operate when there is sufficient wind and
they are sometimes considered aesthetically unappealing. Moreover, water is 1,000 times
denser than air, which means that the potential for generating each unit of energy per meter is
much greater than wind power can ever be. A tidal current turbine gains over four times as
much energy per meter squared of rotor as a wind turbine.

Since India is surrounded by sea on three sides, its potential to harness tidal energy has been
recognized by the Government of India.

THE SITE FOR SETTING UP THE PLANT

Even though we boast of a long coastline of 7,517 km, tidal energy cannot be produced
everywhere. It is extremely site specific, requires mean tidal differences greater than 4 m, and
also favorable topographical conditions, such as estuaries or certain types of bays in order to
bring down costs of dams, etc. The location that we have chosen for setting up our plant is
Gulf of Cambay. It is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of
Gujarat. It is about 80 miles in length. The Narmada and Tapti rivers empty into the Gulf.
The Gulf is known for its extreme tides, which vary greatly in height and run into it with
amazing speed. The maximum tidal range is 11 m with average tidal range of 6.77 m. For
efficient power production by a tidal stream system, current velocity >=2m/s is needed. The
mean current velocity in the Gulf of Cambay is 2.6m/s, which is sufficient. We have to install
our turbines at a depth of around 30m below the water level so that ships can easily pass
through that area. We will be installing our turbines at such a distance from the shore where
water depth is sufficient.

TECHNOLOGY USED

We are using tidal stream system because of the lower cost and lower ecological impact
compared to barrages. Marine current turbines are not a completely new technology, because
they are similar in many aspects to wind turbine, which are already well developed and
commercialized. They use a blade to extract the kinematic energy from ocean flow, convert
mechanical energy to electrical energy by generator, transfer the electricity to a shoreside
power conditioning station by underwater cable, and finally transmit the electricity by
overhead transmission line to an existing electricity grid. Tidal stream generators draw
energy from currents in much the same way as wind turbines. The higher density of water,
800 times the density of air, means that a single generator can provide significant power at
low tidal flow velocities (compared with wind speed). Given that power varies with the
density of medium and the cube of velocity, it is simple to see that water speeds of nearly
one-tenth of the speed of wind provide the same power for the same size of turbine system.

Here we are using swanturbines which has advantage over simple turbines. The
"Swanturbines" design is different from other devices in a number of ways. The most
significant is that it is direct drive, where the blades are connected directly to the electrical
generator without a gearbox between. This is more efficient and there is no gearbox to go
wrong. Another difference is that it uses a "gravity base", a large concrete block to hold it to
the seabed, rather than drilling into the seabed. Finally, the blades are fixed pitch, rather than
actively controlled; this is again to design out components that could be unreliable. Using
rotor dynamic modelling, this concept allows simple installation and maintenance retrieval in
both shallow and deep water and minimization of vibrations, hence increasing the
maintenance period.

 A gearless low speed generator offers a high efficiency over a range of speeds with minimal
maintenance demands through the use of novel structural and electromagnetic topologies.

A simple, robust and serviceable yawing mechanism is used for maximum flow capture. This
can increase power capture by up to 45% which is extremely advantageous in terms of cost of
energy.

Figure showing swan turbine

Turbine's specifications:

 Rated power=1.5MW
 Depth of Water Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) – 24m
 Depth of Water Mean Sea Level (MSL) –26.2m
 Depth of Water Highest Astronomical Tide(HAT) - 28.4m
 Nominal Generator Speed – 1000rpm
  Nominal Rotor Speed – 14.3rpm
 Tip Speed – 12 m/s
 Diameter of Rotor – 20m
 Mean Spring Current – 3.7m/s
 Max Current – 4.8m/s
 Rated Speed – 2.4m/s
 Spacing between two turbines in a row-30m
 Total height of the turbine- 40m
 Rotational axis-horizontal

IMPACTS ON ECOSYSTEM

Tidal turbines can have varying environmental impacts depending on whether or not fences
and turbines are constructed with regard to the environment. The main environmental impact
of turbines is their impact on fish. Tidal fences block off channels, which makes it difficult
for fish and wildlife to migrate through those channels. In order to reduce fish kill, we are
introducing fences with large spaces between the caisson wall and the rotor foil enough to
allow fish to pass through. We are also using a sonar sensor auto-breaking system that
automatically shuts the turbines down when marine mammals are detected. Unlike barrages,
tidal fences and turbines do not block channels or estuarine mouths, interrupt fish migration
or alter hydrology, thus, these options offer energy generating capacity without dire
environmental impacts.

COST ESTIMATION

The total estimated cost of setting up the plant is 100 crores. The investment is needed is for
various purposes like installing the turbines, getting the structural steel elements, subsea cable
cost, subsea cable installation, power conversion system and on-shore grid connection. The
distribution of these costs for various purposes is as shown below:
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COST

O&M costs are affected by component reliability, environmental factors, farm configuration,
and other factors. Contributors to each of these are as follows:

Component lifetime and failure rate:

 Blade
Support column
 Electricity generator
 Shaft
 Brake
 Cable
Environmental factors:
 Weather (Rain, fog etc)
 Sea conditions (wind and wave etc)
 Tidal flow speed
Farm configuration:
 Offshore distance
 Device geometry (size, shape etc)
 Farm size
Other factors
 Labor and materials discount rates
 Nominal operational life time of components
 Transmission coefficients
 Electrical efficiency coefficient
 Mechanical loading

The lifetime of the device will significantly affect O&M costs, both because older equipment
requires more attention, and because O&M costs incurred in the years furthest in the future
are the most highly discounted. Tidal turbine lifetime might be extrapolated from that of
current offshore platforms, which typically extend to 30 years or so. Designers of tidal
turbines in the UK and Canada have projected lifetimes of 20-30 years for their designs
(Pearson 2005). Although accurate estimates of operational lifetime of tidal turbines will not
be available until more experience is gained with full-scale devices, some cause for optimism
lies in the fact that pre-commercial testing of some near-shore turbines has resulted in
turbines operating without failure over a five-year period, despite the lack of a systematic
maintenance program. Farm size affects O&M costs for tidal turbines in a manner that is
similar to that for offshore wind farms, with the spacing between turbines being a key
variable. Turbine farms have two alternative spacing modes: (i) side-by-side, creating a “tidal
fence” and (ii) wide spacing. Spacing that is close decreases turbine efficiency because the
flow through each turbine affects the flow through its immediate neighbors.
Wide spacing, on the other hand, drives up maintenance by exposing more cable, and
requiring higher maneuverability of maintenance craft.

OUTPUT FROM THE PLANT

In India per capita power consumption is around 600 KWh per year. Population of Gulf of
Cambay region is near about 1 lakh. So, we have to produce 60GWh per year in order to meet
the energy demands of the people. The turbines that we are using have a rating of 1.5MW.
We are planning to install 20 turbines. Tidal turbines generate electricity for around 10hrs a
day. So annual total production of our plant will be 110 GWh. The energy left after serving
demands of the people can be used for industrial development of concerned region.

CONCLUSION

Our proposed plant is very much apt for serving our purpose by using renewable tidal power.
Gulf of Cambay is the ideal location for its setup as the environmental impacts have been
assessed and are generally considered to be insignificant.

Coupled with the recent announcements on concentrated solar power projects in the State,
this tidal power project has the potential to place Gujarat at the forefront of the fight against
climate change.  It has the potential to create a new local industry based on tidal power in the
State, creating hundreds of local jobs.

This project will come up with the solutions to the hurdles that India is facing in representing
itself as a developed economy in the global forefront.

REFERENCES
 http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/tidal_power.htm
 http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/tidal.htm
 http://www.eai.in/ref/ae/oce/oce.html
 http://www.kalpasar.gujarat.gov.in/mainpage.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_crisis
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_power