Promotion of the utilization of natural energy is urgent as a countermeasure to global warming. There are several kinds of energy resources in the ocean: waves, thermal differences, tidal levels and tidal currents. A feasibility study on tidal current power generation in Kanmon Strait, Japan is introduced in this report. A variable mesh version of the Marine Environmental Committee ocean model is used to reproduce the tidal current and to learn the distribution of tidal kinetic energy. Based on the simulation results, the optimal location for installation of a power plant is determined. The electric power created by a propeller type generator with a 10m diameter is also calculated as the average annual consumption of a household and availability of the power generation by the tidal current in Kanmon Strait is discussed.

Volume Subject Area:
Ocean Engineering
Keywords:
Kanmon Strait, Generation of electricity, MEC ocean model, Numerical simulation
Topics:
Electric power generation, Oceans, Tides, Energy generation, Climate change, Computer simulation, Countermeasures, Currents, Electricity (Physics), Energy resources, Generators, Kinetic energy, Ocean waves, Power stations, Propellers, Simulation results
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Copyright © 2003
 by ASME
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