Tidal Power Plants:
- Tidal Power plants are the ones in which tidal energy gets generated.
- It is renewable source of hydro energy which is available due to rise and fall of tides which occurs twice a day.
- The tides are caused due to the gravitational attraction of moon and sun upon the rotating earth.
- The highest level of tidal water is known as flood tide or high tide and the lowest level of tidal water is known as ebb tide or low tide.
- The level difference between high and low tides is called tidal range.
- The tidal range of 5 m and above available in particular locations can be utilized to operate a hydraulic turbine.
- The mechanical power of the turbine can be used to run a generator to produce electrical power.
- In case of power generation by tides, the water during high tides is first trapped in an artificial basin and then it is allowed to escape during the period of low tides.
- The water wie escaping is utilised to run a hydraulic turbine coupled to a generator.
- The first tidal power plant was commissioned by General De Gaulle at La France in 1966.
- The three main components of a tidal power plant are:
- The power house
- The dam (barrage) to form basın
- Sluice ways from the basin to the sea and vice versa.
Advantages of Tidal Power:
- Advantages of Tidal power plants are as follows:
- Firstly, Energy is freely available and inexhaustible.
- Secondly, Power can be used to meet local needs of coastal area and for peak loads.
- Power is ensured round the year though its operation is intermittent.
- It is pollution free.
- Lastly, it is unaffected by the vagaries of monsoon.
Disadvantags:
- Disadvantages of Tidal power plants are as follows:
- Firstly, Cost of plant is high and needs long constructional period.
- Secondly, not many locations are suitable for installing such a system.
- Power developed is on limited scale only.
- Sedimentation of basins is a problem.
- Sea water is corrosive.
- It has uneven operation.
- Lastly, marine life is affected.