Marine Tidal Current Electric Power Generation Technology State of the Art and Current Status.pdf

Marine Tidal Current Electric Power Generation Technology: State of the Art and Current Status S.E. Ben Elghali, Student Member, IEEE, M.E.H. Benbouzid, Senior Member, IEEE, and J.F. Charpentier, Member, IEEE Abstract-The potential of electric power generation from However, due to technology limitations and economic marine tidal currents is enormous. Tidal currents are being considerations, osmotic and thermal energy developments are recognized as a resource to be exploited for the sustainable limited [1-3]. generation of electrical power. The high load factors resulting Only a fraction of the global ocean energy resource can be from the fluid properties and the predictable resource characteristics make marine currents particularly attractive for hfound in stes economically feasible to explore with the available power generation and advantageous when compared to other technology. However, ths fraction could still make a renewable energies. Moreover, international treaties related to considerable contribution to electricity supply. This is the reason climate control have triggered resurgence in development of why the marine renewable sector is currently the focus of much renewable ocean energy technology. Therefore, several industrial and academic research around the world [4-5]. Sites demonstration projects in tidal power are scheduled to capture with attractive wave climate and intense tidal currents are the tidal generated coastal currents. Regarding this emerging abundant in the vicinity of the European coastline. It has been and promising area of research, this paper reviews marine tidal shown that 48% ofthe European tidal resource is in the UK, 42% power fundamental concepts and main projects around the in France, and 8% in Ireland [6]. There are basically two ways of world. It also report issues regarding electrical generator generating electricity from marine and tidal currents: by building topologies associated to tidal turbines. Moreover, attempts are made~