Tidal Power Flashcards
What is tidal power?
Tidal power is the term given to the attempt to harvest the energy associated with the movement of water due to the tides.
State the origins of the energy that makes tidal power possible.
The gravitation forces exerted by the Moon and Sun are not uniform across the globe. Areas of the planet closer to the attracting bodies experience a greater force. As surface water is free to move relative to the rest of the solid planet, water is pulled towards the attractive bodies. This creates the two tides each day, one close to the celestial bodies and one furthest away.
What happens to the tidal energy that is not harvested?
The energy is dissipated as frictional heat through the erosion of coasts, estuaries and sea beds.
The kinetic energy of the rotating system in decreasing, resulting in slower spins and the celestial bodies getting further away from each other.
Give the equation for the gravitational force between two bodies.
F = GM1M2/r^2
Does high tide occur in line with the centre of the Earth and the Moon?
No. The rotation of the Earth is much faster than the orbit of the moon, hence the high tide generated by the gravitation pull of the moon is sheared around by the rotation of the Earth. High tide therefore leads in front of this line joining the Earth and the Moon.
What is the maximum power that can be generated from a tidal barrier?
P = gpQH
