10.5061/DRYAD.ZW3R22853
Guillou, Nicolas
0000-0002-6227-8134
Centre d'Etudes et d'Expertise sur les Risques,
l'Environnement, la Mobilité et l'Aménagement
Neill, Simon
Bangor University
Thiébot, Jérôme
0000-0002-0038-1064
Normandie University
Spatio-temporal variability of tidal-stream energy in north-western Europe
Dryad
dataset
2020
2020-02-19T00:00:00Z
2020-02-19T00:00:00Z
en
28688403 bytes
3
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Initial selection of tidal stream energy sites is primarily based on
identifying areas with the maximum current speeds. However, optimal design
and deployment of turbines requires detailed investigations of the
temporal variability of the available resource, focusing on areas with
reduced variability, and hence the potential for more continuous energy
conversion. These aspects were investigated in some of the most promising
sites for tidal array development across the north-western European shelf
seas: the Alderney Race, the Fromveur Strait, the Pentland Firth, and the
Orkney channels. Particular attention was dedicated to asymmetry between
the flood and ebb phases of the tidal cycle (due to the phase relationship
between M2 and M4 constituents), and spring-neap variability of the
available resource (due to M2 and S2 compound tides). A series of high
resolution models were exploited to (i) produce a detailed harmonic
database of these three components, and (ii) characterize, using energy
resource metrics, temporal variability of the available power density.
There was a clear contrast between the Alderney Race, with reduced
temporal variability over semi-diurnal and fortnightly time scales, and
sites in western Brittany and North Scotland which, due to increased
variability, appeared less attractive for optimal energy conversion.
Tidal harmonic components from the analysis of numerical predictions in
western Brittany, the western English Channel, the Pentland Firth and the
Orkney archipelago.
See README file for further instructions