Tidal power test facility proposed for Maine river

[jpak]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/070215maritime.html

CASTINE - Maine Maritime Academy wants to establish a tidal power test facility in the Bagaduce River.

Officials submitted a formal application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this week for a preliminary three-year permit.

Maine Maritime Academy, which plans to collaborate with Cianbro Corp. and other partners, wants to create a place to test and evaluate tidal energy technologies, said Leonard Tyler, the college's president.

"This is a way in which we can expand our service as an educational resource, by providing a means to inexpensively and efficiently test the feasibility of renewable energy devices in Maine and other places," he said.

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[crim son]

1. Well, who knew?

I should have. :think:

[Tin Man]

2. Is "tidal power test facility" just a euphamism for "dam" ?

Article doesn't provide any technical details/specifics.

[intaglio]

3. Technically it would be a "Barrage"

(bah-raj and excuse me if I seem like I am talking down to you) The idea is to restrict the flow to allow energy to be extracted for the longest period of time. This will have an effect on wetlands both up and downstream of the site. Similar proposals have been made for the Mersea, Swansea Bay and the River Severn here.

[Tin Man]

4. Thanks for the info. That's the essence of what I was driving at:

To extract energy from the water, physics dictates there must be a difference in potential and/or kinetic energy on either side of the extracting device/system - normally called "head" in hydropower.

So right away, it occurred to me that a "tidal power test facility" may not be economically viable without some distortion of normal tide cycle profiles above/below the device. Environmental consequences (ecosystem health) should be carefully monitored as part of any such prototype.

[jpak]

6. They will test submerged tidal turbines (similar to wind turbines) and other tidal power generators

They are not constructing a barrage...

http://www.mgn.com/news/newsreleasedetails.cfm?id=5942&type=

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The proposed TEDEC would provide a dedicated site at which to conduct long-term evaluations of various tidal energy devices for the benefit of numerous constituencies including the device developers, government agencies, scientific and educational institutions, and the general public. Generic underwater foundations, anchor points, instrumentation and power cable connections back to a shore substation for six or more underwater test sites are part of the proposed ultimate installation plan. An operations center would be established in an existing or new structure located on the MMA campus that contains data collection and storage systems, workshops, offices, and electrical distribution and power control systems, including a new or expanded sub-station if required.

All tidal energy devices under consideration for testing at the proposed TEDEC would be subject to a preliminary evaluation covering environmental, safety, reliability, navigational hazards, and structural considerations, as well as suitable wet testing prior to their installation in the water at the proposed TEDEC. The proposal also requires an approved evaluation and study plan for each device.

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[GreenPartyVoter]

5. 3 cheers for my hometown