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The San Juan archipelago lies along the axis of tidal movement between Straits of Juan de Fuca and Strait of Georgia in the Salish Sea. The amplitude of the tidal exchange produces significant tidal currents between the islands, as well as in Rosario Strait to the east and Haro Strait to the west. These currents are of interest as a future source of electrical power generation, given the archipelago's dependence on electricity supply by a subsea cable from the United States mainland. Here, we evaluate the tidal current energy potential in this region through a re-analysis of measurements collected by the National Ocean Service (NOS) and a high-resolution numerical model. Given the considerable variations in water depth and vertical velocity profiles across candidate tidal energy sites, we consider the trade-offs between tidal turbines deployed from a floating platform and those anchored to the seabed. Measurement re-analysis indicates several locations that could support tidal current power generation by MW-scale turbines with an acceptable balance between turbine size, rated power, and capacity factor. Even for relatively large (30 m) turbine diameters, surface-deployed turbines would be expected to produce up to 30 % more electricity than the same turbine deployed near the seabed due to vertical shear, with this difference increasing for smaller diameter turbines. As anticipated for sparse measurements, the regional simulation identifies several locations with power generation potential more than twice as high as locations in the measurement re-analysis. These sites were either not surveyed or excluded due to data quality issues. A benchmark comparison at the measurement locations with the highest power generation potential shows relatively good model fidelity, though time-average power density disagreements of ± 50 % persist throughout the water column. In addition to the case study, we also treat three general considerations for measurement data: (1) the accuracy of energy generation estimates from hub height speed relative to rotor-averaged power density, (2) the feasibility of extrapolating profiles towards the surface and seabed, and (3) trends in energy generation with rotor size and position in the water column. Overall, these results demonstrate that models and measurements can be used in a complementary manner for tidal energy site assessment and that tidal currents could be an important source of electricity generation in the San Juan archipelago. • Locations in the San Juan archipelago could support tidal current power generation. • Turbines near the surface produce 30 % more power than those near the seabed. • Simulations indicate sites with more than 2x generation of those with measurements. • Hub-height speed is a good approximation for rotor-averaged kinetic power density. • Tangent or power law fits can be used to extrapolate measurements, when needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term, high-resolution, regional wave hindcast datasets were generated using unstructured-grid Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) models for the U.S. coastal waters to support nearshore wave energy development in the U.S. including those bordering U.S. territorial islands. The model domains resolved the entire U.S. exclusive economic zones, with a spatial resolution of approximately 200 m nearshore. The regional SWAN models were driven by the global WAVEWATCH III® model outputs and run for a 42-year period from 1979 to 2020. Extensive model validations were performed using buoy observations and altimeter data. Regional resource characterization was performed based on hindcast data points at 2 km from shore and along the 100 m isobath. Aggregations of wave resource parameters were produced, and spatial and seasonal variations were analyzed for all the regions. Wave resource metrics recommended by international standards, including a 3-h time series of six resource parameters, hourly frequency- and directionally resolved wave spectra at selected "virtual buoy" locations, and average-annual values of omni-directional wave power, significant wave height, and energy period are publicly disseminated through an Amazon Web Service and a Marine Energy Atlas web application tool to facilitate wave energy research and a wide range of coastal ocean applications. • 42-year regional hindcast datasets were generated for wave resource characterization in the U.S. • The hindcast datasets cover the entire U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone with 200 m resolution nearshore. • Spatial and seasonal variability of wave climate and resource was analyzed for different regions. • Aggregated resource statistics show the West Coast has the highest wave energy and the Gulf of Mexico the smallest. • Datasets are publicly disseminated through an Amazon Web Service open-data registry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite networks (SNs) are heterogeneous networks composed of typical functional domains, such as communication domains, observation domains, etc. Since the resources are independent among domains, and are highly dynamic with the movement of satellites, it is extremely difficult to capture the potential interaction relationship among various resources, even less to realize the coordinated scheduling of cross-domain resources in large-scale SNs. Motivated by these factors, we firstly propose a multi-aspect expanded hypergraph (MAEH) to accurately depict the Spatio-temporal features of resources in various domains as well as functional property, which is presented by different aspects. Particularly, the “aspect” can involve a group of resources with a similar feature in a hyperedge rather than a bilateral relationship between two individuals, thus the MAEH can dramatically reduce the redundant connections. By exploiting the MAEH, we model the multi-domain resource allocation problem in the form of mixed-integer linear programming to maximize the completed tasks. Through the topological nested characteristic of the MAEH, we propose a two-stage scheme to accomplish the resource allocation rapidly with lower computational complexity and to improve the resource utilization ratio efficiently. Simulation results validate that compared with the optimal performance, the executive time of the proposed scheme is average fivefold less under 4% extra communication resource cost. Besides, the resource utilization ratio improves over 15% by cross-domain collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energetic tidal streams are an especially attractive source of clean energy due to the daily occurrence of high tidal flows. However, before any deployment of tidal turbine farms, it is essential to perform a resource assessment depending on the scope and scale of the project. The International Electrotechnical Commission has developed a technical specification for assessing the tidal stream resource "IEC TS 62600-201" to aid in this effort: determine a particular site's feasibility and design the project layout. In this study, we implemented and validated a three-dimensional numerical model and provided results following the specification for a 'Stage 2' project layout design in a highly energetic tidal channel: Tacoma Narrows of Puget Sound, in the State of Washington, USA. Implementation of the numerical model based on the specification has helped estimate the annual energy production with higher model accuracy. We also used the same setup to evaluate the undisturbed theoretical and technical resources, where the latter included energy extraction from the flow field arranging a hypothetical tidal energy converter array. Ultimately, this work has shown the important role of the technical specification in larger project layout design, which can simultaneously act as a benchmark for other 'Stage 2' theoretical and technical resource assessment studies worldwide. • We conducted a 'Stage 2' tidal energy resource assessment following IEC Guidelines. • The Guidelines helped better predict the AEP required for project layout design. • The model validation and result reporting serve as a benchmark for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Salish Sea, a large estuary on the Pacific Northwest coast, represents a great tidal stream resource because of its strong tidal currents in many tidal channels. However, the tidal energy resource in the Salish Sea has not been systematically characterized. This paper presents a modeling study conducted to characterize the tidal energy resource in the Salish Sea based on a high-resolution tidal hydrodynamic model, which was validated using data derived from 10 tide gauges and 132 current stations. A total of 16 tidal channels with strong currents were identified as hotspots for potential tidal energy development in the Salish Sea. Probability distributions and exceedance of the cross-channel average velocity were calculated at all 16 channels based on international standards for tidal energy resource characterization. The tidal energy resource at the 16 hotspots was also characterized using power density distributions and kinetic energy fluxes. The ranking of the kinetic energy fluxes suggested that Admiralty Inlet, Rosario Strait, and Middle Channel are the top three tidal energy hotspots in the Salish Sea. The study demonstrated the need of a high-resolution modeling framework for accurate simulation of tidal currents in large complex estuarine systems, in the context of tidal resource characterization and assessment. • An extremely high-resolution Salish Sea hydrodynamic model was developed. • The tidal model was extensively validated with 132 ADCP measurements. • 16 top tidal energy hotspots were identified and ranked in the Salish Sea. • Tidal energy resource at hotspots was characterized with annual available power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) industry is at an early stage of development and has the potential to play a significant role in diversifying the U.S. energy portfolio and reducing the U.S. carbon footprint. Wave energy is the largest among all the U.S. MHK energy resources, which include wave energy, ocean current, tidal-instream, ocean thermal energy conversion, and river-instream. Wave resource characterization is an essential step for regional wave energy assessments, Wave Energy Converter (WEC) project development, site selection and WEC design. The present paper provides an overview of a joint modelling effort by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories on high-resolution wave hindcasts to support the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office’s program of wave resource characterization, assessment and classifications in all US coastal regions. Topics covered include the modelling approach, model input requirements, model validation strategies, high performance computing resource requirements, model outputs and data management strategies. Examples of model setup and validation for different regions are provided along with application to development of classification systems, and analysis of regional wave climates. Lessons learned and technical challenges of the long-term, high-resolution regional wave hindcast are discussed.

Lake Ontario, the smallest in surface area among the Great Lakes, is the last lake in the Great Lakes’ hydrologic chain. In this study, Lake Ontario’s marine renewable energy resources are characterized. The historical wave records reveal up to 8 m significant wave heights in Lake Ontario’s eastern basin. Furthermore, the lake’s historical water level data indicate that storm surges can get as large as 1 m near Port Weller and Burlington. The storms of November 13, 2003, and January 30, 2008, are estimated to produce a total theoretical potential energy of ~25 GWh. The lake-wide monthly mean wave power for the selected year 2011 is at its peak in October and November, exceeding 10 kW/m. On the other hand, it is estimated to be around 1 kW/m during late spring and summer. The present work is part of an extensive study attempting to characterize marine renewable energy resources for the entire Great Lakes and follows the recently published works on Lake Erie and Lake Michigan (Farhadzadeh et al., 2017; Velioglu Sogut et al., 2018). It is also the first study elaborating on the characterization of Lake Ontario’s marine renewable energy resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wave energy resource assessment is crucial for the development of the marine renewable industry. High-frequency radars (HF radars) have been demonstrated to be a useful wave measuring tool. Therefore, in this work, we evaluated the accuracy of two CODAR Seasonde HF radars for describing the wave energy resource of two offshore areas in the west Galician coast, Spain (Vilán and Silleiro capes). The resulting wave characterization was used to estimate the electricity production of two wave energy converters. Results were validated against wave data from two buoys and two numerical models (SIMAR, (Marine Simulation) and WaveWatch III). The statistical validation revealed that the radar of Silleiro cape significantly overestimates the wave power, mainly due to a large overestimation of the wave energy period. The effect of the radars’ data loss during low wave energy periods on the mean wave energy is partially compensated with the overestimation of wave height and energy period. The theoretical electrical energy production of the wave energy converters was also affected by these differences. Energy period estimation was found to be highly conditioned to the unimodal interpretation of the wave spectrum, and it is expected that new releases of the radar software will be able to characterize different sea states independently.

Numerical models combined with field measurements are regularly used to characterize tidal energy resources at potential energetic sites. However, most existing works only focus on the tidal hydrodynamic characteristics, and turbulence parameters are often not reported because of the lack of high-quality turbulence measurements and the limitations of numerical models in resolving turbulent eddies. In this study, we used FVCOM – a hydrostatic primitive equation (HPE) model – to characterize the tidal energy resource in the Western Passage, Maine, USA, by taking care of the essential macro-scale turbulence properties. We observed an excellent model performance using the Mellor–Yamada Level 2.5 Turbulence Model; estimating the spatial and vertical distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy and intensity added a new perspective to the site ranking for tidal energy converter (TEC) deployments. In addition, we also examined the role of channel geometry and bathymetry, such as headlands and underwater sills, in enhancing turbulent eddies around potential TEC siting locations. Ultimately, the detailed analysis of the turbulent flow characteristics has changed the site-ranking results and demonstrated that the regional-scale HPE models could be used for the relative understanding of more or less turbulent sites for a refined resource assessment. • A 3D ocean model is applied for tidal turbulence modeling and site characterization • Macro-scale turbulence statistics added a new perspective to the TEC site ranking • Bathymetric features enhanced turbulent eddies near potential TEC siting locations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical models have been widely used for the resource characterization and assessment of tidal instream energy. The accurate assessment of tidal stream energy resources at a feasibility or project-design scale requires detailed hydrodynamic model simulations or high-quality field measurements. This study applied a three-dimensional finite-volume community ocean model (FVCOM) to simulate the tidal hydrodynamics in the Passamaquoddy–Cobscook Bay archipelago, with a focus on the Western Passage, to assist tidal energy resource assessment. IEC Technical specifications were considered in the model configurations and simulations. The model was calibrated and validated with field measurements. Energy fluxes and power densities along selected cross sections were calculated to evaluate the feasibility of the tidal energy development at several hotspots that feature strong currents. When taking both the high current speed and water depth into account, the model results showed that the Western Passage has great potential for the deployment of tidal energy farms. The maximum extractable power in the Western Passage was estimated using the Garrett and Cummins method. Different criteria and methods recommended by the IEC for resource characterization were evaluated and discussed using a sensitivity analysis of energy extraction for a hypothetical tidal turbine farm in the Western Passage.

Cook Inlet in Alaska has been identified as a prime site in the U.S. for potential tidal energy development, because of its enormous tidal power potential that accounts for nearly one-third of the national total. As one important step to facilitate tidal energy development, a tidal hydrodynamic model based on the unstructured-grid, finite-volume community ocean model (FVCOM) was developed for Cook Inlet to characterize the tidal stream energy resource. The model has a grid resolution that varies from about 1000 m at the open boundary to 100–300 m inside the Inlet. Extensive model validation was achieved by comparing model predictions with field observations for tidal elevation and velocity at various locations in Cook Inlet. The error statistics confirmed the model performs reasonably well in capturing the tidal dynamics in the system, e.g., R2 > 0.98 for tidal elevation and generally > 0.9 for velocity. Model results suggest that tides in Cook Inlet evolve from progressive waves at the entrance to standing waves at the upper Inlet, and that semi-diurnal tidal constituents are amplified more rapidly than diurnal constituents. The model output was used to identify hotspots that have high energy potential and warrant additional velocity and turbulence measurements such as East Foreland, where averaged power density exceeds 5 kw/m2. Lastly, a tidal energy extraction simulation was conducted for a hypothetical turbine farm configuration at the Forelands cross section to evaluate tidal energy extraction and resulting changes in far-field hydrodynamics.

This paper presents a modeling study conducted on the central Oregon coast for wave resource characterization, using the unstructured grid SimulatingWAve Nearshore (SWAN) model coupled with a nested gridWAVEWATCH III® (WWIII) model. The flexibility of models with various spatial resolutions and the effects of open boundary conditions simulated by a nested grid WWIII model with different physics packages were evaluated. The model results demonstrate the advantage of the unstructured grid-modeling approach for flexible model resolution and good model skills in simulating the six wave resource parameters recommended by the International Electrotechnical Commission in comparison to the observed data in Year 2009 at National Data Buoy Center Buoy 46050. Notably, spectral analysis indicates that the ST4 physics package improves upon the ST2 physics package's ability to predict wave power density for large waves, which is important for wave resource assessment, load calculation of devices, and risk management. In addition, bivariate distributions show that the simulated sea state of maximum occurrence with the ST4 physics package matched the observed data better than with the ST2 physics package. This study demonstrated that the unstructured grid wave modeling approach, driven by regional nested grid WWIII outputs along with the ST4 physics package, can efficiently provide accurate wave hindcasts to support wave resource characterization. Our study also suggests that wind effects need to be considered if the dimension of the model domain is greater than approximately 100 km, or O (10² km). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An offshore wind energy resource assessment is presented. This includes techno-economic and social-ecological constraints. The theoretical total installed capacity is estimated using a wind climate dataset. Then techno-economic constraints are incorporated to assess the practical energy potential using water depth and proximity to high voltage transmission lines as the two limiting factors. The assessed area is the northern half of the Gulf of California, a marginal sea on the Northwestern Pacific coast of Mexico. Adding ecological constraints by incorporating natural resource systems, results in a techno-economic and ecologically viable offshore wind energy potential of 35% of the theoretical potential. Finally, social constraints are assessed by incorporating small-scale fisheries geographical information. When removing most of the fishing grounds the fully constrained potential is 2500 GW, only 13% of the theoretical wind energy potential. If areas used by only one community are included then this increases to 30% of the theoretical potential, or 5766 GW. The technical installed capacity for 6 MW turbines is 131 GW with fishing grounds exploited by at most one fishing community included, and of 52 GW for the fully-constrained problem, i.e. with no fishing grounds included. The latter is equivalent to 84% of Mexico's total energy production. Exploiting these resources would be crucial for the country's current and future sustainable development, but it is necessary to implement flexible and dynamic marine spatial plans, and include all stakeholders and regulators in the analysis and decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a test bed study conducted to evaluate best practices in wave modeling to characterize energy resources. The model test bed off the central Oregon Coast was selected because of the high wave energy and available measured data at the site. Two third-generation spectral wave models, SWAN and WWIII, were evaluated. A four-level nested-grid approach—from global to test bed scale—was employed. Model skills were assessed using a set of model performance metrics based on comparison of six simulated wave resource parameters and observations from a wave buoy inside the test bed. Both WWIII and SWAN performed well at the test bed site and exhibited similar modeling skills. The ST4 physics package with WWIII, which represents better physics for wave growth and dissipation, out-performed ST2 physics and improved wave power density and significant wave height predictions. However, ST4 physics tended to over-predict the wave energy period. The newly developed ST6 physics did not improve the overall model skill for predicting the six wave resource parameters. Sensitivity analysis using different wave frequencies and direction resolutions indicated the model results were not sensitive to spectral resolutions at the test bed site, likely due to the absence of complex bathymetric and geometric features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a statistical ocean current model based on data collected from the Gulf Stream along the Florida Straits. Due to the random nature of ocean current velocity, the model was described by a Gaussian probability density function. Like wind speed distribution, the power spectral density (PSD) of ocean current velocity is distributed over a wide range of frequencies but characterized by distinguishable peaks resulting from tidal currents. Accordingly, the total velocity was considered as a sum of the mean velocity and a random component. To account for the tidal effect, a tidal current component was added based on PSD values. In addition, the model was formulated as a function of normalized depth that could be used at any site for resource characterization. For validation, the proposed model was used to predict mean velocity and standard deviation at four different sites along the Gulf Stream. Predicted values were then compared with measured data at those four locations, and a good correlation was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important factor that needs to be considered by every Grid application end-user and systems (such as schedulers or mediators), during Grid resource selection and mapping to applications, is the performance capacity of hardware resources attached to the Grid, and made available through its Virtual Organizations. In this paper, we represent the performance of a computational Grid as a regression model that can be used to fine-tune the selection of suitable Grid resources. A study on the performance of distributed systems with respect to particular variations in parameters is presented. Our objective is to use a measurement-based evaluation technique to characterize the specific performance contribution of the individual Grid resource configurations. In the process, we identify the key primary parameters (or factors) that should be considered when selecting and allocating a computational node for user application execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal energy resource characteristics are presented from a multi-year field study in northern Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, WA (USA). Measurements were conducted as part of a broader effort to characterize the physical and biological environment at this location ahead of a proposed tidal energy project. The resource is conceptually partitioned into deterministic, meteorological, and turbulent components. Metrics with implications for device performance are used to describe spatial variations in the tidal resource. The performance differences between passive and fixed yaw turbines are evaluated at these locations. Results show operationally significant variations in the tidal resource over length scales less than 100 m, likely driven by large eddies shed from a nearby headland. Finite-record length observations of tidal currents are shown to be acceptable for estimating device performance, but unsuitable for direct investigation of design loads. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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This study develops and implements an interdisciplinary framework to provide a holistic examination of the potential for tidal stream turbines (TST) to displace diesel generated electricity in remote coastal First Nations communities in British Columbia. In doing so it seeks to answer the following research questions: what is the distribution of practical tidal resources in the study region, for which communities is tidal energy a potentially viable electricity source, and what are the benefits and challenges of TST development. GIS Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis and interviews with high level marine spatial planning decision makers are used to identify practical resource sites, bridge knowledge gaps, assess views towards TST development, and understand the desired characteristics of community energy systems. Additional techno-economic criteria for tidal site identification are included to identify communities that may be candidates for TST integration. Results illustrate the need for information provision to communities from resource quantification to characteristics of renewable energy technologies; self sufficiency as being the primary electrification driver; and funding/human resource capacity as being substantial barriers to development. Approximately 89.8 km2 of practical tidal resource is identified, with ≈21.9 km2 of techno-economically feasible practical resource in proximity to nine communities. Four communities appear to be promising candidates for tidal development, and overall results indicate significant interest within the study region for TST development. The interdisciplinary framework presented here provides a methodology that can be adapted and implemented in other jurisdictions to identify practical resources and incorporate social dimensions into MRE decision making. • A holistic interdisciplinary framework for identifying practical resources and views towards tidal energy. • Approximately 89.8 km2 of practical resource is identified in the region and nine candidate communities. • Funding and information to assess renewable energy options are the greatest barriers to electrification. • Self-sufficiency and community autonomy are the greatest drivers for TST development. • Support and buy in for tidal energy development is identified in the study region from First Nations and planning authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

End-of-life printed circuit boards (PCBs) are a complex secondary resource stock that continues to evolve more complexly in new generation devices. This is a major challenge in its physical processing. The value of precious and base metals loss to the -75 µm fraction generated during PCB comminution has been identified as a major constraint toward improving physical processing. Application of froth flotation for beneficiation of this fines fraction is conceivable, as each group of particles in the mix has distinct surface properties that can be exploited. However, recognizing the complex flotation system such a sample can produce, an informed discourse has been presented herein: starting from a characterization of the resource stock, then to a review of almost three decades of PCB physical processing, before attempting to simplify the flotation complexities. This overview is intended to be a springboard for detailed investigations into this theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As wave climates around the South Korean coasts are not predominated by a particular wave system, but rather supplied by multiple wind-wave systems, the assessment of the total wave power, an integration of the wave power over all frequencies and directions, is not helpful to wave energy converter technologies, which ideally operate within a narrow frequency-directional band. This study develops a new methodology for discerning wave energy hotspots for potential energy project sites and identifies dominant wave systems contributing large energy to the total wave power at each hotspot by analyzing frequency-directionally-temporally resolved joint wave power distributions. The joint distributions were computed using bulk wave parameters obtained from the most recent wave measurements ranging from 2008 to 2019. Three wind-wave systems, i.e., year-round northeasterly, southeasterly in summer, and northwesterly in winter, are the main energy suppliers, and determine resource attributes (e.g., frequency-directional spreading and seasonal variability) within the hotspots. This study demonstrates that the assessment of the dominant wave systems differs from that of the total wave power. While previous studies have highlighted the waters near Southern Jeju as a potential project site, having the largest total wave power, we observe that the wave system with a 6.0–7.0 s peak period from the NNE direction near Western Ulleung exhibits a higher energy density and a lower seasonal variability, which is a more desirable resource. The present study supports the scoping of energy projects and the optimization of wave energy conversion design targeting the dominant wave system and desirable resource conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wave energy resource assessment is crucial for the development of the marine renewable industry. High-frequency radars (HF radars) have been demonstrated to be a useful wave measuring tool. Therefore, in this work, we evaluated the accuracy of two CODAR Seasonde HF radars for describing the wave energy resource of two offshore areas in the west Galician coast, Spain (Vilán and Silleiro capes). The resulting wave characterization was used to estimate the electricity production of two wave energy converters. Results were validated against wave data from two buoys and two numerical models (SIMAR, (Marine Simulation) and WaveWatch III). The statistical validation revealed that the radar of Silleiro cape significantly overestimates the wave power, mainly due to a large overestimation of the wave energy period. The effect of the radars' data loss during low wave energy periods on the mean wave energy is partially compensated with the overestimation of wave height and energy period. The theoretical electrical energy production of the wave energy converters was also affected by these differences. Energy period estimation was found to be highly conditioned to the unimodal interpretation of the wave spectrum, and it is expected that new releases of the radar software will be able to characterize different sea states independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical models have been widely used for the resource characterization and assessment of tidal instream energy. The accurate assessment of tidal stream energy resources at a feasibility or project-design scale requires detailed hydrodynamic model simulations or high-quality field measurements. This study applied a three-dimensional finite-volume community ocean model (FVCOM) to simulate the tidal hydrodynamics in the Passamaquoddy–Cobscook Bay archipelago, with a focus on the Western Passage, to assist tidal energy resource assessment. IEC Technical specifications were considered in the model configurations and simulations. The model was calibrated and validated with field measurements. Energy fluxes and power densities along selected cross sections were calculated to evaluate the feasibility of the tidal energy development at several hotspots that feature strong currents. When taking both the high current speed and water depth into account, the model results showed that the Western Passage has great potential for the deployment of tidal energy farms. The maximum extractable power in the Western Passage was estimated using the Garrett and Cummins method. Different criteria and methods recommended by the IEC for resource characterization were evaluated and discussed using a sensitivity analysis of energy extraction for a hypothetical tidal turbine farm in the Western Passage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cook Inlet in Alaska has been identified as a prime site in the U.S. for potential tidal energy development, because of its enormous tidal power potential that accounts for nearly one-third of the national total. As one important step to facilitate tidal energy development, a tidal hydrodynamic model based on the unstructured-grid, finite-volume community ocean model (FVCOM) was developed for Cook Inlet to characterize the tidal stream energy resource. The model has a grid resolution that varies from about 1000 m at the open boundary to 100–300 m inside the Inlet. Extensive model validation was achieved by comparing model predictions with field observations for tidal elevation and velocity at various locations in Cook Inlet. The error statistics confirmed the model performs reasonably well in capturing the tidal dynamics in the system, e.g., R2 > 0.98 for tidal elevation and generally > 0.9 for velocity. Model results suggest that tides in Cook Inlet evolve from progressive waves at the entrance to standing waves at the upper Inlet, and that semi-diurnal tidal constituents are amplified more rapidly than diurnal constituents. The model output was used to identify hotspots that have high energy potential and warrant additional velocity and turbulence measurements such as East Foreland, where averaged power density exceeds 5 kw/m2. Lastly, a tidal energy extraction simulation was conducted for a hypothetical turbine farm configuration at the Forelands cross section to evaluate tidal energy extraction and resulting changes in far-field hydrodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]