Evaluation of extractable energy from tidal farm in the Qeshm canal using numerical flow simulation

  Increased use of fossil fuels has irreversible consequences such as global warming, ozone depletion, changes in rainfall patterns, sea level rise and detrimental effects on the lives of plants, animals and humans. Today, in many developed countries, energy such as wind and solar as well as marine renewable energy is used to reduce its harmful effects on the environment. The use of these energies is increasing rapidly and countries are studying new plans in this field. Almost all renewable energy comes from the sun, and the energy of the tidal is an exception. The origin of this phenomenon is related to the gravitational effect of the moon and the sun. Undoubtedly, among the natural phenomena used for energy extraction, the tidal has the highest continuity and predictability.

Researches show that the Qeshm canal in the Persian Gulf is one of the potential locations for the use of tidal energy. These turbines can effectively convert tidal energy into electrical energy. For this purpose, a large-scale three-dimensional model based on finite difference from the Persian Gulf was initially set up, which was validated using observational data including water level and flow velocity.  The results of this model were entered into the Qeshm 3D model as input data. The grid of this model is 20 meters. In the areas of Qeshm canal that have the highest flow velocity, a tidal farm was established to show the effects of the turbine and an additional term was added to the momentum equations.

In the Qeshm Channel, potential sites were identified. A tidal farm with 72 horizontal axis turbines was set up and the power output of the farm was investigated for one-month. Based on the modeling results of Delft 3D numerical model, the one-month power output of this field was estimated to be 33.15 MW.

The aim of this study was to investigate the amount of tidal energy in Qeshm canal. Using a numerical model, energy potential points in Qeshm canal were identified and a tidal farm was set up in Qeshm canal using porous plates. The amount of energy obtained from this farm was calculated.