Abstract:
The tidal current energy is a kind of marine renewable energy and has a vast range of prospects for making use of clean energy resources. The numerical simulation is used to assess the tidal current energy in the Jiangsu coast in this paper. The measured data are validated by a two-dimensional mathematical model for the tidal current along the Jiangsu coast. Based on the calculated results given by the mathematical model, the characteristics of the tidal current field along the Jiangsu coastal area are analyzed. 15 day tidal current simulation results are harmonized by use of a quasi-harmonic analysis method to calculate the harmonic constants of six tidal components, and then the maximum probable tidal velocity and the current density of the tidal current energy are obtained from the simulation calculations. Finally, the estimation methods are used to assess the tidal current energy in the key sea area. The simulated results show that there is a higher average tidal flow density in the south waters of the Yanweigang harbor, and within the waters the tidal current energy is mainly concentrating near the abandoned Yellow River mouth and in the waterway of the radiation bar in the north of Jiangsu Province, where the maximum value of the average energy current density is about 700~1 200 W/m
2, which is highly valuable for development and utilization, as a new and clean energy.