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HYDRODYNAMIC MODELING AND FEASIBILITY STUDY OF
HARNESSING TIDAL POWER AT
THE BAY OF FUNDY
by
Jen Chang
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(CIVIL ENGINEERING)
May 2008
Copyright 2008 Jen Chang
Object Description
| Title | Hydrodynamic modeling and feasibility study of harnessing tidal power at the Bay of Fundy |
| Author | Chang, Jen |
| Author email | jenchang@usc.edu |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Civil Engineering |
| School | Viterbi School of Engineering |
| Date defended/completed | 2007-11-16 |
| Date submitted | 2008 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2008-03-12 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Lee, Jiin-Jen |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Chilingarian, George Wellford, L. Carter Wong, Hung Leung Moore, James Elliott, II |
| Abstract | Due to rising fuel costs and environmental concerns, energy generation from alternative power source has become one of the most important issues in energy policy. Tidal power is one of the alternative energy sources. The tidal range at the Bay of Fundy is the largest in the world (approximately 16 meters). It represents a prime location for harnessing tidal power using the daily rising and ebbing tide.; In this study, a two dimensional finite element model has been developed and applied to simulate the tidal responses, including water level and flow velocity, in the Bay of Fundy region. The simulation results are used to choose the suitable location for energy development and to predict possible energy generated from different types of generation methods.; Fluid motion is assumed to be governed by the shallow water equation since the wave length associated with tide is much longer than the water depth in the Bay of Fundy. By using a real time series of water elevation at the entrance of the bay, the computer model finds tidal response for each node in the study area, which is then verified by the observation record from several tidal gauge stations inside the bay.; This study shows that the at-site cost of the energy for barrage type tidal power plants is around $0.065 to $0.097 per kWh at the recommended Shepody Bay, Cumberland Basin, and Cobequid Bay. The cost of energy for the current turbine type tidal power plants is $0.13 /kWh to $0.24/kWh at the area with highest current velocity. Compared with the recent bill of the local power company, the at-site unit cost of energy from the barrage type of tidal power plant is feasible, but the environmental concerns of channel blocking by barrage present a formidable constraint. For the current turbine type of tidal power plant, even the most suitable sites are not financially feasible under current technology, but this type of power generation may become feasible as oil prices continue to increase and more efficient turbines become available. |
| Keyword | numerical modeling; tidal energy; Bay of Fundy |
| Geographic subject | bays: Fundy, Bay of |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m1048 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Chang, Jen |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Chang-20080312 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume17/etd-Chang-20080312.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | HYDRODYNAMIC MODELING AND FEASIBILITY STUDY OF HARNESSING TIDAL POWER AT THE BAY OF FUNDY by Jen Chang A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (CIVIL ENGINEERING) May 2008 Copyright 2008 Jen Chang |
