Author(s): Nejc Coz, Reza Ahmadian, Roger A. Falconer
Linked Author(s): Nejc Coz
Keywords: Severn estuary, renewable energy, tidal power, hydraulic structures, Delft3D
Abstract: With the increasing awareness about climate change and rising prices of fossil fuels, the demand for renewable energy is rapidly growing and so is the popularity of tidal energy production. To date, only a few small scale tidal power plants are in operation. However, this is about to change. The number of studies on this topic is fast increasing. Severn Estuary is one of the most talked about sites when it comes to tidal range power production as it has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world. The Hydro-environmental Research Centre at Cardiff University has a rich legacy of research on the topic. In this paper the Delft3D software is used to develop a hydraulic model that will be used for future studies of tidal range structures at the department. The model is validated against observation data and compared to results from the literature. The Delft3D code has to be modified to accurately represent turbines and sluice gates. Simulations are performed both in 2D and 3D
Year: 2017