Northern Tidal Flows: Reliable New Power Source for Quebec?
This proposal involves tapping the lunar orbit, one of the
largest “wheelworks of nature” to which humanity has access. Distance
and climate challenges are obstacles, along with politics, cost and choice
of transmission technology.
by Harry Valentine and Mary-Sue
Haliburton
for Pure Energy Systems News
James
Bay in summer 2000
The large reservoirs supply water for "James Bay I"
which is also known as La Grande Riviere hydroelectric
development. Reservoir Robert-Bourassa" represents attaching
the name of the Quebec Premier to the body of water which on older
maps is named "Reservoir La Grande Deux" (Second Big
[River] Reservoir).
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Introduction
Hydroelectric power has long been the biggest source of electric energy
in the Province of Quebec. Because building new mega-hydroelectric dams in
Quebec has become a politically and environmentally sensitive issue,
Quebec has chosen to encourage the development of wind-generated electric
power as one of the clean alternative energy sources that could add the
province's generating capacity.
The export of hydroelectric power from Quebec's James Bay
mega-hydroelectric installations to the Northeastern United States earns a
substantial amount of revenue for the Government of Quebec, as does
re-selling power generated in Churchill Falls and purchased from the
easternmost province Newfoundland and Labrador.
The mega-hydroelectric projects were expanded until Native groups and
environmentalists voiced opposition, on the grounds that valleys and
habitat for wildlife were being destroyed. They also raised the subject of
mercury poisoning that typically occurs following dam construction. (Ref.
1) Noise from environmentalists in New York State resulted in a law
being enacted that forbids the import of any new electricity that is
generated at a mega-hydroelectric installation. That law compelled former
Quebec premier Jacques Parizeau to cancel the hydroelectric mega-project
that had been planned for RiviËre Grand Baleine (The Great Whale Project,
also referred to as James Bay II).
Climate Change Threatens Hydroelectric Output
There is a risk that future weather patterns could reduce summer
rainfall over the watershed region that supplies water to Quebec’s
existing large dams.
Low rainfall during the summer droughts of 2003 and 2004 caused water
levels to drop to near-critical levels in the reservoirs of Quebec's James
Bay hydroelectric reservoirs. Climate change is believed to have been the
cause of the reduced rainfall in parts of the Northern Hemisphere during
those years. Therefore, developing alternate and complementary methods by
which to generate electricity from renewable sources may soon become
essential in Quebec. The region’s long-term economic future may depend
on such development.
Present Constraints
The wind energy developments in Quebec will only be able to fulfill a
very small percentage of future power demand. Power generated from wind is
intermittent and occasionally unreliable.
Quebec has prided itself on generating electric power from clean,
renewable and environmentally friendly sources of energy such as
hydroelectricity and wind. The perceived will of the population of Quebec
suggests a preference that any new electric power be generated from
similar sources of energy. Options such as coal, natural gas or nuclear
power have very limited popular support in Quebec. During an earlier
period in Quebec's history and well prior to the nationalization of
electric power by Quebec Energy Minister Rene Levesque during the early
1960s, coal-fired power stations actually did exist in Quebec and supplied
a substantial amount of electric power.
The Oceanic Option: Harnessing the Moon
Technological developments are presently evolving in the field of
generating electric power from ocean tides and ocean currents. There is a
strong potential for this source of electric power generation to become
cost-competitive with hydroelectric power while being more reliable than
wind energy. Submersible water turbines are presently being tested in
rivers and in offshore ocean locations in various parts of the world.
New York State has recently proposed to tap into that source of energy
by installing tidal turbines in the Hudson River near New York City. (Ref.
2) A similar situation occurs on the St. Lawrence River at Quebec City
(Lauzon) where the height of the river can fluctuate by as much as 15 feet
as shown by an official Canadian government webpage on water levels and
tides across the country. (Ref.
3)
The biggest ships that presently sail into the St Lawrence River have
keel depths of up to 60-feet (18-m). The depth of the central channel of
the river east of Tadousac, Quebec exceeds 200 metres. It may be possible
to install marine turbines below the depth of ships' keels in the St
Lawrence River and to the northeast of Matane, Quebec.
This technology could potentially become a future means by which a
portion of Quebec's electric power may be produced in the future and
become a complementary technology to gravity-based river-flow
hydroelectric power generation.
Oceanic Power in Northern Quebec
The rotation of the earth causes the gravitational pull of the moon to
pull an incredible volume of water from the North Atlantic Ocean through
Hudson Strait and into the massive expanse of Hudson Bay. The result is
that a very powerful current flows on the south side of Hudson Strait
along the Quebec North Shore between Cap Hopes Advance and Cap de
Nouvelle-France. Tidal (1) stations located along Hudson Strait provide
hourly information about water height at various points in the strait.
The data from these tidal stations suggest that potential to generate
electric power from ocean currents may also exist in the channel between
the Northwest corner of Quebec and Nottingham Island. There may also be
similar potential in the narrow and shallow channel between the eastern
end of Charles Island and Cap de Nouvelle-France.
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Ungava
Bay
Location of strongest tidal flows are in the far north,
approximately twice as far from the main population centres
as the existing James Bay hydroelectric development. |
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Tidal tables provide information on duration of high tides and the
direction in which the water is flowing. The incoming tide typically lasts
for an average duration of 5 hours for every 12-hour cycle. Most of the
receding tide flows on the north side of Hudson Strait; however, a portion
of this returning tide, lasting between 2 and 4 hours in every 12-hour
cycle, flows along a small section of coast in Northern Quebec.
The tables are based on data from tidal stations located west of Cap
Hopes Advance. The tidal stations are located at: Diana Bay, Douglas
Harbour, Deception Harbour, Sugluk and the tidal station at Port de
Boucherville at the eastern end of Nottingham Island. The following tables
provide information on rising tides.
Times and Heights (metres) of Rising Tides
|
Time of Day: |
04:00 |
05:00 |
06:00 |
08:00 |
09:00 |
10:00 |
11:00 |
12:00 |
|
Diana Bay |
0.7 |
1.7 |
3.6 |
5.8 |
9.3 |
9.6 |
|
|
|
Douglas Hbr |
0.4 |
0.9 |
2.2 |
4.1 |
7.5 |
8.1 |
|
|
|
Deception Bay |
0.4 |
0.4 |
1.0 |
2.1 |
3.4 |
4.5 |
5.2 |
5.3 |
|
Sugluk |
|
0.4 |
0.9 |
1.8 |
3.0 |
4.2 |
4.9 |
5.1 |
|
P.d. Boucherville |
|
0.1 |
0.6 |
1.5 |
2.6 |
3.7 |
4.3 |
4.4 |
Cap Hopes Advance to Cap de Nouvelle-France:
Diana Bay is located east of Douglas Harbour and both are located on
Quebec’s North Shore between Cap Hopes Advance and Cap de
Nouvelle-France. At the same time, the incoming tide rises to a higher
level at Diana Bay than at Douglas Harbour and indicates a westward
flowing current along this region of Quebec’s North Coast. The height
differences provide a basis by which the speed of the current may be
calculated (square of speed = gravity x 2 x height). At 4:00AM, the
difference in height (0.7 – 0.4 = 0.3m) yields a speed of V =
2.4228-metres per second (square root (9.8 x 2 x 0.3). The difference in
tidal height of 1.8-metres occurs from 8:00AM to 9:00AM and would yield a
calculated maximum theoretical speed of 5.939-metres per second.
If a submerged turbine of 1000-square-metres “swept area” were
located in this stream, its peak theoretical output at 25% efficiency
would calculate to 26.8-Mw. The output at 4:00AM with a height difference
of 0.3-m would calculate to 0.73-Mw at 10% efficiency (power = 0.5 x
water-density/gravity x velocity cubed x efficiency). An undersea farm of
submersible turbines could be located off the coast between Cap Hopes
Advance and Cap de Nouvelle-France. The table below represents the typical
maximum theoretical power output of a turbine of 1000-square-metre area
over a 5-hour period:
|
Power of 1000-square metre turbine operating at 25% efficiency |
|
Time |
5:00AM |
6:00AM |
7:00 |
8:00 |
9:00 |
10:00 |
|
Height |
0.8-m |
1.4 m |
1.7-m |
1.8-m |
1.8-m |
1.5-m |
|
Speed |
3.96m/s |
5.23m/s |
5.77m/s |
5.94m/s |
5.94m/s |
5.42m/s |
|
Power |
7.96Mw |
18.4Mw |
24.6Mw |
26.8Mw |
26.8Mw |
20.4Mw |
|
Potential of 124 Megawatt-hours per 12-hour cycle (2-cycles per
day) |
It may be possible to place up to 100 turbines in the coastal water
between Cap Hopes Advance and Cap de Nouvelle-France and generate a total
of 2 x 124-Mw-hr x 100 = 24800-Mw-hr per day (9-TWh per year). The
selected locations must be deep enough allow pack and drifting ice to pass
over the top of turbines secured to the ocean floor.
Northwest Quebec to Nottingham Island:
A channel of 35-km width is located between the northwestern corner of
Quebec and Nottingham Island. Tidal stations are located at Port de
Boucherville on Nottingham Island and to the east of the channel at Sugluk,
Quebec. The following table gives data pertaining to height differences,
water flow rates and power capabilities (of a turbine of 1000-square-metre
swept area, 25% efficiency) in the channel that is estimated to have a
depth of 150 metres.
|
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Channel between Northwest Quebec and Nottingham Island |
|
Time (AM) |
6:00 |
7:00 |
8:00 |
9:00 |
10:00 |
11:00 |
12:00 |
|
Height |
0.3-m |
0.3-m |
0.4-m |
0.5-m |
0.6-m |
0.7-m |
0.9-m |
|
Speed |
2.42m/s |
2.42m/s |
2.8-m/s |
3.13m/s |
3.43m/s |
3.7-m/s |
4.2-m/s |
|
Power |
1.82Mw |
1.82Mw |
2.81Mw |
3.93Mw |
5.17Mw |
6.51Mw |
12.7Mw |
|
Strait* |
35.8Gw |
35.8Gw |
55.2Gw |
77.1Gw |
102Gw |
128Gw |
186Gw |
*This is the total power potential in the entire channel
(620-Gw-hr over 7-hours).
Vertical-axis turbines built to heights and widths of over 100 metres
may be possible and yield a swept area of 10,000-square metres. The power
output of such a turbine would rise to 18.2-Mw in a stream that flows at
2.42-m/s. Up to 100 such turbines could be placed across the channel
between Nottingham Island and the northwest corner of Quebec. An output of
some 34000 MW/hr of power over a cycle of 5 hours would theoretically be
possible, giving a daily output of 68,000 MW/hr of or 24.75 TWh of power
per year (5.5% of the total potential in this channel). It may be
realistic to convert up to 2% of the potential in the channel to useable
power (9-TWh per year).
The Receding Current:
After the high tide period is complete, the tide recedes from Hudson
Bay and Foxe Basin. Tidal stations as Sugluk and at Deception Bay (both
located west of Cap de Nouvelle-France on the north coast of Quebec)
reveal that a receding current occurs in this region. A receding current
moves eastward along the north coast of Quebec and into a channel that
lies between this coast and Charles Island. The eastern end of Charles
Island is located directly north of the proposed tidal station at
Deception Bay.
The channel cross-section decreases between Deception Bay and Cap de
Nouvelle-France (narrower to 15-km and shallower to less than 50-m depth
at the minimum cross-section north of Cap de Nouvelle-France). The
decrease in channel cross-section could cause the current could to
accelerate to a higher velocity at the minimum cross-section. However, the
shallower water raises the risk of ice impacts on the turbines, so some
measures may have to be developed to re-direct or break up any ice that
could threaten the undersea generating facilities.
Data pertaining to the receding current is shown in the table below:
|
Eastbound Receding Tide toward Cap de Nouvelle-France |
|
Time |
13:00 |
14:00 |
15:00 |
16:00 |
17:00 |
|
|
Sugluk |
3.8m |
2.7m |
1.6m |
0.8m |
0.6m |
|
|
Dec.Bay |
3.7m |
2.4m |
1.3m |
0.7m |
0.5m |
|
|
Height |
0.1m |
0.3m |
0.3m |
0.1m |
0.1m |
|
|
Channel Entry Speed |
2.42m/s |
2.42m/s |
1.4m/s |
1.4m/s |
|
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*Max.Vel |
2.8m/s |
4.84m/s |
4.84m/s |
2.8m/s |
2.8m/s |
|
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**Power |
2.8-Mw |
14.5-Mw |
14.5-Mw |
2.8-Mw |
2.8-Mw |
|
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Potential per turbine of 37.4-Mw-hr over cycle of 5-hours |
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Time |
00:00 |
01:00 |
02:00 |
03:00 |
04:00 |
05:00 |
|
Sugluk |
4.9m |
4.1m |
3.0m |
1.9m |
1.0m |
0.5m |
|
Dec.Bay |
5.0m |
4.0m |
2.8m |
1.5m |
0.7m |
0.3m |
|
Height |
-0.1m |
0.1m |
0.2m |
0.4m |
0.3m |
0.2m |
|
Channel Entry Speed |
1.4m/s |
1.98m/s |
2.8m/s |
2.42m/s |
1.98m/s |
|
*Max.Vel |
|
2.8m/s |
3.96m/s |
5.6m/s |
4.84m/s |
3.96m/s |
|
**Power |
|
2.8-Mw |
7.94-Mw |
22.5-Mw |
14.5-Mw |
7.94-Mw |
|
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Potential per turbine of 55.68-Mw-hr over 5-hours |
|
Total Potential per Turbine: 93-Mw-hr per day or 0.0338-TWh per
year. |
*Max.Vel denotes maximum theoretical current velocity at
narrowest point of channel.
**Power from counter-rotating vertical-axis turbine system that is 25-m
high by 40-m wide (1000 square metres) operating at 25% efficiency.
Channel has width of 15000 metres and depth under 50 metres. Up to
100-turbines in the channel could produce an annual output of up to
3.38-TWh.
The power that can be generated from ocean currents along the northern
coast of Quebec can be added to the potential for tidal power that exists
in Ungava Bay. A research group from British Columbia has done this
tidal-power research on electrical power potential around the country’s
long coastline. The Canadian Government’s Department of Natural
Resources commissioned a study which highlights these northern locations
as being among those with the greatest potential. (Ref.
4)
This energy is repeated, reliable, and occurs on schedule every day.
The only drawback is that part of this capacity is highest when this part
of the country is asleep.
Quebec has already in place an option for storing electric power
generated during off-peak times from ocean currents, ocean tides and wind.
This energy could be used to pump water into hydraulic storage at several
existing hydroelectric dams where water has been in short supply lately
due to apparent climatic shift in rainfall patterns. . This topped-up
water supply can then be used to drive the existing turbines during peak
hours.
If under drought conditions fresh water is insufficient, storing tidal
electricity as hydraulic potential could involve taking salt water from
James Bay to fill lower-level reservoirs.
No new land vegetation is likely to grow on the floor of the dams when
they are full of fresh water or temporarily empty during periods of
drought. Pumping ocean water into hydraulic storage would therefore
maintain the existing conditions as far as vegetation is concerned.
Freshwater fish in the rivers upstream may be affected to some degree if
back-mixing of water occurs. However, if these rivers dry up due to
extreme drought, fish die-off is likely to occur anyway.
The option of pumping ocean water into hydraulic storage during
extended period of drought has the potential to keep large segments of the
Quebec economy functioning, and help to support those of nearby states and
provinces through export.
Icebergs:
The turbines between Nottingham Island and the northwest corner of
Quebec may be installed so that their uppermost levels would be below the
depth of icebergs that float overhead. A second alternative would be to
use cables that are suspended from buoys and strung across the entrances
to channels. The semi-submerged cable would be secured to land at both
ends. Such cables may be used across the channels between Charles Island
and Cap de Nouvelle-France as well as between Nottingham Island and the
northwest corner of Quebec. The cables may be suspended at a depth that
would simultaneously allow clearance for ships’ keels while restraining
errant icebergs.
The cross-channel cables at Cap de Nouvelle-France may be used to
restrain icebergs and as well as to maintain the locations of floating
pontoons that suspended the turbines in the shallow channel. The turbines
located between Cap Hopes Advance and Cap de Nouvelle-France would need to
be installed below the bottom levels of icebergs. It will be necessary to
study ice buildup, movement, and breakup patterns to avoid areas where
unusual ice walls or pressure ridges that may extend below the average
depth would be able to form. Monitoring would also be required to provide
an alert if an unusual ice blockage is starting to occur, so that it can
be dislodged in time.
Political Constraints:
The installation of ocean current turbines in Hudson Strait would
require the approval of Canada’s federal government as well as the
governments of Quebec and of Nunavut, as well as the James Bay and any
more northerly First Nations. Submersible turbines that generate electric
power from ocean currents may only be installed following successful
negotiations amongst the differing levels of government. There is
potential for power to be generated from ocean currents and ocean tides at
various locations around Baffin Island, including at several locations in
Hudson Strait.
Long Distance Transmission of Power:
The distance from the far northern coast of Quebec to the southern
regions of the province may discourage development of the ocean power
potential. The very rugged terrain of the pre-Cambrian Shield and the
hostile climate in winter also raise the cost of installing and
maintaining traditional long-distance electrical transmission lines. This
cost as well as energy losses along the long-distance power transmission
lines would be the predominant reason to discourage development of the
project.
One option would be to install the turbines, and use the electricity to
generate hydrogen that may be sent by ship to customers, and possibly sold
to any new-generation ships which may be built to burn hydrogen in their
engines.
Another option would be to undertake further development of a wireless
long-distance power transmission technology. Small-scale versions of this
technology already exist and have been used to transmit electric power
between task-specific microwave dishes. Such a system would reduce
dependence on vulnerable wiring, and line-of-sight towers could be located
much farther apart on elevations of land, possibly reducing costs by
lessening the quantity of materials required. (Ref.
5)
A more dramatic possibility exists for those who follow Nicola Tesla:
wireless transmission employing charge separation. However, despite
several attempts, Canadians have not been able to stickhandle this option
past the political and financial barriers. (Ref.
6)
These new directions in transmission technology offer the potential of
lower capital costs, lower construction costs and reduced energy losses
over extreme distances such as exists between the north coast of Quebec
and James Bay.
# # #
REFERENCES:
Ref. 1: Hudson
Bay/James Bay Watershed Ecoregion - By means of nine dams and 206
dikes, the company diverted four major rivers into the mighty La Grande,
flooding 7044 square miles of forested land. This was only the start of
the damming and diverting of the rivers in the La Grande watershed, where
another 38 dams and 461 dikes are still planned. Thus has begun the most
massive and destructive engineering and river-replumbing scheme in history…
Ref. 2: Companies
vie to install America’s first tidal energy plant - A report on the
discovery channel showed a new type of slow-turning blades that would not
damage fish proposed for the Hudson river.
Ref. 3: http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/english/Canada.shmtl
Ref. 4: http://www.triton.ca
- Click on the "Downloads" icon to obtain pdf document. P. 24
refers to
Ref. 5: http://www.mhi.co.jp/tech/pdf/e406/e406340.pdf
Ref. 6: Wireless
Transmission: A Century of Power Politics Tussles Over "Free"
Energy's Price Tag - Hidden political interests repeatedly block
attempts to bring this energy-saving and cost-saving technology into
being. How long will the drama continue before North Americans are able
obtain access to that which Russians scientists have already achieved?
CONTACT:
Harry Valentine may be reached at <harryc {at} ontarioeast.net >
Feedback
Rance Tidal Power Station near St. Malo, France
On Aug. 22, 2006, New Energy Congress member,
Jonathan Bonanno, wrote:
Tidal Power: from the source.
This James Bay project would be very good for Quebec and the American
North East, as tidal energy is totally renewable and green. Blue Energy is
a company out of Vancouver, Canada that is doing research and
implementation of tidal energy systems.
Last week, I was at the Rance Tidal Power Station near St. Malo, France.
The system has a maximum throughput of 18,000 m3/second! Built in 1961 -
1966, this facility is still cranking out power 4 times per day for
300,000 households. 24 bi-directional "bulb turbines" are at the
heart of the energy production, which have been fitted with anode and
cathode electricity voltage to prevent oxidation and equipment
degradation.
What an amazing facility and visitor center (300,000 visitors/year),
sponsored by EDF (French National Electricity)!?! 600 million kWh/year -
all green and inexhaustible. There was some initial concerns from
environmental groups about local fishery and habitat, which were studied
intensely. All studies have revealed that Rance is a total success.
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