¿Qué es la ENERGÍA MAREOMOTRIZ? 🌊 (Cómo FUNCIONA, tipos y características)

Scientific concepts, discoveries, and nature phenomena

• Tidal energy (ocean/marine energy): Energy obtained from the movement of ocean tides—the rising and falling of sea level.
• Energy conversion mechanism:
  • Turbines convert tidal motion into mechanical motion.
  • A connected alternator/generator converts mechanical motion into electrical energy.
• Distinction from wave energy:
  • Tidal energy comes from tides (regular sea-level changes).
  • Wave energy comes from surface waves (wave motion).
• Renewable energy characteristics:
  • Renewable and available year-round.
  • No greenhouse gas emissions during production.
  • Often considered efficient due to the density of water.
  • Can be matched to demand by adjusting turbine speed (e.g., slowing turbines reduces output).
  • Predictability: tides can be predicted in advance, enabling system designs optimized for expected conditions.

Methods / types of harnessing tidal energy (outlined)

1) Tidal stream generators

• Also described as using turbines similar in concept to wind turbine blades.
• Capture the kinetic energy of moving tidal currents.
• Mentioned as widely used due to lower cost.

2) Tidal dams (tidal barrages)

• Typical placement: bays, estuaries, or rias where seawater penetrates and there is at least ~5 m difference between high and low tide.
• Operational sequence (as described):
  1. Build a dam to control water movement.
  2. Gates open as tide rises, letting water flow into a reservoir.
  3. When the reservoir is full, gates close.
  4. As sea level falls, a water-level difference forms between reservoir and sea.
  5. Intake gates open to release reservoir water back to the sea through turbines.
  6. Flow turns the turbine’s propeller, and a generator produces electricity.

3) Dynamic tidal energy

• Described as theoretical (not fully developed).
• Concept: harness energy from the interaction of tidal potential and kinetic energy using long structures (example given: 30–50 km from the coast into the ocean) to exploit phase differences in tides and create sea-level differences.

Researchers or sources featured

• No specific individual researchers or credited sources are named in the provided subtitles.