Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
The Salish Sea has been identified as one of the top hotspots in the US for tidal stream energy development because of the presence of strong tidal currents in many tidal channels. To characterize the tidal stream energy resource, high-resolution and accurate current data are required. This presentation describes the development of a high-resolution tidal hydrodynamic model to support tidal stream energy development in the Salish Sea. The numerical model was based on the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model using the unstructured-grid framework. The model was validated using data derived from 10 real-time tidal gauges and 132 historical ADCP stations. A total of 16 tidal channels with strong currents were identified as hotspots for potential tidal energy development in the Salish Sea. Probability distributions and exceedance of the cross-channel average velocity were calculated at all 16 channels based on international standards for tidal energy resource characterization. The tidal energy resource at the 16 hotspots was also characterized using power density distributions and kinetic energy fluxes. The ranking of the kinetic energy fluxes suggested that Admiralty Inlet, Rosario Strait, and Middle Channel are the top three tidal energy hotspots in the Salish Sea. Because of the model covers the entire Salish Sea with extensive model validation, results from this modeling effort can also be used to support other estuarine applications such as effect of sea level rise, climate change and coastal community resilience.
Session Title
Poster Session 1: Applied Research & Climate Change
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-203
Start Date
26-4-2022 4:00 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 4:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Tidal power--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Tidal currents--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Hydrodynamics--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Characterizing Tidal Stream Energy Resource in the Salish Sea
The Salish Sea has been identified as one of the top hotspots in the US for tidal stream energy development because of the presence of strong tidal currents in many tidal channels. To characterize the tidal stream energy resource, high-resolution and accurate current data are required. This presentation describes the development of a high-resolution tidal hydrodynamic model to support tidal stream energy development in the Salish Sea. The numerical model was based on the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model using the unstructured-grid framework. The model was validated using data derived from 10 real-time tidal gauges and 132 historical ADCP stations. A total of 16 tidal channels with strong currents were identified as hotspots for potential tidal energy development in the Salish Sea. Probability distributions and exceedance of the cross-channel average velocity were calculated at all 16 channels based on international standards for tidal energy resource characterization. The tidal energy resource at the 16 hotspots was also characterized using power density distributions and kinetic energy fluxes. The ranking of the kinetic energy fluxes suggested that Admiralty Inlet, Rosario Strait, and Middle Channel are the top three tidal energy hotspots in the Salish Sea. Because of the model covers the entire Salish Sea with extensive model validation, results from this modeling effort can also be used to support other estuarine applications such as effect of sea level rise, climate change and coastal community resilience.
