Renewable Energy Focus  Volume 00, Number 00  October 2015 www.renewableenergyfocus.

com

SPECIAL FEATURE
Tidal power: A different perspective
Peter Dixon

Kepler Energy is taking a different approach to tidal power, applying a design that can be used in benign
sea conditions in a location closer to end-demand and which could generate utility-scale quantities of
power, as Peter Dixon explains.

The physical environment of tidal turbines is clearly very different
to that of wind turbines, not least because water is a lot denser than
air! However, despite the different tidal projects that have been
developed but not commercialised in recent years, the full impli-
cations of this are not fully understood. The physics involved is not
what has been assumed.
Logic and economics imply the use of transverse horizontal axis
turbines that span across the tidal flow. Using these transverse axis
machines, tidal energy ‘‘fences’’ can potentially extract utility-
scale quantities of power.
Kepler Energy’s approach has been, with the help of
Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science, to un-
derstand the physical environment and the consequences for
energy extraction, then apply a turbine design to achieve this
effectively.
So when three Professors at the Department of Engineering
Science at Oxford University decided that they should try to
design a more effective tidal turbine, this was a key factor. But to
Professors Guy Houlsby, Martin Oldfield and Malcom McCul-
loch, one further (in fact rather obvious) insight was that, in
order to ‘capture’ the maximum amount of tidal flow, the rotor
of the turbine itself should be transverse and horizontal – in
other words, it presents to the tidal flow a rectangular shape
rather than a circular shape. Wind turbines can be extended by
increasing the diameter of the rotor, within limits, but conven-
tional tidal turbines are limited in their diameter by the depth of
water. Being able to ‘stretch’ the rotor horizontally is a great
advantage.

What’s different?
In the early days of the tidal industry, it seemed obvious that tidal
turbines should be like wind turbines – basically, horizontal axis
axial machines – but stronger. It also seemed clear that these
machines would be subject to the Betz Limit, which describes
the maximum amount of energy that can be extracted from a
flowing fluid, such as air. But there is a major difference between
the underwater environment and air – there is a free surface, and
this causes the fundamental physics to be subtly different. The
theory of this is now well understood.
The key insight is that, in circumstances where there is significant
blockage (where the area of the turbine is large relative to the flow of
Kepler Energy has worked closely with its supply chain to produce robust
water – for example where the diameter of a transverse turbine is
designs that will satisfy the arduous demands of operation offshore at a
50% of the depth of water), the power output becomes more a highly competitive cost. It uses the latest carbon composite technology and
function of head efficiency than of the velocity of the flow. In other the simplicity of the patented truss design ensures the minimum of moving
words, the turbines extract potential energy as well as kinetic parts exposed to tidal dlow, whilst electrical equipment and controls are
energy. housed in dry columns.

1755-0084/ß 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ref.2015.09.012

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 SPECIAL FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURE
FIGURE 1
To maximise power output, blockage needs to be optimised, and this can be done by stretching a series of transverse horizontal axis machines across the
tidal flow in the form of a tidal fence. In the right location, these fences could be 10-15 km long, with peak power outputs of 600+MW.
Whilst the shape in itself is not novel, there is a problem with
making a structure strong enough to withstand the very large
forces involved in generating vary large quantities of power. The
solution is to make the entire rotor structure a three dimensional
stressed truss – and this patented solution permits the construction
of rotors of considerable size, enough to generate over 2MW each
at tidal velocities of 2 metres per second.
To maximise power output using these machines, blockage
needs to be optimised, and this can be done by stretching a series
of transverse horizontal axis machines across the tidal flow in the
form of a tidal fence, and it is envisaged that in the right location,
these fences could be 10 to 15 kilometres long, with peak power
outputs of 600+MW.
Figure 1 shows the advantage of this type of design. As can be
seen, they require less supporting structure, fewer generators,
controls and mechanisms (there are no yawing or feathering
mechanisms required), and they offer water-tight deployment
of generators and controls.
While the Kepler Turbine has been designed in partnership with Oxford
University, the research programme was undertaken at the Newcastle
University flume, and supported by the Technology Strategy Board. The
image here shows the 1:20 model THAWT rotor being lowered into the test
flume before power and stress measurements.
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Renewable Energy Focus  Volume 00, Number 00  October 2015
To investigate the potential power output of tidal fences in the
Bristol Channel, detailed modelling has been undertaken at Ox-
ford by both the ETI Perawat project and Kepler Energy. The work
shows the potential power output of fences in various locations,
and demonstrates how fences might interact with each other.
In addition, the testing of the prototype has given power output
results which validate the results of the computer modelling. It is
partly this work which has convinced Kepler Energy to move
ahead with a proposed 30MW demonstration fence. The other
part of the equation has to do with cost.
A different approach to cost
The industry as a whole has found it difficult to get turbines into
the water and generating – it’s been time consuming and ex-
pensive. Any new technology will require time and development
effort to succeed. But the locations chosen to develop the
turbines have also been the most difficult in which to exploit
new ideas. Because power output is proportional to the cube of
the tidal velocity, the natural instinct was to head for the areas
with the highest velocities, such as the north of Scotland and
The Orkneys.
The difficulty with this is that the sea conditions – high winds,
high seas and, obviously, rapid tides – and the depths required,
mean that accessing the machines is challenging and so expensive,
even with the most modern and powerful vessels. In addition, the
remote locations mean that there is little local demand for any
electricity generated, meaning that an expensive transmission
system must be constructed. So, the costs all add up.
Why not make life a bit easier and go for more benign
sea conditions in a location closer to end-demand? The issue
here is that, almost by definition, the tidal velocities are lower.
However, because tidal fences which exploit the blockage phe-
nomenon can have very high power outputs despite the appar-
ently quite low kinetic energy available, these more benign
conditions can be exploited. For example, the Bristol Channel,
excluding the shipping lane, has appropriate depths for a tidal
fence, has sea conditions which permit access for a higher
proportion of the time than in the Orkneys, using ‘off the shelf’
equipment, and has grid transmission system and power de-
mand close by.
Renewable Energy Focus  Volume 00, Number 00  October 2015
Will the proposition make money?
The benign conditions alone are not enough to ensure that costs
are low enough to bring costs down to below the level of
offshore wind, although there is clearly a big impact upon
operating costs. Kepler Energy has worked closely with its
supply chain to produce robust designs which will satisfy the
arduous demands of operation offshore at a highly competitive
cost. Programme management has been handled by Altran,
famous for its Solar Impulse PV powered plane, and Gurit has
been responsible for detailed design of the carbon composite
stressed truss. Mojo Maritime has developed the installation
strategy, Royal Haskoning DHV has advised on environmental
requirements, whilst GE has worked with Kepler Energy on the
electrical system.
The price for the generated electricity is clearly a critical input to
the profitability equation. Commentators often ask how it is that
renewable sources of energy have ‘such high costs when the price
of electricity is only (say) £45/MWh’? But they don’t also ask the
question, why is the ‘wholesale’ price what it is?
Published work from DECC indicates that even so called low cost
technology, CCGT, would have a full cost of around £60 to £110/
MWh depending upon the capex and hydrocarbon price assump-
tions, and even more with Carbon Capture and Storage. The
conclusion must be that current price levels are set by the marginal
economics of fully depreciated old assets (coal and nuclear) and
that future prices must rise to encourage new build of capacity –
whether these prices are made available in some free market
system or through a system of price support such as the Feed in
Tariff with Contracts for Difference, one or the other or both are
necessary.
Kepler Energy through its work referred to above, is confident
that tidal fences in the UK can be profitable under the current CfD
regime. But there are many other areas of the world where such
technology can be used. For example, appropriate cost versions
are ideally suited to the islands of Indonesia, where the competi-
tion comes from diesel generation. Areas of the coastline in Korea,
Japan and China are well suited to the application of tidal fences
since they have the characteristics – lower peak tidal velocities
and lower depth – for which the Kepler Energy turbine is so well
suited.
SPECIAL FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURE
The rotors designed by Kepler Energy will be installed using simple,
existing marine technology as shown here, eliminating the need for
expensive specialist vessels. The company says it is confident its tidal
fences can be profitable in the UK under the current CfD regime, while
appropriate cost versions are ideally suited to the islands of Indonesia and
areas of the coastline in Korea, Japan and China.
Conclusion
We have seen that the physical environment of tidal turbines is
clearly very different to that of wind turbines and that the full
implications of this are not well understood in the industry. Logic
and economics imply the use of transverse horizontal axis turbines
that span across the tidal flow. Using these transverse axis machines,
tidal fences can potentially extract utility scale quantities of power.
Kepler’s approach has been, with the help of Oxford University’s
Department of Engineering Science, to properly understand this
physical environment and the consequences for energy extrac-
tion, then apply a turbine design which will generate electricity
profitably.
Subject to planning and financing, the initial Bristol Channel
1 km £143m tidal fence, which is likely to be located in the
Aberthaw to Minehead stretch of water, could be operational by
2020/21.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Dixon is Chairman of Kepler Energy.
FURTHER READING
Kepler Energy: http://www.keplerenergy.co.uk