Why can we use tides to generate electricity? What causes tidal phenomena?

In life, people usually call the vertical rise and fall of sea water tides, and the horizontal flow tidal currents. In order to indicate the time of the tide, the ancients usually called the high tide in the morning tide and the high tide in the evening tide. Tide is a normal natural phenomenon. Isn't it great that smart humans use tides to generate electricity? Do you know why we can use tides to generate electricity?

Contents of this article

1. Why can tidal power generation be used?

2. What causes tidal phenomena?

3. Is tidal energy a renewable energy source?

Why can we use tidal power to generate electricity?

When the tide is high, the seawater has great kinetic energy. At the same time, the water level gradually rises, which can convert kinetic energy into potential energy. When the tide is low, the seawater level gradually drops, and the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. The kinetic energy and potential energy of seawater when it is moving are collectively called tidal energy. The tidal reserves are huge and do not need to be mined or transported. It is a clean and pollution-free renewable energy.

Tidal power generation is the main way to utilize tidal energy. The principle of tidal power generation is to store seawater in the reservoir during high tide and preserve it in the form of potential energy.

When the tide goes out, seawater is released, and the difference between high and low tide levels is used to drive the turbine to rotate, thereby driving the generator to generate electricity.

What causes tidal phenomena?

Tidal phenomena are caused by the attraction between the Earth and the Moon. The attraction between the Earth and the Moon not only affects tidal changes, but also causes regular activities and changes in the Earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Depending on the different environments, they can be divided into ground tides, sea waves and air tides.

Tides generally occur in coastal areas and are a normal natural phenomenon. They refer to the periodic movement of sea water under the influence of tidal forces from celestial bodies.

In life, people usually call the vertical rise and fall of sea water tides, and the horizontal flow tidal currents. In order to indicate the time of tide, the ancients usually called the high tide occurring in the morning "tide" and the high tide occurring in the evening "tide".

Tides can be divided into three categories based on their periodic changes, namely semi-diurnal tides, diurnal tides and mixed tides. No matter which type of tide it is, a high tide will occur within two or three days after the first and fifteenth day of each lunar month.

Is tidal energy a renewable energy source?

Tidal energy is a renewable energy source. Tidal energy is the energy in the periodic rise and fall of seawater. The water level difference is expressed as potential energy, and the speed of the tide is expressed as kinetic energy. Both energies can be used. Tidal energy is a renewable energy source that does not consume fuel, has no pollution, is not affected by floods or droughts, and is inexhaustible.

Tidal phenomena are caused by changes in the moon's gravity. Tides cause the sea level to rise and fall periodically. The energy generated by the rise and fall of sea water and the flow of tides is called tidal energy.

The main way to utilize tidal energy is to generate electricity. The working principle of tidal power generation is similar to that of conventional hydroelectric power generation. It uses the potential energy of the water level difference caused by the rise and fall of the tide to generate electricity.

Among all kinds of marine energy, tidal energy is the most practical and simple to develop and utilize. China began to utilize tidal energy as early as the 1950s, making it one of the earliest countries in the world to do so.