Tidal Power for Maine

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris G on August 21, 2012 at 1:16am

That link isn't working and I wasn't able to find it on the discovery.com web site using the search term "tidal power". A number of years ago I read that what may be a similar system was being planned for use under the Golden Gate bridge. It was probably related to this EPRI article.

Permalink Reply by Tammy S on August 21, 2012 at 7:21am

It's not working for me either, it directs me to the Tech and Gadgets index page with 217 results.

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on August 21, 2012 at 10:26am

I don't have the faintest idea as to what is going on. It has worked for me on two computers and one of them is an antique. It gives me an associated Discovery article. I am in the Batimore area if that makes any difference but I don't see why it would. I don't have the foggiest about it. 

Permalink Reply by Tammy S on August 21, 2012 at 10:39am

I've  had this happen before, let me try it in another browser and see what happens.

Permalink Reply by Tammy S on August 21, 2012 at 10:40am

Same result with a different browser... weird.

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on August 21, 2012 at 2:37pm

I'll re-post it.

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on August 21, 2012 at 5:51am

The link is working for me. There are supposed to be a number of other tidal or river powered turbines either already in place or on the drawing board in the U.S. as well as worldwide.

Permalink Reply by Chris G on August 21, 2012 at 2:51pm

Using google I found the link but it still opened to the page Tammy described. Discover killed the link. John, you must be seeing it because it's in both your computers memory already. In the mean time here's a link to Mane Tidal Power. I wonder if it'll be built. It looks like it's dead. The schedule doesn't have any dates on it except the date the schedule was assembled. The SF project never started as far as I can tell.

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on August 21, 2012 at 3:34pm

I found it using google too but it gave me the correct Discovery article. I posted what I got to the abstract and deleted the old link. I don't know what's going on. If the link doesn't work for everybody I will kill the whole discussion.

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on August 21, 2012 at 3:42pm

The link works for me and the idea is something I find quite intriguing.

The technical issues strike me as being non-trivial, though, and I imagine that they have been long since dealt with.  Things like the inconsistency of the tide and resulting issues with generating a well-controlled 60 Hertz output.  Could be they're using DC generators, then using an inverter to go to the grid.

In any case, I'll be interested in hearing how this technology works out.

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on August 21, 2012 at 4:15pm

Tides are very powerful, free, we have a lot of coastal area and the turbines would be on the ocean floor out of the way of everything. I wonder if the link works for Chris and Tammy now.  

Permalink Reply by Chris G on August 21, 2012 at 7:15pm

it works now. I wonder what they do to protect fish. Loren, the frequency is locked in with the grid, but it has to be synched before being switched in so it has to have adjustable speed somehow. Maybe they synch it with the changing tide.