The Systematic Design Methodology of a Tidal
Turbine Connected to the Electrical Grid
Rajae Gaamouche, Abdennebi EI Hasnaoui, Abdelbari
Redouane
Electromechanics Department
National Superior School ofMines
Rabat, Morocco
raja.escom@gmail.com
Abstract-Growing concern over the threat of global
climate change, and the ineluctable depletion of raw energy
resources have led to an increased interest in research and
development of renewable energy technologies. The ocean
provides a wide potential energy resources, and as renewable
energy technology develops, investment in ocean energy is likely
to grow. Research in ocean thermal energy conversion, wave
energy, tidal energy, and offshore wind energy has led to
promising technologies. This paper aims to give an overview of
the development of a design methodology of a production line
based hydroliens connected to the electrical grid. We also present
the principle of recovery of the energy of tidal currents by the
turbines and the main component elements of the conversion
chain of a hydroliens, a mechanical sensor (turbine), an electric
generator, static converters and means of energy storage.
Keywords-Renewable energy. Marine technologies. Tidal
current. Hydroliens. Energy converter.
I. INTRODUCTION
The ocean represents more than 70% of the surface of the
terrestrial sphere, the potential energy which it contains is
naturally very large [1]. It is thus capital to develop powerfid
solutions which will allow a sure and economic exploitation of
these energies. This dynamics of development is stimulated by
an ambitious political will of the public authorities in the
countries having these resources like France, Canada, China,
Russia, India, Filipino, South Korea, the United Kingdom,
Norway, Northern Ireland and the United States [2]. ... On the
other hand, there is no initiative on the African continent
despite its important maritime surface [2].
In this context we are conducting bibliographic research on
the different tracks related to the exploitation of marine energy
and the possibility of integration of these new forms of
renewable energy in Africa and particularly in the Moroccan
coast. Some are virtually unknown as derived energy marine
biomass or have little recognition as ocean thermal energy.
Then it will be a question of the wave energy which offers an
impressive pallet of concepts. Also the sector for which the
studies and the prototypes take in popularity concerns the
offshore wind which benefits from the developments of
onshore wind. Then the energy of the tides which offers great
978-1-5090-5713-9/16/$31.00 ©2016 IEEE
Bouchra Belhorma
National Centre ofEnergy, Science and
Nuclear Techniques
Rabat, Morocco
belhorma@cnesten.org.ma
prospects thanks to the very good predictability of the marine
currents. The exploitation ofthis resource saw, during the years
1960 the emergence of the first tidal power plants such as the
dam of the Rance. Although this technology is mastered, the
negative impact on ecosystems and the low number of sites at
high potential limited the development and the exploitation of
the energy of the tides by the technology of the tidal power
plants. Consequently, the hydrolien systems constitute a good
alternative to exploit the energy of the tides. This solution
involves placing turbines associated electromechanical devices
in ocean dumping in areas where the tide develops strong
currents [3][4]. This allows to produce electric energy locally
on the site and send subsequently to the electric grid on the
ground. Finally, we will finish by the concept which concerns
us in this paper with the hydro lien energy where we will
describe and express the systematic design methodology of a
tidal turbine connected to the electrical grid.
11. CLASS1FICATION AND DESC1PTION OF T1DAL ENERGY
The energy from tidal currents can be c1assified as shown in
Figure l.
Marine energies horizontal axis
vertical axis
Tidal power
whit oscillating wings
Figure I. Classification of energy tidal currents
A. Tidal power
It results from the exploitation ofthe potential energy ofthe
tide by using the differences in level between high and low
tide. It is collected by using the variations of the sea level,
while filling, then by emptying tanks via turbines[5].The first
tidal power plant dedicated to a production of significant
electrical energy is the tidal power plant ofthe Rancid one, it is
equipped with 24 turbines of 10MWand can reach a
production of 550GWh a year. Also the tidal power plant of
Sihwaen South Korea having apower of 254MW. In Canada
the infrastructure of Annapolis is a small tidal power plant of
Marie!
20MW which produces 30GWh a year. In China, the tidal
power plant of Jiangxia has a working instalIed capacity of
3,2MW. In Russia another similar project was carried out
(Kislaya Guba Power Facility).
Although the energy potential of tidal power plants is
important and the technology mastered, industrial development
ofthis technology has been relatively slow.
B. Hydrolien energy
It transforms the kinetic energy of the currents of the tides
by turbines called hydrolien, their advantage is their
predictability for years in advance [6]. There exist 3 different
technologies of hydro lien turbines:
• The horizontal axis turbines: They can be free-
flowing and in this case are much like wind
turbines. This is the case ofhydrolien 1,2MW with
2 rotors of the British company Marine Current
Turbine Ltd. The Norwegian company
Hammerfestd Strom also developed a 300kW
hydro lien with 20m diameter rotor. One can also
cite the company Lunar Energy limited, in
partnership with Rotech, which conceived a
hydro lien to produce 1,5MW for a current velocity
of approximately 3m/s.
• The vertical axis turbines: They are similar to the
Darrieus type turbines. The axis of the rotor is
perpendicular to the stream flow and there is no
need of a mechanism to turn the rotor in the
direction of flow. In Canada, Blue Energy
develops Davis Hydro turbine based on 2 vertical
rotors. In Italy, the company Ponte di Archimede
International has paten ted a new turbine called
Kobold. The turbine is installed here as a floating
structure. The Gorlov helical turbine Lucid Energy
Technologies (USA) uses 3 blades inc1ined
curves. Their shape eliminates vibrations of
c1assical Darrieus turbine.
• The Turbines oscillating wings: the water flow
through the wing causes a vertical displacement in
an oscillating motion. The Company Engineering
Business Ltd in Scotland has developed a 150kW
prototype tested in 2002 and 2003. Also the
British company Pulse Tidal built a 100kW
prototype based on using 2 oscillating wings
mounted in tandem.
III. THE SYSTEMATIC DESIGN METHODOLOGY OF A TIDAL
TURBINE CONNECTED TO THE E LECTRICAL GRID
A system for producing tidal power, whatever its
technology converts kinetic energy of tides into electricity
supplied to the load or network. This conversion occurs in two
steps [7] [8] :
• Kinetic energy conversion in mechanical energy at
the level ofthe turbine,
• Mechanical energy conversion in electrical energy
at the level ofthe generator.
The synoptic diagram of the conversion principle of a
hydro lien is presented on the figure below.
Turbin Generator Converter
Tidal
- - -
Kioetic Mecbanical Electric
energy energy energy
Cooversioo Cooversion
cinetique-mecaoique mecanique-electrique
Figure 2. Principle of energy conversion of a tidal turbine
A. Phenomenon of the tides
Before installing a hydrolien, it is necessary to precisely
study the resources of the considered site. For that, it is
necessary to know the physical phenomenon of the tides which
introduces the currents of tide and to know the speed of these
currents.
The tide is the variation of the sea level due to the
gravitational action of the Moon and the Sun, whose
movements can be calculated with precision over periods of
several hundred years. It is regarded as the sum of strictly
periodic elementary waves, called harmonic components, some
of which are associated with the movements of the stars. Each
harmonic is a sinusoid whose amplitude and phase depend only
on the observation place. Thus, the height of the tide at one
moment t can be expressed by the following formula [9]
h (t) = Zo+ Lf=l[ Ai cos (Wi t - <Pi)] (1)
Where Zo mean level around whose the level of water
oscillates, Ai the amplitude of wave i, <Pi the phase of wave
i, Wi the pulsation of wave i, and t time.
One characterizes the strength of the tide by its coefficient.
Figure 3 presents the variation of the difference between high
and low successive (marling) and variations in tidal
coefficients (2 tides per day) in March 2016 at the port of
Casablanca. This variation shows that:
•When the marling and the coefficient of tide pass
by a maximum the tide is known as spring tide. It
corresponds to the phase of the new moon and full
moon.
• When the marlingand the coefficient of tide pass
by minimum, the tide is called neap. It
corresponds to the first phase and last quarter of
the moon.
Concerning the possibility of calculating the current
velocity of the tides at a given time and in a given point,
according to the coefficient oftide and hour that it is compared
to the full sea, one can use either the data measured by the
Moroccan Royal marine, or the data predicted by the
Hydrographic and Oceanographic Marine (SHOM) of France.
The following is the main formula to determine the current
velocity[ 10] [8] :
V . = V + (C-45)(Vst- Vnt) (2)
ttde nt (95-45)
Where the coefficients C, Vstand Vntrespectively represent:
the coefficient of the tide, the white water speed and the
A
deadwater speed. The Cp coefficient depends on the type of propeller, the
number of blades and of the specific speed coefficient noted
A. This last is the ratio between the linear speed and the fluid
velocity:
A= ..E.!!.... (5)
Vtid e

With n (radis) the speed ofrotation ofthe turbine, R(m) the

diameter of the turbine and v (m I s) the speed of currents.
The relations (4) and (5) will allow us to establish a set of
10 15 20 25 30 35
characteristics determining the available power as a function of
numbe r of d ays the turbine rotation speed for different water speeds.
C. Kinetic conversion - Mechanical

I-- 1
____ C
C21 The need to increase the energy production of a hydro lien
requires a very good adaptation between the source of
90
production (the association of hydroliennes) and the electrical
grid. This fact leads us to treat the various electromechanical
60
chains of conversion (machines + converters) making it
possible to convert mechanical energy present on the tree ofthe
hydro lien into electrical energy. Two types of
electromechanical converters are generally used in hydrolien
10 20 25 30 35
industry for electrical energy generation . These converters are
numbe r of d ays asynchronous generators with double supply or permanent
magnet synchronous generators. For a given application, the
Figure 3. A : Marling variation in March 2016 to the port of Casablanca type of generator is selected according to technie and economic
B:Variation ofthe coeffi cient ofthe tide in March 2016 to the port factors (presence or not of the multiplier, operation at variable
ofCasablanca speed, generation of the high powers, mode of grid coupling
... ) [12] .
B. Model of the turbine
A tidal turbine is a machine that must meet the following The use of these two types of generators gives to the
criteria: hydro lien the opportunity of direct or indireet connection to the
electrical grid (figure 4).For this we opted for modeling both
• Resist to the hydrodynamic forces of the current, machines in order to choose the best configuration
• Turbine weil the flow of water from the flood corresponding to the optimal output for electrical energy
and ebb to produce mechanical energy, production[13] .
• Transform the mechanical energy into electrical The control strategies of the hydro lien systems are based
energy, on the variation of the mechanical power characteristics as a
• Export electricity production to the ground grid, function of the speed of the tidal current, and the electrical
• Do require little maintenance, power as a function ofrotation speed[14] .
• Do not disturb navigation and biota, At the machine side, the case of low and high sea current
• Produce energy at an acceptable cost. speeds are analyzed, evaluated and compared. When the speed
of the tidal current is less than a nominal speed, the strategy
The recoverable power Phyd is expressed by the following known as Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is used. It
equation: consists in controlling the couple in order to regulate the
_ 1 3
Phyd - zP A Vtide (3) number of generator revolutions. When the speed of tidal
currents is greater than the nominal value, the mode of MPPT
is changed into mode of power limitation[ 15] [16]
This power depends on the water density p, of surface (A)
swept by the marine propeller, and on the speed of the fluid The grid is regulated so as to maintain the DC voltage
Vtide , thus the power of the resource increases very quickly constant and a unit power-factor.
with the current velocity, and it is considered that the hydro lien
becomes interesting ifthe current exceeds 2 mls. However only
part of this power is recoverable, and its turbine is modeled by
the law of Cp (reactivity power coefficient) which translates its
capacity to extract the power from the marine currents [11]
_ 1 3
Pm - zP A CpVtide (4)
 asynchronous generators
TIdal
with double alimentation AC 50 Hz
IF,=========~~~
synchronous generators
permanent
Figure 4.A: The connection ofa tidal turbine
system to the power grid through asynchronous
generators with double alimentation.
B :The connection of a tidal turbine
system to the power grid through where
synchronous generators permanent
magnet
IV. CONCLUSION
In this work we presented the different forms of tidal
energy such as tidal current and tidal power. Also we proposed
two methodologies of systemic design of a hydrolien
application connected to the electrical grid, the first was
through synchronous permanent magnet generators with
direct connection and the second was through asynchronous
generators with double alimentation and indirect connection.
As perspective to this work, we will study the hydrolien
energy potential in Moroccan and perform modeling of the
cited methodologies to determine the advantages and the
disadvantages of each configuration.
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