The role of different positions of tidal turbines for energy extraction in Qeshm channel

The use of renewable energy instead of oil and gas reservoirs in the Persian Gulf can be a good platform for renewable energy farms. This study investigates the energy generated by the tidal flow velocity in the Qeshm channel, using a three- dimensional hydrodynamic model, MIKE3, Flow Model FM. By installing a hypothetical tidal turbine from Voith Company, with a diameter of 1 m at seven different stations of the model (respectively from east to west of the channel), the tidal energy from the horizontal flow of the area is calculated. In the mentioned simulation, wind stress and thermohaline flow are ignored so that the dominant current is the current caused by the change of water level due to the tide. The flow velocity pattern in spring and neap tides at Higher High Water (HHW) was then analyzed at the seven stations. The energies of the simulated currents showed that the east side of the channel had more energy potential on the days of spring tides, so that at IP1 station, in the first spring tide, 175 watts of electricity is generated, which in the second spring tides decreases by 28.5%. On the other hand, the west side of the channel had the potential to generate electricity in neap tides. Station IP6 had the potential to generate electricity in both the spring and neap tides, which had more neap tides potential than the spring tides. The difference in power generated in the first and second neap tides at IP6 was only 0.7%, which is less than 30.2 W compared to the first and second spring tides. Therefore, it can be said that according to the shape of the region, the second bend of Qeshm channel was a more suitable place for energy extraction with the assumed tidal turbine in the region.