Tidal energy resource characterisation in the Dover Strait by using VHF radar and ADCP measurements

Overview & Synopsis

A methodology of tidal flow resource assessment in the eastern English Channel is presented. The study is performed using surface velocity time series recorded by VHF radars and ADCP velocity measurements. The most energetic area is located west of Cape Gris Nez with the peak velocity of 2.5 m/s, mean velocity of 1 m/s, and spring tide average velocity of 1.4 m/s. Velocities exceeding 1 m/s are observed more than 50% of time there. Averaged velocity profiles derived from ADCP data were obtained for different tidal stages and approximated by a power law function. Using velocity time series provided by the radars, the power law expression for velocity profiles and the power density time series in the surface and bottom layers were generated. The results show that the highest value of power density attains 0.9 kW/m2 in the surface layer west of the Cape Gris Nez, with a peak value of 5 kW/m2. In the rest of the domain, the mean power density varies from 0.1 to 0.6 kW/m2.