Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI) recently announced that it has commenced operation of demonstration facilities for generation of power using tidal currents. The facilities were constructed in Myeongnyang Strait, Jindo County, Jeollanam Province, in the southwestern region of the Republic of Korea. The facilities started trial operation in May, and a sufficient level of performance was reportedly confirmed in about one month of this operation. HHI intends to commercialize tidal power as a form of renewable energy ranking alongside wind power and solar power.
The demonstration facilities drew on both propeller technology from HHI’s shipbuilding division and power generation technology from its heavy electrical equipment division. They are the first in the world to apply the direct-coupled power transmission method, in which the water wheel, gear, and generator are connected in a horizontal orientation under the water. They also have a higher durability and are installed with more than one water wheel to enable generation of power whether the tide is rising or falling. They have an output in the 500-kW class.
In September 2010, HHI verified the performance using test facilities consisting of a large water tank at its main plant in the city of Ulsan. In trial operation begun in May, it obtained an output per unit flow velocity in excess of the initial design target. The crew is going to analyze data from the operation and strive to develop a plant in the megawatt class.
As compared with other types of renewable energy, tidal power is able to generate power more steadily, 24 hours a day.
