RT Journal Article
T1 Effects of tidal stream energy exploitation on estuarine circulation and its seasonal variability
A1 Sánchez Carricoba, Marcos
A1 Fouz, David Mateo
A1 López Moreira, Iván
A1 Carballo Sánchez, Rodrigo
A1 Iglesias Rodríguez, José Gregorio
K1 Tidal stream energy exploitation
K1 Impact assessment
K1 Residual circulation
K1 seasonal variability
K1 Upwelling
K1 3D numerical model
AB Residual flows are of major importance in coastal areas, driving environmental processes such as sediment transport or nutrient dispersion. Consequently, in those areas where a large tidal stream energy resource is available, prior to the installation of a tidal farm, it is imperative to assess how energy extraction affects the residual flows and, in particular, upwelling events. In this paper, the potential effects of different configurations of tidal stream farms on the residual circulation and its seasonality are analysed by means of a case study: Ria de Ortigueira, the westernmost of the Galician Rias Altas (NW Spain). For this purpose, a 3D numerical model was implemented and validated against field measurements. Next, a total of eight case studies, including the operation of bottom-fixed and floating converters under typical summer and winter scenarios, considering upwelling favourable winds, were studied. Overall, when a tidal farm operates, regardless of its configuration and the forcings considered, the resulting general residual flow pattern does not experience significant modifications. This pattern is characterized by a 2D circulation in the inner ria and a positive estuarine circulation in the middle and outer ria. The largest modifications of the residual flow are apparent in the vicinities of the plant, with maximum values of about 0.05 ms−1. Outside this area, the alteration is lower than 0.01 ms−1 and virtually negligible at some distance from the farm where upwelling events develop
PB MDPI
SN 2077-1312
YR 2022
FD 2022-10-20
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/44150
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/44150
LA eng
NO Sánchez, M., Fouz, D. M., López, I., Carballo, R., & Iglesias, G. (2022). Effects of Tidal Stream Energy Exploitation on Estuarine Circulation and Its Seasonal Variability. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 10(10), 1545. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10101545
NO This work was supported by the PORTOS project, which is co-financed by the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme, through the European Regional Development Fund (grant number EAPA_784/2018) and “Axudas para a consolidación e estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas nas universidades do Sistema Universitario Galego (2020–22)” with reference number ED341B 2020/25. During this work, I. López was supported by a postdoctoral grant of the “Programa de Axudas á etapa posdoutoral da Xunta de Galicia”, with reference number ED481D 2019/019. The authors are also grateful for the support of Science Foundation Ireland and MaREI, the Marine Renewable Energy Centre of Ireland, grant SFI MAREI2_12/RC/2302/P2 Platform RA1b.
DS Minerva
RD 8 jun 2026