Simulation of a Tidal Current-Powered Freshwater and Energy Supply System for Sustainable Island Development

Yajing Gu, He Ren, Hongwei Liu (), Yonggang Lin, Weifei Hu, Tian Zou, Liyuan Zhang and Luoyang Huang
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Yajing Gu: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Zheda Rd. 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
He Ren: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Zheda Rd. 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
Hongwei Liu: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Zheda Rd. 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
Yonggang Lin: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Zheda Rd. 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
Weifei Hu: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Zheda Rd. 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
Tian Zou: Ocean Academy, Zhejiang University, Zheda Rd. 1, Zhoushan 316021, China
Liyuan Zhang: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Zheda Rd. 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
Luoyang Huang: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Zheda Rd. 38, Hangzhou 310027, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-24

Abstract: Sustainable development of islands cannot be achieved without the use of renewable energy to address energy and freshwater supply issues. Utilizing the widely distributed tidal current energy in island regions can enhance local energy and water supply security. To achieve economic and operational efficiency, it is crucial to fully account for the unique periodicity and intermittency of tidal current energy. In this study, a tidal current-powered freshwater and energy supply system is proposed. The marine current turbine adopts a direct-drive configuration and will be able to directly transfer the power of the turbine rotation to the seawater pump to improve the energy efficiency. Additionally, the system incorporates batteries for short-term energy storage, aimed at increasing the capacity factor of the electrolyzer. A simulation is conducted using measured inflow velocity data from a full 12 h tidal cycle. The results show that the turbine’s average power coefficient reaches 0.434, the electrolyzer’s average energy efficiency is 60.9%, the capacity factor is 70.1%, and the desalination system’s average specific energy consumption is 6.175 kWh/m 3 . The feasibility of the system design has been validated.

Keywords: tidal current energy; desalination; hydrogen production; energy storage; island sustainability; simulation modeling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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