Assessment of tidal stream energy potential in the mouth of the Nalón river (Asturias, Spain) by one-dimensional flow simulation

Abstract

Marine energy has significant potential still to be developed. The required high investment, operating costs and environmental impact have been the barriers that have not permitted its development. This paper presents an evaluation of the potential energy which can be harnessed in the mouth of the river Nalón using microgeneration installations. Such facilities may be viable in locations near the coast, thereby minimizing the investment required as well as the operaing cost and environmental impact. To achieve this objective HEC-RAS have been used to simulate one-dimensional flow free surface flow. However, it was necessary to construct a geometric model of the mouth using geographic data and nautical information. The results demonstrate the existence of an area with energy potential.

Keywords

• Microgeneración hidráulica
• Corrientes de marea
• Flujo unidimensional