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The optimum position for a tidal power barrage in the Severn estuary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2009

R. C. T. RAINEY
R. C. T. RAINEY*
Affiliation:
Atkins Ltd, Epsom, Surrey KT18 5BW, UK and School of Civil Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
*
†Email address for correspondence: rod.rainey@atkinsglobal.com
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Abstract

G. I. Taylor's approximate analytical solution for the tidal flow in the Severn estuary is extended to find the optimum location for a tidal power barrage, from the power point of view. It appears to be at the lowest point in the estuary, between Ilfracombe and Gower – contrary to earlier computations. The analytical solution shows that barrages radiate tidal waves out to sea, which highlights the important role of the far-field boundary condition in absorbing them. This appears to have been neglected in numerical models, which may explain the difference from the earlier results.

Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 636 , 10 October 2009 , pp. 497 - 507
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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References

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