• Energy Research

A regional 2DH hydrodynamic model is used to estimate the tidal stream resource of a site located in a macrotidal environment with extreme tidal velocities. The study site is the Alderney Race (Raz Blanchard in French) which is a straight located in the English Channel between the Alderney Island and La Hague cape (France). The estimation of the resource is used to build two realistic tidal energy extraction scenarios consisting in placing a 290 MW tidal turbine array in two different areas. Then, we analyze the impact of turbines on the hydrodynamics and the sediment transport. The hydrodynamic perturbation is restricted to the vicinity of the array where the mean current velocity reduction reaches 0.3 m/s locally (corresponding to 15% of the baseline velocity). Focusing on the variable driving the bedload (the critical erosion threshold exceedance), we confirm that tidal energy extraction tends to reduce the bedload rate and to deflect the sediment fluxes. Our simulations with a simple model for the suspended sediment transport suggest that tidal energy extraction has a significant effect on the area of deposition of the particles transiting through the tidal farm. For the baseline, the sediment particles transiting through the tidal farm deposit mostly in the eastern part of the English Channel. Depending on the location of the tidal farm, the sediment mass balance between the eastern and the western part of the English Channel changes drastically.

Abstract Tidal circulation and tidal stream resource in Alderney Race (Raz Blanchard) were assessed by using a towed acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) system and tidal modeling. Optimal Interpolation (OI) was applied to process the underway velocity measurements recorded at neap tide flood and ebb flow. The interpolation technique allows reconstructing space-time evolution of the velocity field within the domain during surveying periods. The method employs velocity covariances derived from numerical simulations by a 2D hydrodynamic model MARS. Model covariances are utilized by the OI algorithm to obtain the most likely evolution of the velocity field under the constraints provided by the ADCP observations and their error statistics. The resulting velocity fields were used for assessing the tidal stream resource at site. The largest overall difference between the kinetic power density derived from simulated and interpolated velocity fields was found for ebb tide. Model simulations constrained by velocity measurements demonstrated a significant (up to 30%) decrease of power available in the flow. A significant change in spatial pattern of power density distribution was also identified. It is demonstrated that by merging high resolution velocity measurements at tidal energy site with modeling the tidal stream potential estimation becomes more accurate.

We present a high-resolution 1:15,000 bathymetric map (Main map) of Alderney Race located offshore of northwestern France, with the strongest currents in Europe. We use this map, underwater video transects and Shipek grabs to improve geological maps previously published. We distinguished Proterozoic crystalline rocks, Paleozoic and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks on the present-day sea floor. Some structures as faults and folds are also mapped. We identified a Quaternary cover made of pebbles, boulders and blocks interpreted as corestones resulting in differential erosion and alteration of the substratum. This cover is commonly encrusted by fixed fauna, such as bryozoans and barnacles. Finally, we describe the present-day mobile sediment cover characterized by sand patches and pebble dune fields (up to 10 m in height). Our videos show the presence of mobile fine-grained sediment patches under the resolution of our map lying between the cobble and pebble cover. We summarize our interpretations on a non-exhaustive geological-sedimentary map.

The Alderney Race is assumed to have the largest tidal-stream energy potential in the north-western European coastal seas. Interaction of the powerful tidal stream with strong wind, high waves and irregular bathymetry creates hydrodynamic conditions of extreme complexity, with high levels of turbulence. A comprehensive dataset has been created to improve the understanding of physical processes, turbulence, tidal stream and resource variability at the site. The database contains a large amount of oceanographic and meteorological measurements acquired in Alderney Race in 2017–2018. This exceptionally long period of observations (nearly one year) became possible due to modern tools and strategies of data acquisition. The paper presents some significant results from the database analysis. Among many results, we would like to underline the following: (i) a wide range of variability of mean flow and sea state parameters was documented; (ii) exceptionally large values of current velocity (7 m s −1 ) and significant wave height (8 m) were measured during extreme meteorological conditions; (iii) high-frequency variability of current speed during storm events was also found to be very large, with the standard deviation of velocity reaching 0.3 m s −1 in the bottom boundary layer, and 0.6 m s −1 in the surface layer; and (iv) predominant wind and wave direction relative to the flow impacts the wave height and significantly increases the turbulence kinetic energy of the flow. To our knowledge, this is the largest multi-variable database available on potential tidal energy sites. The results of database analysis can represent a significant advance in environmental conditions and resource characterization and provide advanced information to turbine developers. This article is part of the theme issue ‘New insights on tidal dynamics and tidal energy harvesting in the Alderney Race’.

Abstract Modelling three-dimensional wave-current-turbulence interactions in extreme tidal environments is still challenging and necessary for the development of the tidal industry, particularly for the dimensioning of tidal converters. Following this objective, we focus our study on the most energetic tidal site in Western Europe, the Alderney Race (France). Due to the strong tidal current at this location, wave-current interactions were poorly studied by the past and often neglected. We propose to assess how they impact the Alderney Race hydrodynamic by the use of numerical modelling and in-situ measurements. In this study, the following wave-current interactions were observed: (i) Stokes drift effects inducing an increase/decrease in the current depending on the angle between waves and current, with a maximum influence near the surface, (ii) wave enhancement of the bottom friction reducing the tidal current, (iii) refraction of waves by the current, generating changes in waves directions, and (iv) wave breaking ascribed to tidal current, increasing the turbulent mixing. A non-stationary time delay, varying within a same tidal cycle, was noted, which is reduced by including the local wind effects and by adjusting the bottom stress formulation. This study shows that wave-current interactions play a non-negligible role in Alderney Race although the strong tidal current and that they need to consider by the tidal industry.

Due to the climate change, it is necessary to modify the energy modes of production. The mix energetic, based on renewable energies as tidal currents, is one of the solutions to decrease the energy production carbon footprint. This article focuses on hydrodynamic interactions in Alderney Race (France), which is the most energetic tidal site in Western Europe with a maximum potential of 5.1GW according to Coles et al. (2017). The impact of a winter storm occurring during spring tide is assessed thanks to numerical modeling with a 3D fully-coupled wave–current model and in-situ data. This study starts to analyze the impacts of the storm on the wave field and the current effects on waves. Then, the modifications of the current and tidal stream energy caused by waves are discussed. After a successful validation step with excellent PBIAS and R2 scores, the main finding are: (i) although the current intensity is strong (around 3–4m s−1), the wave action significantly changes the vertical profile of the current, with a reduction of the PBIAS by a factor of 1.78 between simulations with and without wave effects, (ii) ocean waves affect the tidal asymmetry, with a flood current whose intensity is 13% higher than for the ebb current, inducing a decrease of 30% in the tidal stream energy, (iii) the flow is very sensitive to the angle between the directions of propagation of waves and current, with an acceleration or a reduction of the velocity, as observed in the presence of a 3D turbulent structure, (iv) current effects on waves cause a wavenumber shift, changes in significant wave height (modulated by tide), wave direction due to refraction and an increase of the energy transfer from waves to ocean ascribed to the wave breaking. By a feedback mechanism, the modifications of the wave field by current and water level significantly alter the flow with a decrease of its velocity when waves propagate against current. This study shows that the 3D wave–current interactions need to be considered during a storm even during a spring tide event where currents are the strongest.