Electrical Generator for Tidal Turbines

The generation of sustainable clean electricity by harnessing the potential power of the ocean tides is known as

tidal energy. Many permutations of tidal turbines exist but the majority have similarities with wind turbines and

are still plagued by poor reliability of equipment and high cost. A primary reason for poor reliability is the

presence of too many moving components. This project proposes and assesses the technical feasibility of an

electrical generator which simplifies the drive train of the turbine, yielding only one moving component

namely, the rotor itself. This disruptive simplification will result in an effective tidal turbine which reduces the

capital and operating expenditures and ensures tidal energy is substantially more reliable and affordable than

wind energy. The electrical generator can potentially be adapted for other applications such as river turbines,

hydroelectric and wave power applications.