Overview

Context of marine energy (global/UK context, intermittency, energy roadmaps)

Key energy concepts (kinetic energy, potential energy, wave energy, tidal energy, power)

Wave energy conversion (wave resource, wave devices, practical resource)

Marine current conversion (tidal resource, tidal devices, practical resource)

Tidal phasing

Tidal range

Multiple resource exploitation

Multiple resource interactions

Arrays of devices

Practical constraints and cabling

Economic assessment

Environmental impacts (non-physical, physical)

Case studies (NW European shelf seas, Orkney & Pentland Firth, Wales)

Future of the industry

'Other' forms of ocean renewable energy

Optimization

Assessment Strategy

Pass (50%>) - A partial understanding of marine renewable energy concepts and principles; demonstrate some ability to handle and draw conclusions from large spatial and time-series datasets.

Merit (60%>) - A good knowledge of marine renewable energy concepts and principles; demonstrate good ability to handle and draw conclusions from large spatial and time-series datasets. Demonstrate some ability to solve energy problems independently.

Distinction (70%>) - Excellent knowledge of marine renewable energy concepts and principles; demonstrate excellent ability to handle, critically analyse, and to draw conclusions from large spatial and time-series datasets. Ability to critically analyse and solve energy problems independently

Learning Outcomes

• Students should be able to characterise and quantitatively assess the wave and tidal energy resources over a variety of timescales.

• Students should be able to conduct time-series and spatial analysis of large, multi-variable datasets

• Students should be able to critically appraise the role of the marine renewable energy industry, including the current status and future challenges.

• Students should be able to describe and discuss the latest understanding concerning environmental and geological impacts of marine renewable energy extraction; including the critical appraisal of feedback mechanisms between energy extraction and the resource

• Students should be able to describe, discuss and evaluate how oceanographic models can be used in resource assessment and environmental impact studies.

• Students should be able to explain the principles of energy, and how kinetic and potential energy can be converted into electricity, using wave and tidal energy devices.