Module OSX-4023:
Marine Renewable Energy
Module Facts
Run by School of Ocean Sciences
20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits
Semester 2
Organiser: Prof Simon Neill
Overall aims and purpose
This module introduces students to the international and national marine renewable energy landscape, covering leading and alternative device designs and the current status of the industry, particularly through interaction with invited speakers from industry. Students will understand key concepts in energy, including kinetic and potential energy, power, intermittency, and how these concepts relate to ocean energy. Students will learn about quantifying wave and tidal energy resources over a variety of timescales from sub-second (turbulent) to decadal, and wave-tide interactions. The module also covers a variety of environmental impacts of arrays of marine renewable energy devices, focussing on feedbacks between energy extraction and the hydrodynamic resource, and associated physical system affected by energy extraction such as beaches and offshore sand banks.
Course content
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
Assessment Criteria
threshold
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.
good
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.
excellent
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
-
An ability to characterise the wave and tidal energy resources over a variety of timescales.
-
Knowledge of time series and spatial analysis of large (multi-variable) datasets.
-
Knowledge of how oceanographic models can be used in resource assessment and environmental impact studies.
For all these, it is expected that the student should also be able to critically analyse the ideas involved.
-
On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to demonstrate:
A critical understanding of the marine renewable energy industry, including current status and challenges facing the industry.
-
An extensive knowledge of the principals of energy and how kinetic and potential energy can be converted into electricity using wave and tidal energy devices.
-
An understanding of the environmental impacts of marine renewable energy extraction, including feedbacks between energy extraction and the resource, and impacts on sedimentary systems.
Assessment Methods
Type | Name | Description | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
UK energy mix | 20.00 | ||
SWAN wave impact | 20.00 | ||
Wave energy resource | 20.00 | ||
Exam | 40.00 |
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Hours | ||
---|---|---|
Private study | Learning for completion of assessments and exams. |
170 |
Laboratory | Full day laboratory exercise |
7 |
Lecture | 12 one-hour lectures spread over 3 weeks in Semester 2, including speakers from industry. |
12 |
Practical classes and workshops | Computer practicals: two 3 ½ hour practicals on wave and tidal resource, and one 4 hour practical on modelling wave energy impacts. |
11 |
Resources
Talis Reading list
http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/osx-4023.htmlReading list
Neill, S.P. and Hashemi, M.R. 2018. Fundamentals of Ocean Renewable Energy: Generating Electricity from the Sea. Academic Press, 336p.
Courses including this module
Compulsory in courses:
- F7AX: MSc Marine Renewable Energy year 1 (MSC/MRE)
- F7AH: MSc Physical Oceanography year 1 (MSC/PO)