Tidal Energy Simulation — Class Notes
What it shows
A tidal barrage across an estuary. The sea level rises and falls with the 12.4-hour tidal cycle, while the basin behind the barrage lags behind — creating a head (height difference). Water flows through turbines in the barrage wall during both flood and ebb tides, spinning generators to produce electricity. The output display shows flood, ebb, and slack water phases in real time.
Controls
- Tidal Range — the difference between high and low tide (up to 14 m, like the Severn Estuary)
- No. of Turbines — more turbines = more generating capacity
- Efficiency — mechanical energy conversion losses
- Tide Speed — accelerate the cycle to observe full flood/ebb/slack sequence
GCSE links (AQA Physics Topic 1 & 4)
- Energy transfers: gravitational potential → kinetic → electrical
- Renewable vs non-renewable energy sources
- Intermittency: generation drops to zero at slack water — unlike fossil fuels, output cannot be controlled on demand
- Efficiency equation applied to real turbines
Suggested activity
Observe → Predict → Explain
- Set Tide Speed to 10× and watch one full cycle. Ask students: “When does generation stop, and why?” (slack water = no head = no flow)
- Increase Tidal Range from 2 m to 14 m. Ask students to predict the effect before moving the slider. The relationship is non-linear — a key discussion point.
- Discussion: “Tidal energy is renewable but not constant. How is this different from wind and solar? Is it more or less predictable?” Tides are entirely predictable decades in advance — unlike wind — making tidal a uniquely reliable renewable.