GC: n
CT: Work is to begin on the largest tidal turbine energy project in Europe after the Scottish government approved it. MeyGen is to install the tidal array in stages in the Pentland Firth, between Orkney and the Scottish mainland. It will begin with a 9MW demonstration project of up to six turbines, with construction expected to take place on a phased basis until 2020. When fully operational, the 86MW array could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes. That is the equivalent of 40% of homes in the Highlands, the Scottish government said. MeyGen hopes a second phase would eventually see up to 400 submerged turbines at the site, generating some 398MW. It will be the first commercial deployment of tidal turbines in Scottish waters.
S: BBC – http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-24100811 (last access: 12 December 2014)
N: 1. tidal (adj): 1807, a hybrid formation from tide (n.) + Latin-derived suffix -al. A tidal wave (1819) properly is high water caused by movements of the tides; erroneous use for “tsunami, great ocean wave caused by an earthquake, etc.” is recorded from 1868.
turbine (n): 1838, from French turbine (19c.), from Latin turbinem (nominative turbo) “spinning top, eddy, whirlwind, that which whirls,” related to turba “turmoil, crowd” (see turbid). Originally applied to a wheel spinning on a vertical axis driven by falling water. Turbo in reference to gas turbine engines is attested from 1904.
2. Tidal turbines are very much like underwater windmills except the rotors are driven by consistent, fast-moving currents. The submerged rotors harness the power of the marine currents to drive generators, which in turn produce electricity. Water is 832 times denser than air and consequently tidal turbine rotors can be much smaller than wind turbine rotors thus they can be deployed much closer together and still generate equivalent amounts of electricity.
S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=tidal&searchmode=none (last access: 12 December 2014);
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=turbine&searchmode=none (last access: 12 December 2014).
2. MCT – http://www.marineturbines.com/Tidal-Energy (last access: 12 December 2014).
SYN: tidal stream turbine
S: http://www.alstom.com/press-centre/2014/10/alstom-improves-the-performance-of-its-tidal-energy-solutions-with-oceade-18-14mw/ (last access: 14 April 2016)
