Page 8 - Fundamentals of Ocean Renewable Energy Generating Electricity From The Sea

Preface xv

for renewable energy, and the role of ocean renewable energy within the energy
mix, and covers fundamental topics and principles such as energy and power,
electrical grid systems, and the cost of energy. Although much of the content
of this book could be considered entirely from a descriptive perspective, the
reader will gain much more insight by considering ocean renewable energy
from a more mathematical perspective, and Chapter 2 introduces the physics
and mathematics of fluid dynamics. Chapters 3–6 cover the fundamentals of
each ocean renewable energy resource in turn: tidal energy, offshore wind, wave
energy, and then (briefly) other forms of ocean energy—ocean currents, OTEC,
and salinity gradients. An essential step in the development of any ocean renew-
able energy project is field measurements of the resource, and this is covered in
detail in Chapter 7. At early stages of project development, or to understand how
the resource varies over timescales that extend beyond observations, validated
models are required, and this is comprehensively covered in Chapter 8. Some
applications of ocean renewable energy optimization are covered in Chapter 9
and, finally, more contemporary research topics relating to ocean renewable
energy, such as multiple resource interactions, introduced in Chapter 10.