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Tidal energy could be exploited in the same manner as ships and weights used to generate electricity in locks. Steel structures similar to those used in construction or offshore oil rigs could be anchored to the sea floor near the shore. The steel beam “legs” of these rectangular or square shaped oil rig-like structures would be secured to the ocean floor and between the “legs” large ships, barges manufactured hulls and other vessels would float up and down with the tides, precision fitted between vertical rails that are attached to the main frame. Along the sides of the frame large weights would slide up and down pulled by steel cables connected to the vessel and looped around the top. Alternatively instead of weights, horizontal steel siding beams could be installed around the frame and connected to the vessel and slide up and down on outside rails. Cogwheel type turbines, and the floating vessel could be fastened to the 4 (or more) inside vertical rails for sliding up and down.
First experimentally a decommissioned offshore oil rig could be floated to a desired site and a decommissioned very large ship could be placed between the “legs” of the rig and arranged as a see saw system. Eventually several such giant structures could be linked together near the shore and where the shore line is steep anchored to the shore for extra support. There is virtually no limit of placing a large number of such bobbing hollow vessels in favourable tidal areas, - perhaps hundreds or thousands. These vessels could be filled with very heavy “fake” cargo as long as the ocean is able to lift them up, after all aircraft carriers are lifted up by tides. Tidal barrages are considered environmentally damaging, while such floating devices pose less of a threat for the environment. But large floating structures raise several safety issues: storm damage, collision, snapping steel cables, etc. Aesthetic considerations could be ameliorated by placing containers with marine tolerant vegetation on the top of tidal posts, which from the distance would appear as artificial islands. Ice build up in cold climate waters perhaps would be broken up by the continuous motion. Also most of the world’s tides are not very high, and average 3 to 6 feet, though some areas boast several meter high tides, but the capacity of tides is expected to increase in future as the result of sea level rise due to global warming.
This idea is in response to some discussion started in my original post about "Gravity as an Energy Source" (see the link below).
First experimentally a decommissioned offshore oil rig could be floated to a desired site and a decommissioned very large ship could be placed between the “legs” of the rig and arranged as a see saw system. Eventually several such giant structures could be linked together near the shore and where the shore line is steep anchored to the shore for extra support. There is virtually no limit of placing a large number of such bobbing hollow vessels in favourable tidal areas, - perhaps hundreds or thousands. These vessels could be filled with very heavy “fake” cargo as long as the ocean is able to lift them up, after all aircraft carriers are lifted up by tides. Tidal barrages are considered environmentally damaging, while such floating devices pose less of a threat for the environment. But large floating structures raise several safety issues: storm damage, collision, snapping steel cables, etc. Aesthetic considerations could be ameliorated by placing containers with marine tolerant vegetation on the top of tidal posts, which from the distance would appear as artificial islands. Ice build up in cold climate waters perhaps would be broken up by the continuous motion. Also most of the world’s tides are not very high, and average 3 to 6 feet, though some areas boast several meter high tides, but the capacity of tides is expected to increase in future as the result of sea level rise due to global warming.
This idea is in response to some discussion started in my original post about "Gravity as an Energy Source" (see the link below).
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