Tidal current turbines glance at the past and look into future prospects in Malaysia

Periodic changes of water levels, and associated tidal currents, are due to the gravitational attraction forces between the Earth, the Sun and the Moon. These changes can be transformed to a renewable energy resource called Tidal Current Energy. A number of resource quantization and demonstration studies have been performed throughout the world and it is believed that offshore ocean energy sector will benefit from this emerging technology. In this study, a set of basic definitions which are relevant to this technology are presented with an overview on the main tidal turbine schemes and the mooring methods that in use. A review of the current development and their fields of applications are outlined. The Blade Element Momentum BEM method and the Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD are discussed. The last section highlights the importance of this technology and its applicability in Malaysia. Other renewable energy resources in Malaysia are highlighted and discussed as well.