I think the answer is a lot, but it is not infinate.
Tides are caused by the moons gravitational effect on the earths oceans, but equally the oceans have a gravitational effect on the moon.
This is slowing down the moon at a very very tiny rate.
If we make use of tidal energy, then we slow down the flow of water, therefore increase the rate at which the moon's orbit is being slowed, by an almost infinatesimal amount.
Anyone got an estimate for the numbers?
Presumably the total energy available is the kinetic energy of the moon: 1/2m(v squared), where m is the mass of the moon, and v is it's velocity.
But if the moon slows too much, will it's orbit not decay?
How slow can it go before we need to panic?
2006-09-13 13:07:54 · 7 answers · asked by Hairyloon 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Don't get me wrong; I think tidal power is a great idea, this is a question of curiosity, akin to "when will the sun run out of fuel?"
And yes the tides are slowing the moon.
Inertia means that the main mass of the oceans is slightly behind the moon, and therefore pulls it back slightly.
No idea of the numbers, something like 1 sec/10 million years? Maybe much less.
2006-09-13 15:49:10 · update #1
Check out www.bluenergy.com. Just across the water from where I live, on Stewart Island NZ, population 500, it's too expensive to lay a power cable from the mainland and they've got a diesel power station. This Vancouver firm is studying the feasibility of an underwater tidal power generator. It looks good. Wherever in the world you've got tidal currents of a few knots, you've got tidal power. The Rance River project in France and the one on the Bay of Fundy are surface dams and very intrusive, and there are only a few places where you could build them. Tidal power has huge potential. Don't worry about the Moon's orbit; if you work out the kinetic and potential energy of the Moon in its orbit, you'll see that we could extract terawatts from the tides for millions of years before we need to worry.
2006-09-13 15:02:26 · answer #1 · answered by zee_prime 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, you are incorrect. If you make use of the tidal flows you do nothing to change the moon's orbit or speed of flight around the earth. The moon's gravitational force is exerted on the earth "and all of its factors" (including whatever machinery you use to capture some of the tides.
What ever you do with tens of thousands of gallons of water has not the slightest bearing upon the mass of the moon (as long as the water is still on the earth).
2006-09-13 13:45:51 · answer #2 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's not the earth's tides which affect the moon, but earth's gravity. Even if all the water on earth were to congeal, or freeze, the earth would weigh the same....
The moon actually drifts farther away from us each year by 1.6 inches.
2006-09-19 17:38:51 · answer #3 · answered by marsminute 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I saw a Tv show last month saying that the Moon was moving away from the Earth & eventually (Billions of years) it would pull free from Earth altogether
2006-09-17 08:03:55 · answer #4 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it style of looks like maximum environmental result may be interior the shape. it might require great gates or locks to channel or funnel the water by a turbine. The impacts may be resembling construction a dam on a river to produce hydroelectric power. i can think of that some marine existence may be affected by the exchange in wave velocity. as quickly as built and operational, an occasional fish may be chopped up interior the turbines.
2016-12-12 07:59:42 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lots and lots
2006-09-19 05:29:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
waves
2006-09-13 13:15:33 · answer #7 · answered by Sky 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋