Assessing Hydrokinetic Energy in the Mexican Caribbean: A Case Study in the Cozumel Channel

Using Spatial Planning Tools to Identify Potential Areas for the Harnessing of Ocean Currents in the Mexican Caribbean

A spatial analysis was carried out to evaluate the compatibility of human activities and biophysical characteristics in the Mexican Caribbean Sea, in order to identify the most viable areas for energy generation from ocean currents and the areas where the population would most benefit from such energy projects. Of the study area, 82% have some form of protection legislation. Tourism is the main economic activity in the area and this is reflected in a wide range of activities and services that often overlap within the same spatial area. In the case study, the use of renewable ocean energies is seen as an important innovation to reduce fossil fuel dependency. These energies have the potential to meet the demands of the region. However, it is vital to seek for potential areas for this type of energy harvesting where the social, economic and environmental impacts would be minimal. The lack of marine policies and land-use planning processes in Mexico is a major obstacle in avoiding land use conflicts.

Level-Shift PWM Control of a Single-Phase Full H-Bridge Inverter for Grid Interconnection, Applied to Ocean Current Power Generation

A small prototype of a 5-level single-phase full H-bridge inverter for ocean current applications is presented. The inverter was designed applying level-shift control in pulse-width modulation (LS-PWM), and experimental tests were conducted using a variety of modulation subschemes, including in-phase disposition (IPD), alternate-phase opposition–disposition (APOD), and phase opposition–disposition (POD). The test results were examined for harmonic content and voltage total harmonic distortion (THDV). The results suggest that the inverter presents a viable solution with significant potential for the development of a larger three-phase inverter model that can be used to connect ocean current power sources to the electrical grid.