Renewable Energy

Sources
An overview on Energy sources (15EE563)
 Module-3
A. Hydrogen Energy: Benefits of Hydrogen Energy, Hydrogen
Production Technologies, Hydrogen Energy Storage, and Use
of Hydrogen Energy, Advantages and Disadvantages of
Hydrogen Energy, Problems Associated with Hydrogen
Energy.
B. Wind Energy: Windmills, Wind Turbines, Wind Resources,
Wind Turbine Site Selection.
C. Geothermal Energy: Geothermal Systems, Classifications,
Geothermal Resource Utilization, Resource Exploration,
Geothermal Based Electric Power Generation, Associated
Problems, environmental Effects.
D. Solid waste and Agricultural Refuse: Waste is Wealth,
Key Issues, Waste Recovery Management Scheme,
Advantages and Disadvantages of Waste Recycling, Sources
and Types of Waste, Recycling of Plastics.
Hydrogen Energy
 Hydrogen is one of most common chemicals on earth
and can be extracted from multiple sources
 Hydrogen is not a fuel…it is a way of storing and
transporting energy
 Similar to a battery
 First was used for space crafts
 In order to use hydrogen energy, it must first be made
 Extracting hydrogen from fossil fuels or using electricity to
split water
Hydrogen Energy:
 Benefits of Hydrogen Energy:
 There are three benefits of Hydrogen Energy are as follows:

1. Use of Hydrogen greatly reduces pollution

2. Hydrogen can be produced locally from numerous sources
3. A sustainable production system if hydrogen is produced from electrolysis of
water
 Hydrogen production technologies:
1. Thermochemical Production Technologies
2. Electrolytic Production Technologies
3. Photolytic Production Technologies
1. Thermochemical Production Technologies
a) Steam Reforming: It uses thermal energy to separate hydrogen
from carbon components in methane and methanol and involves the
reaction of these fuels with steam on catalytic surfaces.
• The first step of the reaction decomposes the fuel into hydrogen
and carbon monoxide.
• The reaction takes place in 200°C and above.
• It is the least expensive method and used more than 90% of
hydrogen production.
The endothermic reforming reaction is:
CH4+H2O+206(kJ/kg) CO +3H2
Followed by Exothermic shift reaction
CO+H2O+165(kJ/kg) CO2+4H2
The Overall Reaction is :
CH4+2H2O+165(kJ/kg) CO2+4H2
b) Partial Oxidation or Ceramic Membrane Reactor:
• Reactor is mainly used for simultaneous separation of oxygen
from air and partial oxidation of methane.
• In partial oxidation process, natural gas and oxygen are injected
into a high pressure reactor.
• The oxygen to carbon ratio is set for maximizing the yield of CO
and H2 and avoiding the formation of soot (DUST)
CH4+1/2(O2) CO+2H2
c) Biomass Gasification and Pyrolysis:
• The thermal processing techniques for plant material.
• Hydrogen can be easily produced via Pyrolysis or
Gasification.
 2. Electrolytic Production
 Technologies
Electrolysis separates the elements of water – H and Oxygen(O) by
2
charging water with an electric current.
 Adding an electrolyte like salt increases conductivity of the water and
efficiency
 The charge breaks the chemical bond between hydrogen and oxygen
and splits apart the atomic components, creating the charged
particles called IONS.
 Ion form at two poles: The Anode(+ve charged) and Cathode (-ve
charged)
 Hydrogen gathered at Anode and Oxygen gathered at Cathode.
 There are two electrochemical methods referred as electrolysers:
(i) Alkaline
(ii) Proton Exchange Membrane(PEM)
 Cathode Reaction : 4H2O +4e- 2H2+ 4OH-
Anode Reaction : 4OH- O2+2H2O+4e-
 In PEM Electrolyser, the mobile ion is Proton in an electrolyte that is a proton
conducting polymer membrane.
 In this case reactions are:
Cathode Reaction : 4H+ +4e- 2H2
Anode Reaction : 2H2O O2+ 4H+ +4e-

Types of Electrolytic Production Technologies:

1. Water Electrolysis
2. Steam Electrolysis
3. Photo Electrolysis
4. Thermochemical Water Splitting
5. By Product of Sodium or Potassium Chloride Electrolysis
6. Reversible Fuel Cells or Electrolysers
3. Photolytic Production
Technologies
1.Photo Electrochemical Processes:
There are two types :
(i) Uses Soluble metal Complexes as a
catalyst (absorbs solar energy and produce
electrical charge to drive water splitting);
(ii) Uses Semiconductor Surfaces (optical
energy to chemical energy)
2.Biological and Photo biological
Processes
 Hydrogen Energy Storage
1.Compressed Gas and Liquid Hydrogen Storage
Tanks
2.Materials Based Storage
 Methods of Hydrogen energy Storage
A.Compression
B.Liquefied hydrogen
C.Metal hydrides
Uses of Hydrogen Energy

1.Internal Combustion Engine(ICE)

2.Fuel Cell
Application of Hydrogen Energy

1.At Home Sector

2.At Work Sector
3.At Transport and Industrial Sector
 Advantages Of Hydrogen Energy:
1.Uncoupling of primary energy sources and
utilization
2.Hydrogen is a gas; it is easier to store than to
store electricity
3.Hydrogen can be obtained from any primary
energy sources, including renewable energy
sources
4.Very efficient when used in fuel cells
5.Good as a chemical reactant
6.Safety records were good(for a specific range of
application)
 Disadvantages of Hydrogen
energy
1.Poor overall energy efficiency
2.Very low density and poor specific volume energy
density
3.Need for high pressures and very low
temperatures if stored in liquid phase
4.Specific safety problems and poor public
acceptance
5.No existing infrastructures for transport,
distribution, and storage
6.High Cost
Problems associated with
Hydrogen Energy
1.Hydrogen Storage
2.High reactivity of hydrogen
3.Cost and Methods of Hydrogen Fuel Production
4.Consumer Demands
5.Cost of Changing the Infrastructure
Module 3(B)
Wind Energy
Windmills, Wind Turbines, Wind Resources, Wind Turbine Site
Selection
Exploring Wind Energy
Global Wind Patterns
Local Wind

Two Mechanisms:

 Differential Heating of Land and

Water.
 Local wind by Mountains and Hill
Sides.
What Makes Wind?
 Wind Mills:
 If the Mechanical Energy is used directly by
machinery, such as for a pump or grinding stones,
the machine is called a Windmill
Wind Turbines:

 Wind turbine deliver their power through a revealing shaft.

 A generator coupled to the shaft and electrical power generated.
 The power developed is not same at all extent and electric energy
should be stored to utilize whenever demand exists.
 Machine that converts wind(mechanical) energy directly to electric
energy called as Wind Generator
 Wind Power is given by

P=(1/2)(ρAV3)
Where P= Power in Watts (W)
ρ= density of air in kg/m3
A = Area of cross section of wind passing through in m2
V = Velocity of wind in m/s
Wind Resources:
 Availability of wind speed is poor in many areas in the world.
 Worldwide Wind Energy Scenario in 2010:
1. Worldwide capacity reached 196,630MW, out of which 37,642MW were
added in 2010
2. Wind power showed a growth of 23.6%. All the wind turbine installed
in 2010 worldwide can generate 430TWh per annum.
3. China become number one in total installed capacity. It added
18,928MW within one year (more than 50% of the world market)
4. Major decrease in new installation can be observed in North America.
5. Many western European countries are showing stagnation.
6. Germany keeps in Number one in Europe
7. Highest share of wind power can be found in 3 European countries
(Denmark, Portugal, Spain)
8. Asia accounted for largest new installation (54.6%), followed by
Europe(27.0%), and North America (16.7%)
Renewable Electric Capacity
Worldwide
China Leads the World in Wind Capacity
Total Installed Generating Capacity (MW)

Top 5 Countries for 2014

New Installed Capacity
1. China
2. Germany
3. United Kingdom
4. India
5. Canada
Wind Energy in India
 Indian Energy sector have installed a capacity of
14,158.00MW
 India ranked fifth in World.
Wind Turbine Site Selection:
 Site selection is complex and time consuming
 There are three principle sources of construction in wind
projects.
 Design team responsible for Conceptual and Eventual
Site Design
 Developer or Construction manager of the project
 The wind turbine generator contractor
 A windmill should be placed on a high tower located in wind
area.
 The rotor cannot extract energy from turbulent wind, turbine
should be placed high enough to catch strong winds.
Turbine Height:
 Wind turbine should be located well above the tress, other
obstacles.
Considerations and guidelines for Site
Selection:
1. Hill Effect: The compressed air rises and gains speed as it approaches crest or
top of the hill, hence useful more power output
2. Roughness or amount of friction that earth’s surface exerts
on wind: Oceans have little roughness whereas forest and building highest, as
it slows the wind
3. Tunnel effect: the increase in air pressure can increase speed, so placing
turbine in mountain pass can be advantageous.
4. Turbulence: Rapid changes in wind speed or direction caused due to barriers
for natural wind or blowers(Turbulence).
5. Variation in Wind Speed: During the day, winds usually blow faster they
do at the night because sun heats the air, setting air currents in motion.
6. Wake: The abrupt change in the speed makes the wind turbulent a
phenomenon called Wake. So each wind turbine is placed three rotor distant
between each other.
7. Wind Obstacles: Wind Obstacles like tall buildings cause wind shade, which
considerably reduce the speed of the wind and power output of a turbine.
 Site Selection Considerations(DO NOT
WRITE AT EXAMINATION)
i. High annual and average wind speed
ii. Availability of anemometry data
iii. Availability of wind (Vt) curve at the proposed
site
iv. Wind structure at the proposed site
v. Altitude of the proposed site
vi. Terrain and its aerodynamic
vii. Local Ecology
viii. Distance to roads or railways
ix. Nearness of site to local centers /users
x. Nature of ground
xi. Favorable land cost
 Wind turbine design and working.mp4
Module 3(C)- Geothermal
Energy:
C. Geothermal Energy:
 These energy resources utilize the earth’s deep heat to
generate electricity and to get rare elements like iodine,
bromine, boron, lithium and caesium.
 Geothermal Systems:

 There is a layer of hot and molten rock called magma.

 Heat is continually produced there, due to the decay of natural
radioactive materials such as Uranium and Potassium.
Classification:
1.Vapour dominated (Dry Steam) geothermal
systems:
 It requires relatively potent heat and low initial
permeability, after how water stage system become
Vapour Dominated
 When net discharge exceeds recharge, steam boils
and some steam escapes to the atmosphere.
2. Liquid dominated ( hot waters) geothermal
systems:
 Most of parts of world consists of hot water
geothermal field at modest temperatures and low
enthalpies.
Geothermal Resource Utilization:
1.Direct use of Low grade geothermal Energy:
A.Aquaculture and Horticulture
B.Industry and Agriculture
C.Food Processing
D.Providing heat for residential use
2. Electricity Generation:
A. Flashed Steam Plants: Water flash boils and Steam used to turn
turbine.
B. Dry Steam Plants: Natural Steam used to turn turbine
C. Binary Power Plants: Uses water to heat secondary liquid which
vaporises and turns turbine. Vaporised liquid condenses and reused.
D. Hybrid Power Plants: Uses binary and Flash technologies are utilized
simultaneously.
3. Multi Purpose Total Energy Utilization of
Geothermal Resources:
 Steam separates in a conventional manner and used to supply
cheap water
 Carbon dioxide extracted from the gases are used for
refrigeration and food processing
 Hydrogen Sulphide refined to obtain Sulphur
 Hot waters form the wells could supply a desalination plant
 The hot water would also provide air conditioning and
refrigeration
Resource Exploration:
Geothermal Based Electric Power
Generation:
1.Dry Steam based Geothermal Power plants:
Electrical & Mechanical Features:
1.The pipe carrying steam is of ordinary carbon steel and
turbine is of standard material for low pressure, turbine
manufacture
2.When Steam is condensed and exposed to oxygen,
corrosion may appear so to avoid it condensing pipes are
made of aluminium or stainless steel
3.Copper present in electrical or controlling Equipments are
easily attracted by hydrogen sulphide, hence copper alloys
are used.
4.The condensate may attack the concrete structures too,
hence they are coated by bituminous compounds, epoxy
material, etc.
5.Galvanized coatings performs well, when compared to
cadmium coatings.
Operation of Geothermal Plants:
1. These are simpler to operate than fuel based steam plants( as
there is no Boilers)
2. These can be operated without round the clock attention.
3. The unit must be operated with an Annunciator (a bell or a
device that provides information on the state or condition of
something by indicating which of several electric circuits has
been activated)
4. The unit can be inspected very less time when compared to
fossil fuel units.
5. Turbine tube oil and generator heat exchangers should be
single pass or U-tube design
6. The steam jet ejector creates high noise levels
7. The load limiting devices should be used to control the load as
unit is running day and night.
Associated Problems:
 Major problem is the Estimation of power life of the
reservoir as size of the station to be built depends on
it.
 Separation of Steam from steam-water mixtures at
the well heads.
 Selection of materials for building a geothermal
systems is burdensome.
 Automatic start control is very expensive.
Environmental Effects:
1.Gaseous and Particulate
Emission
2.Land Pollution
3.Subsidence Effect
4.Seismic Hazards
5.Water Pollution
6.Biological Effects
7.Social Effects
 Module 3(D)
Solid Wastes and Agricultural
Waste is Wealth: Reuse
 Growing concern about the hazards of waste disposal
 Broad environmental concerns, especially global warming
and resource depletion
 Economic opportunities created by new waste regulation and
technological innovation
Conversion of waste into usable fuel and energy
1. Heat energy Generation
2. Bio energy Generation (Methane generation)
3. Eco-Modification through recycling
4. Fuel and Energy generation from forest and agricultural and
municipal waste
1.Incinerators:
 It is a furnace where waste is burnt to produce energy.
 Burning waste in Incinerators will only reduce the
volume of the solid waste, but it does not dispose the
toxic substances contained in the waste.
 Modern incinerators are equipped with pollution
improvement systems.
 Combustion temperature goes up to 1000°C for
complete combustion of wastes to reduce the chlorine
enriched organic substances.
 Flue gases may be sent through Scrubbers for removal
of dangerous chemicals.
 A high chimney having cooling systems is installed as it
removes hazardous gases.
Process of Incineration:
1. Auditing of Wastes
2. Proper Incineration Selection
3. Proper Operation of Incinerator
4. Removal of dangerous chemicals and
toxic gases
5. Safe handing and disposal of incinerator
residues.
Advantages of Incineration:
1. A practical method of disposal that minimizes high transport
costs of wastes and landfills
2. It largely reduces the carbon footprint during the transportation
of wastes
3. Large reduction in the amount of waste volume after
incineration requires less space for landfills, thus saving money.
4. Gases and leachates( A liquid which has dissolved
environmentally harmful substances which has been transferred to
landfills) produce in landfills by waste are completely eliminated
5. Incinerated wastes are totally free of any environmental risk
6. It is used for hazardous and clinical waste treatments
7. It is used for generation of electricity.
8. It can be operated under any weather conditions
9. Incineration is cheaper in the long term and has long life span
Disadvantages of
Incineration:
1.Incineration can generate hazardous gases
such as Furans and Dioxins which causes
cancer, damages immune systems
2.It can generate CO2 and Odour sometimes.
3.Expensive to build and operate and requires
high energy.
2.Pyrolysis:
 Here organic waste is burnt at relatively low temperature to produce
charcoal , oils, combustible gases.
 The oil can be feedstock as fuel. (Feedstock – mixed waste, plastics, tires)
 Done through Chemical Mining- decomposing organic material by heat in
absence of oxygen
 Advantages:
1. Volume of the waste is significantly reduced
2. Produces useful products for other applications( like fuel)
3. It is safer than incineration or other gasification processes
4. Produces less air as oxygen free operation, hence environmental friendly
5. Contamination of air is easy to control
6. Storable or transportable fuel can obtained.
7. Energy from this process is resourced from municipal waste as it may considered as
renewable.
8. Replaces coal, natural gases as feasible fuel.
9. It is useful in recycling products again and again
 Disadvantages:
1. Generates possible toxic residues like inert mineral
ash, inorganic compounds and unreformed carbon
2. Potential to produce a number of toxic air emission
such as acid gases, dioxins, furans, NiO2, etc.
3. Pyrolysis plants require a certain amount of materials
to work effectively.
Differences between Pyrolysis and
Incineration:
1. ThermalPyrolysis
degradation in 1. It requires oxygen in the form
absence of Oxygen of air
Incineration
2. It is carried out at lower 2. It is carried out at 850°C or
temperature, 450-500°C and higher temperature and
there is no combustion. combustion takes place
3. It produces liquid fuel 3. Produces energy in the form
of heat
4. It is a controlled chemical
process to produce valuable 4. It is to reduce the quantity of
secondary materials waste
5. Here treatment of 5. Here treatment of
MSW( Municipal Sewage MSW( Municipal Sewage
Waste) takes place in Waste) takes place with
controlled combustion, hence oxygen, hence toxic gases
toxic gases liberated are very liberated are very high extent
3. Anaerobic Digestion: It is a series of
biological processes in which microorganisms
break down biodegradable material in the
absence of Oxygen.
4. Recycling: Recycling and reuse can reduce
the pressure on Primary Sources of energy.
5. Bioenergy Conversion: Using
plant(biomass) as a source of fuel using
fermentation or algal treatment
Key Issues:
 Key issues in Re-fuse Derived Fuel (RDF) are:
1. Collection of waste from door steps, or Commercial places
2. The volume and nature of refuse to be processed.
3. The type of efficient RFD process required and market for fuel
products.
4. The required potential users and the revenue obtainable
5. The economy of alternative method of disposal of refuse
6. The utilization of solar thermal energy for increasing the
temperature of digesters.
Waste Recovery Management
Scheme:
Waste Recycling:
 Advantages:
1. Reduced damage to the environment
2. Reduced consumption of energy
3. Reduced environmental impact and pollution
4. Mitigate(Less Severe) Global Warming
5. Promotes sustainable utilization of Resources
 Disadvantages:
1. High cost of Recycling
2. Durability and small life span of recycled items
3. Unsafe and unhygienic Process
 Status of Municipal Solid Wastes Management in India
 Tips on reducing Waste and Conserving Resources ( the
 Sources and Types of Wastes:
1. Residential Wastes
2. Municipal services wastes
3. Industrial and Commercial Wastes
4. Building Construction and Demolition
5. Agriculture
 Recycling of Plastics:
 An effective process and a pertinent effective plant that
successfully converts plastic into wax- free hydrocarbon such as
naptha and diesel oil.
 The Plastics can be divided into two types:
1. Thermosets – (Convert to Solid when exposed to Heat)
2. Thermoplastics – (Changes shape or liquefies when exposed to
Benefits of Plastic Recycling:

1.Energy and natural resource

conservation
2.Environmental Protection
3.Reducing the dumping spaces(landfills)
4.Energy Conservation
Types of Recycling:

1.Thermal Depolymerisation
a) Catalytic Pyrolysis of Waste Plastics
2.Plastic waste to Oil Production in India
3.Waste Plastic to Electricity Generation
 Advantages of Recycling of Plastics:
1. It is good for the environment
2. It is good for practising green living
3. It saves the energy, resource and some money
 Disadvantages of Recycling of Plastics:
1. Plastics are bad for the environment as its slowly
biodegradable.
2. It takes money, time and energy to recycle the
Plastics itself.