MODULE-1

• Energy sources -Classification of energy sources with examples- -conventional -non

conventional-need of renewable energy -advantages
• Small Hydel Power Plants-overview of hydro power plants- classifications - based on
head - based on capacity - small hydro power plants- schematic diagram-- turbinestypes(
explanation with diagram)- advantages -disadvantages-applications-criterion for
selection of sites
• Geothermal Energy-introduction- resources-advantages- disadvantages- methods of
generation-schematic diagrams -Flash stream-Binary cycle-Vapour dominated
• Bio Energy -Biomass-Definition- resources -examples - different processes -Pyrolysis-
Gasification
• Bio gas- Definition-list the constituents -applications - process-Anaerobic digestion -
biogas plants-types -construction - working-dome type - drum type.
Classification of energy sources
Non-conventional energy sources
Conventional energy sources (Renewable energy sources)

Present in limited quantity Abundant in nature

They are replenished continuously by natural
They are formed over a million years process

They are called non-renewable sources of energy They are called renewable sources of energy

They can be exhausted completely They can’t be exhausted completely

They pollute the environment by emitting
They are environment friendly, do not pollute
harmful gases and also contribute to global the environment
warming
Commonly used for industrial and commercial Commonly used for house hold purpose
purpose
Eg:- solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy,
Eg:- coal, petroleum, natural gas bio energy, hydro energy etc
 Why we need renewable energy

• Environmental Protection: Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind,

and hydroelectric power, produce little to no greenhouse gas emissions
during operation. This helps combat climate change and reduce air
pollution.
• Sustainability: Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are abundant
and replenish naturally.
• Energy Security: By reducing fossil fuel imports, countries can enhance
their energy security and stability.
• Economic Growth: The renewable energy sector has the potential to create
millions of jobs in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.
• Health Benefits:
• Energy Independence: Nations can depend less on foreign energy supplies
and focus on developing local renewable resources, which helps in
stabilizing energy prices.
Advantages of renewable energy
• Eco-friendly
• Sustainable and abundant
• Reduces dependence on fossil fuels
• Creates job opportunities
• Enhances energy security
Hydropower Plants

• Reservoir – It is the area

where the water is stored
and utilised for power
generation
• Dam – It is a barrier built
across the reservoir
• Pressure tunnel-It is a valve
provided to discharge
water from the dam
• Surge tank- It is a small reservoir employed between dam and power
house nearer to the power house to reduce the pressure swings in the
penstock by allowing the excess water to enter in to the surge tank
during low load periods and the stored water can be supplied to the
penstock during the high load periods
• Penstock -It is a pipe connected between surge tank and power house.
• Powerhouse -It is a structure to support the hydraulic and electric
equipment’s such as turbines, generators for electric power generation.
• Tailrace- The channel that carries water away from hydroelectric power
house.
classifications - based
on capacIity
Turbine types
Advantages of small hydel power plant
• Low operating cost compared to a thermal power plant.
• No fuel charges.
• High useful life of about 100 – 125 years.
• Low maintenance cost compared to the thermal power plant
• Highly reliable.
• It can be started quickly and synchronize the plant.
• No smoke and exhaust gases
• No health hazards due to air pollution.
• It can serve the purpose of flood control and stored water can be
used for drinking and irrigation work.
• Less labour is required to operate the plant.
Disadvantages small hydel power plant
• High capital cost.
• Power generation only dependent on the quantity of water
availability.
• It takes a considerably long time for the construction
• Site of the hydro-electric power station is always away from the load
centre, therefore, transmission cost becomes high.
• Sometimes isolated sites are difficult to access
Applications small hydel power plant
• Since the generation of electricity in hydropower plants is very quick,
they can provide essential back-up power during major electricity
outages.
• Hydropower is used to control flood
• help in irrigation, and water supply.
• Hydropower plays a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions
criterion for selection of sites
• Availability of water: large quantity of water should be available
throughout the year at the proposed site.
• A requirement of head flow availability and storage capacity.
• The land should be cheap and rocky.
• Accessibility of the site i.e., the site should have transportation
facilities like road and rail.
• Nearness to the load centre.
• Availability of the materials for the construction.
• Impacts of water pollution.
• Avoid disrupting fish migration or other ecological processes.
 Geothermal Energy-introduction
• Geothermal energy is heat within the earth.

• The word - geo (earth) and therme (heat)

.
• Geothermal energy is a renewable energy
source because heat is continuously produced
inside the earth.

• People use geothermal heat for bathing, for

heating buildings, and for generating
electricity
 Geo Thermal - Resources
• Hydrothermal resources (geothermal reservoirs) are hot water or
steam reservoirs that can be tapped by drilling to deliver heat to the
surface for thermal use or generation of electricity.
• Vapour dominated reservoirs produce dry saturated steam of pressure
above the atmosphere and at high temperature about 350°C.
• Geopressured resources contain moderate temperature brines (160°C)
containing dissolved methane.
• Magma is a molten rock at temperatures ranging from 700°C to
1600°C. This hot viscous liquid comes out at active volcanic vents and
solidifies
 Methods of generation

• Liquid-dominated resource

(a)Flashed steam system

Flash steam plants take high pressure hot water (e.g., 190℃) from deep down the ground
and vaporise that to drive turbo generator. Then the steam has been condensed to
become water and pumped back to the ground to be used again
(b)Binary cycle system

• Vapour-dominated resource
Flash steam ▪ Hot water inside the reservoir has a
high pressure which results in water
flows up to the production well.
• The well head is connected to a
steam separator.
▪ As the pressure decreases results
from water flows upward, some the
steam converts to the water in the
separator.
▪ The steam flows to the Turbine’s
compressor and drives the turbine.
▪ Then the water in the separator and
the condensed steam pumped back
to the ground through injected well
 • Binary cycle power plants use three separate cycles of
Binary cycle fluid.
• The first cycle is of heated geofluid produced from a
reservoir and eventually reinjected down another well
or used for other purposes.
• The second cycle is closed and runs the turbine, the
fluid of this cycle is named the ‘working fluid’.
• It is heated by the geofluid at both the evaporator and
pre-heater until it evaporates.
• This working fluid is directed to a turbine where it
expands and produces work;
• it is then condensed and a pump returns it to the
heat exchanger.
• Third cycle of cooling fluid condenses the working
fluid after it has passed through the turbine.
• The working fluid is then transported back to the
preheater to repeat the proces
Vapour dominated
• Dry steam from wells is collected, and
passed through turbines that drive
electric generators .
• Steam at a temperature of about 245°C
and pressure 7 kg/cm2 (7 bar) .
• Exhaust steam from the turbine passes
through a condenser and the water so
formed circulates through the cooling
tower.
• Waste water from the cooling tower
sump is reinjected into the geothermal
well to ensure continuous supply.
Biomass
Biomass is renewable
organic material that comes
from plants and animals.

Bio Energy
The energy derived from
biomass is called bioenergy
Resources
➢ Forest: - Natural forests as well as cultivated forests serve as a source of fuel
wood, charcoal etc. Residues and wastes from the forest also can be utilized
➢ Agricultural crop: - Plantation of oil producing plants would
produce enough biofuel that could replace use of fossil fuels
➢ Animal waste: - Animal dung's and it is also raw material for bio
gas plant
➢ Aquatic plants: -Some water plants grow faster than land-based
plants and provide raw materials for producing bio energy
➢ Urban waste: - It includes
• • Municipal solid waste: commercial waste, human excreta and house hold garbage
• • Liquid wastes from domestic sewage
• • Industrial wastes: Pulp and paper industry, starch glucose industry and palm oil industry
wastes
 Bio mass conversion processes
• The process of decomposing biomass in to useful bioenergy or biofuels
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link] conversion

• Combustion
• It is the most common method in which biomass products are directly burned.

• Pyrolysis
• 400-500℃ in the absence of oxygenIt is a thermochemical conversion process in
which biomass is heated at to produce carbon rich residue called charcoal

• Gasification
• It is a thermochemical conversion process in which biomass is heated at 800-900℃
in the limited amount of oxygen to produce gaseous fuel
 Bio gas & constituents
• Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source
produced from the wastes of plants, animals,
humans and aquatic biomass by the process of
anaerobic digestion

• The major constituent of biogas is

methane CH4(55-70%), CO2(30-
45%),H2S,CO,N2,O2 etc

• The main applications of biogas are cooking,

domestic lighting, IC engine, fuel cell etc
 Anaerobic digestion
• is a process through which bacteria break down organic
matter—such as animal manure, wastewater biosolids, and
food wastes—in the absence of oxygen.
• In anaerobic digestion, the bacteria access oxygen from the
biomass itself, to produce methane and carbon dioxide

Biogas Plants

• dome type
• drum type
Dome type - Biogas plant
• Construction:-
• In this digester is combined with a
Dome shaped gas holder
• The digester tank unit made of brick
and cement ,there is no moving parts
• Digester tank has inlet and outlet
chambers
• A gas outlet pipe is fitted at the dome
• There is a mixing tank above ground
level which is connected to the inlet
valve
• On the other side there there is a
outlet chamber .It is connected to
overflow tank which carries used slurry
Working
• Biomass is mixed with water in mixing tank
• This slurry enters in the digester tank through the inlet chamber
• The slurry in the digester tank left for 2,3 months for digestion
• Anaerobic micro organisms are responsible for digestion and biogas
is produced
• Biogas is collected in the dome and it is collected from the pipe at
the top
• The biogas exerts a large pressure on the slurry and forced it to go in
the overflow chamber
Advantages
• Low cost
• No corrosion
• Temperature is constant
• No maintanence

Disadvantages
• Service of skilled mason is required
• Gas production is less
• Has variable gas pressure
Drum type - Biogas
• It consist of
underground digester
tank connected with
a drum shaped
floating gas holder
made up of [Link]
drum rises as the gas
collects
Working
• Biomass is mixed with water in mixing tank
• This slurry enters in the digester tank through the inlet chamber
• The slurry in the digester tank left for 2,3 months for digestion
• Anaerobic micro organisms are responsible for digestion and biogas
is produced
• Biogas is collected in the dome and it is collected from the pipe at
the top
• The biogas exerts a large pressure on the slurry and forced it to go in
the overflow chamber
Advantages
• Higher gas production
• No problem with gas leakage
• There is a constant gas pressure
Disadvantages
• Higher cost
• Heat is lost through the gas holder and hence difficult to use in
colder regions
• Maintanence required
 Comparison
Fixed dome type Floating drum type
Low cost High cost

Corrosion problem
No corrosion troubles
Heat lost through glass holder
Better heat insulation
No maintenance Maintenance required

Skilled mason required Semi-skilled mason required

Less gas production More gas production
Variable gas pressure Constant gas pressure
 Model Questions
1. Explain the biomass gasification process.
2. With a neat sketch explain the working of fixed dome-type biogas plant.
3. Draw the schematic diagram of the flash steam geothermal power plant
and explain the operations.
4. Compare between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.
5. Explain the floating drum-type biogas plant with a neat sketch
6. Write the classification of small hydel power plants based on capacity and
water head.
7. With a neat diagram explain vapour dominated geothermal power plant.
8. Distinguish between dome type and drum type biogas plants .
9. Draw a neat sketch of a small hydro power plant and identify the functions
of various parts.
[Link] a neat diagram explain binary cycle geothermal power plant.