Non-Conventional Power Generation
VI Semester - CSB
Unit-V
Ocean Energy and Fuel Cells
OTEC Systems
Principle of operation, Open and closed cycles
Energy from Tides
Principle of Tidal Power, Components of tidal Power plants, Operation Methods,
Estimation of Energy in Single and double basin systems
Energy and Power from Waves
Wave energy conversion devices
Fuel Cells
Design and Principle of operation, Types of Fuel Cells,
Advantages and disadvantages, Types of Electrodes, Application
Oceanography is the science which deals with the environment in the
oceans including the
waters, depths, beds, biomass, energy resources etc.
Ocean energy sources may be broadly divided into the following four
categories:
1. Tidal energy.
2. Wave energy.
3. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC).
4. Hydroelectric energy
The oceans cover about 70% of the global surface and are particularly extensive in the
tropical zones. Therefore, most of the sun’s radiations are absorbed by sea water. Thus
‘warm water’ (low density due to higher temperature) on the ocean’s surface flows from
tropics towards poles. ‘Cold water’ (high density due to low temperature) circulates at
the ocean bottom from the poles to tropics.
Hence, in tropical regions, the water temperature is around 5°C at a depth of 1000 m,
whereas at the surface, it remains almost constant at 25°C (range being 24°C to 27°C) for
the first few metres because of mixing; subsequently it decreases and asymptotically
approaches the value at the lower level.
According to MNRE, the overall potential of ocean energy in India may be in excess of
50,000 MW
Working Principle of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
(OTEC)
The principle of OTEC is that “there is a temperature difference between
water at the bottom of the sea and water at the top”, this temperature
difference can be used to operate a heat engine.
Most of the radiation is being absorbed at the surface layer of water. The
mixing between hot and cold water is prevented because no thermal
convection occurs between hot and cold water layers. This means that
the surface layer will act as a “source” and cold layers act as a “sink”.
Therefore, it is essential to connect the reversible heat engines between
source and cold sink to produce work, that can be converted into required
applications.
In tropical waters there are essentially “two infinite reservoirs”:
(i) A ‘heat source’ at about 27°C, and
(ii) A ‘heat sink’ at about 4°C, at some depth of 1000 m.
Both these reservoirs are maintained annually by solar incidence. These
Types of OTEC Plants
The plants which employ carnot-type process to generate
power between the two steady temperatures are called
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plants.
The two basic types of OTEC systems:
1. Closed cycle (or Anderson cycle) system.
2. Open cycle (or Claude cycle) system.
Open cycle (Claude cycle) plant
In open cycle (also known as Claude cycle) plant, warm water from the
ocean surface is flash evaporated under partial vacuum. Low-pressure
steam obtained is separated and passed through turbine to extract
energy.
The exhaust of turbine is condensed in direct contact condenser.
Cold water drawn from a depth of about 1000 m is used as cooling
water in direct
contact condenser.
The resulting mixture of used cooling water and condensate is disposed
in the sea. If surface contact condenser is employed, the condensate
could be used as desalinated water.
Thus an open loop OTEC plant can provide a substantial quantity of
desalinated water.
Closed cycle (Anderson cycle) plant
In closed cycle (also known as Anderson cycle) plant, warm surface water is used to
evaporate a low boiling point working fluid such as ammonia, freon or propane.
The vapor flows through the turbine and is then cooled and condensed by cold water
pumped from the ocean depths. Because of low quality heat a large surface areas of
heat exchangers (evaporator and condenser) are required to transfer significant
amount of heat and large amount of water need to be circulated.
The operating pressures of the working fluid at the boiler/evaporator and condenser
are much higher and
its specific volume is much lower as compared to water in open cycle system.
Such pressures and specific volumes result in turbine that is much smaller in size and
hence less costly as compared to that in open cycle system. Although both systems
are being explored, the closed cycle system appears to be more promising in near
future.
Advantages, disadvantages / Limitations and Applications of
OTEC
Energy from Tides
Origin of Tides (Tidal Phenomenon)
The tidal energy is due to the gravitational force of attraction between the earth and sun
and between earth and moon.
Components of a Tidal Power Plant
Energy and power in a single-basin single-effect/cycle scheme
Range (R) is the difference in water level of high-tide
crest and low-tide crest.
Types of Tidal Power Plants
Single-Basin Tidal Plants
Double-basin, linked-basin scheme
Advantages and Disadvantages of Tidal Power
Advantages and Disadvantages of Tidal Power
Energy and Power from Waves
Float wave-power machine
Wave motion is primarily
‘horizontal’, but the motion of
the water is primarily
‘vertical’.
Mechanical power is obtained
by floats making use of the
motion of water.
The concept visualises a large
float that is driven up and
down by the water within
relatively stationary guides.
This reciprocating motion is
converted into mechanical
High-level reservoir wave machine
Dolphin-type wave-power machine (generator)
Advantages and Disadvantages
FUEL CELLS
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device in which the chemical energy
of a conventional fuel is converted directly and efficiently into low
voltage, direct current electrical energy.
• Fuel cell systems generally operate on pure hydrogen and air to
produce electricity.
• A fuel cell system requires continuous supply of a fuel and an oxidizer
and generates D.C. electric power continuously.
• A battery has stored electrochemical energy within its container.
After discharge it needs recharging or replacement. Fuel cells do not
need such recharging replacement.
• A fuel cell is often described as a primary battery in which the fuel
and oxidizer are stored external to the battery and fed to it as
needed.
• The power output of fuel cells is fully scalable by varying the cross-
sectional area of each cell to get desired current and by stacking
Advantages, Disadvantages and Applications of
Fuel Cells
Advantages, Disadvantages and Applications of
Fuel Cells
Components and Working Theory of a Fuel Cell
The main components of a cell
are:
1. Anode (Fuel electrode)
2. Cathode (oxidant electrode)
3. Electrolyte
4. Container
5. Separators
6. Sealings
7. Fuel supply
8. Oxidizer
Working of a fuel cell
• The 'fuel gas' diffuses through the anode and is oxidized, thus releasing electrons to the external circuit.
• The 'oxidizer' diffuses through the cathode and is reduced by the electrons that have come from the anode
by way of the external circuit.
• The fuel cell is a device that keeps the fuel molecules from mixing with the oxidizer molecules,
permitting, however, the transfer of electrons by a metallic path that may contain a load.
• Among the available fuels, hydrogen has so far given the most promising results, although cells
consuming coal, oil or natural gas would be economically much more useful for large scale applications.
Some of the possible reactions are:
Classification Fuel Cells
Hydrogen-Oxygen Fuel Cell (Hydrox Cell)-Alkaline Fuel Cell
(AFC)
Hydrogen-Oxygen Fuel Cell (Hydrox Cell)-Alkaline Fuel Cell
(AFC)
Hydrogen-Oxygen Fuel Cell (Hydrox Cell)-Alkaline Fuel Cell
(AFC)
V - I and P – I characteristics of a fuel cell: