MODULE -4

Power From Renewable Energy

 Solar power plant-introduction-layout
• Sun is the greatest and primary source of
energy
• Sun radiates into space, energy of about
3.5X1023 kW
• Of this only 2X1014 kW reaches the earth
• This non-exhaustive energy could drive the
civilisation for ever if it could be properly and
economically harnessed
 Solar power plant-introduction-layout

However it has got some serious drawbacks:

• Sunlight is diffuse
• Intermittent
• Available only during day time
So to harness it for power will require:
• Large areas to collect sufficient amounts of
energy
• For most applications, the means to store energy
Solar power plant-introduction-layout

In countries within 3200 km of equator, use of

solar energy can be economically significant.
Therefore, the use of solar energy is of special
importance for India.
We are concerned with the utilisation of direct
sun rays for the generation of electric power
and not with other forms of solar energy such
as coal, oil, wind etc.
 Solar power plant-introduction-layout
• Solar power plants utilize thermal energy from the
sun, which is abundant, available, intermittent, yet
cheap.
• This thermal energy is further transformed into
electrical energy using photovoltaic panels-it is one
type of solar power plant
• Simply, a large number of panels are installed in an
optimal configuration and harvest light
energy from the sun and convert it into electrical
energy which feeds into the grid.
 Solar power plant-introduction-layout
• Another type of solar power plant is
the concentrated solar power plant
• Which composed of mirrors or lenses that are
stationed in an organized way to concentrate
collected heat to one specific position.
• This heat is further utilized to power a steam
turbine that generates electricity.
• However, the most common solar power plant
is the traditional photovoltaic (PV) option
 Solar power plant-introduction-layout
• Solar capacity for each country varies
depending on the solar irradiance as well as
the available land
• This type of power plant is considered a
renewable option as the energy source is the
sun, which is a clean, renewable, abundant,
and cheap source
Solar power plant-introduction-layout

Figure 1. Rooftop solar system including rooftop panels,

inverter, and grid integration.
Solar power plant-introduction-layout

Figure 2. An-example-layout-of-a-solar-plant-with-solar-panels-
strings-inverters-and-energy
Solar cell fundamentals & classification.
• When light shines on a photovoltaic (PV) cell –
also called a solar cell – that light may be
reflected, absorbed, or pass right through the
cell
• The PV cell is composed of semiconductor
material; the “semi” means that it can conduct
electricity better than an insulator but not as
well as a good conductor like a metal.
Solar cell fundamentals & classification.
• There are several different semiconductor
materials used in PV cells. The PV cell is composed
of semiconductor material; the “semi” means that
it can conduct electricity better than an insulator
but not as well as a good conductor like a metal.
• When the semiconductor is exposed to light, it
absorbs the light’s energy and transfers it to
negatively charged particles in the material called
electrons
Solar cell fundamentals & classification.
• This extra energy allows the electrons to flow
through the material as an electrical current
• This current is extracted through conductive
metal contacts – the grid-like lines on a solar cells
– and can then be used to power your home and
the rest of the electric grid
• The efficiency of a PV cell is simply the amount of
electrical power coming out of the cell compared
to the energy from the light shining on it
Solar cell fundamentals & classification.
• Which indicates how effective the cell is at
converting energy from one form to the other
• The amount of electricity produced from PV
cells depends on the characteristics (such as
intensity and wavelengths) of the light
available and multiple performance attributes
of the cell
Solar cell fundamentals & classification.
• An important property of PV semiconductors
is the bandgap
• Which indicates what wavelengths of light the
material can absorb and convert to electrical
energy
• If the semiconductor’s bandgap matches the
wavelengths of light shining on the PV cell,
then that cell can efficiently make use of all
the available energy.
Maximum power point tracker (MPPT).
• Maximum power point tracker (MPPT) is a
system to improve the efficiency of PV
module.
• MPPT is a power electronic system which is
having a control circuit.
• MPPT consists of DC-DC converter and control
circuit which is used to to control the duty
cycle of DC-DC converter.
Maximum power point tracker (MPPT).
• Subsequently the output voltage is controlled
and consequently the power of PV module is
optimized.
Vin Vout
PV ARRAY MPPT LOAD

Iin Iout
Fig. Basic Block Diagram of MPPT System
Maximum power point tracker (MPPT).
• MPPT consisting of a DC chopper (DC-DC
converter) to have variable DC from a fixed DC.
• Also a control circuitry is there which controls the
output voltage by controlling duty cycle of DC-DC
converter.
• MPPT stabilizes the voltage for proper operation
of load or charging of battery bank irrespective of
weather conditions and temperature.
Maximum power point tracker (MPPT).
• MPPT is the interconnection between PV array
and electrical load.
• Load may be a battery bank, direct DC load, or
may be transmitted to the grid.
 Tidal Power Plant
• Gravitational force between the moon, the sun and
the earth causes the rhythmic rising and lowering
of ocean water, around the world that results in
tide waves.
• The moon exerts more force (twice) on the tides as
the sun exerts, due to its much closer position to
earth.
• Due to these forces tides are formed.
• The energy of tides is converted into useful form of
power.
 Tidal Power Plant
• The main feature of the tidal cycle is the
difference in water surface elevations at the
high tide and at the low tide.
• If this differential head could be utilized in
operating a hydraulic turbine, then this tidal
energy could be converted into electrical
energy by means of an attached generator.
Components of Tidal Power Plant
• The main components of tidal power plant
are:
i) The dam
ii) Sluice ways from the basin to the sea and
vice versa
iii) Power house
Classification of Tidal Power Plant
Tidal power plants can be classified on the
basis of basins used for power generation.
There are two types:
i) Single basin system
ii) Double basin system
 Double Basin System

SEA
B
 Double Basin System
• There are two basins at different levels.
• A dam is provided between two basins.
• Turbines are located in the dam.
• The sluice gates are provided in the dam.
• One basin is called upper basin, the water level
is maintained above that in the other, the low
basin.
• The high level basin gates are called inlet gates
and low level gates as outlet gates.
 Double Basin System
• The upper basin is filled with water.
• When the water level in basin A provides a
sufficient difference of head between the two
basins, the turbines are started.
• The water flows from A to B through the
turbines and power is generated.
• The power generation thus continues
simultaneously along with filling up of water in
basin A.
 BIOGAS PLANTS
Various types of biogas plants:
i) Batch type biogas plant
ii) Continuous type biogas plant
iii) Movable drum type plants
iv) Fixed dome type plants
 FUEL CELLS
• A fuel cell is a electrochemical device that
converts chemical energy into electricity and
heat without combustion.
• Fuel cell systems generally operate on pure
hydrogen and air to produce electricity with
water and heat as the by products.
• Fuel cells are modular in construction and
their efficiency is independent of size.
APPLICATIONS OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

The main applications of geothermal energy are:

• Generation of electric power
• Industrial process heat
• Space heating for buildings
• Production of salt from sea
• Textile industry
• Timber seasoning
• Crop drying
• Gasification of coal
• Paper manufacturing