MECH 411: RENEWABLE ENERGY CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES

MARKING SCHEME
SECTION A AND SECTION B
1. C 6. C 11. TRUE
2. B 7. A 12. FALSE
3. B 8. D 13. FALSE
4. C 9. C 14. TRUE
5. A 10. C 15. FALSE 30 marks
SECTION C
16. Some energy demand sectors in Ghana are residential, transport, ………… and ……….
a. Agricultural
b. Commercial and Services
c. Industrial
17. The three key biomass conversion technologies are thermochemical conversion,
……incineration…… and …… biochemical conversion….
18. Pyrolysis can process all forms of organic materials into three key fuel products. These are
gas mixture, oil like liquid… and nearly carbon char…
19. The major composition of biogas are…methane (CH4) and …carbon dioxide (CO2) …

20. The advantages of anaerobic digestion are ……………………………………… and

………………………
a. Sanitation
b. Energy
c. Low cost 20 marks

PART 11
1ai. a. Cattle dung h. Waste food
b. Dead animal remains i. Fresh fruits
c. Maize husk j. Saw dust
d. Groundnut husk k. Cocoa pods
e. Chicken droppings l. Human waste
f. Palm kernels m. Bark of trees 3 marks
g. Plant residues

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 1aii. The biomass conversion technologies are grouped into three main types, namely;
Incineration: This is direct combustion of biomass for immediate useful heat. The heat and/or
steam produced is used to either generate electricity or heat for industrial process, space heating,
etc.
Thermo-chemical conversion: With this process, biomass is heated either in the absence of
oxygen or by partial combustion of some of the biomass in restricted oxygen supply. The main
processes are: pyrolysis, gasification, carbonization and liquefaction.
Biochemical conversion: This process makes use of metabolic action of microbiological
organisms on biomass to produce liquid and gaseous fuels. Two major biochemical processes are
ethanol fermentation and anaerobic fermentation. 6 marks
1bi Primary sources – are sources of energy that are either found or stored in nature, e.g.
coal, oil, natural gas, biomass, etc. Whereas Secondary sources are those energy sources which
are obtained by conversion of primary energy into industrial utilities (or secondary energy is
supplied to consumer for utilization). For example, coal, oil or gas converted into steam or
electricity. 2 marks
ii. Renewable energy sources are the sources of energy that are being continuously produced in
nature and they are essentially inexhaustible. Examples are biomass, solar power, tidal power,
geothermal energy, wind energy, hydropower, etc. Whereas Non-renewable energy sources:
are the energy sources which are finite and do not get replenished after their consumption.
Examples are fossil fuels (i.e. coal, petroleum, natural gas), uranium, etc. 2 marks
biii. Energy supply is the energy produced by the various energy supplied sectors to be
consumed. Example is electricity generated from power. Whereas energy demand is the energy
required or needed by the energy demand sectors for use. Example is energy needed by
industries for their processing. 2 marks
biv. Biomass resources are energy widely available in forest areas, rural farms, urban refuse and
organic waste from agro-industries. Whereas Fossil fuels are general term for buried
combustible geologic deposits from organic materials formed from decayed plants and animals
that have been converted to coal, petroleum oil and gases and are not replenished at the same rate
for which they are used. 2 marks
c. 1.Fermentation chamber 2. Inlet pipe 3. Inlet 4. Digester structure
5.Biogas storage 6. Cover 7. Biogas pipe 8. Hydraulic chamber
8 marks
2ai. Feedstock is fed into the digester through an inlet of the plant. The digester holds the
digestrate for a long to complete digestion. The digestion occurs by the work of microbes and
bacteria in an absence of oxygen. The digestion releases methane and carbon-dioxide as main
gases and other traces such as nitrogen gas, ammonia, water vapour etc. The plant has a gas

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outlet pipe connected to the top of the plant used to take out the gas from the gas holder. The
other end of it is connected to the device using the gas. 3 marks
2aii a. Biogas from a fermented biomass is used to generate heat in cook stoves for cooking
and electricity by the conversion of the thermal energy into mechanical energy and then
connected to a generator to produce electricity for industrial process.
b. The digestrate after digestion can be used as manure to treat soils and boost yield in crop
production.
2 marks
2aiii. a. Scum (unmixed feedstock)
b. Absence of stirrers or agitators for stirring.
c. Bacteria shifting to one side for digestion leaving the other side undigested.
d. Temperature
e. High concentration of water within the digester.
3 marks

2b. tr = 14 days Hb=2.8 MJ/m3

mo= 20 kg/d hm=0.7

ƞ = 0.60 fm = 0.65
3 3
C=0.35 m /kg 𝝆= 50 kg/m

Vd = vf ×tr
but
𝒎𝒐 𝟐𝟎𝒌𝒈/𝒅
Vf = = = 0.4m3/d 2 marks
𝝆𝒃 𝟓𝟎𝒌𝒈/𝒎𝟑
Therefore Vd = 0.4 m3/kg ×15 d= 6m3 2 marks

Vb = CMo
3 3
Vb = 0.35m /kg×20kg/d=7 m /d 2 marks

E=ƞhmfmvb 1 mark
3 3
E=0.75×0.65×2.8MJ/m ×7m /d= 9.56 MJ/d 3 marks

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Into Kw/h=2.65kWh

2c.

Feature Conventional (non renewable) Non conventional (renewable)

Technologies Established Commercially weak

Plant size Large (MW range) Small (kW range)

Pollution problem More less

Energy resources Limited renewable

Cost of generation Low high

5 marks

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