Energy Physics

Lecture 7
B V Kheswa

University of Johannesburg

May 2021
 Course Content
•  Nuclear Energy / Power
•  Solar Energy / Power
•  Semiconductor Solar Cells
•  Wind Energy / Power
•  Water Energy / Power
•  Energy Storage and Power Distribution
Prescribed Textbook
 Learning Outcomes and Assessments
•  Students will be able to show understanding
of conceptual physics of energy resources and
their applications

•  Continuous assessment based on

assignments, tests, research essay
 Lecture 7 Content
•  Chemical Energy Storage
•  Mechanical Energy Storage
•  Thermal Energy Storage
•  Electrical Energy Storage
•  Power Distribution
 Why Energy Storage
•  Some energy sources such as wind turbines and solar cells produce energy
intermittently
– turbines need the wind and solar cells need sunlight.

•  These sources may not generate enough energy when it is needed or they
may generate excess energy.

•  Energy storage systems allow the excess energy to be stored and used at a
later time.
 Types of Energy Storage
•  Various forms of energy can be used for the purpose of energy storage, including chemical,
thermal, mechanical and electrical energies

•  Various forms of energy together with examples of how these are used to store energy in
practical applications
 Chemical Energy Storage
Hydrogen Energy Storage
•  One of ways to store chemical energy is to produce and store hydrogen gas.
•  When needed, the hydrogen gas is used as a fuel.
•  The hydrogen gas can be burnt to produce thermal energy that drives a conventional steam
turbine.
•  Advantage: Hydrogen has no pollutant when burnt. Water is only by-product.

Hydrogen can be produced by the electrolysis of water and collected for storage
 Chemical Energy Storage
Hydrogen Energy Storage
•  It works with DC power supply at various voltages
•  Hence suitable for wind turbines and solar cells

•  Small amounts of hydrogen can be stored in pressurized
vessels at 100–300 bar or liquefied at 20 K

•  For very large amounts of hydrogen, the gas can be stored underground in salt mines with a
volume of up to 5x105 m3 and at a pressure of 200 bar, corresponding to 360 GJ

 Thermal Energy
•  Energy is stored by heating or cooling a storage medium such as water or molten salt

Example:
•  Solar energy is stored as
thermal energy is molten salt.

•  The storage tank enables the molten salt
to be used when the Sun is not shining

•  used to heat water for a steam turbine

Energy density is low, but energy density is increased if
a phase change in the medium is involved

 Mechanical Energy Storage
Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage
•  During periods of low electricity demand,
water is pumped to the upper reservoir and
hydroelectric energy is stored as potential
energy.

•  Then during periods of high demand the water
in the upper reservoir is used to drive a
turbine


•  Taking into account evaporation losses from
the exposed water surface and conversion
losses due effcts such as to head loss
70 – 85 % round trip efficiency is
achieved

•  Lower and Upper Reservoirs´ height difference must be as large as possible

•  Head loss must be as short as possible to minimize
 Mechanical Energy Storage
Compressed Energy Storage
•  During periods of low electricity demand, air
is compressed and stored in an underground
salt mine

•  Heat generated in this compression stage is
dissipated in the surrounding rock

•  During periods of high demand, the
compressed air is released to turbines to
generate electricity


•  The compressed air is heated by natural gas
before it enters the turbines to compensate
for the heat that it lost during the compression
stage

Heat loss to the surrounding rock and need to heat the gas, reduce round trip efficiency.
Typical round trip Efficiency is 50%
 Electrical Energy Storage
Rechargeable Battery
•  Electrical energy can also be stored in a rechargeable battery
Example: Lead-Acid battery

•  Battery is charged by connecting it, in opposition, to a voltage supply of greater emf
•  This forces a current through the cell in the opposite direction to the discharge current
•  Round-trip efficiency of rechargeable battery is 80% and has large power-to-weight ratio
•  Lead-acid batteries are heavy. This problem is reduced in lithium-ion batteries
•  In lithium-ion batteries plates are light weight lithium and carbon instead of lead-calcium alloy
 Distribution of Electrical Power
•  For the energy sources we have discussed, the end product is usually electricity
•  The electricity is usually distributed by a network of transmission lines called a grid

•  A grid distributes electricity from the power stations to industrial, commercial and domestic users
 Distribution of electrical Power

•  Two important features of a national grid are
- the electricity is transmitted at very high voltage and as alternating current (AC)

•  High voltages are used to minimize joule heating losses in the power lines
•  AC voltages are easy to be increased or reduced by a transformer

•  Suppose that a power station delivers power P at an AC voltage V to a long-distance

transmission line that has a resistance R. Then the current, i, flowing through the line is P/V

•  The power dissipated is i2R and hence the ratio of the lost power to the power leaving the
power station is

•  Clearly, Power loss reduces rapidly with increase in V and hence its best to provide power at
high voltage, typically 275 and 400 kV
Arrangements for sending electrical
power via a national grid.

•  The voltage produced by an electrical generator typically 20 kV

•  Transformer is used to increase this to 275 kV and delivered with transmission line
•  At the other end of the line, a transformer is used to reduce the voltage to about 30 kV
•  Electrical power is further distributed to other transformers that reduce the voltage to a value
suitable for industrial, commercial or domestic purposes, e.g. 400 or 240 V.


End of Energy Physics for 2021