NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY Solar energy Solar energy is the energy from the sun. The sun provides earth with two major forms of energy, heat and light resulting from nuclear fusion at its core. Some solar powered system utilize the heat energy for heating while others transforms the light energy into electrical energy (solar cells). Solar energy is very large, inexhaustible, and a renewable resource. It cannot be depleted. The sun constantly delivers 1.36 kW of power per square meter to the earth. The atmosphere absorbs some of this power and the land surface may only receive about 1 kW/m’, It is an environmentally clean source of energy and is freely available. However the solar energy is very diffuse, cyclic, and often undependable. Therefore it needs systems and components that can gather and concentrate it efficiently. Solar energy conversion __ The solar energy can be converted to other forms of energy in the following ways i) helio-chemical process, ii) helio-electrical process, and iii) helio-thermal process. Helio-chemical process (Solar-chemical energy conversion) The helio-chemical Process is a photo-synthesis process. Photo-synthesis is a form er biological conversion of solar energy into chemical energy which is stored in plants. Scanned with CamScanner- Elements of Mechanical Engineering Biomass is an organic matter that has been derived from plants, animals, organic wastes such as garbage, sewage sludge, etc. The energy stored in plants and animals that eat plants originates from the sun. Plants use sunlight for growth in a process called photo-synthesis. In this process. the plant combines carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground to produce energy. Energy is stored in the plant in the form of carbohydrates. The use of biomass for energy is essentially the reversal of photosynthesis. This energy may be released when the plant is burned or converted to fuels. Biomass can be converted to liquid or gaseous fuels to increase its energy den: Fuels such as bio-ethanol, bio-methanol and bio-disel can be produced from biomas Helio-electrical process (Solar-electric conversion) Solar energy can be converted to electricity by photovoltaic conversion. Photovoltaic energy conversion is a direct conversion technol that produces electricity directly from sunlight without the use of a working fluid such gas. The basic unit of a photovoltaic system is the solar cell. Fig, | schematic representation of a solar cell composed of pr semiconductor junctions. The sun's photons strike the cell on the micro-thin p side and penetrate to the junction, There they generate electron-hole pairs and an electric potential is produced. When the cell is connected to a load as shown, the electrons will diffuse from to p and causes the current to flow. Sun light ht ds petype silicon ction —| n-type silicon —/} Contacts Fig. 1.5 Cross section of a solar cell Fig. 1.6 Photovoltaic silicon cell panel Solar cells are typically circular wafers, about 76 mm (3. inc 0.3 mm thick. A single cell typically produce a power of IW at They are then connected electrically in series parallel arrange (fig, 1.6) to produce the required current and voltage. h) in diameter and a voltage of 0,5, ent called a panel Helio-thermal process (Solar-thermal conversion) In this method, the solar radiation is directly converted to he; collect and concentrate the diffuse solar radiation in an efficient reasonably high-temperature heat pours The collectors gather direct it onto receivers that contain the working fluid. ‘at. It is neces. t manner to the sun's ene sary to arrive a rey and Scanned with CamScannerEnergy Resources Il In any solar collector, the principle usually followed is to expose a dark surface to solar radiation so that the radiation is absorbed. A Part of the absorbed radiation is then transferred to a fluid like air or water. The two general types of collectors in use are; 1. Flat-plate collector and 2. Concentrating or focusing collector. Frame x "Fluid out Fluid ine Enclosure Flow tubes \ Insulation \ & Absorber plate [yp set A/ h/ Absorber plate Gey Lf Transparent cover (glass) Therma insulation q Red Fluid passage tube Casing Fig. 1.7 Flat-plate collector Flat-plate collector: A schematic diagram of a liquid flat-plate collector is shown in fig. 1.7. It consists of an absorber plate on which the solar radiation falls after coming through a transparent cover usually made of glass. The absorber plate is painted black ‘0 absorb solar radiation and the transparent cover helps in reducing the losses by convection and re-radiation. The absorbed radiation is partly transferred to a liquid flowing through copper tubes, which are fixed to the absorber plate. The liquid most commonly used is water. The solar collector is usually insulated to avoid heat loss. Flat-plate collectors are used for a variety of applications in which temperatures ranging from 40°C to about 100°C are required. Scanned with CamScanner2 Elements of Mechanical Engineerin hematic diagram of a concentrating collector is shown in fig. 1.8. The collector consists of a concentrator and a receiver. The concentrator focuses the sunlight on to its axis where it is absorbed by the surface of the absorber tube and transferred to the fluid flowing through it. A concentric glass cover around the absorber tube helps in reducing the convection and radiation losses to the | surroundings. In order that the sun's rays should always be focused on to the absorber tube, the concentrator has to be rotated. This movement is called tracking. Cylindrical parabolic collector is used when the temperatures above 100°C are required. Concentrating collector: A scl Glass envelope Concentrator (reflecting surface) Fluid in Tube holding structure Fig. 1.8 Concentrating collector Solar energy utilization Solar energy can directly be used in heating water for heating, and air-conditioning. These applications have the adv; he size of the unit. Other applications of solar Tesidential needs, space anta ey is imposed on t antage that no limitation ‘ergy are solar furnace, ‘Scanned with CamScannerEnergy Resources B solar dryer, solar cooking, solar pump, solar distillation, and solar thermal power generation. The solar energy can be used directly as thermal and photovoltaic conversion (convert light directly into electricity) and indirectly as water power, wind power, biomass and temperature difference in the ocean. Other forms of sun's energy The sun is the ultimate source of almost every form of energy we use. The sun's heat makes wind blow. Windmills can use this wind power to make electricity. Also, wind make waves on the sea. Wave power too, can be used to make electricity, The heat of the sun makes water to evaporate to form clouds. The clouds cool, it comes down as rain. The rain water flows into rivers. Some rivers are used to generate hydroelectricity. The ocean acts as collector of the sun's heat, which can be used to produce electricity. Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy Advantages: 1. Solar energy is large, inexhaustible and renewable resource. 2. It is an environmentally clean source of energy and is freely available. 3. Handy for low power uses such as solar powered lights and battery chargers. Disadvantages Solar energy is very diffuse. Solar energy varies with time and weather conditions (does not work at night). . Need a large area of solar panels to get the required amount of power. Expensive to build solar power stations. me ee Scanned with CamScanner