EGN 4913: Renewable Energy Systems

LO5: Describe various other alternative and

renewable energy systems

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 Outline

• Sub-outcome 1: Describe a hydroelectric power generation

system using a block diagram.

• Sub-outcome 2: Describe a geothermal power generation

system using a block diagram.

• Sub-outcome 3: Describe the operation of a fuel-cell in

relation to power generation and related hydrogen creation,
storage and delivery systems.

• Sub-outcome 4: Describe a biomass-based power generation

system using a block diagram.

• Sub-outcome 5: Describe common nuclear power plant

systems using block diagrams.
Sub-outcome 1 - Describe a hydroelectric power generation
system using a block diagram.

1. Hydropower – aka Hydro-electric power

Basic Introduction video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvxUZF4lvGw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8HmRLCgDAI

More details (???)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx6UfiEU3Q0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpigNNTQix8

Actual Plant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj4dZM4SIls
• Hydro-power is produced by
creating dams in stream and
river flows.
• Hydro-power generation is an
established technology.
• It is estimated that as much as
one sixth of the world's
electricity is generated by
hydro-power, which is slightly
more than produced by
nuclear electricity generation.
 Itaipú Dam (Brazil & Paraguay)

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“Itaipu,” Wikipedia.org
Hydroelectric dam - cross section
 Terminology (Jargon)
• Head
– Water must fall from a higher elevation to a lower one to release its
stored potential energy.
– The difference between these elevations is called Head.
• Dams: three categories
– high-head (800 or more feet (~244 m))
– medium-head (100 to 800 feet)
– low-head (less than 100 feet)
• Power is proportional to the product of
𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑 ∗ 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒

1 meter = 3.281 feet; 1 inch = 2.54 cm.

Pressure psi = Head.feet/2.31
Pressure psi = 6.895 kPa
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 Scale of Hydropower Projects
• Large-hydro
– More than 100 MW feeding into large electricity grid
• Medium-hydro
– 15 - 100 MW usually feeding into grid
• Small-hydro
– 1 - 15 MW - usually feeding into grid
• Mini-hydro
– Above 100 kW, but below 1 MW
– Either stand alone schemes or more often feeding into the grid
• Micro-hydro
– From 5kW up to 100 kW
– Usually provide power for a small community or rural industry in
remote areas away from the grid.
• Pico-hydro
– From a few hundred watts up to 5kW
– Remote areas away from the grid.
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 Turbine Design
Francis Turbine Kaplan Turbine
Pelton Turbine Turgo Turbine
New Designs

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 Hydropower Calculations

𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔𝐻𝑄
• P = Power in (W)
• g = Gravitaty (9.81 m/s2 ~ 10 m/s2 )
•  = Turbo-generator efficiency (0 <  < 1)
• Q = Water flow rate of (m3/sec)
• H = Effective head (m)

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 Example
Consider a mountain stream with an effective head of 25 meters
(m) and a flow rate of 600 liters (ℓ) per minute. How much power
could a hydro plant generate? Assume plant efficiency () of
83%. Assume water density of 1000 kg/m3.

• H = 25 m
• Q = (600 ℓ/min) × (1 m3/1000 ℓ) × (1 min/60 sec) = 0.01 m3/sec
•  = 0.83
•  𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔𝐻𝑄= (10)(1000)(0.83)(0.01)(25) = 2075 W  2.1 kW

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Sub-outcome 2: Describe a geothermal power generation
system using a block diagram.

2. Geothermal Power

Introduction video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjpp2MQffnw

Actual
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lu4ya0Qvlc
 Geothermal Energy
• When it comes to the early stage of human life, Geothermal
energy has been used for bathing and washing for thousands
of years.
• However, it is only in the 20th century that it has been
harnessed on a large scale for space heating, industrial energy
use, and electricity production.
• Electric power generation with geothermal steam at
Larderello in Italy in 1904.
• The first large municipal district heating service started in
Iceland in the 1930s.
• Geothermal energy has been used commercially for some 70
years.

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 Use of hot springs by Maoris of New Zealand
for cooking and other purposes extends into
modern times.

Modern day Beppu Japan uses geothermal water and heat in buildings and factories and
has 4,000 hot springs and bathing facilities that attract 12 million tourists a year.
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Superheated is the phenomenon in which a liquid is heated to a temperature higher than its
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boiling point, without boiling.
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 Sub-outcome 3: Describe the operation of a fuel-cell in
relation to power generation and related hydrogen
creation, storage and delivery systems.

3. Fuel Cell

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 Fuel Cell - Introduction

• A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical

energy from a fuel into electricity, through a
chemical reaction of fuel with oxygen or another
oxidizing agent.

• Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but

hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like
methanol are sometimes used.

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 Fuel Cell - Introduction Cont. …………….

• At the anode: Hydrogen is split into two

hydrogen ions (H+), which pass through the
electrolyte to the cathode, and two electrons
which pass through the external circuit
(electric load) to the cathode.
• At the cathode: the hydrogen, electrons and
oxygen combine to form water.

Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) 20

Fuel Cell - Introduction Cont. …………….

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 Advantages of Fuel Cells
• Clean (no CO2 or emissions), Flexible,
• Distributed Energy Carrier.
• To use electricity produced from various sources
– Generate Hydrogen (H2) with Nuclear, PV, Wind on
availability.
• Store the Hydrogen and use whenever needed as the
energy source for fuel cell.
• Higher efficiency than diesel or gas engines
• Most fuel cells operate silently, compared to internal
combustion engines
• It Is not subject to high temperatures, corrosion or any
of the structural weaknesses found in other engines 22
Fuel Cells in Hydrogen Cars

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 Fuel Cells in Hydrogen Cars
• The most used fuel cell especially in cars is the PEMFC (proton
exchange membrane fuel cell)

Hydrogen Fuel Co - Ballard explains PEM fuel cells

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08ZH7vwzzEg
2016 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPtZsr0cJ9s

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• Fuel cell vehicle (FCV) includes fuel cells to generate
electricity and rotate an electric motor in the vehicle
so that the vehicle moves.

• Fuel cells are different from batteries in that they

require a constant source of fuel and oxygen/air to
sustain the chemical reaction.

• Fuel cells can however produce electricity

continuously for as long as these inputs are supplied.

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 Storage of Hydrogen

• Hydrogen gas, compressed to high pressure (e.g., 35

MPa), is stored in a special high-pressure tank in vehicles.

• Currently, fuel cell vehicles provide very high energy

efficiency (more than 30%) which is twice the efficiency
(15% to 20%) attained by gasoline engine cars. Fuel cell
vehicles can maintain high efficiency in low-output ranges.

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 Uses of hydrogen fuel cells
There are many different uses of fuel cells being utilized right now. Some of these
uses are…
•Power sources for vehicles such as cars, trucks, buses and even boats and submarines

•Power sources for spacecraft, remote weather stations and military technology

•Batteries for electronics such as laptops and smart phones

•Sources for uninterruptable power supplies.

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 Problems regarding hydrogen fuel cells
• Lack of hydrogen infrastructure
• Need for refueling stations
• Lack of consumer distribution system

• Cost of hydrogen fuel cells

• Department of Energy estimated $61/kw
• Honda FCX Clarity cost about half a
million dollars to make.

• Carbon cost of producing hydrogen

• Short range (~260 miles)

• Warm up time (~5 minutes)

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Sub-outcome 4: Describe a biomass-based power
generation system using a block diagram

4. Biomass Power

What is Biomass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ-cIVJuDks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHWcddUZ35s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbQ1hw7XQ0M
 Steam Turbine
• Steam turbines are the most versatile and oldest prime mover
technology used for electricity generation.
• Steam turbines require a source of high-pressure steam that is
produced in a boiler or heat recovery steam generator to drive
a turbine.
• Boiler fuels include fossil and renewable fuels, such as coal,
oil, natural gas, wood, and municipal waste.
• Steam turbine applications are very compatible with existing
sources of waste high-pressure steam.
• Unlike combustion gas turbines, they can also directly utilize
solid fuels such as coal and biomass in boilers to create steam.

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Types of Solid waste
• Food waste
• Rubbish: leather, wood, garden trimmings
• Ashes & Residues
• Agricultural wastes
• Hazardous waste: chemical or radioactive waste
• Special wastes: street sweepings, dead animal, abandoned
vehicles
Useful: Glass, Al, Sn, Paper

Not all but most can be used for power generation provided
that moisture content is considerably low.

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A Biomass power plant includes the following major
components:

• Fuel storage area

• Fuel conveyor system
• Chipper/grinder
• Boiler
• Turbine
• Generator
• Condenser
• Pollution control devices
• Smokestack
• Cooling system
• Electrical substation
• Administration building
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Gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil based
carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and
carbon dioxide. This is achieved by reacting the material at
high temperatures (>700°C), without combustion, with a
controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam. The resulting gas
mixture is called syngas (from synthesis gas or synthetic gas) or
producer gas and is itself a fuel. 33
Sub-outcome 5: Describe common nuclear power plant
systems using block diagrams.

4. Nuclear Power plant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AdA5d_8Hm0

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 Introduction
• Nuclear reactions deal with interactions between the nuclei
of atoms.
• The focus of this presentation are the processes of nuclear
fission (currently used) and nuclear fusion

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currently used for power generation

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 Nuclear Power – Current Status
• Number of countries with nuclear power
plants: 30
• Total installed capacity: 374,000 MWe
• Number of power plants in operation: 440
• Percentage of the electrical energy generated:
13%
• Number of power plants under construction:
65 (Capacity 62,700 MWe in 14 countries)
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Power-
Reactors/Nuclear-Power-Reactors/
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Basic Diagram of a Pressurized Water Reactor
(PWR)

http://www.nrc.gov/ 38
Fuel Rod and PWR Fuel Assembly

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 Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) plants
• BWR is another type of nuclear plant
• Both Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) and Boiling
Water Reactor (BWR) use enriched Uranium as fuel
• The major difference between these two types of
reactors is PWR has water at over 300°C under pressure
in its primary cooling/heat transfer circuit, and
generates steam in a secondary circuit while BWR makes
steam in the primary circuit above the reactor core.
Reactor type Main countries Moderator
Boiling water reactor (BWR) US, Japan, Sweden water
Pressurised water reactor
Canada, India heavy water
(PWR)

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 Advantages

• Economically competitive with coal power plants for base

load power generation
• Do not emit green house gases or harmful pollutants
• Small fuel requirement - 30 tons of fuel replaced once a year
• Cost of fuel is a small component of the generation cost (30%
compared with about 70% for coal plants)
• Well established technology
• Only non-GHG emitting option for power generation in
addition to renewable sources of energy

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 Disadvantages

• Potential for the release of radioactive material to the

environment
– Due to an accident
– After removal of spent fuel from the reactor
• Advanced technology
– Require well trained personnel
– Require a strong infrastructure to support a nuclear power program
• Economical uncertainties: Capital cost ( and cost of
generation) depend on the construction period
• Strict policy requirements
• No sudden stops while operating

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 Nuclear Safety

• The heat produced by radioactive decay even after a nuclear

power plant is shutdown could damage fuel rods releasing
radioactive material to the coolant, if sufficient cooling is not
provided
• A number of redundant and diverse cooling systems are
provided to prevent this from happening, in addition to a
number of physical barriers to prevent release of radioactive
material to the environment.

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 Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants

• Three Mile Island Accident: USA (1979)

– Multiple equipment failure compounded by operator errors caused
fuel rods to melt. A very small amount of radioactive material was
released to the environment. No deaths or injuries but the economic
loss was significant.
• Chernobyl Accident : Ukraine (1986)
– Extensive violation of operating procedures by operators while
conducting an experiment resulted in a power excursion which caused
a chemical explosion , resulting in the release of a large amount of
radioactive material into the environment. 50 workers died and
another 5000 persons are expected to die due to exposure to
radiation. A large land area was contaminated and the economic loss
was very severe.

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 Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants

• Fukushima Accident : Japan (2011)

– An earthquake and a Tsunami exceeding the design levels of the power plant
resulted in loss of electrical power to Units 1,2 and 3 preventing coolant
circulation . The cores of the three reactors were damaged and radioactive
material was released to the environment. Persons living within 20km of
the power plant were evacuated. No deaths or injuries are reported, but a
severe economic loss and long term health effects due to exposure to
radiation could be expected. (water boiled type)

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Factors to be considered for Building Nuclear Plants
Power in
• Availability of Sri Lankan
suitable sitesContext - Constraints
Geology, seismology, hydrology, demography, other
factors
• Public: Public awareness
• Plant capacity: Availability of small, or large and
economical nuclear power plants
• Alternative sources
• Economics, Environmental effects, Climate change
issues
• Reactor safety: Inherently safe reactors, Availability of
uranium resources, Indigenous resources
• High level waste disposal, Energy security and diversity
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