Rural Energy Systems : The Spirit

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department

An Art of Developing Energy Republic Villages…

 A Story of A Native Power System

• For many countries, fossil energy is transported/imported.

• The history of wind power in Denmark, provides a salutary
example of how socioeconomic conditions influence a
technology.
• From 1900 to 1910, many Danish wind driven electricity plants
were in use.
• Diesel engines were beginning to give them some stiff
competition by 1910 to 1914 because of their convenience and
economy.
• During World War I, oil supplies to the country were virtually
shut off and wind power was resurrected.
• Many 20 to 35kW capacity new wind turbine plants were built at
that time.
 The Ups & Downs
• After the war, electrification took place throughout the
country, and once more the windmill languished.
• In 1939, World War II caused another cutoff in fuel supplies,
and wind power was once more called upon to the fullest
extent possible.
• After the hostilities ended, further rapid, extensive
electrification took place, but this time the utility of wind
power was not discounted.
• A research program was begun to consider it as a supplement
to the large, central plants.
• In the period after 1945, there were developments not only in
Denmark, but in France, Germany, and Britain as well.
 Denmark is Heading Towards 60%
Wind Energy

• More green energy in the electricity grid.

• 44% Wind — Denmark Set New Wind Energy Record In 2017 :
News on 6th Jan 2018.
• Denmark to construct three new offshore wind farms by 2030 :
29th June 2018.
• The deal also includes a target for 55 per cent of the country's
energy to be supplied from renewable sources by 2030, up from
a previous goal of 50 percent set by the current government.
My First Exposure to the Down to earth Needs:
Native Energy System

Shri Mangal Singh

Water Wheel on River Sajnam, Bhailoni Lod Village
Lalitpur Dist.
The Giant Wheel called Mangal Water Wheel
The New Design of Wheel
IIT Delhi Design & Mangal’s Make
 Comparative Study of Original Design and that of IITD
Picture 1: With Dr BK Saha I A S Picture 2:With native Villagers

Place: River “SAJNAM” in Village Bhailoni Lodh,Lalitpur,Uttar Pradesh, India

Mangal Turbine (Old design) New Turbine (Design I) (CIMMYT-

(Farmers Version) RWC)
Design II : Krishi Vigyan Kendra ,Jagdishpur,
Sonipat : 3.7KW Generator
Comparative study: Development of Micro
hydro water wheel
Specification Farmer ’s version New Design I New Design II
Bhailoni Village (Semera Village) (KVK, Sonipat)
Lalitpur,UP Lalitpur,UP Haryana

Diameter in m 4 1.26 1.5

Head at site in m 1.5 1.5 1
Power developed 6kw 6kw 5kw
Water Consumption 1800l/s 400l/s 450l/s
run
Pump discharge 22 l/s 22l/s 22l/s
Efficiency 40%[t] 20%[p] 72%[t] 68%[p] 86%[t] 76%[p]
No. of blades 24 14 15
Principle impulse impulse impulse

Cost of wheel $1800 $160 $170

Cost of gear box $2700 $320 $400
Layouts for Uttaranchal Units : HESCO

Gear Box Generator

Main Shaft

Canal

Forbay Grinding Wheel

Bush Bearing

12” Pulley

10” Pulley
Grinder
Penstock adjusting
lever
Water Wheel

Wooden Base
Design of upgraded wheel for Garwhal
Area
FLOW FROM PENSTOCK
(INLET) Vu1

u1

1 w1
V1

OUTLET w2

V2
TURBINE WHEEL

u2

15O 69O 5 cm Vu2

19 cm
ANGLE OF TURN = 1- 2
= 165O – 69O
= 96O
DIMENSION OF BLADE
VELOCITY TRIANGLES
 Our Contributions

Design, Fabrication and Erection of 5 kW Horizontal Axis

Hydro-Turbo Pump on a small river near Jhansi.
Design , Fabrication and Testing of 3.5 kW Horizontal Axis
Hydro-Turbo Pump cum Generator on a Drainage Canal at Sonipat.
Design, Fabrication of 3.5 kW Vertical Axis Hydro-Turbo Atta
Chakki cum Alternator at Lacchiwala, near Dehradun.
Design and Development of 5 KW Horizontal Axis Hydro-Turbo
Pump cum Generator at Pokhri, Uttaranchal.
Design and Development of 5 KW Horizontal Axis Hydro
Generator at Halflong, Assam.
 National Workshop on
Development of Man-Power in
Ultra Micro Hydel Turbines for
Rural Energy Systems
20th March to 28th March 2004.

P. M. V. Subbarao
Sanjeev Jain
Santosh Satya
IIT, DELHI
Assam, India: Micro Hydro Power Project to
Benefit 38 Families
 The Story of Peace thru Technology

• Inhabitants of a remote village in the rugged, mountainous terrain of North

Cachar Hills are getting uninterrupted power supply even though it is not
connected by conventional power grid.
• This has been made possible by the State’s first micro hydro-electricity.
• The project generates 6.8 KVA power from a hilly stream called Boro Robi
nullah near the hamlet.
• It has a 12-foot-high water reservoir and a turbine.
• “This was started as a pilot project with support from the Army, and following
its successful implementation, we plan to set up more such micro hydel
projects in similar terrain in the district,” HP Rajkumar, Project Director,
District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), NC Hills, said, adding that a
couple of sites had already been identified for the purpose.
• Mr. Rajkumar said that the Army engineers designed the turbine, which cost
Rs 1.25 lakh. “The Army has been very enthusiastic about the project and
extended every possible cooperation to us.
• We got technical expertise from the IIT-Delhi as well,” he said.
• At the moment the project is illuminating 38 households of the village besides
a school, a church, a temple and an auditorium. “The households have two
bulbs each.
 Gram Swaraj : A pivotal concept in
Mahatama Gandhi's thinking

• The fundamental concept of Gram swaraj is that every

village should be its own republic,
• "independent of its neighbours for its own vital wants and
yet interdependent for many others in which dependence is
necessary," according to Gandhi, writing in 1942.
Rural Energy Systems are the
• Each village should be basically self-reliant, making
Requirement
provision of Gram
for all necessities Swaraj……
of life - food, clothing, clean
water, sanitation, housing, education and so on ….
 The Criteria for sustainable Development

• Develop technologies based on Native Resources

• Must be based on Pure Harvesting ……
• No/minimal Exploitation ……
• Demands Deeper understanding of A Natural Resource…
 What is A Natural Resource?

• A highly distributed native boon.

• Any child of nature, which contains more (?) than what it required
for itself.
• All this excess is meant for other children of nature.
• This excess can be called as fertility.
• Land has a fertility to grow plant and crops.
• Trees and plants have lushness to generate more food.
• Many animals possess fecundity to serve others.
• Rivers have abundance called Reverine Bounty.
• The ultimate boon almost uniformly available on this globe :
• Solar Energy.
 Harvesting : Sustainable Utilization

• Some thing not an exploitation.

• Use of a natural resource should not spoil that resource or
other resources of nature.
• Plucking of a fruit from a tree without spoiling the tree.
• This is called harvesting.

•The size of energy production system should be completely

based on harvesting a resource.
•Harvesting of Natural Resources is only is possible through
an Ultra Low capacity Energy System.
 The Size & Issue of Sizing

• A Power Plant : > 100 MW.

• A Small Power Plant: 5 MW to 20 MW.
• A Mini Power Plant: 500 kW to 2 MW.
• A Micro Power Plant: 50 kW to 200 kW.
• A Pico Power Plant: < 30 kW.
• Rural Energy Systems are Pico Plants.
 Infeasible Business Tecnology

• A Pico Power Plant: < 30 kW.

• Rural Energy Systems are Pico Plants.
• No Standard technologies.
• Highly customized Designs.
• Low Profit Margins.

• Why RES?????