SOLAR RADIATION

SOLAR
ENERGY
SOLAR ENERGY ON EARTH
SOLAR ENERGY ON EARTH
• In the earth’s atmosphere, solar
radiation is received : – directly
(Direct /Beam Radiation) and – by
diffusion in air, dust, water, etc.,
contained in the atmosphere (Diffuse
Radiation).
• Global radiation = Direct Radiation +
Diffuse Radiation.
• The amount of incident energy per unit
area and day depends on a number of
factors, e.g. :
– Solar Radiation Geometry, which
includes Solar Angles, Locational or
Geographical factors and Season / Time
of the year.
– Local climate.
– Inclination of the collecting surface in
the direction of the sun.
SOLAR CONSTANT
• Measurements indicate that the Energy Flux (rate of
energy transfer through a unit area) received from
Sun outside the Earth’s atmosphere is essentially
constant :
• SOLAR CONSTANT (ISC) : The rate at which Energy is
received from the Sun on a unit area perpendicular
to the rays of Sun, at a mean distance of the Earth
from the Sun (~ 1.496 x 108 km).
ISC = 1367 W/m2
• The solar constant includes all types of solar
radiation, not just the visible light. 
INTENSITY OF SOLAR
RADIATION
• The distance between earth and sun varies
throughout the year
• Earth is close to sun during the summer and far
during the winter
• Variation in distance causes nearly sinusoidal
variation in intensity
• Due to variation in Earth-Sun distance throughout
the year, the Extra- terrestrial Flux varies, which can
be calculated from the equation :
Iext = ISC [1 + 0.033 cos (360n/365)]
Where, n = the number of day of the year.
EXTRATERRESTRIAL AND TERRESTRIAL RADIATION

Solar radiation received from sun has

• Beam Radiation/Direct Radiation:
Solar radiation that does not get absorbed or scattered, but reaches the
ground directly from the Sun. It produces shadow when interrupted by an
opaque object.
• Diffused Radiation:
Solar radiation received after its direction has been changed by reflection
and scattering in the atmosphere.
SOLAR RADIATION DATA
• Monthly average hourly global radiation is generally used for
a particular location
SOLAR RADIATION DATA
• Monthly average hourly global radiation is generally used for
a particular location
SOLAR RADIATION DATA
MEASUREMENT OF SOLAR RADIATION
• Pyranometer
• Pyrheliometer
• Sunshine recorder
PYRANOMETER
PYRANOMETER
PYRHELIOMETER
PYRHELIOMETER
SUNSHINE RECORDER
SUNSHINE RECORDER
 MODULE -04
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION(OTEC)

• Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

• Principle of working,
• Rankine cycle,
• OTEC power stations in the world,
• problems associated with OTEC
INTRODUCTION
• OTEC is an energy technology that converts solar radiation to
electric power .
• As long as the temperature between the warm surface water and
the cold deep water differs by about 20°C (36°F), an OTEC system
can produce a significant amount of power with a maximum
Carnot Efficiency of about 6.7%
• Carnot Efficiency states that the maximum efficiency any heat
engine can obtain, which solely depends on the difference
between the hot and cold temperature reservoirs. { (T1-T2)/T1 }
history
• 1881-Arsonval,a French scientist first to propose tapping the thermal
energy of the ocean
• 1881-Georges Claude built an experimental open cycle OTEC system
System produced 22 kw electricity
• 1956-French researchers designed a 3 megawatt open OTEC unit at
Africa's west coast .It was too expensive and they quit the project
• 1979-The first 50 kw closed cycle OTEC demonstration plant went up
at Nelha known as “MINI OTEC”
• 1980-US Department of energy built “OTEC-1”
• 1981- japan demonstrated a shore based,100kw closed cycle plant
• Freon was the working fluid and Titanium shell and tube exchanger
was used
• 1984-Solar energy research institute developed a vertical evaporator
to convert warm sea water into low pressure steam for open cycle
 OTEC Systems

• There are three types of electricity conversion systems:

• I. The Closed or Anderson, OTEC Cycle Power Plant
• II. The Open or Claude OTEC Cycle Power Plant
• III. Hybrid Cycle OTEC Power Plant.
Rankine/CLOSED Cycle OTEC

• OTEC
Rankine/Closed Cycle OTEC
• In rankine cycle a low boiling point fluid like
propane/Ammonia are used as working medium
• Warm surface water flows through heat exchanger in which
low boiling point liquid is evaporated and expanded in
turbine.
• Condenser used for condensation of vapour propane to
liquid propane by heat exchange with cold water of sea.
OPEN CYLCLE OTEC
SYSTEM
OPN CYCLE/CLAUDE CYCLE
• Working principle
• It is practically feasible system to convert ocean thermal
energy to electrical energy.
• Sea water as working medium
• It is termed open cycle ,since the condensate of the working
medium is not recycled
• Warm water at top layer passed through deaerator and
flash evaporated under partial vacuum and non condensate
removed exhausted to atmosphere
• Evaporated water converted into steam to run steam
turbine,condensate discharged to sea.
Hybrid cycle
 HYBRID SYSTEM
• A hybrid cycle combines the features of both the closed-cycle
and open cycle systems.
• In a hybrid OTEC system, warm seawater enters a vacuum
chamber where it is flash-evaporated into steam, which is
similar to the open-cycle evaporation process. The steam
vaporizes the working fluid of a closed-cycle loop on the other
side of an ammonia vaporizer.
• The vaporized fluid then drives a turbine that produces
electricity.
• The steam condenses within the heat exchanger and provides
desalinated water
 An OTEC system application

• Hydrogen can be produced via electrolysis using

• electricity generated by the OTEC process.

• Desalination
• It’s produced in open & Hybrid cycle.
• System analysis indicates that a 2 MW plant can produce
4300 cubic meter desalination water each day.
 CURRENTLY OPERATING PLANTS IN THE
WORLD
• It has been installed in country like Japan, United States
(Virgin Islands), Hawaii and Bahramas.
• It produced output power of 10KW during 2012-13. Its is
proposed to generated 100MW in the coming future years.
• OTEC IN INDIA
• After the completion of testing of the 1 MW OTEC plant in
Tuticorin, NIOT plans to shift the same plant to the
Andaman & Nicobar Islands for power generation. This will
be a stepping stone for the proposed 10-25 MW range
shore mounted power plants.
Advantages of OTEC

• Warm surface sea water and cold water from the ocean
from the ocean depths replace fossil fuels to produce
electricity.
• OTEC plants will produce little or no carbon dioxide or
other polluting chemicals.
• OTEC systems can produce fresh water as well as electricity.
A lot of fish & other nutritious sea-food will be collected in
outlet flow.
• OTEC can also be used to produce ammonia, hydrogen,
aluminium, chlorine and other chemicals.
 Disadvantages of OTEC
• OTEC produced electricity at present would cost more than
electricity generated from fossils fuels at their current
costs.
• No energy company put money in this project because it
only had been tested in a very small scale.
• Construction of OTEC plants and lying of pipes in coastal
waters may cause localized damage to reefs and near-
shore marine ecosystem.
PROBLEMS IN OTEC
• Affects marine life
• Release of toxic chemical
• High temperature difference required
• High capital cost