Renewable Energy Systems

Module 5: Geothermal Energy

Geothermal sources: Hydrothermal resources, Geo-pressured
resources, Hot dry rock resources, Magma resources, Analysis of
geothermal resources, Prime movers for geothermal energy
conversion.

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 Geothermal Energy
• (geo = earth and thermal = heat), geothermal energy comes
from heat produced by the Earth.

The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and
thermal (heat). So, geothermal energy is heat from within the earth.
We can use the steam and hot water produced inside the earth to heat
buildings or generate electricity.
Geothermal Energy
 Geothermal Energy

Advantages

– Renewable energy
– Cleaner than burning fossil fuels
Disadvantages

– Cost of drilling, researching

proper areas
– Requires a suitable location
 Geothermal Energy
These include,
• Hydrothermal
– Dry steam fields
– Wet steam fields
• Geopressurized
• Hot dry rock
• Magma
6
 Geo-Thermal Energy

Introduction
 Nature of geo-thermal fields
 Geo-thermal sources
 Hydro-thermal (convective) resource
 Hybrid plants
 INTRODUCTION
• Energy present as heat in the earth’s crust

• Average temperature at a depth of 10 km is 200ᵒC

• Immense heat rises to the surface of earth by plate

techonics theory

• Hot molten rock called “magma” is present at a greater

depth of 24 to 40 km
• Hot magma near the surface (A) solidifies into igneous
rock (B)
• Ground water enters through the fissures in the rock
• Heated water rise upward into permeable reservoir (C)
above igneous rock
• Reservoir capped by a layer of impermeable solid rock
(D) which traps the hot water
• The solid rock has fissures (E) which act as vent like a
boiler
Contd…
• Steams continuously vented through fissures in the
ground and these vents are called fumarols
• Through the hot spring (G) the steam is vented
• A well (H) taps steam from the fissures fro the use of
geothermal power
• Steam originating from magma – magmetic
• Steam from the ground water heated by magma –
meteoritic
 NATURE OF GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
• Non – thermal area (10 – 40ᵒC per km)
• Semi thermal area (70ᵒC per km) – hot water is
produced upto 100ᵒC
• Hyper thermal area
– Wet fields: water is pressurized and temperature is
above 100ᵒC
– Dry fields: Dry saturated steam or super heated
steam at pressure above atmospheric
 GEOTHERMAL SOURCES
• Hydro thermal convective systems:
– Vapor dominated or dry steam fields
– Liquid dominated system or wet steam field
– Hot water field
• Geo pressure resources
• Petro-thermal or hot dry rocks
• Magma resources
• Volcanoes
 Hydro thermal convective systems
• Wet reservoir at moderate depths containing steam or
hot water under pressure at temperature about 350ᵒC
• Heat is transported from hot rocks by circulating
movement i.e. convection of water into porous medium
• Magma raised by internal earth forces through which heat
is conducted upward
• Hot water or steam escapes through fissures in the rock
and forms fumarols and hot springs
Vapour Dominated System
Contd…
• Dry steam from the wells is collected, filtered to
remove abrasive particles and passed through turbines
to drive generator
• Steam is supplied at lower temperature (200ᵒC) and
pressure
• Pressure rarely exceeds 7 kg/cm2 and then goes
through the centrifugal separation to the turbine
• The steam after expansion in turbine enters the
condenser
Contd…
• Pure water produced in condenser is required as feed
water for steam boiler or geyser
• The resulting warm water enters into cooling tower
and then returned to condenser.
• Condensation of steam continuously increases the
volume of water
• Remaining water in the cooling water is injected into
the ground
• Surface condensers are also used to remove hydrogen-
sulphide from the system
 Liquid dominated system
• Water temperature is above the normal boiling point
• When water comes to the surface the pressure is
reduced and flashes into a mixture of hot water and
steam
• Two types
– High temperature (flashed steam & binary steam)
system - 230ᵒC and 4 MPa
– Low temperature system
Single Flash steam system
Contd…
• Water from the well reaches the head at low pressure
• Flash separator is used to send the dry saturated steam
to the steam and remaining brine to ground
• Dry steam at a low pressure of 7 kg/cm2 is expanded in
turbine and then mixed with cooling water in same
fashion as vapor dominated system
• The amount of brine leaving the separator is larger than
the amount of steam used to drive. Hence double flash
cycle is preferred
Double flash steam system
Contd…
• Depending upon the original water conditions, the
brine from 1st flash separator enters the 2nd lower
pressure separator
• Finally the unused steam is sent to the ground as brine
• The structure forms a dual admission double flow steam
turbine
• Gives more power output than single flash system
Binary fluid system
Contd…
• In order to isolate the turbine from corrosive materials
binary system is used
• It employs rankine cycle with organic working fluid
• Heat exchangers is used to transfer a part of brine in
the form of vapour at low pressure with temp. range of
150 to 205ᵒC
• Binary fluid uses iso-butane and freon to maintain high
pressure steam
• Steam is sent to the heat exchanger by flashing
• Hot brine is transferred and converted to superheated
vapour by organic liquid
Contd…
• Exhaust vapor from turbine is cooled in regenerative
heat exchanger and the condensed and fed back to hot
brine
• Cooling tower is provided for the condenser
• Inside the heat exchanger working fluid and brine does
not mix with each other
• If the water has more salinity, then double flash system
is combined with this operation
Total flow concept
Contd…
• Utilize kinetic energy and heat energy of steam liquid
mixture produced by flashing geothermal brine
• Hot brine from well is sent to mixed phase expander
• Brine is reinjected through the flash separator to the
expander
• Mixed steam runs the generator
• Cooling tower and condenser works same as vapour
dominated system
• The expander unit should overcome the losses
(impingement of liquid droplets on the blades) and also
withstand the corrosive effects
Geo pressured Resources
 HYBRID PLANTS
• Utilizes low temperature heat of geothermal sources in
the lower temperature end and fossil fuel combustion in
the high temperature end
• Geo thermal preheat arrangement is suitable for low
temperature liquid dominated system
• Fossil superheat system is suitable for vapour dominated
and high temperature liquid system
Geo thermal preheat hybrid system
Fossil Superheat Hybrid System
 Tidal Energy

Introduction
 Basic Principle of Tidal power
 Components ofTidal power plant
 Operation methods of Utilization ofTidal energy
 Advantages and limitations
Energy and power from waves
 INTRODUCTION
• Tide is a periodic rise and fall of the water level of sea
• Tidal action is due to the sun and moon on the water on
earth
• Some part of this vast energy is an important source of
hydro power
• At the high tide, water is let into the basin and stored in
the tidal basin
• During low tide, water from tidal basin is fed back into
the sea
BASIC PRINCIPLE OF TIDAL POWER
• Tides are produced mainly by gravitational attraction of
moon and sun
• 70% of tide producing force is due to the moon and
30% from the sun
• Surface water pulled away from the earth on the side
facing the moon and solid earth pulled away in the
opposite side
• As the earth rotates, relative position of moon changes
and there is periodic succession of high and low tides
• One complete tidal cycle – 12 hours 25 minutes
•R – water elevation at high tide
•During new moon or full moon, sun-earth-moon are in
straight line, the gravitational force of sun and moon
enhance each other
•This results in higher tides and also lower tides from the
average level
•On the first and three quarters of the moon with respect
to earth, neap tides occur
Tidal Energy

PH 0101 Unit-5 Lecture -1 39

Turbine rotation due to Tidal

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 TIDAL PHENOMENON
• No two tides in any cycle are alike
• Due to relative position of sun, earth and moon tides
are also influenced accordingly
• Mean tidal range varies from place to place
• Shape of tidal cycle depends on nature of the sea
• Tides are amenable for mathematical analysis (high tide
and low tide forecasting can be done easily)
COMPONENTS OF TIDAL POWER PLANTS
• Power House
– Turbines, Generators and auxiliary equipments
– Reversible blades and horizontal shafts are used
• Sluice ways
– To fill the basin during the high tide and empty the basin
during low tide as per operational requirements
• Dam or barrage (low wall) to form pool or basin
– Tidal power barrage have to resist waves when shock can
be severe
– Height should not exceed 20m
– To provide channels for turbines, prefabricated concrete
blocks to be used for construction
Contd…
– Complex design may be required for ebb and flood tides
– This results in construction of secondary basin
• Gates and locks
– Gates are opened regularly and frequently
– Leakage is tolerable
– Corrosion problems are acute
– Vertical lift (flap) gates are used
– Gates must open under differential head
• Turbine
– Bulb group: Kaplan turbine, placed in a hydraulic duct
and directly coupled to alternator
– Rim type: straight flow turbine and uses two or more
turbine coupled to alternator
OPERATION METHODS OF UTILIZATION OF
TIDAL ENERGY
 Generation of electricity from water requires that there should
be a difference in levels between water flows
 Power generated from tides involves flow between artificially
developed basin and sea
 Single basin arrangement
Generate power only intermittently
Only one basin interacting with sea
 Double basin arrangement
Provide power continuously on demand
One basin is maintained with low water level when
compared to the other basin
 Single basin arrangement
• Single ebb cycle system
– Sluice gates are opened to permit sea water to fill the
basin. Turbines are shut
– After reaching the maximum tide level sluice gates are
closed
– Flowing back of tide (ebb) takes place through the
turbines until the reservoir is emptied
– Minimum height is maintained in the dam to fill the sea
water
• Single tide cycle system
– Water from the sea admitted into the basin
– After flood tide is over, sea level falls and generation is
stopped
– Adjustable turbines are used to pump the water from the
basin

• Double cycle system

– Direction of flow through turbines during ebb and flood
tides alternates
– Generation is accompanied both during emptying and
filling
– Power is generated during every one tidal cycle
 Advantages and Limitations
• Advantages
– Tidal power is inexhaustible, independent of rain
– Free from pollution
– Does not require large area of valuable land
– Peak power demand can be met
• Limitations
– Variations in tidal range
– Turbines have to work on the wide range of head variation
– Tidal range is limited to few metres
– Time of occurrence of tidal power keeps changing
– Sea water is corrosive. Hence special design has to be
provided for turbine
Estimate of energy and power in single tidal basin