OPEN ELECTIVE- RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

UNIT-IV

 Course Objectives:
To study various types of non-conventional sources of energy and techniques used in
Wind exploiting solar, wind, tidal and geothermal sources of energy and bio-fuels.

 SYLLABUS:
Geothermal Energy: Resources, types of wells, methods of harnessing the energy,
potential in India.

Ocean Energy: OTEC, Principles utilization, setting of OTEC plants, thermodynamic cycles.

Tidal and wave energy: Potential and conversion techniques, Mini-hydel power plants and
their economics.

 Learning Outcomes:
 To understand the working principles of geothermal energy techniques.
 To understand the working principles of ocean thermal energy conversion.
 To understand the tidal and wave energy techniques.
Geothermal Energy:

Geothermal energy originates from the earth’s interior in the form of heat. Volcanoes,
geysers, hot springs and boiling mud pots are visible evidence of the great reservoirs of heat
that lie beneath the earth.

Geothermal field:

The following figure shows the geothermal filed or structure of earth

Structure of the earth

The above figure shows a typical geo thermal field.

 The hot magma (molten mass) near the surface solidifies into igneous rock.
 The heat of the magma is conducted upward to this igneous rock.
 Ground water that finds its way down to this rock through fissures in it will be heated
by the heat of the rock or by mixing with hot gases and steam emanating from the
magma.
 The heated water will then rise convectively upward and then into a porous and
permeable reservoir above the igneous rock.
 The reservoir is capped by a layer of impermeable solid rock that traps the hot water
in the reservoir.
 The solid rock however, has fissures that act as vents of the giant underground boiler.
 The vents show up at the surface as the geysers fumaroles or hot spring.
 A well taps the steam from the fissures for use in geo thermal power plant.
Classification of geothermal fields:
1. Non thermal geo fields
a) Hot dry vapour
b) Wet vapour
2. Semi thermal geo fields
3. Hydro thermal geo fields
a) Vapour dominated
 b) Liquid dominated
4. Geo pressured resources
5. Hot dry rocks (HDR)
6. Magma fields
a) Magmatic steam
b) Meteoritic steam
c) Hot aquifer

Hydro thermal resources:

 These are wet reservoirs at moderate depths containing steam and or hot water under
pressure at temperatures up to about 3500C.
 Most hydro thermal wells range in depth from about 600 to 1200m, although there are
some shallower and deeper production wells.

The following figure shows the hydro thermal convective region

Hydro thermal convective region

Hydro thermal sources are sub divided as follows

a) Vapour dominated systems:

The following figure shows the schematic diagram of a vapour dominated power plant

Vapour dominated hydro thermal power plant

Working procedure:

 Dry steam is extracted from the well, cleaned in a centrifugal separator to remove
solid matter and then piped directly to a turbine.
 The exhaust steam of the turbine is condensed in a direct contact condenser, in which
the steam is condensed by direct contact with cooling water.
 The resulting warm water is circulated and cooled in a cooling tower returned to the
condenser.
 The condensation of steam continuously increases the volume of cooling water.
 Excess water is re injected at some distance deep into the ground for disposal.
 The non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser by steam jet ejection.
b) Liquid dominated systems:
Liquid dominated systems are classified as follows
i. The flashed steam system
a. Single flash steam system b. Double flash steam system
ii. Binary fluid system
iii. Total flow concept system
Single flash steam system:
 Single flash and double flash systems are belongs to high temperature systems
because the operating temperature is above 1750c
Working procedure:
 In single flash system wet steam is extracted from the well and that steam is separated
from water particles with the help of flash separator.
 The exhaust steam of the turbine is condensed in a direct contact condenser, in which
the steam is condensed by direct contact with cooling water.
 The resulting warm water is circulated and cooled in a cooling tower returned to the
condenser.
 The condensation of steam continuously increases the volume of cooling water.
 Excess water is re injected at some distance deep into the ground for disposal.
 The non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser by steam jet ejection.
The following figure shows the schematic diagram of a liquid dominated single flash steam
power plant

Liquid dominated single flash steam power plant

Double flash steam system:

Working procedure:

 In this two flash systems are used

 In double flash system wet steam is extracted from the well and that steam is
separated from water particles with the help of first flash separator.
 The exhaust steam of the turbine is condensed in a direct contact condenser, in which
the steam is condensed by direct contact with cooling water.
 The resulting warm water is circulated and cooled in a cooling tower returned to the
condenser.
 From the second flash chamber the water particles are flows for condensation.
 The condensation of steam continuously increases the volume of cooling water.
 Excess water is re injected at some distance deep into the ground for disposal.
 The non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser by steam jet ejection.

The following figure shows the schematic diagram of a liquid dominated double flash steam
power plant

Liquid dominated double flash system

Binary fluid system:

 The operating temperature of the binary fluid system is below 175 0c so it is belongs to
low temperature system.
 In binary fluid system two heat exchangers are used in place of two flash separators.
 In those heat exchangers for the vaporization of steam organic fluid is used as a
binary fluid.
 Two different fluids are flows in this system that’s why this system is called as binary
fluid system.
 In most of the cases Isobutene is used a binary fluid.
  The exhaust steam of the turbine is condensed in a direct contact condenser, in which
the steam is condensed by direct contact with cooling water.
 The resulting warm water is circulated and cooled in a cooling tower returned to the
condenser.
 The condensation of steam continuously increases the volume of cooling water.
 Excess water is re injected at some distance deep into the ground for disposal.
 The non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser by steam jet ejection.

The following figure shows the schematic diagram of a Binary fluid geothermal power
system

Binary fluid geothermal power system

Total flow concept system:

The following figure shows the schematic diagram of a liquid dominated total flow concept

Liquid dominated total flow concept

Geo pressured resources:

 Drilling for oil and gas has revealed the existence of reservoirs containing salt water
at moderately high temperatures and very high pressures in a belt some 1200 Km in
length.
 Because of the abnormally high pressure of the water, up to 1350 atm. In the deepest
layers, the reservoirs are referred to as geo pressured.
 The geo pressured hot water reservoirs were apparently formed by accumulation of
geothermal heat stored over several million years, in water trapped in a porous
sedimentary medium by the overlying impervious layers.
 The upward loss of heat is relatively small and there are no obvious surface
indications of the deep, high temperature reservoirs.
 Higher pressure and temperatures have been measured at greater depths. The amount
of dissolved salt in the water varies with location and depth of the reservoir, ranging
from very small to about three times that in sea water.
 A special feature of geo pressured water (or brines) is their content of methane
(natural gas).
 The energy value of the brines thus depends on their temperature.
 The solubility of methane in water at normal pressure is quite low, but is increased at
high pressures of the geo thermal reservoirs.
 When the water is brought to the surface and its pressure reduced, the methane gas is
released from solution
 The gas content of geo pressured brine is usually about 1.9 to 3.8 m 3 gas per m3 of
water but higher values have been reported in brief tests.
 However the amount of natural gas recoverable economically from geo pressured
reservoirs is presently unknown.

Hot dry rock resources (HDR):

 There are regions underground at temperatures exceeding 200 0c, with little or no
water.
 The rocks are impermeable and/or there is no surface water in the vicinity.
 Such resources up to a depth of 5km are estimated to be significant and worthy of
development as a source of energy.
 Hot dry rocks are much more common than hydro thermal reservoirs and more
accessible. So their potential is quite high.
 The recovery of heat from HDR involves forming a man-made reservoir by drilling
deep in to the hot rocks and then cracking it to form cavity or fractures.
 Such a system is known as an Enhanced Geothermal System(EGS), sometimes also
called Engineered Geothermal Systems.
 EGS can be achieved by
a. Detonating high explosives at the bottom of the well.
b. Nuclear explosion.
c. Hydraulic fracturing.
  Hydraulic fracturing, which is performed by pumping of water at high pressure into
the rock formation, is commonly used in oil and gas fields to improve the flow.
 It appears that the quantity of conventional explosives required would be
uneconomically large.
 Nuclear explosives are associated with environmental and safety issues and therefore,
hydraulic fracturing seems to be more promising.

Heat extraction from hot dry rocks

Magma resources:
 At some places, molten or partially molten rock (magma chamber), at temperatures of
6500c to 12000c occurs at depths of 5 km – 10 km.
 These resources are located especially in the vicinity of recent volcanic activity.
 Very high temperature and large volume make magma huge potential energy source,
the largest of all geo thermal resources.
 However, successful magma drilling technology has not been established yet.
 Extracting magma energy is expected to be most difficult of all types of resource
utilization.
 Magma technology will require special drilling technology to deal with interaction of
the drill bit with molten rock, the effects of dissolved gases, and mechanisms of heat
transport in molten magma.
 This technology has not been developed as yet.
 OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION

OTEC, or Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, is an energy technology that converts solar
radiation to electric power. OTEC systems use the ocean's natural thermal gradient the fact
that the ocean's layers of water have different temperatures to drive a power-producing cycle.
As long as the temperature between the warm surface water and the cold deep water differs
by about 20°C, an OTEC system can produce a significant amount of power, with little
impact on the surrounding environment.
The distinctive feature of OTEC energy systems is that the end products include not
only energy in the form of electricity, but several other synergistic products. The principle
design objective was to minimize plan cost by minimizing plant mass, and taking maximum
advantage of minimal warm and cold water flows. Power is converted to high voltage DC,
and is cabled to shore for conversion to AC and integration into the local power distribution
network.
The oceans are thus a vast renewable resource, with the potential to help us produce
billions of watts of electric power.

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION

 Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface, making them the world's largest solar
collectors. The sun's heat warms the surface water a lot more than the deep ocean
water, and this temperature difference creates thermal energy.
 Just a small portion of the heat trapped in the ocean could power the world.
 OTEC or Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a process which utilizes the
heat energy stored in the tropical ocean.
 The world's oceans serve as a huge collector of heat energy. OTEC plants utilize the
difference in temperature between warm surface sea water and cold deep sea water to
produce electricity.
 Thermal energy conversion is an energy technology that converts solar radiation to
electric power.
 OTEC systems use the ocean's natural thermal gradient—the fact that the ocean's
layers of water have different temperatures to drive a power-producing cycle.
 As long as the temperature between the warm surface water and the cold deep water
differs by about 20°C, an OTEC system can produce a significant amount of power.
 The oceans are thus a vast renewable resource, with the potential to help us produce
billions of watts of electric power.
 This potential is estimated to be about 1013 watts of base load power generation,
according to some experts.
 The cold, deep seawater used in the OTEC process is also rich in nutrients, and it can
be used to culture both marine organisms and plant life near the shore or on land.
 OTEC produce steady, base-load electricity, fresh water, and air-conditioning options.
OTEC requires a temperature difference of about 36 deg F (20 deg C). This temperature
difference exists between the surface and deep seawater year round throughout the tropical
regions of the world.
To produce electricity, we either use a working fluid with a low boiling point (e.g. ammonia)
or warm surface sea water, or turn it to vapour by heating it up with warm sea water
(ammonia) or de-pressurizing warm seawater.
The pressure of the expanding vapour turns a turbine and produces electricity.
Commercial OTEC facilities can be built on
• Land or near the shore
• Platforms attached to the shelf
• Moorings or free-floating facilities in deep ocean water
Land-based and near-shore are more advantageous than the other two. OTEC plants can be
mounted to the continental shelf at depths up to 100 meters, however may make shelf-
mounted facilities less desirable and more expensive than their land-based counterparts.
Floating OTEC facilities with a large power capacity, but has the difficulty of stabilizing and
of mooring it in very deep water may create problems with power delivery.
Commercial ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plants must be located in an
environment that is stable enough for efficient system operation. The temperature of the
warm surface seawater must differ about 20°C (36°F) from that of the cold deep water that is
no more than about 1000 meters (3280 feet) below the surface. The natural ocean thermal
gradient necessary for OTEC operation is generally found between latitudes 20 deg N and 20
deg S.
TYPES OF ELECTRICITY CONVERSION SYSTEMS
There are three types of electricity conversion systems: closed-cycle, open-cycle, and hybrid.
Closed-cycle systems use the ocean's warm surface water to vaporize a working fluid, which
has a low-boiling point, such as ammonia. The vapour expands and turns a turbine. The
turbine then activates a generator to produce electricity. Open-cycle systems actually boil the
seawater by operating at low pressures. This produces steam that passes through a
turbine/generator. And hybrid systems combine both closed-cycle and open-cycle systems.

CLOSED-CYCLE OTEC
In the closed-cycle OTEC system, warm sea water vaporizes a working fluid, such as
ammonia, flowing through a heat exchanger (evaporator). The vapor expands at moderate
pressures and turns a turbine coupled to a generator that produces electricity. The vapor is
then condensed in heat exchanger (condenser) using cold seawater pumped from the ocean's
depths through a cold-water pipe. The condensed working fluid is pumped back to the
evaporator to repeat the cycle. The working fluid remains in a closed system and circulates
continuously.
The heat exchangers (evaporator and condenser) are a large and crucial component of the
closed-cycle power plant, both in terms of actual size and capital cost. Much of the work has
been performed on alternative materials for OTEC heat exchangers, leading to the recent
conclusion that inexpensive aluminium alloys may work as well as much more expensive
titanium for this purpose.
OPEN-CYCLE OTEC
The open cycle consists of the following steps: (i) flash evaporation of a fraction of the warm
seawater by reduction of pressure below the saturation value corresponding to its temperature
(ii) expansion of the vapor through a turbine to generate power; (iii) heat transfer to the cold
seawater thermal sink resulting in condensation of the working fluid; and (iv) compression of
the non-condensable gases (air released from the seawater streams at the low operating
pressure) to pressures required to discharge them from the system.
Hybrid OTEC System
Another option is to combine the two processes together into an open-cycle/closed-cycle
hybrid, which might produce both electricity and desalinated water more efficiently. In a
hybrid OTEC system, warm seawater might enter a vacuum where it would be flash-
evaporated into steam, in a similar fashion to the open-cycle evaporation process.
The steam or the warm water might then pass through an evaporator to vaporize the working
fluid of a closed-cycle loop. The vaporized fluid would then drive a turbine to produce
electricity, while the steam would be condensed within the condenser to produced desalinated
water

BENEFITS OF OTEC
We can measure the value of an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant and
continued OTEC development by both its economic and no economic benefits. OTEC’s
economic benefits include the:
• Helps produce fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol
• Produces base load electrical energy
• Produces desalinated water for industrial, agricultural, and residential uses
• Is a resource for on-shore and near-shore Mari culture operations
• Provides air-conditioning for buildings
• Provides moderate-temperature refrigeration
• Has significant potential to provide clean, cost-effective electricity for the future.
• Fresh Water up to 5 litres for every 1000 litres of cold seawater.
• Food Aquaculture products can be cultivated in discharge water.
OTEC’s no economic benefits, which help us achieve global environmental goals, include
these:
• Promotes competitiveness and international trade
• Enhances energy independence and energy security
• Promotes international socio-political stability
DISADVANTAGES
  OTEC plant construction and operation may affect commercial and recreational
fishing.
 Fish will be attracted to the plant, potentially increasing fishing in the area.
 Enhanced productivity due to redistribution of nutrients may improve fishing.
 Other risks associated with the OTEC power system are the safety issues associated
with steam electric power generation plants: electrical hazards, rotating machinery,
use of compressed gases, heavy material-handling equipment, and shop and
maintenance hazards.

APPLICATIONS
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) systems have many applications or uses. OTEC
can be used to generate electricity, desalinate water, support deep-water Mari culture, and
provide refrigeration and air-conditioning as well as aid in crop growth and mineral
extraction. These complementary products make OTEC systems attractive to industry and
island communities even if the price of oil remains low.

TIDAL ENERGY
The periodic rise and fall of water level of sea which are carried by the action of the sun and
moon on water of the earth is called “tide”. The large scale up and down movement of sea
water represents an unlimited source of energy.
The main feature of the tidal cycle is the difference in water surface elevations at the high
tide and at the low tide. If the differential head could be utilized in operating a hydraulic
turbine, the tidal energy could be converted into electrical energy by means of an attached
generator.
Physical principle of tidal energy
A tide is a regular rise and fall of the surface of the ocean due to the gravitational force of the
sun and moon on the earth and the centrifugal force produced by the rotation of the earth and
moon about each other. It is known that the gravitational force that mutually attracts any two
bodies is directly proportional to the product of their masses and is inversely proportional to
the square of the distance that separates the masses. The attractive force exerted by the sun or
moon on a molecule of water can be calculated as:
K× M×m
F= 2
d
F: attraction force
K: universal constant of gravitation
M: mass of the moon or sun
m: mass of a water molecule
d: the distance from a water molecule to the moon/sun
The effect of the gravitational force exerted by the moon on the earth is about 2.17 times
larger than the exerted by the sun, due to the smaller distance between the earth and the
moon. A bulge of water is created being greater on the earth side nearest to the moon due to
the gravitational force. Simultaneously, another bulge of water is created due to the
centrifugal pull due to the rotation of the earth-moon system, but in this case the water bulge
is created on the side of the earth furthest away of the moon. As a result of the two forces, a
resultant bulge is created around the earth.
 When sun and moon are in line whether pulling on the same side or on the opposite
side (full or new moons) the gravitational attraction combine together causes high
tides, known as spring tides.
 Conversely, when sun and moon are orthogonal, their gravitational forces pulls water
in different directions causing the bulges to cancel each other, giving place to neap
tides.
 The maximum power is produced during spring tide while the minimum is during the
neap tide.

Tidal phenomenon is periodic. The periodicity varies according to the lunar and solar
gravitational effects, respective movements of the moon and sun, and other geographical
peculiarities. The mean interval between conjunctions of the sun and moon (new moon to
new moon) has a cycle of 29.53 days, which is known as Synodic month or lunation. There
are three different types of tidal phenomena at different locations of the earth.
 Semidiurnal tides with monthly variation.
 Diurnal tides with monthly variation
 Mixed tides

POTENTIAL
Worldwide, the technically harvestable tidal energy resource from those areas close to the
coast is estimated by several sources at 1 terawatts (TW).
 The potential for tidal current technologies is larger than for tidal range.
 Total tidal range deployment in 2012 was around 514 MW, and around 6 MW for
tidal current (of which 5 MW is deployed in the UK).
 Extensive plans exist for tidal barrage projects in India, Korea, the Philip-pines and
Russia adding up to around 115 giga watts (GW).
 Deployment projections for tidal current up to 2020 are in the range of 200 MW.
An advantage of both tidal range and tidal current energy is that they are relatively
predictable with daily, bi-weekly, biannual and even annual cycles over a longer time span of
a number of years. Energy can be generated both day and night. Furthermore, tidal range is
hardly influenced by weather conditions.
TIDAL POWER PLANT
A Tidal power plant mainly consists of the following:
1. A barrage with gates and sluices
2. One or more basins
3. A power house
A barrage is a barrier constructed across the sea to create a basin for storing water.
The barrage has to withstand the pressure exerted by the water head and also should resist the
shock of the waves.
A basin is the area where water is retained by the barrage. Low head reversible water
turbine are installed in the barrage separating the sea from the basin.-

During high tide, water will flow from sea to tidal basin through turbine, thus producing
electricity. During low tide, water will flow from tidal basin to sea through turbine producing
electricity.

TIDAL ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEMS

Single basin tidal barrage
This system consists of one basin and requires a barrage across an estuary or a bay.
There are three main operation patterns in which power can be generated within a single
basin: ebb generation, single tide cycle system, double cycle system.
Ebb generation
This method is the simplest mode of operation for a tidal plant, in which the basin is filled
with water through the sluices gates during flood tide. At high tide, the sluice gates are closed,
keeping the water in the basing. During periods of low demand, extra water can be pumped to
raise the level further.
The sluices are kept closed until the current has ebbed sufficiently to develop substantial
hydrostatic head across the barrage. Consequently, the water is let flow through the turbines,
generating electricity for several hours, until the hydrostatic head drops to the minimum level
in which turbines can efficiently operate. Once this point is reached, the sluices are opened,
turbines disconnected and the basin is filled again, starting a new cycle. Ebbs generation takes
this name because generation occurs as the tide ebbs.

Fig. Ebb generation mode

Following typical day fluctuations are summarized:
 Every day there are two burst of generation activity beginning approximately three
hours after high tide and lasting 4 to 6 hours.
 For each tidal cycle production levels rapidly increase with tidal range. Therefore, the
output characteristic displays a 14 days cycle.
 High water times shift by about 1 hour per day.
 For each 14 day, energy production will not be evenly distributed throughout the 24h
of the day.
 Output levels will only show slight variation from one fortnightly period to the next.
 Annual production levels show fluctuations of around ±5% and follow a cycle of 18
2/3 years.
Single tide cycle system:
The flood generation method uses incoming tide to generate power. During the flood
tide turbines and sluices gates are kept closed until a substantial hydrostatic head is developed
across the barrage. Once the sufficient head is achieved the turbine gates are opened allowing
the water to flow through them into the basin.
Generally, flood generation is less efficient than ebb generation because the volume of
water stored on the upper half of the basin (which is where ebb generation operates) is greater
than the volume stored on the lower half (filled first during flood generation).Therefore, the
water head between the basin and the sea, reduces more quickly than it would be with ebb
generation, thus, less energy is produced.
Moreover, as in average the system it creates a decrease in sea level within the basin,
it can have a negative effect on shipping and the environment; as the level of the reservoir is
subjected to continuous changes in water level, whereas in ebb generation, the greater
changes in water level are suffered by the basin.

Double cycle system:

This method combines ebb generation and flood generation. Generation occurs in both, as the
tide ebbs and floods in every cycle. The sluices gates are kept close until near the end of the
flood cycle. When the minimum hydrostatic head for electricity generation is reached, the
sluices gates are opened. At high tide, the sluices gates are closed and water is trapped until
sufficient hydrostatic head is reached again. Water is then allowed to flow through the
turbines to generate in the ebb mode. This method has an advantage respect to the other two;
it has a reduced period of non-generation and a reduction in generators costs due to lower
peak power. Blocks of energy are produced in approximately 6 hours cycle, with smaller
output and greater plant utilization factor. However, it presents a smaller power output than
for simple ebb generation, due to the reduce range within the basin. Moreover, turbines are
designed to operate in both directions are more costly.
 DOUBLE BASIN-TIDAL BARRAGE
This system requires the construction of two barrages, the main one and the inner one,
giving place to two basins. The main basin is essentially the same as ebb generation in a
single-basin system. The only difference is that in this case, part of the energy produced by it
is used to pump water into the second basin [4]. For this reason, the second barrage acts as a
storage element, extending the time period in which the barrage can produce electricity,
therefore this system can adjust the delivery of electricity to match consumer demands. The
system major advantage is the ability to delivery electricity at periods of high demand.
However, double-basin systems are unlikely to become feasible for both, inefficiencies of
low-head turbines and high construction costs.

ADVANTAGES
1. It is inexhaustible source of energy
2. No problem of pollution
3. The cost of power generation is quite low
4. High output can be obtained compared to solar or wind energy

DISADVANTAGES
1. Capital cost is very high
2. As the head is not constant, variable output is obtained
3. As the head is low, large amount of water is necessary for the turbine
4. It will not operate when the available head is less than 0.5m
Assignment-Cum-Tutorial Questions
A. Questions testing the remembering / understanding level of students
I) Objective Questions
1. The temperature difference between the upper layers and the deeper layers of the ocean
should be ______ to install an OTEC power plant. [ ]
1. 40 oC
2. 50 oC
3. 20 oC
4. 30 oC
2. The molten material mixed with gases in the mantle of the earth is called ______.
1. core
2. lava
3. geyser
4. magma

3. Tidal energy utilizes

a. Kinetic energy of water
b. Potential energy of water.
c. Both (a) and (b)
d. None of these.
4. Thermal gradient in a geo thermal plant is given by
a. Heat flux * thermal conductivity
b. Heat flux / thermal conductivity
c. Thermal conductivity / heat flux
d. None of these
5. Tidal energy development needs
a. Huge capacity and long construction time.
b. Huge capacity and low construction time.
c. Low capacity and long construction time.
d. Low capacity and low construction time.
6. In geo thermal power plants waste water is
a. Discharged back to earth.
b. Discharged into the sea.
 c. Recirculated after cooling in cooling towers.
d. Evaporated in ponds.

II) Descriptive Questions

1. What is tidal energy? Explain its working with a schematic diagram
2. What is geothermal energy? How can we generate electricity from this non-
conventional source of energy?
3. Advantages and Limitations of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
4. Explain Closed Cycle OTEC with a neat sketch
5. Explain Open Cycle OTEC with a neat sketch
B. Question testing the ability of students in applying the concepts.
I) Multiple Questions:
1. Geothermal energy is the thermal energy present
(A) On the surface of the earth
(B) In the interior of the earth
(C) On the surface of the ocean
(D) None of the above
2. The following is (are) the visible sign(s) of the large amount of heat lying in the
earth’s interior.
(A) Volcanoes
(B) Geysers
(C) Hot springs
(D) All of the above
3. The molten rock within the earth is
(A) Igneous
(B) Magma
(C) Sedimentary
(D) Metamorphic
4. The following is (are) type(s) of Geothermal resource
(A) Hydrothermal
(B) Hot dry rock
(C) Geo pressurised
 (D) All of the above

5. When the water is ejected from earth’s interior in the form of hot water, it is called
(A) Geyser
(B) Hot springs
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) None of the above
6. The efficiency of geothermal plant is about
(A) 5%
(B) 15%
(C) 25%
(D) 35%
7. Cracks in the earth's surface are known as _______.
8. _________ are pockets of trapped vapour, which spout from beneath the earth's
surface.
9. The four layers of the earth are the ______, the _______, the _______ core, and the
______ core.
10. It is approximately ________ miles is it to the centre of the earth?
C. Questions testing the analyzing / evaluating ability of students
1. The rated output power for a turbine model at 15 m/s is 3 MW. The rotor diameter is
90m. The rotor rotates at a constant frequency of 0.198 Hz. Please calculate the tip to
speed ratio and power conversion coefficient of this model.
2. Based on the figure below, what do you expect about the power extraction coefficient of
the model in question 1.2 when the wind speed is at 8 m/s? In addition, what do you
expect about the output power at this wind speed? Is it more than the output power at
15m/s? The rotor rotates at the constant frequency. Give your arguments.
UNIT-IV.
Assignment-Cum-Tutorial Questions
A. Questions testing the remembering / understanding level of students
I) Objective Questions
1. The temperature difference between the upper layers and the deeper layers of the ocean
should be ______ to install an OTEC power plant.
1. 40 oC
 2. 50 oC
3. 20 oC
4. 30 oC
2. The molten material mixed with gases in the mantle of the earth is called ______.
1. core
2. lava
3. geyser
4. magma

7. Tidal energy utilizes

a. Kinetic energy of water
b. Potential energy of water.
c. Both (a) and (b)
d. None of these.
8. Thermal gradient in a geo thermal plant is given by
a. Heat flux * thermal conductivity
b. Heat flux / thermal conductivity
c. Thermal conductivity / heat flux
d. None of these
9. Tidal energy development needs
a. Huge capacity and long construction time.
b. Huge capacity and low construction time.
c. Low capacity and long construction time.
d. Low capacity and low construction time.
10. In geo thermal power plants waste water is
a. Discharged back to earth.
b. Discharged into the sea.
c. Recirculated after cooling in cooling towers.
d. Evaporated in ponds.

II) Descriptive Questions

 6. What is tidal energy? Explain its working with a schematic diagram
7. What is geothermal energy? How can we generate electricity from this non-
conventional source of energy?
8. Advantages and Limitations of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
9. Explain Closed Cycle OTEC with a neat sketch
10. Explain Open Cycle OTEC with a neat sketch
B. Question testing the ability of students in applying the concepts.
I) Multiple Questions:
2. Geothermal energy is the thermal energy present
(A) On the surface of the earth
(B) In the interior of the earth
(C) On the surface of the ocean
(D) None of the above
2. The following is (are) the visible sign(s) of the large amount of heat lying in the
earth’s interior.
(A) Volcanoes
(B) Geysers
(C) Hot springs
(D) All of the above
3. The molten rock within the earth is
(A) Igneous
(B) Magma
(C) Sedimentary
(D) Metamorphic
4. The following is (are) type(s) of Geothermal resource
(A) Hydrothermal
(B) Hot dry rock
(C) Geo pressurised
(D) All of the above

5. When the water is ejected from earth’s interior in the form of hot water, it is called
(A) Geyser
(B) Hot springs
(C) Both (A) and (B)
 (D) None of the above
6. The efficiency of geothermal plant is about
(A) 5%
(B) 15%
(C) 25%
(D) 35%
7. Cracks in the earth's surface are known as _______.
8. _________ are pockets of trapped vapour, which spout from beneath the earth's
surface.
9. The four layers of the earth are the ______, the _______, the _______ core, and the
______ core.
10. It is approximately ________ miles is it to the centre of the earth?
C. Questions testing the analyzing / evaluating ability of students
3. The rated output power for a turbine model at 15 m/s is 3 MW. The rotor diameter is
90m. The rotor rotates at a constant frequency of 0.198 Hz. Please calculate the tip to
speed ratio and power conversion coefficient of this model.
4. Based on the figure below, what do you expect about the power extraction coefficient of
the model in question 1.2 when the wind speed is at 8 m/s? In addition, what do you
expect about the output power at this wind speed? Is it more than the output power at
15m/s? The rotor rotates at the constant frequency. Give your arguments.