Biomass Energy Advantages

•Biomass is an organic matter used as a fuel for the generation of

electricity
•It is a renewable source.
The pollutant emissions from combustion of biomass are usually
lower than those from fossil fuels.
• Commercial use of biomass may avoid or reduce the problems of
waste disposal in other industries, particularly municipal solid waste
in urban centers.
•Use of biogas plants apart from supplying clean gas, better hygienic
conditions in rural areas as the harmful decaying biomass gets
stabilized.
•Varying capacity can be installed; any capacity can be operated, even
at lower loads.
•No seasonality
 Biomass production-
Photosynthesis Process
The fundamental conversion process in green plants
is photosynthesis, which is the process of combining
CO2 from the atmosphere with water plus light
energy to produce oxygen and carbohydrates
(sugars, starches, celluloses and hemicelluloses).

They are ultimate source of most of our foods

and other necessities of daily life such as cloths (in
the form of cotton), furniture (in the form of wood)
etc.
▪Ways of obtaining energy from
biomass
▪i)direct methods
▪Ii)indirect methods
Direct methods-
Raw materials used to produce biomass energy are
1. Forest wood and wastes
2. Agricultural crops and Residues.
3. Energy Crops: Sugar plants, starch plants, oil producing plants
4. Industrial wastes
5.Residential food wastes.
6. Urban waste : Municipal solid waste, sewage.
Indirect methods
▪ Biomass can also be used indirectly by converting
it either into electricity and heat or into a
convenient
B usable fuel in solid,liquid, or gaseous
form.
▪ Conversion process are
▪ i)Thermoelectrical conversion-direct combustion
of biomsss material in the boiler produces steam
–which is used to drive a turbine coupled with an
electrical generator to produce electricity or to
provide heat for residential and industrial
systems.-the boiler equipment are very expensive
and energy recovery is low.
▪ Emissions from burning biomass is less when
compared to the emissions produced when using
fossil fuels
ii)Biomass conversion to fuel
▪ Biomass conversion to fuel by fermentation(is a metabolic
process the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria,
yeasts or other microrganisms-the products are organic
acids, gases or alcohal) and gasification
▪ The biomass gasification can provide economical system-as
the price of petroleum fuels is high.
▪ Biomass conversion processes –classified into two types
▪ A)thermochemical conversion includes processes-pyrolisis
(thermal decomposition of biomass occuring in the absence
of O2)and gassification
▪ B)biological conversion includes processes –fermentation
and anaerobic digestion.(is a collection of processes by
which microorganisms breakdown biomass in the absence of
O2)
▪ Gasification produces a synthetic gas –by heating the
biomass with less O2
▪ Pyrolysis-yields bio oil by rapidly heating the biomass in the
absence of O2
▪ Anaerobic digestion produces renewable natural
gas(methane gas) when organic matter is decomposed by
bacteria in the absence of O2.
ENERGY PLANTATION

▪ In this scheme-selected trees are planted over regular intervals of

time so that wood is continuously available for cooking.
▪ Energy plantations include, amongst others, pine, cottonwood, hybrid
poplar, sweetgum, and eucalyptus
Improvements in soil preparation, planting,cultivation methods, species
matching, biogenetics and pest, disease and fire control have led to
enhanced yields.
▪ Electricity can also be produced by the energy plantation
approach-the wood grown being used as a fuel for the boilers of a
conventional power plant.
▪ Biomass-based electric power plant is well established in USA and
Europe-over 500 plants use wood, wood waste and agricultural
waste.
Biomass gasification
▪ Is a process of partial combustion in which solid biomass
(pieces of wood or agricultural residue) is converted into
combustible gas mixture.(producer gas)
▪ Biomass+air=CO+CO2+CH4+H2+N2+water vapour

▪ Producer gas can be used to

▪ 1)run IC engines
▪ 2)methanol-an attractive chemical –used as fuel for heat
engines and also as chemical feedstock for industries
▪ Gasification processes involved with biomass are
▪ 1)drying of fuels-process of drying biomass before it is fed into
gasifier
▪ 2)pyrolysis—process of breaking down biomass into charcoal by
applying heat to biomass in the absence of O2
▪ 3)combustion-all the heat required for different processes of
gasification are available from combustions
▪ 4)cracking—breaking down of large complex molecules takes
place
▪ 5)reduction-O2 atoms are removed in this process from the
combustion products molecules
Low temperature gasification

▪ Gassification of biomass-carried out at 750-1100 degree

centigrade
▪ Gas produced has high level of hydrocarbons-used directly to
burn for steam production and generation of electricity or can
be used in IC engines
High temp gasification
▪ Carried out in temp range 1200-1600 degree centigrade and
gas product is referred as synthetic gas
▪ It contains high proportion of CO and H2 and is convertible to
high quality diesel for use in diesel engines
Theory of gasification
▪ Gasification-process where decomposition of biomass(wood
wastes) by heat is converted into charcoal, oil and
combustible gas. It is a partial combustion of solid fuel (bio
mass) and takes place at temp of about 1000 degree
centigrade.
▪ Reactor used for gasification is called gasifier.
▪ Biomass is reduced to charcoal
▪ Charcoal at suitable temp is converted to produce CO and
H2
Gasifier
▪

▪ CO
▪ H2
▪ Any combustible biomass CH4
▪ material TAR
▪ air DUST
Gasifier and their classification
▪ Biogas gasifier-a chemical reactor in which biomass goes
through several physical and chemical processes and
producer or synthetic gas is produced.
▪ Types:
▪ Fixed bed gasifier:
▪ Fluidized bed gasifier.
 a) Fixed bed gasifier-biomass fuels move either
countercurrent or concurrent to the flow of gasification
medium(air or O2)
–since there is an interaction of air or O2 and biomass in
the gasifier, depending on the direction of airflow, Fixed bed is
further classified into
i)Downdraft –air is passed from the layers in the down
ward direction
ii)Updraft- air passing through the biomass from
bottom and combustible gases come out from the top of
the gasifier
iii) Cross draft-air enters from one side of the gasifier
and fuel is released from the opposite side

b)Fluidized bed gasifier. Here an inert material such

as sand ,ash which is utilised as bed and acts as a heat
transfer medium
Comparitive features
▪ 1.Updraft gasifier(UG)-works on coal,briquettes(block of
compresed coal dust) and other fuels(fuel flexibility)
▪ Downward gasifier(DG)-works on woody biomass and
charcoal(fuel specific)
▪ Crossdraft gasifiers(CD)-Types of fuel usage restricted to
only ash fuels such as wood, charcoal and coke
▪ 2. UG produces low quality gas having tar and particulate
matter(sum of solid and liquid particles)
▪ DG produces high quality gas
▪ CG produces good quality gas
Continued…
▪ 3.UG –Suitable for thermal applications
▪ DG-Suitable for power(IC engines) and thermal applications
▪ CD-Suitable for heat and power applications
▪ 4.UG tolerates higher ash content, higher moisture content,
greater size variation in fuel.
▪ DG-is sensitive to ash content, moisture content and size
variation in fuel
▪ UG-flexible gas production
Chemistry of reaction process in
gasification
▪ Four distinct processes in a gasifier
▪ 1)drying zone of fuel;in this zone , moisture content of
biomass is removed to obtain dry biomass.Some organic
acids come out during the drying process gives rise to
corrosion of gasifiers.
▪ 2)pyrolysis zone-Biomass is treated at temperature from 200
and 5oo degree centigrade in the absence of O2. In this zone
tar and other volatile products are driven off.
▪ Combustion zone:in this zone carbon from the fuel combust and forms
CO2
▪ C+O2=CO2+heat

▪ Reduction zone:Hot gases passes through this zone after the

combustion zone
▪ C+CO2+ HEAT=2CO (occurs at 1000 degree centigrade)
▪ (endothermic reaction –demands heat)
▪ Another endothermic reaction in the reduction zone is water-gas shift
reaction. It is the reaction of water vapour and carbon to give CO and
H2
▪ C+H20+heat=CO +H2
▪ Both the gases are flammable and the heating value of the gas is
increased.

▪ If still water is present in the reduction zone, CO reacts with water

vapour and forms CO2 and H2
▪ The temp in the reduction zone is 800-1000 degree centigrade
▪ Lower the temp lower is the calorific value of the gas.
▪ The heating value of the gas ranges from 4000-5000 kilo joules/metre
cube.(low when compred to the heating value of the other gases like
natural gas)
Updraft gasifiers
▪ Air intake is at the bottom and gas leaves at the top
▪ Fuel is introduced at the top and descends to the bottom
▪ In the upper part of the gasifier, heating and pyrolysis of the
feedstock occurs as a result of heat transfer by convection and
radiation from the lower zones.
▪ Combustion reactions occur at the bottom followed by reduction
reactions
▪ Gas tar and other volatile products are released at the top of the
reactor
▪ While ash is removed at the bottom
▪ Best suited for applications where moderate amount of dust in the
fuel gas are acceptable and high flame temp is required.
▪ Applications
▪ 1)thermal fluid heaters
▪ 2)Aluminium melting/annealing furnaces
▪ 3)boilers
Downdraft gasifier
▪ Air is introduced above the oxidation zone in the gasifier and the
producer gas is removed at the bottom, so that fuel and gas move
in the same direction
▪ The biomass feed is admitted at the top similar to upgrade
gasifier.
▪ As the biomass feed progresses down through the gasifier, it dries
and volatiles are pyrolised
▪ The charcoal is directed into a reduced diameter at the bottom
▪ Gassification air is injected into the throat through openings in the
throat wall.
▪ Due to high temp existing at the throat section, tar and oils could
be cracked which forms producer gas
▪ Producer gas leaves at the bottom of the gasifier.
▪ Applications
▪ baking ovens
▪ Dryers
▪ Boilers thermal fluid heaters
▪ Annealing furnaces
▪ Internal combustion engines
Cross draft gasifier
▪ Is a vertical cylindrical vessel
▪ Biomass is fed at the top at regular intervals of time and is
converted through a series of processes into producer gas
and ash as it moves through various zones of the gasifier

▪ Relatively high temp in cross draft gas producer has an effect

on gas composition such as high CO, and low H2 and
methane content when dry fuel like charcoal is used.
▪ Operates well on dry air blast and dry fuel.
Fluidised bed gasifier
▪ Used to convert wood wastes, agricultural wastes into a clean gas for
firing various types of industrial equipments.
▪ It uses an inert material (sand,ash)as bed and it is heated and the fuel is
introduced when the temp has reached the appropriate level.
▪ The bed material transfers heat to the fuel and blows the reactive agent
through a distributor plate at a controlled rate.
▪ It has no distinct zones (as in fixed bed gasifier) drying, pyrolysis and
gasification occur simultaneously
▪ The fuel particles are introduced at the bottom of the reactor, which
mixes with the bed material and instantaneously heated upto the bed
temp.
▪ As a result fuel is pyrolised results in a gas component mix having large
gaseous materials
Benifits
▪ High overall efficiency—70-90%. Moisture and ash contents
reduces the overall thermal efficiency of fluidised bed gasifier
▪ Fuel flexibility-operate satisfactorily with variable feed materials.
Ranging from coal,saw dust fines,or wood with particle size of less
than 4-6cms
▪ Highly reliable-no moving parts in the high temp regions .
▪ Low purchase and installation costs—air flow is comparitively low
and hence size of gasifier is small and compact.
▪ Flexible operation-fuel gas product is easily applied to variety of
industrial processes
▪ Low emissions-they are very low emission gasifiers and do not
require exhaust clean up devices.
Use of biomass gasifier
▪ Output of biomass can be used for direct thermal
applications-cooking, drying, heating water and generating
steam.
▪ Used as a fuel for IC engines to obtain mechanical shaft
power or electrical power
▪ Main applications of biomass :
▪ A) gasifier products are used to provide shaft power to
industrial and agricultural equipment and machines such as
▪ i)diesel engine operation
▪ Ii)water pumps
▪ Iii)tractors
▪ B)direct heat applications
▪ i)drying of agricultural crops and food products such as ginger ,
rubber, cardamom, and tea (temp range 85-125 degree centigrade
▪ Ii)baking of tiles and potteries (moderate temp range 800 -900
degree centigrade)
▪ Iii)for meltimg metals and alloys(temp range 700-1000 degree
centigrade
▪ Iv)as boiler fuels for providing steam or hot water for industries
▪ C)electrical power generation:few kilowatts to hundreds of
killowatts for local consumption or for grid power.
▪ D)chemical production; production of chemicals such as methanol
and formic acid from producer gas.
Gasifier biomass feed
characteristics (parameters)
▪ Following biomass feed characteristics dictate the quality
and classification of gasifiers
▪ 1)energy content of the fuel-higher the energy content and
bulk density of fuel, similar is the gasifier volume
▪ 2)moisture content- is determined by the type of fuel, its
origin and treatment-desirable to use fuel with low moisture
content to minimise heat loss due to evaporation. Pre
treatment of fuel is required to reduce the moisture content
▪ ( moisture content should be less than 20%)
▪ 4)dust content- all gasifiers produce dust(undesirable) that can
clog the IC engine , hence dust has to be removed. Higher the
dust produced, more load is put on filters necessiating frequent
flushing and increased maintenance

▪ 5)tar content –most unpleasant constituents of the gas which

tends to deposit in the carburetter and intake valves causing
sticking and troublesome operations- major effort devoted to
cleaning the tar by filters

▪ 6)ash content-mineral content in the fuel after complete

combustion is called ash.
▪ Ash fuses together to form slag and this stops the downward
flow of biomass feed.

▪ It shelters the points in fuels and thus lowers the fuel reaction
response.

▪ For smooth running, ash and tar removal –are important

processes.
Cooling and cleaning of gas
▪ Cooling and cleaning of the gas –most imp processes in the
gasification system.
▪ For efficient and effective use of gas ,should be cleaned of tar and
dust, free from moisture content and cooled.
▪ Temp of gas coming out of generator is (300-500 degree
centigrade)-energy density of gas can be increased by cooling it.
▪ Most coolers are heat exchangers where the cooling is done by
free convection of air on the outside surface of heat exchanger.
▪ Some heat exchangers provides partial scrubbimg of gas for
removal of moisture and tar contents ( the gas used for IC engines
should be cooled and thus shall be free from tar and moisture
content).
Continued…
▪ Three types of filters are used for cleaning of gas.
▪ They are classified as dry, moist and wet.
▪ Cyclone filters-designed according to the rate of gas
production and its dust content-useful for particle size of 5µm
and greater. Since 60-65% of the producer gas contains
particles above 60µm in size, cyclone filter is an excellent
cleaning device.
▪ Wet scrubber- after cyclone filtering. Gas still contains fine
dust particles and tar- further cleaned by passing through a
wet scrubber. The scrubber also acts like a cooler, from
where the gas goes to cloth or cork filter for final cleaning.
▪ Cloth filter: it is a fine filter. Any condensation of water on it
stops the gas flow because of increase in pressure drop
across it. Thus the hot gases are passed through the cloth
filter, and then they flow to the cooler
Biogas energy
▪ Biogas-a mixture of different gases-CO2, H2.
CH4(methane)-produced by the biological breakdown of
organic matter in the absence of O2

▪ Biogas-produced by
▪ i)anaerobic digestion with anaerobic bacteria-which digest
material inside a closed systems. Effective process to treat
organic wastes for minimising environmental pollution.

▪ Ii)fermentation process-chemical breakdown of a substance

by bacteria, yeasts or other microorganisms.
▪ Organic wastes used for anaerobic digestion
▪ i)sewage waste
▪ Ii)muncipal solid wastes
▪ Iii)Organic industrial and commercial wastes
▪ Iv)forest and agricultural wastes.
Biogas and its composition
Anaerobic digestion
▪ Biological process which produses gas(biogas) in the
absence of O2.
▪ Biological and chemical stages of anaerobic digestion
involves following steps
▪ Hydrolysis
▪ Acidogenesis
▪ Acetogenesis
▪ Methanogenesis
▪ hydrolysis
▪ Process of breaking large biomass organic chains into their
smaller parts such as sugar, fatty acids and amino acids and
dissolving the smaller molecules into solution
▪ This process assists bacteria in anaerobic digesters to access the
energy potential of the material.
▪ H2 and acetate products are used by methanogenesis

▪ Acidogenesis—is the biological process in which the remaining

components are broken down by acidogenetic(fermentative )
bacteria. It creates fatty acids together with ammonia, CO2 and
H2S and other by products.
▪ Acetogenesis: simple molecules created through
the previous phase are further digested to produce
more acetic acid, CO, H2
▪ Methanogenesis :this uses the products of the
previous stage and convert into CH4,CO and water
which makes the majority of the biogas emitted
from the system.
Biogas production
▪ Biogas originates from bacteria in the process of
biodegradation of organic material under anaerobic
conditions.
▪ Anaerobic processes either naturally or created in a
controlled environment, namely a biogas plant in which
organic wastes are put in an airtight container called digester
to produce anaerobic digestion process.
Types of biogas plants
▪ Fixed dome type biogas plant
▪ Floating dome type biogas plant
▪ Fixed dome type biogas plant- consists of following parts:
▪ 1) mixing tank: the water and the cattle dung are mixed
together in the ratio of 1:1 to form slurry.
▪ 2)inlet chamber- the mixing tank opens underground into a
sloping inlet chamber
▪ 3)digester-is a huge tank with a dome type ceiling. The
ceiling of the digester has an outlet with a valve for the
supply of biogas
Working principle
▪ Various forms of organic biodegradable biomass are
collected and mixed with equal amount of water properly in
the mixed tank to form slurry
▪ The slurry is fed into the digester tank through inlet chamber
and pipe, and the digester is filled about half of its height.
▪ The feeding of slurry is then discontinued for about 60 days
when anaerobic bacteria present in the slurry decomposes or
ferments the biomass in the presence of water.
▪ Biogas is formed-and starts accumulating in the upper dome
area of the biogas plants.-and the pressure is exerted on the
spent slurry to force it flow into the outlet chamber
▪ Finally the spent slurry overflows into the overflow tank from
where it is manually removed and used for agricultural crops
and plants.
▪ Gas control valve at the top of the dome is opened to supply
required gas for particular applications.
Advantages of fixed dome type
biogas plant
▪ Low cost compared to floating dome type
▪ Simple in construction as no movable dome exists
▪ Made up of concrete, bricks and cements and long life of the
plant
▪ Anaerobic digestion processes in the digester are little
influenced by temp fluctuations in day and night.
▪ Disadvantages: porosity(tiny holes) and cracks in plant
walls.
▪ Maintenance is difficult.
Floating type KVIC (khadi and village industries
commission)model
▪ Construction and working principle of this biogas plants is
similar to fixed dome type except that gas holder tank is
made up of steel and placed on the top of the digester
circular tank and is movable up and down.
▪ A unit of this type with a gas capacity of 2 metre cube/day
costs Rs 15000.
▪ Several types of gas plants are available in different sizes
and capacities ranging from 2-180 metre cube gas output
/day
▪ Advantages of floating dome type
▪ Very efficient
▪ Simple maintenance
▪ Disadvantages:
▪ expensive
▪ Steel drum may rust.
Benefits of biogas
▪ 1)production of energy(heat and electricity)- the calorific
value of biogas is about 6kwh/metre cube , which = about
half a litre of diesel oil. It replaces the conventional and
traditional cooking and heating fuels and therefore permits
the conservation of energy and fuels.
▪ Small and medium sized units(up to 6 metre cube) –used for
providing gas for cooking and lighting purposes) large units
can be used to power engines and generators ..
▪ 2)transportation of organic wastes into high quality organic
fertiliser-biogas plant is a perfect fertiliser making machine.
The fertiliser which comes from a biogas plant, contains 3
times more N2.
▪ 3)Health benefits of biogas –non biogas users have more
respiratory diseases than those who use biogas plants.
Respiratory illness, eye infection, asthma and lung problems
have largely decreased in the family having installing a
biogas plant for heating , cooking.(disease spreading
organisms are killed in biogas plants)
▪ 4)Reduction of workload, mainly for women, in firewood
collection and cooking, cleaning of utensils-home remains
free from smokes and dust.
▪ 5)Environmental advantages through protection of forests ,
soil, water and air- biogas plant saves the use of forest wood
and forest residues. Biogas systems yield more and better
fertiliser-soil erosion can be reduced.

▪ 6)global environmental benefits of biogas technology- biogas

is a renewable source of energy-demand for fossil fuel
required for heating and cooking is reduced by the use of
biogas, emission of CO2 is reduced-reduces the global
warming.
Factors affecting the selection of a
particular model of a biogas plant
▪ Cost-principal and maintenance cost of biogas plant should be as low as
possible.(production cost /unit volume of biogas) both to the user and to
the society
▪ Simplicity in design- for operation and maintenance(not only for
construction purposes) imp consideration especially in countries where
the rate of literacy is low and the availability of skilled human resource is
scarce.
▪ Durability-longer lifespan of biogas plants.it is necessary to construct
plants that are more durable although this may require higher initial
investment.
▪ Suitability for use with available raw inputs-design should be compatible
with type of inputs to be used.
▪ Inputs and outputs use frequency-frequency of utilization of biogas and
feedback inputting in biogas plants, Influence the selection of a
particular design and the size of various components of biogas plants.
Biogas plant feeds and their
characteristics
▪ Any biodegradable organic material can be used as inputs for
processing inside the bio digestor but for economic and technical
reasons, some materials are more preferred as inputs than others. If the
inputs are costly or have to be purchased, then the economic benefits of
outputs (gas and slurry) becomes low.
▪ Economic value of biogas and its slurry and reduced environmental cost
of biodegradable wastes disposal in landfill are the benefits of biogas
energy
▪ Main attraction of biogas technology is its ability to generate biogas out
of organic wastes that are in abundance and freely available.(cattle
dung is most commonly used as input because of its availability)
▪ In addition to sewage wastes, plant materials are also used to produce
biogas. Different organic materials have different biochemical
characteristics-potential for gas production also varies.
Continued…
▪ Basic requirements for biogas production is achieved my mixing two or
more of different organic materials .some charecteristics of these organic
inputs materials having significant impact on the level of gas production as
below
▪Carbon/nitrogen ratio(C/N Ratio)-amount of carbon and nitrogen present
in organic materials is expressed in terms of the carbon/nitrogen (C/N)
ratio. A C/N ratio ranging from 20 to 30 is considered optimum for
anaerobic digestion. For organic materials with very high C/N ratio, the
nitrogen will be consumed rapidly by methanogens for meeting their
protein requirements and left over carbon content of the material will not
have any reaction process. This will reduce the biogas production. For
very low C/N, nitrogen will be liberated and accumulated in the form of
ammonia (NH4) which will increase the pH value of the content in the
digester. A pH values higher than 8.5 will start showing toxic effect on
methanogens population.
Tidal energy
▪ Tides are periodic rises and falls of large bodies of water
▪ Ocean tides result from the gravitational attraction of sun and
moon on the ocean of the earth.
▪ Tidal energy is a form of hydro power that converts that converts
the energy of the tides into electricity
▪ Principle: during the rising period of tides, water is stored in
water reservoir constructed behind dams on the sea shore. The
potential energy of stored water is used to generate electrical
energy similar to that in a conventional hydropower plant (for
effective operation difference in the height of the high and low
tides should at least 4 m)
Tidal energy resource
▪ Tides are the waves caused due to the gravitational pull of
the moon and the sun –rise of sea water is called high tide
and fall in sea water is called low tide
▪ Enormous rising and falling movement of water is called tidal
energy-large source of energy and can be harnessed in
many coastal areas of the world
▪ Tidal dams are built for this purpose –water flows during high
tide and water flows out of dam during low tides-thus the
head created results in turning the turbine coupled to
electrical generator
Charecteristics of tidal power
▪ Tides are the waves caused due to the gravitational force of
attraction from the moon and the sun on the ocean of earth
▪ Tides, are affected by the different phases of the moon. When the
moon is at full or new phases, tidal current velocities are strong
and are called “spring currents.”
▪ .When the moon, earth and the sun are positioned close to a
straight line the highest tides-called spring tide occur
▪ When the moon, earth and the sun are at right angles to each
other-lowest tides (neap tides ) occur.
▪ Because water is much more dense than air, tidal energy is more
powerful than wind energy. Unlike wind, tides are predictable and
stable
▪ Tidal energy is renewable,
Tidal energy availability
▪ The moon exerts more than twice as great a force on the
tides as the sun due to its much closer position to the
earth.-hence the tide closely follows the moon during its
rotation around the earth
▪ The amplitude of height of the tide is very small in the open
ocean(measures several cms)
▪ The tide can increase when it reaches continental
shelves-bringing huge masses of water into narrow bays, and
river along a coastline.
Highest tides(tide ranges) of the
ocean
Few potential sites for tidal power
generation
Tidal power generation in India
Leading country in tidal power
plant installation
Energy availability in tides
▪ Potential energy and kinetic energy –two energy components of energy
of the tide waves.
▪ Potential energy –work done in lifting the mass of water above the
ocean surface
▪ P.E can be calculated as E=0.5*sea water density*g*A h2
▪ G= acceleration due to gravity
▪ A= Sea area under consideration
▪ H=tide amplitude
▪ Sea water density*g=10.15KN/m3
▪ Energy for a tidal cycle per m2 of ocean surface can be approximated as

E=1.4 h2 watt-hour
=5.04 h2 kJ
▪ Kinetic energy-energy of the water mass(m) is its capacity to do work by
virtue of its velocity
▪ Kinetic energy=0.5m v2
Calculation of tidal power
▪ Potential tidal power can be obtained based on mathematical
calculation
▪ Since power=Energy/time
▪ Tidal power, P= 0.5*sea water density*g*A h2 /T
▪ P =Potential power in watts
▪ A=surface area of the reservoir(m2)
▪ g=acceleartaion due to gravity=9.8m/ sec2
▪ h=tidal ranges in (m)
▪ Sea water density=1.04* 103 kg/ m3
▪ T=tidal period(sec)

▪
Principle of tidal power generation
TIDAL POWER BASIN
▪ The basin system is the most practical method of harnessing
tidal energy
▪ Basin is created by enclosing a portion of sea behind erected
dams
▪ The dam includes a sluice that is opened to allow the tide to
flow into the basin during tide rise period and the sluice is
then closed.
▪ When the sea level drops(during low tide period), water is
allowed to run through hydro turbines and electricity is
generated
Single basin system
▪ Simplest way of power generation and the simplest scheme for
developing tidal power is the single basin arrangement as shown in fig
above.
▪ Single water reservoir is closed off by constructing dam or barrage.
▪ Sluice(gate) admits the water during tide-the basin is filled by sea water
passing through the sluice gate during the high tide period.
▪ When the water level in the basin is higher than the sea level at low tide
period, then the power is generated by emptying the basin water
through turbine generators.
▪ This type of systems can allow power generation only for about 5 hours
and is followed by the refilling of the basin.
▪ Power is generated till the level of falling tides coincides with the level of
next rising tide.
▪ Single basin system has the drawback of intermittent power supply and
harnessing of only about 50% of available tidal energy.
Double basin system
This scheme consists of two basins at different elevation connected through
the turbine. The sluices in the high- and low-level basin communicate with
seawater directly, as shown in Figure above.
The high-level basin sluices are called the inlet sluices and the low level
as outlet sluices. The basic operation of the scheme is as follows:
1. The rising tide fills the high-level basin through the sluiceways.
2. When the falling seawater level is equal to the water level in the
high-level basin, the sluice- ways are closed to prevent the
outflowing high-level basin water back to the sea.
3. The water from high-level basin is then allowed to flow through
the turbine generators to the low-level basin.

4.When the falling seawater level becomes lower than the rising
water level in the low-level basin, the sluiceways are opened to
allow water to flow into the sea from the low-level basin. This
process continues until the water level in the low-level basin equals
to the rising sea level
5.When the seawater again rises during the next rising tide equals to
low level of high-level basin, sluices of high-level basin is again
open for filling of water in high-level basin. Thus, the cycle is
repeated.
Turbines for tidal power
▪ Tidal power plants operate using a rapidly varying head of
water-the turbines must have high efficiency at varying head.
▪ 1)kaplan type of water turbine
▪ 2)propeller type of turbine –angle of blades can be altered to
obtain max efficiency.
▪ 3)reversible horizontal turbine (bulb-type turbine)-both as a
pump and as a turbine.
Bulb type turbine
▪ Consists of a steel shell completely enclosing the generator
that is coupled to the turbine runner.
▪ The turbine is mounted in a tube within the structure of the
barrage. And the whole machine being submerged at all
times
▪ When the power demand on the system is low during the
rising tides, the unit operates as a pump to transfer water
from sea to the basin.
▪ When the load on the system is high, the unit will work as a
generator
Advantages and disadvantages of
tidal power
▪ ADVANTAGES
▪ 1)about two third of earths surface is covered by water-there is
scope to generate tidal energy on large scale.
▪ 2)energy density of tidal energy is higher than other renewable
energy sources.
▪ 3)tidal energy is a clean source of energy and does not require
much land
▪ 4)it is inexhaustible source of energy
▪ 5)environment friendly –free from pollution
▪ 6)efficiency of tidal power generation-80%(greater when
compared to coal, solar, or wind energy.
▪ 7)running and maintenance cost are low(capital investment of
construction of tidal power is high)
▪ 8)life of tidal power plant is very long
▪ DISADVANTAGES
▪ capital investment of construction of tidal power is high.
▪ Only few tidal locations for construction of plant are available-are
localized to coastal regions.
▪ Unpredictable intensity of sea waves can cause damage to power
generating units
▪ Aquatic life is affected.
▪ Continuous energy production is not possible
▪ Actual generation is for short period of time(only when tides occur)
▪ The technology is still not cost effective and more technological
advancements are required
Problems faced in exploiting tidal
energy
▪ The tidal power plant is usually far away from the place of
consumers-transmission of electrical power is expensive and
difficult.
▪ Intermittent supply
▪ Cost-initial investment cost is very high.
▪ Damages such as winter icing and erosion(distruction of rock
or soil by the sea) can change the vegetation of the area.