SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING (MCN 201) SREE BUDDHA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, PATTOOR

MODULE IV
RESOURCES AND ITS UTILISATION

SYLLABUS
Energy sources: Basic concepts - Conventional and non-conventional energy.
General idea about solar energy, Fuel cells. Wind energy, Small hydro plants, bio-
fuels. Energy derived from oceans, Geothermal energy.

Energy S o u r c e s
Energy is a vital force in our daily life. Energy takes many natural forms: light, heat, sound,
electrical energy, kinetic energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy and so on. The need for energy
has increased drastically due to population explosion and the modern world needs access to
modern energy utilization and conservation mechanisms.

❖ Energy – vital force in our daily lives

❖ Law of conservation of energy – Energy can neither be created nor destroyed
❖ Energy does not disappear when used, it gets converted to another form of energy
❖ Every activity requires energy sources in order to function
❖ Two types - Non-renewable energy sources and renewable energy sources

Renewable Energy Sources: Energy sources that are directly available & can be replenished
(made again) in a short period of time. Eg: - solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy,
biomass etc.

Non-Renewable Energy Sources: Energy sources that cannot be replenished in a short period
of time. Eg: - coal, petroleum, natural gas etc.

CONVENTIONAL AND NON-CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY

Energy that has been used from ancient times is known as conventional energy. Coal, natural gas,
oil, and firewood are examples of conventional energy sources. They are exhaust able except
water. They cause pollution when used, as they emit smoke and ash. They are very expensive to
be maintained, stored and transmitted as they are carried over long distance through transmission
grid and lines. The resources which are yet in the process of development over the past few years
are called non- conventional sources. It includes solar, wind, tidal, biogas and biomass,
geothermal. They are inexhaustible. They are generally pollution free. Less expensive due to
local use and easy to maintain.

SOLAR ENERGY
Most of the renewable energy is ultimately “Solar energy” that is directly collected from sun
light. Energy is released by the Sun as electromagnetic waves. The energy reaching earth’s
atmosphere consists of about 8% UV radiation 46% visible light46% infrared radiations.
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Solar Energy can be used in two ways: Solar heating and Solar electricity.
Solar Heating is to capture/concentrate sun’s energy for heating buildings and for
cooking/heating foodstuffs etc. Solar electricity is mainly produced by using photovoltaic solar
cells which is made of semi conducting materials that directly converts sunlight into electricity.
Obviously, the Sun doesn’t provide constant energy at any spot on the Earth, so its use is limited.
Therefore, often Solar cells are used to charge batteries which are used either as secondary energy
source or for other applications of intermittent use such as night lightening or water pumping etc.
A solar power plant offers good option for electrification of disadvantageous locations such as
hilly regions, forests, deserts and islands where other resources are neither available nor
exploitable in techno economically viable manner.
Applications of solar technologies include: -
❖ Solar water heating: - Heat from the sun is used to heat water in glass panels on our roof.
Water is pumped through pipes in the panel. Using the heat from the sun, water pipes get hot
and heat the water without using electricity.
❖ Solar Cars: It is an electrical vehicle which is recharged from solar energy or sunlight. Solar panels
are used on this car that absorb light and then convert it into electrical energy. This electrical
energy is stored in batteries used within the car, so that we can drive these vehicles in night time
too.
Solar Cooker: -

Solar thermal energy is directly collected and used for cooking. It consists of a well-insulated
rectangular or square metal box that is blackened on the inner side and fitted with a flat glass cover.
When kept in sun, metal box ab so rb s heat and glass cover reduces its escape, resulting in an
increase in temperature inside the box. A well-made cooker can achieve an inside temperature of
150° C to 200 °C on sunny day
Solar Electricity (Thermal)
Solar energy is concentrated using collectors and used to heat a fluid which then is used to
generate electricity through a conventional heat engine. With the application of solar energy heat of
sun can boil water to create steam and rotate turbines.

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Solar Electricity - (Photovoltaic): Photovoltaic or PV technology employs solar cells or solar

photovoltaic arrays to convert energy from the sun into electricity. Solar cells are made of
semiconductor materials. A silicon photovoltaic cell consists of single crystal of p-type silicon
with a surface layer of n-type silicon. When light falls on such a p-n junction, electrons and holes
move in opposite directions, creating an electric current. Solar cells produce direct current electricity
from the sun 's rays, which can be used to power equipment or to recharge batteries. Many pocket
calculators incorporate a single solar cell, but for larger applications, cells are generally grouped
together to form PV modules that are in turn arranged in solar arrays. Solar arrays can be used to
power orbiting satellites and other spacecraft, and in remote areas as a source of power for roadside
emergency telephones, remote sensing etc.

Advantages of Solar energy

❖ Environmental impacts can be reduced
❖ Inexhaustible renewable energy source
❖ No pollution
Disadvantages of Solar energy
❖ Sunny days are required to capture effective solar energy.
❖ Initial set up cost is high
❖ Batteries should be used to store energy for night and cloudy days, but batteries will be
large, heavy and need storage space.
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FUEL CELL
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a
chemical reaction of positively charged hydrogen ions with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.
Fuel cells are different from batteries in that they require a continuous source of fuel and oxygen or
air to sustain the chemical reaction, whereas in a battery the chemicals present in the battery react
with each other to generate an electromotive force (emf). Fuel cells can produce electricity
continuously for as long as these inputs are supplied.

A fuel cell converts the element hydrogen into electricity by mixing it with oxygen, which then
creates water. It is like a battery that is constantly fed with fuel. Water is a molecule that consist of
one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. It takes energy to separate water into oxygen and
hydrogen, and energy is released when they are put back together. A fuel cell does the latter.
Hydrogen (the energy source) and oxygen (which can come from plain air) are put into the fuel
cell. Each is put near a metal plate on two opposite sides of the fuel cell. In the middle of the fuel
cell there is a screen that separates hydrogen from the oxygen. This screen will only let one type
of hydrogen atoms pass through to the oxygen. These hydrogen atoms lack the electron, and they
are called ions. The electrons were split off from the hydrogen fuel by the metal plate at the hydrogen
side (the metal plate acts as a catalyst). Because the screen doesn't let electrons pass through, they
go through a separate wire, to the other metal plate on the oxygen side. The travel of electrons
creates electric energy (electricity). The wire is where electricity can be used. For example, the
wire can be cut in half, and a light bulb can be connected in between the two halves.

WIND ENERGY

Wind power is the use of air flow through wind turbines to mechanically power generators for
electricity. Wind power, as an alternative for burning fossil fuels, is renewable, widely distributed,
clean and p r o d u c e no greenhouse gas emissions during operation. A tall tower with a large
propeller o n the top f o r m s the basic structure of a wind mill. The wind blows the propeller
round which turns a generator to produce electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a

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shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. The kinetic energy of the wind can
be used to run wind turbines but the output power depends upon the wind speed. The blades can
be angled to cope with varying wind speeds. Also, the propeller can turn to face the wind wherever
it comes from. The generated electricity can be carried to the bottom of the tower. Through
underground cables, it is fed to a transformer and then to a substation. Building several towers
together forms a wind farm.
The origin for Wind Energy is Sun. When sun ray falls on the earth, it’s surface gets heated up
and as a consequence unevenly winds are formed. Kinetic energy in the wind can be used to run
wind turbines but the output power depends upon the wind speed. Turbines generally require a
wind in the range of 20km/hr. In practice relatively few land areas have significantly prevailing
winds. Otherwise, wind power is one of the most cost competitive renewable energies today and
this has been the most rapidly-growing means of electricity generation.
Wind machines use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy. Windmills work because they
slow down the speed of the wind. The wind flows over the airfoil shaped blades causing lift, like
the effect on airplane wings, causing them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that
turns an electric generator to produce electricity
Windmills –are erected at high altitudes & its blades are attached to the turbines
As the blades rotate, the kinetic energy of the wind can be used to run the turbines, which
run the generator and generates electricity.
Turbines generally require a wind speed of 20km/hr. Coastal areas, at top of rounded
hills,open plains, gaps in mountains are the places where the wind is strong and
reliable

A horizontal axis wind turbine has three main parts, the tower, the blades, and nacelle. Nacelle is
the part where major actions are performed including turning motion into electricity. To maintain
the frequency and voltage of current generated constant, gearboxes are installed. These wind
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turbines can adjust the blades according to pressure of wind.

SMALL HYDRO POWER PLANT

Hydroelectric power is the generation of electric power from the movement of water. A
hydroelectric facility requires a dependable flow of water and a reasonable height of fall of water,
called the head. In a typical installation, water is fed from a reservoir through a channel or pipe
into a turbine. The pressure of the flowing water on the turbine blades causes the shaft to rotate.
The rotating shaft is connected to an electrical generator which converts the motion of the shaft
into electrical energy. Small hydro is often developed using existing dams or through
development of new dams whose primary purpose is river and lake water-level control, or
irrigation.

ADVANTAGES
❖ Once the dam is built, the energy is virtually free
❖ Water can be stored above the dam ready to cope with peaks in demand
❖ much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power
❖ No waste or pollution produced
❖ Electricity can be generated constantly
❖ Hydro-electric power stations can increase to full power very quickly unlike other power
stations
DISADVANTAGES
❖ The dams are very expensive to build, however many dams are also used for flood control
or irrigation, so building costs can be shared
❖ Building a large dam will flood a very large area upstream, causing problems for animals
that used to live there
❖ Finding a suitable site can be difficult - the impact on residents and the environment may
be unacceptable.
❖ Water quality and quantity downstream can be affected, which can have an impact on
plant life.
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❖
❖ BIOFUELS
❖ Biofuels are fuels derived from biomass.
❖ Biomass is any organic material that has stored sunlight in the form of chemical
energy Plants use chlorophyll to convert the solar energy to stored energy in the
plants by a process called photosynthesis.
❖ As a fuel, biomass may include wood, wood waste, straw, manure, sugarcane, and
many other by-products from a variety of agricultural processes. They can be
burnt to produce energy.

First Generation Bio-fuels First generation bio-fuels are made from sugar, starch, or vegetable oil. If
the
plant or material from which they are generated is used in large quantity, it would have a
large impact on the food supply. First generation bio-fuels are the "original" bio-fuels and
constitute the majority of bio- fuels currently in use. Eg: - bio-diesel, bio-gas, bio-ethers,
bio-alcohols etc.
Second Generation Bio-fuels-----Second generation bio-fuels are more sustainable than first
generation bio- fuels. In this use, the term sustainable is defined by the large availability
of the plant/material, reduced amount of greenhouse gas emissions, less impact on
biodiversity and land use (water, food supply, etc.). At this point, most second-
g e n e r a t i o n fuels are under development and not widely available for use. Eg: - Bio-
hydrogen

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Third Generation Bio-fuels -- It has only recently entered the mainstream & refers bio-fuels derived
from algae.

Biofuels that can be derived from biomass: Examples

❖ Bio alcohols
❖ Biodiesel
❖ Bio ethers
❖ Biogas
❖ Green diesel (Green diesel is produced through a refining
process,
rather than through a chemical reaction.)
Green diesel- Produced by refining of vegetable oil. It creates fewer problems than standard
diesel and will run in any engine without any modification.

Bio-gas - Mixture of different gases produced by decomposition of organic matter such as

garbage, animal waste etc. by anaerobic bacteria. This process is called bio-methanation or
anaerobic digestion. Bio-gas consists of 65% methane, 30-35% carbon dioxide etc. Methane gas
from bio-gas can be captured and burned for cooking and heating. Residue from burning of bio-
gas, called sludge can be dried and used as a f fertilizer. Bio-gas can be used to power electricity
plants. Biogas can easily be produced from current waste streams, such as paper production,
sugarcane production, sewage, animal waste and so forth. The various waste streams have to
be slurred together and allowed to naturally ferment, producing 55% to 70% inflammable
methane gas. Biogas production has the capacity to provide us with about half of our energy
needs, either burned for electrical productions or piped into current gas line for use. This has to
be done and made a priority. The payback period of biogas is around 2-3 years, rather in case of
community and institutional Biogas plant is evens less. Therefore, biogas electrification at
community level is required to be implemented.

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ENERGY DERIVED FROM OCEANS

70 % of the earth is covered with water and oceans are a store house of energy.
Energy from oceans can be utilized through different phenomena:
Tidal Energy
Tidal energy is formed from the movement of water currents and is known for a longer time
than wave energy. It is another form of hydropower and uses rise and fall of tides to generate
electricity. Tidal energy uses tidal energy generators beneath the sea which experience high
tidal movements. The tidal energy generators capture the kinetic motion of ebb and flow of
ocean tides to produce electricity. Since tides are much predictable than waves, it is a better
option than wave energy. The biggest tidal power station in world i.e. La Rance Station
is located in France. It produces about 240 MW of power annually and has capacity to
power 240,000 homes. To harness this kind of energy, you will need to have increase of
at-least 16 feet between high and low tide. This is one the primarily reason that you won’t
find many tidal power station plants operating on earth. The other reason is that tides don’t
occur throughout the day. These power stations can only be used to a maximum of 10 hours
a day which limits their electricity producing capacity.
3 main components:
❖ The power House
❖ The dam or barrage (low wall) to form pool or basin
❖ Sluice-ways from the basins to the sea and vice vers
Tides are generated by the relative motion of earth, sun and moon, which interact via
gravitational forces. Energy derived from tides is practically inexhaustible and classified
as renewable energy source. Here the kinetic energy of moving tidal water is used for
energy generation using a turbine. The stronger the tide, the greater is the potential for
tidal energy generation.
Categories of tidal power:
Tidal stream systems --- kinetic energy of moving water is used to power turbines .
Tidal Barrage --- Makes use of potential energy difference in height between high tide
and low tide.
Advantages of Tidal Energy
1) It is an inexhaustible source of energy.
2) Tidal e n e r g y i s environment friendly energy and doesn't produce greenhouse gases.
3) As 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water, there is scope to generate this energy
on large scale.
4) We can predict the rise and fall of tides as they follow cyclic fashion.
5) Efficiency of tidal power is far greater as compared to coal, solar or wind energy. Its
efficiency is around 80%.
6) Although cost of construction of tidal power is high but maintenance costs are relatively
low.

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7) Tidal Energy doesn’t require any kind of fuel to run.

8) The life of tidal energy power plant is very long.
9) The energy density of tidal energy is relatively higher than other renewable energy
sources.
Disadvantages of Tidal Energy
1) Cost of construction of tidal power plant is high.
2) There are very few ideal locations for construction of plant and they too are localized to
coastal regions only.
3) Intensity of sea waves is unpredictable and there can be damage to power generation units.
4) Influences aquatic life adversely and can disrupt migration of fish.
5) The actual generation is for a short period of time. The tides only happen twice a
day so electricity can be produced only for that time.
6) Frozen sea, low or weak tides, straight shorelines, low tidal rise or fall are some
of the obstructions
7) Usually, the places where tidal energy is produced are far away from the places where
it is consumed. This transmission is expensive and difficult.

OCEAN WAVE ENERGY

Ocean waves are caused by wind as it blows across the sea. At a wave power station,
waves arriving cause the water in the chamber to rise and fall, which means that air is
forced in and out of the hole in the top of the chamber. A turbine is placed in this
hole, which is turned by the air rushing in and out. The turbine turns a generator
producing electricity.

Wave energy
❖ Canbe developed ata greater variety of sites than tidalenergy
❖ The motion of wind- driven waves at the ocean's surface is harnessed and converted from
mechanical energy into electricity
❖ Offshore orcoastal
In India, Trade wind belts in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal can be studied and
utilized to look for the possibility of using ocean wave energy.
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION (OTEC)-Utilizes temperature
variation between warmer surface layer and cold bottom layer of oceans to generate
energy
Advantages of ocean wave energy
❖ Renewable and pollution free.
❖ Density of water greater than air so more energy can be produced.
❖ Large land area is not required.

Limitations
❖ Generation of power depends upon the occurrence of tide, wave etc.
❖ There are only few suitable sites for tidal barrages.

Geothermal energy

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Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the earth. Geo means earth
and thermal means heat. The geothermal energy of the Earth's crust originates from the
original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of materials. Geothermal power
is cost-effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Heat from the earth
can be used as an energy source in many ways, from large and complex power stations to
small and relatively simple pumping systems.
The Centre of the earth is about 6000 °C. Even a few kilometers down, the temperature
can be over 250 °C. Hot rocks under the earth 's surface heat water to produce steam.
Holes are drilled down to the hot region and steam comes up. The steam is purified and
used to drive turbines and generate electricity. If there is no natural groundwater, we may
need to pump water down to the hot region and convert it into steam.
Geothermal energy can be used for: -
❖ Geothermal heating: - hot steam /water under the earth 's surface can be
brought to the surface and directly used for domestic heating purposes.
❖ Geothermal electricity: - hot steam /water under the earth 's surface can be
brought to the surface and used to run steam turbines to generate electricity.
Geo thermal energy is an important resource in volcanically active places such as Iceland,
New Zealand etc. Two - third of the residential places in Iceland is heated using
geothermal energy. Many countries around the world use geothermal energy to produce
electric power - USA (3000 MW), Mexico (700 MW), New Zealand (300 MW) etc. In
India, studies are going on to find out the possibilities of geothermal plants in Puga
Valley (J&K), Tatapani (Chattisgarh), Godavari Basin Manikaran (Himachal Pradesh),
Bakreshwar (West Bengal) etc.
Advantages
1) Renewable, environment friendly
2) Not aff ected by seasons or day-night cycles
3) It can be used directly for space heating, hot water generation etc.
Disadvantages
a) Only available in certain regions
b) Overall efficiency of power production is just 15%

PART A
(Answer all questions. Each question carries 3 marks)
1. Differentiate between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.
2. List the methods of extracting energy from oceans.
3. Differentiate between first, second and third generation bio fuels.
4. What are the disadvantages of small hydro power plants?
5. "Large hydro-electric power plant is a sustainable power generation model” state whether
this statement is true or false. Justify your answer in two sentences
6. "Clean energy is necessary for sustainable development". Justify this with
three arguments.
7. Name three renewable energy sources.
8. Mention some of the disadvantages of wind energy.
9. Do you think it is necessary to focus on non-conventional energy sources? Justify your
answer.
10. Nuclear energy does not result in any greenhouse gas emissions. Is this fact alone is
sufficient to consider it as a clean and sustainable energy source?
11. What are the various methods of extracting Geothermal energy?

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PART B
(Each question carries 14 marks)
1. a) What are the views on solar energy as an alternative energy source?
b) Explain the various options to tap the energy from sun?
2. With necessary schematics explain the working of
a) A Geothermal Power Plant
b) A Tidal Power Plant
3. a) Write a note on fuel cells – 7 marks
b) Write notes on bio fuels – 7 marks
4. How geothermal energy can be captured?
5. Explain conventional and non-conventional energy sources.
6. How can energy be derived from oceans?
7. As far as the present technological advancements are concerned, it is not practical to rely
on non-conventional energy sources alone for an Industry. Do you agree with this?
Provide arguments based on this statement with proper examples.
8. Do and express a detailed comparison between conventional and non-conventional energy
sources with examples for the same.

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