Course title:

Power Generation
(MEEN 4332)
Mechanical Engineering

Dr. L. Syam Sundar

Assistant Professor
 List of the topics

Introduction to power generation

Modern power plant layouts
Thermodynamics principal and cycles, Rankine, combined cycles
Combustion theory
Steam/boiler system and design including boiler components, types,
efficiency and auxiliaries
Steam and Gas turbine systems
Condensers thermal design and selection
Fans operation and design consideration
Control and monitor power plant Emission and pollution; introduction to
Renewable energy
 Lab Experiments:

Experiment 1: Effect of angle of solar panel on the output of Photovoltaic

system.

Experiment 2: Calculation of average power developed by the wind in a

specific place

Experiment 3: Study of operation of the voltage regulator according to

the variation of the wind speed.

Experiment 4: Frictional losses in the hot-air engine: Calorific

determination

Experiment 5: Determination of operative characteristics of a Pelton

turbine
Assessment of the students during the course:

S. No. Assessment Task Week Due Total

assessment
1 Home Work 5 Marks
2 Class Attendance 5 Marks
3 Mid Term – 1 7th week 20 Marks
4 Mid Term – 2 13th week 20 Marks
5 Project 10 Marks
6 Laboratory 10 Marks
7 Final Exam 16th week 30 Marks
 Introduction to power generation

Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from

sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is
the stage prior to its delivery (transmission, distribution, etc.) to end users
or its storage (using, for example, the pumped-storage method).

Electricity is not freely available in nature, so it must be "produced" (that

is, transforming other forms of energy to electricity). Production is carried
out in power stations (also called "power plants"). Electricity is most often
generated at a power plant by electromechanical generators.
 Generator or Alternator
Electric generators transform kinetic energy into electricity. This is the
most used form for generating electricity and is based on Faraday's law. It
can be seen experimentally by rotating a magnet within closed loops of
conducting material (e.g. copper wire).
 Types of power plants for electricity generation

Conventional power plants

(1) Thermal power plant (coal based)
(2) Gas turbine power plant (gas based)
(3) Hydroelectric power plant (water based)
(4) Diesel power plant (diesel based)
(5) Nuclear power plant (nuclear based)

Non-conventional power plants

(1) Solar Power plant (solar based)
(2) Wind power plant (wind based)
(3) Geo-thermal power plant (earth’s heat based)
(4) Tidal power plant
Modern Power Plant Layouts
 STEAM (THERMAL) POWER PLANT
A steam power plant converts the chemical energy of the
fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) into mechanical/electrical energy.

•A steam power plant

basically works on Rankine
cycle
• It consists of a boiler, steam
turbine, generator, and other
auxiliaries.
 Thermal power plant
Thermal power plant is used to generate the electricity. The coal is the
main source of the fuel. The kinetic energy of steam is converted into
mechanical energy and that mechanical energy is used to rotate the
generator shaft and finally electricity is produced.
 COMPONENTS OF STEAM POWER PLANT
The different types of systems and components used in steam
power plant are as follows :
1. Boiler
2. Steam turbine (Prime mover)
3. Generator
4. Condensers and cooling towers
5. Economizer
6. Air preheater
7. Super heater
8. Draught system
 COMPONENTS OF STEAM POWER PLANT
Boiler – Boiler is an equipment to produce steam.
Steam turbine – High pressure super heated steam is fed to the steam
turbine which causes turbine blades to rotate. Energy in the steam is
converted into mechanical energy in the steam turbine which acts as
the prime mover.
Generator – It is coupled with the turbine rotor and converts the
mechanical energy of the turbine to the electrical energy.
Condenser – Condenser is a heat exchanger in which cooling water is
circulated through the tubes. The exhaust steam from turbine enters
the condenser where it is cooled and converted to condensate (water).
The use of condensers improves the efficiency of the power plant by
decreasing the exhaust pressure of the steam below the atmospheric
pressure.
Steam boiler
 Steam turbines:
The main function of the steam turbine is to convert kinetic energy
of steam into mechanical energy
Steam turbine consists of
❖Rotor (rotating blades).
❖Stator (stationary blades).
❖Blades.
❖Bearings.
❖Valves.
❖Seals.
❖Casing.
Condenser
Pump

The main function of the pump is to send the condensate (water) into
boiler.
 COMPONENTS OF STEAM POWER PLANT

Economizers – Flue gases coming

out from the boiler carry lot of heat.

An economizer is a device fitted to

a boiler that extracts a part of heat
from the flue gas and uses it for
heating feed water.

Preheating the feed water improves

the boiler's efficiency by reducing
the coal consumption.

Economizer
 COMPONENTS OF STEAM POWER PLANT
Air heater – It is an important Boiler auxiliary which primarily
preheats the combustion air for rapid and efficient combustion
in the furnace. The air heater recovers the waste heat from the
outgoing flue gas of a Boiler and transfers the same to the
combustion air.
Super-heater – It is a device that heats the steam generated by
the boiler again increasing its thermal energy. It converts wet
steam into superheated steam (high temperature dry steam).
Draught system – The draught is one of the most essential systems of
thermal power plant which supplies required quantity of air for
combustion and removes the burnt products from the system.

To move the air through the fuel bed and to produce a flow of hot gases
through the boiler, economizer, preheater and chimney require a
difference of pressure.

This difference of pressure for maintaining the constant flow of air and
discharging the gases through the chimney to atmosphere is known
as draught.

Draught can be obtained by use of chimney, fan, steam or air jet or

combination of these. When the draught is produced with the help of
chimney only, it is known as Natural Draught and when the draught is
produced by any other means except chimney it is known as artificial
draught.
LAYOUT OF STEAM POWER PLANT
 CIRCUITS IN A STEAM POWER PLANT
The flow sheet of a thermal power plant consists of the
following four main circuits
1. Coal and ash circuit.
2. Feed water and steam flow circuit.
3. Air and gas circuit.
4. Cooling water circuit.
 Coal and ash circuit
The coal from the storage is fed
to the boiler through coal
handling equipment's such as belt
conveyors.
Heat produced by the burning of
coal is utilized in converting
water contained in boiler drum
into steam at suitable pressure
and temperature.
Ash resulting from combustion
of coal is removed to the ash
storage yard through ash
handling equipment.
 Feed water and steam flow circuit

The steam generated in the boiler is supplied to the turbine to

develop mechanical power.

The steam coming out of turbine is condensed in the condenser

and fed back to the boiler using feed pump.

Some of the steam and water is lost by passing through the

different components.

Therefore it is necessary to supply 4 to 5% of total feed water

from external source to compensate the loss.
 Air and gas circuit
Air taken in from atmosphere through the action of a forced
draught (air forced to flow in by the use of blower) or induced
draught (air flowing in due to decreased pressure) fan first
passes through the air pre-heater, where it is heated by flue
gases.
The hot air then passes through the furnace.
The flue gases after passing over boiler and super-heater tubes,
flow through the dust collector and then through economizer,
air pre-heater and finally they are exhausted to the atmosphere
through the chimney.
 Cooling water circuit
Abundant quantity of water is required for condensation of
steam.
This is mostly taken from river. If adequate quantity of water is
not available at the plant site a cooling tower is used
 Advantages Of Steam Power Plant

1. Less initial cost as compared to other generating plants.

2. Construction time is low.

3. Power generation does not depend on nature’s climatic condition.

4. Power plant can be located near industrial areas.

5. The fuel used is quite cheap.

6. It can be installed at any place irrespective of the existence of coal.

7. It requires less space as compared to Hydro power plants.

8. Cost of generation is less than that of diesel power plants.

9. Steam power plants are most economical if sited near coal mines and by the
side of river or canal.
 Disadvantages of steam power plant
1. Source of fuel i.e., coal reserve all over the world is
considered to be fixed and therefore coal mines are being
exhausted. Hence, there is a limit in source of power.
2. Power generation cost is considerably high compared to hydal
plant.
3. Operating cost is more compared to diesel and nuclear power
plant.
4. Maintenance cost is high as compared with that of hydro and
diesel power plants.
5. Fuel transportation and handling are difficult.
Top 5 countries contain thermal power plants

1. China – 4,631 TWh. China is the world's largest coal-fired

power generating country, having produced 4,631 TWh of
the fuel in 2020 – making up 61% of its total electricity
output.
2. India – 947 TWh.
3. US – 774 TWh.
4. Japan – 274 TWh.
5. South Korea – 192 TWh.

Note: Terawatt hour (TWh)is a unit of energy used for expressing

the amount of produced energy, electricity and heat. 1 TWh =
1,000 GWh = 1,000,000 MWh = 1,000,000 000 kWh; 1 TJ =
0.278 GWh.
 GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT
Gas turbine power plant is used
to generate the electricity. The
natural gas or nafta gas is the
main source of the fuel. The
kinetic energy of gas is
converted into mechanical
energy and that mechanical
energy is used to rotate the
generator shaft and finally
electricity is produced.

❖ Process 1-2: Compressor: The main function of the compressor is to

convert low pressure atmospheric air into high pressure.

❖ Process 2-3: Combustion chamber: The combustion of high pressure

takes place in the combustion chamber by using natural gas or Nafta
gas as a fuel.

❖ Process 3-4: Turbine: The kinetic energy of hot flues gases are
converted into mechanical energy.
 GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT

In steam turbine plants, the products of combustion do not form the working medium.
These are utilised to produce the intermediate fluid, i.e., the steam which is expanded in
the turbine. If this intermediate step of converting water to steam by means of gases is
eliminated, the arrangement would be far simpler and less wasteful. This principle is used
in gas turbine power plants where the gases are directly expanded through the several
ring of fixed and moving blades.
GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT
A gas turbine plant consists of a compressor in which the working
medium is raised to a high pressure. So, generally, a centrifugal or an
axial compressor is employed.

The turbine drives the compressor and so it is coupled to the turbine

shaft.

From the compressor, the working medium is taken to a combustor

where its temperature is raised. This high pressure and high temperature
working medium is then expanded in a gas turbine.

In the turbine blading, the expansion of the working gas takes place and
the heat energy is converted first into the kinetic energy and then into
the work of the turbine shaft rotation.
 Closed and open cycle plants

In this turbine, the air from the atmosphere is In this turbine, the working fluid is
drawn into the compressor. compressed.

After compression, it is passed into a The compressed gas is heated (by burning
combustion chamber. fuel or by nuclear reactor)

The hot gas is then made to flow over the It is then made to flow over the turbine
turbine blades. The gas, while flowing over the blades and gets expanded.
blades, gets expanded and finally exhausted into
atmosphere. losses in the drive. From the turbine, the gas is passed to the
cooling chamber.
The air is then made to flow into the
compressor.
 COMPONENTS OF A GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT

1. Gas turbine – There are two basic types of gas turbines

viz., radial flow and axial flow turbines

2. Air-compressor – There are mainly two types of

air-compressors used in gas turbine power plants viz.,
centrifugal compressor and axial flow compressor.

3. Combustion chamber
Combustion chamber of gas turbine power plant
METHODS OF IMPROVEMENT OF THERMAL EFFICIENCY OF OPEN
CYCLE GAS TURBINE PLANT

The following methods are employed to increase the

specific output and thermal efficiency of the plant.
⚫ Intercooling

⚫ Reheating
⚫ Regeneration
 GAS TURBINE PLANT - INTERCOOLING
The work required by the compressor can be reduced by
compressing the air in two stages and incorporating an
intercooler between the two.
 GAS TURBINE PLANT - REHEATING
The output of a gas turbine can be improved by expanding the
gasses in two stages with a reheater between the two.
 GAS TURBINE PLANT - REGENERATOR

The exhaust gases from a

gas turbine carry a large
quantity of heat, which can
be used to heat the air
coming from the
compressor thereby
reducing the mass of fuel
supplied in the combustion
chamber.
CLOSED CYCLE GAS TURBINE PLANT
 Advantages of gas turbine power plant
1. The mechanical efficiency of a gas turbine (95%) is quite high as
compared with I.C. engine (85%) since the I.C. engine has many
sliding parts.
2. The work developed by a gas turbine per kg of air is more as
compared to an I.C. engine.
3. Gas turbine power plants are compact in design and can generate
high power. They require less space than steam turbines or IC
engines.
4. Compared with steam plants, they have lower initial cost per unit
output.
5. Gas turbine power plants have bigger power weight ratio, so it is
very useful for marine power plants.
6. The machine is simple to operate and is smooth running.
7. It requires little or no water for cooling.
8. They have relatively low maintenance costs.
 Disadvantages of gas turbine power plant

1. The thermal efficiency of a simple turbine cycle is low (15 to 20%)

as compared with I.C. engines (25 to 30%).

2. Its overall efficiency is very low since a large proportion of the

power developed, about three fourth, is required to drive the
compressor and also by the temperatures safely attainable.

3. The noise of operation is a source of extreme annoyance unless the

plant design includes sound control features.
 Combined cycle power plant

It is a combination of both steam turbine and gas turbine power plants

In the combined cycle power plant (thermal and gas turbine power) is
used to generate the electricity. The coal and natural gas/nafta gas is the
main source of the fuel. The kinetic energy of steam and gas is converted
into mechanical energy and that mechanical energy is used to rotate the
generator shaft and finally electricity is produced.
 Hydro-electric power plant
Hydroelectric power plant is used to generate the electricity. The water is
the main source of the energy. The kinetic energy of water is converted into
mechanical energy and that mechanical energy is used to rotate the
generator shaft and finally electricity is produced.
 COMPONENTS OF HYDEL POWER PLANT

1. Catchment area – Whole area behind the dam, draining into a

stream or river across which the dam has been built.

2. Reservoir –The purpose of the storing of water in the reservoir

is to get a uniform power output throughout the year. A
reservoir can be either natural or artificial.

3. Dam – A dam is any barrier that holds water; the water stored
behind the dam is used to drive turbines that are connected to
electrical generators. It acts as an artificial reservoir.
4. Penstock – It is a pipe that carries water from surge tank to
the turbine. Usually made of steel or concrete.
5. Spillway – The function of spillway is to release surplus water
from the reservoir in order to prevent the possible failure of the
dam.
6. Trash rack – The function of trash rack is to prevent the
flow of debris, sand and fishes to the turbine.
7. Surge tank –It is a storage reservoir used to absorb the sudden
rises of water pressure, as well as to provide extra water during a
drop in water pressure.
8. Turbine – The function of turbine is to act as a prime mover to
convert the energy of water in to mechanical energy.
9. Runner – The runner is a circular wheel (rotating part of the
turbine) on which a series of curved vanes are mounted. Vanes
are so designed that water enters and leaves the runner without
shock.
10. Power house – The powerhouse accommodates prime mover,
generator (generate electrical power using mechanical power
from the turbine), accessories and control room sometimes
transformer also. After passing through the turbine, water is
discharged into downstream called as tailrace, which carries it
into the river.
Hydroelectric power plant in Nigeria
Turbines used in hydroelectric power plants fall into two categories:
(a) Impulse turbine
(b) Reaction based.
Impulse based turbines include Pelton and cross-flow turbines.

Reaction based turbines include again three subtypes:

(i) Francis turbine,
(ii) propeller turbine (bulb turbine, Straflo turbine, Kaplan turbine types),
(iii) kinetic turbine
Hydropower plants are traditionally broken down into categories
depending upon their size.

Micro: 1 kW to 100 kW

Mini: 100 kW to 1 MW

Small: 1 MW to 10–30 MW

Large: Above 10–30 MW

 Advantages of hydro electric power plants

1. Water source is probably available. No fuel is required to be burnt to

generate electricity. It is aptly termed as 'the white coal'. Water passes
through turbines to produce work and downstream its utility remains
undiminished for irrigation of farms and quenching the thirst of people in
the vicinity.

2. The running costs of hydropower installations are very low as compared to

thermal or nuclear power stations. In thermal stations, besides the cost of
fuel, one has to take into account the transportation cost of the fuel also.

3. The number of operations required is considerably small compared with

thermal power plants.

4. There is no problem with regards to the disposal of ash as in a thermal

station.
 7. The hydraulic turbine can be switched on and off in a very short time.

8. The hydraulic power plant is relatively simple in concept and self-contained

in operation.

9. Modern hydropower equipment has a greater life expectancy and can easily
last 50 years or more. This can be compared with the effective life of about
30 years of a steam or nuclear station.

10. Modern hydro-generators give high efficiency over a considerable range of

load.

11. Hydro-plants provide additional benefits like irrigation, flood control,

afforestation, navigation and aqua-culture.

12. Being simple in design and operation, the hydro-plants do not require
highly skilled workers. Manpower requirement is also low.

13. The cost of land is not a major problem

 Disadvantages of hydro electric power plants
1. Cost of transmission is high since most of the plants are in remote areas.
2. Hydro-power projects are capital-intensive with a low rate of return.
3. It takes considerable long time for the erection of such plants.
4. Power generation is dependent on the quantity of water available,
which may vary from season to season and year to year. If the rainfall is
in time and adequate, then only the satisfactory operation of the plant can
be expected
5. Such plants are often far away from the load centre and require long
transmission lines to deliver power. Thus the cost of transmission lines
and losses in them are more.
6. Large hydro-plants disturb the ecology of the area, by way of
deforestation, destroying vegetation and uprooting people. The
emphasis is now more on small, mini and micro hydel stations.
Top 5 Hydropower Producing Countries in the World
2020

1. China – Total Installed Capacity: 356.4 GW.

2. Brazil – Total Installed Capacity: 109.1 GW.
3. US – Total Installed Capacity: 102.8 GW.
4. Canada – Total Installed Capacity: 81.4 GW.
5. India – Total Installed Capacity: 50.1 GW.
Nuclear Power Plant
Atom
An atom is the smallest unit of ordinary matter that forms a chemical element.

Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to

the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number
of neutrons.
Uranium is the fuel most widely used to produce nuclear energy. That's
because uranium atoms split apart relatively easily. Uranium is also a
very common element, found in rocks all over the world. However, the
specific type of uranium used to produce nuclear energy, called U-235,
is rare.
The light-water nuclear reactor is currently the most widely used type of reactor
around the world (also used at Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s
Fukushima Daiichi NPS).

Bombarding enriched uranium fuel (Uranium-235: 3-5%; Uranium-238: 95-97%)

with neutrons results in nuclear fission. Radioactive nuclear fission products such as
Iodine-131, Cesium-137, and Strontium-90 are created in this process.

When Uranium-238 is bombarded with neutrons, Plutonium-239 is created.

Cesium-134 is not created directly from the nuclear fission of Uranium-235. Through
beta disintegration, Xenon-133 and the like, which are nuclear fission products,
disintegrate into Cesium-133, and Cesium-133 then turns into Cesium-134 as
decelerated neutrons are trapped.

As long as the reactor is working properly, these products remain in nuclear fuel rods
and do not leak out of the reactor. Nuclear facilities are equipped with a variety of
mechanisms for preventing leakage of radioactive materials, but if they all stop
functioning properly, radioactive leaks will occur.
 Uranium is a metal appearing
naturally like a rock. It’s
commonly found mixed into
other rock compounds like
granite, but also found on its
own as rock ore. It’s sort of a
dull silver-gray with green
highlights.

When processed into a pure form it’s a

white-grey, but the surface normally
appears oxidized into sort of a matte
silver-gray. (thanks commenter for
pointing this out).

Fuel used in nuclear reactors is typically a

uranium oxide (UO2) cast into pellets
designed to be fit as fuel rods. It has a
similar color.
Nuclear fission reaction

Nuclear fission is a reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or
more smaller nuclei. The fission process often produces gamma photons, and
releases a very large amount of energy even by the energetic standards of
radioactive decay.
Nuclear fission chain reaction

A chain reaction refers to a process in which neutrons released in fission produce

an additional fission in at least one further nucleus. This nucleus in turn produces
neutrons, and the process repeats. The process may be controlled (nuclear power)
or uncontrolled (nuclear weapons).
Nuclear power plant diagram
Nuclear power plant diagram
1. Nuclear reactor – It is an apparatus in which nuclear fuel is
subjected to nuclear fission.

2. Heat exchanger – The coolant gives up heat to the heat

exchanger, which utilized for generating steam. After giving up
heat, the coolant is fed back to the reactor.

3. Steam turbine – The steam produced in the heat exchanger is fed

to turbine for doing useful work.

4. Generator – The steam turbine drives the generator which

converts mechanical energy in to electric power.
 Advantages of nuclear power plant
1. No problem of fuel transportation, storage, etc.
2. Less man power is required.
3. It is more economical compared to thermal plant.
4. Power capacity of plant is very high.
5. Capital cost except for reactor is very less.
6. It does not depend up on the condition of the weather.
7. By this process we can conserve the fuels like oil, coal gases
and other by-products.
 Disadvantages of nuclear power plant

1. Nuclear radiation causes severe environmental problems.

2. Disposal of radioactive nuclear waste is menace.

3. Varying load conditions are not suitable.

4. Capital cost is very high for the reactor.

Top 5 countries with the most operational nuclear power
capacity in 2021.

1) United States - 91.5GW.

2) France - 61.3GW.

3) China - 50.8GW.

4) Japan - 31.7GW.

5) Russia - 29.6GW.
Ten countries with the most operational nuclear power capacity in
2021.

1) United States - 91.5GW.

2) France - 61.3GW.
3) China - 50.8GW.
4) Japan - 31.7GW.
5) Russia - 29.6GW.
6) South Korea - 24.5GW.
7) Canada - 13.6GW.
8) Ukraine - 13.1GW.
Diesel Power Plant
Diesel Engine

Petrol Engine
Working principle of an internal combustion engine
Diesel power plant
 Advantages of Diesel Thermal Power Plant

Design layout of diesel power plant is simple and cheap.

Part load efficiency diesel power plant is very high.
Diesel power plant can be started quickly.
Maintenance of diesel power plant is easy.
Thermal efficiency of diesel is quite higher than of steam
power plant.
It can also be designed for portable use.
Diesel plants can be located very near to the load centers.
 Disadvantages of Diesel Thermal Power Plant

The cost of diesel is very high compared to coal. Hence, the

running cost of this plant is higher compared to steam and
hydro power plants.

There is a limitation for size of a diesel engine.

Life is less.

Noise pollution is very high.

High maintenance and lubrication cost.

Capacity of diesel plants is limited.

 Non-conventional power plants

1. Solar energy (solar PV cell)

2. Wind energy
3. Geo-thermal energy
4. Tidal power plant
Solar Energy (Solar PV cell)

A photovoltaic (PV) cell, commonly called a solar cell, is a

nonmechanical device that converts sunlight directly into electricity.
Some PV cells can convert artificial light into electricity.
Why is silicon used in a solar cell?

There are several reasons.

• Si comes from sand which is the most abundant material on earth. If one want
to commission a solar power plant of 500 MW. Then tons of Si is required which
is feasible. This can not be thought with other semi conducting materials as
they have very limited amount in earth crust.
• Si has a band gap of 1.1 which is reasonably good to tap AM 1.5 solar spectrum
which falls on earth.
• Si is non toxic.
• Crystalline Silicon is a very stable material.
Silicon solar cell:

Copper dopped Cadmium Telluride solar cell

Solar cell, module and panel

Single solar cell

Top five countries for solar power capacity in 2019

1. China – 205 GW. China boasts by far the world's largest

installed solar energy fleet, measured at 205 GW in 2019,
according to the IEA's Renewable 2020 report. ...
2. United States – 76 GW. ...
3. Japan – 63.2 GW. ...
4. Germany – 49.2 GW. ...
5. India – 38 GW.
Solar power plant
 SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANT

To reduce the capital cost, solar ponds are used instead of flat plate collectors.
Up to 150kW capacity are operative in Israel for the last 25 years. 88
Wind energy

A wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic
force from the rotor blades, which work like an airplane wing or
helicopter rotor blade.

The main parts in the wind turbine:

1. Hub
2. Rotor & blade assembly
3. Yaw control
Wind energy based power generation
Wind energy based power generation
Advantages of wind power
1. Wind turbines can be used for both distributed generation or grid interactive
power generation using on-shore or off shore technologies.
2. Ranges of power producing turbines are available. Micro-turbines are capable
of producing 300 W to 1MW and large wind turbines have typical size of 35
kW–3 MW.
3. It can be made available easily in many off-shore, on-shore and remote areas;
thus, helpful in supplying electric power to remote and rural areas.
4. It is a non-polluting and environment friendly source of energy.
5. It is an important renewable and sustainable source of energy, available free
of cost.
6. The scope of wind resource, globally, is enormous and is less dependent on
latitude than other solar based renewable energy technologies.
7. Power generation is cheaper as there is no shortage of input cost and recurring
expenses are almost nil.
DISADVANTAGES OF WIND POWER
1. It has low energy density.
2. Electricity production depends on- wind speed, location, season and air
temperature. Hence various monitoring systems are needed and may cost
expensive.
3. High percentage of the hardware cost (for large wind turbine) is spent on the
tower designed to support the turbine
4. It is variable, unsteady, irregular, intermittent, erratic and sometimes
dangerous.
5. Wind turbine design, manufacture and installation have proved to be complex
due to widely varying atmospheric conditions in which they have to operate.
6. Wind farms can be located only in vast open areas in locations of favourable
wind.
7. The appearance of wind turbines on the landscape and their continual whirling
and whistling can be irritating. 93
 Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is heat within the earth. The word geothermal
comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). Geothermal
energy is a renewable energy source because heat is continuously
produced inside the earth. People use geothermal heat for bathing, to
heat buildings, and to generate electricity.
Geothermal Power plant
Natural Geothermal Wells
List Of The Top 4 Countries Contain Geothermal Power Plants

Country Capacity (MW) Capacity (MW)

2007 2019
USA 2687 3676
Indonesia 992 2133
Philippines 1969.7 1918
Turkey 38 1526
99

TIDAL POWER GENERATION

The periodic rise and fall of the water level of sea which are carried by the action of
the sun and moon on water of the earth is called the ‘tide’.
Tides are generated through a combination of forces exerted by the gravitational pull
of the sun and the moon and the rotation of the earth. Tides are more predictable
than wind energy and solar power.
The tide rises and falls twice, resulting in a tidal cycle that lasts 12 h 25 min. The tidal
range, R is defined as,
R = Water elevation at high tide — Water elevation at low tide
101

COMPONENTS OF TIDAL POWER PLANTS

1. Dam or dyke – The function of dam or dyke is to form a barrier between the sea and
the basin or between one basin and the other in case of multiple basins.
2. Sluice ways – These are used to fill the basin during the high tide or empty the basin
during the low tide, as per operational requirement.
3. Power house – A power house has turbines, electric generators and other auxiliary
equipments.
102

CLASSIFICATION AND OPERATION OF TIDAL POWER PLANTS

Tidal power plants may have the following different configurations.

1. Single basin, single-effect tidal power plant
2. Single basin, double effect tidal power plant
3. Double basin plant
103

SINGLE BASIN SINGLE-EFFECT TIDAL POWER

PLANT

In the single basin, single-effect tidal power scheme, the basin is filled by keeping
the sluices open and letting the water flow from the sea to the basin during the
high tide.
Power is generated by letting the water flow from the basin to the sea through the
turbines during the low tide.
104

SINGLE BASIN DOUBLE-EFFECT TIDAL POWER PLANT

In a single basin, double-effect tidal power plants, power is generated during flood
tide (high tide), with water flowing from the sea to the basin through the turbines and
also during ebb tide (low tide), with water flowing from the basin to the sea through
the turbines.
Such plants generally use reversible water turbines so that power is generated on low
tide as well high tide.
105

SINGLE BASIN DOUBLE-EFFECT TIDAL POWER PLANT

During the high tide period, the water level in the sea is higher than the water level in
the tidal basin. Hence, the water flows from sea into the tidal basin through the water
turbine (reversible), as the level of water in the sea is more than the level in the tidal
basin. The generator connected with the turbine produces electricity.
During the low tide period, the water flows from tidal basin to the sea through the
turbine (reversible) as the level of water in the tidal basin is higher than the level of
water in the sea. The generator connected with the turbine generates electricity.
106

DOUBLE BASIN PLANT

In the simplest double-basin plant, a dam is built across the mouth of a bay or an inland basin
(Dam A).

This inland basin is further divided into a high basin and low basin by another dam (Dam B).

Water level of high basin is maintained always at a higher level than the lower basin.

The high basin is periodically filled from the ocean at the times of high tides and the low basin
gets periodically emptied at low tide.

Power generating turbines are installed in dam B through which water flows from high basin to
the low basin.

Due to this, the fluctuations in the head are minimized and the system is much less dependent
on tidal fluctuations.