D e b re Ta b o r U n i v e r s i t y

G a f a t I n s t i t u t e o f Te c h n o l o g y

Department of Electrical and Computer

Engineering

Energy conversion & Rural Electrification

1
CONTENTS
 Introduction to Energy Conversion
 Review of Thermodynamic Fundamentals:
First and second laws, Carnot cycle.
 Hydropower : Basic concepts, Site selection, and
Types
of turbines, Small- scale hydropower design.
 Solar Energy : Introduction, Solar radiation, Solar
Collectors, Solar cells and PV systems, Applications of
Solar Energy. Lab- Solar panel characteristics study.
 Biomass Energy: Introduction, Biomass conversion
and
Direct combustion applications.
 Wind Energy: Basic theory, Types of turbines, Wind

resource analysis, Applications.

---CONT’D
 Geothermal Energy: Introduction, Geothermal resource
types, Applications or heating and electricity generation.
 Non-Conventional Energy Sources: Introduction to
Fuel
Cells, Hydrogen Fuels and Other Sources
 Introduction Rural Electrification: Rural electrification

policy, Load forecasting, Feasibility study of small-scale

power systems, Planning and design of rural electrification,
techniques of connecting rural villages to national grids.
 Thermal Power Plants: Steam cycle, Fuels and
combustion, Gas turbines and combined cycles, Operating
practices.
 Nuclear Power Plant : Nuclear Fuel, Fission, Fusion,
Radioactive decay, Nuclear power plant
INTRODUCTION TO
ENERGY CONVERSION
BACKGROUND ON ENERGY
SECTOR OF ETHIOPIA
 Ethiopia‘s energy consumption is
predominately based on biomass energy
sources (94%).
 Traditional Energy Sources are Fuel
wood, Charcoal, dung
 Modern Energy is mainly products of
petroleum and Electricity
 Petroleum product is the major part from
modern energy and it is mainly used for
transport sector
 Per capital electricity consumption is
28kWh(2006)
 The major source of electricity is hydro
power plant
 Reading assignment , what is the current
installed capacity of hydropower in
Ethiopia?
 Ethiopia has potential of more than
45,000 MW from hydropower
 Geothermal resource potential is
estimated 1070 MW
 Coal reserve is 70 Million Tones
 Natural Gas Reserve 4 TCF ( Terra Cubic
Feet)
ENERGY ISSUES IN ETHIOPIA
 Ethiopia has faced serious problems in
energy supply and utilization
 The new economic policy has created
favorable conditions for the private sector
and encourages investment which entails
heavy investment burden in the energy sector
 The need to transform from traditional to
modern energy sources which demand for
heavy investment in terms of foreign
currency and domestic resources
 The continued destruction of forestry
resources for firewood has resulted in
environmental problems, loss of productivity
and ecological imbalance
 Increasing scarcity and cost of household
fuels, particularly firewood increased stress
on women and children who usually are
supposed to collect fuel
 Traditional energy consumption in Ethiopia
is associated mainly with environmental
problems
 The cost of petroleum imports has brought
worsening impact on Ethiopia’s trade
balance and foreign exchange availability
 Low efficiency of energy utilization in all
sectors
 The agricultural sector is still at primitive
stage and highly dependent on animate
power
ENERGY SOURCES AND
CONVERSION PROCESSES
 Energy Conversion is the Process by/in which
one energy form is transformed into a different
form of energy. Henceforth an energy
conversion process transforms primary energy
into secondary energy
 Transitional Energy: Energy in motion, e.g.
kinetic energy (K..E.); thermal energy; electric
energy in transmission/distribution systems;
radiated electromagnetic energy (e.g. solar
energy, radio waves, other electromagnetic
energies)
 Stored Energy: Energy sources which exist in
the forms of sitting masses at higher positions
or elevations, and commonly referred to as
potential energy (P.E.)
CLASSIFICATION OF
SOURCES OF ENERGY
 Primary (initial) energy sources; e.g. fossil fuels
( coal, oil, natural gas); hydropower. biomass fuels (i.e.
fuel wood, branches, twigs, leaves, charcoal, agricultural
wastes), different forms of solar energy (e.g. radiant
energy, hydropower, and wind energy).
Subdivided into
 Renewable energy sources solar energy, wind
energy,
hydropower, biomass sources; geothermal energy are
seasonally and slowly recovered energy sources.
 Non-renewable energy sources: fossil fuels (coal,
oil,
natural gas (CH4) Note: Once combusted fossil fuels will
not be recovered; instead the resulting washes and ashes
are removed as wastes
 Secondary energy: is energy derived
after a conversion process e.g.
 Electrical Energy (Electricity) coming
out from a generator
 Mechanical Energy or useful work
provided by an electric motor or a diesel
engine
 Thermal Energy provide as high enthalpy
or potential chemical energy) coming out
from a thermal process.
o Conventional energy sources:
are mixes of common nonrenewable and renewable
energy sources in generating electricity in conventional
thermal and hydro power plants, i.e. fossil fuels,
hydropower sources and nuclear energy.
 Non-conventional energy sources:
are mixes of common non renewable and renewable
energy sources not commonly used in standard
generating plants, but found applicable in generating
electricity in small or isolated power systems, e.g. in
generating
electricity single photovotaic systems, small-scale wind
generators.
 Note: All types of energy sources that are not of
adequate volume to operate conventional power
plants (typically of low power capacities) are mostly
renewable energy sources except for hydropower,
biomass energy sources, including those that are
ESSENTIALS OF AN ENERGY
CONVERSION PROCESS
1. An Energy Conversion Process
without Storage facilities on Either
Side of the Converter (i.e. on the input
side before conversion and on the
output side after conversion) of the
Energy Converter
2. An Energy Conversion Process with
Storage facilities on the Primary Energy
(input) side of the Energy Converter
3. An Energy Conversion Process with
Storage facilities on the Secondary
Energy (output) side of the Energy
Converter
DEFINITION OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY
 Energy sources are categorized in
to two basic parts:
1. Renewable Energy
2. Non Renewable Energy
 Renewable energy is the term used to
cover
those energy that occur naturally and
Repeatedly in the environment and
can be harnessed for human benefit.
 The ultimate sources of most of these
energy are the sun, gravity and the
earth’s rotation.
WHY SHOULD WE USE RENEWABLE
ENERGY
 Non-renewable resources are limited
Estimated max for next 100 years.
 Security of Supply
 Possible vulnerabilities:
 Dependence on the resource in question.
 Supply and demand problems.
 Vulnerability and exposure of supply.
 Variety of sources of disruption
 Increase in the world energy consumption.
ADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY
 An energy policy based on renewable energy allows a
sustainable energy supply.
 The use of a broader range of sources implies a
greater security of energy supply.
 Increased employment, mainly in small and medium
sized enterprises, and stimulation of agriculture and
rural employment in case of biomass, e.g. in
cooperation between farmers, industry, and local
authorities
 The cost of energy is mainly determined by the
investment, implying a higher cost stability and thus
lower financial risks.
 Short time between decision and implementation
 Reliability of electricity supply in decentralized
applications
..CONT’D
 Decentralized production of energy stimulates regional
development, particularly in developing countries.
 Long life time of energy systems
 The modular character of the technologies allows
gradual implementation, which is easier to finance; it
offers the possibility of rapid scale-up when required,
and it gives shorter lead times between investment
and return.
 Attractive alternative to countries with limited
indigenous energy resources
 Lower overall environmental impact as compared to
conventional (fossil and nuclear fuels)
 Considerably lower emission of greenhouse gases
 Energy/political/economic independence for
nations/regions
..CONT’D
 Positive effect on regional national employment
and development Possibility to get rid of a portion
of the waste materials generated by society
 Dual use of land resources (e.g. agriculture and
wind mills, energy crops)
 Hydroelectric dams can be used for regulating
waterways, flood-control
 No fuel cost (except for operation and
maintenance)
 Saving limited fossil/nuclear resources
 Adequate for off-grid remote applications
 Abundant availability of renewable energy
resources
DRAWBACKS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY
 Many renewable energy sources are
intermittent
(hourly, daily, seasonal, annual variations)
 Supplies are often diffuse and need to be
concentrated (or processed -e.g. biomass)
 solar < 1000 W/m2
 wind < 400 W/m2
 geothermal, ~ 60 mW/m2
 Necessity of back-up power due to
intermittency
..CONTD
 Need for energy storage (difficult for
wind, solar PV, easier for hydro and
biomass)
 Renewable energy entails a number of
other potential environmental impacts.
 Renewable energy can make large tracts
of land unusable for competing uses
disrupt marine life, bird life and
flora/fauna
 Produce visual and noise pollution.
 Currently longer system payback times,
 More expensive energy price
 ELECTRICAL ENERGY
 The modern society is so much dependent upon the use of
electrical energy that it has become a part of our life.
 The present day advancement in science and technology has
made it possible to convert electrical energy into any desired form.
 This has given electrical energy a place of pride in the modern
world.
 The survival of industrial undertakings and our social structures
depends primarily upon low cost and uninterrupted supply of
electrical energy.
 In fact, the advancement of a country is measured in terms
electrical energy consumption per capita.
 Eg China --------2021--- 8,312,800 GWh/Yr-------527 W/P
 USA----------2019----3,989,566 GWh/Yr----- 1,387 W/P
 India----------2018---1,547,000 GWh/Yr------107 W/P
 South Africa-2019-----210,304 GWh/Yr----- 410 W/P
 Egypt -------- 2019---150,579 GWh/Yr- -----171 W/P
 Ethiopia-------2019--- 8,986 GWh/Yr- --------9 W/P
…CONT’D
 Electrical energy is superior to all other forms of energy due to the
following reasons :
i. Convenient: It can be easily converted into other forms of energy.
 For example:
 Electrical energy into heat, the only thing to be done is to pass
electrical current through a wire of high resistance,
 e.g, a heater.
 Electrical energy can be converted into light
 e.g. (electric bulb).
 Electrical into mechanical energy
 e.g. electric motors, etc.
…CONT’D
 ii. Easy control: electrically operated machines have
simple and convenient starting, control and operation.
For instance, an electric motor can be started or
stopped by turning on or off a switch.
Similarly, with simple arrangements, the speed of
electric motors can be easily varied over the desired
range.
iii. Greater flexibility: It can be easily transported
from one place to another with the help of conductors.
 iv. Cheapness: Electrical energy is much cheaper than other
forms of energy.
 Thus it is overall economical to use this form of energy for
domestic, commercial and industrial purposes.
 v. Cleanliness: Electrical energy is not associated with smoke,
fumes or poisonous gases.
 Therefore, its use ensures cleanliness and healthy conditions.
 vi. High transmission efficiency: The electrical energy can be
transmitted conveniently and efficiently from the centers of
generation to the consumers with the help of overhead
conductors known as transmission lines.
 END!!!