SOLAR ENERGY

COLLECTORS
Introduction
◻ Solar collector is a device for collecting solar
radiation and transfer the energy to a fluid passing
in contact with it.
◻ Two types
Non concentrating or flat plate type solar collector
Concentrating (focusing) type solar collector
CONTENTS
◻ Application of Solar Energy
◻ Application of Wind Energy
◻ Applications of Bio Energy
◻ Applications of Hydro Energy
◻ Applications of Ocean Energy
◻ Energy Storage Systems
Application of Solar Energy
◻ Solar thermal route – solar energy can be converted
into thermal energy with the help of solar collectors and
receivers (Solar thermal devices)
◻ Ex:- water heaters, air-heaters, cookers and dryers for
domestic and industrial applications
◻ Hotels – Textiles, Breweries and Distilleries,
Chemical/Bulk drugs units, Electroplating/galvanizing
units, Pulp and Paper industries.
Application of Solar Energy
◻ Solar Photovoltaic – uses sun’s heat to produce electricity
◻ PV systems are lighting for commercial buildings, outdoor
(street) lighting, rural and village lighting.
◻ Can offer independence from the utility grid and offer
protection during extended power failures.
◻ Found to be economical especially in the hilly and far flung
areas – conventional grid – more expensive to reach
 Application of Wind Energy
◻ Wind energy – harnessing of wind power to produce electricity.
◻ Potential applications of wind energy
Utility interconnected wind turbines generate power which is synchronous with the grid
and are used to reduce utility bills by displacing the utility power used in the household
and by selling the excess power back to the electric company.
◻ Wind turbines for remote homes (off the grid) generate DC current for battery
charging
◻ Wind turbines for remote water pumping generate 3 phase AC current suitable
for driving an electrical submersible pump directly.
◻ Available – power range of 500 Watts to 50 kW
Application of Bio Energy
It is derived from biomass gasifier – key energy resources
for global sustainable development.
Offers higher energy efficiency through form of Biogas
than by direct burning.
❖ Potential applications – Cooking, Mechanical application,
pumping, power generation.
Application of Bio Energy
❖ Water pumping and electricity generation:
❖ Heat generation

❖ High efficiency wood burning stoves

❖ Biofuels
Application of Hydro Energy
◻ Potential energy of falling water is captured and
converted to mechanical energy by waterwheels and
powered the start of the industrial revolution.
◻ Small Hydro
Does not involve setting up of large dams or problems of
deforestation, submergence and rehabilitation.
◻ Micro Hydro
Hilly regions of India – Himalayan belts, are endowed with
rich hydel resources with tremendous potential.
Application of Ocean Energy
◻ Ocean energy draws on the energy of ocean
waves, tides or on the thermal energy (heat)
stored in the ocean.
◻ Electricity generation.
Energy Storage Systems
◻ Many renewable energy sources produce variable
power.
◻ Storage systems can level out the imbalances
between supply and demand.
◻ Different Forms
Pumped storage Flywheel storage
Compressed air storage Battery storage
Hydrogen storage
Classification of Energy Storage System
Pumped Storage
◻ During off-peak period, the surplus energy
available is stored in the form of hydraulic energy
by lifting the water from tail to upper basin.
◻ During peak period, the same stored hydraulic
energy is used by the flowing water from the upper
basin to the lower basin through water turbine.
Components
◻ Upper basin
◻ Dam
◻ Penstock
◻ Power house with
pumps and turbines
◻ Lower basin
Flywheel storage system
◻ It is a heavy rotating mass which is placed between power
source and driven member to act as reservoir for energy
generation.
◻ Act as a energy accumulator
◻ Absorb energy when the demand is less than the supply of
energy – release when the demand is more than the supply
◻ Most promising technologies for replacing conventional lead
acid batteries as energy storage systems.
Flywheel storage system - Components
◻ There are five mainly five components in flywheel
energy storage system:
Flywheel
Motor/Generator
Power Electronics
Magnetic bearings
External Inductor
Components-Flywheel
◻ Flywheels store energy in a rotating mass of steel/
composite material
◻ Mechanical inertia is the basis of this storage method.
◻ Use of a motor/generator, energy can be cycled
(absorbed and the discharged)
◻ Increasing surface speed of flywheel, energy storage
capacity (kWh) of unit increased
Components-Motor/Generator
◻ Permanent Magnet (PM) machines have the most
advantages including higher efficiency and smaller size
when compared with other types of motors/generators
of the same power rating.
◻ PM also exhibit lower rotor losses and lower winding
inductances, which make it more suitable for a vacuum
operating environment
◻ It is designed to be operated at high speed for minimize
system size.
Components-Motor/Generator
◻ Permanent Magnet (PM) machines have the most
advantages including higher efficiency and smaller size
when compared with other types of motors/generators
of the same power rating.
◻ PM also exhibit lower rotor losses and lower winding
inductances, which make it more suitable for a vacuum
operating environment
◻ It is designed to be operated at high speed for minimize
system size.
Components-Power Electronics
◻ Flywheel energy storage system is the three phase
IGBT-based Pulsed with modulation (PWM)
inverter/rectifier.
◻ The IGBT is a solid-states device with ability to
handle voltages up to 6.7 kV, currents up to 1.2kA
and most important high switching frequencies.
Components- Magnetic Bearing
◻ It consists of permanent magnets, which support the
weight of flywheel by repelling forces, and
electromagnets are used to stabilize the Flywheel.
◻ The best performing bearing is the high-temperature
super conducting (HTS) magnetic bearing, which can
situate the flywheel automatically without need of
electricity or positioning control system.
◻ HTS magnets require cryogenic cooling by liquid
nitrogen.
Components- External Inductor
◻ The high-speed PM machines offer low inductances
with low number of stator turns and large operating
magnetic air gaps.
◻ The low inductances result in High Total Harmonic
Distortion (THD) which increases the machine power
losses and temperature.
◻ Using an external inductor in series with the machine in
charging mode is necessary to reduce the THD and
bring it within an accepted range.
 Compressed air storage
◻ Air is compressed during
off-peak period and it is
stored in underground.
◻ During peak period, the
compressed air is used to
rotate turbines to produce
electricity.
◻ Disadv: energy losses – leads
to use the supplemental fossil
fuels
 Battery Storage
◻ Electro-chemical batteries are most commonly use –
disadvantages of using battery storage are best suited for
small power plants.
Lead acid battery
Alkaline battery
Nickel and nickel cadmium battery
Sodium-ion Battery
Lithium-ion battery
Magnesium-antimony battery
Flow Battery
Hydrogen Storage
◻ It is key enabling technology for the advancement of
hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in applications including
stationery power, portable power, and transportation.
◻ Hydrogen can be stored in three ways
As a compressed gas in high-pressure tanks.
As a liquid in tanks (stored at -253oC)
As a solid by either absorbing or reacting with metals or
chemical compounds or storing in an alternative chemical form
 Supercapacitors
◻ Advantages: High Power density
Quick Charge/Discharge
Long Cycle life
◻ Disadvantages: Self-discharge
Low energy density
Superconducting magnetic energy storage
◻ Energy is stored in a magnetic field created by the
flow of direct current (DC) in a superconducting
coil, which has been cryogenically cooled below its
critical temperature.
What is
◻ Superconductivity?
The absence of electrical resistance below critical
temperature