Module 4

RESOURCES & IT’s

UTILISATION
 SYLLABUS
Resources and its utilisation:
× Basic concepts of Conventional and non-conventional energy,
× General idea about solar energy,
× Fuel cells,
× Wind energy,
× Small hydro plants,
× Bio-fuels,
× Energy derived from oceans and
× Geothermal energy.

2
NATURAL RESOURCES

What is a natural
resource?

What natural
resources do you
know?
 NATURAL RESOURCES

Natural resources – natural substances required

by humans for different needs.

Metals and Rainforests

minerals Crops

Water Coal, oil and Forests

gas
 ENERGY RESOURCES

What is energy?
What is an energy
resource?
What energy
resources do you
know?
 Energy - Ability to do work
FORMS OF ENERGY

Energy resulting Energy Energy stored Energy from

from movement associated with in the chemical electromagnetic
of molecules atomic fission & bonds of atoms waves
atomic fusion and molecules

Electrical
Energy
Energy of Energy of a Energy resulting
an object in body by virtue from the movement
motion of it’s position of electrons
 ENERGY RESOURCES
Natural resources such as oil, gas, coal,
wood, wind, sunlight and waves can be used
to produce energy. These are energy
resources.

Waves/
Coal Water Oil &
Wind Sunlight gas
 NON RENEWABLE AND
RENEWABLE
What is a non-renewable
energy resource?

What is a renewable
energy resource?
 NON RENEWABLE AND
RENEWABLE
Non-renewable energy sources are things like oil,
natural gas and coal. They cannot be easily replaced,
because they have taken millions of years to form.

We are using them faster than they are being made.

This means that one day they will run out!

Renewable energy resources like wind power,

wave power, solar power and biofuel can be
easily replaced and will not run out.
 ENERGY RESOURCES

NON Renewable Renewable Energy

Energy Source Source
Conventional Sources of Non-Conventional Sources of
Energy Energy
Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas And Solar, Wind, Tidal, Biogas, And
Water Power Biomass, Geothermal
Exhaustible NOT exhaustible
Environment pollution like smoke,
Pollution free
ash, chemicals...
Power transmission is expensive Local power generation and use.
Waste Disposal Problems Environment friendly waste
Planet Heat imbalance Balanced Heat
NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
Oil
Natural gas
(petroleum)

Non- renewable

Coal

Nuclear power
 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
OIL & GAS FORMATION
Earth’s crude oil and natural gas is formed from marine plants and
animals that died millions of years ago
Phytoplankton & zooplankton
1. Dead
microscopic
animals and
plants sink to
Organic rich the bottom of
sediments the ocean and
become buried
Layers of sediment with other
sediments
(sand and mud)
 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
OIL & GAS FORMATION
2. Over millions
of years these
sediments get
buried deeper
and deeper.
Temperature
and pressure
rises and the
microorganisms
Organic rich sediments in the sediment
are turned into
gas and oil
 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
OIL & GAS FORMATION
3. Oil and gas
Oil rig move upwards
through tiny
Drill
pores in the rock.
Sea
Oil and gas gets
Impermeable rock trapped under
impermeable
Oil layers of rock
and can be then
be taken out
Oil rich using long
source rock powerful drills.
 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
OIL & GAS

Oil & gas burned to steam propels Electricity

heat water turbine
• Crude oil is turned into jet engine oil, petrol and diesel
which are used as a fuel in planes and cars.
• When oil and gas are burnt they release carbon dioxide
gas into the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas and
contributes to global warming.
• Gas- Cleanest form of fossil fuel; Mixture of several gases – methane, ethane,
propane & butane
• Crude oil most in middle east countries; Gas mostly in Iran & Iraq
• India : world’s 3rd largest oil consumer
 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
COAL FORMATION
Carboniferous
Period 360-299
million years ago

Tropical swamp

Older rock layers

 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
COAL FORMATION
Jurassic Period
201- 145 million
years ago

Dead plants turn into peat

Older rock layers

 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
COAL FORMATION

Modern day

Pressure
Heat

Peat turns into Coal

Older rocks
 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
COAL

Coal burned to steam propels Electricity

heat water turbine

• Coal is cheap and there is lots of it!

• When coal is are burnt it releases carbon
dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen
dioxide into the atmosphere contributing
burned for heat
to global warming and acid rain.
• India depends coal for 60% of total
commercial energy consumed
 NON RENEWABLE ENERGY
NUCLEAR

steam propels
Nuclear reactions Heat turbine
Electricity

• Uranium and plutonium are nuclear fuels

• Nuclear fuels do not produce harmful greenhouse gases
• Nuclear power is very efficient
• Nuclear power produces radioactive waste which is dangerous
and has to be seal in containers and buried for thousands of years
 RENEWABLE ENERGY

Solar

Biofuel
Geothermal
Renewable

Wind
Hydroelectric
Non Conventional Energy Sources/
Renewable Energy Sources
Energy which are inexhaustible &
generally pollution free
• Solar Energy
• Wind Power
• Hydro-electric power
• Biomass
• Ocean thermal power
• Bio-fuel
• Tidal power
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
SOLAR
Solar panel Heat
Sunlight

• Solar energy is from sunlight Electricity

• Free & unlimited source of energy
• Solar energy technologies : captured in two forms: heat or electrical
energy
× Solar thermal conversion : converted to heat
× Solar photovoltaic conversion : converted to electricity
• Solar panels can be put of building roofs
• Solar panels are expensive and you need a lot of them!
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
SOLAR
ADVANTA Disadvantages
GES
× Free & infinite
× Does not cause pollution
× Harnessed only in sunny day time
× Solar collectors, panels & cells are
× Can be used in remote areas expensive to manufacture
where it is too expensive to × Solar power stations output cannot
extend electric power grid be matched to similar conventional
× Everyday items like power stations
calculators & low powered × Large area required
devices can be powered
× Can used to charge batteries
(so such devices can used in
nights)
 SOLAR ENERGY
TECHNOLOGY
• Solar water heating
• Solar air conditioning
• Solar drying
• Solar green-houses
• Solar desalination
• Solar electricity – thermal
• Solar space heating of buildings
• Solar refrigeration
• Solar cooking
• Solar furnaces
 SOLAR WATER HEATING
• Water is pumped through pipes in panel
• Heat from sun – heat water in glass panels
• Pipes are painted black & placed in a type of greenhouse – it absorbs
heat from sun
• Helps to keep water
hot without electricity
• Hot pipes running
through each room
helps to heat the
house
 SOLAR SPACE HEATING OF
BUILDINGS
• Can be provided through architectural design
• Includes orientation of building & provide large south – facing windows
• Provision of walls with double glazed windows
• Heavy dark coloured south
– facing wall behind a
layer of glass – room air
circulating by convection
btwn wall & glass
• Flat roof covered by a
pond of water over which
insulating screen drawn at
night
• Heat energy recovered
from solar water heating
tank through a heat
exchange surface Thermal mass
stores heat
 SOLAR AIR-CONDITIONING &
SOLAR REFRIGERATION
• Solar powered refrigeration systems
– Rankine cycle systems
– Absorption refrigerator systems
– Solar-regenerated desiccant cooling systems
• Best one : open cycle absorption desiccant cooling systems
• Desiccant cooling systems :
– Ambient air is cooled, dehumidified & supplied to living
area
– Regeneration stage : desiccant is heated again by solar
collectors
Solid desiccants (like silica gel or zeolite) or liquid desiccants (like
lithium bromide/chloride)
 SOLAR DRYING
• Traditional & widespread method of utilizing direct solar
energy
• Cheapest & simplest way to dry agricultural products like
grain, hay, fruits etc
 SOLAR COOKING
• Solar cooker used to cook food
– Well insulated shallow rectangular /square
metal box
– Blackened from inner side
– Fitted with flat glass cover
– Solar radiation penetrates glass cover &
absorbed by blackened surface – results in
increase in temp. inside the box
– Cooking pots/ solar
cooker blackened from
outside placed in
solar-box
– Food get cooked by heat
energy produced due to
increased temp. inside
the cooker
 SOLAR GREENHOUSES
• Greenhouse is a closed structure
covered with transparent material
(glass/plastic), acts as a solar
collector & utilizes solar radiant
energy for growth of plants
• Incoming short-wave solar
radiations can pass through green
house glazing
• Long-wave thermal radiations
emitted by objects within
greenhouse cannot escape
through glazed surface
• Radiations get trapped in
greenhouse & increase temp.
• So, air inside greenhouse get
enriched with CO2 & reduce
moisture loss – helps in plant
growth in nights & colder months
 SOLAR FURNACES
• Huge array of mirrors to concentrate sun’s energy into a small
space & produce high temp.
• Generate high temp. (3500oC)
• Can used to melt refractory materials
 SOLAR DESALINATION
• Desalting of seawater & brackish water using solar energy
• Solar radiation admitted through a transparent air tight cover of sloping sheets
of glass into a shallow blackened basin/pool containing saline water
• Solar radiation passes through cover & absorbed & converted to heat cause
water to evaporate from brine
• Vapours get condensed to form pure water on underside of cooler glass cover
• Flow down the sloping roof, collected in trough & then into storage tank
• Excess brine – not evaporated run to waste
 SALT PRODUCTION
• Solar evaporation of seawater (brine) to obtain salt
• In a shallow pool/ pond of brine exposed to sunlight – result n
evaporation of water - & leaves behind the salt
 SOLAR ELECTRICITY
THERMAL
• Steam produced by heat collected from sunlight
• Use sun ray’s to heat a fluid to high temperatures
• Fluid is circulated through pipes – it transfer its heat to water &
produce steam
• Steam converted into mechanical energy in turbine – it powers a
generator to produce electricity
• 3 types of solar thermal power systems:
• Parabolic trough, Solar dish, Solar power tower
 SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY
PARABOLIC TROUGH

• Long parabolic- shaped reflector focuses sun ray’s on a receiver pipe

located at the focus of the parabola
• Collector tilts with sun – from east to west – to ensure sun is
continuously focused on receiver
 SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY
SOLAR DISH
• Reflective parabolic dish focuses all sun light that strikes dish onto a single point
above dish
• Receiver captures the heat & transfer heat to water to produce steam
• Steam converted to mechanical energy in turbine – powers generator to produce
electricity
• Parabolic dish uses mirrors to concentrate
sunlight onto an engine
• Most common type generator used –
stirling engine – uses heated fluid to
create mechanical power & then electrical
power
• Parabolic dish produces small amounts of
electricity than other concentrated solar
power technology
• Units of dishes can be combined to get
greater output
 SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY
SOLAR POWER TOWER
• Resembles an inverted funnel in shape
• Generate electricity by focusing concentrated solar radiations – from
thousands of tracking mirrors (heliostats) placed on a ground to a tower
mounted heat exchanger (receiver) – tower stands in the centre of
ground
• Heliostat – device that tracks the movement of sun
• In molten-salt power tower, a liquid salt is pumped from storage tank
through receiver & get heated
• Concentrated sunlight heats the molten salt & flow into a thermal
storage tank
• Molten salt is pumped to steam generator when power is needed
• Hot molten salt produces super heated steam – drives turbine –
generate electricity : Rankine cycle
 SOLAR ELECTRICITY
PHOTOVOLTAIC- SOLAR CELLS
• Photovoltaic systems/ SPV / Photoelectric cells
• Made of semiconducting materials – converts sunlight to electricity
• Working principle – photoelectric effect
• When light falls on metals like silicon – electrons get excited &
escape from metal, which are collected by other metal & passed
through wires in a steady stream - thus electron flow constitutes
electric current
• Photovoltaic cells make use of the properties of semiconducting
materials – silicon
• In their pure crystalline form – electrons are tightly bound & they are
poor conductors
• When small quantities of impurities are introduced, increases the
conductivity
• Impurities – phosphorus, arsenic/ antimony – induced in silicon – it leaves
one loosely bound electron – these free electrons permit conductivity
• Silicon doped in this way – n-type silicon (conduction by –ve charged
electrons)
• Impurity – boron , aluminium, indium, gallium leaves one unfilled space
in crystal which will occupied by electron : this space is called hole
• Hole can migrate through crystal & permits passage of electric current
• Silicon doped in this way – p-type silicon (conduction by +ve charged
holes)
• Silicon photovoltaic cell consists of single crystal of p-type silicon with a
surface layer of n-type silicon
• When light falls on such p-n junction, electrons & holes move in
opposite directions across jn. & if external circuit connected across
junction – electric current will flow
• Theoretical efficiency : % & practically 12 – 15%
• Assemble large number of cells in array & protective encapsulation
is provided
• Life span : 20 years (due to exposure to weather)
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
FUEL CELLS
• Electro-chemical device that converts chemical energy of fuels directly into
electrical energy
• It is much like a battery that can be recharged while you are drawing power
from it.
• It provides a DC voltage that can be used to power motors, lights and any
number of electrical appliances.
• Fuel cells differ from conventional cells in the respect that active material (fuel
& oxygen) are not contained within the cell but are supplied from outside.
• Pure or fairly pure hydrogen gas would be preferred fuel for fuel cell.
• Alternatively impure hydrogen obtained from hydrocarbon fuels, such as
natural gas , methane, LPG & liquid petroleum products can be used in fuel cell
as a fuel.
• Fuel Cells – Applications
– Can be used as power sources in remote areas
– Can be used to provide off-grid power supplies
– Can be applicable in both hybrid and electric vehicles
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
FUEL CELLS
• Each fuel cell consists of 2 electrodes
– +ve electrode : anode; -ve electrode : cathode
– Separated by an electrolyte
– Electrolyte carries electrically charged ions from one
electrode to other
• Depending upon type of electrolyte, types of fuel cells
– Alkaline fuel cell
– Solid oxide fuel cell
– Direct alcohol fuel cell
– Molten carbonate fuel cell
– Phosphoric acid fuel cell
– Proton exchange Membrane fuel cell
 WORKING OF ALKALINE FUEL
• 2 electrodes – separated by an
CELL
electrolyte : conc. Potassium
hydroxide (KOH)
• Electrons thus produced at anode,
flows through external circuit to
cathode
• At anode
× Hydrogen gas diffused through
porous carbon electrode
(surface embedded with
platinum as catalyst)
× Hydrogen adsorbed on the
electrode surface in the form • Net anode reaction:
of hydrogen atoms H2 2H
× Hydrogen atoms reacts with 2H + 2OH- 2H2O + 2e-
hydroxyl ions (in electrodes) & H2 + 2OH- 2H2O+ 2e-
form water
 WORKING OF ALKALINE FUEL
• At Cathode:
CELL
× Oxygen diffused through cathode
(surface embedded with
platinum as catalyst) adsorbed to
its surface
× Reduce to hydroxyl (OH-) ions
• Cathode reaction:
O2 + 2H2O +4e- 4OH-
• Hydroxyl ions formed, migrate
through electrolyte from cathode to
anode
• Thus electrolyte remains invariant
• Net cell reaction: • Single fuel cell produce 0.6 – 0.8V
2H2 + O2 2H2O • Fuel cell stack : series of fuel cells
combined to produce output
• Overall cell reaction is a combination of
power of 1KW to 10MW
hydrogen & oxygen to produce water
WORKING OF ALKALINE FUEL
CELL
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
FUEL CELL
ADVANTA Disadvantages
× EnergyGES
conservation × High initial cost for fabrication of
efficiency is high (70 – 80%) fuel cell stack
× Eco-friendly & sustainable × High cost for electricity
as water is one by-product generated
× No. of fuel cells can be × If gas is used as fuel – it should
stacked to generate be stored in big tanks under high
required output voltage pressure
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
WIND
• When sun rays falls on earth, it’s surface
gets heated unevenly & thus winds are
formed
• Wind blow from high pressure region to low
pressure region
• Kinetic energy in the wind can be used to
run wind turbines but output power
depends upon wind speed
• To produce viable amounts of energy :
windmill farms are erected in areas where
wind speeds are high
• Most cost competitive renewable energy
• No wind = no electricity
WORKING OF WIND TURBINE
TYPES OF WIND TURBINE
Best places for wind farms:
× Coastal areas
× Top of rounded hills
× Open plains & gaps in mountains

Ramakkalmedu,
Idukki
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
WIND
ADVANTA Disadvantages
× WindGES
is free, wind farms × High initial investment
need no fuel required
× Produces no waste or × Wind is not always
greenhouse gases predictable, hence do not
produce the same amount
× Land beneath wind mill
× Can kill birds – migrating
can be used for farming
flocks like strong wind
× Good method of × Noise produced by rotor
supplying energy to blades – concern for local
remote areas people near wind farms
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
HYDROELECTRIC
• Hydroelectric power is a way of harnessing energy from running water.
• Hydroelectric dams trap water in reservoirs
• Gravitational potential energy is stored in water on upstream of dam
• Water flows from higher elevation to lower elevation through tunnels
in dam, to turn turbines
• Because of great height of
Hydroelectric
water, it arrive at turbines at
dam
high pressure & use K.E in
running water to turn turbines
to generate electrical power Reservoir
of water
• More reliable that solar and
wind power.
• Hydroelectric dams are very
Generator
expensive and can harm
Turbine
wildlife.
 WORKING OF HYDROELECTRIC
POWER PLANT

Storage
Reservoir
 PARTS OF HYDROELECTRIC
POWER PLANT
× Dam : Hydraulic structure constructed across a flowing river to
store water on its upstream side. Dam is thicker at bottom than at
top : pressure of water increases with depth
× Storage reservoir : Artificial water body created as a result of
construction of dam on upstream side
× Forebay : Storage area for water that must be deep enough that
the penstock is completely submerged
× Penstock : Passage which allows water to flow into
electricity-generating system
× Power house : Contains & protects equipment for generating
electricity
× Draft tube : Through which high pressure water exits the system
TYPES OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER
PLANT
Type of Hydro power Based on installed capacity
Micro – hydro power < 100 kW
Mini - hydro power 101 - 2000 kW
Small - hydro power 2001 - 25000 kW

SMALL - HYDRO POWER

• In India SHP has more priority by Ministry of New & Renewable
Energy Sources (MNRE)
• In India SHP capacity : upto 25MW
• Does not need a reservoir like large hydropower schemes
• Can constructed at any location where there is enough water flow
• Since no reservoirs : minimal impact on nearby areas w.r.t
displacement
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
SMALL HYDRO POWER
ADVANTA Disadvantages
GES
× Environment friendly
× clean renewable energy
× To be economical, energy
consumers be located near
hydropower scheme : so application
× Low running cost : Relatively
of small-scale hydropower to
inexpensive energy
streamside communities
× Produce minimal impact on
× Maximum hydropower capacity
environment
determined by stream flow
× Achieve high efficiency
× Seasonal variation in stream flow
compared to other
causes variation & disturbance in
renewable resources
energy supply
× Long useful life (50 to 100
× Advanced planning is needed to
years)
ensure adequate energy generation
throughout the year
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
ENERGY FROM BIOMASS-
• Biomass is plant andBIOENERGY
animal matter
such as wood, straw, sewage and
waste food.
• Organic material which has stored
sunlight in the form of chemical
energy (by photosynthesis)
• Can be burnt to produce energy (in
form of heat, electricity/
liquid/gaseous biofuels)
• They similar to fossil fuels but they
are made from plants grown today
rather than plants that grew millions
of years ago. They can be made
quickly so they are renewable.
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
ENERGY FROM BIOMASS
Examples
• Wood : trees, shrubs, wood residue, sawdust, bark
• Wastes : Municipal solid waste, paper, food wastes
• Crops :
× Starch crops : corn, wheat & barely
× Sugar crops : cane & beet
× Oil – seed crops : soyabean & sunflower
• Aquatic plants : algae, water weed, water hyacinth
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
CATEGORIES OF BIOMASS
– Biomass in traditional form : wood & agricultural residue burnt
to produce energy

– Biomass in non-traditional form : biomass converted to ethyl

alcohol & methyl alcohol to used as liquid fuels in engines

– Biomass for domestic use : organic matter in waste

decomposed anaerobically to produce a mixture of gases
(called biogas) – methane, CO2, hydrogen sulphide

• Good biofuel for cooking & lighting

 Methods for converting
Biomass to Energy
• Bioenergy : broad category of energy fuels manufactured
from variety of feed stocks of biological origin &by
numerous conversion technologies – generate heat,
power, liquid biofuels &gaseous biofuels
• Obtained from plant wastes, landfills, municipal &
gaseous biofuels
• Obtained from plant waste, landfills, municipal &
industrial waste, trees & agricultural waste
• Methods : Burning, alcohol fermentation, pyrolysis &
anaerobic digestion
 BURNING

Turbines
Heat water to Steam turns turns Electrical
Burn fuel
make steam turbines generators Power

• Direct burning of biomass – most simple

method of energy production
• Burning of biomass cause global warming
 ALCOHOL FERMENTATION
• In alcohol fermentation : starch in organic matter is converted to
sugar by heating
• Sugar fermented by yeast – resulting ethanol (ethyl alcohol/
grain alcohol) distilled & then blended with another fuel
• End product : Gasohol – alternative for regular gasoline
• Drawback : this method requires use of fossil fuels (inefficient)
• Process of alcohol fermentation:

Anaerobic
Biodegradable digestion Storage &
organic material (fermentation) by distribution
bacteria
 ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
• Converts biomass, especially waste product into methane & CO2

• Biomass mixed with water & stored in airtight tank

• Converts – human, animal & agriculture waste into gas that can
readily used as energy source

• Process is quite costly, but relatively efficient

 PYROLYSIS
• Involves heating of biomass in the absence of oxygen

• Wood / agricultural waste is heated to around 1000oF &

decompose into gas & charcoal

• Advantage : CO2 is not produced

• Disadvantage : biomass must be heated to relatively high

temperature, so process itself requires significant amounts of
energy
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
ENERGY FROM BIOMASS
ADVANTA Disadvantages
GES
× Theoretically
fuel source
inexhaustible × Could contribute a great deal to
global warming & particulate
× When direct combustion of pollution if directly burnt
plant mass is not used to × Still an expensive source, both in
generate energy (i.e. terms of producing the biomass &
Fermentation, pyrolysis, etc converting it to alcohols
are used instead) there is
minimal environmental
impact
× Alcohols & other fuels
produced by biomass are
efficient, viable & relatively
clean-burning
 ENERGY FROM BIOMASS
BIOGAS
• Mixture of different gases : • Biogas : 65% methane, 30 – 35%
produced by breakdown of CO2 & 2% (N2, H2, H2S)
organic matter such as garbage
• Methane gas produced – used
& sewage by anaerobic bacteria
for cooking & heating
(in the absence of oxygen)
• Residue – sludge : dries & used
• Process : anaerobic digestion/
as fertilizer
methane fermentation/
bio-methanation • CNG – Compressed Natural Gas:
biogas produced in controlled
• Anaerobic digestion : simple
conditions & compressed
process carried out in no. of
steps – use any organic material • Can use for transportation,
as food for microbes (substrate) power generation & heating
homes
STAGES IN PROCESS OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

Hydrolysis Acidogenesis Acetogenesis Methanogenesis

2C5H7NO2 + 8H2O 5CH4 + 3CO2 + 2NH4+ + 2HCO3-

1. Hydrolysis : 2. Acidogenesis /
× Complex organic Fermentation :
molecules – broken into
simpler molecules × Transforms these
simple molecules into
× Carbohydrates – sugar carbonic acids, alcohols
× Fats – fatty acids & CO2
× Proteins – aminoacids
3. Acetogenesis: 4. Methanogenesis:
× Products results from × Acetate/ hydrogen & CO2
fermentation : converted to methane
transformed to H2, acetic × By methane formers
acid & CO2 (anaerobes)

✔ Succession of biological reactions in

anaerobic decomposition of biomass
leads to formation of biogas & sludge
ANAEROBIC DECOMPOSITION OF
Hydrolytic bacteria
BIOMASS

Acetogenesis
Bacteria

Methanogenesis
Bacteria
 ENERGY FROM BIOMASS
BIOFUEL
• Fuels derived from biomass – living organisms / their metabolic
byproducts
• Main use : transportation sector
• Methods used to convert biomass energy into liquid fuel :
– Sugar crops/ starch fermented to produce ethanol
– Jatropha/ algae naturally produce oil – oils heated to reduce their
viscosity & used as fuel
• Drawback : to be grown, collected, dried & fermented & burnt : these
steps require resources & infrastructure facilities
• Ideally biofuels should be carbon neutral – absorb carbon dioxide as they
grow and then give off carbon dioxide when they are burnt.
• However fossil fuels are used in the production of biofuels, for example
in making fertilizers so they are not carbon neutral.
• Crops for biofuels could be used to feed people instead
ENERGY FROM BIOMASS
BIOFUEL
 LIST OF BIOFUELS:
1. Bio alcohols 2. A) Biodiesel
– Alcohol made when sugar is – Produced from vegetable oil
fermented (sometimes animal fat)
– Application : transportation – Transesterificaton : triglycerides +
sector alcohol fatty acid esters,
– Blended with gasoline – car glycerol
fuel – Engines should be modified
– Methanol, ethanol, propanol,
butanol
2. B) Green diesel 4. Biogas
– refined from vegetable 5. Aviation biofuel:
oil
– Through refining technology
– Run in any engine bio-derived jet fuel blends
without modification can be created
– Have same chemical 6. Solid biofuels
properties as
– Includes wood, sawdust,
petroleum - based
diesel municipal solid waste, dried
animal dung
3. Bioethers
– Landfill gas capture :
– Produced from waste methane harvested from
glycerol (by-product of landfills
production of
7. Advanced biofuels:
biodiesel)
– Additive to other – Any fuel made from
biofuels sustainable feedstock
• Feedstock will sustainable if :
– Available in large quantity to • Jatropha: green diesel
meet our energy demands – Flowering plant
– Less GHG emissions – Drought & pest resistant
– No impact on biodiversity – Produce seeds contain 27 –
40% oil
• Feedstock sources: – Oil can refined into biodiesel
– Lignocelluloses: – Leftover can used as a solid
• Derivative of plant biofuel
biomass
• Contains cellulose &
lignin
• Can broken down into
ethanol (it contain
C,H2,O2)
• Processing is not
economical
• Camelina :
– Flowering plant

– Produce seeds rich in oil

– converted into
biodiesel & jet fuel

• Algae:
– Produce lipid (oil)
–converted into
biodiesel, ethanol,
methanol, butanol, jet
fuel & others

– Produce upto 300 times

more oil/acre than any
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
ENERGY DERIVED FROM OCEAN
• Ocean energy captured in 3 ways:
× Tidal energy : K.E of incoming & outgoing tides converted to
electrical energy
× Wave energy : captured directly from surface of waves
× OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) : produce electricity
by using temperature difference between deep cold ocean
water & warm tropical surface water
ENERGY DERIVED FROM TIDES
• Tides – periodic rise & fall of ocean water
• Formed due to gravitational attraction of ocean water by the sun & the
moon & due to earth’s rotation
• High tide/ flood tide: ocean water level above mean sea level
• Low tide/ ebb tide : ocean water level below mean sea level
• Dam is constructed to separate tidal basin & ocean : create difference in
water level between ocean & tidal basin
• Stronger the tide, greater the potential for tidal energy
 WORKING
• During high tide : water flows • During low tide: water flows from
from ocean into tidal basin tidal basin into ocean through
through opening (sluiceway) & opening (sluiceway) & rotates the
rotates the turbine provided in turbine provided in sluiceway
sluiceway • Rotating turbine produce electrical
• Rotating turbine produce energy when connected to
electrical energy when connected generators
to generators • Generation of power stops when
ocean water level & tidal basin
water level are equal
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
ENERGY DERIVED FROM TIDES
ADVANTA Disadvantages
GES
× Free from pollution × Dam construction across estuary
× Cleanest source of is very expensive
renewable energy × It affects fish & marine
× Provide recreational ecosystem
facilities to tourists × Only few suitable sites for
× Low noise pollution generating tidal power
× Supply of power is not
continuous – depends on timing
of tides
 ENERGY DERIVED FROM
•
WAVES
Waves caused by wind blows across the sea
• Powerful source of renewable energy
 WORKING
• Wave causes buoys to rise & fall
• Sea bed pump attached – one end to sea bed &
other end to bottom of buoy
• When buoy moves up & down – sea bed pump
pushes water under pressure through a pipe to
power station
• So, moving water under pressure spins turbine
connected to generator & generate electricity
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
ENERGY DERIVED FROM
Disadvantages
ADVANTAWAVES
GES
× Free & environmental × Depends on waves : sometimes
friendly get lots of energy & sometimes
× Abundant & widely no energy
available × Needs suitable site – where
× Not expensive to operate & waves are strong
maintain × Components of power station
should withstand rough weather
 OTEC (OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY
CONVERSION)
• Produces electricity by using temperature difference
between deep cold ocean water & warm tropical surface
water

• Two types :
× Closed - cycle OTEC
× Open - cycle OTEC
 CLOSED – CYCLE OTEC
• Surface warm ocean water (25 – 30oC) flow through pipes make ammonia
(any low boiling point fluid) boil & vapourise
• Heated ammonia vapour expands & turns turbine to produce electricity
• Electricity carried ashore by a cable
• Heated ammonia passed through second heat exchanger – deep ocean
cold water (5 – 9oC) condenses ammonia to liquid & it can be recycled
again
 OPEN – CYCLE OTEC
• Surface warm ocean water (25 – 30oC) turned into steam (by
reducing its pressure)
• This steam drives turbine & generate electricity
• Steam condensed back to liquid water using deep sea cold water (5 –
9oC)
• Open –cycle OTEC – act as desalination plant
– Seawater is used for heating & condensing : by-product is salt
free water
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
OTEC
ADVANTA Disadvantages
× Clean &GES
renewable × Technology is relatively
× Continuous power inefficient
× Suitable only for tropical seas
with relatively large temp
gradients
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
GEOTHERMAL
• Geothermal energy is heat Electricity
energy from the Earth pylon
Cooling Generator
• Geothermal energy can be tower Turbine
used to produce heat or
electricity
• Applied only in geologically Steam
active areas : requires hot rock
in shallow depths Cold Hot
water water
• Geothermal energy can be
captured by two methods:
× Geothermal power plants
× Geothermal heat pumps
Water is heated
• Iceland is very volcanic so uses
a lot of geothermal energy.
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
Use heat from deep inside the earth to generate steam to make
electricity
 WORKING OF GEOTHERMAL
POWER PLANTS
1. Hot water is pumped from
deep underground through a 4. Steam cools off in cooling
well under high pressure tower & condenses back to
water
2. When water reaches the
surface, pressure is dropped – 5. Cooled water is pumped
cause water to turn into steam back into earth
3. Steam spins a turbine-
connected to generator – 6. Above cycle is recycled
produces electricity
 GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMPS
Tap heat from the shallow reservoirs (close to earth’s surface)
either to heat water or to provide heat for buildings
WORKING OF GEOTHERMAL HEAT
PUMPS
1. Water/ refrigerant moves 4. After transferring the heat -
through a loop of pipes water/ refrigerant cools down
5. It is pumped back underground
2. Cold weather : Water/ – heats up again : cycle is
refrigerant heats up as it repeated
travels through the part of
loop that buried in 6. Summer season : system run
underground reverse :- water/ refrigerant
cools building & pumped
3. When it reach ground, the underground where extra heat
warmed water/ refrigerant transferred to ground around
transfer heat into building the pipes
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
GEOTHERMAL
ADVANTA Disadvantages
GES&
× Inexhaustible – Not available in many
renewable energy locations
– Overall efficiency of power
× Non – polluting &
production is low (10-20%)
eco-friendly source
× Excellent supplement to
other renewable sources
× Not affected by seasonal
changes