Code No: EE1914 GEC-R14

M. Tech II Semester Supplementary Examinations, July 2017

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(Power Electronics and Electric Drives)

1. a) Explain the meaning of Solar Radiation and solar constant state the Components
of solar radiation geometry. (6M)

Sun is the basic source of energy for Earth and solar energy is available in the form of
Electromagnetic Radiations.

Sun is a large sphere of very hot gases, heat being generated by the various fusion
reactions in it
The direct/beam radiation received from the Sun on the earth is almost parallel.
In the earth's atmosphere, solar radiation is received directly (Direct Radiation) and by
diffusion in air, dust, water, etc contained in the atmosphere (Diffuse Radiation).

Global radiation = Direct Radiation + Diffuse Radiation.

Solar Constant (Isc): The rate at which Energy is received from the Sun on a unit area
perpendicular to the rays of Sun. at a mean distance of the Earth from the Sun.

Solar Radiation Geometry

Latitude or Angle of Latitude ():

The latitude of a location on the earth's surface is the angle made by a radial line joining
the given location to the centre of the earth with its projection on the equator plane. The
latitude is positive for northern hemisphere and negative for southern hemisphere.
Declination angle ():

If a line is drawn between the center of the earth and the sun, the angle between this line
and the earths equatorial plane is called the declination angle. It is positive when
measured above the equatorial plane in the northern hemisphere.

360
= 23.45 sin[365 (284 + )] degrees

Hour Angle ():

The hour angle at any moment is the angle through which the earth must turn to bring the
meridian of the observer directly in line with the sun's rays.
In other words, it is the angular distance between the meridian of the observer and the
meridian whose plane contains sun.

= [ 12: 00] 15

Where, = Hour angle in degrees

= Solar time
Note: positive (+ve) in afternoon and negative (-ve) in forenoon since at solar noon the hour
angle is zero.

Inclination Angle or solar altitude angle ():

The angle between the central ray from the sun and its projection on a horizontal surface
is known as the inclination angle.

Zenith Angle (z):

It is the angle between the sun's ray and the perpendicular (normal) to the horizontal
plane.

Solar Azimuth Angle (s):

It is the angle on a horizontal plane, between the line due south and the projection of the
sun's rayon the horizontal plane. It is taken as positive (+ve) when measured from south
towards west.

Slope or Tilt Angle ():

It is the angle between the inclined plane surface of collector and the horizontal. It is
taken to be positive for the surface sloping towards south.
Surface Azimuth Angle ():

It is the angle in the horizontal plane, between the line due south and the horizontal
projection of the normal to the inclined plane surface of collector. It is taken as positive
+ve when measured from south towards west.

Angle of Incidence (i):

It is the angle between the sun's ray incident on the plane surface (collector) and the
normal to that surface.

b) Describe the principle of operation of pyrheliometer. (6M)

Pyrheliometer

Pyrheliometer can be used to measure beam radiation only.

Pyrheliometer consists of a black absorber plate at the base of a tube as shown in figure
below.
 The tube is aligned with the direction of the suns rays with the help of a two-axis
tracking mechanism and and an alignment indicator.
Thus the black plate receives only beam radiation and a small amount of diffuse radiation
falling within the acceptance angle of the instrument.

Pyrheliometer

2. a) Write comparison of concentrating and Non-concentrating type of solar collectors. (6M)

Non-Concentrating Collectors

In these collectors the area of collector to intercept the solar radiation is equal to the absorber
plate and has concentration ratio of 1. Flat Plate Collectors (Glaze Type) Flat plate collector is
most important part of any solar thermal energy system. It is simplest in design and both direct
and diffuse radiations are absorbed by collector and converted into useful heat. These collectors
are suitable for heating to temperature below 100oC.

Advantages

It utilizes the both the beam as well as diffuse radiation for heating.

Requires less maintenance.

Disadvantages

Large heat losses by conduction and radiation because of large area.

No tracking of sun.

Low water temperature is achieved.

Concentrated solar energy systems use mirrors and/or lenses to achieve the highest possible heat
transfer rate and efficiency. These systems use collectors that vary in size, shape, and tracking
ability. Concentrated solar thermal systems are used to focus solar energy for thermal processes.
Concentrated solar PV systems are used to produce electricity more efficiently than traditional
solar PV arrays. Both solar thermal and solar PV applications use the same technologies to focus
solar energy.
 S.No. Flat Plate collector Concentrating type
collector
1 It is less efficient solar It is the most powerful
collector type of collector

2 Maximum Temperature Fluid temperatures up to

of fluid is 300oC around 5000oC can be
achieved
3 It can be used in water It can be used in solar
heating. furnaces and solar
power plants.

b) Explain about Solar chimney. (6M)

Solar Chimney

A solar chimney consists of a transparent large room (usually made of glass) which is sloped
gently up to a central hollow tower or chimney. The sun heats the air in this greenhouse-type
structure which then rises up the chimney, thereby driving an air turbine as it rises. This air
turbine then creates electricity.

Solar chimneys are very simple in design and could therefore be a viable option for projects in
the developing world.

3. a) Write comparison of HAWT and VAWT. (6M)

Types of Wind Turbines

Wind turbines are classified into two general types: horizontal axis and vertical axis. A horizontal axis
machine has its blades rotating on an axis parallel to the ground. A vertical axis machine has its blades
rotating on an axis perpendicular to the ground. There are a number of available designs for both and each
type has certain advantages and disadvantages. However, compared with the horizontal axis type, very
few vertical axis machines are available commercially.

The nacelle contains the key components of the wind turbine, including the gearbox, and
the electrical generator.
The tower of the wind turbine carries the nacelle and the rotor. Generally, it is an
advantage to have a high tower, since wind speeds increase farther away from the
ground.
The rotor blades capture wind energy and transfer its power to the rotor hub.
The generator converts the mechanical energy of the rotating shaft to electrical energy
The gearbox increases the rotational speed of the shaft for the generator.

Advantages of the VAWT are:

Easy maintenance for ground mounted generator and gearbox,
Receive wind from any direction (no yaw control required), and
Simple blade design and low cost of fabrication

Disadvantages of a vertical-axis wind turbine are:

Not self starting, thus, require generator to run in motor mode at start,

Lower efficiency (the blades lose energy as they turn out of the wind),

Difficulty in controlling blade over-speed, and

Oscillatory component in the aerodynamic torque is high.

Advantages of the HAWT:

Higher efficiency,

Ability to turn the blades, and

Disadvantages of the horizontal-axis:

Generator and gearbox should be mounted on a tower, thus restricting servicing, and

More complex design required due to the need for yaw or tail drive.

b) Explain working of asynchronous generator through inverter and control system. (6M)

Currently DFIG wind turbines are increasingly used in large wind farms. A typical DFIG system is shown in
the below figure. The AC/DC/AC converter consists of two components: the rotor side converter Crotor
and Grid side converter Cgrid .These converters are voltage source converters that use forced
commutation power electronic devices (IGBTS) to synthesize AC voltage from DC voltage source. A
capacitor connected on DC side acts as a DC voltage source. The generator slip rings are connected to
the rotor side converter, which shares a DC link with the grid side converter in a so called back -to-back
configuration. The wind power captured by the turbine is converted into electric power by the IG and is
transferred to grid by stator and rotor windings. The control system gives the pitch angle command and
the voltage commands for Crotor and Cgrid to control the power of the wind turbine, DC bus voltage
and reactive power or voltage at grid terminals.

OPERATION:
When the rotor speed is greater than the rotating magnetic field from stator, the stator induces a
strong current in the rotor. The faster the rotor rotates, the more power will be transferred as an
electromagnetic force to the stator, and in turn converted to electricity which is fed to the electric
grid. The speed of asynchronous generator will vary with the rotational force applied to it. Its
difference from synchronous speed in percent is called generators slip. With rotor winding short
circuited, the generator at full load is only a few percent.
With the DFIG, slip control is provided by the rotor and grid side converters. At high rotor speeds,
the slip power is recovered and delivered to the grid, resulting in high overall system efficiency. If
the rotor speed range is limited, the ratings of the frequency converters will be small compared with
the generator rating, which helps in reducing converter losses and the system cost.
Since the mechanical torque applied to the rotor is positive for power generation and since the
rotational speed of the magnetic flux in the air gap of the generator is positive and constant for a
constant frequency grid voltage, the sign of the rotor electric power output is a function of the slip
sign. Crotor and Cgrid have the capability of generating or absorbing reactive power and can be used for
controlling the reactive power or the grid terminal voltage. The pitch angle is controlled to limit the
generator output power to its normal value for high wind speeds. The grid provides the necessary
reactive power to the generator.

4. a) Explain different types of biogas digesters. (6M)

Types of Small-Scale Digesters

Fixed Dom
A fixed-dome plant comprises of a closed, dome-shaped digester with an immovable,
rigid gas-holder and a displacement pit, also named 'compensation tank'.
The gas is stored in the upper part of the digester.
When gas production commences, the slurry is displaced into the compensating tank.
Gas pressure increases with the volume of gas stored, i.e. with the height difference
between the two slurry levels. If there is little gas in the gas-holder, the gas pressure is
low.

5 Fixed dome plant Nicarao design: 1.Mixing tank with inlet pipe and sand trap. 2.Digester.
3.Compensation and removal tank. 4.Gasholder. 5.Gaspipe. 6.Entry hatch, with gastight seal.
7.Accumulation of thick sludge. 8.Outlet pipe. 9.Reference level. 10.Supernatant scum, broken
up by varying level.
Floating Drum Plants
Floating-drum plants consist of an underground digester and a moving gas-holder.
The gas-holder floats either directly on the fermentation slurry or in a water jacket of its
own.
The gas is collected in the gas drum, which rises or moves down, according to the amount
of gas stored.

b) Explain biomass to ethanol production. (6M)

5. a) Derive the necessary equations for heat exchanger. (6M)

b) Draw the schematic diagram and explain the closed cycle OTEC system. (6M)

Closed-Cycle Otec :

In the closed-cycle OTEC system, warm sea water vaporizes a working fluid, such as ammonia,
flowing through a heat exchanger (evaporator). The vapor expands at moderate pressures and
turns a turbine coupled to a generator that produces electricity. The vapor is then condensed in
heat exchanger (condenser) using cold seawater pumped from the ocean's depths through a cold-
water pipe. The condensed working fluid is pumped back to the evaporator to repeat the cycle.
The working fluid remains in a closed system and circulates continuously.

The heat exchangers (evaporator and condenser) are a large and crucial component of the closed-
cycle power plant, both in terms of actual size and capital cost. Much of the work has been
performed on alternative materials for OTEC heat exchangers, leading to the recent conclusion
that inexpensive aluminium alloys may work as well as much more expensive titanium for this
purpose.

6. a) Estimate the energy in a simple double basin tidal system. (6M)

Double Basin tidal power plant:

 Fig. Double basin power pant

In this instead of one way power generation two way power generations is possible. High pool and low
pool are developed in between the earth surface and the first barrier in which the turbine is installed
and the high pool developed between the two barriers. During increase level of sea water is stored in
high pool and utilized to develop the power making it to flow through the barrier possessing the turbine,
generating the power. The water is collected in low pool. When the sea water level drops down, then
the water collected in low pool allowed to flow through barrier and turbine in high pool and again
power is developed during the return of sea water in the high pool. The plant generate continuous
water during the rise and fall in the sea water level , the total power output is more than obtained in a
single basin tidal power plant but at the more cost of large and expensive civil work in the deep sea
water

b) Explain with neat sketches the saltor duck and OWC. (6M)

Several devices have been designed to harness energy from the waves. The Salter Duck is an
example. The duck bobs up and down on waves and a special turbine inside converts this
movement into electricity. The Salter Duck is as large as a Double Decker bus. They are
arranged in set patterns in the sea, to take advantage of wave formations. Salter ducks have been
developed over two decades and as oil increases in price, this type of device is likely to be cost
effective in the future.

This device, the first of the wave power devices, is an egg-shaped device that moves with the
motion of the waves. Two sets of cables are attached to the device, one to a pendulum inside the
device and the other to a fixed arm outside the device. The cables attached to the internal
pendulum contain hydraulics, which pump as the device rocks back and forth with the waves.
This movement of the pressurizes oil, which is pumped into hydraulic motors that power electric
generators.
Oscillating Water Column (OWC) Devices

One major class of shoreline device is the oscillating water column partly submerged concrete or
steel structure, which has an opening to the sea below the water line, thereby enclosing a column
of air above a column of water.

As waves impinge on the device, they cause the water column to rise and fall, which
alternately compresses and depressurizes the air column.

This air is allowed to flow to and from the atmosphere through aturbine, which drives an
electric generator .

Both conventional (i.e. unidirectional) and self-rectifying air turbines have been proposed.

The axial-flow Wells turbine, invented in the 1970s, is the best-known turbine for this kind of
application and has the advantageof not requiring rectifying air valves.
A number of OWC devices have been installed world wide, with several of them being built
into a breakwater to lower overall construction costs.

7. a) Explain geothermal energy extraction techniques. (6M)

Classification of geothermal fields:

1. Non thermal geo fields
a) Hot dry vapour
b) Wet vapour
2. Semi thermal geo fields
3. Hydro thermal geo fields
a) Vapour dominated
b) Liquid dominated
4. Geo pressured resources
5. Hot dry rocks (HDR)
6. Magma fields
a) Magmatic steam
b) Meteoritic steam
c) Hot acquifer

Hot dry rock resources (HDR):

There are regions underground at temperatures exceeding 2000c, with little or no water.
The rocks are impermeable and/or there is no surface water in the vicinity.
Such resources up to a depth of 5km are estimated to be significant and worthy of
development as a source of energy.
Hot dry rocks are much more common than hydro thermal reservoirs and more
accessible. So their potential is quite high.
The recovery of heat from HDR involves forming a man-made reservoir by drilling deep
in to the hot rocks and then cracking it to form cavity or fractures.
Such a system is known as an Enhanced Geothermal System(EGS), sometimes also
called Engineered Geothermal Systems.
EGS can be achieved by
a. Detonating high explosives at the bottom of the well.
b. Nuclear explosion.
c. Hydraulic fracturing.
Hydraulic fracturing, which is performed by pumping of water at high pressure into the
rock formation, is commonly used in oil and gas fields to improve the flow.

It appears that the quantity of conventional explosives required would be uneconomically large
b) Explain with neat sketches the dry stem and wet steam of geothermal. (6M)

a) Vapour dominated systems:

The following figure shows the schematic diagram of a vapour dominated power plant

Vapour dominated hydro thermal power plant

Working procedure:

Dry steam is extracted from the well, cleaned in a centrifugal separator to remove solid
matter and then piped directly to a turbine.
The exhaust steam of the turbine is condensed in a direct contact condenser, in which the
steam is condensed by direct contact with cooling water.
The resulting warm water is circulated and cooled in a cooling tower returned to the
condenser.
 The condensation of steam continuously increases the volume of cooling water.
Excess water is re injected at some distance deep into the ground for disposal.
The non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser by steam jet ejection.

Single flash steam system:

Single flash and double flash systems are belongs to high temperature systems because
the operating temperature is above 1750c
Working procedure:
In single flash system wet steam is extracted from the well and that steam is separated
from water particles with the help of flash separator.
The exhaust steam of the turbine is condensed in a direct contact condenser, in which the
steam is condensed by direct contact with cooling water.
The resulting warm water is circulated and cooled in a cooling tower returned to the
condenser.
The condensation of steam continuously increases the volume of cooling water.
Excess water is re injected at some distance deep into the ground for disposal.
The non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser by steam jet ejection.
The following figure shows the schematic diagram of a liquid dominated single flash steam
power plant

Liquid dominated single flash steam power plant

8. a) Write short notes on need for DEC. (4M)

Most of these energy converters, sometimes called static energy-conversion devices, use
electrons as their working fluid in place of the vapor or gas employed by such dynamic heat
engines as the external-combustion and internal-combustion engines. In recent years, direct
energy-conversion devices have received much attention because of the necessity to develop
more efficient ways of transforming available forms of primary energy into electric power.
In NASA space-power-generation work, considerable emphasis has been placed on direct energy
conversion. This is an advanced technology which is of interest though not necessarily of
immediate usefulness to industry.
There are four types of direct-conversion processes:
Electrochemistry
Thermoelectric
Thermionic, and
Magneto hydrodynamics, more commonly called MHD.
b) Explain principle of MHD power generation with neat sketch. (6M)

Principles Of Mhd Power Generation:

An MHD generator is a device for converting heat energy of a fuel directly

into electrical energy without conventional electric generator.

When an electric conductor moves across a magnetic field, a voltage is

induced in it which produces an electric current.

This is the principle of the conventional generator where the conductors

consist of copper strips.

Principle of MHD Generator

In MHD generator, the solid conductors are replaced by a gaseous

conductor, an ionized gas. If such a gas is passed at a high velocity through a
powerful magnetic field, a current is generated and can be extracted by
placing electrodes in suitable position in the stream.
The principle can be explained as follows. An electric conductor moving through a
magnetic field experiences a retarding force as well as an induced electric field and
current.
c) Define faradays laws. (2M)

First Law :

Whenever the magnetic flux linked with a circuit changes, an e.m.f. is always induced in
it.

or

Whenever a conductor cuts magnetic flux, an e.m.f. is induced in that conductor.

Faraday's Second Law

It states that the magnitude of emf induced in the coil is equal to the rate of change of fluxthat
linkages with the coil. The flux linkage of the coil is the product of number of turns in the coil
and flux associated with the coil.