Question Bank UNIT - 1

PART-A
K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
What is mean by renewable energy?
Renewable energy is energy obtained from sources that are
1 K1 C403.1
essentially inexhaustible. Ex: wind power, solar power,
geothermal energy, tidal power and hydroelectric power
What are the advantages and disadvantages of non
renewable system
Advantages:
They are abundant and affordable. For example, oil and
diesel are still good choices for powering vehicles.
Non-renewable energy is cost effective and easier to
2 product and use. K1 C403.1
Disadvantages:
Once sources of non-renewable energies are gone, they
can't be replaced.
Mining of non-renewable energy and the by-products they
leave behind causes damage to the environment.
Global warming caused due to burning of fossil fuel.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of renewable
system
Advantages
It‟s a renewable resource.
Cost of operation is less since the fuel is derived from
nature.
3 K1 C403.1
Renewable energy is eco-friendly.
Disadvantages
Bulk Power Generation cannot be done.
Low-efficiency levels.
Requires a huge upfront capital.

List out the major factors influencing the amount of GHG

emissions.
Industrial revolutions
Deforestation
4 Fluorinated gases such as hydro fluorocarbon, per K1 C403.1
fluorocarbon, sulfur hexafluoride
Release of Carbon dioxide
Depletion of fossil fuels

1
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Give any two environmental aspect of electric energy
conversion.
5 Increased atmospheric pollution K1 C403.1
Depletion of fossil fuels
Reduction in sustainable development
List various renewable energy resources.
Solar energy
Wind energy
Biomass
6 Geothermal energy K1 C403.1
Ocean
Tidal Power
Ocean Wave Power
Ocean Thermal energy conversion
Discriminate spring and neap tides?
The difference between spring and neap tides is that spring
tides are much higher than normal and neap tides are lower
7 K2 C403.1`
than normal. Spring tides occur because of the combined
effects of the sun and moon, whereas neap tides happen
when the sun and the moon are at right angle.
Explain the principle of power generation using tides?
Tide or wave is periodic rise and fall of water level of the
sea. Tides occur due to the attraction of sea water by the
8 moon. Tides contain large amount of potential energy which K2 C403.1`
is used for power generation. When the water is above the
mean sea level, it is called flood tide. When water level is
below the mean level it is called ebb tide.
Compose various ocean tidal energy conversion schemes
available.
Tidal energy – from gravitational fields of sun and moon
Thermal energy (OTEC) – from solar radiation
9 K1 C403.1
Marine current – by thermal and salinity differences in
addition to tidal effects.
Ocean waves – by winds blowing over the ocean surface.
Salinity gradient

2
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
List the green houses gases emission due to combustion of
fossil fuels.
10 K1 C403.1
Carbon dioxide (CO2) methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide
(N2O)
What is green house effect?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) envelope present around the globe in
the atmosphere behaves similar to a glass pane and forms a
11 K1 C403.1
big global green house. This tends to prevent the escape of
heat from earth, which leads to global warming. This
phenomenon is known as greenhouse effect.
What is mean by global warming?
Global warming is the continuing rise in the average
12 K1 C403.1
temperature of the earth‟s atmosphere and ocean‟s
surface due to greenhouse effect‟
What is green power?
The green power is used to describe the sources of energy
which are environmental friendly, non-polluting , and having
13 a remedy to effects of pollution and global warming. These K1 C403.1
sources are called renewable energy sources such as sun,
wind, water, biomass and waste.

List the major energy end use sectors.

14 K1 C403.1
Industrial, Residential ,Transportation and Commercial

3
 Question Bank
PART-B

K
[Link] Question CO
Level
Explain the impact of renewable energy generation on
1 K2 C403.1
environment in detail.
How does environment get affected by the use of the
2 renewable energy? And also discuss GHG emissions from the K1 C403.1
various energy sources.
Explain the influence of different renewable energy sources
3 K2 C403.1
with special reference to the global warming context.

4 Explain the consequences of greenhouse effect. K2 C403.1

5 Explain the Importance of renewable sources of energy K2 C403.1

6 Summarize about Indian energy scenario K2 C403.1

7 Summarize about World energy scenario K2 C403.1

8 Explain about the Environmental consequences of fossil fuel K2 C403.1

Explain in detail about the Types of renewable energy

9 K2 C403.1
systems
List the Advantage and Disadvantages of conventional
10 K1 C403.1
energy systems
List the Advantage and Disadvantages of non - conventional
11 K1 C403.1
energy systems

4
 Question Bank UNIT - 2
PART-A
K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Define Wind.
Wind results from air motion. Air in motion arises from a
1 pressure gradient. The circulation of air in the atmosphere is K1 C403.2
caused by the non-uniform heating of the earth‘s surface by
the Sun.
Why utilization of wind is considered as part of solar
technology?
The major forcing function causing surface winds from the
poles toward the equator is convective circulation. Solar
radiation heats the air near the equator, and this low density
heated air is buoyed up. At the surface it is displaced by
cooler more dense higher pressure air flowing from the
poles. In the upper atmosphere near the equator the air
2 K1 C403.2
thus tends to low back toward the poles and away from the
equator. The net result is a global convective with surface
winds from north to south in the northern hemisphere.

It is clear from the above over simplified model that the

wind is basically caused by the Solar Energy irradiating the
Earth. This is why wind utilization is considered part solar
technology.
What are the different causes of Local Winds?
Local winds are caused by two mechanisms.
3 They are, K1 C403.2
i. Differential heating of land and water, and
ii. Air heating in hills and mountain sides
Give the relationship between wind speed and height
Wind speeds increase with height. They have traditionally
been measures at a standard height of 10m where they are
4 K1 C403.2
found to be 20-25% greater than close to the surface. At
height of 60m they may be 30-60% higher because of the
reduction in the day effect of Earth‘s surface.

5
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
What are the factors determine the output from a
wind energy converter:
i. The wind speed,
5 K1 C403.2
ii. The cross-section of wind swept by rotor, and
iii. The overall conversion efficiency of the rotor,
transmission system and generator or pump.
What are the conversion losses available wind
energy conversion system.
A 100% efficient aero generator would able to convert up to
a maximum 60% o the available energy in wind into
6 mechanical energy. Well-designed blades will typically K1 C403.2
extract 70% of the theoretical maximum, but losses incurred
in the gearbox, transmission system and generator or pump
could decrease overall wind turbine efficiency to 35% or
less.
Define Power Co-efficient.
The fraction of the free-flow wind power that can be
extracted by a rotor is a called the power co-efficient. Thus
Power Coefficient = Power of wind rotor / Power
available in the wind
7 K1 C403.2
Where, power available is calculated from the air density,
rotor diameter and free wind speed as discussed earlier. The
maximum theoretical power coefficient is equal to 16/27 or
0.593. This value cannot be exceeded by a rotor in free-flow
wind-stream.
What are the advantage o selecting sites with annual
mean wind speeds and building larger rather than
smaller wind generator?
The power available in the wind increases as cube o the
wind speed; doubling the wind speed increases the power
8 available by eight old and K1 C403.2
Doubling the diameter of the turbine‘s rotor quadruples the
swept area and hence the power output from the device.
(This law only applies to horizontal axis machines, for
vertical axis machines the changes in power output with
diameter will be determined by the geometry of the rotor).

6
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
What are the different types o forces acting on
propeller type wind turbine.
There are two types of forces which are acting on the
blades. They are
9 1. Circumferential force acting in the direction of wheel K1 C403.2
rotation that provides the torque, and
2. Axial force acting in the wind stream that provides an
axial thrust that must be countered by proper mechanical
design.
What is the function of back-up in small producers?
For small producers, back-up can take the form of
10 a) Battery storage b) Connection with the local K1 C403.2
electricity distribution systems, or c) A stand by generator
powered by liquid or gaseous fuels Drag force
What are the mechanisms for producing forces from
wind?
11 K1 C403.2
There are two primary mechanism for producing forces from
the winds. They are i. Lift force, and ii. Drag force
Define Airfoil
Lift forces are produced by changing the velocity of the air
stream flowing over either side of the lifting surface.
Speeding up the air flow causes the pressure to drop, while
12 K1 C403.2
slowing the air stream down leads to increase in pressure.
This pressure difference produces a force that begins to act
on the high pressure side and moves towards the low
pressure side of the lifting surface which is called an airfoil.
Define Magnus Effect
Magnus Effect, caused by spinning a cylinder in an air
stream at a high-speed of rotation. The spinning slows down
13 the air speed on the side where the cylinder is moving into K1 C403.2
wind and increases it on the other side; the result is similar
to an airfoil. This principle has been put to practical use in
one or two cases but is not generally employed.

7
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
What are the major broad classification of WECS?
There are two broad classification of WECS. They are
14 K1 C403.2
i. Horizontal Axis machines and
ii. Vertical Axis machines
What are the different types of vertical axis wind
turbines.
15 K1 C403.2
i. Savonius Rotor type machines
ii. Darrieus type machines
Define Thwaits Slot
To blow air through narrow slots in a cylinder, so that it
emerges tangentially; this is known as a Thwaits Slot.
Thwaits Slots also creates a rotation (or circulation) of
16 K1 C403.2
airflow, which in turn generate lift. Because the lift drag
ratio of airfoils is generally much better than those of
rotating or slotted cylinders, the latter techniques probably
have little practical potential.
Define Stalling.
When lift decreases and the drag increases quite
substantially; this phenomenon is known as Stalling. For
17 K1 C403.2
efficient operation, a wind turbine blade needs to function
with as much lift and as little drag as possible because drag
dissipates energy.
Give some important factor consider for side
selection of WECS
High annual average wind speed:
Availability of anemometry data:
Availability of wind V(t) Curve at the proposed site:
Wind structure at the proposed site:
18 Altitude of the proposed site: K1 C403.2
Terrain and its aerodynamic:
Local Ecology
Distance to road or railways:
Nearness of site to local centre/users:
Nature of ground:
Favorable land cost:

8
 Question Bank
PART-B
K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Distinguish clearly between (a) Constant speed constant
frequencies WTG unit. (b) Variable speed constant
1 k3 C403.2
frequency WTG system. (c) Nearly constant speed constant
frequency system.
Why a tall tower is essential for mounting a horizontal axis
2 K1 C403.2
wind turbine?
With a neat diagram, explain how wind energy can be
3 K2 C403.2
converted into electrical energy.
Explain the principle and application of wind electric system.
4 State the basic Components and their working in wind K2 C403.2
electric system.
Explain with a neat diagram the working of various types of
5 K2 C403.2
wind generators.
Explain briefly about the horizontal wind mills with neat
6 K2 C403.2
sketch?
Explain briefly about the vertical wind mills with neat
7 K2 C403.2
sketch?
Explain the terms i. Yaw control ii. Pitch control iii.
8 K2 C403.2
Teethering control
Write short notes on (a) Application of wind energy (b)
9 k1 C403.2
Savonius rotor (c) Darrieus rotor (d) Wind energy storage.
What are the most favorable sites for installing of wind
10 k1 C403.2
turbines?
Describe the construction of a three-bladed horizontal shaft
11 k2 C403.2
wind turbine generator unit.
Compare the Darrieus rotor wind turbine with a three-bladed
12 horizontal shaft wind turbine with regard to advantages and k2 C403.2
disadvantages, practical size, etc.
Describe the operation of wind electrical generation schemes
13 involving (a) induction generator, (b) synchronous generator, k2 C403.2
and (c) double output induction generator.

9
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level

14 Develop an expression for energy available in the wind. k3 C403.2

Sketch the diagram of a HAWT and explain the functions of

15 K2 C403.2
its main components.
Explain various designs of blades of VAWTs and their relative
16 K2 C403.2
features.
Explain briefly about grid integration issues in wind power
17 K2 C403.2
plants.

10
 Question Bank UNIT - 3
PART-A
K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Define Solar Irradiation
Solar radiation that reaches earth surface after passing
through the earth‟s atmosphere is known as Terrestrial
1 K1 C403.3
Radiation. The terrestrial radiation expressed as energy per
unit time per unit area (i.e. W/m2) is known as Solar
Irradiation.
Define Solar Insolation.
The term Solar Insolation (incident solar radiation) is defined
2 K1 C403.3
as solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in
a given time (in J/m2 or kWh/m2)
Write the Expression for Solar Constant.
3 K1 C403.3
Iext=[1+0.033cos(360n/365)] W/m2
Define Latitude.
The latitude of a location on earth‟s surface is the angle
made by radial line, joining the given location to the centre
4 K1 C403.3
of the earth, with its projection on the equator plane. The
latitude is positive for northern hemisphere and negative for
southern hemisphere.
Define declination.
5 It is defined as the angular displacement of the sun from K1 C403.3
the plane of earth‟s equator.
Define Zenith Angle,
6 It is the angle between sun‟s ray and perpendicular (normal) K1 C403.3
to the horizontal plane
Define solar Azimuth Angle.
It is the angle on a horizontal plane, between the line due
7 south and the projection of sun‟s ray on the horizontal K1 C403.3
plane. It is taken as +ve when measured from south
towards west.
Name some of the Instruments used for solar rotation
8 measurements. K1 C403.3
Pyranometer, Pyrheliometer and Sunshine recorder

11
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
What is heliostats
Heliostats are reflecting surfaces provided with a two-axis
9 K1 C403.3
tracking system which ensures that the incident sunlight is
reflected towards a certain target point throughout the day.
List the components of Heliostats.
The reflector surface (e.g. mirrors, mirror facets, other
10 sunlight-reflecting surfaces) K1 C403.3
A sun-tracking system provided with drive motors
foundations and control electronics.
List the types of receiver used in solar tower plant.
11 Water/steam receiver, Salt receiver, Open volumetric air K1 C403.3
receiver and Closed (pressurized) air receivers
What is solar pond?
A solar pond is a solar energy collector, generally fairly large
in size, that looks like a pond. This type of solar energy
collector uses a large, salty lake as a kind of a flat plate
12 K1 C403.3
collector that absorbs and stores energy from the Sun in the
warm, lower layers of the pond. These ponds can be natural
or man-made, but generally speaking the solar ponds that
are in operation today are artificial.
List the components of solar pond.
Pond collector
13 K1 C403.3
Heat Exchangers
Thermal Engine
Disadvantages of Solar Pond.
Relatively low temperatures achieved in these ponds.
Solar-to-electricity conversion is fairly inefficient - generally
less than 2%.
14 K1 C403.3
As well, large amounts of fresh water are necessary to
maintain the right salt concentrations all through the
pond. This is an issue in places where fresh water is hard
to come by, especially in desert environments.

12
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Mention the Types of solar cells.
(1) single crystal silicon solar cell,
(2) polycrystalline and amorphous silicon cell,
15 K1 C403.3
(3) cadmium sulphide-cadmium telluride cell,
(4) copper indium diselenide cell
(5) gallium arsenide cell.
Define the efficiency of solar cell
Energy conversion efficiency is defined as the ratio of
power output of cell (in watts) at its maximum power
point (PMAX) and the product of input light power (E, in
16 K1 C403.3
W/m2) and the surface area of the solar cell (S in m2)
under standard conditions
η= maximum output power/(irradiance × area) =
PMAX/(E × S)
Define Fill Factor.
It is a measure of squareness of the I–V characteristics of
the solar cell and is defined as
17 K1 C403.3
FF = Maximum output power/(open-circuit voltage × short-
circuit current)

List some of the applications of Solar system.

18 Power Generation, Water Pumping, Solar Vehicles, Solar K1 C403.3
aircraft and Rural electrification.

13
 Question Bank
PART-B
K
[Link] Question CO
Level
What are the main problems associated with use of salt
1 k2 C403.3
hydrate as phase change storage media?
What are the basic features required in an ideal
2 K1 C403.3
pyranometer?

3 Describe thermal energy storage system of solar energy. K2 C403.3

Define solar irradiance, solar constant, extraterrestrial and

4 terrestrial radiations. What is the standard value of solar K1 C403.3
constant?
Explain the depletion process of solar radiation as it passes
5 K2 C403.3
through the atmosphere to reach at the surface of the earth.
Define the terms: altitude angle, incident angle, zenith
6 angle, solar azimuth angle, latitude angle, declination angle, K1 C403.3
and hour angle.
Explain the construction and principle of operation of a
7 K2 C403.3
sunshine recorder

8 Describe the working of solar thermal power plant. K2 C403.3

Describe the working of central receiver or tower power

9 k2 C403.3
plant.

10 Explain the principle of working of solar pond. k2 C403.3

With the help of schematic diagram, explain the working of

11 k2 C403.3
solar pond electric power plant

12 Write short notes on V-I characteristics on PV cell. k2 C403.3

13 Explain the types of PV Cell. k2 C403.3

14 Discuss the types of PV system. k2 C403.3

14
 Question Bank UNIT - 4
PART-A
K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
List the different fuel sources for biomass plant.
1 Forests, Agricultural Residues, Energy Crops, Aquatic K1 C403.4
Plants and Urban Waste
Give the classifications of biomass energy
2 K1 C403.4
Direct and Indirect Methods
What is geothermal Energy?
Geothermal energy refers to heat energy stored under the
3 ground for millions of years through the earth formation. It K1 C403.4
utilizes a rich storage of unutilized thermal energy that
exists under the earth’s crust.
Give the advantages of geothermal energy.
No fuel is burnt since heat is derived from an abundant
underground reservoir.
4 K1 C403.4
It has no emission
Unlink other renewable energy, it is not affected by
weather
Give the disadvantages of geothermal energy.
The only disadvantage of geothermal energy is the release
5 K1 C403.4
of hydrogen sulfide identified by the signature rotten egg
smell.
Give the classifications of geothermal energy.
6 Vapour-dominated (dry steam) geothermal systems K1 C403.4
Liquid-dominated (hot waters) geothermal systems
Give the types of geothermal conversion technology used
electricity generation
7 K1 C403.4
Dry steam plants, Flashed Steam Plants, Binary power
plants and Hybrid power plants
List the applications of geothermal energy.
8 Aquaculture and horticulture, Industry and agriculture, K1 C403.4
Food processing and providing heat for residential use.

15
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Discuss the advantages of hydropower.
Hydroelectric energy is non-polluting—no heat or noxious
gases are released.
Hydroelectric energy has low operating and maintenance
9 costs, it is essentially inflation proof. K1 C403.4
Hydroelectric energy is a continuously renewable energy
source.
It is a much more concentrated energy resource than
either wind or solar power.
Mention classifications of hydropower
Based on Capacity: micro (less than 100 kWe), mini (100
kWe-1 MWe) and small (1 MWe-25 MWe).
10 K1 C403.4
The small/mini/micro schemes are further classified based
mode of operation: (i) Storage and (ii) run-of the-river
schemes.
Discuss the advantages of run of the river schemes.
(i) The scheme can be built locally at low cost, and its
simplicity gives rise to better long-term reliability,
(ii) The environmental damage is negligible, as river flow
11 K1 C403.4
pattern downstream of the plant is not affected,
(iii) Also there is no flooding upstream of the plant,
(iv)The scheme does not displace large number of
people as large projects with big dams sometimes do.
List the disadvantages of hydropower.
The rotation of turbines can kill fishes, especially young
fishes swimming downstream.
Spilling of water over spillways can result in super
saturation of water with gases from the air. The gas
bubbles, absorbed into fish tissue, may cause damage and
12 K1 C403.4
ultimately kill the fish.
Most hydroelectric facilities require construction of dam.
Dams present a migratory barrier that can affect the free
movement of fish species and their reproduction cycle.
However, the effects upon stream ecology are minor
compared to those caused by large hydroelectric facilities.

16
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Mention the two main classification of turbines.
13 K1 C403.4
Impulse and Reaction
List the types of Impulse turbine.
14 K1 C403.4
Pelton, Turbo and Crossflow.

List the types of Reaction turbine.

15 K1 C403.4
Francis turbine and propeller turbine (with Kaplan variant)

17
 Question Bank
PART-B
K
[Link] Question CO
Level

1 Write short notes on Biomass Resources. k2 C403.4

2 Explain the Biomass Energy Conversion process. K1 C403.4

3 Write short notes on cogeneration in Biomass. K2 C403.4

4 What do you understand by geothermal energy? K1 C403.4

5 What are the merits and demerits of geothermal energy? K1 C403.4

6 Explain various types of geothermal resources. K1 C403.4

Describe various energy extraction technologies used with

7 K2 C403.4
hydrothermal resources.

8 What are the environmental impacts of geothermal energy? K2 C403.4

9 What are the principles on which turbines work? k2 C403.4

What are the various components of a small hydropower

10 k2 C403.4
plant or a micro hydel scheme?
Explain various types of turbines considered for use in micro
11 k2 C403.4
hydro resources.

Compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of

12 k2 C403.4
Pelton and Turgo turbines.

18
 Question Bank UNIT - 5
PART-A
K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Define tides.
Tides are periodic rises and falls of large bodies of water.
1 Gravity is one major force that creates tides. Ocean tides result K1 C403.5
from the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon on the
oceans of the earth.
What is tidal energy?
During the rising period of tides, water is stored in a water
reservoir constructed behind dams on shore. The potential
energy of stored water body is used to generate electrical
2 K1 C403.5
energy similar to that in a conventional hydropower plant. For
the tidal energy method to work effectively, the tidal difference
(difference in the height of the high and low tides) should be at
least 4m.
Tell about Spring tides.
Spring tides are especially strong tides that occur when the
3 earth, the sun, and the moon are in a line. The gravitational K1 C403.5
forces of the moon and the sun both contribute to the tides.
Spring tides occur during the full moon and the new moon.
Tell about neap tides.
Neap tides are especially weak tides. They occur when the
4 gravitational forces of the moon and the sun are perpendicular K1 C403.5
to one another with respect to the earth. Neap tides occur
during quarter moons.
Give the classification of tidal power basin.
5 K1 C403.5
Single basin system, and Two basin systems
Give the classification of single basin system
6 K1 C403.5
One way single basin system, Two way single basin
Write any two advantages of Tidal energy system.
It is an inexhaustible source of energy.
7 K1 C403.5
It is an environment friendly energy and does not produce
greenhouse effects.

19
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level
Write any two disadvantages of Tidal energy system.
Capital investment for construction of tidal power plant is
high.
Only a very few ideal locations for construction of plant are
8 available and they too are localized to coastal regions. K1 C403.5
Unpredictable intensity of sea waves can cause damage to
power generating units.
Aquatic life is influenced adversely and can disrupt the
migration of fish.
Mention the devices that are used for wave energy
generation.
9 K1 C403.5
Terminator devices, Attenuator devices, point absorber and
overtopping devices.
List the advantages of wave energy.
Sea waves have high energy densities and provide a
consistent stream of electricity generation capacity.
10 K1 C403.5
Wave energy is clean source of renewable energy with
limited negative environmental impacts.
It has no greenhouse gas emissions or water pollutants.
List the disadvantages of wave energy.
High construction costs.
11 Marine life is disrupted and displaced. K1 C403.5
Damage to the devices from strong storms and corrosion
create problems.
What is Ocean thermal energy?
The temperature difference between warm ocean surface
water and deep sea cold water is used to generate
12 K1 C403.5
electricity. This is similar to geothermal power generation
where heat trapped in the earth surface is converted into
electrical energy.

Give the types of OTEC power plant.

13 K1 C403.5
Land based and floating power plant.

Name the components of Rankine cycle.

14 Evaporator, turbine expander, condenser, pump and K1 C403.5
working fluid.

20
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level

Mention the properties for working fluid in OTEC power

plant.
15 Chemical stability and compatibility, Heat transfer K1 C403.5
coefficient, Flash point, Specific heat, Latent heat, Safety,
environmental acceptability, Cost and availability.
List the advantages of OTEC.
Ocean thermal energy is a renewable, clean natural
16 resource available in abundance. K1 C403.5
It is pollution-free and has no greenhouse effects.
It is a good source of freshwater and portable water.

List the disadvantages of OTEC.

17 High cost, Complexity, Acceptability, Ecosystem damage K1 C403.5
and Lower efficiency.
What is fuel cell?
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy
18 from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with K1 C403.5
oxygen or another oxidizing agent. A fuel cell consists of two
electrodes, namely an anode and a cathode.
What are the types of fuel cell?
Alkali Fuel Cells, Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells, Phosphoric
19 K1 C403.5
Acid Fuel Cells Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

What are the sources of overvoltage in a fuel cell?

20 Mixed potential electrodes, Activation losses, Ohmic losses K1 C403.5
and Mass transport losses

What is Mixed potential electrodes ?

Unavoidable parasitic reactions, such as the crossover of fuel
21 through the electrolyte from anode to cathode or vice versa, K1 C403.5
that tend to lower the equilibrium electrode potential are the
primary cause of mixed potential at electrodes.

21
 K
[Link] Question & Answers CO
Level

What is Activation Losses?

Kinetics at the electrodes (such as sluggish oxygen reduction
kinetics at the cathodes of polymer electrolyte and
22 phosphoric acid fuel cells or sluggish methanol oxidation K1 C403.5
kinetics at the anode of a direct methanol fuel cell) are the
main cause of activation losses and they are more
pronounced at low current densities.
What is Ohmic Losses?
The resistance losses in the electrodes and electrolytes are
23 K1 C403.5
the main causes of ohmic losses. Intermediate current
densities largely increase losses.
What is Mass Transport Losses?
Mass transportation losses are highly pronounced at high
24 current densities. They occur either by reacting diffusion in K1 C403.5
the electrode layers or by non-reacting diffusion in the gas
diffusion layer.
What are the advantages of fuel cell?
It is highly reliable, compact in size, light weight, long
operational operating life and has no moving parts.
This has the lowest pollution rate (almost pollution-free)
25 K1 C403.5
when compared to batteries and gasoline-powered devices.
Efficiency of fuel cells are higher (60%–85%) as compared
to battery, combustion engines, and other power-converting
equipment.

What are the disadvantages of fuel cell?

26 High cost, Less durability and bad infrastructure, Available K1 C403.5
sources of fuel for fuel cells

What are the applications of fuel cell?

Providing power for base stations or cell sites
Electric vehicles
Automobiles K1
27 C403.5
Airplanes, boats, submarine systems
Distributed generation
Tele communication
Hybrid Vehicles

22
 Question Bank
PART-B
K
[Link] Question CO
Level

1 Explain single basin system in tidal power plant. k2 C403.5

2 Explain two basin system in tidal power plant. K1 C403.5

3 Explain cooperating two basin system in tidal power plant. K2 C403.5

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tidal power

4 K1 C403.5
plant.

5 Discuss about the motion in sea waves. K1 C403.5

6 Determine power equation for Wave energy. K1 C403.5

Discuss about the energy harnessing devices in wave

7 K2 C403.5
energy.

8 Explain the principle of operation OTEC K2 C403.5

9 Explain the OTEC plants. k2 C403.5

10 Explain open and closed cycle OTEC plants. k2 C403.5

11 Write short notes hydrogen production and storage system. k2 C403.5

What is a fuel cell? Mention the basic principle of fuel cells

12 k2 C403.5
with the reference to H2–O2 fuel cells.
Explain the essential features of a hydrogen–oxygen cell.
13 Draw a suitable diagram of this cell and give the reactions k2 C403.5
took place at the electrodes.
Explain the principle and functioning of a typical fuel cell.
14 k2 C403.5
What are the various reactions tried in experimental cells?

23