CHAPTER -1 : SOURCES OF ENERGY

Subject :-THERMAL ENGINEERING-1

PREPARED BY :- Mr. A. K. Marandi

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
UGIE ROURKELA
 Characteristics of a good source of fuel :-
i) It should have a high energy output per unit
mass or volume.
ii) It should be easily available.
iii) It should be easy to store and transport.
iv) It should be economical.
Sources of energy :-
There are two main sources of energy. They are
conventional and non conventional sources of energy.
i) Conventional sources of energy :- are wood, flowing
water and fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas).
ii) Non conventional sources of energy :- are solar
energy, wind energy, biomass energy, ocean energy
(tidal energy, wave energy, ocean thermal energy),
geothermal energy, nuclear energy etc.
Some sources of energy are renewable like sun,
wind, flowing water, ocean, wood, biomass etc.
Some sources of energy are non renewable like
coal, petroleum and natural gas.
Conventional sources of energy :-
a) Fossil fuels :- are fuels formed inside the earth from the remains of
plants and animals after millions of years. The fossil fuels are coal,
petroleum and natural gas. Fossil fuels are non renewable sources
of energy so they should be conserved and used judiciously.
Disadvantages of fossil fuels :-
i) Burning of fossil fuels release gases and harmful particles which
causes air pollution.
ii) Burning of fossil fuels release acidic oxides of sulphur and nitrogen
which causes acid rain which is harmful for living organisms,
affects soil and water, causes damage to buildings, corrosion of
metals etc.
iii) Burning of fossil fuels release a large amount of carbon dioxide
gas which increases the temperature of the atmosphere and
causes global warming (green house effect).
b) Thermal power plants :-
In thermal power plants the heat energy produced by burning fossil fuels
like coal, petroleum or natural gas is used to heat water and change it
into steam which rotates the turbines of generators to produce
electricity.
c) Hydro power plants :-
In hydro power plants water from rivers are stored by constructing dams.
The water from the dam flows down through pipes and rotates the
turbines of generators to produce electricity.
Advantages :-
i) Flowing water is a renewable source of energy.
ii) The electricity produced does not cause pollution.
iii)The water stored in dams can also be used to control floods and for
irrigation.
Disadvantages :-
i) The initial cost is high.
ii) Large areas of land gets submerged and the decomposition of vegetation
produces methane gas which is a green house gas.
iii) It causes displacement of people from large areas of land.
d) Biomass energy :-
The waste materials and dead parts of living things are called
biomass. Eg:wood, animal dung, vegetable waste, agricultural
waste, sewage etc. Biomass is decomposed by anaerobic
microorganisms to produce biogas.
Biogas is a mixture of gases containing methane, carbon dioxide,
hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide.
Biogas plant :-
The biogas plant has a large underground tank made of bricks and
cement. The lower part is the digester and the upper part has a
dome with a gas outlet. On one side of the tank above the ground
is a mixing tank and on the other side is an overflow tank. Animal
dung is mixed with water in the mixing tank and the slurry is sent
into the digester. In the digester the slurry is decomposed by
anaerobic microorganisms and after a few days biogas is
produced. The gas is taken out through the gas outlet and used for
heating and lighting purposes. The slurry left behind is rich in
nitrogen and phosphorus and is used as manure for crops.
BIOGAS
• Input of the Feedstock
Organic waste like cow dung and biomass from sources
such as food scraps, sewage sludge, and agricultural
residues are collected.
Water is added to facilitate mixing before further
processing.
• Pretreatment in the Mixing Tank
The feedstock undergoes pre-treatment in the mixing
tank where it is cut into smaller pieces and mixed with
water to form a slurry.
Pollutants and non-biodegradable wastes are removed
to avoid interference with the digestion process.
• Anaerobic Digestion in the Inlet Tank
Anaerobic digestion occurs in the inlet tanks,
creating an oxygen-free environment ideal for
anaerobic microorganisms to break down organic
matter.
Microbes metabolize nutrients, releasing biogas
consisting of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).
• Gas Storage Tank and Storage
Biogas generated is stored in floating gas storage
tanks under pressure.
Gas undergoes compression, filtration, and
purification to meet standards before use.
• Outlet Tank
Spent slurry or undigested organic matter is collected
in the outlet tank.
It can be used as organic fertilizer for plants or other
purposes.
• Control and Monitoring
Keep check on temperature, pH, gas
composition, feedstock input, and other factors, essential
for smooth operation and high efficiency of the biogas
plant.
Various automation technologies enable real-time
optimization and monitoring of the plant, guaranteeing
peak performance and economical use of resources
• Uses of Biogas
Depending on the infrastructure of the plant and certain
requirements, the biogas can be put in use to a variety of purposes. Some
of the main uses of biogas are mentioned below:
• Renewable or Green Source of Electricity :
Biogas can be used as a fuel for gas turbines or other combined heat
and power (CHP) systems which can be later used to produce electricity
for on-site usage or grid export.
• A Source of Thermal Energy:
In industrial or residential context, the thermal energy can be
created using biogas combustion which can serve a purpose of heating.
• Production of Biofuel:
The raw biogas can be purified to produce more purified
biomethane, which can then be appropriate for injection into natural gas
pipelines or it can be used as a fuel for transportation.
• Cogeneration of Energy Systems:
To maximize energy efficiency, combined heat and power (CHP)
systems enable the simultaneous generation of heat and electricity.
BIOMASS
Biomass is the fuel developed from organic
matter waste of living organisms like plant waste,
animal waste, forest waste, and municipal wastes.
Q1 Define biomass as an energy source.
Biomass is defined as the fuel made from organic
matter or wastes of living organisms that can be used
as renewable sources of energy.
Q2 What are the five things that makeup biomass
fuel?
Scrap lumber, forest debris, certain crops,
manure and types of waste residues.
 A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical
energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into
electricity through a pair of redox reactions.
e) Wind energy :-
Wind energy is used in wind mills which converts the kinetic
energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy. The
kinetic energy of wind can be used to do mechanical work like
lifting water from wells or grinding grains in flour mills. It can also
be used to rotate the turbines of generators to produce electricity.
A single wind mill produces only a small amount of electricity. So a
large number of wind mills in a large area are coupled together to
produce more electricity in wind energy farms.
Advantages :-
i) It is a renewable source of energy.
ii) It does not cause pollution.
iii) The recurring cost is less.
Disadvantages :-
i) Wind is not available at all times.
ii) It requires a large area of land.
iii) A minimum wind speed of 15 km/h is required
Non conventional sources of energy :-
a) Solar energy :-
Solar energy is the energy obtained from the sun in the form of
heat and light. The heat energy is used in solar heating devices like
solar cooker, solar water heater, solar furnaces etc. The light
energy is used in solar cells.
i) Solar cooker :-
The box type solar cooker has an insulated box painted black
inside. It is covered by a glass plate which allows heat to enter
inside but does not allow heat to escape out. It has a mirror to
reflect more sunlight into the box. The food to be cooked is kept in
containers inside the box It can produce a temperature of 100° to
140°.
ii) Solar water heater :-
A solar water heater has an insulated box painted black inside
with a system of copper tubes. It is covered with a glass plate
which allows heat to enter inside but does not allow heat to
escape out. When water flows through the copper tube it absorbs
heat and becomes hot.
iii) Solar cells :-
Solar cell is a device which converts solar energy into electrical
energy. Solar cells are made from semi conductors like silicon,
germanium, gallium etc. A single solar cell produces a voltage of
about 0.5 to 1 V and produces about 0.7 W electricity. So several
solar cells are arranged in a solar panel to produce more
electricity.

Advantages :-
i) It uses renewable source of energy.
ii) It produces electricity which does not cause pollution.
iii) It can be used in remote areas where there is no power supply.

Disadvantages :-
i) It uses a special grade of silicon which is expensive.
ii)Since silver is used for connecting the cells together it is more
expensive.
iii)The current produced is DC and to convert it to AC increases the
cost.
 Solar water heaters (SWHs) are systems that use the
sun's energy to heat water, offering a sustainable and energy-
efficient alternative to conventional water heating methods.
 Solar water heating systems typically consist
of the following main components:
Solar Collectors: These panels absorb sunlight
and convert it into heat energy.
Insulated Storage Tank: This tank stores the
heated water, keeping it warm for an extended
period.
Circulation System: This system (either a
pump or natural convection based) moves water
or heat transfer fluid between the collectors and
the storage tank.
b) Energy from the sea :-
Energy from the sea is obtained in three different forms. They are Tidal
energy, Sea wave energy and Ocean thermal energy.
i) Tidal energy :-
The periodic rise and fall of sea level due to gravitational attraction of
the moon causes tides. A dam is constructed at a narrow opening
between the land and sea. The movement of water during high tide and
low tide can be used to rotate the turbines of generators to produce
electricity.
ii) Sea wave energy :-
When strong wind blows over the sea it produces huge waves. The
kinetic energy of the moving waves can be used to rotate the turbines of
generators to produce electricity.
iii) Ocean thermal energy :-
There is a temperature difference between the warm surface water and
the cold water at the bottom of the oceans. This difference is about 20°C.
The warm surface water is used to boil liquid ammonia and the vapour is
used to rotate the turbines of generators to produce electricity. The cold
water from the bottom is then pumped up to cool the vapour back to
liquid.
c) Geothermal energy:-
The deeper regions of the earth’s crust is very hot. This heat melts
rocks and forms magma. The magma moves up and collects below at some
places called Hot spots. The underground water in contact with hot spot
gets heated into steam at high pressure. By drilling holes into hot spots the
steam coming out can be used to rotate turbines of generators to produce
electricity.
d) Nuclear energy :-
• Nuclear energy is the energy is the energy released during nuclear reactions.
• During nuclear reactions some mass is converted into energy and so a very large amount of energy is produced during
nuclear reactions.
• Nuclear reactions are of two types. They are Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.

i) Nuclear fission :- is a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of a heavy atom like uranium, plutonium, etc. splits into smaller
nuclei with the release of a large amount of energy. It is used to make atom bombs and to produce electricity. In a nuclear
power plant the heat energy produced by a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction is used to produce steam which
rotates the turbines of generators to produce electricity.

ii) Nuclear fusion :- is a nuclear reaction in which small nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus with the release of a very
large amount of energy. The energy of sun is produced by the fusion of hydrogen nuclei to form helium nucleus. It is also
used to make the hydrogen bomb.

Advantages of nuclear energy :-

i) It produces a very large amount of energy per unit mass than any other source of energy.
ii) If safety measures are taken, it is more environment friendly than fossil fuels.

Disadvantages of nuclear energy :-

i) The cost of a nuclear reactor is very high.
ii) The availability of nuclear fuel is limited.
iii) Nuclear reactors produce harmful nuclear wastes which is difficult to dispose.
 CNG and LPG are both alternative fuels
derived from fossil fuels, but they differ in their
composition, production, and applications.
CNG, or Compressed Natural Gas, is primarily
methane and is stored under high pressure. LPG,
or Liquefied Petroleum Gas, is a mixture of
propane and butane and is stored as a liquid.
While both are used in vehicles and for
heating, CNG is often favored for its affordability
and lower emissions in transportation, while LPG
is widely used in kitchens and for other heating
purposes.