ENERGY AUDIT T T AL-SHEMMERI P56

10 Renewable Energy Technology

10.1 A solar cell whose active surface is 100 mm by 100 mm is exposed to a
light intensity of 1000 walts per square metre.
(a) Calculate the power incident on the cell.
(b) When the cell is operating at 10% efficiency, what electrical power
is it supplying?
(c) If the cell maintains a voltage of 0.5 V, what current is it delivering?
Ans [1 OW, 1 W, 2 Amps]

SOLUTION:

a) Power = Incident power flux x Area

= 1000 x (0.100 x 0.100)

= 10W

b) if the panel is 10% efficient, then the actual power will be

Pactual = Pideal X efficiency

= 10xO.1
= 1W

c) Electrical Power = voltage x current

hence

current = Power / voltage

= 1 /0.5
= 2 Amps.
 ENERGY AUDIT T T AL-SHEMMERI P57
10.2 A site receives 600 walts per square meter of solar radiation in July.
Assume that the solar panels are 10% efficient and that the average sunny
day is 6 hours.
a. How many square meters would be required to generate 10 kWh of
electricity.
b. If a typical solar panel is 1.2 m2 , how many panels will be needed?
ANS( 27.8 m2 , 24 units)

Solution:

a) Energy output = incident energy x panel efficiency

Hence
Each square meter gives you 600 xO.1 = 60 W/m2

in 6 hours you would get

6 x 60 = 360 walt-hours per square meter

In order to get 10 kWh

Area needed = 1010.36 = 27.8 square meters of collecting area

b) The number of panels needed = 27.8 11.2 = 23.15 panels.,

say 24 panels.
ENERGY AUDIT T T AL-SHEMMERI P58
10.3 Calculate the power delivered by the wind, in walts per square metre, for
wind speed over a range from 1 to 20 metres per second. (Assume the
density of air at normal pressure to be 1.23 kg per cubic metre.)

Ans [1.6 kW/m2 at 20 m/s 1

SOLUTION:

The actual power output is calculated using

p = C p * 1/2 * p * A * V3 * 1"]gb * 1"]gen
Assume that
Cp=O.4
A = 1 m2
1"]gb =1
1"]gen =1

Hence P = 0.2 X V3

The power output (in W/m 2) for each speed is given in the table below

Wind Speed Turbine Output P = 0.2 V'

(m/sec) (W/m2)
1 0.2
2 1.6
4 12.8
6 43.2
8 102.4
10 200
12 345.6
14 548.8
16 819.2
18 1166.4
20 1600
ENERGY AUDIT T T AL-SHEMMERI P59

10.4 The rotor diameter of a two-bladed HAWT is 7.0 metres. At its rated wind
speed of 12.1 metres per second, the power output of the turbine is 15
I<W.
(a) Find the efficiency of the turbine at this wind speed. (The density of
air is 1.23 kg per cubic metre.)
(b) Calculate the tip-speed ratio, if the blades are rotating at 240 rpm.
Ans [0.357, 7.27]

SOLUTION:

a) The actual power output is given by:

P = Cp * 1/2 * p * A* V3 *1"]gb *1"]gen

A = (1t/4) X 0 2 = 38.4845 m 2
Assume that both gear box and generator are 100% efficient,
1"]gb =1

1"]gen = 1

Hence Cp = PI ( 112 * p* A * 1"]gb * 1"]gen X V3 )

3
= 15 I ( 0.5 x 1.23 x 38.4845 x 1 x 1 X 12.1 )
= 0.357

b) to calculate the Tip speed ration, first convert the rotor speed into meters per
second units.

Vr =2 1t r. N
=2 1t (7/2) x (240/60)
= 88 mls

Hence Tip Speed ratio = (Vr I V) = 881 12.1 = 7.27

ENERGY AUDIT T T AL-SHEMMERI P60
10.5 A two-bladed horizontal axis wind generator has a rotor diameter of 20
metres.
(a) Operating at a wind speed of 8.1 metres per second, the rotor
extracts 35% of the energy of the wind. If the efficiency of the generator
which it drives is 85%, find the electrical power output in kilowatts. (The
density of air is 1.23 kg per cubic metre.)
(b) The output power of a turbine is equal to the torque exerted by the
blades multiplied by the angular velocity (which is approximately 0.1 times
the rpm). If the above turbine is rotating at 60 rpm, what is the torque?
Ans [ 30.5 I<W, 4.8 kNm 1

SOLUTION:

a) The actual power output is given by:

P = C p * 1/2 * p * A* v3 *1"]gb *1"]gen

A = (1t/4) X 0 2 = 314.159 m2

The efficiency of the Turbine includes 1"]gb ,1"]gen and Cp = 0.35

Hence the output power is calculated:

P = 0.35*0.85 * 112 * 1.23 * 314.159* (8.1)3 = 30.5 kW

b) P = torque x angular speed

N = 60 rpm
Nx = 0.1 x N = 6 rpm

Hence Vr =2 1t r. N = 2 1t (20/2) x (6160)= 6.283 mls

And Torque = Power 1 speed = 30500 W 1 6.283 mls = 4.8 kNm.

ENERGY AUDIT T T AL-SHEMMERI P61

10.6 The Dinorwig pumped storage system in Wales can store 7.2 million cubic
metres of water at an average height of 500 metres above its lower
reservoir.
(a) Calculate the maximum energy stored.
(b) The water is pumped up overnight by six turbines operating as pumps,
each consuming 281 MW. If the energy conversion efficiency of the system
when pumping is 94%, estimate the time required to pump the full 7.2
million cubic metres of water.
(c) The maximum output of each of the six generators of the system is 306
MW. If this output is produced when the height difference between the
upper and lower reservoirs is 510 metres and the total flow rate to all six
turbines is 390 cubic metres a second, what is the overall energy
conversion efficiency?
(d) How many kilowatt-hours are 'lost' in a complete cycle of storage and
generation, if the above results represent the average efficiencies of
pumping and generating?
(e) The Dinorwig turbines rotate at 500 rpm. Calculate the specific speed
under the above generating conditions. What type of turbine would you
expect them to be?
Ans: (9.8x1 06 MWh, 5.5h, 94%, 0.589x1 06MWh, 112 mixed turbine)

SOLUTION:
a) PE = m g h = (1000x7.2 X106) x 9.81 x 500 = 35.316 X 10 12J
divide the above by 3.6x1 06 to get PE = 9.81 x 106 MWh
b) P = p Q g H 1"] hence
Q1 = P11 P g H 1"]
= (281 x 106) I ( 1000 x 9.81 x 500 x 0.94)
= 60.945 m3 Is
To empty the whole 7.2 m 3 between 6 such turbines it will take a time of
T = (7.2 x1 06)/( 6 x 60.945) = 19690 s = 5.5 hours.

c) P=pQgH1"] hence
1"] =P/pQgH
= (306x1 0 6) I [10 3 x (390/6) x 9.81 x 510]
= 0.94 or 94 %
ENERGY AUDIT T T AL-SHEMMERI P62

d) energy lost = 6% of (a)

= 0.06 x 9.8 x1 0 6
=0.589 x1 0 6 MWh

e)

Ns = N =N JP = 500,/281x1000 = 112
'H1.25 5001.25

The most suitable turbine is Mixed turbine.

Radial Francis l\Iixe ,I .:'. xial

N s fOl" yarious types (If tml'lnes mmllHllnps
I I I I I I
15 30 50 100 12 5 250 650
Q m3 is N revimill H m
ENERGY AUDIT T T AL-SHEMMERI P63

10.7
(a) Find the volume flow rate required to deliver a power of 2.25 MW with
each of the following effective heads: 50 m, 250 m and 1000 m.
(b) Assuming no energy losses, calculate the speed at which water emerges
from a jet after falling through each of the above heads.
(c) Use the results of (a) and (b) to find the jet diameter required to deliver the
2.25 MW from each head.
Ans[ a( 4.587,0.917,0.229 m3/s), b(31.3,70.0, 140 m/s), 0.432, 0.129, 0.046m)]

SOLUTION:

a) Power Output = Efficiency x Water input power

hence

Q = P = 2.25xlO' = 4.587 m 3 1s
IhxpxgxH lxlOOOx9.81x50

Repeat for other heads

At 250m Q = 0.917 m3 /s
At 1OOOm Q=0.229 m3/s

b) V = sqrt ( 2xg xh)

at 50m, V = 31.3 m/s
at 250m, V = 70 m/s
at 1000m, V = 140 m/s

c) Area = Q 1 V is used to calculate the jet diameter dj ( from Aj = (1t/4)x df

At 50 m, Aj = 4.587/31.3 = 0.1465 m2 , hence dj = 0.432m
At 250m, Aj = 0.917/70 = 0.0131 m2 , hence dj = 0.129m
At 250m, Aj = 0.229/140 = 0.00163 m2 , hence dj = 0.046m