DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ORO551-RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY

Prepared By:
VELMURUGAN C
 ME8072 RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY LT PC
3003
OBJECTIVES:
•At the end of the course, the students are expected to identify the new methodologies /technologies for
effective utilization of renewable energy sources.
UNIT I INTRODUCTION 9
World Energy Use – Reserves of Energy Resources – Environmental Aspects of Energy Utilisation– Renewable
Energy Scenario in Tamil nadu, India and around the World – Potentials -Achievements / Applications – Economics of
renewable energy systems..
UNIT II SOLAR ENERGY 9
Solar Radiation – Measurements of Solar Radiation - Flat Plate and Concentrating Collectors –Solar direct
Thermal Applications – Solar thermal Power Generation - Fundamentals of Solar PhotoVoltaic Conversion – Solar
Cells – Solar PV Power Generation – Solar PV Applications.
UNIT III WIND ENERGY 9
Wind Data and Energy Estimation – Types of Wind Energy Systems – Performance – Site Selection– Details of
Wind Turbine Generator – Safety and Environmental Aspects.
UNIT IV BIO - ENERGY 9
Biomass direct combustion – Biomass gasifiers – Biogas plants – Digesters – Ethanol production– Bio diesel –
Cogeneration - Biomass Applications.
UNIT V OTHER RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES 9
Tidal energy – Wave Energy – Open and Closed OTEC Cycles – Small Hydro-Geothermal Energy– Hydrogen
and Storage - Fuel Cell Systems – Hybrid Systems.
TOTAL : 45 PERIODS
TEXT BOOKS:
1. Rai. G.D., "Non Conventional Energy Sources", Khanna Publishers, New Delhi, 2011.
2. Twidell, J.W. & Weir, A., "Renewable Energy Sources", EFN Spon Ltd., UK, 2006.
REFERENCES
1. Chetan Singh Solanki, Solar Photovoltaics, "Fundamentals, Technologies and Applications", PHI Learning Private Limited, New
Delhi, 2015.
2. David M. Mousdale – "Introduction to Biofuels", CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, USA 2017
3. Freris. L.L., "Wind Energy Conversion Systems", Prentice Hall, UK, 1990.
4. Godfrey Boyle, "Renewable Energy, Power for a Sustainable Future", Oxford University Press, U.K., 2012.
 Introduction to renewable energy sources:
Energy from the sun travels to the earth in the form of electromagnetic radiation similar to
radio waves, but in a different frequency range. Available solar energy is of ten expressed as
energy per time per unit area, Joules per second per square meter, or watts per square metre
(W/m2).
The amount of energy available from the sun outside the Earth’s atmosphere is
approximately 1400 W/m2; that’s nearly the same as a high power hair drier for every square
meter of sunlight! Some of the solar energy is absorbed as it passes through the Earth’s
atmosphere.
As a result, on a clear day the amount of solar energy available at the Earth’s surface in the
direction of the sun depend of the angle of elevation and is typically only about 400 W/m2 in
Canada. At any particular time, the available solar energy is primarily dependent upon how high
the sun is in the sky and current cloud conditions. On a monthly or annual basis, the amount of
solar energy available also depends upon the location.
Furthermore, useable solar energy depends upon available solar energy, other weather conditions,
the technology used, and the application involved. There are a number of different sources of
renewable energy in use today. Here are some of the most common ones.
 Solar Energy
The U.S. solar industry has grown at an average annual rate of 68 percent over the last
decade in the form of rooftop solar panels for individual buildings, solar farms built by
utility companies and community solar projects, which produce solar for energy users in a
certain area through a collection of solar panels.
In Australia the solar industry is also increasing with a record breaking 3.5 million panels
installed last year. Queensland was the leader in solar panels that were installed. Solar
photovoltaic panels capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity, which
can power a small device such as a watch or sent into the grid to be distributed to
a utility’s customers
 Wind Energy
People have been using windmills to utilize the wind’s energy for a long time, but
today wind turbines are used to capture that energy and turn it into electricity. There are
approximately 53,000 wind turbines operating in the United States today.
Wind turbines consist of a large tower, which is often around 100 feet tall, and several
blades that use the power of the wind to spin. The blades are connected to a shaft that spins
a generator in order to create electricity. Like solar energy, power generated with wind can
either be used for a specific application such as pumping water or powering a farm, or
transferred into the electrical grid to meet other energy needs.
 Biomass Energy
Biomass is another common form of renewable energy. Biomass is any natural
substance such as wood, plant matter, gas from landfills and even municipal solid waste
that contains stored energy from the sun. When those substances are burned, they release
that energy, which can be used as heat or fuel. Biomass can also be made into a liquid or
gas that can be used as fuel.
Bioliquids, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are frequently used to power vehicles.
Around 40 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. today is used for biofuels.
Researchers are currently exploring new ways biomass can be used and additional
substances that could be used for biomass energy.
 Hydro Energy
Hydropower, energy generated with water, is one of the oldest and the most common
renewable energy resource in the U.S., making up 6.5 percent of utility-scale electricity
generation and 44 percent of generated renewable energy. When water flows, it produces
energy. We capture this energy by allowing moving water in rivers, waterfalls or
elsewhere to turn generators that produce electricity. Hydroelectric plants can also be
man-made, as is the case with dams. Man-made reservoirs hold water through the use of
dams. That water is then released to flow through a turbine and create electricity.