Renewable Energies

Hydro
Wind
Ocean
Geothermal
Definition
Source of energy is not plundered
Student suggestions ??
Renewable Energies (1)


World Energy Supply

Hubbert Peak

Applies to limited resource (oil)
Discoveries will increase to peak, then decline
Production will increase to a peak, then decline
Ultimately, the resource is exhausted
The consequence ?

Hydro
Power delivery
P ! " Q H
" # machine efficiency,
(engineering/design)
Q # volume flow rate
(river / nature)
H # head (nature &
design)

Components
Reservoir
Storage, sedimentation
Trash rack
Strainer, large debris
Penstock
Runner / turbine
Generator
Tailrace

How does it work
Pelton wheel
High velocity jet
Pure impulse turbine
Partially submerged
Francis turbine
Blades (vanes) create
lift
Reaction turbine
Fully submerged


Rainfall

High, reliable rainfall (high Q)
Brazil, Congo
High rainfall and mountainous (high Q and high H)
Scotland, New Zealand
and its consequences

Rivers with steady, high flow rate
Small dam or weir (large Q, small H, no storage required)
Unreliable rainfall
Large dam, huge storage (small Q, large H)
Typical South African scenario

Pumped Storage
Not renewable
Actually wasting
energy
Soften peaks
Installed generating
capacity requirement
reduced


Wind energy
Available power
P = (! AV) (!V
2
)
Betz limit
P
max
= (4/9)
2
P
Wind shear
Velocity increase with height
Smaller fluctuations at higher
elevations
Tall towers
Require wind speeds above
20 km/h to operate
Best performance at 50 km/h
Shut down in gale force winds

Wind turbine
Variable pitch vanes
Maximize performance at
different speeds
Gearbox
Speed-up to near grid
frequency (1 500 r.p.m.)
Power electronics
Match grid frequency (AC)
Small installations
DC with battery packs

World

Mature technology with installed capacity about
2 x ESKOM
Require back-up

South African picture

Economic exploitation limited to the coast
?

Ocean
Wave energy
Fairly immature
technology
Wide application
Tidal energy
Mature technology
Limited suitable
locations


Wave Power
Energy cascade
sun $ wind $ waves
Best resource between
40 60 latitude
Most capturing devices act
on piston pump principle
Operate in an aggressive
environment

Tidal Power
Predictable & reliable
Tidal barrage
Pumped storage
without pumping cost
Two power cycles
Ebb
Flood
Limited locations

Tidal Power
Tidal stream
Turbines extract
energy water as it
flows

Geothermal Power
Inject water into the
ground
Extract steam to power
a turbine
Volcanic activity
Iceland
New Zealand