DEBRE TABOR UNIVERSITY

DEBRE TABOR UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER
ENGINEERING
Module Name: Energy Conversion and Rural
Electrification

Year IV; Semester I

Module Code: ECEg4242

Target Group: IV year

Prerequisite: Engineering Thermodynamics

Instructor: Veera Siva

Kumar.CH

Credits (ETCS): 5

Room:

Consultation Hours: 5 hrs (lec 2)

Module description
This Module includes the overview of thermodynamics, Thermal power plants,
overview of Hydropower plants, Nuclear power plants, Solar enegy, Biomass energy,
Wind energy, Geothermal energy, Ocean Wave energy and Rural electrification

Module objective
On successful completion of this Module the students will be able to

To introduce technologies of conventional and non-conventional power plants

To provide an overview of renewable energy resources and technologies.
To give an insight into planning and design of small scale and off-grid
electrical power systems.
To introduce techniques and methods of planning and designing rural
electrification

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCATION OF THERMODYNAMICS AND GENERATION

OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY
1. Introduction of Energy Conversation:
Energy Conversion is the Process by/in which one energy form is transformed into a different
form of energy.
Electrical energy transformed in to Heat and Light Energy

Input: Electrical Energy

Output: Heat +Light
1.2 Generation of Electrical Energy:
The conversion of energy available in different forms in nature into electrical energy is known as
generation of electrical energy
Energy is available in various forms from different natural sources such as pressure head of
water, chemical energy of fuels, nuclear energy of radioactive substances etc. All these forms of
energy can be converted into electrical energy by the use of suitable arrangements. The
arrangement essentially employs (see Fig. 1.1) an alternator coupled to a prime mover. The prime
mover is driven by the energy obtaimed from various sources such as burning of fuel, pressure of
water, force of wind etc. For example, chemical energy of a fuel (e.g., coal) can be used to
produce steam at high temperature and pressure. The steam is fed to a prime mover which may
be a steam engine or a steam turbine. The turbine converts heat energy of steam into mechanical
energy which is further converted into electrical energy by the alternator. Similarly, other forms
of energy can be converted into electrical energy by employing suitable machinery and
equipment.

Fig.1.1

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1.3 There are two types of energy sources:

Conventional (non-renewable) sources
Non-conventional (renewable) sources

1.3.1 Conventional energy sources:

The sources of energy which are exhaustible in nature are called conventional energy
sources.
The energy sources which once used cannot be recovered any more. They are depleting in
nature
The sources of energy which are used for the mass generation of power are called
conventional energy sources
Ex: Coal, Diesel, Gas, Nucular

1.3.2 Non-conventional sources or renewable energy sources:

These energy sources are available abundantly in nature and they can be reused again.
The energy sources which are non-exhaustible in nature are called Non-conventional
sources
Ex: Solar, Wind, Tidal, Bio mass, Geo- Thermal

1.4 Sources of Energy:

Since electrical energy is produced from energy available in various forms in nature, it is
desirable to look into the various sources of energy. These sources of energy are :

Coal-Thermal power plants

Water-Hydro power plants
Uranium-Nuclear Power plants
Sun-Solar Energy plants
renewable organic waste-Bio mass power plants
Wind-Wind power plant
Geo (Earth) + thermal (heat) Geo termal power plants
Waves-Ocean & wave power plants

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1.5 First Law of thermodynamics:

The first law of thermodynamics is a version of the law of conservation of energy, adapted
for thermodynamic systems. The law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of
an isolated system is constant; energy can be transformed from one form to another, but cannot
be created or destroyed.

1.6 Second law of thermodynamics:

The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system always
increases over time, or remains constant in ideal cases where the system is in a steady state or
undergoing a reversible process. The increase in entropy accounts for the irreversibility of natural
processes, and the asymmetry between future and past.

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CHAPTER TWO: THERMAL POWER PLANTS

2.1 Steam Power Station (Thermal Station):

A generating station which converts heat energy of coal combustion into electrical energy is
known as a steam power station

A steam power station basically works on the Rankine cycle. Steam is produced in the boiler by
utilising the heat of coal combustion. The steam is then expanded in the prime mover (i.e., steam
turbine). The steam turbine drives the alternator which converts mechanical energy of the turbine
into electrical energy. This type of power station is suitable where coal and water are available in
a large amount.
2.2 Choice of Site for Steam Power Stations:
In order to achieve overall economy, the following points should be considered while selecting a
site for a steam power station :
(i) Supply of fuel. The steam power station should be located near the coal mines so that
transportation cost of fuel is minimum. However, if such a plant is to be installed at a place
(ii) Availability of water. As huge amount of water is required for the condenser, therefore, such a
plant should be located at the bank of a river or near a canal to ensure the continuous supply of
water.
(iii) Transportation facilities. A modern steam power station often requires the transportation of
material and machinery. Therefore, adequate transportation facilities must exist i.e., the plant
should be well connected to other parts of the country by rail, road. etc.
(iv) Cost and type of land. The steam power station should be located at a place where land is
cheap and further extension, if necessary, is possible. Moreover, the bearing capacity of the
ground should be adequate so that heavy equipment could be installed.
(v) Nearness to load centres. In order to reduce the transmission cost, the plant should be located
near the centre of the load. This is particularly important if d.c. supply system is adopted.
However, if a.c. supply system is adopted, this factor becomes relatively less important. It is
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because a.c. power can be transmitted at high voltages with consequent reduced transmission
cost. Therefore, it is possible to install the plant away from the load centres, provided other
conditions are favourable.
(vi) Distance from populated area. As huge amount of coal is burnt in a steam power station
therefore, smoke and fumes pollute the surrounding area. This necessitates that the plant should
be located at a considerable distance from the populated areas
2.3 Schematic Arrangement of Steam Power Station:
Although steam power station simply involves the conversion of heat of coal combustion into
electrical energy, yet it embraces many arrangements for proper working and efficiency. The
schematic arrangement of a modern steam power station is shown in Fig. The whole arrangement
can be divided into the following stages for the sake of simplicity:
1. Coal and ash handling arrangement
2. Steam generating plant
3. Steam turbine
4. Alternator
5. Feed water
6. Cooling arrangement

1. Coal and ash handling arrangement:

The coal is transported to the power station by road or rail and is stored in the coal storage plant.
From the coal storage plant, coal is delivered to the coal handling plant where it is pulverised
(i.e., crushed into small pieces). The pulverized coal is fed to the boiler by belt conveyors. The
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coal is burnt in the boiler and the ash produced after the complete combustion of coal, and ash is
removed by the ash handling plant and then delivered to the ash storage plant for disposal.
2. Steam generating plant:
The steam generating plant consists of
(i) Boiler. The heat of combustion of coal in the boiler is utilized to convert water into steam at
high temperature and pressure. The flue gases from the boiler make their journey through
superheater, economiser, air pre-heater and are finally exhausted to atmosphere through the
chimney.
(ii) Superheater. The steam produced in the boiler is wet and is passed through a superheater
where it is dried and superheated (i.e., steam temperature increased above that of boiling point of
water) by the flue gases on their way to chimney
.(iii) Economiser. An economiser is essentially a feed water heater and derives heat from the flue
gases for this purpose. The feed water is fed to the economiser before supplying to the boiler.
The economiser extracts a part of heat of flue gases to increase the feed water temperature.
(iv) Air preheater. An air preheater increases the temperature of the air supplied for coal burning
by deriving heat from flue gases. Air is drawn from the atmosphere by a forced draught fan and
is passed through air preheater before supplying to the boiler furnace. The air preheater extracts
heat from flue gases and increases the temperature of air used for coal combustion.
3. Steam turbine:. The heat energy of steam when passing over the blades of turbine is
converted into mechanical energy. After giving heat energy to the turbine, the steam is exhausted
to the condenser which condenses the exhausted steam by means of cold water circulation.
4. Alternator. The alternator converts mechanical energy of turbine into electrical energy. The
electrical output from the alternator is delivered to the bus bars through transformer, circuit
breakers and isolators.
5. Feed water. The condensate from the condenser is used as feed water to the boiler. Some
water may be lost in the cycle which is suitably made up from external source. The feed water on
its way to the boiler is heated by water heaters and economizer. This helps in raising the overall
efficiency of the plant.
6. Cooling arrangement. In order to improve the efficiency of the plant, the steam exhausted
from the turbine is condensed* by means of a condenser. Water is drawn from a natural source of
supply such as a river, canal or lake and is circulated through the condenser. The circulating
water takes up the heat of the exhausted steam and itself becomes hot. This hot water coming out
from the condenser is discharged at a suitable location down the river. In case the availability of
water from the source of supply is not assured throughout the year, cooling towers are used.
During the scarcity of water in the river, hot water from the condenser is passed on to the cooling
towers where it is cooled. The cold water from the cooling tower is reused in the condenser
2.4 Steam turbines:

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Steam turbines are generally classified into two types according to the action of steam on moving
blades viz.
(i) Impulse turbines (ii) Reactions turbines
In an impulse turbine, the steam expands completely in the stationary nozzles (or fixed
blades), the pressure over the moving blades remaining constant. In doing so, the steam attains a
high velocity and impinges against the moving blades. This results in the impulsive force on the
moving blades which sets the rotor rotating.
In a reaction turbine, the steam is partially expanded in the stationary nozzles, the
remaining expansion takes place during its flow over the moving blades. The result is that the
momentum of the steam causes a reaction force on the moving blades which sets the rotor in
motion
2.5 Advantages
(i) The fuel (i.e., coal) used is quite cheap.
(ii) Less initial cost as compared to other generating stations.
(iii) It can be installed at any place irrespective of the existence of coal. The coal can be
transported to the site of the plant by rail or road.
(iv) It requires less space as compared to the hydroelectric power station.
(v) The cost of generation is lesser than that of the diesel power station.
2.6 Disadvantages
(i) It pollutes the atmosphere due to the production of large amount of smoke and fumes.
(ii) It is costlier in running cost as compared to hydroelectric plant
Problems:

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CHAPTER THREE:

HYDRO POWER PLANT

3.1Hydro-electric Power Station

A generating station which utilises the potential energy of water at a high level for the
generation of electrical energy is known as a hydro-electric power station.
3.2 Schematic Arrangement of Hydro-electric Power Station:

The constituents of a hydro-electric plant are

(1) hydraulic structures
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(2) water turbines and

(3) electrical equipment. We shall discuss these items in turn
1. Hydraulic structures:
Hydraulic structures in a hydro-electric power station include dam, spillways, headworks, surge
tank, penstock and accessory works.
(i) Dam. A dam is a barrier which stores water and creates water head. Dams are built of concrete
or stone masonary, earth or rock fill. The type and arrangement depends upon the topography of
the site
(ii) Spillways. There are times when the river flow exceeds the storage capacity of the
reservoir.Such a situation arises during heavy rainfall in the catchment area. In order to discharge
the surplus water from the storage reservoir into the river on the down-stream side of the dam,
spillways are used.
(iii) Headworks. The headworks consists of the diversion structures at the head of an intake.
They generally include booms and racks for diverting floating debris, sluices for by-passing
debris and sediments and valves for controlling the flow of water to the turbine
(iv) Surge tank: A surge tank is a small reservoir or tank (open at the top) in which water level
rises or falls to reduce the pressure swings in the conduit.
(v) Penstocks. Penstocks are open or closed conduits which carry water to the turbines. They are
generally made of reinforced concrete or steel.
2. Water turbines. Water turbines are used to convert the energy of falling water into
mechanical energy. The principal types of water turbines are :
(i) Impulse turbines (ii) Reaction turbines
(i) Impulse turbines. Such turbines are used for high heads. In an impulse turbine, the entire
pressure of water is converted into kinetic energy in a nozzle and the velocity of the jet drives the
wheel.
(ii) Reaction turbines. Reaction turbines are used for low and medium heads. In a reaction
turbine, water enters the runner partly with pressure energy and partly with velocity head. The
important types of reaction turbines are :
(a) Francis turbines (b) Kaplan turbines
A Francis turbine is used for low to medium heads. It consists of an outer ring of stationary guide
blades fixed to the turbine casing and an inner ring of rotating blades forming the runner.
A Kaplan turbine is used for low heads and large quantities of water. It is similar to Francis
turbine
except that the runner of Kaplan turbine receives water axially.

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3.3 Choice of Site for Hydro-electric Power Stations:

The following points should be taken into account while selecting the site for a hydro-electric
power station:
(i) Availability of water. Since the primary requirement of a hydro-electric power station is the
availability of huge quantity of water, such plants should be built at a place (e.g., river, canal)
where adequate water is available at a good head.
(ii) Storage of water. There are wide variations in water supply from a river or canal during the
year. This makes it necessary to store water by constructing a dam in order to ensure the
generation of power throughout the year.
(iii) Cost and type of land. The land for the construction of the plant should be available at a
reasonable price. Further, the bearing capacity of the ground should be adequate to withstand the
weight of heavy equipment to be installed.
(iv) Transportation facilities. The site selected for a hydro-electric plant should be accessible by
rail and road so that necessary equipment and machinery could be easily transported.
3.4 Advantages:
(i) It requires no fuel as water is used for the generation of electrical energy.
(ii) It is quite neat and clean as no smoke or ash is produced.
(iii) It requires very small running charges because water is the source of energy which is
available free of cost.
(iv) It is comparatively simple in construction and requires less maintenance.
(v) It does not require a long starting time like a steam power station. In fact, such plants can be
put into service instantly.
(vi) It is robust and has a longer life.
(vii) Such plants serve many purposes. In addition to the generation of electrical energy, they also
help in irrigation and controlling floods.
(viii) Although such plants require the attention of highly skilled persons at the time of
construction, yet for operation, a few experienced persons may do the job well
3.4 Disadvantages:
(i) It involves high capital cost due to construction of dam.
(ii) There is uncertainty about the availability of huge amount of water due to dependence on
weather conditions.
(iii) Skilled and experienced hands are required to build the plant.
(iv) It requires high cost of transmission lines as the plant is located in hilly areas which are quite
away from the consumers.

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Problems:

CHAPTER FOUR:

NUCLEAR POWER PALNT

4.1 Nuclear Power Station:

A generating station in which nuclear energy is converted into electrical energy is known as a
nuclear power station
In nuclear power station, heavy elements such as Uranium (U235) or Thorium (Th232) are
subjected to nuclear fission* in a special apparatus known as a reactor. The heat energy thus
released is utilised in raising steam at high temperature and pressure. The steam runs the steam
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turbine which converts steam energy into mechanical energy. The turbine drives the alternator
which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.
complete fission of 1 kg of Uranium (U235) can produce as much energy as can be produced by
the burning of 4,500 tons of high grade coal.
4.2 Schematic Arrangement of Nuclear Power Station:
The schematic arrangement of a nuclear power station. The whole arrangement can be divided
into the following main stages:
(i)
Nuclear reactor (ii) Heat exchanger (iii) Steam turbine (iv) Alternator.

(i) Nuclear reactor. It is an apparatus in which nuclear fuel (U235) is subjected to nuclear
fission. It controls the chain reaction* that starts once the fission is done. If the chain reaction is
not controlled, the result will be an explosion due to the fast increase in the energy released.

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(ii) Heat exchanger. The coolant gives up heat to the heat exchanger which is utilised in raising
the steam. After giving up heat, the coolant is again fed to the reactor
(iii) Steam turbine. The steam produced in the heat exchanger is led to the steam turbine
through a valve. After doing a useful work in the turbine, the steam is exhausted to condenser.
The condenser condenses the steam which is fed to the heat exchanger through feed water pump.
(iv) Alternator. The steam turbine drives the alternator which converts mechanical energy into
electrical energy. The output from the alternator is delivered to the bus-bars through transformer,
circuit breakers and isolators.
4.3 Fusion Reaction or Chain reaction:
Nuclear fission is done by bombarding Uranium nuclei with slow moving neutrons. This splits
the Uranium nuclei with the release of huge amount of energy and emission of neutrons (called
fission neutrons). These fission neutrons cause further fission. If this process continues, then in a
very short time huge amount of energy will be released which may cause explosion. This is
known as explosive chain reaction. But in a reactor, controlled chain reaction is allowed. This is
done by systematically removing the fission neutrons from the reactor. The greater the number of
fission neutrons removed, the lesser is the intensity (i.e., fission rate) of energy released

4.4 Advantages:
(i) The amount of fuel required is quite small. Therefore, there is a considerable saving in the
cost of fuel transportation.
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(ii) A nuclear power plant requires less space as compared to any other type of the same size.
(iii) It has low running charges as a small amount of fuel is used for producing bulk electrical
energy.
(iv) This type of plant is very economical for producing bulk electric power.
(v) It can be located near the load centres because it does not require large quantities of water and
need not be near coal mines. Therefore, the cost of primary distribution is reduced.
(vi) There are large deposits of nuclear fuels available all over the world. Therefore, such plants
can ensure continued supply of electrical energy for thousands of years.
4.5 Disadvantages
(i) The fuel used is expensive and is difficult to recover.
(ii) The capital cost on a nuclear plant is very high as compared to other types of plants.
(iii) The erection and commissioning of the plant requires greater technical know-how.
(iv) The fission by-products are generally radioactive and may cause a dangerous amount of
radioactive pollution

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CHAPTER FIVE:

SOLAR ENERGY

5.1 Photo voltaic cell (PV Cell or Solar cell):

Photovoltaic direct conversion of solar radiation in to electrical energy using solar cells
Semiconductor materials are used in manufacturing solar cells - silicon, Gallium arsenide,
Cadmium etc are used the most widely used is the crystalline solar cell

5.2 PV systems
.
PV systems can be grouped in to stand-alone systems and grid-connected systems.
In grid-connected systems the public electricity grid functions as an energy store.
Stand-alone PV systems are systems that are not connected to the public electricity
grid.
Batteries are usually used as storage for stand-alone systems.
PV-Systems
Stand-alone systems

Grid-connected systems
- grid is the storage
Grid-connected systems

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directly connected the

public grid

connected to the public grid

via house grid

5.2.1 DC stand alone system :

5.2.2 AC stand alone system :

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5.2.3 Hybrid System with storage and AC-coupling:

5.3 Losses and efficiency of solar cell:

Losses occur at solar cell due to

Recombination
Reflection and shading by the front contact
Large components of long and short wave length
100% irradiated solar energy

3% -reflection and shading

23% - low photon energy long wave length
32% - too high photon energy short wave length
8.5% - recombination
20% - barrier potential in cell

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 0.5% - ohm loss

13% utilization

5.4 Applications of Solar Energy:

Specially in developing countries where there is no access for electricity from public gridconnected systems, it has wide fields of applications. Such as
Electrification for rural health centers
Pumps for irregations
Solar watches, multimeters and calculators
Solar Home Hystem (SHS)
parking machines and telecommunication
Emergency call devices
Shipping, etc...

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CHAPTER SIX:

BIOMASS ENERGY

6.1 Biomass Energy:

Biomass is organic matter derived from living, or recently living organisms. Biomass can be
used as a source of energy and it most often refers to plants or plant-based materials that are not
used for food or feed, and are specifically called lignocelluloses biomass.As an energy source,
biomass can either be used directly via combustion to produce heat, or indirectly after converting
it to various forms of biofuel. Conversion of biomass to biofuel can be achieved by different
methods which are broadly classified into: thermal, chemical, and biochemical methods.

CHAPTER SEVEN: WIND ENERGY

7.1 Wind energy:

Wind energy is a form of solar energy.Wind energy (or wind power) describes the process by
which wind is used to generate electricity. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind
into mechanical power. A generator can convert mechanical power into electricity. Mechanical
power can also be utilized directly for specific tasks such as pumping water.
7.2 Wind Energy Basics:
Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, variations in the earth's
surface, and rotation of the earth. Mountains, bodies of water, and vegetation all influence wind
flow patterns[2], [3]. Wind turbines convert the energy in wind to electricity by rotating propellerlike blades around a rotor. The rotor turns the drive shaft, which turns an electric generator. Three
key factors affect the amount of energy a turbine can harness from the wind: wind speed, air
density, and swept area.
7.3 Equation for Wind Power:

7.4 Types of Generators used for Wind Turbines :

There are many different kinds of generators that could be used in a wind turbine, right now I am
going to just group them in three different types
Induction Generator:
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An induction generator is a type of electrical generator that is mechanically and electrically

similar to an induction motor. Induction generators produce electrical power when their shaft is
rotated faster than the synchronous frequency of the equivalent induction motor. Induction
generators are often used in wind turbines and some micro hydro installations. Induction
generators are mechanically and electrically simpler than other generator types.
Permanent Magnet Alternators:
Permanent magnets alternators (PMA) have one set of electromagnets and one set of permanent
magnets. Typically the permanent magnets will be mounted on the rotor with the electromagnets
on the stator. Permanent magnet motor and generator technology has advance greatly in the past
few years with the creation of rare earth magnets (neodymium, samarium-cobalt, and alnico).
Generally the coils will be wired in a standard three phase wye or delta.
Brushed DC Motor:
Brushed DC Motors are commonly used for home built wind turbines. They are backwards from
a permanent magnet generator. On a brushed motor, the electromagnets spin on the rotor with the
power coming out of what is known as a commutator. This does cause a rectifying effecting
outputting lumpy DC, but this is not an efficient way to rectify the power from the windings, it
is used because its the only way to get the power out of the rotor.

CHAPTER EIGHT: GEO THERMAL ENERGY

8.1 Geothermal Power Plants:

At a geothermal power plant, wells are drilled 1 or 2 miles deep into the Earth to
pump steam or hot water to the surface. You're most likely to find one of these
power plants in an area that has a lot of hot springs, geysers, or volcanic activity,
because these are places where the Earth is particularly hot just below the surface.

1. Hot water is pumped from deep underground through a well under high pressure.
2. When the water reaches the surface, the pressure is dropped, which causes the water to
turn into steam.
3. The steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces electricity.
4. The steam cools off in a cooling tower and condenses back to water.
5. The cooled water is pumped back into the Earth to begin the process again.
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8.2 Geothermal Energy Resource In Ethiopia:

Ethiopias energy sector is dominated by traditional biomass fuel (>90 %) such as firewood,
agricultural waste and animal dung. Modern energy demands are met mainly by hydro (2%) and
petroleum (6%) that contributes to about 8 % of the total energy supply. This situation has
created a constant pressure on the already depleted forestry resources of the country that cause
land degradation and loss of agricultural soil fertility.Geothermal is the energy stored
underground as hot water/steam. Its indigenous, renewable and environmentally benign nature
along with its multipurpose applications makes it one of the favored energy resources in modern
energy mix. Total geothermal resource potential in Ethiopia is found in the Great Rift Valley
and is estimated to be over 5000 MWe. Traditional utilization and practical application of
geothermal energy is a common phenomena in the Ethiopian Rift where fumaroles are used to
harvest water for drinking through condensation. Hot springs are a panacea for many diseases
and served as a free hospital for the rural poor in some localities.The Geothermal division in
Ethiopia was founded in 1968 under the Ministry of Mines and Energy in order to explore this
valuable energy resource. Currently, it is responsible to the Hydrogeology, Engineering
Geology and Geothermal Studies Department, which is one of the technical departments of the
Geological Survey of Ethiopia (GSE). The Geological Survey of Ethiopia owns a central
geological laboratory and two rigs with drilling capacity of 2500m, which have been contributing
highly to the exploration activities of geothermal energy.

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