Module-1

EME
What Is Energy?
 The classical description of energy is the ability of a system to perform work, but as
energy exists in so many forms, it is hard to find one comprehensive definition.
 It is the property of an object that can be transferred from one object to another or
converted to different forms but cannot be created or destroyed.
 There are numerous sources of energy.
Sources of Energy
Sources of energy can be classified into:
 Renewable Sources
 Non-renewable Sources
 Non renewable energy sources are those that are consumed faster than they can be
replaced. Nonrenewable energy sources include nuclear energy as well as fossil
fuels such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas. These energy sources have a finite
supply, and often emit harmful pollutants into the environment.
 Renewable energy sources are those that are naturally replenished on a relatively
short timescale. Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydroelectric, and
geothermal energy. They also include biomass and hydrogen fuels. These energy
sources are sustainable and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions than fossil
fuels.
Solid fuel:
 Fuel is a substance that produces heat when it undergoes combustion.
 Solid fuel is known to be which fuel that is solid in nature.
 Examples are: Wood, Coal, coke, etc.
 We use Coal in factories or industries as fuel.
 Wood is used as a domestic fuel mainly for cooking purposes in every household.
Liquid fuel:
 Liquid fuels are substances that are liquid in nature.
 Examples are: Petrol, Kerosene, diesel, cooking oil, etc.
 Petrol or diesel are mostly being used as fuel in vehicles.
 Kerosene as liquid fuel is used in stoves for cooking purposes.
Gaseous fuel:
 Gaseous fuels are the fuels that exist as gaseous substances in
nature.
 Examples are LPG, CNG, etc.
 LPG is being used as fuel in cylinders in every household for
cooking purposes.
 We use CNG as a gaseous fuel in our vehicles for
transportation.
Calorific value
Calorific value is the amount of heat energy present in food or fuel and
which is determined by the complete combustion of specified quantity at
constant pressure and in normal conditions. It is also called calorific
power. The unit of CV is KJ/Kg
 Combustion
Combustion is a chemical process in which a substance reacts rapidly with oxygen and
gives off heat. The original substance is called the fuel, and the source of oxygen is called
oxidizer. The fuel can be a solid, liquid, or gas.
Products formed during combustion of fossil fuels.
 Carbon Dioxide.
 Carbon Monoxide.
 Sulphur Dioxide.
 Nitrogen Oxides.
 Lead.
 Particulate Matter.
 Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into
electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly
using concentrated solar
 Solarradiation, often called the solar resource or just sunlight,
is a general term for the electromagnetic radiation emitted by
the sun. Solar radiation can be captured and turned into useful
forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, using a variety of
technologies.
 The solar constant (GSC) measures the amount of energy
received by a given area one astronomical unit away from
the Sun.
Solar energy harvesting system uses solar radiation to melt
salt for energy. These systems use the thermal energy inside
molten salt to turn water into steam, which generates electrical
power by pushing steam-powered turbines.
 FLAT PLATE COLLECTOR
WORKING PRINCIPLE
In FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS Sunlight
passes through the medium and strikes the
absorber late, which heats up, changing solar
energy into heat energy. Thus, the heat
transferred to the fluid passing through pipes
attached to the absorber plate by means of
convective heat transfer- Absorber plates are
commonly painted with “selective coatings”
which absorb and retain heat better than
ordinary black paint.
Wind energy
 The wind turbine works on the principle of conversion of kinetic energy of wind to mechanical energy
used to rotate the blades of a fan connected to an electric generator.
 When the wind or air touches the blades (or) vanes of the windmill it the air pressure can be uneven,
higher on one side of the blade and lower on the other.
 Hence, uneven pressure causes the blades to spin around the center of the turbine.
 The turbine does not operate at wind speeds above 55 mph with the use of the controller.
 The rotor shaft of the turbine (ie., low speed and high speed) is interlinked with the gearbox which
converts the speed from 30 to 60 rpm into 1000 to 1800 rpm.
 As the gearbox consists of gears, to transmit mechanical energy. These speeds are most suitable to the
generator for the generation of electricity.
 When the rotor of the turbine rotates it drives a generator through a setup gearbox causing the
generator to produce electrical energy.
 Windmills are available in size from 100 KW to 36 MW mainly used off-shore Now the engineers are
designing 10 MW of the wind turbine.
HYDRO POWER
Hydropower is energy generated from water sources like the ocean,
waterfalls and rivers. Because water constantly moves through a global
cycle, it’s movement can be harnessed to generate electricity or to drive
machinery.
How does hydropower work?
Hydropower works by harnessing the energy that comes from the flow of
water through a turbine connected to a generator, thus turning it into
electricity. Most hydropower plants store water in a dam, which is
controlled by a gate or valve to measure the amount of water that flows
out.
There are four main types of hydropower facilities:
Impoundment – The most common type of hydropower facility is impoundment, which
makes use of a reservoir. The water is stored in the reservoir and when released, it’s
channelled through a turbine. The turbine spins, which then activates a generator that
produces electricity. The reservoir itself doesn’t need to be large, as is the case with
microhydro facilities.
Pumped storage – This method works in a similar way to impoundment, except two
reservoirs are used to harness the movement of the water. The reservoirs are situated at
different elevations and provide electricity ‘on demand’.
Run-of-the-river – This type of facility is used for smaller-scale power generation. As
water flows down a river, it turns a turbine in a similar way to a dam. The turbine is
connected to a generator and the electricity is then distributed. To be effective, this method
requires a river that has a constant stream of water.
Tidal power – This method uses the flow of water from the sea to generate energy. Because
tides have predictable movements, large amounts of energy can be generated from tidal
facilities twice a day.
Layout And
Working Of
Hydroelectric
Power Plant
The above image shows the typical layout of a hydroelectric power plant and its basic
components.

Dam and Reservoir: The dam is constructed on a large river in hilly areas to ensure
sufficient water storage at height. The dam forms a large reservoir behind it. The height of
water level (called as water head) in the reservoir determines how much of potential energy is
stored in it.

Control Gate: Water from the reservoir is allowed to flow through the penstock to the
turbine. The amount of water which is to be released in the penstock can be controlled by a
control gate. When the control gate is fully opened, maximum amount of water is released
through the penstock.

Penstock: A penstock is a huge steel pipe which carries water from the reservoir to the
turbine. Potential energy of the water is converted into kinetic energy as it flows down
through the penstock due to gravity.
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear
power can be obtained from nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
 Fission occurs when a neutron slams into a larger atom, forcing it to excite and split
into two smaller atoms—also known as fission products.Atom bomb is based on
nuclear fission process.
 In a fusion reaction, two light nuclei merge to form a single heavier nucleus. For the
nuclear fusion, a temperature of the order of 108 is required.. Hydrogen bomb is
based on nuclear fusion.
What is the principle of nuclear power plant
Nuclear fission inside the reactor pressure vessel generates heat, which
heats water until it evaporates, turning thermal energy into latent energy
in steam. This team which is under high pressure then drives the turbines,
which turn the generators connected to them generating electrical energy
BLOCK
DIAGRAM
OF
NUCLEAR
POWER
PLANT:
Nuclear Reactor:-
 Nuclear reactor is the main component of nuclear power plant and
nuclear fuel is subjected to nuclear fission.
 Nuclear fission is a process where a heavy nucleus is spitted into
two or more smaller nuclei. .
 A heavy isotope generally uranium-235(U-235) is used as a
nuclear fuel in the nuclear reactor because it has the ability to
control the chain reaction in the nuclear reactor.
Heat Exchanger:-
Coolant is used to raise the heat of the heat exchanger which is utilised in
raising the steam. After that, it goes back to the reactor.
Steam Turbine:-
Steam is coming from the heat exchanger to fed into the steam
turbine through the valve. After that the steam is exhausted to the
condenser. This condensed steam is fed to the heat exchanger through feed
water pump.

Alternator:-
Steam turbine is coupled to an alternator which converts mechanical
energy to electrical energy. The output of alternator produces electrical
energy to bus bars via major electrical apparatus like transformer, circuit
breakers, isolators etc.
What is Biofuel?
Biofuel is a type of renewable energy source derived from microbial, plant,
or animal materials.
Examples of biofuels include ethanol (often made from corn in the United
States and sugarcane in Brazil), biodiesel (sourced from vegetable oils and
liquid animal fats), green diesel (derived from algae and other plant
sources), and biogas (methane derived from animal manure and other
digested organic material).
Biofuels and petroleum have differences in terms of calorific value and
emissions:
Calorific Value:
1. Petroleum:Conventional petroleum fuels (such as gasoline and diesel)
generally have a higher calorific value compared to most biofuels. This
means they contain more energy per unit volume or weight.
2. Biofuels:
Biofuels like biodiesel and ethanol have lower calorific values
compared to petroleum. However, the exact calorific value can vary
depending on the specific type of biofuel and its production process.
Emissions:
 Petroleum: Burning petroleum-based fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2), a
greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. It also emits pollutants
such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter,
which can harm air quality and human health.
 Biofuels: Biofuels are often considered more environmentally friendly
because they can be carbon-neutral or have lower net greenhouse gas
emissions. This is because the carbon dioxide released when burning
biofuels is offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants used to
produce them during their growth. However, the environmental impact of
biofuels can vary depending on factors like land use and farming practices.