B.

POWER GENERATION

I.

Nuclear power:

1. Generation:
o o A nuclear power plant generates energy in the form of heating. The reactor uses Uranium rods as fuel, and the heat is generated by nuclear fission: neutrons smash into the nucleus of the uranium atoms, which split roughly in half and release energy in the form of heat. Carbon dioxide gas or water is pumped through the reactor to take the heat away, this then heats water to make steam.

2. The Advantages of Nuclear Energy

o Nuclear reactions release a million times more energy, as compared to hydro or wind energy. Hence, a large amount of electricity can be generated. Presently, 12-18% of the world's electricity is generated through nuclear energy.

The biggest advantage of nuclear energy is that there is no release of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbon) during nuclear reaction. The greenhouse gases are a major threat in the current scenario, as they cause global warming and climate change. As there is no emission of these gases during nuclear reaction, there is very little effect on the environment. Nuclear reactors make use of uranium as fuel. Fission reaction of a small amount of uranium generates large amount of energy. Currently, the high reserves of uranium found on Earth, are expected to last for another 100 years. High amount of energy can be generated from a single nuclear power plant. Also, nuclear fuel is inexpensive and easier to transport.

3. Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

o Nuclear energy can be used for production and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons make use of fission, fusion or combination of both reactions for destructive purposes. They are a major threat to the world as they can cause a large-scale devastation. Though large amount of energy can be produced from a nuclear power plant, it requires large capital cost. Around 15-20 years are required to develop a single plant. Hence, it is not very feasible to build a nuclear power plant. The nuclear reactors will work only as long as uranium is available. Its extinction can again result in a grave problem. The waste produced after fission reactions contains unstable elements and is highly radioactive. It is very dangerous to the environment as well as human health, and remains so, for thousands of years. It needs professional handling and should be kept isolated from the living environment

II.

Hydro power:

1. Generation:

A dam is built to trap water, usually in a valley where there is an existing lake. Water is allowed to flow through tunnels into the dam, to turn turbines and thus drive generators. Notice that the dam is much thicker at the bottom than at the top, because the pressure of the water increases with depth.

2. Advantages of hydro power:

o o Once a dam is constructed, electricity can be produced at a constant rate. If electricity is not needed, the sluice gates can be shut, stopping electricity generation. The water can be saved for use another time when electricity demand is high. The lake that forms behind the dam can be used for water sports and leisure / pleasure activities. Often large dams become tourist attractions in their own right. The lake's water can be used for irrigation purposes. When in use, electricity produced by dam systems do not produce green house gases. They do not pollute the atmosphere.

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3. Disadvantages of hydro power :

o o Dams are extremely expensive to build and must be built to a very high standard. The high cost of dam construction means that they must operate for many decades to become profitable. The flooding of large areas of land means that the natural environment is destroyed. Dams built blocking the progress of a river in one country usually means that the water supply from the same river in the following country is out of their control. This can lead to serious problems between neighbouring countries. Building a large dam alters the natural water table level. For example, the building of the Aswan Dam in Egypt has altered the level of the water table. This is slowly leading to damage of many of its ancient monuments as salts and destructive minerals are deposited in the stone work from rising damp caused by the changing water table level.

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III.

Solar power:
1. Generation:

In solar thermal power plants the incoming radiation is tracked by large mirror fields which concentrate the energy towards absorbers. They, in turn, receive the concentrated radiation and transfer it thermally to the working medium. The heated fluid operates as in conventional power stations directly (if steam or air is used as medium) or indirectly through a heat exchanging steam generator on the turbine unit which then drives the generator

2. Advantages of Solar Thermal Energy

No Fuel Cost - Solar Thermal Energy does not require any fuel like most other sources of renewable energy. Predictable,24/7 Power -Solar Thermal Energy can generate power 24 hours a day.This is made possible as solar thermal power plants store the energy in the form of molten salts etc No Pollution and Global Warming Effects Solar Thermal Energy does not cause pollution which is one of the biggest advantages . Using Existing Industrial Base - Solar Thermal Energy uses equipment like solar thermal mirrors and turbines which is made in large scale at low cost by the existing Industrial Base and requires no major changes in equipment and materials unlike new technologies such as CIGs Panels.

3. Disadvantages of Solar Thermal Energy o High Costs Solar Thermal Energy costs at least Euro 3.5/watt and has not declined too much in the last 3-4 years . Ecological and Cultural Issues The Usage of Massive Arrays of Mirrors is noted to heavily impact the Desert Wildlife endangering the endangered species.California has already seen a massive fight on this issue with Project Developers curtailing the size of their Plants and spending money to move the wildlife. Limited Locations and Size Limitations Solar Thermal Energy can only be built in places which have the high amount of solar radiation.They can be built in deserts mostly and require a large land area.This means its not possible to build them in populated areas.Solar Thermal Energy also can only be built in large sizes which are at least 50 MW in size to be economical.This contrasts to Solar PV which is sold in sizes as low as 5 Watts.

IV.

Thermal power :
1. Generation :

A thermal power station is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven. Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which drives an electrical generator. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is condensed in a condenser and recycled to where it was heated; this is known as a Rankine cycle. The greatest variation in the design of thermal power stations is due to the different fuel sources

2. Advantages of thermal power :

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The fuel used is quite cheap. Less initial cost as compared to other generating plants. It can beinstalled at any place iirespective of the existence of coal. The coal can be transported to the site of the plant by rail or road. It requires less space as compared to Hydro power plants. Cost of generation is less than that of diesel power plants.

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3. Disadvantages of thermal power : o o It pollutes the atmosphere due to production of large amount of smoke and fumes. It is costlier in running cost as compared to Hydro electric plants.