By:

Aditya Wangnoo
Anirudh Agrawal
Anmol Singh
Akansha Bakshi
Abhishek Asija
Akhlaq Poonawalla
Aditya Kumar
Anosh Parvez
Non conventional resources of energy are those resources of
energy which can be regenerated

Non conventional resource of energy include:-

 Solar Energy
 Hydro Energy
 Wind Energy
 Tidal Energy
 Geothermal energy (heat from deep under the ground)
 Biomass Energy (burning of vegetation to stop it producing
methane)
 Solar Energy
Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that has been harnessed by
humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation
 along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity
 and biomass account for most of the available renewable energy on Earth. Only a
minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used.
Solar power provides electrical generation by means of heat engines or photovoltaics.
Once converted, its uses are limited only by human ingenuity. A partial list of solar
applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable
water via distillation and disinfection, day lighting, hot water, thermal energy for
cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.
 Biomass

Biomass energy has the potential to supply a significant portion of America's energy
needs, while revitalizing rural economies, increasing energy independence, and
reducing pollution. Farmers would gain a valuable new outlet for their products. Rural
communities could become entirely self-sufficient when it comes to energy, using
locally grown crops and residues to fuel cars and tractors and to heat and power
homes and buildings.
Opportunities for biomass energy are growing. For example, several million dollars of
federal incentives are available through the 2002 Farm Bill to develop advanced
technologies and crops to produce energy, chemicals, and other products from
biomass. A number of states also provide incentives for biomass energy.
 Biomass Residues
Agricultural activities generate large amounts of biomass residues.
While most crop residues are left in the field to reduce erosion and
recycle nutrients back into the soil, some could be used to produce
energy without harming the soil. Other wastes such as whey from
cheese production and manure from livestock operations can also be
profitably used to produce energy while reducing disposal costs and
pollution.

Energy Crops
Crops grown for energy could be produced in large quantities, just as
food crops are. While corn is currently the most widely used energy
crop, native trees and grasses are likely to become the most popular
in the future. These perennial crops require less maintenance and
fewer inputs than do annual row crops, so they are cheaper and more
sustainable to produce.

Grasses. Switchgrass appears to be the most promising herbaceous

energy crop. It produces high yields and can be harvested annually
for several years before replanting. Other native varieties that
grow quickly, such as big bluestem, reed canarygrass, and wheat
grass, could also be profitable.
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 Trees. Some fast-growing trees make excellent energy crops, since they
grow back repeatedly after being cut off close to the ground. These
short-rotation woody crops can grow to 40 feet in less than eight years
and can be harvested for 10 to 20 years before replanting. In cool, wet
regions, the best choices are poplar and willow. In warmer areas, sycamore,
sweetgum, and cottonwood are best.

Oil plants. Oil from plants such as soybeans and sunflowers can be used to

make fuel. Like corn, however, these plants require more intensive
management than other energy crops.
 Converting Biomass to Energy

Most biomass is converted to energy the same way it always has been—by
burning it. The heat can be used directly for heating buildings, crop drying,
dairy operations, and industrial processes. It can also be used to produce
steam and generate electricity. For example, many electric generators and
businesses burn biomass by itself or with other fuels in conventional power
plants.
Biomass can also be converted into liquids or gases to produce electricity or
transportation fuels. Ethanol is typically produced through fermentation and
distillation, in a process much like that used to make beer. Soybean and canola
oils can be chemically converted into a liquid fuel called biodiesel. These fuels
can be used in conventional engines with little, if any, modification.
Biomass can be converted into a gas by heating it under pressure and without
oxygen in a "gasifier." Manure too can be converted using a digester. The gas
can then be burned to produce heat, steam, or electricity.
 Fuel cells

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of a fuel
directly and very efficiently into electricity (DC) and heat, thus doing away with
combustion. The most suitable fuel for such cells is hydrogen or a mixture of compounds
containing hydrogen. A fuel cell consists of an electrolyte sandwiched between two
electrodes. Oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other, and they
react electrochemically to generate electricity, water, and heat.

Though fuel cells have been used in space flights and combined supplies of heat and
power, electric vehicles are the best option available to dramatically reduce urban air
pollution. Compared to vehicles powered by the internal combustion engine, fuel-cell
powered vehicles have very high energy conversion efficiency, (almost double that of
currently used engines) and near-zero pollution, CO2 and water vapour being the only
emissions. Fuel-cell-powered EV's (electric vehicles) score over battery operated EV's in
terms of increased efficiency and easier and faster refuelling.
 Geothermal energy

The core of the earth is very hot and it is possible to make use of this geothermal energy.
These are areas where there are volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers, and methane under
the water in the oceans and seas. In some countries, such as in the USA water is pumped
from underground hot water deposits and used to heat people’s houses.
In India, Northwestern Himalayas and the western coast are considered geothermal
areas. The Puga valley in the Ladakh region has the most promising geothermal field. It is
being used mainly for poultry farming, mushroom cultivation, and pashmina-wool
processing, all of which need higher temperature .
 Hydel energy

Energy from water sources

The energy in the flowing water can be used to produce electricity. Waves result from
the interaction of the wind with the surface of the sea and represent a transfer of
energy from the wind to the sea. Energy can be extracted from tides by creating a
reservoir or basin behind a barrage and then passing tidal waters through turbines in
the barrage to generate electricity

Energy from the sea - Ocean thermal, tidal and wave energy

Large amounts of solar energy is stored in the oceans and seas. On an average, the
60 million square kilometre of the tropical seas absorb solar radiation equivalent to
the heat content of 245 billion barrels of oil. Scientists feel that if this energy can
be tapped a large source of energy will be available to the tropical countries and to
other countries as well. The process of harnessing this energy is called OTEC
(ocean thermal energy conversion). It uses the temperature differences between
the surface of the ocean and the depths of about 1000m to operate a heat engine,
which produces electric power.
 Wind energy

Wind energy is the kinetic energy associated with the movement of atmospheric air.
It has been used for hundreds of years for sailing, grinding grain, and for irrigation.
Wind energy systems convert this kinetic energy to more useful forms of power.
Wind energy systems for irrigation and milling have been in use since ancient times
and since the beginning of the 20th century it is being used to generate electric
power. Windmills for water pumping have been installed in many countries
particularly in the rural areas.
Wind turbines transform the energy in the wind into mechanical power, which can
then be used directly for grinding etc. or further converting to electric power to
generate electricity. Wind turbines can be used singly or in clusters called ‘wind
farms’. Small wind turbines called aero-generators can be used to charge large
batteries.
Conventional resources of energy are those resources of
energy which once used cannot be regenerated to be used
again.

Conventional resources of energy include:-

 Coal
 Oil
 Uranium
 Natural gas
 Coal

Coal is by far the most abundant fossil fuel on earth. It is essentially carbon
and is mainly used as a combustion fuel. The large-scale use of coal began
with the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. As the number of
industries increased, demand for more sources of energy grew.
Coal is the product of plants, mainly trees, that died tens or hundreds of
millions of years ago. Due to water logging in low-lying swampy areas or in
slowly sinking lagoons, dead trees and plants did not decompose as they
normally would. The dead plant matter was covered with water and
protected from the oxidizing effect of air. The action of certain bacteria
released the oxygen and hydrogen, making the residue richer and richer in
carbon. Thick layers of this carbon-rich substance, called peat, built up over
thousands of years. As more material accumulated above the peat, the water
was squeezed out leaving just carbon-rich plant remains. Pressure and
temperature further compressed the material. This aided the process of
producing coal as more gases were forced out and the proportion of carbon
continued to increase. The carbon slowly metamorphosed into coal over
millions of years.
 Oil and Gas

Almost all oil and natural gas are found deep underground in tiny holes in
rocks. Millions of years ago a sea covered much of what is now dry land. In
prehistoric times, tiny plants and animals lived in the sea. When these
creatures died, they sank to the bottom of the sea, and got buried in layers
of mud and sand. As the ages passed, this organic material sank deeper and
deeper. The earth's crust changed its shape, and put intense pressure and
heat on what was once only plants and tiny animals. Heat from the earth's
interior and the weight of the overlying rocks gradually changed the energy-
containing substances in the accumulated plants into hydrocarbon liquids and
gases. As millions of years passed, these deposits turned into chemicals that
are now called ‘hydrocarbons’.
Hydrocarbons are simple molecules made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms
joined together in chains or in rings. These molecules, being light and mobile,
migrated upwards through the rocks but eventually became trapped beneath
impermeable rock structures in the earth's crust. That is where oil and
natural gas come from. Some were created millions of years ago, some were
created thousands of years ago, and some are being created right now!
 LPG - Liquefied petroleum gas
LPG is the abbreviation or short form for liquefied petroleum gas. Like
all fossil fuels, it is a non-renewable source of energy. It is extracted
from crude oil and natural gas. The main composition of LPG are
hydrocarbons containing three or four carbon atoms. The normal
components of LPG thus, are propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10). Small
concentrations of other hydrocarbons may also be present. Depending
on the source of the LPG and how it has been produced, components
other than hydrocarbons may also be present.
LPG is a gas at atmospheric pressure and normal ambient temperatures,
but it can be liquefied when moderate pressure is applied or when the
temperature is sufficiently reduced. It can be easily condensed,
packaged, stored and utilized, which makes it an ideal energy source for
a wide range of applications.