U15EE1006R

RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

 UNIT 3

WIND AND BIOMASS ENERGY SYSTEMS

Wind Energy Systems
 Wind Energy Conversion

 Wind Speed and Power Relation

 Power Extracted from Wind
 Wind Distribution

 Wind Speed Predictions

 Types of Wind Power Systems
 Wind Energy
• Introduction

– Wind : form of solar energy

– Wind is Caused by:
• uneven heating of the atmosphere by sun
• the irregularities of the earth's surface
• and rotation of the earth

– Wind flow patterns are modified by:

• the earth's terrain, bodies of water, and vegetative cover.

– This wind flow, or motion energy, can be "harvested“

• by turbines to generate electricity
• by windmills for irrigation
 Wind Energy
• Formation of Wind

– Non-uniform heating of earth’s surface

• Causes circulation of air in the atmosphere

– The air immediately above a warm area

• Expands; becomes lighter; and is Forced Upwards
• Low pressure: called a Trough

– The air above a cooler area

• More denser
• High pressure: called a Ridge

– Air flows form

• High pressure (cool denser air) to low pressure.
 Wind Energy
• Formation of Wind
– Begins with sun’s radiation - absorbed differently on the earth’s surface
and heated differently
– Due to cloud cover, water bodies, vegetation, uneven surface like
mountains, valleys
– Variation of temperature on earth surfaces
– Air on surfaces with higher temperatures -begin to rise - it is lighter, -
creates low atmospheric pressure
– Air on surfaces with cooler temperatures sink - sinking creates higher
atmospheric pressure
 Wind Energy
• Factors affecting Wind
– Nature of terrain
• Chain of mountains channelize the air currents

– Topography of an area effects the wind speed

– Degree of cloud cover

– Angle of sun in the sky

– Obstacles: hills; trees and buildings

• change the direction of air flow by obstructing it

– Climatic disturbances resulting from rains affect wind speed.

 Wind Energy
• Variation of Wind Speed wrt height
 Wind Energy
• Variation of Wind Speed wrt height
 Wind Energy
• Classification of Winds

– Global / Planetary Winds

– Local Winds

– Seasonal / Periodic Winds

• Due to seasonal climatic changes
 Wind Energy
• Global / Planetary Winds

– The primary force for global winds:

• due to differential heating of earth’s surface at equator & polar region

– Equator region: hotter (low pressure)

– Polar regions: colder (high pressure)
– Cold winds move from polar to equator
 Wind Energy
• Global / Planetary Winds
 Wind Energy
• Global / Planetary Winds

– Types of Global winds

• Easterlies

• Westerlies

• Trade winds
 Wind Energy
• Local Winds :Valley and Mountain Winds
 Wind Energy
• Local Winds : Land and Sea Breeze
 Wind Energy
• Local Winds : Coastal Winds
– During the day:
• sun’s rays beam down, heating the sand and water.

• Sand heats faster than water

• So air over sand is warmer than that over water

• Hotter air, being lighter, rises and creates a void & pressure gradient

– The high pressure air over the water flows inland to fill the air void
(onshore breeze).
 Wind Energy
• Measurement : Meteorological Data About Wind Speed

– Meteorological department
• record and publish weather data at all places in a country

• along with wind speed and direction

– Wind speeds are recorded at three heights

• 10m, 50m and 150 m

– Wind speeds are measured by an instrument called anemometer

– Wind direction is measured by wind vane or cock
 Wind Energy
• Measurement of wind velocity

– Wind velocity
• a vector including both speed and direction of wind

– Wind speed
• magnitude of the wind velocity vector

• measured with wind anemometer

– Wind direction
• Measured by wind vanes
 Wind Energy
Measurement of wind velocity

– Wind vanes
– Consists of pointer in front & fins in back
– When wind blows
– wind vane points into the wind

– Wind anemometers
– Cup anemometer is commonly used
– Pressure difference
– Cups catch wind
– produce pressure difference inside and outside the cup
– Rotation
– due to pressure difference, along wind force
– Speed of rotation
– Electric switches measure the speed of the rotation
– this is proportional to wind speed.
 Wind Energy
• Types of Anemometers

– Hot wire anemometer

– Wind mill anemometer

– Laser doppler anemometer

– Ultrasonic anemometer
• Time of flight
 Wind Energy
• Hot wire Anemometer

– Hot wire anemometers

– consist of a very thin wire (mm)
– electrically heated above ambient temp

– Working:
– Air flows over the heated wire
– Heat is transferred from wire to air
– Temperature of wire reduces
– Resistance of wire changes
– Flow rate can be found by computing change in resistance

– Application:
– accurate for very low air velocity measurement
 Wind Energy
• Windmill / Propeller type Anemometer

– Windmill / propeller type anemometer

– adopts that shape of a windmill, hence its name
– measures wind velocity (both speed and direction)
– aerovane combines a propeller and a tail on the same axis
– to obtain accurate and precise wind speed and direction

– determining direction of wind

• Anemometer should be parallel to wind direction
• Tail of aerovane, on the same axis as the propeller on a central pole.

– determining speed of wind

• turning effect of propeller
• causes mechanism in anemometer
• helps calculate the speed of wind
 Wind Energy
• Laser Doppler Anemometer

– Laser Doppler Anemometer

• More accurate – very high-tech anemometer

– Working
• use a beam of light from laser divided into two beams
• with one propagated out of anemometer.
• air particles caught by beam are reflected back into the anemometer
• when the particles are in great motion
• they produce a Doppler shift for measuring wind speed in the laser
light
• this is used to calculate speed of particles
 Wind Energy
• Ultrasonic Anemometer

– Uses ultrasonic waves to measure wind seed

– Ultrasonic: speed of sound
– Wind speed measured based on:
• Time of flight (very short) taken by sonic pulses

• between pairs of transducers

 Wind Speed: Terminologies
• Variation with Height: Terminologies

– Wind speed at earth’s surface: almost zero

– Increases with increase in height from ground
• Terminologies Wind Speed
– Wind Shear: rate of change of wind speed with height
• Lower air layers tend to slow down air above them
• hence reducing mean wind speed
• Shear force reduces with height
• Shear force is inversely proportional to wind speed

– Gradient Height: the height at which shear force = 0

• Wind speed doesn’t change above this height
• Usually 2000m from ground
 Wind Speed: Terminologies
• Variation with Height: Terminologies
– Free atmosphere:
atmosphere above gradient height with uniform wind speed
• Change in ground conditions doesn’t affect wind speed

– Planetary Boundary Layer:

layer of air from ground to gradient height
 Wind Speed: Terminologies
• Variation with Height: Terminologies
– Surface Layer:
air layer from height of local obstruction to height of 100m

– Ekman Layer:
air layer from surface layer to gradient height
• Shear stress can be neglected in this layer
Wind Energy Conversion
 Wind Energy Conversion
• Lift and Drag : Basis for wind energy conversion
 Wind Energy Conversion
• Lift and Drag : Basis for wind energy conversion
Wind Energy Conversion
Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS)
 WECS Aspects

• Rotor: Converts wind energy to mechanical energy

• Gear box: Transmits rotor speed to generator
• Generator: Converts mechanical energy to electrical energy
• Power electronic converter: Improves quality of power; steps up and
transfers power
 WECS Physical Embodiment

• Rotor: Converts wind energy to mechanical energy

• Gear box: Transmits rotor speed to generator
• Generator: Converts mechanical energy to electrical energy
• Power electronic converter: Improves quality of power; steps up and
transfers power
 WECS Basic Components

• Rotor: Converts wind energy to mechanical energy

• Gear box: Transmits rotor speed to generator
• Generator: Converts mechanical energy to electrical energy
• Power electronic converter: Improves quality of power; steps up and
transfers power
Wind Speed & Power Relation
 Wind Speed & Power Relation
• Cut-in speed
– Speed at which turbine first starts to rotate and generate power
– Typically between 3 and 4 metres per second

• Rated output wind speed

– Wind speed at which turbine generates maximum power
– Typically between 12 and 17 metres per second

• Cut-out speed
– Wind speed beyond which
• forces on turbine structure continue to rise
• there is a risk of damage to the rotor.
– So, Braking system is employed to bring the rotor to a standstill
– Usually around 25 metres per second.
 Types of Wind Power Systems
• Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine
– Axis of rotation is parallel to wind stream
 Types of Wind Power Systems
• Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
– Axis of rotation is perpendicular to wind stream
Types of Wind Power Systems
Potential Impacts & Issues
• Impacts:

– Property Values
– Noise
– Visual Impact
– Land Use
– Wildlife Impact

• Counter Measures:

– Properly siting wind turbine

 Advantages of Wind PS
– Renewable: freely & abundantly available

– Wind blows almost always

• day or night; sunny or cloudy;
• So better than direct solar conversion

– Strong winds blow during peak demand periods

• during the coldest and darkest parts of winter
• Offshore winds during hotter months

– No fuel = No emission = No price fluctuations

 Disadvantages of Wind PS
– Wind is not constant: highly intermittent
• Harnessing becomes difficult due to continuous rise and drop in power o/p
• may result in blackouts across the grid

– Wind speeds are highly variable, changing by the minute.

• SO, wind farm efficiency is as little as 20%
• Thus, can never be a primary source of energy

– High start up costs

• land, transmission lines, maintenance, service contracts, subsidies
Biomass Energy Systems
 Biomass Conversion Technologies

 Biogas Generation
 Types of Biogas Plants
 Biogas from Plant Wastes

 Utilization of Biogas
 Applications
 Biomass
• Biomass
– Waste materials from plants and animals not used for food / feed
• Waste from farming or horticulture
• Food processing waste
• Animal farming waste
• Human waste from sewage plants

– Biomass usage
• Heat produced from combustion
• Converting to biofuels by various processes
– Thermal
– Chemical
– Biochemical
Biomass Conversion Technologies
• Biomass Conversion
– Direct Combustion
• Wood waste
• Bagasse (from sugarcane)

– Thermochemical conversion
• Gasification
• Liquefaction

– Biochemical conversion
• Anaerobic digestion
• Fermentation
Biomass Conversion Technologies
Biomass Conversion: Anaerobic Digestion
– Process (wet)
• Series of biological processes – in the absence of oxygen
• Micro-organisms break down biodegradable material

– End product: Biogas

 Biomass Conversion: Fermentation
– Process (wet)
• Break down of complex molecules in organic compound
• Under the influence of ferment
– YEAST, BACTERIA, ENZYMES etc.

– End product: Ethanol (Ethyl alcohol)

• From grains & sugar crops
Biomass Conversion: Chemical Reduction
– Process (wet)
• Animal waste or plant cellulosic slurry
• Pressure-cooked at 250°C – 400°C
• With an alkaline catalyst in the presence of carbon monoxide (CO)

– End product: High calorific value gas

• From a Mixture of oils (after 50%)
• By reducing pressure & increasing temperature
 Biomass Conversion: Pyrolysis
– Process (dry)
• Heating at high temperature in the absence of air

– End product: Methane

 Biomass Conversion: Liquefaction
– Process (dry)
• Heating rapidly at lower temperatures

• Vapours of produced gas stream is condensed into 2 phases

– Aqueous phase: water soluble organic materials like

Ac cetiacid, acetone and methanol

– Non-aqueous phase: oils and tars

Refined and used as fuel

– End product: Bio-crude oil

 Biomass Conversion

• Gasification
– Pyrolysis in the presence of small quantities of oxygen
– End product: Fuel gas / syngas

• Steam-Gasification
– Pyrolysis in the presence of small quantities of water
– End product: Hydrogen rich gas (Methane)

• Hydrogenation
– Pyrolysis in the presence of small quantities of hydrogen

– End product: Heavy oils

 Biomass Conversion: Gasification
– Pyrolysis in the presence of small quantities of oxygen

– End product: Fuel gas / Syngas

 Biogas
• Biogas:
– A mixture containing 55-65% Methane (CH4) and 30-40% CO2

– It is a clean, slow burning gas used

• Directly for cooking
• Discharge of the process can be used as fertilizer

– Produced by decomposition of biomass by

• Digestion (most common)
• Pyrolysis
• Hydrogasification
Biogas Generation
 Biogas Generation
• Anaerobic Digestion:
– Biological process in the absence of oxygen & presence of bacteria
 Biogas Generation
• Anaerobic Digestion:
– 3 stages

1. Enzymatic Hydrolysis
– Biodegradable material are broken down into simple compounds
– Occurs in a day at 25°C in active digester

2. Acid formation (by acid formers)

– Simple compounds are broken down into acids & volatile solids
– May last upto 2 weeks & large amount of CO2 is released

3. Methane formation (by methane fermenters)

– Organic acids are converted to methane (CH4) and CO2
– Takes about 14 days at 25°C
 Types of Biogas Plants
• Floating drum type (commonly used in India)
 Types of Biogas Plants
• Fixed dome type (commonly used in China)
Types of Biogas Plants
 Biogas from Plant Wastes
• Bio-digestion

– Batch Fermentation
• Feeding: between intervals
• After digestion: plant is emptied

– Continuous Fermentation
• Feeding: done every day
• After digestion: digested slurry (equal to feed) overflows
• The process may be
– Single stage:
» Single chamber
– Double stage:
» Acidogenic & Methanogenic stages in 2 separate chambers
 Biogas from Plant Wastes
• Fermentation
– Wet Fermentation
• Digester: largely filled with water
• Suitable for: material similar to cow dung
• Drawback: scum formation (cos plant waste is light)
– has to be submerged / mixed every few hours

– Dry Fermentation
• Digester: very little water
– Sufficient to keep the raw material wet for active digestion
• Advantages: no floatation or scum
• Drawback:
– accumulation of acids & entrapment of gas in plant materials
– Movement in digester is hindered
– pH regulation, proper uniform culture
 Biogas from Plant Wastes
• Straw Fermentation Problems

– Scum Formation
• Straw: floats on water
• After submergence:
– rising gas bubbles increase buoyancy of STRAW
– Helps in floatation
– Thus causing scum

– Movement in Digester
• Density gradient: enables movement from inlet to outlet
• Straw: float & trap gas
– Moves away from feeding point when pushed in
– Unfermented straw may pass out the outlet (cos of low density)
 Applications of Biogas
• Main products
– Fuel gas
• Methane is the only combustible portion
• Around 60% by volume

– Organic Manure
• Applications
– Household cooking
– Lighting
– Operating small engines
• Utilizing power for pumping water; chaffing fodder; grinding flour
 Utilization of Biogas
• Biogas for cooking

• Biogas for lighting

– Similar to cooking
– Has a Ramic fibre mantle
– When burnt forms a layer of thorium oxide
– Thus emitting dazzling white light
 Utilization of Biogas
• Biogas for small engines