SRI JAYACHAMARAJENDRA COLLEGE OF

ENGINEERING
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Non-Conventional Energy Resources

(ME732T)

Dr.Manjunatha H S
Department of Mechanical Engineering
JSS Science and Technology University (SJCE)
Mysore
 UNIT - 4

Geothermal Energy Conversion: Principle of working, types of

geothermal station with schematic diagram, problems associated with
geothermal conversion, scope of geothermal energy. Energy from
Bio Mass: Photosynthesis, photosynthetic oxygen production, bio gas
production from organic wastes by anaerobic fermentation,
description of bio-gas plants, problems involved with bio-gas
production, application of bio-gas, application of bio-gas in engines.
MCQ

1. Which one of the following statements is not true for geothermal energy system?
(a) It is a reliable and cheap source of energy
(b) It is available 24 hours per day
(c) It has no inherent storage feature, so extra storage facility is required
(d) The system is modular in nature

2. The world’s total present installed electrical power generating capacity

from geothermal resource is about:
(a) 11,490 MW (b) 1000 MW
(c) 29000 MW (d) 3000 MW

3. World’s first geothermal electric power plant is located at:

(a) Wairakei field in New Zealand (b) Larderello, Italy
(c) “the Geysers”, California (d) El-Salvador
MCQ

4. The country having maximum (geothermal based) installed capacity for electric
as well as thermal power is:
a) USA (b) Italy (c) Iceland (d) New Zealand

5. The temperature in the crust increases with depth at a rate of about:

a) 300 °C/km (b) 10 °C/km (c) 1 °C/km (d) 30 °C/km

6. The temperature at the inner core of the earth is about:

(a) 1000 °C (b) 4000 °C (c) 40000 °C (d) 500 °C
7. The zone of likely geothermal sites corresponds roughly to:
(a) cold, hilly regions (b) hot, flat regions (c) tropical regions
(d) the regions of seismic and volcanic activities
MCQ

8. Most of the world’s geothermal sites today are located:

(a) in south hemisphere of the globe (b) near the coast of Atlantic
ocean
(c) near the edges of Pacific plate (d) near equator

9. The average thickness of the crust is about:

(a) 30 km (b) 3 km (c) 300 km (d) 1000 km

10. In most hydro-thermal fields, the hot spot occur at a depth of

about:
(a) 10 km (b) 10 m (c) 2 to 3 km (d) 30 km
MCQ

11. Compared to a conventional steam plant, the temperature and

pressure in a geothermal plant are:
(a) comparable (b) much higher (c) higher (d) lower
12. In geo-pressured resource the pressure can go as high as:
(a) 160 atm (b) 1350 atm (c) 15000 atm (d) 10 atm
13. Name the country where the world’s largest EGS project is
currently under development:
(a) Italy (b) USA (c) New Zealand (d) Australia
14. A geothermal resource tapped for electricity generation could
provide energy for about:
(a) 50 years (b) 1000 years (c) 5 years (d) 1 year
MCQ

15. Compared to a conventional steam plant, the efficiency of geothermal

plant is:
(a) very high (b) higher(c) comparable (d) lower
16. In geysers, the steam is continuously vented through fissures in the
ground. These vents are called:
(a) vent holes (b) pot holes(c) fumaroles (d) sunspots
17. Petro-thermal systems are composed of hot dry rock with:
(a) no underground water (b) large underground water(c) petrochemicals
(d) dense gases
18. Main disadvantage of geothermal energy is:
a)large area requirement (b) low efficiency(c) drilling operation is noisy
(d) high cost
19. A potential geothermal source region should have:
(a) high thermal conductivity (b) high thermal gradient
(c) low thermal gradient (d) high electrical resistance
solution

1.(c), 2. (a), 3. (b), 4. (a), 5. (d), 6. (b), 7. (d), 8. (c), 9. (a), 10.

(c), 11. (d), 12. (b), 13. (d), 14. (a), 15. (d), 16. (c), 17. (a), 18.

(c), 19. (b)

Biomass Sources

• Biomass is biological material derived

from living, or recently living
organisms.
• It most often refers to plants or plant-
derived materials which are
specifically called lignocellulosic
biomass.
• As a renewable 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
Biomass Energy Cycle
 Benefits of using Biomass
 Biomass used as a fuel reduces need for fossil fuels for the
production of heat, steam, and electricity for residential, industrial
and agricultural use.
 Biomass is always available and can be produced as a renewable
resource.
 Biomass fuel from agriculture wastes maybe a secondary product
that adds value to agricultural crop.
 Growing Biomass crops produce oxygen and use up carbon
dioxide.
 The use of waste materials reduce landfill disposal and makes
more space for everything else.
 Carbon Dioxide which is released when Biomass fuel is burned, is
taken in by plants.
 Less money spent on foreign oil.
 Advantages
 Renewable energy resource.
 Using biomass energy reduce the dependence on foreign
oil.
 The pollutant emissions from combustion of biomass are

usually lower than those from fossil fuel.

 Reduce the problems of waste disposal in urban areas and
industry.
 The nitrogen rich bio digested slurry serves as a very good

soil conditioner and also improves the fertility of the soil.

 varying capacity can be installed.
 Disadvantages
 Low energy density.

 Cost of collecting large quantities for commercial

application is significant.

 Not suitable for varying loads.

 Not feasible to set up at all locations.

Photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis is the process by
which plants, some bacteria, and
some protistans (Fungi) use the
energy from sunlight to produce
sugar, which cellular respiration
converts into ATP (Adenosine
triphosphate), the "fuel" used by
all living things.

The conversion of unusable sunlight

energy into usable chemical energy,
is associated with the actions of the
green pigment chlorophyll.

• 6H2O + 6CO2 ------> C6H12O6+

6O2
 Biomass Energy Conversion Technologies
Incineration Electricity

Thermoche
mical Gasification Gas or Fuel
Processes

Waste Pyrolysis Heavy oil

Fermentatio
Biochemica Ethanol
l Processes n

Anaerobic
Biogas
Digestion
Types of Biofuels
 Solid Biofuels: Such as wood can be
directly burnt and heat could be
utilized.

 Liquid Biofuels: Such as ethanol

(fermentation of starch or sugar) used
directly and also blended with gasoline
to run an IC engine.
Or as Biodiesel (made from oily seeds
like Palm, Pongemia, Jathropa etc.)
blended with diesel for use in IC
engines.

 Gaseous Biofuels : Such as Biogas:

Methane produced by breakdown of
 Energy Plantation
 Energy plantation is a process of producing energy.

Currently, fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas

represent the prime energy sources in the world.

 By growing plants we can extracting maximum solar

energy, these are economical and free from pollution.

 Energy forms are the best alternatives for present fuel

crisis and to replace fossil and nuclear energy sources.

 Bio gas generation
 Decomposition of Animal wastes, human wastes,
agricultural wastes, waste of aquatic origin and
industrial wastes generates biogas.
 Biogas is a mixture of Methane (50 to 65 %),
Carbon dioxide (30 to 40%) and it contains traces of
Hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide and Nitrogen.
 Biogas is a slow burning gas with Calorific value
varies between 21000 to 23000 KJ/Kg .
 Bio gas generation
 Biogas is mainly used for cooking applications and has been
popularly known as GOBAR GAS.
 Cow dung, poultry droppings are effectively used for biogas
generation
 Biogas is produced by DIGESTION and PYROLYSIS Process.

 DIGESTION is a biological process that occurs in the absence of

oxygen and in the presence of ANAEROBIC organisms at
ambient temperature and pressure of 35 to 70 degree C.
 Bio gas generation
 The container in which digestion process takes place

known as DIGESTER.

 There are two types of organic decomposition namely,

 AEROBIC DECOMPOSTION (Presence of oxygen)- The bacteria

which grow in the presence of OXYGEN are called AEROBIC.

 ANAEROBIC DECOMPOSTION (Absence of oxygen)- The bacteria

which grow in the absence of OXYGEN are called ANAEROBIC.
 Bio gas generation
 FERMENTATION is a process of chemical change in organic

matter brought about by living organisms.

 STAGE I- Hydrolysis.- The organic matter containing

complex compounds like carbohydrates, proteins, fats etc., is

broken down through the influence of water is known as
HYDROLYSIS.
 STAGE II- ACID FORMING The microorganisms of
anaerobic acid forms and produce acetic and propoinic acids.
This stage is also takes about one day at 250 degree C and
much of Carbon dioxide released in this stage.
 Bio gas generation
 STAGE I-Methane forming- Anaerobic bacteria also

known as Methane formers slowly digest the products

available from STAGE-II to produce METHANE, carbon
dioxide and small amount of hydrogen and other gases.

 This process takes about two weeks to complete at 25

degree C. in this stage methane formation stage is carried

out by the action of Anaerobic bacteria.
 Types of Biogas Plants

 Floating Drum Type/KVIC (Khadi village industries

commission) Model/ constant pressure type biogas plant.

 Fixed Dome type/ janata Model/ constant Volume type

biogas plant.
Floating Drum type Biogas Plant
Floating Drum type Biogas Plant
Characteristics of Floating drum type Biogas Plant
 Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
 High gas yield
 No problem of gas leakage
 Works under constant pressure naturally
 No problem of mixing of biogas with external air thus no
danger of explosion
Disadvatages:
 High installation cost
 Heat is lost through metal gas holder
 Requires painting of drums to avoid corrosion at least
twice a year
 Requires maintenance of pipes and joints
Fixed Dome type Biogas Plant
 Fixed Dome type Biogas Plant
Both gas holder and the digester are combined.

Drum less type but similar to KVIC model except steel

drum a fixed dome roof of masonry construction.

The dome roof in this model requires specialised design

and skilled masonry construction.

Skilled masons are required and complete plant is

constructed below the ground level.

 Comparison
FEATURE FLOATING DRUM FIXED DOME
TYPE

COST More due to steel drum Less

CORROSION YES NO
MAINTENANCE MORE (Painting and Less
flexible pipes)
THERMAL Bad (Heat loss due to Good
INSULATION steel drum)
SCUM TROUBLES Less likely (as solids More likely
are constantly
submerged)
GAS PRESSURE Constant variable
 Biomass Gasification
Gasification is a process of converting raw biomass in to a
variety of gaseous , liquid or solid fuels that can be used
directly in a power plant for energy generation.
Gasifier: it is an equipment which can gasify a variety of
biomass such as wood waste, agricultural waste, roots of
various crops etc.,
The gasifier is essentially a chemical reaction, where
various complex physical and chemical process takes place.
 Types of Gasifiers
1. Up draught gasifier: Air entry is below the combustion
zone and producer gas escapes from top of gasifier.
Suitable for charcoal in stationary engines
2. Down draught gasifier: Air entry is at the combustion
zone and gas escapes through the bottom of gasifier.
Suitable for wood and agricultural wastes.
3. Cross draught gasifier: Gasifier contains charcoal which
acts as insulator and dust filter. the gas flows around the
gasifier in the annular space.
Up Draught gasifier
Down Draught gasifier
Cross Draught gasifier
 Factors affecting Biogas generation

PH/hydrogen ion generation.

Temperature.
Loading rate.
Seeding.
Uniform feeding.
Diameter to depth ratio.
Nutrients
Total solid content.
Retention time.
Toxicity and pressure.
 Gasifiers Applications

Food processing
Charcoal production

Plywood industries

Village electrification

Hotels/Restaurants

Textile dyeing

Silk dyeing

Tea/coffee processing

Galvanizing furnaces

Pumping and irrigation. Etc.,