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Example problems
Hydroelectric power
Hydroelectric power
Gravitational energy -> flow -> turbine -> El.
Electric power production:
P ghqk
P : Power (W)
: density (998 kg/m3)
h : height (m)
q : flow rate (m3/s)
g : gravity acceleration (9.8 m/s2)
k : efficiency coefficient
Example
What is the power generation of a dam operating with a flow
rate of q = 100 m3/s, with a net head (height) of h = 150 m. The
turbine is 85 % efficient.
P ghqk
P : Power (W)
: density (998 kg/m3)
h : height (m)
q : flow rate (m3/s)
g : gravity acceleration (9.8 m/s2)
k : efficiency coefficient
P = 998 x
9.8 x 150 x 100 x 0.85 = 124,700,100 W = 124.7 MW
Units: kg m2 s-3 = W
Hydroelectricity
No CO2 emission
Most widely used renewable (2.3% of total)
PV systems
PV panel
PV cell
PV system
PV farm
Efficiency: typical 15 20 %
Example 1
On a sunny summer day the solar irradiance is I = 1 kW/m2. What is the
power output of a 10 m2 PV array on the roof of a house? The efficiency
of the PV array is 12%
P = AI = 0.12 x 10 x 1 = 1.2 kW
Example 2
Annual solar energy output: E = A H PR
where
E = Energy (kWh)
A = Total solar panel Area (m)
= solar array efficiency (%) (at standard test conditions)
H = Annual average solar radiation on tilted panels
PR = Performance ratio, coefficient for losses (range between 0.5 and 0.9)
Calculate annual solar energy output for the module in example 1, when
H = 1000 kWh/m2, and the performance ratio is PR = 0.75
Solar thermal
Solar energy produces heat for domestic hot water
(DHW) or space heating.
Low grade energy for low grade energy requirement
Power tower
Parabolic dish
Parabolic trough
Solar energy
+ Renewable
+ No pollution (except manufacture and transport)
+ Can be used in remote areas
+ Surplus energy can be sold to grid
- Intermittent supply. Requires storage
- Cost of solar cells high (but decreasing rapidly)
- Not equally distributed energy
Solar Energy
Photovoltaics: Solar energy converted directly into
electricity. Internal electric field separates mobile charge
carriers generated through absorption of photons.
Wind power
Wind power
Convert kinetic energy of wind to
electricity.
Kinetic energy:
1 2
E mv
2
Wind power
Kinetic Energy:
1 2
E mv
2
1
Which gives: E Atv 3
2
What is the power of the wind?
E
P
t
1
3
P Av
2
Turbine efficiency
The efficiency of the wind turbine must be
factored in.
Theoretical limit: Betz Limit = 59.3 %
Conversion efficiency: e.g. 70%
1
3
Pel Av Cp
2
Example
What is the power generated by a wind turbine with rotor blade length
of 50 m when the wind speed is 12 m/s? The turbines power coefficient
is Cp = 0.4, and the density of air is 1.23 kg/m3.
1
Pel Av 3Cp
2
Cross-sectional area:
A R 2
= 7850 m2
Power generation:
1
Pel Av 3Cp = 0.5 x 1.23 x 7850 x 123 x 0.4
2
= 3.3 MW