Non-Conventional sources of energy seminar report/pdf/ppt download Introduction: The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century ushered in new technologies. The spurt in inventions in that century was unprecedented in many ways.

Renewable & Non-Conventional Sources Of Energy With reference to two non-conventional energy sources called ‘coal bed methane’ and ‘shale gas’, consider the following ‘statements: • Coal bed methane is the pure methane gas extracted from coal seams, while shale gas is a mixture of propane and butane only that can be extracted from fine-grained sedimentary rocks. • In India abundant coal bed methane sources exist, but so far no shale gas sources have been found. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? • 1 only • 2 only • Both 1 and 2 • Neither 1 nor 2 CBM = Methane Shale gas = Lot of Methane + Little Ethane, Propane, & Butane + very little carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. Abundant shale reserves occur in India. Fuel Production Advantages Limitations Nuclear energy Nuclear fission (splitting of atom) and Nuclear fusion • No air pollution • Fuel efficient • High cost of construction of nuclear plant. • Fear of security and nuclear accidents.

• Problem of safe disposal of nuclear waste. Hydropower Dams built on river for electricity generation • World’s hydroelectricity capacity high • Ecosystems behind dams disturbed. • Human settlements up rooted. • Habitat loss and biodiversity loss.

• Developmental cost high. • Fertile farmland lost • Amount of nutrient rich silt on down river agricultural fields reduced.

Solar energy From natural sunlight • Environment friendly • Ample or unlimited availability. • Limited capacity for storage of sunlight.

• Cloud cover. • Collecting equipment expensive. Wind energy Fans for directing winds in use from long for irrigation crops • No pollution • Available for free • Not available everywhere or intermittently available.

• Fans of wind mills visual hazards for flying birds and aeroplanes (visual pollution). Tidal energy Harnessing tidal power by suitable structures • Free and clean • Structures (plant) used for harnessing energy expensive. • Plant disrupts natural flow of estuary and concentrate pollutants in the area. Geothermal energy Wells drilled to trap steam which powers electrical generators. Steam naturally produced from underground water which gets heated due to very high temperature that region. • Environment friendly • Steam contains Hydrogen Sulphide (H 2S) having odour of rotten eggs. • Minerals in the steam corrosive to pipe lines and equipment causing maintenance problems.

• Minerals in the water toxic to fish. Biomass Cutting trees for fuel wood and burning them straight away • Cheap so popular in under developed and developing countries • Comparatively low level of energy.

• Bulky so difficult to transport. • Burning wood causes air pollution. • Destruction of forests to obtain fuel wood and so desertification. • Release lot of fly ash.

Biomass conversion Obtaining energy from chemical energy. Stored in biomass (or live material). Burned directly for cooking or to produce electricity converted to ethanol or methane (biogas) • Renew able energy • May lead to food shortage because nutrients not returned to soil from biomass. • Growing maize for ethanol requires more energy expenditure than the amount of energy in the form of alcohol retrieved. • Land for growing food used for growing biomass for conversion into fuel.

Solid waste Waste sorted and burnable material separated • Decreases cost of fresh disposal • Reduces need for land fill sites • Causes air pollution for burning releases CO 2 and other gases. • Waste such as bleached paper and plastics have chlorine containing compounds which form. dioxins which are highly toxic and suspected to be carcinogenic. Biomass [Conventional Source] • Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from plant and animal waste.

• The energy from biomass (biomass conversion) is released on burning or breaking the chemical bonds of organic molecules formed during photosynthesis. • Biomass fuels can be used directly or they can be transformed into more convenient form and then used. Sources of biomass • By-products from the timber industry, agricultural crops and their byproducts, raw material from the forest, major parts of household waste and wood. • Solid Biomass fuels: Wood logs and wood pellets, charcoal, agricultural waste (stalks and other plant debris), animal waste (dung), aquatic plants (kelp and water hyacinths) urban waste (paper, cardboard and other combustible materials). Conversion to gaseous and liquid biofuels • Biomass can be converted into alcohol (liquid biofuels) by distillation.