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Showing posts with label waste heat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label waste heat. Show all posts

ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION FROM WASTE HEAT SOURCES

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Written by Muhammad Shahrukh
                                            



21st century holds major challenges for the world. Rising oil prices are forcing a hard look at how we plan to meet our energy needs for the future.  Continued reliance on coal and other fossil fuels also means that global warming will continue to worsen… time is to think and ponder over…

As the world is rapidly industrializing, emission of large quantity of heat from different sources has raised serious concerns regarding earth’s sovereignty. On the other hand, depleting fossil fuels from within the earth is threatening the global energy need which is increasing significantly at the rate of 2.3% each year. In order to encounter both environmental and energy crises, electricity power generation from waste heat sources can be considered a ray of hope for the survival of our future generations.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this project is to utilize the waste heat given off by different industrial processes such as steel or glass production, oil refining, burning of transport fuels and to use it for the generation of electricity. Such a measure can be a milestone in securing the energy demand of developing countries and providing an alternative and cost-competitive means of energy production and utilization.
                         
METHODS

THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS

Thermoelectric generators is one of the latest technique employed to convert the waste heat into valuable electricity. These generators consume the waste heat to boil liquid in the pot and converts it to steam, causing rotational moment in the turbine to produce electricity. Thermoelectric devices can also consume the energy of sun and reduce the dependence on photovoltaic cells whose efficiency is declining significantly. Thermoelectric devices have the ability of lighting even a 100 watt bulb and increases car’s efficiency by 25%. It is thought that  thermoelectricity has a potential to be 100 times superior to other technologies. The design of thermoelectric devices is such that it doesn’t involve any moving parts and can be  manufactured relatively effortlessly and cost-effectively.

              
PIEZOELECTRIC DEVICE

The other method which has been successfully employed for the generation of electricity from waste heat is by using Sound. In this technique, heat is transformed to sound by means of thermo acoustic prime movers in the first stage. In the second stage, sound is transformed into electricity using "piezoelectric" devices that change pressure into electrical current. This technology has the benefit  of  not creating noise pollution. The efficiency of this technology can be significantly enhanced by optimizing the geometry and insulation of the acoustic resonator and by injecting heat directly into the hot heat exchanger.



THERMAL DIODES

Electricity can also be produced from waste heat by using thermal diodes which are capable to convert heat into electricity at a much lower temperatures. These devices can be very useful for conserving and generating electricity. These diodes amplify the battery lives of portable devices and diminish the power necessities of several electronic devices.
 
MAGNETO HYDRODYNAMICS (MHD)


Magneto hydrodynamics (MHD) is a technology which creates electricity from any heat source, by using  magnets to extract electricity from superheated charged plasmas. It is supposed that MHD systems will considerably reduce energy costs and will offer an affordable/cost-competitive alternate means of producing electricity. The power generation through this technology is based on Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction. The efficiency of this technology is anticipated to be 60%.

ADVANTAGES
Ø  There is No Additional Carbon Generation required for the electricity production.

Ø  This process generates clean, reliable and cost-effective electricity from industrial waste. It also  accelerates financial turnover by maximizing energy efficiency and fossil fuel savings.

Ø  Low cost base load electricity production

Ø  Low maintenance and simple operation

Ø  High system efficiency.

COST

The approximate cost of one of the methods of converting heat into electricity via sound using acoustic heat-engine devices is $2 million. Other university engaged in the research and development of this project was able to recoup its purchase cost in three to four years with electricity costing about three to four cents per KWH during that time and after their payback period, the cost per KWH was dropped to less than a penny.

CONCLUSION

As there is an enormous apprehension on the reserves of fossil fuel energy and as the population is mounting at a quarter of a million people per day, the employment of renewable sources of energy and alternate means for generating electricity becomes much more noteworthy for securing the peaceful existence of mankind. 
So the generation of electricity from waste heat sources can definitely be a solution to the problem.


REFERENCES
1.      Future Bioenergy and Sustainable Land Use by R.Schubert, Earthscan publications 2010.
2.      Thermophotovoltaics: Basic Principles and Critical Aspects of System Design by Thimas Bauer published by Springer, 2011.
3.      Advances in Electronic Ceramics II, Volume 30 by Shashank Priya, Anke Weidenkaff, David.P.Norton, published by John Wiley and Sons, 2009.
4.      Renewable Energy Sources And Emerging Technologies by Kothari Et Al.,published by PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
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