Solar Energy Fundamentals
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Questions and Answers

What is the intensity of solar energy commonly available in most places in India?

  • 5-7.5 kWh/m2 (correct)
  • 2-3 kWh/m2
  • 15-17 kWh/m2
  • 10-12 kWh/m2

    • What are solar collectors used for?

  • Reflecting sunlight away from buildings
  • Collecting and transferring solar energy to a fluid (correct)
  • Storing solar energy for later use
  • Converting solar energy into electricity

    • What is the primary use of solar energy in cold climate regions?

  • Generating electricity for lighting
  • Heating air to maintain comfort conditions (correct)
  • Cooking food using solar ovens
  • Heating water for washing

    • What is the main purpose of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency?

    <p>Installing solar energy in over a million houses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can solar energy be used for, besides electricity generation?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a solar collector?

    <p>To absorb solar energy in the form of heat and transfer it to a fluid</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between non-concentrating and concentrating type solar collectors?

    <p>The area of the absorber and interceptor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of a tracking system in solar collectors?

    <p>To make the collector face the sun when it moves</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of radiation is utilized by non-focus type collectors?

    <p>Both beam and diffuse radiation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the concentrating ratio (CR) of a solar collector?

    <p>The ratio of aperture area to receiver area</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the absorber plate in a flat plate collector?

    <p>To absorb incident solar radiation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main purpose of the transparent cover in a flat plate collector?

    <p>To allow radiation to reach the absorber plate while preventing heat loss</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the advantage of evacuated collectors compared to other collectors?

    <p>They can operate even in colder conditions due to vacuum insulation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the principle of the parabolic trough collector?

    <p>To reflect and concentrate solar radiation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the challenge with using solar energy?

    <p>It is only available during sunshine hours</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is energy storage essential in solar energy systems?

    <p>To match the generation of energy with the load demand during low insolation times</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a storage battery in a chemical energy storage system?

    <p>To store electrical energy generated by solar radiation and supply it later</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the principle behind latent heat storage in thermal energy storage systems?

    <p>Latent heat necessary to change the phase of the storage medium</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic of superconducting materials used in electromagnetic energy storage?

    <p>Zero resistance to electricity flow when cooled below a critical temperature</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process by which solar energy is stored in plants in biological storage systems?

    <p>Photosynthesis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the flat plate collector in a solar water heating system?

    <p>To convert solar radiation into heat energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the advantage of solar pumping in irrigation?

    <p>It can be carried out intermittently without any problem</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the reflective surfaces in a solar cooker?

    <p>To reflect sunlight onto a specific point, increasing the intensity of the sunlight</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process of converting saline water into pure water using solar radiation called?

    <p>Solar distillation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the blackened surface in a solar still?

    <p>To absorb sunlight and increase the temperature of the water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary advantage of using water as a storage medium in sensible heat storage systems?

    <p>High specific heat enabling storage of more heat per unit mass</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main limitation of using water as a storage medium in sensible heat storage systems?

    <p>Limited temperature range of 0-100°C</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary advantage of latent heat storage systems over sensible heat storage systems?

    <p>More compact for a certain heat storage capacity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the gradient non-convective zone in a solar pond?

    <p>To prevent convection and maintain the brine gradient</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the heat exchanger in a solar pond system?

    <p>To remove heat from the brine solution by evaporating a refrigerant</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the water vapor at the undersurface of the roof in a solar still?

    <p>It cools down and condenses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the condensate channel in a solar still?

    <p>To collect and drain out the condensed water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a type of solar thermal power plant?

    <p>Nuclear power plant using solar energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the heliostats in a central receiver system?

    <p>To reflect the direct beam radiation into the absorber</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the boiler in a central receiver system?

    <p>To produce high temperature steam</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of power cycle is used in a gas turbine power plant?

    <p>Brayton cycle</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the turbine in a central receiver system?

    <p>To generate electricity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the black pipes in the absorber?

    <p>To heat the working fluid</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the advantage of using a central receiver system?

    <p>It can produce high temperature steam</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the alternator in a central receiver system?

    <p>To generate electricity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Solar Energy and Its Utilization

    • Solar energy is a clean, cheap, and abundantly available renewable energy source.
    • Solar energy can be used directly as thermal energy and indirectly using solar photovoltaic cells to convert it to electricity.

    Solar Collectors

    • Solar collectors are devices that collect solar radiation and transfer the absorbed energy to a fluid.
    • The main types of solar collectors are:
      • Non-concentrating (flat plate) collectors
      • Concentrating collectors (parabolic dish, parabolic trough, power tower, and stationary concentrating collectors)
    • The important features of a solar collector include:
      • Collector efficiency
      • Concentrating ratio (CR)
      • Temperature range

    Types of Solar Collectors

    Flat Plate Collectors

    • Absorbs both direct and diffuse solar radiation
    • Does not require a sun-tracking system
    • Simple construction and low maintenance

    Evacuated Collectors

    • Uses a vacuum-sealed glass or metal tube to minimize heat loss
    • Inner tubes contain a heat-absorbing material that converts sunlight into heat

    Parabolic Trough Collectors

    • Uses a parabolic reflector to focus sunlight onto a receiver
    • Can achieve high temperatures and efficiencies

    Mirror Strip Collectors

    • Uses a series of curved mirrors to focus sunlight onto a receiver
    • Can be used for both heating and cooling applications

    Solar Energy Storage

    • Solar energy storage systems are necessary to match energy generation with load demand
    • The main types of solar energy storage systems are:
      • Thermal energy storage
      • Chemical energy storage
      • Electrical energy storage
      • Hydrogen energy storage
      • Electromagnetic energy storage
      • Biological energy storage

    Thermal Energy Storage

    • Can be achieved through sensible heat storage or latent heat storage
    • Sensible heat storage uses the heat capacity of a material to store energy
    • Latent heat storage uses the phase change of a material to store energy

    Solar Pond

    • A solar pond is a large, shallow pond with a salt concentration gradient
    • The top layer has a low salt concentration and is at atmospheric temperature
    • The bottom layer has a high salt concentration and can reach temperatures of 70-85°C
    • The hot brine solution can be used to generate electricity

    Solar Water Heater

    • A small capacity water heating system using natural circulation
    • Suitable for domestic hot water supply
    • Consists of a flat plate collector and a water storage tank

    Solar Thermal Pump

    • Uses solar radiation to generate mechanical power for pumping water
    • Suitable for irrigation pumping and has low running and maintenance costs

    Solar Cookers

    • A device that uses sunlight to cook or heat food
    • Can be used for both domestic and industrial applications### Solar Cookers
    • Harness energy from the sun and convert it into heat for cooking
    • Typically have reflective surfaces (mirrors or panels) that concentrate sunlight onto a cooking area
    • Reflective surfaces focus sunlight onto a specific point, increasing intensity
    • Cooking area designed to absorb and retain sunlight, using materials with high solar absorption properties (blackened surfaces, dark pots)
    • Dark colors absorb more sunlight and convert it into heat, raising the temperature of the cooking area
    • Heat is transferred to the cooking vessel or surface, cooking the food

    Solar Distillation

    • Process of converting saline water into pure water using solar radiation
    • Solar device used is called a solar still
    • Solar still consists of a shallow blackened basin filled with saline or brackish water to be distilled
    • Basin is covered with a sloping transparent roof, allowing sun rays to pass through and be absorbed by the blackened surface
    • Water evaporates due to solar heat, rises to the roof, cools, and condenses
    • Condensed water is collected by the condensate channel and drained out from the solar still

    Solar Thermal Power Plants

    • Can use different systems, including:
      • Low temperature solar power plant using flat plate collectors
      • Low temperature solar power plant using solar pond
      • Medium temperature solar power plant using focusing collectors
      • High temperature solar power plant using distributed collector systems (solar farms)

    Central Receiver System or Tower Power Plant

    • Principle: focus incoming solar radiation to a central receiver or boiler using thousands of plane reflectors (heliostats)
    • Mirrors are installed on the ground and oriented to reflect direct beam radiation into the absorber or receiver (boiler)
    • Boiler is mounted on a tall tower, allowing it to be in the field of view of all mirrors at all hours of the day
    • Beam radiation is absorbed by black pipes, heating the working fluid, which drives a turbine and produces mechanical energy
    • Turbine is coupled to an alternator, producing electrical energy

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    Learn about solar energy, its benefits, and its utilization. Discover the different types of solar collectors and their applications.

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