Hybrid renewable energy system

Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) are becoming popular as stand-alone power systems for providing electricity in remote areas due to advances in renewable energy technologies and subsequent rise in prices of petroleum products. A hybrid energy system, or hybrid power, usually consists of two or more renewable energy sources used together to provide increased system efficiency as well as greater balance in energy supply.[1]

Examples

Biomass-wind-fuel cell

For example, let us consider a load of 100% power supply and there is no renewable system to fulfill this need, so two or more renewable energy system can be combined. For example, 60% from a biomass system, 20% from wind system and the remainder from fuel cells. Thus combining all these renewable energy systems may provide 100% of the power and energy requirements for the load, such as a home or business.

Photovoltaic and wind

Block diagram of a PV/wind hybrid energy system

Another example of a hybrid energy system is a photovoltaic array coupled with a wind turbine.[2] This would create more output from the wind turbine during the winter, whereas during the summer, the solar panels would produce their peak output. Hybrid energy systems often yield greater economic and environmental returns than wind, solar, geothermal or trigeneration stand-alone systems by themselves.

Completely Renewable Idea

Completely Renewable Hybrid Power Plant (solar, wind, biomass, hydrogen) A hybrid power plant consisting of these four renewable energy sources can be made into operation by proper utilization of these resources in a completely controlled manner. Hybrid Energy Europe-USA. Caffese in Europe introduce hybridizing HVDC transmission with Marine hydro pumped Energy Storage via elpipes. The project of Caffese is 3 marine big lakes producing 1800 GW and transmission with elpipes. A part 1200 GW produce water fuels-wind fuels-solar fuels 210 billion liter year. (IEEE Power and Engineering Society-General Meeting Feb.9.2011,Arpa-E,Doe USA,MSE Italy,European Commission-Energy-Caffese plan and Consortium)

Drawbacks

Most of us already know how a solar/wind/biomass power generating system works, all these generating systems have some or the other drawbacks, like Solar panels are too costly and the production cost of power by using them is generally higher than the conventional process, it is not available in the night or cloudy days. Similarly Wind turbines can’t operate in high or low wind speeds and Biomass plant collapses at low temperatures.

How to Overcome?

So if all the three are combined into one hybrid power generating system the drawbacks can be avoided partially/completely, depending on the control units. As the one or more drawbacks can be overcome by the other, as in northern hemisphere it is generally seen that in windy days the solar power is limited and vice versa and in summer and rainy season the biomass plant can operate in a full flagged so the power generation can be maintained in the above stated condition. The cost of solar panel can be subsided by using glass lenses, mirrors to heat up a fluid, that can rotate the common turbine used by wind and other sources. Now the question arises what about the winter nights or cloudy winter days with very low wind speeds. Here comes the activity of the Hydrogen. As we know the process of electrolysis can produce hydrogen by breaking water into hydrogen and oxygen, it can be stored; hydrogen is also a good fuel and burns with oxygen to give water. Hydrogen can be used to maintain the temperature of the biomass reservoir in winter so that it can produce biogas in optimum amount for the power generation. As stated above biogas is a good source in summer; in this period the solar energy available is also at its peak, so if the demand and supply is properly checked and calculated the excess energy can be used in the production of hydrogen and can be stored. In sunny, windy &hot day, the turbine operates with full speed as the supply is maximum, and this excess power can be consumed for the process of manufacturing hydrogen. In winter, the power consumption is also low so the supply limit is low, and obtained with lesser consumption. Driving hybrid cars will disable this outcome.

Areas Of Research

Regulation

To get constant power supply, the output of the renewables may be connected to the rechargeable battery bank and then to the load. If the load is alternating current (AC), then an inverter is used to convert the direct current (DC) supply from the battery to the AC load. Consideration about voltage transition among modules starting from Wind Generator,Battery Charger Controller and Inverter should be subject to voltage standard which mainly focus about voltage compatibility.

Need for research

The key to cost reductions of this order is, of course, the right sort of support for innovation and development - something that has been lacking for the past and, arguably, is still only patchy at present. Research and development efforts in solar, wind, and other renewable energy technologies are required to continue for:

Economic aspects of these technologies are sufficiently promising to include them in developing power generation capacity for developing countries.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ginn, Claire. "Energy pick n’ mix: are hybrid systems the next big thing?". www.csiro.au. CSIRO. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  2. ↑ "Hybrid photovoltaic systems". Denis Lenardic.
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