Alternative Energy Sources : A View point

F. C. Kohli

I have seen Prof. Schreiber’s paper on ‘The Energy Problem.’ I agree with him that Nuclear and Ethanol solutions will create more problems. However, for meeting energy needs we need to consider all solutions including Nuclear and Ethanol. There are also many more practical solutions than rerouting of the sun’s energy through space systems. Nonetheless, at this point we must visit all options and solutions. No solution in itself can meet all future requirements.  I am listing below, some of these solutions, which were proposed as early as 1974.

a)    CONVERSION OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE

Agricultural waste can be converted to energy, both through gasification and biogas. These are suitable for plant sizes 100 KW to 1MW.  These could be set up as distributed generation units to cover India’s rural areas that account for 20-30% of the country’s demand for energy. The residue of the above processes will be used as fertilizer. Conversion of agricultural waste could transform agriculture and the rural economy, and build new skill sets. There are enough wastes to meet entire ravel energy needs as fertilizer.

The conversion process would be Gasification of Biomas and Conversion to Biogas.

  1.      GASIFICATION:

First generation gasifies using wood chips and briquetted material for 200 KW + above are available and in operation at many remote sites. Gas fuels diesel engines that drive electricity generators.

Further Research needs

•       Gasification needs further research so as to burn grass, weeds and rice-husk etc. without a densing the material. The research should focus on designing burners      based on the principles of ‘Fluidized Bed Combustion’ so that it can burn even loose material.
  

•       Research is also required for cleaning the gas to deploy micro gas turbines.

  2.      BIO GAS :

Community type Bio gas plants have been designed for producing gas by Biomethantion of green   agricultural wastes. Community or Village level biogas plants can supply gas for cooking needs of the entire village. Sterling engines can convert gas into electricity.

Further Research needs

a) Using reheat to maintain optimum temperature all the time
b) Research on Sterling Engines for driving generation 100 KW and above.

  3.      RURAL ECONOMY TRANSFORMATION

  Both Gasification and Biogas have potential for transforming the rural economy and people’s skill set.

 
b)  PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL

Research is required in materials to bring down the cost and increase the efficiency in conversion to energy. There are large uninhabited areas in the world, where solar energy farms can be set up. One has only to look at the deserts the world over.

  Let me also mention the idea that was put forth in 1973-74 (at that time I was on the board as director) using electricity produced from photovoltaic cells to electrolysis of water. The hydrogen generated could be used as clean fuel. The electricity produced could be used for de-salination of water on a large scale. However, there are research issues on transport of Hydrogen. Hydrogen could also be used for Fuel Cell which could produce electricity as and when required and for automobiles and other applications.

  Large Photovoltaic cell Solar Farms could generate huge quantities of energy that could be transmitted through electricity grids.

 
c)  OIL FROM NON-EDIBLE SEEDS

Sutra at the Indian Institute of Science (Prof. Srinivasan) has done work in extracting oil from Non-Edible seeds. The oil could be used as fuel. They have demonstrated how bio-diesel can replace petroleum diesel in diesel generator generating 1MW power. Research is required in conditioning of oil from Non-Edible oil seeds.

For India, this holds considerable promise. There are 140 varieties of Non-Edible oil seeds. The trees bearing such seeds grow on marginal land, considered good only for growing firewood. Theoretically, if India can use 80-90% of its marginal land, it could produce bio-diesel equivalent to 200 million tons of petroleum diesel. The oil cake left after expelling oil is an excellent feed for biogas plants. It would produce copious biogas with rich energy content.  Further sludge in the digester is excellent manure.

Conclusion

Since my days in the power sector (1951-1969), I have observed that there has not been enough funding in energy research. Unless we do that we will not be able to attract the gifted scientists and engineers. Oil companies should become partners in this exercise. They must understand that they are ultimately in the business of ‘energy’ and not ‘oil’.

___________________________________________________________________

F.C. Kohli

Tata Consultancy Services: fc.kohli@tcs.com.  Web site: http://www.tcs.comTata