Alternative energy in the country. Choosing your own power system. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering / Alternative energy sources

 Comments on the article

Do you have a country house, but there is no way to extend a power line to it? Is connecting to centralized power supply networks prohibitively expensive? We will tell you how you can organize your own autonomous energy supply.

On the surface, generating your own electricity from renewable energy sources is an ideal way to avoid paying monthly energy bills. For many home owners, generating their own energy is a suitable solution to meet existing needs. However, such a solution requires certain material investments and time, both when purchasing and maintaining the system. Thus, the transition to your own energy supply system is a very responsible matter and requires a thoughtful approach.

When creating your own power system, you must:

• Explore legal and natural obstacles to installing your own power plant;
• Study prices and technical specifications from equipment manufacturers or suppliers;
• If economic feasibility is a key factor, you need to conduct an economic analysis that takes into account all the factors that may affect the cost of the electricity you generate;
• Understand the basics of using renewable energy systems;
• Consider combining your system with other energy sources, and consider all ways to improve energy efficiency in your home;
• Schedule maintenance. This especially applies to a system containing a diesel or gasoline-electric unit (as the main or backup source of power supply). It will also be necessary to monitor the condition of the battery (photovoltaic batteries require a minimum of maintenance).

Having your own power plant is advisable when:

• There is no centralized power supply network in your area or the connection is related to the laying of new power lines and the installation of an additional substation;
• You want to be independent of your local power grid;
• The area where your home is located is rich in renewable energy resources;
• You have strategic decisions that will allow you not to be left without energy when there is no renewable energy coming;
• You don't lose hope; that mechanisms for stimulating generation will be put into effect in our state; clean energy. These exist now in developed countries of Europe, the USA, China, India, Japan and many others.

When do you need your own energy?

In recent years, the cost of connecting to centralized power supply networks has increased significantly. Add here the cost of construction and equipment of the substation, and it turns out that for individual houses and small settlements, connecting to centralized power supply networks is an unaffordable luxury.

Unfortunately, the wind resource is not always sufficient to ensure a reliable power supply, and solar energy can only meet the electricity needs of an average home from spring to autumn (in winter, when energy consumption increases, solar resources are also not always sufficient). The most common way to solve the power supply problem in such cases is to use alternating current generators driven by a gasoline or diesel internal combustion engine (ICE). However, such a solution requires high operating costs associated with fuel delivery and frequent repairs of the internal combustion engine.

To operate a household refrigerator with a 100-200 W compressor, a XNUMX-hour power supply and continuous operation of the internal combustion engine in an uneconomical mode, close to idle, are required. A significant reduction in fuel consumption can be achieved by using very expensive fast-charging batteries and a powerful charger. Using a standard automatic engine start unit almost doubles the cost of the system.

In such a situation, taking into account the probabilistic nature of renewable energy sources and the relative high cost of renewable energy equipment, the most justified solution is to create a hybrid energy system based on a liquid fuel (or gas) electric generator, as well as photovoltaic batteries and/or a wind-electric installation. In this case, photovoltaic panels and wind turbines are not selected based on the total electricity demand, but to provide the base load (for example, lighting, radio, refrigerator), and the rest of the energy is produced by a liquid fuel electric generator.

In general, if the total power of your consumers (electrical loads) does not exceed several kW, the energy consumed is less than several kWh per day, and the distance to the point of connection to centralized power supply networks is more than several hundred meters, then an autonomous power supply system for your home is much more more profitable than connecting to networks.

The advantages of creating your own autonomous power supply system:

• There is no need to pay for connection to centralized power supply networks and construction of power lines;
• You are not dependent on electricity prices;
• You are the owner of your equipment and can generate electricity whenever you want.

Composition of the power system

1. Source of electrical energy. There can be several of them (main and backup):

• liquid fuel generator (benzo- or diesel-electric unit);
• photovoltaic battery;
• wind power plant;
• micro or small hydroelectric power station;
• thermoelectric generator.

The use of a liquid fuel generator (LFC) in the power system allows:

• do not depend on weather conditions;
• from the ZhTG it is possible to carry out a forced charge of a battery that has been discharged to a dangerous level. In this case, the gas turbine generator will operate at maximum load, which ensures minimum specific fuel consumption;
• power a relatively large load - a washing machine, production tools (machines, etc.), iron, etc.;
• provide for the beneficial use of the heat produced during the operation of the gas turbine engine by installing a heat exchanger on the exhaust pipe, or use the heat of the gas turbine engine coolant (for liquid-cooled models). In this way, it is possible to obtain a cogeneration plant that can increase the overall efficiency by 30-50%.

2. Rechargeable battery (AB) with a capacity sufficient to power the average daily load. In renewable energy systems, due to the variability of the renewable resource, this is a necessary element. Even if the main source is a liquid fuel generator, the presence of a battery will allow it to be turned on for a short time and still have a continuous power supply.

3. Inverter (DC to AC converter).

4. Charger and AB charge controller.

5. Systems for automatically starting and stopping the generator depending on the voltage on the battery.

6. Electrical equipment - boards, switches, fuses, cables, grounding system, etc.

7. Load. In an autonomous power supply system, it is necessary to use only energy-efficient devices. For example, the use of incandescent lamps is not recommended because they consume four times more current than fluorescent lamps. Despite the fact that energy-efficient devices are usually more expensive, their use can result in significant savings by reducing the power of the energy source and battery capacity.

Technically achievable energy potential of non-traditional and renewable energy sources in terms of standard fuel (million tons of fuel equivalent)

The principle of operation of an automated power supply system

A block diagram of a typical automated power supply system based on a liquid fuel generator and batteries is shown in the figure.

An internal combustion engine (diesel, gasoline, or liquefied or natural gas) drives an alternating current electric generator. During generator operation, the load is supplied directly from the generator through a transfer relay installed in the uninterruptible power supply unit. At the same time, the batteries are charged. At the same time, the microprocessor of the uninterruptible power supply controls the charging current so as not to overload the generator and ensure efficient charging of the battery.

The engine starts automatically from the built-in generator starter, powered by the built-in starter battery. At the same time, the control unit gives a command to open the fuel supply valve, after which the system goes into generation mode. To increase the service life of the main battery, the control unit constantly monitors the voltage level on the battery and, depending on the voltage, gives a command either to start the engine and charge the battery, or to turn off the engine and stop charging the battery. The upper and lower voltage values ​​for the battery are selected depending on its type and the nature of the load.

At prolonged maximum load, in order to avoid rapid discharge of the battery, it must be possible to force the internal combustion engine to manually turn on to recharge the battery, regardless of the voltage on the battery.

In such an autonomous system, the batteries operate in heavy cyclic conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to use batteries that work well in these modes - gel or OPz type. When using AGM batteries, a high voltage must be set to turn on the generator, which can lead to frequent starts of the generator.

See other articles Section Alternative energy sources.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Major risk factor for gambling addiction 07.05.2024

Computer games are becoming an increasingly popular form of entertainment among teenagers, but the associated risk of gaming addiction remains a significant problem. American scientists conducted a study to determine the main factors contributing to this addiction and offer recommendations for its prevention. Over the course of six years, 385 teenagers were followed to find out what factors may predispose them to gambling addiction. The results showed that 90% of study participants were not at risk of addiction, while 10% became gambling addicts. It turned out that the key factor in the onset of gambling addiction is a low level of prosocial behavior. Teenagers with a low level of prosocial behavior do not show interest in the help and support of others, which can lead to a loss of contact with the real world and a deepening dependence on virtual reality offered by computer games. Based on these results, scientists ... >>

Traffic noise delays the growth of chicks 06.05.2024

The sounds that surround us in modern cities are becoming increasingly piercing. However, few people think about how this noise affects the animal world, especially such delicate creatures as chicks that have not yet hatched from their eggs. Recent research is shedding light on this issue, indicating serious consequences for their development and survival. Scientists have found that exposure of zebra diamondback chicks to traffic noise can cause serious disruption to their development. Experiments have shown that noise pollution can significantly delay their hatching, and those chicks that do emerge face a number of health-promoting problems. The researchers also found that the negative effects of noise pollution extend into the adult birds. Reduced chances of reproduction and decreased fertility indicate the long-term effects that traffic noise has on wildlife. The study results highlight the need ... >>

Random news from the Archive Polymer LED indicators 28.02.2001 Delta Optoelectronics was one of the first companies in the world to produce indicators based on polymer LEDs. Seven-segment indicators of green, red and blue glow colors are already offered.

Other interesting news:

▪ Television and school grades

▪ Platform-in-a-box technology for the ZigBee standard

▪ Stem cell brain model

▪ Male and female perception of colors

▪ Invisible QR codes

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the site Electricity for beginners. Article selection

▪ article Never ask for anything! They will offer and give everything themselves. Popular expression

▪ article What is better - undereating or not getting enough sleep? Detailed answer

▪ article Stinky pumpkin. Legends, cultivation, methods of application

▪ article Auto window lifter car. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article Black Jack Detective Agency. Focus Secret

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages ​​of this page

Arabic	Hebrew	Polish
Bengali	Hindi	Portuguese
Chinese	Italian	Spanish
English	Japanese	Turkish
French	Korean	Ukrainian
German	Malay	Vietnamese

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews

www.diagram.com.ua
2000-2024