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Viable Strategies for Acquiring & Applying Nanotechnology for Sustainable Development: Future Technologies for Energy Supply in Developing Countries

Prof. Dr. Ali K. Abdel-Rahman

Assiut University, Assiut

Egypt


AGENDA

• Major Energy Challenges• Energy Forecasts in Developing Countries• Options for Energy Supply in Developing Countries• Technology Barriers• Energy Supply in Developing Countries

– Solar energy systems– Wind energy systems– Hydropower systems– Biogas and Biofuel

• Conclusion


MAJOR ENERGY CHALLENGES

• Meeting rising energy requirements is fundamental to ensuring economic development in developing countries. Solutions must address a number of very difficult challenges:– Strong energy demand growth of 2.7 percent a year in the

developing countries for the next 20 years is tightening world oil supplies. This has led to an upward pressure on oil prices that is likely to persist.

– There will be a growing reliance on the Middle East, which remains politically unstable.

– There will be a significant shift in oil and gas trade towards Asia, which could lead to greater friction with the industrial countries.



– Studies estimate that roughly $8 trillion dollars of investments will be needed in the developing countries to meet energy needs through 2025.

– Capital investments at this level are well beyond the capabilities of the developing country governments to raise on their own.

– All potential economic sources of energy must be utilized in an environmentally responsible manner.

– New technologies need to be developed to increase supply options and to improve efficiency of demand as well as of production.



• Energy conservation and efficiency improvements must be encouraged:– Energy intensity in developing countries remains over double

that in the industrialized countries which reflects the inefficient production of power and inefficiencies in the utilization of power.

– The electric power industry needs to become economically viable:

• Many power companies do not cover costs.

• Tariff structures often fail to fully reflect cost.

• Transmission structures are often inadequate.

• Management and technical manpower need training and know-how.


ENERGY FORECASTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• The World Energy Council (WEC) published updated long term projections for global energy demand for three scenarios up to the year 2050: high economic growth; ecologically driven growth; and a “middlecourse” scenario.

• Even under the least energy intensive “ecologically driven” scenario, primary energy demand in developing countries is expected to triple and form up to two thirds of total global demand by 2050.


OPTIONS FOR ENERGY SUPPLY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• Electricity grid extensions – while clean and efficient at the point of use, extending electricity grids is capital intensive and requires on-going maintenance.

• Small scale hydropower systems – these tend to have high capital costs but relatively low maintenance costs, a long service life, high operational reliability (given water availability) and low environmental impact.

• Solar energy systems (photovoltaic and solar thermal) – these have few environmental impacts, but initial costs can be high. Maintenance and replacement may be difficult in isolated communities.


OPTIONS FOR ENERGY SUPPLY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• Small scale wind energy systems – these tend to have high capital costs but low running costs. Supply is intermittent and so energy storage is necessary for reliability.

• Biogas and liquid biofuels (alcohols and vegetable oils) – these tend to have low capital costs and beneficial byproducts.

• Improved biomass – this is focused on enhancing the use of biomass through technologies such as improved cooking stoves, aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing air pollution.


TECHNOLOGY BARRIERS

• Although various energy technologies are available in the global market, they remain beyond the reach of many developing countries.

• Many in the development community have called for increased efforts to transfer these technologies from the developed to the developing world.

• However, simply having access to the technology will not guarantee that people in need will receive the energy services.


TECHNOLOGY BARRIERS

• It is also necessary to ensure that there is adequate capacity in developing countries for suitable people to obtain and enhance technological skills and capability to acquire, select and absorb that knowledge into local settings.

• Hence many agree that technology transfer and capacity building must come hand in hand.


ENERGY SUPPLY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• Technologies that can be used in developing countries include, but not limited to:– Solar Energy Systems– Wind Energy Systems– Hydropower Systems– Biogas and Biofuel


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER

• CSP are systems that use lenses or mirrors to concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal energy, onto a small area. Electrical power is produced when the concentrated light is converted to heat which drives a heat engine (usually a steam turbine) connected to an electrical power generator.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS PARABOLIC TROUGH

• A parabolic trough consists of a linear parabolic reflector that concentrates light onto a receiver positioned along the reflector's focal line. The reflector follows the Sun during the daylight hours by tracking along a single axis.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSPARABOLIC TROUGH

• A working fluid (e.g. molten salt) is heated to 150–350 °C as it flows through the receiver and is then used as a heat source for a power generation system. Trough systems are the most developed CSP technology.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSFRESNEL LENS

• Concentrating Linear Fresnel reflectors are CSP-plants which use many thin mirror strips to concentrate sunlight onto two tubes with working fluid. This has the advantage that flat mirrors can be used which are much cheaper than parabolic mirrors.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSDISH STIRLING

• A dish stirling or dish engine system consists of a stand-alone parabolic reflector that concentrates light onto a receiver positioned at the reflector's focal point. The reflector tracks the Sun along two axes.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSDISH STIRLING

• The working fluid in the receiver is heated to 250–700 °C and then used by a Stirling engine to generate power. Parabolic dish systems provide the highest solar-to-electric efficiency among CSP technologies, and their modular nature provides scalability.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSSOLAR POWER TOWER

• A solar power tower consists of an array of dual-axis tracking reflectors (heliostats) that concentrate light on a central receiver atop a tower; the receiver contains a fluid deposit, which can consist of sea water.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSSOLAR POWER TOWER

• The working fluid in the receiver is heated to 500–1000 °C and then used as a heat source for a power generation or energy storage system. Power tower offer higher efficiency and better energy storage capability.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSPHOTOVOLTAICS

• Photovoltaics (PV) is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect.


SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSPHOTOVOLTAICS

• As of 2010, solar photovoltaics generates electricity in more than 100 countries and, while yet comprising a tiny fraction of the 4.8 TW total global power-generating capacity from all sources, is the fastest growing power-generation technology in the world.


WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS

• Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps for pumping water or drainage.


WIND ENERGY SYSTEMSWIND POWER USAGE

• There are now many thousands of wind turbines operating, with a total capacity of 157,899 MW of which wind power in Europe accounts for 48% (2009).

• World wind generation capacity more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2006, doubling about every three years. 81% of wind power installations are in the US and Europe.


WIND ENERGY SYSTEMSOFFSHORE WIND POWER

• Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher.


WIND ENERGY SYSTEMSENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

• Compared to the environmental effects of traditional energy sources, the environmental effects of wind power are relatively minor. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources.


HYDROPOWER SYSTEMS

• Hydropower is power that is derived from the energy of moving water. Prior to the widespread availability of commercial electric power, hydropower was used for irrigation, and operation of various machines, such as watermills, and textile machines.


HYDROPOWER SYSTEMSHYDROELECTRICITY

• Conventional hydroelectric, referring to hydroelectric dams.


BIOGAS AND BIOFUEL

• Biofuels are a wide range of fuels which are in some way derived from biomass.

• Biofuels are gaining increased public and scientific attention, driven by factors such as oil price spikes, the need for increased energy security, and concern over greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.


BIOGAS AND BIOFUEL BIOETHANOL

• Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting the sugar components of plant materials and it is made mostly from sugar and starch crops.

• Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Bioethanol is widely used in the USA and in Brazil.


BIOGAS AND BIOFUEL BIODIESEL

• Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled greases.

• Biodiesel can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a diesel additive to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles.

• Biodiesel is the most common biofuel in Europe. It is produced from oils or fats and is a liquid similar in composition to fossil/mineral diesel.


BIOGAS AND BIOFUELBIOGAS

• Biogas is methane produced by the process of anaerobic digestion of organic material.

• It can be produced either from biodegradable waste materials or by the use of energy crops fed into anaerobic digesters to supplement gas yields.

• The solid byproduct, digestate, can be used as a biofuel or a fertilizer.


CONCLUSIONS

• Sustainability is the most precious gift that we can give to our future generations.

• Renewable energy sources, may serve to sustain the lives and families of millions of peoples in developing countries.

• Through engineering, this technology can provide the energy needed in developing countries.

• Funding for the renewable energy systems is a challenging aspect for developing countries.

• The initial installation is basically the only cost, so the investment will simply pay for itself for the rest of its life.


THANK YOU

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