PROJECT WORK ON STUDY OF USES OF ALTERNATIVE

ENERGY IN NEPAL

A report submitted

For fulfillment of syllabus of class 11 in physics

Submitted by: submitted to:

Name: Sachin Neupane Department of Physics

Class: eleven (Napier) Arniko Awasiya Secondary School

Roll number:664 Biratnagar-10, Tintoliya, Morang

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

I would be short of words to express my gratitude to everyone

who has assisted me in completion of this project. I would even add up
my great indebtedness to the principal of Arniko College Mr. Rajesh
Karki sir and the entire department of physics to provide me this
opportunity. I would specially thank my parent who showed immense
support to me throughout. This project would have never been
completed without the joint support of the physics professors of Arniko
college, whom I would like to acknowledge for their great assistance
and support. I am too fortunate to get enough resources on the web and
internet regarding the research of this project. I also accredit the
developers of the websites and the writers of the articles, journals,
templates, books and research paper that I have taken help from in the
accomplishment of this project. I would close this here once again
thanking everyone who are directly or laterally associated in this
project.

---------------------------

Sachin Neupane

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 Alternative energy is that energy that does not come from fossil
fuels, and thus produce little to no green- house gases like carbon
dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO), chlorofluorocarbon
(CCL2F2) etc. This means that energy produced from these alternative
sources do not contribute to the green house that causes climate
change.

These energy sources are referred to as “alternative” because

they represent the alternative to coal, oil and natural gases that has
been the most common source of energy since the industrial revolution .

Image source:https://www.edanzediting.com/sites/default/files/edanz-alternativeenergyresearch.jp

The world at present is totally dependent on fossil fuels such as coal,

petrol, diesel, kerosene etc. These resources are very useful and
effective in production of energy. They have the potential to generate
immense amount of energy. But unfortunately, they have dozens of

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anomalies and backlogs and hence deplete the health of humans and
nature. When burned they produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and are the
largest driver of the global climate change. They are also a major
contributor to local air pollution, which is estimated to linked to millions
of premature deaths each year. Due to harmful consequences of fossils
fuel on environment the global fraternity is in search of other options for
energy production. After a long span of time and research, this is where
alternative energy sources came into limelight. They are better
preferred and suited for the betterment of humans and environment due
to following reasons:

1) Reduces the impact of global warming

2) Improves public health
3) Limitless energy
4) Consistent energy prices
5) Reliable and resilient
6) Employment opportunities and rocketing economies
7) Numerous methods of energy generation
8) Energy independence to individuals
9) Cost effective

So, it is felt very necessary to adapt alternative energy sources

such as solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, biomass,
hydropower, tidal energy etc. at the present time. Due to high demand
of energy in this rapidly growing world, the fossils fuel will replenish
soon in the near future. According to reports, the demand of energy is
increasing at the rate of 2.3% per year due to population growth. It may
cause energy crisis in near future if available energy sources are not
conserved and alternative source of energy are not developed.

The world is rapidly flourishing towards the technological

advancement and the experiencing substantial upgradation of standard
of living. So, it is very likely that energy demand will surplus in a large
extent in the near future and we will be ineffectual in delivering it. This
is the reason why we need to seek and adapt the alternative energy

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sources to ensure that our present and future be more sustainable and
congenial.

The objective of the study done on the alternative energy in

Nepal, in this project are listed as below:

1) To get the idea and information of generation of alternative

energy in Nepal.
2) To learn the procedure of generating energy from different
sources in an unambigious and simplified manner.
3) To create a preliminary idea of existing energy consumption in
the country.
4) To make the concept of alternative energy familiar amongst the
students and instill the idea of adaptation of these energy
source.

The methodology of generating various types of alternative energy

along their uses are discussed below:

1) SOLAR ENERGY:
It is probably the best alternative energy source at present on
the earth. The energy obtained due to the heat radiated by the sun is
called solar energy. The sun generates energy by the nuclear fusion
occurring in it. Fusion occurs when protons of hydrogen atoms violently
collide in the sun's core and fuse to create a helium atom. This process,
known as a PP (proton-proton) chain reaction, emits an enormous
amount of energy. Now, the method of generating solar energy is
discussed below:

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 Solar radiation may be converted directly into electricity by
the solar cells (photovoltaic cells). Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are
made up of many solar cells. Solar cells are made of silicon, like
semiconductors. They are constructed with a positive layer and a
negative layer, which together create an electric field, just like in a
battery.

Image source: https://energyeducation.ca/wiki/images/thumb/1/11/Photovoltaiceffect.png/400px-Photovoltaiceffect.png

When photons hit a solar cell, they knock electrons loose from
their atoms. If conductors are attached to the positive and negative
sides of a cell, it forms an electrical circuit. When electrons flow
through such a circuit, they generate electricity. Multiple cells make up
a solar panel, and multiple panels (modules) can be wired together to
form a solar array. The more panels you can deploy, the more energy
you can expect to generate.

Uses of solar energy in Nepal:

1) It can be used in extremely rural and remote area of the country

where there is no access of electricity from main electricity power
grid.
2) It can be attached in the roof of automobiles to continuously
charge them even when they are operating on the streets.

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 3) It can also provide tremendous amount energy to machine
operating large and medium scale industries as a replacement of
mineral oils and coals.
4) It can remove the situation of power cut during various natural
calamities and provides constant power supply.

2) GEOTHERMAL ENERGY:

The thermal energy that is obtained from the heat inside the
surface of the earth is known as geothermal energy. The heat is
produced mainly by the radioactive decay of potassium, thorium,
and uranium in Earth’s crust and mantle and also by friction generated
along the margins of continental plates. In the earthquake and volcanic
eruption prone areas, the temperature increases by 80°C while going
about 1 Km down in earth’s crust. The way of obtaining geothermal
energy is mentioned below:

Usually, Geothermal power plants are constructed where the

geothermal energy is to be obtained. At a geothermal power plant, wells
are drilled 1 or 2 miles deep into the Earth to pump steam or hot water
to the surface. It is most likely to find one of these power plants in an
area that has a lot of hot springs, geysers, or volcanic activity, because
these are places where the Earth is particularly hot just below the
surface.

Image source: https://archive.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/images/4-1-5-geopower.gif

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 In the process, Hot water is pumped from deep underground
through a well under high pressure. When the water reaches the
surface, the pressure is dropped, which causes the water to turn into
steam. Then, the steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a
generator that produces electricity. The steam cools off in a cooling
tower and condenses back to water. The cooled water is pumped back
into the Earth to begin the process again as shown in the figure above.

The uses of geothermal energy are as follow:

1) As almost 29 geothermal springs has been traced out in Nepal,

mostly located in the banks of karnali, mahakali, myagdi, tila,
kaligandaki, marsyangdi and bhotekoshi river. This can immensely
help in generating electricity enough for local population and
provide employment opportunities to local peoples.

2) Geothermal heat can be used in heating waters at the fish farm to

provide suitable temperature to fishes during winter.
3) It can also be used in raising the plants in the artificial
greenhouses and drying the crops too.
4) Geothermal heat is also in various industrial processes such as
pasteurization of milk etc.

3) WIND ENERGY:
The energy that is obtained from the kinetic energy (K.E) of the
wind is known as wind energy. Wind energy can be used to run sea boat,
wind mills etc. and also help to generate electricity and pumping water.
The gigantic wind turbines are mounted on a tower and are installed
100 m high from the land. Turbines catch the wind's energy with their
propeller-like blades. The energy from the wind is generated in the
following way:

The wind blows the blades of the turbine, which are attached to
a rotor. The rotor then spins a generator to create electricity. There are
two types of wind turbines: the horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs)
and vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs). HAWTs are the most common

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type of wind turbine. They usually have two or three long, thin blades
that look like an airplane propeller. The blades are positioned so that
they face directly into the wind. VAWTs have shorter, wider curved
blades that resemble the beaters used in an electric mixer.

Image source: https://media.istockphoto.com/vectors/wind-turbine-work-principle-with-mechanical-

inner-structure-outline-vector-id1353539090?s=612x612

When wind flows across the blade, the air pressure on one
side of the blade decreases. The difference in air pressure across the
two sides of the blade creates both lift and drag. The force of the lift is
stronger than the drag and this causes the rotor to spin. The rotor
connects to the generator, either directly (if it’s a direct drive turbine)
or through a shaft and a series of gears (a gearbox) that speed up the
rotation and allow for a physically smaller generator. This translation of
aerodynamic force to rotation of a generator creates electricity.

The uses of wind energy are listed below:

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 1) As a small individual wind turbines can produce 100 kilowatts of
power, enough to power a home, it gives individual freedom to
generate energy by their own.
2) In remote areas, wind mills can be constructed which can be used
for grinding grains such as wheat, flour etc.
3) Wind pump can be operated through wind energy to irrigate the
farming land or to drain the land.
4) Wind energy can also be beneficial in transportation sector by
installing huge kites and utilizing it for sailing in the rivers.

4) HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY:

The form of energy that is produced by rotating turbines with

the help of flowing water is called hydroelectric energy. It is usually
produced in the areas comprising the fast-flowing rivers down the hill.
Historically, the Greek peoples about 2000 years ago, presumably, used
flowing water to turn the wheel of their mill to ground wheat into flours.
This, is probably the most abundant source for generating energy in our
country. More than 6000 flowing rivers can help us rise above traditional
and orthodox fossil fuels. The complete procedure of generating
hydroelectricity is mentioned afterwards:

Most hydroelectric power plants have a reservoir of water, a

gate or valve to control how much water flows out of the reservoir in
the upper portion, and an outlet(penstocks) or place where the water
ends up after flowing downward to a lower elevation. The difference in
upper portion and the lower elevation is called head.

At the end of its passage down the pipes, the

falling water causes turbines to rotate. The turbines in turn
drive generators, which convert the turbines’ mechanical energy into
electricity. Transformers are then used to convert the alternating
voltage suitable for the generators to a higher voltage suitable for long-
distance transmission. The structure that houses the turbines and

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generators, and into which the pipes or penstocks feed, is called
the powerhouse. The better visualization is given in the diagram
beneath:

Image source https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/wind-energy/

When the electricity is stored in powerhouse and bought near

cities and communities, it passes through a substation that uses
transformers to change the electricity into a lower, more usable voltage.
From there it travels on distribution lines, which use thinner, lighter
conductors that are typically strung between wooden or concrete poles.

The uses of hydropower in Nepal are listed as below:

1) It can provide enough employment opportunities to locals of

remote areas of Nepal as it is usually deployed in remote hills.
2) It can create energy independence in Nepal which can resolve
the trauma of energy shortage in the country.
3) It can hugely support farmers of upper and mid hills in irrigating
farm lands during draughts.

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 4) the dam constructed for hydroelectricity generation can be
deployed to control flood during heave monsoons.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION:

The following report concerns with the methodology of
generating alternative energy in Nepal and the uses of them in the
country. There has been made multiple gigantic efforts globally to
improve the condition of alternative energy in the world. The
sustainable development goals also have an ambition of making this
world run on alternative and renewable energy sources.

Still on, the situation of world is very vulnerable in term of energy

consumption. The majority of the world is still dependent on mineral oils
and coal for energy creation. the following pie-chart illustrates the
status of energy consumption in the world.

Image source: https://energypedia.info/images/8/83/Nepal_Rural_Share.jpg

Image source: https://energypedia.info/images/thumb/a/a6/Nepal_Urban_Share.jpg/300px-Nepal_Urban_Share.jpg

According to WHO household energy database 2010, the majority

energy requirement is fulfilled by wood in urban areas whereas the
energy demand in rural area is fulfilled by wood with dazzling 81.4%.
this shows the poor status of energy source in Nepal and is alarming us
to adapt alternative energy sources.

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REFERENCES:
1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy
2) https://www.britannica.com/science/solar-energy
3) https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/solar-energy/
4) https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/solar-energy
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_energy
6) https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/geothermal-
energy/
7) https://www.irena.org/geothermal
8) https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-
wind-energy
9) https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/wind-energy/
10) https://www.nrel.gov/research/re-wind.html
11) https://ourworldindata.org/energy
12) https://energypedia.info/wiki/Nepal_Energy_Situation
13)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266612332100021
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