Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr.
Niranjana Rai
CANARA ENGINEERING COLLEGE,
Benjanapadavu, Bantwal
Department of Basic Science and Humanities
Introduction to Mechanical Engineering
BESCK104/204D
Semester: Ist
Module No.: 1
INTRODUCTION
Module Title:
ENERGY
Faculty Name: Dr. Niranjana Rai
Credentials: niranjan.rai@canaraengineering.com
Mobile:9731331950
Department of Basic Science and Humanities, CEC Page 1
Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
MODULE 1
INTRODUCTION
VTU Syllabus of the module
Introduction: Role of Mechanical Engineering in Industries and Society- Emerging
Trends and Technologies in different sectors such as Energy, Manufacturing, Automotive,
Aerospace, and Marine sectors.
Energy: Introduction and applications of Energy sources like Fossil fuels, Nuclear fuels,
Hydel, Solar, wind, and biofuels, Environmental issues like Global warming and Ozone
depletion
1.1 Introduction
Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest subjects in engineering. It is
concerned with the production and use of heat and mechanical power for the designing,
production and operation of machines and tools.
Mechanical engineering deals with the complete process of the production of instruments.
Some examples of products that need a mechanical engineer’s expertise are printers, disk drives,
prosthetic devices, semiconductor tools, robots and heavy machineries like turbines, engines
and transformers.
Figure 1.1 Importance of Mechanical Engineering
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
1.2 Role of Mechanical Engineers in Industries (Jobs and Responsibilities)
1. Mechanical engineers are responsible for designing, developing, testing, and improving
systems and devices with moving parts.
2. They will analyze the problem to find out how a machine can solve the problem
3. They will Design or redesign devices
4. They will Develop and test prototypes
5. They will Analyze test results
6. They will Oversee the manufacturing process
7. They create mechanical systems for various industries:
• Medical devices used in health care settings
• Electric charging stations for zero-emission vehicles
• Elevators and escalators in buildings
• Material handling systems in manufacturing facilities
8. Before building the systems, sensors, tools, and engines, mechanical engineers create
prototypes and test their designs.
9. At the end of the design and testing processes, they often oversee the manufacturing
process.
10. Mechanical engineers also investigate failures and diagnose mechanical issues in various
equipment
Apart from above mentioned job, the Mechanical engineers also perform,
i. Taking stock of project requirements
ii. Measuring the performance of mechanical components
iii. Approving budgets, timescales, and specifications
iv. Maintaining, modifying the equipment
v. Networking with suppliers
vi. Conducting required research
vii. Evaluating and modifying products
viii. Writing reports and documents
ix. Providing technical advice.
Virtually every product or service in modern life has probably been touched in some way by
a mechanical engineer to help humankind. This includes solving today's problems and creating
future solutions in
▪ Health Care,
▪ Energy,
▪ Transportation,
▪ Communication
▪ Electronic Appliance
▪ World Hunger, Food
▪ Space Exploration,
▪ Climate Change
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
1.3 Role of Mechanical Engineering in Society
Mechanical Engineering create and develop mechanical systems for all of humankind
Concern with principles of force, energy and motion. It plays a crucial role in all ways of
living like
• Transportation
• Medical
• Agricultural
• Defense
• Power generation
Figure 1.2 Contribution of ME to the society
1.4 Role of Mechanical Engineering in Energy Sector
1. Mechanical engineers are responsible for the systems and components design,
operation, and management of power plants.
2. Mechanical engineers collaborate with civil, chemical, and electrical power engineers
to design, build, and operate power plants.
3. Power plant engineers ensure machinery is running at optimal capacity and
maintain turbines, boilers and much more.
4. When a machine develops a fault, an engineer will work to find the source of the
problem, develop a solution, and may be expected to work overtime.
5. Other daily tasks of a mechanical engineer include designing power using appliances,
maintenance, health and safety, security, and ensuring projects are kept within budget.
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
6. Overall, skill-full energy engineers are highly important and hardworking.
1.5 Emerging trends and Technologies in Energy sectors
Energy industry trends can be categorized into three recurring concepts
• Decarbonization: Decarbonization indicates a transition towards a clean and carbon-
free economy by integrating and increasing the share of renewable energy sources. A
significant rise in the share of electric mobility and higher taxes on the use of fossil fuels
are ways to decarbonize.
• Digitization: Digitization implies the widespread use of digital machines and devices at
all levels of the power system, from production and infrastructure to end-user devices.
Energy 4.0, as it is known, enables the industry to implement intelligent energy and
power management solutions based on machine-to-machine and machine-human
interactions.
• Decentralization: Decentralization refers to geographically distributed electricity with a
large number of multi-level producers and consumers. Some regions today generate
electricity independently, even though they are not yet connected to the distribution
networks. Besides, decentralization enables lower energy intensity and provides
opportunities for utilizing renewable sources of energy.
Figure 1.3 Emerging trends and Technologies in Energy sectors
Energy Industry Trends
1. Renewable Energy
• Shifting to Renewable energy helps to preserve environment as it produces minimal
to zero harmful emissions.
• The basic principle of using renewables is to extract it from a constant source in the
environment, like the sun, the wind, or geothermal sources.
• The next important factor is to convert the source into productive electricity or fuels.
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
• The range of technologies that cater to the different aspects of generating power or heat
from renewables forms one of the biggest energy industry trends.
• This includes reducing costs for the manufacturing of renewables infrastructure and
generating power with higher rates of efficiency
2. Internet of Energy
▪ Traditionally, electric power systems use a central architecture during construction that
brings a new set of challenges to the industry.
▪ IoE addresses several of these challenges and offers greater efficiency and optimal
design for building energy systems.
▪ IoE implements intelligent distributed control through energy transactions between its
users.
▪ This new energy generation paradigm develops a smart grid and improves coordination
and optimization in the macro-energy system.
3. Energy Storage
▪ Today’s technologies provide a sufficient level of generation; however, they lack cost-
effective energy storage solutions.
▪ Energy storage enables stable pricing by proactively managing demand from consumers.
▪ By having the opportunity to purchase energy for future use, consumers potentially
stock it up during ideal conditions.
▪ This accumulated energy later helps in reducing the grid loads during peak times, while
prosumers earn more as buying energy becomes expensive.
4. Blockchain
• Blockchain technology intends to unite all energy stakeholders under a single
decentralized network.
• Electricity producers, distribution network operators, metering operators, providers of
financial services, and traders potentially benefit from utilizing smart contracts.
• These contracts ensure that all energy-related transactions pass through a secure and
immutable network, thus eliminating potential losses.
• Blockchain also holds the potential for achieving some degree of equality between
energy producers and consumers by making electricity affordable
5. Energy as a Service
• Some visions of the energy system in the future mainly revolve around DERs that are
monitored by a combination of AI and IoT.
• Together with blockchain and a growing number of energy prosumers, these
components comprise energy-as-a-service solutions.
• EaaS allows for the transition from selling electricity to selling services such as
consumption management, optimization of production, and tracking consumption.
• The presence of local energy sources and storage options accelerate energy efficiency
across the grid while providing access to more people.
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
6. Distributed Energy Resources
• Distributed energy resources enable the generation of electricity or heat at the place of
its consumption.
• The absence of a network eliminates the loss and cost of energy transmission.
• This implies the presence of many consumers who produce energy for their own needs,
directing their surplus to the common network.
• Within the framework of this concept, small and medium power generation units act as
distributed energy generators.
• Further, it reduces energy production costs and makes optimum use of existing energy
generation capacity.
1.6 Emerging trends and Technologies in Manufacturing sectors
.
Over the next decade, 4 million manufacturing jobs are expected to be
filled by highly skilled workers. Out of which, 2 million jobs are estimated to remain unfilled
due to the skills gap. 80% of manufacturers are already facing a shortage of qualified applicants
for skilled or highly skilled positions. All the more reason for manufacturers to turn to emerging
technologies that are transforming the manufacturing sector and also addressing these
workforce issues.
`Emerging manufacturing trends include innovations that improve the productivity and
sustainability of entire production processes. The major trends in the manufacturing industry
include industrial automation, smart factories, additive manufacturing, and the use of artificial
intelligence (AI). However, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing
companies are looking to maintain productivity with reduced manpower. Hence, startups and
scaleups are developing smart sensors, immersive technology gadgets, and wearables that
eliminate the need for the physical presence of workers. Simultaneously, companies are
shifting to sustainable materials and green energy sources to reduce the carbon footprint of
manufacturing facilities and the final products.
The emerging trends and technologies in manufacturing industries are categorized in to
1. Internet of things in manufacturing
2. Big data will be the fuel for growth
3. Automation and Artificial Intelligence in manufacturing
4. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing
5. Augmented Reality: Touchless Service Model
The Internet of Things (IoT):
IoT is a network of physical devices that are embedded with sensors and, software that make
them the “eyes and ears” in a vast range of use cases. From home automation (intelligent
thermostats, connected doorbells, smart coffee makers) to industrial automation (electric
vehicles, robotics, medical imaging) IoT is everywhere, talking to each other, receiving and
sharing data amongst themselves without any human or computer interaction.
• Internet of things in manufacturing is also called Industrial IoT.
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
• IIoT integrates various sensors, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, software,
and electronics into industrial machines and systems to collect real-time data.
• Businesses then use this data to make measured, informed decisions to increase
efficiency, streamline and simplify manufacturing processes, reduce downtime and
costs, increase quality, and positively impact their bottom lines.
Figure 1.4 Industrial Internet of things
IIoT in manufacturing holds great potential for
• Quality control
• Supply chain traceability
• Sustainable and green practices
• Overall supply chain efficiency
• Remote monitoring and predictive maintenance of machinery
• Asset management and tracking
• Inventory stocking
• Improved field service
• Facility management
Big data will be the fuel for growth
Every manufacturer uses data. However, there are various manufacturing software
powering different solutions – ERP, MES, CMMS, manufacturing analytics. It is not easy to tie
all the systems together to get the big picture about how the industry floor is performing.
Industry 4.0 has already found the solution to this via big data.
Some examples of different types of big data in manufacturing are productivity data, sensors on
machines and power consumption information from different machinery. It can also be
integrated from outside partners or vendors. Big data in manufacturing becomes valuable only
if one centralized view can be created. This is the “hub” into which all data must flow.
Automation and Artificial Intelligence in manufacturing
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Manufacturers are already deploying automation on the factory floor as well as in their
offices. AI will power demand planning, inventory planning, logistics and production
scheduling. Robots are taking on more complex traits using AI and machine learning to develop
memory, increase dexterity, be more agile and effectively collaborate with each other and
humans. These cobots (collaborative robots) are engineered to copy the actions of a human
workforce and work in concert with humans, freeing factory workers from repetitive and
dangerous tasks. So, the manufacturing industry is increasingly looking to robots to shape their
processes on the factory floor.
Additive manufacturing or 3D printing
Additive manufacturing, so-called because it adds material in layers to create an
object, uses CAD software or 3D object scanners for digitally 3 d printing machine parts.
It deposits material in layers, in precise geometric shapes. Parts can then be stored as design
files in virtual inventories to be produced whenever needed, which is known as distributed
manufacturing. Transportation distances and costs are reduced, and inventory management is
simplified by storing digital files
Immersive Technology
A variety of assembly processes still depend on a human workforce due to the degree of
flexibility required for the procedures. This adds to the factor of human error in manufacturing
plant calculations. Although instruction manuals and quality standards are physically available,
continuously referring to them in assembly lines is impractical. Immersive techniques, like
augmented reality (AR), overlays relevant information on a piece of machinery to guide the
operator to identify and fix problems.
AR has the ability to render 3D visuals of machines in actual proportion as well. This
allows for training operators through step-by-step visuals on how to repair and maintain
machinery. IT also allows skilled workers to carry out maintenance remotely, reducing the skill
gap inside factories. In addition, virtual reality (VR) supports product prototyping as well as
simulation and training applications.
Cloud Computing
The data that IoT devices collect from production lines have great potential to transform
manufacturing operations. In the traditional system, all the data handling and analysis activities
take place through the in-house hardware and servers. This adds the cost of setting up and
maintaining expensive IT infrastructure and also restricts the accessibility of data to remote
workforces.
Cloud-based systems avoid the need for costly computer hardware and servers and allow
the sharing of data across platforms. Cloud computing is an established manufacturing trend
that enables on-premises users and remote workforces to collaborate in real-time. This approach
in manufacturing improves manageability and reduces network maintenance.
Green Manufacturing
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
The rise of global temperatures is directly related to each phase in the industrial
revolution. The unchecked setup of manufacturing units and the wasteful use of resources in
the growing phase of each industrial revolution has done irreversible damage to the planet.
Thus, the fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0) of smart technologies does not have
a free pass to utilize resources. This is why manufacturing companies are shifting to sustainable
materials, energy, and processes to reduce their impact on the environment. Due to this, green
technologies are important among the manufacturing trends. These sustainable solutions make
the final product green, ensure a long lifetime, and promote circularity.
1.7 Emerging Trends and Technologies in Automotive Sector
Automotive industry trends to look forward to in 2022 reveals information-centric
technologies playing a central role in the future of the industry. The industry is adopting new
technologies in its operations at an unprecedented scale. In addition to technologies such as
artificial intelligence (AI) and big data & analytics that have been around for a while, newer
technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and blockchain also find numerous applications
in automotive.
1. Autonomous Vehicles (AVs)
Self-driving or autonomous vehicles minimize the need for human drivers and look
poised to transform everyday transportation.
2. Vehicle Connectivity
Nowadays, vehicles come with a tamper-proof digital identity that differentiates them from
other vehicles in the network. This enables easy tracking of vehicular data for various use cases
such as insurance, driver safety, predictive maintenance, and fleet management.
3. Electrification
The depleting fossil fuel reserves and the harm to the environment caused by their use call
for promoting the use of electric mobility solutions.
4. Shared Mobility
With connected vehicles, new business models have come up that focus on shared mobility
as an alternative to traditional vehicle ownership.
5. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and computer
vision find applications in robotic automation within the automotive industry.
6. Big Data & Analytics
The age of big data and advanced analytics informs various decisions throughout the
lifecycle of a vehicle. Data gathered from vehicles enables predictive maintenance, informs
managers about their fleets, and alerts concerned authorities in case of accidents.
7. Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI)
As self-driving cars and connected cars transform the automotive landscape, it will
fundamentally change how drivers interact with vehicles. Human-machine interfaces use voice-
based or haptic feedback to operate vehicles.
8. Blockchain
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
Blockchain enables multiple applications in the automotive industry. These include sharing
vehicle data over a secure network for connectivity and shared mobility solutions such as ride-
hailing, urban transportation, and deliveries.
9. 3D Printing
3D printing helps the automotive industry in three primary ways. Firstly, it enables rapid
prototyping with 3D printed models that accelerate the design and testing phases of
production. Secondly, it allows manufacturers to print spare parts to match their
requirements. Lastly, additive manufacturing of composite materials leads to automotive
parts that are lighter, stronger, and more durable.
1.8 Emerging Trends and Technologies in Aerospace Sector
Aerospace industry improve sustainability, digitize legacy systems, and automate
processes. Further, additive manufacturing enables rapid part development and the use of novel
materials while satellite technology miniaturizes cost-effective satellites.
On the other hand, blockchain improves security and transparency in aerospace operations.
This report provides an overview of aerospace trends and innovations ranging from artificial
intelligence (AI) and aerial mobility to immersive technologies.
1. Sustainability
Growing concerns around climate change among travelers force the aerospace sector to
reduce its carbon footprint. Technological innovations aid them to achieve this goal and
transitioning to sustainable operations.
2. Artificial Intelligence
The primary aim of the adoption of AI in aerospace is to automate manual processes and
eliminate human errors. AI, machine learning, and computer vision, among other AI-related
technologies, provide insights into the data by discovering new patterns and relations.
3. Digitization
The aerospace industry embraces digital technologies and smart factories to ensure efficient
production and faster design to delivery. Process digitization also allows aerospace companies
to stay agile. Apart from enabling efficient supply chain operations, digitization advances
spacecraft and aircraft operational systems
4. Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing has been primarily limited to non-essential aerospace parts such as
interior components where mechanical stresses are minimal. But with advances in metal 3D
printing, additive manufacturing plays a significant role in aerospace manufacturing
5. Advanced Satellite Technology
Satellite launches make up the majority of commercial space activities in 2022, and this
trend is expected to further grow in the near future. The primary driver is the falling costs of
launching satellites into orbit and the growing need for geospatial intelligence and satellite
imagery.
6. Blockchain
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Blockchain uses public-key encryption for high-level data security and greater network
resiliency to avoid a single point of failure. As the aerospace industry relies on complex supply
chains, blockchain improves access and visibility into supply chain data.
7. Aerial Mobility
Advances in aerial mobility include advanced air taxis as well as drones for hyperlocal
deliveries and emergency services, among others. Faster flight technologies like supersonic and
hypersonic flights also show a growing resurgence with the aim of reducing air travel time for
customers
8. Immersive Technologies
Immersive technologies find application in aerial military operations and for aerospace
employee training. They aid visualization of navigating systems, air-traffic control, weather
airspace information, and many other workflows.
1.9 Emerging Trends and Technologies in Marine Sector
Supply and demand imbalances, environmental imperatives, and lack of expert workforce
are significant challenges in the maritime industry. The emerging maritime trends and
innovations minimize their impact on marine operations. Transition to cleaner energy sources
and energy-efficient integrations are reducing the environmental consequences of the industry.
Artificial intelligence (AI), big data and analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and
blockchain are applied to various segments to improve operational efficiency.
Additionally, immersive reality technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality
(VR), and mixed reality (MR) specifically focus on training, engineering, and inspection. 5G
and cybersecurity reinforce data-intensive technologies like IoT and big data, ensuring a safe
and robust functioning.
1. Artificial Intelligence
The maritime sector deploys artificial intelligence for various applications such as predictive
maintenance, autonomous navigation, and route optimization.
2. Clean Energy
Marine heavy fuel oil (HFO), a petroleum-based product, is the most common propulsion
fuel in ships, accounting for a great deal of the emissions from maritime operations. Like other
industries, transitioning to low-carbon, renewable energy sources is crucial for maritime
decarbonization.
3. Maritime Robotics
Lack of workers and their safety in marine environments are growing concerns in the
maritime sector. To tackle these issues, startups are building maritime robotics solutions with
AI and advanced hardware
4. Energy-Efficient Integrations
Maritime companies increasingly seek to use energy-efficient integrations for minimizing
GHG emissions and fuel costs. This entails improvements of various systems in the vessel, from
scrubber and rudder to lubrication, coatings, and propulsion systems.
5. Maritime IoT
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Continuous tracking and monitoring of ships’ location is a critical process in maritime
operations. This minimizes the collision risks as well as facilitates ship navigation to mitigate
challenging weather conditions.
6. Blockchain
Manual data logging systems are slow and prone to forgery. This fuels a lack of trust
between maritime companies, vessel owners, vessel operators, and ports, hindering overall
productivity. Blockchain mitigates this lack of belief by ensuring transparency through
foolproof data storage.
7. Big Data & Analytics
Maritime tasks like route optimization and weather forecasting rely on data from IoT
devices and satellites. This increases the amount of data available for processing to generate
insights in vessels and harbors. Big data analyzes this raw data from the sensors and satellites to
extract information, whereas advanced analytics solutions utilize this data to generate actionable
insights.
8. Immersive Reality
Conventional maritime education and training often do not offer hands-on experience before
operators are deployed at oceans, affecting seafarer competence. Augmented and mixed reality
solutions assist operators by offering task-specific information during training or maintenance
operations.
9. 5G
Integrating IoT into offshore communication networks generates a high network load on the
connectivity infrastructure. Besides, if maritime operations need to follow data-driven process
planning, real-time information is vital to avoid disruptions in operations.
10. Cybersecurity
The main disadvantage of transitioning from manual paper-based systems to digital tools is
the risk of cyber threats.
Energy Sources
1.10 Energy and its forms
Energy a word derived from the Greek word” Energeia”, meaning capacity for doing work.
Forms of energy are
Kinetic energy: energy for that body in motion possess is called kinetic energy
Potential energy: energy related to position called potential energy
Internal energy: the energy contained in a chemical system by virtue of the motions of,
and forces between the individual atoms and molecules of the system is called internal energy
Other forms of energy are Mechanical energy, thermal, chemical, electrical, radiant, atomic
etc.
• Capital energy-It is the energy existing in the earth is known as capital energy
E.g., Fossil fuels, nuclear fuels etc.
• Celestial energy – it is coming from the outer space.
E.g.: electromagnetic, gravitational, particle energy from stars, planets, and moon
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1.10 Non-renewable energy: Non-renewable energy are defined as the energy resources
which have been accumulated over the ages and not quickly replenishable when they are
exhausted. Can’t be replaced in a short amount of time and is limited
Eg. Fossil fuels, nuclear fuels etc.
What are Fossil Fuels?
• Fossil fuels are buried flammable geologic deposits of organic substances such as dead
plants and animals that got deposited under several thousand feet of silt.
• These deposits decayed with the passage of time and got converted to natural gas, coal
and petroleum due to the extreme heat and pressure inside the earth’s crust.
• They are also known as non-renewable sources of energy as it takes a very long time for
it to replenish.
Types of Fossil Fuels
1. Coal
2. Petroleum
3. Natural gas
Coal
• It is a hard, black coloured substance made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen
and Sulphur.
• The major types of coal are- anthracite, bituminous and lignite.
• Anthracite has a higher carbon concentration and is the hardest type of coal.
• Lignite has a high concentration of oxygen and hydrogen but a low concentration of
carbon.
• Bituminous is a moderate form of coal.
• Coal is processed industrially to obtain derivatives like coke, coal tar and coal gas.
Formation of Coal
• The process of formation of coal is known as coalification.
• The dense forest present in the low-lying wetland got buried in the earth, millions of
years ago.
• Soil kept depositing over them, and they got compressed.
• As they went deeper and deeper, they faced high temperature and pressure.
• As a result, the substances slowly got converted into coal.
Uses of Coal
• Coal was used to produce steam in the railway engines initially.
• It is used to cook food.
• It is used to generate electricity in thermal plants.
• It is used in industries as fuel.
Petroleum
• It is a clear, oily liquid, usually green or black in colour.
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• It has a very strange smell and is a mixture of petroleum gas, diesel, paraffin wax, petrol,
lubricating oil, etc.
• It is also termed as “Black Gold” because of its wide range of uses in many industries.
Formation of Petroleum
• The sea animals and plants died, and their bodies settled at the bottom of the sea.
• They got compressed by the layers of sand and clay.
• Their encounter with high temperature and pressure converts them into petroleum.
• The petroleum is separated from the crude oil by a series of processes in a refinery. This
is known as petroleum refining.
Uses of Petroleum
• It is used to power internal combustion engines in the form of petrol.
• It is used in roofing, road pavements and as a water repellent.
• It is used in manufacturing detergents, plastics, fibres, polyethene, etc.
1.11 Thermal Power Plant
Construction and working of thermal power plant
• Water or steam is used as the working substance.
• Boiler converts water into steam by utilizing the heat of fuel.
• The high pressure and temperature steam passes over the blades of steam turbine where
this heat energy is converted into mechanical energy.
• The turbine rotates the generator coupled it. The generator converts mechanical energy
into electrical energy.
• The exhaust steam from the turbine is made to pass through the condenser where it is
condensed to water and this water is pumped back to the boiler.
• Cooling towers are used to cool the water used in the condenser for condensing steam.
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Figure 1.5 Layout of thermal power plant
Advantages of Thermal Power Station
1. It needs low initial investment and less time to commission plant.
2. The cost of the Steam power plant is lower than several power plants.
Disadvantages of Thermal Power Plant
1. Life and effectiveness of the steam power plant are more concise when compared
to Hydel power plant.
2. Transport of fuel is a major problem.
3. Cost of power generation is higher than hydropower.
4. Air pollution is a major difficulty.
5. Coal may be depleted by gradual use.
Application of Steam Power Station
1. Producing power or Electricity.
2. Using extraction, steam from a steam turbine for process heat at a plant nearby, such as a
paper manufacturer.
3. Producing power using waste heat that occurs in processing, such as a chemical plant
that produces heat from a reaction. Waste heat is sent to a waste heat boiler, producing
steam that is used in a turbine generator set.
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4. Producing electrical power from geothermal energy either using hot water injection or
using a chemical that turns to a gas which is then used to turn a turbine generator set.
5. As a quick start back up to solar energy and or wind energy (combustion turbines) where
it is the secondary means of power production.
6. Thermal plants can burn many different sources and types of fuel. Whatever is cheapest
or plentiful. Even burning trash instead of burying trash, then producing power from the
heat generated.
1.12 Hydro-Electric power plant
Hydro energy is considered as an indirect source of solar energy. The water from earth surface
gets evaporated by solar heat and is transported by wind. This in turn results in rainfall. Hydro
power or waterpower is the energy obtained from the flowing water. The energy obtained can
be utilized to drive machines or generate electricity by means of turbine. A dam is built to
collect the rain fall water in a reservoir. The water from reservoir is then allowed to flow
through penstock and enter nozzle where potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. The
kinetic energy causes the turbine to rotate, which in turn drives the generator to produce
electricity.
Figure 1.6 Layout of hydal power plant
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Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, BESCK104/204D Dr. Niranjana Rai
Figure 1.7 General layout of Hydel power plant
Construction and working of hydel power plant
• Dam or reservoir stores water. Energy stored in the form of PE.
• Water is made to pass through penstock to the turbine.
• The potential energy of water is converted into KE.
• The KE of water while passing over the blades of turbine gets converted into mechanical
energy.
• The mechanical energy is supplied to the generator where it is converted into electrical
energy.
Advantages
1. The water source is perennially available.
2. No fuel is required to be burnt to generate electricity.
3. The running costs of hydropower installations are very low as compared to thermal or
nuclear power stations.
4. There is no problem with regard to the disposal of ash as in a thermal station.
5. The problem of emission of polluting gases and particulates to the atmosphere also does
not exist.
6. Hydropower does not produce any greenhouse effect, cause the pernicious acid rain and
emit obnoxious NO.
7. The hydraulic turbine can be switched on and off in a very short time.
8. The hydraulic power plant is relatively simple in concept and self-contained in
operation.
9. Modern hydropower equipment has a greater life expectancy and can easily last 50 years
or more.
10. Hydro-plants provide ancillary benefits like irrigation, flood control, afforestation,
navigation, and aqua-culture
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Disadvantages
1. Hydro-power projects are capital-intensive with a low rate of return.
2. The gestation period of hydro projects is quite large.
3. Power generation is dependent on the quantity of water available, which may vary from
season to season and year to year.
4. Such plants are often far away from the load center and require long transmission lines
to deliver power.
5. Large hydro-plants disturb the ecology of the area, by way of deforestation, destroying
vegetation and uprooting people. Strong public opinion against.
Application
1. For a generation of clean electricity, which is its primary use.
2. For business benefits, in such that hydro sites can be good places to locate a major
production facility due to the cheap and excess energy they produce.
3. Another good use of hydropower is to offer recreational facilities to the public such as
swimming, fishing, and boating.
4. Hydropower energy s employed in flood risk management.
5. The system is used to enable irrigation for agriculture.
1.13. Nuclear Power Plant
• Nuclear energy is the chemical energy released during the splitting or fusing of atomic
nuclei.
• The nucleus containing most of the mass of the atom, is itself composed of neutrons and
protons bound together by very strong nuclear forces.
• Nuclear reaction involves changes in the structure of the nucleus. As a result of such
changes the nucleus gains or loss one or more neutrons or protons and release useful
amounts of energy.
• Nuclear energy measured in millions of electron volts (MeV).
Fission reaction:
• Nuclear fission involves splitting the nucleus of heavy atoms, like uranium or plutonium
in a controlled nuclear chain reaction.
• Heat is released and can be used to generate high pressure steam to drive turbogenerator
and produce electricity.
• Uranium -235 commonly used
Fusion reaction:
• In fusion process, when light masses of nuclei such as deuterium and tritium-the forms
of hydrogen are combined with the excess binding energy is released.
• When two nuclei of deuterium are forced together, they form an unstable nucleus by
release of one neutron and become helium or one proton become tritium.
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• The resulting nucleus has less mass than the two original nuclei-lost mass gets converted
to energy
Figure 1.8 Layout of nuclear power plant
The advantages of nuclear power are:
1. One of the most low-carbon energy sources
2. It also has one of the smallest carbon footprints
3. It's one of the answers to the energy gap
4. It's essential to our response to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
5. Reliable and cost-effective
Application of Nuclear power:
1. There are many applications beyond electricity generation that can use nuclear power.
2. These applications, which require heat, include seawater desalination, hydrogen
production, district heating and process heating for industry (glass and cement
manufacturing, metal production), refining and synthesis gas production.
Figure 1.9 Application of nuclear power
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1.14 Renewable Energy: Renewable energy can be regenerated in a short amount of time
or is basically unlimited. The energy resources which are produced continuously in nature and
are essentially inexhaustible at least in the time frame of human societies
E.g. Direct solar energy, wind, tidal, hydel, ocean thermal, bio, geothermal energy etc.
Advantages of renewable energy resources
1. Are in non-exhaustible.
2. Can be matched in scale to the need and they can deliver required quality of energy for
specific task.
3. Can be built near to the required area.
4. Local area or regional self-sufficiency in the energy requirement can be fulfilled.
5. Pollutant free except biomass.
Disadvantages of renewable energy resources
1. Intermittent nature
2. Availability depends on the local atmospheric conditions.
3. Concentrated only in certain regions.
4. State of harnessing is not fully developed
5. Requires advanced technologies for conversion- hence costlier.
Differences between Renewable and Non-renewable Resources
The following are the major differences between renewable and non-renewable resources.
Renewable Resources Non-renewable Resources
Depletion
Renewable resources cannot be depleted over Non-renewable resources deplete over
time. time.
Sources
Renewable resources include sunlight, water,
Non-renewable resources includes fossil
wind and also geothermal sources such as hot
fuels such as coal and petroleum.
springs and fumaroles.
Environmental Impact
Non-renewable energy has a
Most renewable resources have low carbon
comparatively higher carbon footprint
emissions and low carbon footprint.
and carbon emissions.
Cost
The upfront cost of renewable energy is high. For Non-renewable energy has a
instance, generating electricity using technologies comparatively lower upfront cost.
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running on renewable energy is costlier than
generating it with fossil fuels.
Infrastructure Requirements
Infrastructure for harvesting renewable energy is Cost-effective and accessible
prohibitively expensive and not easily accessible infrastructure is available for non-
in most countries. renewable energy across most countries.
Area Requirements
Requires a large land/ offshore area, especially for
Comparatively lower area requirements.
wind farms and solar farms.
1.15 Soar Energy
The sun is a gaseous body composed mostly of hydrogen. Gravity causes intense pressure and
heat at the core initiating nuclear fusing reactions. This means that atoms of lighter elements are
combined into atoms of heavier elements. which releases enormous quantities of energy. The
output of the sun is 2.8x1023kW/year. The energy reaching the earth is 1.5x1018kW/year.
Advantages:
It is clean, inexhaustible, abundantly and universally available source of renewable
energy
Disadvantages:
It is dilute form of energy, which is available intermittently and uncertainly, not steadily
and continuous.
Utilization or Application
Solar energy can be utilized directly in two ways:
1. By collecting the radiant heat and using it in a thermal system, is referred as “solar
Thermal”
2. By collecting and converting it directly to electrical energy using photovoltaic system is
referred as “Photovoltaic system”
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Figure 1.10 Application of Solar energy
Solar energy conversion
• 1. Helio-chemical process
• 2. helio-electrical process
• 3. helio-thermal process
1. Helio-chemical process
Helio-chemical process is a photosynthesis process which is the source of all fossil fuels
and the food on which we live today.
Photosynthesis is a form biological conversion of solar energy into chemical energy
called bioenergy which will be stored in plants.
Photosynthesis reaction
Figure 1.11 Process of photosynthesis
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Photosynthesis is a complex process in which water and CO2 molecules are broken down in
sunlight and releases carbohydrate and pure oxygen
The absorbed light is in the ultraviolet and infrared range. The chlorophyll absorbs visible light
and passes it energy on to the water molecules and releases and hydrogen atom.
The hydrogen atom thus produced reacts with CO2 molecule to produce H2CO and O2 at
high temperature H2CO breaks to release energy.
Helio-thermal (Solar thermal energy conversion)
i. Radiant solar energy falling on the earth can be converted into thermal energy using
collectors.
ii. There are two types of collectors
iii. Flat plate collector
iv. Focusing collector
v. Solar cell
Flat plate collector:
A flat plate collector is the simplest and the most common type of solar collector used to
capture solar rays. This type of collector is preferable for low temperature applications such
as water heating, cooking, drying food grains and vegetables, heating and cooling of
buildings etc.
Flat-plate solar collectors usually have three main components:
• A flat metal plate that intercepts and absorbs solar energy
• A transparent cover that allows solar energy to pass through the cover and reduces
heat loss from the absorber
• A layer of insulation on the back of the absorber to reduce heat loss
Solar water heating collectors have metal tubes attached to the absorber. A heat-transfer
fluid is pumped through the absorber tubes to remove heat from the absorber and transfer the
heat to water in a storage tank. Solar systems for heating swimming pool water in warm
climates usually do not have covers or insulation for the absorber, and pool water is circulated
from the pool through the collectors and back to the pool. Solar air heating systems use fans to
move air through flat-plate collectors and into the interior of buildings
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Figure 1.12 Flat plate collector
Focusing collector
These collectors, sometimes known as parabolic troughs, use highly reflective materials
to collect and concentrate the heat energy from solar radiation. These collectors are composed
of parabolically shaped reflective sections connected into a long trough. A pipe that carries
water is placed in the center of this trough so that sunlight collected by the reflective material is
focused onto the pipe, heating the contents. These are very high powered collectors and are thus
generally used to generate steam for Solar thermal power plants and are not used in residential
applications. These troughs can be extremely effective in generating heat from the Sun,
particularly those that can pivot, tracking the Sun in the sky to ensure maximum sunlight
collection.
Figure 1.13 Focusing collector
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Solar pond
A solar pond is a pool of water in which a salt concentration gradient, a water density gradient
and hence a temperature gradient can be maintained to collect solar thermal energy. This heat
energy can be used for various applications like process heating, desalination, refrigeration,
drying, and solar generation. The lower zone of water called storage zone is rich in salt content
and it is area where solar radiation is absorbed and stored. The upper zone of water called
surface zone is cold and has very low salt content. The intermediate zone separates the upper
zone of cold water and the lower zone of the hot water and forms an important area in the solar
pond. As solar radiation is absorbed the hot water in the storage zone cannot rise due to high
salt content in it. The hot water remains in the bottom layer of the pond from which useful heat
may be withdrawn and used for various purposes.
• Common liner material:
Butyl rubber, black polyethylene and Hypalon reinforced with nylon mesh
Salts are magnesium chloride, sodium chloride or sodium nitrate are dissolved in the water
Figure 1.14 Solar Pond
Figure 1.15 Solar thermal power plant
Construction and working of solar thermal power plant
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• In these solar collectors are used to absorb heat from solar radiation in a solar pond.
• The heat is used to heat water flowing through the solar pond.
• This high temperature heat is given to the working fluid water in a heat exchanger where
steam is produced.
• This high heat energy content of this steam is converted to mechanical energy in the
turbine.
• The turbine drives the generator where mechanical energy is converted to electrical
energy.
• Thus, the solar energy is converted into electrical energy in a solar thermal power plant.
Helio-Electrical (Solar electrical energy conversion)
Figure 1.16 Solar PV conversion
• The devices used in photovoltaic conversion are called solar cells. When solar radiation
falls on these devices, it is converted directly into dc electricity.
• The principal advantages associated with solar cells are that they have no moving parts,
require little maintenance, and work quite satisfactorily with beam or diffuse radiation.
• Also, they are readily adapted for varying power requirements because a cell is like a
'building block'.
• The main factors limiting their use are that they are still rather costly and that there is
very lit Two important steps are involved in the principle of working of a solar cell.
• Creation of pairs of positive and negative charges (called electron-hole pairs) in the solar
cell by absorbed solar radiation.
• Separation of the positive and negative charges by a potential gradient within the cell
economy associated with the magnitude of power generated in an installation.
1.16 Wind energy:
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The kinetic energy of wind can be converted to mechanical work by a windmill or wind
turbine. The mechanical power thus obtained can be used for specific tasks such as grinding
food grains, pimping underground water, generate electricity.
A wind turbine consists of blades that are connected to a low-speed shaft. The shaft in turn is
connected to a small generator. Most turbines have either two or three blades. The kinetic
energy of flow of wind causes the blades to rotate at slow speeds. The gearbox comprising of
many gears is used to increase the rotational speed of the shaft to that range required to produce
electricity. In India Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and coastal areas of Gujarat
and Maharashtra have found to be suitable for generating power using Wind.
Construction and working of wind power plant
Wind is a form of solar energy caused by a combination of three concurrent events:
• The sun unevenly heating the atmosphere
• Irregularities of the earth's surface
• The rotation of the earth.
The terms "wind energy" and "wind power" both describe the process by which the wind is used
to generate mechanical power or electricity. This mechanical power can be used for specific
tasks (such as grinding grain or pumping water) or a generator can convert this mechanical
power into electricity.
• A wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic force from the
rotor blades, which work like an airplane wing or helicopter rotor blade.
• 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.
Figure 1.17 Wind power plant
Advantages of Wind energy
1. The wind energy is free, inexhaustible and does not need transportation.
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2. Windmills will be highly desirable and economical to the rural areas which are far from
existing grids.
3. Wind power can be used in combination with hydroelectric plants. Such that the water
level in the reservoir can be maintained for longer periods.
Disadvantages of Wind turbine
1. Wind power is not consistent and steady, which makes the complications in designing
the whole plant.
2. The wind is a very hazard one. Special and costly designs and controls are always
required.
3. The cost factor, which has restricted the development of wind power in large scale for
feeding to the existing grid.
4. It has low power coefficient.
5. Careful survey is necessary for plant location.
1.17 Tidal Energy
Tidal energy is a form of power produced by the natural rise and fall of tides
caused by the gravitational interaction between Earth, the sun, and the moon. Tidal
currents with sufficient energy for harvesting occur when water passes through a
constriction, causing the water to move faster. Using specially engineered generators in
suitable locations, tidal energy can be converted into useful forms of power, including
electricity
Construction and working of tidal power plant
• The ocean tides rise and fall, and water can be stored during the rise period, and it can be
discharged during fall. A dam is constructed separating the tidal basin from the sea and a
difference in water level is obtained between the basin and sea.
• During high tide period, water flows from the sea into the tidal basin through the water
turbine. The height of tide is above that of tidal basin. Hence the turbine unit operates
and generates power, as it is directly coupled to a generator.
• During low tide period, water flows from tidal basin to sea, as the water level in the
basin is more than that of the tide in the sea. During this period also, the flowing water
rotates the turbine and generator power.
Benefits of tidal energy
i. Tidal energy is a clean, renewable, sustainable resource that is underutilized and
represents significant opportunity to meet growing global energy needs, both now
and in the future.
ii. Water is hundreds of times denser than air, which makes tidal energy more
powerful than wind.
iii. It is more efficient than wind or solar energy due to its relative density and
produces no greenhouse gases or other waste, making it an attractive renewable
energy source to pursue.
Limitations of tidal energy
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i. Tidal energy as an industry remains limited by a few significant barriers, cost being
its most challenging.
ii. Developing tidal arrays and connecting them to the power grid requires extensive
and costly engineering and manufacturing work.
iii. While there are numerous tidal technologies being tested that may improve
affordability, none have emerged as a market leader that could help establish
supply chains and begin reducing installation and maintenance costs.
Figure 1.18 Tidal power plant
Biofuels
Biofuels are liquid or gaseous transport fuels, such as biogas, biodiesel and bioethanol,
made from biomass. They serve as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels in the transport sector,
helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the economy.
Biomass is organic matter produced by plants, both terrestrial (those grown on land) and
aquatic (those grown in water) and their derivatives. It includes forest crops and residues, crop
grown especially for their energy content on energy farms and animal manure. Unlike coal, oil
and natural gas, which makes millions of years to form, biomass can be considered a renewable
energy source because plant life renews and adds to itself every year. It can also be considered a
form of solar energy as the latter is used indirectly to grow these plants by photosynthesis.
Bio -gas generation
• Biogas, a mixture of 55-65% of methane, 30-40% of CO2 and rest the impurities (H2,
N2).
• It can be produced from the decomposition of animal, plant and human waste
• It is a clean gas and has a calorific value between 5000kcal/kg
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• It is directly in cooking, reducing the demand for firewood
• Output after producing gas, as a fertilizer and can be returned to the soil
• Popular name as “gobar gas” mainly because cow dung material used for its production
• It is the method of generating biogas through fermentation or bio digestion of different
types of wastes by a number of anaerobic and facultative organisms. Facultative
organisms are bacteria which grow with or without oxygen.
• Bacteria are classified into two groups, they are: Aerobic-which grow in presence of
oxygen.
• Anaerobic-which grow in absence of oxygen.
• The biodegradation or decomposition of the organic matter by fermentation process
through anaerobic digestion results in the formation of biogas.
• The anaerobic digestion produces sugar, alcohols, pesticides and amino acids by
breaking organic matter. This results in the formation of methane by another type of
bacteria.
The phases of anaerobic digestion are:
1) Enzymatic hydrolysis: in this phase, the fats, starches proteins present in the cellulose
biomass are converted into simple compounds.
2) Acid formation: in this phase, the complex organic compounds converted into simple
organic acids. The acids and volatile solids are formed by hydrolysis and fermentation
from microorganism of facultative and anaerobic group and together called acid formers.
This stage may last about two weeks and this phase results in the formation of large
amount of carbon dioxide.
3) Methane formation: in this phase the acids produced from previous phase converted
into methane (CH4) and CO2 by anaerobic bacteria which are also known as methane
fermenters. For digestion process to be efficient, these acid formers and methane
fermenters must be in a state of dynamic equilibrium. The variation in PH value, will
affect the methane formers as they are sensitive to PH variations. For fermentation and
biogas generation, a PH value of 6.5 to 8 is suitable.
Advantages of anaerobic digestion:
1) The anaerobic digestion produces biogas which has a calorific value. Hence this gas
could be successfully used to produce steam or hot water.
2) A smaller quantity of excess sludge is produced during anaerobic digestion of organic
matter.
3) The running cost is very less when compared to equivalent aerobic system.
4) The Odour is less.
5) The use of biogas in industries reduces the consumption of coal and reduces air
pollution.
6) The nutrient requirement is less due to low production of bacterial solids.
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Figure 1.19 Biogas generation
Global Warming Definition
“Global warming is a gradual increase in the earth’s temperature generally due to the
greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants. “
Global warming is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the temperature near the earth’s
surface. This phenomenon has been observed over the past one or two centuries. This change
has disturbed the climatic pattern of the earth. However, the concept of global warming is quite
controversial but the scientists have provided relevant data in support of the fact that the
temperature of the earth is rising constantly.
There are several causes of global warming, which have a negative effect on humans, plants and
animals. These causes may be natural or might be the outcome of human activities. In order to
curb the issues, it is very important to understand the negative impacts of global warming.
Causes of Global Warming
Following are the major causes of global warming:
Man-made Causes of Global Warming
Deforestation
Plants are the main source of oxygen. They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen thereby
maintaining environmental balance. Forests are being depleted for many domestic and
commercial purposes. This has led to an environmental imbalance, thereby giving rise to global
warming.
Use of Vehicles
The use of vehicles, even for a very short distance results in various gaseous emissions.
Vehicles burn fossil fuels which emit a large amount of carbon dioxide and other toxins into the
atmosphere resulting in a temperature increase.
Chlorofluorocarbon
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With the excessive use of air conditioners and refrigerators, humans have been adding CFCs
into the environment which affects the atmospheric ozone layer. The ozone layer protects the
earth surface from the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. The CFCs have led to ozone
layer depletion making way for the ultraviolet rays, thereby increasing the temperature of the
earth.
Industrial Development
With the advent of industrialization, the temperature of the earth has been increasing rapidly.
The harmful emissions from the factories add to the increasing temperature of the earth.
In 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change reported that the increase in the
global temperature between 1880 and 2012 has been 0.9 degrees Celsius. The increase is 1.1
degrees Celsius when compared to the pre-industrial mean temperature.
Agriculture
Various farming activities produce carbon dioxide and methane gas. These add to the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and increase the temperature of the earth.
Overpopulation
An increase in population means more people breathing. This leads to an increase in the level of
carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing global warming, in the atmosphere.
Effects of Global Warming
Following are the major effects of global warming:
Rise in Temperature
Global warming has led to an incredible increase in earth’s temperature. Since 1880, the earth’s
temperature has increased by ~1 degrees. This has resulted in an increase in the melting of
glaciers, which have led to an increase in the sea level. This could have devastating effects on
coastal regions.
Threats to the Ecosystem
Global warming has affected the coral reefs that can lead to the loss of plant and animal lives.
Increase in global temperatures has made the fragility of coral reefs even worse.
Climate Change
Global warming has led to a change in climatic conditions. There are droughts at some places
and floods at some. This climatic imbalance is the result of global warming.
Spread of Diseases
Global warming leads to a change in the patterns of heat and humidity. This has led to the
movement of mosquitoes that carry and spread diseases.
High Mortality Rates
Due to an increase in floods, tsunamis and other natural calamities, the average death toll
usually increases. Also, such events can bring about the spread of diseases that can hamper
human life.
Loss of Natural Habitat
A global shift in the climate leads to the loss of habitats of several plants and animals. In this
case, the animals need to migrate from their natural habitat and many of them even become
extinct. This is yet another major impact of global warming on biodiversity.
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Ozone depletion:
➢ Gradual thinning of Earth’s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by the release of
chemical compounds containing gaseous chlorine or bromine from industry and other
human activities.
➢ The thinning is most pronounced in the polar regions, especially over Antarctica.
➢ Ozone depletion is a major environmental problem because it increases the amount
of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches Earth’s surface, which increases the rate
of skin cancer, eye cataracts, and genetic and immune system damage.
➢ The Montreal Protocol, ratified in 1987, was the first of
several comprehensive international agreements enacted to halt the production and use
of ozone-depleting chemicals.
➢ As a result of continued international cooperation on this issue, the ozone layer is
expected to recover over time.
Causes of Ozone Depletion
▪ Chlorofluorocarbons
▪ Unregulated Launches of Rockets
▪ Global Warming
▪ Nitrogenous Compound
Effects of Ozone Depletion
▪ Effects on Eyes
▪ Effects on Skin
▪ DNA Damage and Lung Diseases
▪ Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Human Health
QUESTION BANK
1. Explain the application of Biofuels. (Octo 2023)
2. Explain Nuclear power generation (Octo 2023)
3. Discuss the various emerging trends and technologies in different sectors (May 2023,
July/August 2022)
4. Describe the energy conversion from hydel energy into electrical energy with the aid of
suitable sketch (May 2023, July/August 2022)
5. Briefly explain the working of tidal power plant and mention its limitations.
(July/August 2022)
6. Explain the role of mechanical engineering in industries and society (Oct 2023, May
2023, Feb/March 2022)
7. Explain with neat sketch, construction and working of a nuclear power plant
(Feb/March 2022)
8. Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable sources of energy with suitable
example (Jan/Feb 2021)
9. Explain Biofuels and explain biogas generation.
10. Explain the process of conversion from solar energy into electrical energy using solar
cell (May 2023, Dec 2018-Jan 2019)
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11. Explain how wind energy is converted into electrical energy with sketch. (May 2023,
July-August 2021)
12. List the Renewable energy sources. Enumerate the advantages, disadvantages of
renewable energy sources,
WEB RESORCES
1. https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/manufacturing-trends-
innovation/
2. https://itechindia.co/blog/technologies-impacting-manufacturing-sector/
3. https://www.advancedtech.com/blog/manufacturing-trends/
4. https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/how-does-solar-work
5. https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/how-does-tidal-power-work\
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU6pxSNDPhs
7.
REFERENCES
1. Elements of Mechanical Engineering, K R Gopala Krishna, Subhash Publications, 2008
2. An Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, Jonathan Wickert and Kemper Lewis, Third
Edition, 2012
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