Ajla Merzić, PhD

October, 2017.
 Introduction to power systems:
 Main power system components

 Classification of energy forms

 Electricity

 Energy sources
Main power system components:

1. Electricity generation (energy sources; power plants)

2. Transformers (raise or lower voltage levels)
3. Transmission network (to carry/transmit power)
4. Substation (voltage level is stepped down for carrying power over the
distribution lines)
5. Distribution network
6. Consumption
Classification of energy forms:

Energy forms include different sources and types of energy, depending on their place in the
process of conversion.
Energy forms can be divided into:

Primary energy forms Useful energy forms

Transformational forms of
energy
Classification of energy forms:

The primary forms of energy - are obtained

directly from nature and have not been subject
to any conversion process:
• non-renewable: crude oil, stone coal, brown
coal, natural gas, ...
• renewable: solar energy, wind energy, water, ...
Classification of energy forms:
The primary forms of energy -

According to the laws of

thermodynamics, primary
energy sources cannot be
produced. They must be
available to society to
enable the production of
energy carriers
(transformational forms of
energy).
Classification of energy forms:

Transformational forms of energy (Energy carriers)

– derived from primary energy sources through a variety of technical procedures and
conversions (energy transformations).
- suffered changes in chemical and/or physical properties, compared to the primary form
from which they have been derived.

Examples:
• gasification - converting coal to gas;

• distillation - conversion of crude oil into petroleum products.

Classification of energy forms:

Transformational forms of energy (Energy carriers)

Electricity is one of the most common energy carriers, being transformed from various primary
energy sources such as coal, oil, natural gas, wind, etc.
Electricity is particularly useful since it has low entropy (is highly ordered) and can be converted
into other forms of energy very efficiently.

Entropy (thermodynamics):
 It usually refers to the idea that everything in the universe eventually moves from order to
disorder, and entropy is the measurement of that change.
 A thermodynamic quantity representing the amount of energy in a system that is no longer
available for doing mechanical work.
Classification of energy forms:

Transformational forms of energy (Energy carriers)

Conversion efficiency varies;
• thermal energy conversions:
• electricity and mechanical energy production is limited by Carnot's theorem, and generates a
lot of waste heat.
• non-thermal energy conversions (can be more efficient):
• wind turbines do not capture all the wind energy, but generate very little waste heat, since
wind energy has low entropy;
• solar photovoltaic conversions could be very efficient, but current conversion can only be done
well for narrow frequency ranges, whereas solar thermal is also subject to Carnot efficiency
limits;
• hydroelectric power is also converted very efficiently.
Classification of energy forms:

Useful forms of energy - energy that is obtained after deducting all

losses incurred in the process of processing, storage and transmission.

To the end user available in the most appropriate form and can directly be used.

Examples:
• heat
• mechanical energy
• electricity.
 Primary energy sources
Energy system component Energy carriers
Non- Fossil Oil Oil refinery Fuel oil
renewable fuels
sources
Coal or natural Enthalpy, mechanical
Fossil fuel power station
gas work or electricity

Nuclear power
Natural uranium plant (thermonuclear Electricity
Mineral
fission)
fuels
Enthalpy or
Natural thorium Thorium breeder reactor
electricity
Renewable Solar energy
sources
Photovoltaic power plant Electricity
converted
to
by

Solar power tower Enthalpy

Mechanical work or
Wind energy Wind farm
electricity

Falling and
flowing Hydropower station, wave Mechanical work or
water, tidal farm, tidal power station electricity
energy
Enthalpy or
Biomass sources Biomass power plant
electricity
Geothermal Enthalpy or
Geothermal power station
energy electricity
Electricity:

• Electricity is one of the most important transformed energy forms.

• It is the key factor in industrial and technological development of each country.
• Without it, it would be impossible to imagine the development of a modern society.
Population increase on Earth :

2.000 years ago – 10 000 000

Population increase on Earth :

1.000 years ago – 300 000 000

Population increase on Earth :

Year 1800 – 1 000 000 000

Population increase on Earth :

Year 1927 – 2 000 000 000

Population increase on Earth :

Year 1974 – 4 000 000 000

Population increase on Earth :

Year 2000 – 6 000 000 000

Population increase on Earth :

Year 2050 – 9 000 000 000

Population and World energy
standard increase consumption
Consumption / availability of electrical energy on Earth:

OECD - Organization for Economic Co-

operation and Development
Energy sources and their division:
Total available energy comes from the Sun, the Earth and energy as a result
of gravitational forces acting between the Sun, the Earth and the Moon.

Energy sources used for electricity generation are divided into:

• non-renewable sources of energy (coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel)
• renewable energy sources (solar energy, energy of water flows, wind
energy, tidal energy, marine energy, currents and waves, hydrogen - fuel
cells, biomass, waste energy and geothermal energy).
conventional vs. alternative energy sources
Main power system components:
Typical structure of a power system:
Non-renewable energy sources:
Non-renewable energy sources are natural sources that can not be
produced or used at a speed that accompanies their formation in
nature:
• coal fossil fuels
• natural gas
• oil
• nuclear fuel
World energy use vs. total known (recoverable) reserves
Renewable energy sources:

Renewable energy sources are energy resources whose reserves are

constant or being cyclically updated and spent in an amount not
exceeding the speed at which they are being created in the nature:
• energy of water flows, ocean, waves and tides
• solar energy
• wind energy
• hydrogen - fuel cells
• biomass and
• geothermal energy.
Renewable energy sources:

Hydro energy
 Hydropower plants
o Big and small HPP
o Application / Presence
o Basic components
o Working principle
 Power plants using ocean waves
 Power plants using tides
Renewable energy sources:

Solar energy
 Ways of using the solar energy
 Photovoltaic systems (photovoltaic effect, components,
working principle)
 Solar (thermal) power (parabolic collectors, solar towers,
solar plates)
 Solar water heating
 Solar cooling
 Measuring global solar radiation and processing of
measurement data
 Current information on the potential exploitation of solar
radiation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Renewable energy sources:

Wind energy
 Physical basis of wind energy application
 Wind potential
 Wind potential parameters
 Wind potential measurements
 Data processing
 Wind power plants
 Components and working principle
 Construction of the wind farm
 The development and presence of wind energy use in the world
 Wind potential in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Renewable energy sources:

Hydrogen
 The energy of hydrogen as fuel for fuel cells
 The principle of operation of the fuel cell

Biomass
 Liquid biofuel
 Solid biomass
 Biogas
 Usage of biomass

Waste energy
 Waste-to-energy plant
Renewable energy sources:

Geothermal energy
Energy from the depths of Earth,
which in the form of hot or warm
media comes to the surface.
 Application

Cogeneration
 Cogeneration plants - plants
for the simultaneous
production of two useful forms
of energy
 Working principle
Transmission network:

Electric power transmission:

• transfer of electrical energy from
generating power plants to electrical
substations located near demand centers
• distinct from local wiring between high-
voltage substations and customers, which is
typically referred to as electric power
distribution.
• transmission lines, interconnected with
each other, become transmission networks
• combined transmission and distribution
network is known as the "power grid"
Transformers:

A transformer is an electrical device that transfers electrical

energy between two or more circuits through electromagnetic
induction. Commonly, transformers are used to increase or
decrease the voltages of alternating current in electric power
applications.
Substation:

A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and

distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to
low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important
functions. Between the generating station and consumer, electric
power may flow through several substations at different voltage
levels.
 Consumption:

Consumers differ in size and their performance.

Three major consuming sectors (mostly):

• small consumers (household, agriculture, utility consumption)
• commercial consumption (small entreprises, craft and trade)
• industry and transport (railways).

Load curves: weekly, monthly and yearly

Basic principles on power system functioning:

Reliability and security of supply

• electricity generation must be equal to the consumption at all times.

This is ensured by so called primary, secondary and tertiary power
control and reserves
• transmission network should be so constructed in a way that failure
(outage) of any network element (line, transformer, etc.) does not
interfere with normal operation of the transmission system, i.e. the
distribution network and the power plants have to continue normal
functioning („n-1 criterion“)
• ensure that failures last as short as possible in the distribution network
(due to the radial structure of the network)
Basic principles on power system functioning:

Power quality

• voltage: at each voltage level there is

the maximum permitted deviation from
the nominal value
• frequency: frequency deviation from the
nominal (50 Hz) is the result of
imbalance between consumption and
generation; it is regulated by changing
electricity generation amounts in power
plants or by exclusion of consumers (in
emergency cases)
• level of interferences in the network:
voltage dips, short voltage
interruptions, higher harmonics,
flickers, etc.
Basic principles on power system functioning:

Isolation and troubleshooting

Each element should be protected by an adequate protection system

(relays, fuses, circuit breakers, etc.).

Most common faults:

• overload
• short circuit
• overvoltage

Fault must be repaired by the closest protective device (selective

elimination of failure)
Basic principles on power system functioning:

Economical operation

• optimization of fuel costs and purchasing electricity costs

• proper maintenance of existing equipment
• optimization of investment in new power plants and the network system
which must accompany power and electricity consumption growth
• tariff systems
Basic principles on power system functioning:

Ecological aspect

The environmental impact of electricity generation is significant because

modern society uses large amounts of electrical power. This power is
generated at power plants that convert some other kind of energy into
electricity. Each system has advantages and disadvantages, but many of
them pose environmental concerns. These include:
• air pollution;
• dislocation of people living where reservoirs are planned;
• release of significant amounts of carbon dioxide at construction;
• flooding;
• disruption of ecosystems;
• adverse impacts on all living species and the surrounding
(visualisation effect)
• etc.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION