INTRODUCTION

Tanot village in Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan, India, is one of the most under-developed

villages in rural Rajasthan. It covers an area of 74,295.5 hectares, has a population of only 249

(32 households), and has absolutely no power supply (Census of India, Jaisalmer, 1991). It

remains cut off from the outside world and has no means of advancing itself. The Government of

Rajasthan is launching an ambitious irrigation project to advance agriculture in the state, but

Tanot will not be able to use the project to its full advantage if it has no access to power

resources. See Appendices C and D for a map of the region and for pictures of villagers.

The village lies in an arid region of Rajasthan that is prone to violent sandstorms (Refer

to Appendix G for weather data on sandstorms). The mean maximum temperature during the

summer lies between 40.5 and 42 degrees Celsius. Winter lasts for only three short months and

the mean maximum temperature falls to 24.5 degrees Celsius (Sen, 1972). The region has very

low humidity due to which the air is generally very dry (Rajasthan District Gazetteers, 1973) (See

Appendix F for temperature data).

Winds are generally light in the post-monsoon and winter months. For the rest of the

year, winds are moderate getting slightly stronger in the southwest monsoon period. May to

September, winds are mainly from directions from south and southwest. In October, winds are

light and variable in direction. During the rest of the year, winds are from directions between

southwest and northwest (See Appendix E for wind data).

See Appendix H for a table of the latest weather conditions in Jaisalmer.

PROPOSAL

We propose to design a power system for the village that is based on renewable sources

of energy. Renewable sources of energy are preferred over non-renewable sources so as to ensure

minimum damage to the environment and to provide the most economical long term power at

minimal cost. At present, the average per capita domestic consumption of electricity in India is

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360 KWh (Council of Power Utilities, 2000). Taking into calculation that there are 32 households

in the village, projected per capita consumption for the village is 11,520 KWh.

METHODOLOGY: CRITERIA AND SOLUTIONS

CRITERIA FOR INITIAL DESIGN

1. The cost to kilowatt hour ratio should be affordable. The present power tariff in

Rajasthan is Rs. 0.80 per Unit (USD 0.016)

2. It should be ecologically friendly

3. Should be based on renewable sources of energy

4. Should be simple enough for locally trained technicians to maintain

5. Should be durable .i.e. have a life of 10-15 years

6. Should be able to withstand the harsh weather conditions

INITIAL SOLUTIONS

The first solution to the problem, which jumps to mind, would be to connect the village

to the central electric grid. This however, though theoretically plausible, is not a very viable

solution due to the great distance of the village from the nearest such grid. This would result in

great transmission losses. The percentage energy loss during transmission in the state is 26.42 %

(Central Electricity Authority, 1998). This also provides chances for power theft. Power pilferage

in the state was estimated at 154.56 GWh in 1998, which is the second highest in the country

(Central Electricity Authority, 1998). The distance also leads to more expensive customer support

and equipment maintenance. The low population density, the difficult terrain and low

consumption makes this scheme difficult and costly to implement.

Another approach is the use of diesel or kerosene generators. We have not chosen to use

this method because we are aiming for a solution that would not rely entirely upon the use of non-

renewable sources of energy. We do however plan to look at the possibility of incorporating the

use of such generators with our final design to ensure year-round availability of power.

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Another solution that we considered was the use of biogas. We decided to discard it too

because it would require extensive biomass, the majority of which would have to be provided by

the cutting down of trees. The village population stands only at 249, which would not be enough

to produce the required biomass.

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

Solar cells or Photovoltaic cells would be a good choice as a source of power in the

region. PV systems are usually placed close to where the electricity is used, requiring much

shorter power lines than if power is brought in from a utility grid. In addition, using PV

eliminates the need for a step-down transformer from the utility line. A typical single crystal

silicon PV cell of 100 cm2 will produce about 1.5 watts of power at 0.5 volts DC and 3 amps

under full sunlight (1000 Wm2). The power output of the cell is almost directly proportional to the

intensity of the sunlight. Capital costs are in the range of $1000-$1500 per KW (Aurora,

http://aurora.crest.org).

Problems that we foresee with the use of solar cells include the possibility of damage to

the panels due to the sandstorms that blow in the region. We plan to research this topic and look

into various methods that we can adopt to protect the panels. However, the present 'sandwich'

construction is so durable that all manufacturers of PV panels now offer a 10 year performance

warranty.

Wind energy also seems an attractive choice given the high winds that prevail in the area.

Energy yield ratios up to 75.89 have been found for wind energy systems. Because of this, they

appear at first glance to be the most viable option. Winds in the sandstorms that prevail in this

region often exceed speeds of 10 mph. A 1.5 KW turbine would meet the requirement of 300 KW

per hour with a 14mph wind. Turbines would also be comparatively cheaper than solar cells and

would be easier to maintain. For stand alone turbines, the costs range from 8-30 cents per KWh

(National Wind Technology Center, http://www.eren.doe.gov).

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The immediate problem that we foresee with wind turbines is the direction that they have

to be oriented in. Some turbines require to be directed upwind while others require being directed

downwind (US Department of Energy, http://www.eren.doe.gov). Maintenance costs are also

higher than those of solar cells.

DECISION MATRIX

ALTERNATIVE

SOLUTIONS ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Create a central electric grid to power the village

Withstand harsh conditions, simpler

Power theft, high maintenance cost, expensive customer service, transmission losses

Use of Kerosene and diesel generators

Low maintenance costs, reliable, withstand harsh conditions

Not Eco-friendly

Use of a bio-gas Eco-friendly, Requires extensive bio-mass

SOLUTIONS ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Use of Solar Energy (photovoltaic cells)

Eco-friendly, require shorter power lines, lower maintenance cost than wind turbines

Damage due to sandstorms, does not provide power 24 hours a day

Use of Wind Energy Eco-friendly, provides free electricity once investment cost is paid off

Orientation of the system, higher maintenance cost than PV cells, death of birds.

CONSTRAINTS

The biggest problem that we are going to face in our design project is the remoteness of

the village. It is located in one of the most desolate parts of the country. The nearest town is 119

km away (Census of India, Rajasthan, 1991). This would make it difficult for customer support

and maintenance. The fact that this is also a very small and obscure village makes it very hard for

us to obtain statistical data about it. To circumvent this problem, we had to consider the weather

data that we obtained on the district as that of the village. We also had to apply data from an

average village model to this particular village.

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Another problem that we will face is the exchange rate. Our proposed solution is a

financially viable one in the US market. However, in India, where a dollar is worth 48.71 rupees,

it may not be as affordable.

The harsh desert environment will also play a major role in deciding our solution. Our

final design should be one that can withstand the fierce desert storms that prevail in the region.

The main problem with renewable sources of energy is that they are not available 24

hours a day. So we will have to find a way to solve this problem or at least minimize its effect.

SURVEY OF LITERATURE

The research mainly focused on three different aspects of the project: 1) the census of the

village for background and energy requirements, 2) solar energy production and applications and

3) wind energy production and applications.

1) Village information and energy requirements.

Census of India, 1991. Series 21, Rajasthan. A portrait of population prepared by

Directorate of Census Operations, Rajasthan was referred to obtain information

on the population of Tanot.

India: Public Electricity Supply, 1998. All India Statistics: General Review

published by the Central Electricity Authority, New Delhi provided us with

information on transmission losses and pilferage.

India Power, 2000. Vol 8 prepared by the Council of Power Utilities, India was

consulted to obtain data on the average per capita consumption of electricity and

the cost of one unit of electricity.

Agricultural Atlas of Rajasthan, 1972. Indian Council of Agricultural Research

by A.K. Sen provided us with information on geographical and weather

conditions of Tanot

2) Solar energy production and applications.

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Solar Energy: Technology and Applications by Dr. J. Richard Williams was an

excellent source for understanding possible approaches to the conversion of

sunlight into electricity. It provides information about collecting heat during the

daytime and later using it to operate power plant or to produce chemical fuel

Solar Electricity by Tomas Markvart provided us with information on the

mechanics and engineering of solar cells and their uses and applications

3) Wind energy production and applications.

The Generation of Electricity by Wind Power by E. W. Golding and R. I. Harris

provided us with the information regarding estimation of the energy obtainable

from the wind, the economy of wind power generation and the construction costs

for wind-driven generators.

Wind turbines: Fundamentals, Technologies, Applications, Economics by Erich

Hau provided in-depth information on the working and dynamics of wind

turbines.

PROPOSED PROCEDURE

Having narrowed down our choices to the use of either solar cells or wind turbines, we

now plan to go ahead with these two power sources. We now plan to do extensive research into

both kinds of energy. One problem we have faced in our research so far, are conflicting costs for

both the solar cells and wind turbines. We will look into the different kinds of PV cells and

turbines out on the market and make a selection that conforms to our criteria and is the best

choice given the prevailing local weather conditions.

We are also looking into the possibility of a combination of PV cells and wind turbines.

This would require research into electronic circuits to figure out a way to combine them.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

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At the end of our design period, we will deliver plans for a power system that is primarily

based on a renewable source of energy. We will provide a projected power supply, for the system,

that would meet much of the estimated power needs of the village. We would consider ourselves

successful if we were able to provide a per capita supply of 280 KWh .i.e. 8,960 units of energy

for the entire village for a year.

See Appendix I for the definitions of the terms used.

INVOICE OF WORKSee Appendix A for a Time Line showing the proposed schedule of work.

BUDGET FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES

The proposed budget for this project is presented in the chart below. Overhead charges

include materials required, equipment rental and any outside consultant fees. They are calculated

by multiplying the total pay of all the individuals by 2.

FUNDING

We plan to seek funding from the Government of India and/or charitable agencies to help

set up this project in the village. We also hope that the Village Council of Tanot and the District

Council of Jaisalmer would be willing to finance 10% of the project.

Our hope is that the project will recover its investment in 5 years and from then on

provide virtually free electricity.

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QUALIFICATIONS

Oza Energy Associated is a fledgling engineering firm founded in November, 2001 by

Mr. Trushit Oza for the purpose of completing the Freshman Design Project at Drexel University.

Initially the idea was to have four principals in the firm. All the principals came together in the

Introduction to Art of Engineering class and the team was formed. Due to the length and the

intensity of project, it was determined that a project coordinator would be required. Hence Aby

John was added to the already formed team of Trushit Oza, Pritesh Patel, Paras Shah and Jignesh

Patel. The principals, consisting of a supervising engineer, three specialists, and a project

coordinator, have varying backgrounds and skills in different fields of engineering and hence

contributing to every aspect of the design. This team was formed by prior interactions during the

academic year.

For the resumes of the principals, please see Appendix B.

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WORKS CITEDCentral Electricity Authority. (1998). India: Public electricity supply, All India statistics:

General review 1997-1998. New Delhi: Government of India.

Compare Infobase Private Limited. (2001). Jaisalmer district map. Maps of India, 2000-2001.

[Online] Available HTTP://mapsofindia.com/maps/rajasthan/districts/jaisalmer.htm;

[January 27, 2002].

Council of Power. (2000). India power, Volume VIII. New Delhi: Government of India.

Government of India. (1991). Census atlas, Census of India, Rajasthan, Series 21, Part XI. New

Delhi: Controller of Publications, Civil Lines.

Government of India. (1991). Census of India, Rajasthan, Jaisalmer, 1991, Part XII A&B. New

Delhi: General Administration Department, Government of Rajasthan.

Government of India. (1973). Rajasthan district gazetteers – Jaisalmer. Jaipur: Government

Central Press.

Sen, A.K. (1972). Agricultural atlas of Rajasthan. New Delhi: Controller of Publications, Civil

Lines.

WORKS CONSULTED

Golding, E. W., & Harris, R. I. (1976). The generation of electricity by wind power. New York:

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Hau, E. (2000). Wind turbines: Fundamentals, technologies, applications, economics. Berlin:

Springer Press.

Jenkins, N., & Walker, J. F. (1997). Wind energy technology. New York: John Wiley & Sons,

Inc.

Markvart, T. (2000). Solar electricity. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Williams, J. R. (1977). Solar energy: Technology and applications. Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor

Science Publishers Inc.

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APPENDIX A

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APPENDIX B - Resumes

Jignesh PatelApt AA5

1405 New Rodgers RdBristol, PA 19007

215-826-8838Jignesh.B.Patel@drexel.edu

————————————————————————————————————EDUCATION

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PABachelor of Science in Computer EngineeringAnticipated Graduation Date: June 2006Cumulative GPA: 3.1

HONORS

Who' who in American high schools

COMPUTER SKILLS

Hardware: IBM compatibles and MacintoshesSoftware: Microsoft Access, Excel, Word, PowerPoint & LabVIEW, maple, Lotus, QuattroOperating System: Windows 95/98/2000/Millenium

RELEVANT COURSEWORK

TDEC, Physical foundation of Engineering I, IITDEC, Chemical foundation of Engineering I, IITDEC, Mathematical foundation for Engineering I, IIHumanities and CommunicationArt of Engineering: Designing Labs I, II

EXPERIENCE

SUBWAY, 4029, Bristol, PA Managing, Supervising and handling cash, June 2000-February 2001

• Run the whole store• Handling cash

INTERPRINT, Levittown, PAAssembly, June 2001- September 2001

• Packaging all the magazines and Newspapers• Performed general Office Documentary

REFERENCE

Ms.Manes, Harry S Truman High SchoolMathmanes@aol.com

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Trushit Oza2819 Kate Ave Apt G5Bensalem, PA 19020

215-432-2363Trushit.R.Oza@drexel.edu

————————————————————————————————————EDUCATION

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PABachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Anticipated Graduation - June 2006

RELEVANT COURSEWORK

Engineering Chemistry I & II Engineering Physics I, II & IIIEngineering Biology Engineering Calculus I, II & IIIEngineering Design & Lab I, II & III Introduction to Visual Basic

EXPERIENCE

Wireless Xcessories, Inc., Philadelphia, PAPicker, June 2001 to August 2001

• Picked ordered parts from wholesale packages from the warehouse for retail packaging.• Involved in inventory of parts for stock estimations.

K-Mart, Bensalem, PACashier, May 1999 to August 1999

• Handled cash obtained from the customers for items sold.• Organized the returned merchandise and retuned it to the respective departments.• Worked in different departments as a sales representative when short of manpower.

COMPUTER SKILLS

SOFTWARE: Microsoft Office, Microsoft FrontPage and Maple.OPERATING SYSTEMS: Windows 2000/98/95 and Windows NT, MAC O/S 9.LANGUAGES: Visual Basic, HTML, LabView and AutoCAD.

HONORS AND AWARDS

Received first award at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) at regional and state levels.Received honorable mention in the Delaware County Science Fair.

REFERENCES

Mr. Christopher Sterman, Teacher, Bensalem High School.Email: csterman@snip.net, Phone: (215) 396-9643.

Mr. Harry Rayan, Warehouse Manager, Wireless Xcessories, Inc.Phone: (215) 322-2077.

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Aby JohnEast Hall Apt 318 A115 N 32nd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104215-571-3540

Aby.John@drexel.edu______________________________________________________________________________________

Education

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PABachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, June, 2006G.P.A : 4.0

Honors and Awards

• Gold Medal - University of New South Wales Examination, Science - 2000• Gold Medal - University of New South Wales Examination, English - 1999, 2001• Dean's Scholarship - Drexel University - 2001-06• Freshman Writing Contest - Honorable Mention - 2001• Honors - English, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics - 2000• Honors - Top 0.1 % All India Secondary School Examination, Computer Science -

2001• Member of the Drexel University Honors Program 2001-Present • Honors - Gulf Computer Science Olympiad - 2001

Experience

MES Indian School, Doha, QatarLiterary Activities Secretary, April 1999 - March 2001• Coordinated and conducted Literary Activities for the school• Helped bring out the annual school magazine

Relevant Coursework

Physics and Engineering I,II,IIIChemistry and Engineering I,II,IIIMathematics and Engineering I,II,IIIIntroduction to the Art of Engineering I,II,IIIHumanities and Communications I,II,III

Computer Skills

• Hardware : IBM, Macintosh• Software : Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Maple, Labview• Programming Languages : G, 2 years C++

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Paras Shah115 Charter Ct

Trevose, PA 19053Paras.D.Shah@drexel.edu

————————————————————————————————————

Education Drexel University, Philadelphia, PABachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, June 2006GPA : 4.0

Honors and Awards • Who's Who in American High Schools, 2000-2001• Recipient of the A.J. Drexel Scholarship January 2001• Recipient of the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship June 2001• Dean's List, Drexel University, Academic years 2001-Present• Member of the Drexel University Honors Program 2001-Present

Relevant Coursework Physics and Engineering I, IIChemistry and Engineering I, IIMathematics and Engineering I, II, IIIIntroduction to the Art of Engineering I, IIHumanities and Communications I, II

Computer Skills • Hardware: IBM, Macintosh• Software: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, ClarisWorks, Maple, LabView• Operating Systems: Windows 2000, 98, NT, MacOs• Programming Languages: Visual Basic

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Pritesh PatelApt A 4

829 Moyers Rd Lansdale, PA 19446

215-855-5682Pritesh.K.Patel@drexel.edu

Education

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PABachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Anticipated Graduation - June, 2006Cumulative GPA: 3.61

Honors/Awards

• Physics Bowl Competition 3rd place.• Dean's List, Drexel University, Academic year Fall 2001.

Experience

Hartford Insurance Company, Ambler, PAClaim Handler, June, 2000 to May, 2001

• Process claims• Film claims

Relevant Coursework

Physical Foundation of Engineering I,IIChemical Foundation of Engineering I,IIMathematical Foundation of Engineering I,IIIntroduction to the Art of Engineering I,IIHumanities and Communication I,II

Computer Skills

• Hardware: IBM, Macintosh• Software: Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Maple, AutoCad, Labview• Operating System: Windows 2000, 98, NT, MacOS

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APPENDIX C

Map of Jaisalmer District

Picture courtesy : http://travel.indiamart.com

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APPENDIX D

Pictures of Jaisalmer

picture of a typical mud house in Jaisalmer

courtesy : www.unveilindia.com

picture of an annual fair in Jaisalmer

courtesy : www.unveilindia.com

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APPENDIX E

Wind Speed Data – Jaisalmer

Month Mean Wind Speed

kph mph

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

8.6

8.2

10.9

12.7

18.3

27.2

24.8

21.7

16.1

8.5

5.5

6.5

5.2

4.9

6.5

7.6

11.0

16.3

14.9

13.0

9.7

5.1

3.3

3.9

Annual: 14.1 8.5

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APPENDIX F

Temperature and Humidity Data – Jaisalmer

Month Mean Daily Temperature (ºC) Relative Humidity (%) at

Max Min 0130 hours 1730 hours

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

23.6

28.2

32.6

37.8

41.6

41.4

37.7

35.9

36.3

36.1

31.1

26.0

7.9

10.6

16.9

21.4

25.8

27.3

26.5

25.5

24.5

20.5

13.0

8.9

64

66

56

56

55

67

76

79

75

58

52

56

41

39

37

39

29

32

51

95

49

38

39

41

Annual: 34.0 19.0 63 41

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APPENDIX G

Sandstorm Data – Jaisalmer

Month Mean number of days with sand storms

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5

0.5

0.3

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Annual: 1.7

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APPENDIX H

Recent Weather Conditions in Jaisalmer

Date2002

Time Wind speed Temperature F/C Humidity (%)

Mph kph ºF ºC

12-Feb 3.42 am 0 0 60 16 79

13-Feb 3.42 am 2 3 52 11 63

14-Feb 6.52 pm 2 3 78 26 20

14-Feb 1.42 am 2 3 63 17 35

14-Feb 6.42 am 1 2 56 13 60

15-Feb 11.42 am 2 3 70 21 28

15-Feb 2.02 am 0 0 61 16 75

16-Feb 10.02 pm 0 0 77 25 34

17-Feb 5.42 am 0 0 56 13 89

17-Feb 8.42 am 2 3 70 21 55

17-Feb 2.12 pm 0 0 56 13 68

18-Feb 8.02 am 0 0 66 19 48

18-Feb 9.42 pm 2 3 73 23 37

19-Feb 1.42 am 9 15 67 19 61

19-Feb 7.02 am 0 0 66 19 48

Courtesy : CNN.com

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APPENDIX I

Definitions

Per Capita Consumption :

Quantity of electricity utilized by a habitat for a year

KWh :

Energy consumed by an appliance rated 100 W that has been running for 10 hours

Unit :

1 KWh = 1 unit

Energy Yield Ratios :

EYR = Output Energy x 100 Input Energy

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