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Guide to Wind Turbines: Technical Considerations and Insights

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At the heart of a wind turbine’s efficiency lies its design. The aerodynamic performance of the blades directly impacts power output. Modern blade designs incorporate advanced materials like carbon fibre-reinforced composites, enhancing durability while reducing weight. These materials improve load distribution across the rotor, allowing for larger blades and thus, greater energy capture. The challenge lies in balancing blade length with structural integrity. Longer blades generate more energy but exert greater forces on the tower…

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Transformer Protection: Ensuring Safety and Reliability in Power Systems

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Transformers face several risks and potential faults that, if left unaddressed, could lead to system failures. Transformers can experience both external and internal faults. External faults include short circuits, overloads, and over-voltages that originate outside the transformer but impact its operation. On the other hand, internal faults occur within the transformer itself and may include short circuits between turns or windings, ground faults, excessive temperature or pressure, and the loss of transformer oil. Each of…

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Nuclear Energy and the Future: A Journey Through Material Innovation

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Advancement of Nuclear Energy Through a Materials Engineering Perspective Climate change and diminishing fossil fuels have fostered the development of cleaner and more sustainable energy sources since the past half a century. Advancements in nuclear energy have been gaining renewed attention as a source of stable and non-intermittent energy. Advanced nuclear reactors, heralded as the next generation of nuclear technology, promise to deliver safer, more efficient, and more sustainable energy. However, the success of these…

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Power sector installed capacity overview for August 2024

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As of August 2024, India’s total installed capacity reached 4,50,759.56 MW, covering coal, lignite, gas, hydro, nuclear, and renewable energy sources. The total installed capacity from renewable energy sources was 1,52,654.48 MW. In the State Sector, the installed capacity totalled 1,08,276.94 MW. Of this, 69,977.50 MW was from coal, while 27,254.45 MW came from hydro. Renewable energy contributed 2,602.62 MW to the state sector’s total capacity. In the Private Sector, the total installed capacity stood…

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Power supply and allocation overview for August 2024

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The peak power demand in India for August 2024 reached 2,49,856 MW, with 2,49,854 MW being met, a marginal shortfall of 2 MW. Many states were able to meet their peak power demand in full. Delhi had a peak demand of 8,656 MW, which was fully met, and Maharashtra similarly met its demand of 28,924 MW. In certain regions, small deficits were observed. For example, UT of J&K and Ladakh had a peak demand of…

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Transformation and transmission capacity overview for August 2024

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As of August 2024, the total transformation capacity in India reached 12,69,350 MVA. During the financial year 2024-25, up until August, a total of 18,270 MVA had been added to the country’s substations, with 3,650 MVA being added in August alone. The Central Sector contributed 6,330 MVA out of the planned 51,645 MVA during the first five months of FY 2024-25. Power Grid Corporation India Limited (PGCIL) added 6,015 MVA during this period. The progress…

India’s EV Market: From Subsidies to Market-Driven Growth

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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently stated that the electric vehicle (EV) industry has matured to a point where government subsidies are no longer necessary to support manufacturers. Consumers are now choosing EVs or CNG vehicles on their own, potentially causing a shift in India’s mobility industry.  Gadkari highlighted that the cost of manufacturing EVs has dropped over the years, further making subsidies unnecessary. A study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that the cost of…

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Transforming Delhi’s Power Grid

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Delhi’s electricity demand has surged by 20% since 2014-15, with peak load increasing by over 30%. This growth is primarily fueled by domestic consumption, which accounts for nearly 60% of the city’s total demand. With a projected population of over 20 million by 2030, Delhi is on track to become the world’s largest metropolitan city. The city’s peak electricity demand, which reached 7,700 MW in 2022, is expected to rise by 50% by 2030, hitting…