👉WHAT ARE GREEN CRACKERS? 🤔🤔

🎆🎇GREEN CRACKERS✨✨

✏️What are green crackers?

👉green crackers are firecrackers that have “less dangerous” and “less harmful” chemicals than conventional ones. Vardhan also said that a green logo as well as a Quick Response (QR) coding system have been developed for differentiating green crackers from conventional ones.

👉In October 2018, the Supreme Court allowed bursting of low-emission crackers relaxing the 'complete ban' issued in 2017. Such 'green' crackers were researched and developed by scientists at CSIR-NEERI as per the court's directions. 

👉'Green' crackers have a small shell size compared to traditional crackers. They are produced using less harmful raw materials and have additives WHICH reduce emissions by suppressing dust. 

👉Currently, the fireworks industry in India is pegged at ₹1,800 crore per annum. CSIR has signed agreements with 230 companies to manufacture the crackers and make them available for sale.

👉Green crackers don't contain banned chemicals such as lithium, arsenic, barium and lead. They are called Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL) crackers.

👉Green crackers release water vapour and don't allow the dust particles to rise They are designed to have 30% less particulate matter pollution. 

👉QR codes on green cracker packages will help consumers scan and identify counterfeits.

👉Only two types of green crackers, namely flowerpots and sparklers, have hit the market. They are mostly being procured from manufacturers based in the National Capital Region and a few other states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. 

✏️ADVANTAGES OF GREEN CRACKERS 

1. SMOG free- Not too long ago we saw how the capital was blanketed by dense and harmful smog. The pollution level after Diwali generally rises up to 30% due to bursting crackers. Imagine if it’s that harmful to us, how hazardous it can be for our kids.
2. Less harmful gases in the air- After burning such a significant volume of crackers the environment loads up with harmful carbon, nitrous oxide, and other toxic gases. It lowers our immunity & respiratory system.
3. Less garbage- As PM started “Swach Bharat Abhiyaan” as a movement to keep the country clean, reducing the usage of firecracker can be a significant contribution towards this worthy cause.
4. Safe for cattle and pets- Our dogs, cows, and birds get harmed the most due to, loud noise and excessive pollution. They tend to get scared and sick due to such inhuman activities.
5. Fewer fire-related accidents- Every year after Diwali we hear about the many accidents that ensued because of firecrackers and these can be avoided with a bit of awareness and caution.

✏️DISADVANTAGES OF BURNING HARMFULL CHEMICAL FIRE CRACKERS 

• Burning crackers causes air pollution as it releases harmful carbon dioxide gases.
• Burning crackers also produces excessive noise causing noise pollution.
• Crackers also accumulate garbage and act as a major reason for smog too.
• Careless burning of crackers may also cause injuries to the individual.

✏️WHAT MAKES A FIRE CRACKER LIFE THREATENING?

👉The Indian Supreme court recently imposed a ban on the sale of firecrackers within the Delhi National Capital Region. Earlier in 2016 around the period of Diwali celebrations, Delhi, along with some places in China, was recorded to have the world’s worst air quality for human living. One of the reasons cited for this was the bursting of firecrackers. Diwali is one of the most popular festivals in the country. According to Hindu texts, it marks the comeback of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, and also marks the Hindu new year – these events are celebrated with pomp and show, and generally, involve bursting of firecrackers too. New Delhi already deals with the problem of air pollution from extreme automobile congestion and is the 11th most populated city in the world. Lower temperature and lower winds were recorded after Diwali last year, which proved that pollutants that remained in the air would not have dispersed. This was what came to be known as the great smog of Delhi. To avoid such extreme pollution once again the Supreme Court passed a verdict to put a ban on the sale of firecrackers around the Delhi National Capital Region.

✏️How exactly do firecrackers contribute to polluting the environment?

👉A firecracker is a small explosive device which when burned produces a loud noise along with colorful sparks. It is made up of many harmful chemicals and produces harmful gases when burnt which dissolve in the atmosphere and add to its contamination.

✏️Below are a few components which make firecrackers responsible for Air pollution and respiratory issues:

✏️Chemicals present in a firecracker:

👉Sulphur nitrates, magnesium, nitrogen dioxide are involved in the making of crackers. These prove to be hazardous for our respiratory systems and can cause serious ailments like asthma, lung cancer, shortness of breath, and many other respiratory diseases.

✏️Explosives:

👉Among the components which are responsible for cracker explosion is included Antimony sulfates, which are also used in producing the head of safety matches, military ammunition and which is even suspected to cause cancer. Mercury fulminate is a primary explosive, also used in cracker production, which is sensitive to friction, causing heat and shock to the people around. Arsenic, which is inflammable in nature but is bad for the atmosphere, is also used. Lead is found in larger crackers, and lithium, which is a flammable substance used to produce explosions, is also found in many crackers.

✏️Different types of powders involved in manufacturing:

👉Flash powder, cordite, smokeless powder, or black powder are a few of the ingredients involved in the manufacture of crackers, which again cause health issues for both animals and humans.

👉Elements like sulphur, cadmium, copper, aluminum, and barium produce resonant colors when ignited along with a huge amount of smog and gases. Nitrous oxide remains in the air for a long time if the city does not get enough rain or strong winds. The great smog of Delhi in 2016 is the greatest example of such a phenomenon.

✏️Noise Pollution: Cracker bursting not only affect the environment but it also paves way for noise pollution. The big bangs, whizzing whistles, and the thunderous sounds are no good for ears. It contributes in scaring the animals away in a very inhuman condition. Animals cannot communicate but the way these loud noises frighten them is very saddening. For example, dogs get confused on hearing these noises and seeing these lights changing in their surroundings which can be fatal for them. This sound is not even good for infants and pregnant women.  The presence of aluminum, sulfur nitrate enables a cracker to produce loud sounds.

✏️Water pollution: That’s right. Fireworks do cause water pollution as well. Many times people conduct such activities near water bodies because they want to avoid fire accidents but they end up polluting those water bodies instead. The compounds present in the cracker dissolve in the water making it poisonous and unfit for consumption, and also killing off aquatic animals.

✏️Fire Accidents: Fire accidents are common in markets during Diwali. A small spark is enough to set fire to anything. Even Bollywood has shown some of the worst fire accidents caused by crackers e.g. in the Movie Vivaah, starting Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao in lead roles, we saw how a single blaze of fire burnt down their whole house and caused serious burns to the female protagonist. Children, while paying crackers often get injuries and burns.The Indian Express newspaper reported more than 290 fire accidents during Diwali last year. 

✏️Garbage Problem: Under the Scheme of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Indian Prime Minister Mr.  Modi has encouraged the citizens of the nation to walk on the path of cleanliness, but the bursting of crackers leaves the whole nation dirty and full of garbage. A day of fun makes sweepers work with extra effort for the next 10 days to clean their designated localities.

👉Looking at these problems we can say that although bursting crackers is a popular tradition among us, if we look at the bigger picture then we can say that the step taken by the Supreme Court of India in posing a ban on the sale of fire-crackers, is more beneficial to us in the long run. After all, as they say ‘Health is wealth’.

✏️Below is a list of the salts used to produce particular colours.

✏️SOME INTERESTING FACTS:

👉During Diwali, the amount of smog in Delhi increases by 30% due to the bursting of crackers.

👉Anurag Aggarwal, a Delhi based scientist at CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology compared the situation of the Indian capital to the London smog of 1952 and said that it could have caused almost 4000 deaths.

👉INDIA'S FIRST 5 ANIMAL BRIGDES TO BE CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN RAJASTHAN - MUMBAI HIGHWAY📝

👉INDIA'S FIRST 5 ANIMAL BRIGDES ON DELHI - MUMBAI HIGHWAY👈

✏️If all goes as planned, india will see its first-ever animal overpasses, which will be lines similar to the animal bridges in the Netherlands, aimed to facilitate safe passage of wildlife. Reportedly, these passes will be built to ensure smooth movement of animals and to ensure that the Ranthambore Wildlife Corridor, connecting Ranthambore and Mukundra (Darrah) wildlife sanctuaries, are not disturbed.

✏️Reportedly, the plan has been approved and forwarded by the Rajasthan state government to the central wildlife board; in all likelihood, the project will get going by next week. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has given the work to an infrastructure major, and an agreement on the same will be signed soon.

✏️Reportedly, these will be natural-looking setups, built over the corridor to ensure safe passage for animals across the expressway. An official in the know-how stated that there will be very less chance of any conflict as the animals will get such safe passage after every 500 m interval. Also, the passages will be built as a part of a forest corridor, so that the animals don’t find them unusual.

✏️As per the plan, five underground stretches will be built with a combined length of 2.5 km. There will be a boundary wall of 8 m, wherein noise barriers will also be installed. As per the reports, work on the said project would likely start within the next two months, and might take two years in completion and to be fully functional.

✏️Reports also state that the NHAI is also keen to develop bridges and project them as a sustainable model of development and for mitigation of the wildlife-traffic conflict. 

📝Ranthambore National Park

✏️Ranthambore national Park is located in Rajasthan. In 1973, National Park was declared one of the Project Tiger reserves. The National Park hosts deciduous forests and wildlife such as Indian Leopard, Bengal Tiger, wild boar, sloth bear, mugger crocodile, etc. Ranthambore National park is bounded by Chambal river in the south and Banas river in the north.

📝Criteria to create a National Park

✏️A National Park can be created by both central and state govts. However, alteration in boundaries shall be made only through resolution passed by State Legislature.  No human activities are permitted in the national park.

✏️In India, the National Parks are IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Category II protected areas. In 1936, first National Park established in India was the Hailey National Park.

✏️The species that are included in Schedule of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 are also not allowed for capturing or hunting in national parks.

📝What  are  ‘Wildlife  crossings’? 

✏️Wildlife  crossings  are  a  practice  in habitat  conservation, allowing  connections  or  reconnections  between combating habitat  fragmentation. Wildlife  crossings are  structures  that  allow habitats, animals cross humanmade barriers  safely. Wildlife  crossings    started  as  an to infrastructure  solution to ensure  safety  of  passage  to  wild  animals  by  European countries  such  as  the  Netherlands,  Germany,  and  France  in 1950s.

📝Causes  of  Habitat fragmentation 

✏️Habitat  fragmentation as roads, occurs  when  human railway  lines,  canals,made barriers  such electric  power  lines, pipelines penetrate and  divide  wildlife  habitat.

📝Different types of structures 

👉Underpass  tunnels

 👉wildlife  tunnels via ducts 

👉overpasses or green bridges

👉Culverts

👉Canopy  bridge

📝Benefits 

 ✏️Avoiding collisions  between  vehicles  and  animals Collisions  kill or  injure  wildlife  and  may  cause  injury to  humans  and property  damage.

 ✏️Species  that  are  unable  to migrate  across  roads  to reach  resources  such  as  food,  shelter  and  mates  will experience reduced  reproductive  and  survival  rates. 

✏️Road  kill  threat  can  be  devastating  to  small,  shrinking, or  threatened  populations.

📝Pench  Animal  underpasses 

✏️Along  a  16.1  km length  of  the  NH  44  passing  through forests adjoining  the  Pench  Tiger  Reserve  and  intersecting  the Pench Navegaon Nagzira  tiger  corridor,  nine  animal  crossing structures  were  constructed.

✏️These  corridors  have  been  fitted  with  CCTV cameras  to monitor  the  movement  of  animals.

✏️The  new   Expressway  is  conceived as  a  1,320  km Greenfield project with  an  estimated  cost  of  around Rs  90,000  crore. 

✏️While  at  present,  it  takes  24  hours to  travel  from  Mumbai  to  Delhi via  the National Highway 8,  this new expressway  is  expected  to cut  short  the  travel  time  to  just  13 hours.

✏️These  have  been  planned  to  ensure  there  are  no disturbances  to  the Ranthambore connecting  Ranthambhore  and Wildlife  Corridor Mukundra (Darrah) sanctuaries  in  Rajasthan, wildlife The  passages  will  be  developed  as  part  of  a  forest  corridor with  trees  so  that  animals  find  it  natural.

🏭GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT 🏭

🏭GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT🏭

✏️The generating station in which the gas turbine is used as a prime mover in order to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy is known as a gas turbine power plant.  In a gas turbine power plant air is used as a working fluid.  The gas turbine power plant consists of many components such as filter compressor combustion chamber gas turbine alternator and the motor.  Firstly the air from the atmosphere is fed into the filter in order to general remove the dust particles and then it is fed into the compressor.  The air is generally comprised in the compressor and then it is fed into the combustion chamber.  The combustion chamber consists of two valves, one valve where the fuel is fed (fuel inlet) and the other valve, where the compressed air from the compressor is fed into the combustion chamber.  The gas turbines can make use of variety of fuels like solid, liquid and gas but most likely the natural gas is used as fuel because it has 80 percentage of the Methane and small amount of some other gases and is widely used in the gas power plants.  Once the fuel is fed into the combustion chamber where heat is added to the air and thus raising the temperature of the air.  Here there are two ways of adding the Heat and they are first one used by means of burning the fuel and the second method used by means of using the air heater in order to heat the air.  In the gas turbine power plant we can also observe that there is a coupling made in between the compressor and gas turbine.  Is not compulsory to place that compressor, gas turbine, alternator and motor all in the similar shaft, based on a requirement we can make use of them in our own way.

✏️Next, the high temperature high pressure air from the combustion chamber is fed into the gas turbine and in the gas turbine, the compressed air expands and this expanded air hits the blades of the turbine which rotates and produces mechanical energy which helps to rotate the alternator or generator and hence the mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.  After the expanded air hits the blade of the turbine, the air is generally released into the atmosphere by means of using the duct.There are generally two types of gas turbine power plants, they are:

1️⃣Open cycle gas turbine power plant 

2️⃣Closed cycle gas turbine power plant 

✏️Here, another reason why the compressor, gas turbine and alternators are mounted on the same shaft because of that the part of the mechanical power of the turbine can be utilised for the operation of the compressor.  We are not going to make use of the gas turbine power plant like hydroelectric power plant, steam power plant or thermal power plant but it can be used as a stand back/back-up power plant for the hydroelectric power station, nuclear power station as a starting point for driving auxiliaries in power plant equipment etc.

📝Site selection for gas portable power plant:

1. Distance from the load centre
the plant should always be located near the load centre in order to reduce the transmission cost and as well as to reduce the losses.

2. Availability of land
the land that we are planning to construct the gas turbine power plant should be available in cheap cost or price, so that the capital loss can be reduced.

3. Availability of fuel
the fuel which is used in the gas turbine power plant that is the natural gas should be available at a reasonable rate or at less cost.

4. Availability of transportation facilities
While buying the land we need to make sure that there is any kind of transportation facility like Wagon/train route, road transport, water transport, air route etc., so that it will be helpful for us to transport the material.

5. distance from the populated area
the land where we have selected to establish the gas turbine power plant should be constructed away from the populated area because the operation of the gas turbine power plant will be very much noisy so that it can affect the people living near the plant may get disturbed.

6. Type of land
we have to select a land such that it has high bearing capacity/stability, so that it can handle all the equipment’s without any trouble because a lot of vibrations will be transmitted to the foundation from the compressor and turbines.

📝Advantages and disadvantages of gas turbine power plants:

✏️ADVANTAGES:

👉It is simple in construction when compared to that of the steam power plant since no boilers or any other equipment’s are used.

👉Gas turbine power plants are also smaller in size when compared to other power plants.

👉The initial and operational cost are low, when compared to other for plants like steam power plant, hydro power plant etc.

👉Gas turbine power plants require very much less amount of water, since no condenser is used in gas turbine power plant.

👉Maintenance cost is less.

👉Gas turbine power plants can be started quickly.

👉Less losses occur in the gas turbine power plants that is because in the steam turbine power plant we make use of the boiler which will be in continuous operation even when the steam turbine is running no load.

✏️DISADVANTAGES:

👉Initially, we will face a small problem in starting the gas turbine power plant it is because before starting the turbine the compressor is to be operated and in order to turn on the compressor we require some external power source but however, once the operation of the gas turbine power plant starts then we do not require any external power source.

👉The output of the gas turbine power plant is very low, since the greater power developed by the turbine is used in driving the compressor.

👉The overall efficiency of the gas turbine power plant is very low that is approximately about 20 % that is because the expanded air after hitting the turbine is generally allowed to be left into the atmosphere and is not reused again.

👉Here, in the gas turbine power plant the combustion chamber will have a temperature of about 3000 degree Fahrenheit, so that results in the reduction in the life of the combustion chamber.       

         

✏️In the gas turbine power plant we can also make use of the liquids like kerosene, gas oil or Diesel oil but the cost will be more and we can also make use of the coal but we not use a coal because the coal handling and ash handling methods needs to be followed, as coal handling and ash handling methods are very much difficult and also efficiency will be very much low.

✏️Nowadays, natural gas is used for combustion in gas turbine and it is transported by a pipe network in many parts of the country, since the natural gas does not eliminate the smoke or it does not pollute the environment and the main reason for making use of natural gas is because it is eco-friendly/it does not harm the environment.


✏️In the near future, we may also make use of the hydrogen gas and Biogas as fuel for the gas turbine power plants and several methods may also be introduced in order to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine power plants.  Nowadays there is also some methods which is used to improve the thermal efficiency of a gas turbine power plant that is by making use of a regenerator.

📝APPLICATIONS OF GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT :

👉It can be used as a peak load plants that is because they can be started quickly and loaded easily.

👉Base load plants: in most of the cases the gas turbine power plants are not used as a base load plant because the operational cost of the gas turbine power plant is very much high but if the natural gas is abundantly available at some side it may be economical to make use as the base load plants

👉Auxiliary power plant: for thermal stations or steam power plant or the coal power plant we can make use of the gas turbine power plant of size about 25 megawatt or 30 megawatt so that for the starting of the auxiliary equipment of the power plant.  Since the gas turbine power plant is very small we can place that either inside the building or we can make a separate site for placing the gas turbine power plant, outside the building.

underground and overhead cables in the transmission lines

⚡💡UNDERGROUND AND OVERHEAD CABLES IN TRANSMISSION LINES ⚡💡

♂️INTRODUCTION 

⚡the Transmission and distribution of electrical power can be with the help of overhead transmission lines or by underground cables it has been mentioned that in thickly populated areas like towns and cities the use of overhead lines is not practicable in such cases electrical energy is transmitted and distributed with the help of underground cables.  in its basic form and underground cable is a conductor provided with proper insulation as the voltage level increases the cost of the insulation increases rapidly and does the use of underground cable is restricted to low and medium voltage distribution. 

✏️UNDERGROUND CABLES

⚡there are generally two types of cables they are underground cables and overhead cables.First we are going to discuss about underground cables:

👉the interruptions due to lightning Storms and other weather conditions are eliminated. 

👉the cost of the cable is extremely high. 

👉it requires less maintenance 

👉the cables are insulated and hence very safe. 

👉the size of the cable is high. 

👉the insulation cost is very high. 

👉long distance transmission is not possible as laying of cables is costly difficult and complicated.

👉the beauty of cities and towns gets maintained. 

👉the voltage drop is less. 

👉the possibility of accidents is less. 

✏️OVERHEAD CABLES

⚡next we are going to discuss about overhead lines:

👉 the interruptions due to lightning Storms and other weather conditions are possible. 

👉the conductors are less expensive. 

👉it requires more maintenance.

 👉the conductors are there and not insulated which is unsafe. 

👉the size of the conductor is less.

👉no insulation cost as a itself access an insulation. 

👉the long distance transmission is possible.

 👉the beauty of cities and towns get affected as trees are required to be cut. 

👉the voltage drop is more. 

👉the possibility of accidents is more. 

✏️comparison of underground cables and overhead lines✏️

💁‍♂️ compared to overhead lines the underground cables are the following advantages 

1) it ensures non interrupted continuity of supply the possibility supply interruptions due to lightning Storms and other weather conditions are eliminated because of underground cables. 

2) it requires less maintenance. 

3) the accidents caused due to breakage of overhead line conductors are eliminated due to use of underground cables. 

4) the voltage drop in the underground cable is less. 

5) the life of underground cable is long compared to the overhead lines 

6) the beauty of cities and towns get maintained due to the underground network of cables.

7) the overhead lines used bare conductors which is unsafe in thickly populated areas and from safety point of view the underground cables are more advantages advantageous. 

⚡the only drawback of the underground cables are the extremely high initial cost and insulation problems at high voltages in India the big cities have adopted the system of underground cables for the Transmission and distribution purpose . 

⚡Thus the use of underground cables is mainly for the distribution of an electrical power it low and medium voltages. its use is  almost compulsory at the location where use of overhead lines is not practicable due to the safety reasons such as congested urban areas crossing over Wide Road near gas plants and Refineries near substation etc. 

⚡still the overhead lines have more advantages compared to that of the underground cables. 

1) long distance transmission is possible only by means of overhead lines

2) the conductor in overhead lines is less expensive compared to that of underground cables. 

3) the size of the conductor in overhead lines is less than that of underground cables due to the good heat dissipation in overhead lines. 

4) the installation cost is very less as the air itself acts as an insulation between the conductors the gas or oil is not required for the overhead lines for high voltage level spacing in air can be easily adjusted in case of overhead lines to obtain the proper installation insulation. 

5) the election cost is much less for the overhead lines the underground cable laying is difficult and very much complicated depending upon our requirement we can use either the underground or the overhead transmission system. 

⚡✨REQUIREMENTS OF THE CABLES⚡

✏️an underground cable can be defined as the group of individual insulated one or more conductors which is put together and finally provided with the number of layers of insulation to keep proper mechanical support. 

✏️the conductors used in the cables are usually aluminium or annealed copper wire insulation is commonly PVC or other chemical compositions many types of cables are available depending upon the nature of conductors number of conductors type of insulation used except the basic necessary requirements of the cables are :

1) the size of the conductor used must be such that it should carry the specific load without overheating and keeping the  voltage drop well within the permissible limits. 

2) at the voltage level for which cable sir design the insulation thickness must be proper so as to provide high degree of safety and reliability tree

3) the cables must be surrounded by number of layers of an additional insulation so as to give proper mechanical strength and protection. cables can withstand the rough use at the time of lay in them. 

4) the materials used in the manufacturing of cables must be said that there is complete chemical and physical stability throughout