03

Power Plants

Dr Gordhan Das Valasai

 Revision
• Sustainable Energy
• Renewable Energy
• Renewable Energy Sources
• Non-renewable Energy Sources
• Why renewable energy?
• Fossil Fuels
• Oil
• Natural Gas
• Coal
• Thermal Power Plants – A typical thermal power plant
• Fuel
 Power Plant Cycle

Power plants cycle generally divided in to the following

groups:

(1)Vapour Power Cycles (Carnot cycle, Rankine cycle,

Regenerative cycle, Reheat cycle, Binary vapour
cycle)

(2) Gas Power Cycles (Otto cycle, Diesel cycle, Dual

combustion cycle, Gas turbine cycle.)
 Types of Power Plants

1.Steam power stations

2.Hydroelectric power stations
3.Diesel power stations
4.Nuclear power stations
 Fuels and Combustion
• The thermal power plant is a power plant in which
the electric-generator is steam driven.
• Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a
steam turbine which drives an electrical generator.
• After it passes through the turbine, the steam is
condensed in a condenser.
• The greatest variation in the design of steam-
electric power plants is due to the different fuel
sources.
 Fuels and Combustion
• All thermal power plants need heat for generating
steam to produce electricity.
• That heat is achieved through combustion of
certain fuel.
• The most common fuel is fossil fuel viz., Coal,
petrol, and diesel in the case of steam power
plants, I.C. Engines, and gas turbines.
• Uranium 235(1U235) as fissionable and 1U238 as
fertile fuel in the case of fission reactors of nuclear
power plant and hydrogen as fuel in the case of
fusion nuclear reactor.
 Fuels and Combustion

• Combustion of the fuel is a must in any energy

conversion device.
• It is defined as rapidly proceeding chemical reaction
with liberation of heat and light.
• This phenomenon incurved in the case of thermal power
plants especially in I.C. engines and gas turbines.
• But in the case of fuel cell it is of the nature of chemical
reaction i.e., transfer of ions, similarly in the case of
thermo-electric generator it is conduction of electron
and holes.
 Steam Generation

• Steam is mainly required for power

generation, process heating and pace
heating purposes.
• The capacity of the boilers used for power
generation is considerably large compared
with other boilers.
• Due to the requirement of higher efficiency,
the steam for power generation is produced
at high pressures and in very large
quantities.
 Steam Generation
• They are very large in size and are of individual
design depending the type of fuel to be used.
• The boilers generating steam for process
heating are generally smaller in size and
generate steam at a much lower pressure.
• They are simpler in design and are repeatedly
constructed to the same design.
• Though most of these boilers are used for
heating purposes, some, like locomotive boilers
are used for power generation also.
 Steam Generator
• A steam generator popularly known as boiler is a closed
vessel made of high quality steel in which steam is
generated from water by the application of heat.
• The water receives heat from the hot gases though the
heating surfaces of the boiler.
• The hot gases are formed by burning fuel, may be coal,
oil or gas.
• Heating surface of the boiler is that part of the boiler
which is exposed to hot gases on one side and water or
steam on the other side.
 Steam Generator
• The steam which is collected over the water
surface is taken from the boiler through super
heater and then suitable pipes for driving engines
or turbines or for some industrial heating
purpose.
• A boiler consists of not only the steam generator
but also a number of parts to help for the safe
and efficient operation of the system as a whole.
• These parts are called mountings and
accessories.
 Steam Power Plant
A steam power plant must have following equipment:

1.A furnace to burn the fuel.

2.Steam generator or boiler containing water. Heat
generated in the furnace is utilized to convert water in
steam.
3.Main power unit such as an engine or turbine to use the
heat energy of steam and perform work.
4.Piping system to convey steam and water.

In addition to the above equipment the plant requires

various auxiliaries and accessories depending upon the
availability of water, fuel and the service for which the plant
 Steam Power Plant
A steam power station basically works on the Rankine
cycle.
Steam is produced in the boiler by utilizing the heat of
coal combustion.
The steam is then expanded in the prime mover (i.e.,
steam turbine) and is condensed in a condenser to be
fed into the boiler again.
The steam turbine drives the alternator which converts
mechanical energy of the turbine into electrical energy.
This type of power station is suitable where coal and
water are available in abundance and a large amount of
electric power is to be generated.
 Steam Power Plant
• The flow sheet of a thermal power plant consists of the
following four main circuits :
1. Feed water and steam flow circuit
2. Coal and ash circuit
3. Air and gas circuit
4. Cooling water circuit.
• A steam power plant using steam as working substance
works basically on Rankine cycle.
• Steam is generated in a boiler, expanded in the prime
mover and condensed in the condenser and fed into the
boiler again.
 Steam Power Plant
• The different types of systems and components used in
steam power plant are as follows :
(i) High pressure boiler
(ii) Prime mover
(iii) Condensers and cooling towers
(iv) Coal handling system
(v) Ash and dust handling system
(vi) Draught system
(vii) Feed water purification plant
(viii) Pumping system
(ix) Air preheater, economizer, super heater, feed
heaters.
Schematic
 Steam Power Plant
• Coal received in coal storage yard of power station is
transferred in the furnace by coal handling unit.
• Heat produced due to burning of coal is utilized in
converting water contained in boiler drum into steam at
suitable pressure and temperature.
• The steam generated is passed through the superheater.
Superheated steam then flows through the turbine.
• After doing work in the turbine die pressure of steam is
reduced. Steam leaving the turbine passes through the
condenser which maintain the low pressure of steam at
the exhaust of turbine.
• Steam pressure in the condenser depends upon flow rate
and temperature of cooling water and on effectiveness of
air removal equipment.
 Steam Power Plant
• Water circulating through the condenser may be taken from
the various sources such as river, lake or sea.
• If sufficient quantity of water is not available the hot water
coming out of the condenser may be cooled in cooling
towers and circulated again through the condenser.
• Bled steam taken from the turbine at suitable extraction
points is sent to low pressure and high pressure water
heaters.
• Air taken from the atmosphere is first passed through the
air pre-heater, where it is heated by flue gases. The hot air
then passes through the furnace.
• The flue gases after passing over boiler and superheater
tubes, flow through the dust collector and then through
economizer, air pre-heater and finally they are exhausted to
 Steam Power Plant
• Steam condensing system consists of the following:

(i) Condenser
(ii) Cooling water
(iii) Cooling tower
(iv) Hot well
(v) Condenser cooling water pump
(vi) Condensate air extraction pump
(vii) Air extraction pump
(viii) Boiler feed pump
(ix) Make up water pump.
Advantages - Steam Power Plant
• The fuel (i.e., coal) used is quite cheap.
• Less initial cost as compared to other generating
stations.
• It can be installed at any place irrespective of the
existence of coal. The coal can be transported to the
site of the plant by rail or road.
• It requires less space as compared to the
hydroelectric power station.
• The cost of generation is lesser than that of the diesel
power station.
Disadvantages - Steam Power Plant
• It pollutes the atmosphere due to the production of
large amount of smoke and fumes.
• It is costlier in running cost as compared to
hydroelectric plant.
 Stages - Steam Power Plant
1.Coal and ash handling arrangement
2.Steam generating plant
3.Steam turbine
4.Alternator
5.Feed water
6.Cooling arrangement
Coal and Ash Handling Arrangement
• The coal is transported to the power station
by road or rail and is stored in the coal
storage plant.
• Storage of coal is primarily a matter of
protection against coal strikes, failure of
transportation system and general coal
shortages.
• From the coal storage plant, coal is delivered
to the coal handling plant where it is
pulverised (i.e., crushed into small pieces) in
order to increase its surface exposure, thus
promoting rapid combustion without using
Coal and Ash Handling Arrangement
• The pulverized coal is fed to the boiler by
belt conveyors.
• The coal is burnt in the boiler and the ash
produced after the complete combustion of
coal is removed to the ash handling plant
and then delivered to the ash storage plant
for disposal.
• The removal of the ash from the boiler
furnace is necessary for proper burning of
coal.
 How much coal is required?
• A 100 MW station operating at 50% load
factor may burn about 20,000 tons of coal
per month and ash produced may be to the
tune of 10% to 15% of coal fired i.e., 2,000 to
3,000 tons.
• In fact, in a thermal station, about 50% to
60% of the total operating cost consists of
fuel purchasing and its handling.
 Steam Generator
• A steam generator is a complex combination of
economizer (feed water heater), boiler, superheater,
reheater and air preheater.
• In addition it has various auxiliaries, such as stokers
(coal feeding devices), pulverizers (grinders for coal),
burners, fans, emission control equipment, stack, ash-
handling equipment.
• A boiler is that portion of the steam generator where
saturated liquid (about to vaporize) is converted to
saturated steam (dry).
• The term boiler is often used to mean the whole steam
generator. Steam generators are classified as either:

1.Utility steam generators: used by utilities for