Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Coal Power Plant
Coal Power Plant
Coal Power Plant
More than half of the electricity generated in the world is by using coal as the primary fuel. The function of
the coal fired thermal power plant is to convert the energy available in the coal to Electricity. Coal power
plants work by using several steps to convert stored energy in coal to usable electricity.
Stage 1
The first conversion of energy takes place in the boiler. Coal is burnt in the boiler furnace to produce heat.
Carbon in the coal and Oxygen in the air combine to produce Carbon Dioxide and heat.
Stage 2
1. The heat from combustion of the coal boils water in the boiler to produce steam. In modern power
plant, boilers produce steam at a high pressure and temperature.
2. The steam is then piped to a turbine.
3. The high pressure steam impinges and expands across a number of sets of blades in the
turbine.
4. The impulse and the thrust created rotates the turbine.
5. The steam is then condensed and pumped back into the boiler to repeat the cycle.
Stage 3
In the third stage, rotation of the turbine rotates the generator rotor to produce electricity based of
Faradays Principle of electromagnetic induction.
Coal produces large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, when
burned in power stations.
The processes of mining and transporting coal produce even more greenhouse gas emissions.
A lot of water is used in coal production.
Water discharges from coal power plants pollute water sources.
Other waste is produced, including solid waste in the form of ash.
Finally, while there is lots of coal, it is a finite resource, so is regarded as a non-renewable form of
energy.