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ES - E 2 ERT Power Generation
ES - E 2 ERT Power Generation
http://www.mpoweruk.com/steam_turbines.htm
Electrical Power Generation
• How is steam generated? Water is vaporised
using the energy from:
– burning fuel (coal, oil, natural gas, etc.)
– waste heat (from exothermic reactions in a
process)
– nuclear power
– concentrated solar power (CSP)
– geothermal power (heat from earth’s core)
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/graphics/wateruse/wupt-plantscherer.gif
Electrical Power Generation
• Coal is burnt (in a furnace/boiler).
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/graphics/wateruse/wupt-plantscherer.gif
Electrical Power Generation
• The turbine drives a generator (magnet
inside coils) which then generates an
alternating current (AC) in the coils.
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/graphics/wateruse/wupt-plantscherer.gif
Electrical Power Generation
• What are the inefficiencies in the system (i.e.
where is energy lost)?
– Combustion (in furnace/boiler) [Efficiency ≈ 85%]
• Residual water in fuel is vaporised (which takes heat)
• Flue gas (incl. excess air) leaves at ≈ 200°C [Lost heat]
• Hot ash (incl. unburnt fuel) leaves [Lost fuel]
• Radiation to atmosphere [Lost heat]
– Heat engine (Rankine cycle) [Carnot efficiency ≈ 70%]
– Steam turbine [Mechanical efficiency ≈ 60%]
– Generator [Mechanical to electrical efficiency ≈ 99%]
– Transformer [Efficiency ≈ 97%]
– Transmission (Heat losses) [Efficiency ≈ 90%]
Electrical Power Generation
• Overall efficiency (from coal-feed to electricity-
user) is all efficiencies combined
≈ (0.85)(0.70)(0.60)(0.99)(0.97)(0.90) ≈ 30%
– For 100 kJ of heat released in combustion, only 30 kJ
reaches destination as electrical energy!
– Look up efficiencies for other fuels, methods
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brayton_cycle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brayton_cycle
Question: why do
we generate and
distribute
electricity?
Question: why do Answer: Over long distances (i.e. more than a few km), it is much easier and cheaper to
we generate and distribute electricity than it would be to distribute steam, i.e. electricity can be distributed
distribute in cables (across thousands of km), whereas the distribution of high pressure/temperature
electricity? steam would require bulky, expensive piping (and expensive insulation)
Steam supply
Various
users
Condensate return
The Wider View: Energy in SA
https://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/files/NPCEnergyPlan.pdf
The Wider View: Energy Worldwide
• https://yearbook.enerdata.net/
Miscellaneous tip
• If design/size/specify electrical power user
(e.g. compressor, pump, etc.), does your
answer make sense?
-Typical SA power station: 3.6-4.8 GW
-Wind turbine: 2-4 MW
-Tesla vehicle motor: 300 kW
-Typical domestic light bulb: 5-20 W
-Use common sense!
But also note: Project 1 Anaerobic Digestion is very
small scale, so power-ratings are unusually small