Power generation

It converts heat of
coal in to electrical
energy.

Thermal Works on the

station Rankine cycle

Suitable where coal

and water are
available in
abundance
 Less initial cost
compared to other
Fuel is cheap
generating
stations

Advantages
It can be installed
Cost of generation
at a site
is less than diesel
irrespective of the
power station
existence of coal.
Disadvantages Pollutes the Running cost
atmosphere is very high
 Schematic
arrangement

• Coal and ash handling

arrangement
• Steam generating
arrangement
• Steam turbine
• Alternator
• Feedwater
• Cooling arrangement
 The coal is transported to the The coal is taken to coal

Coal and ash

power station and stored in handling plant where it is
coal storage pulverized

handling
plant
The pulverized coal is fed to The ash produced is removed
the boiler by conveyor belts to the ash handling plant and
then disposed
Steam generation plant
It consists of
• Boiler
• Superheater
• Economiser
• Air preheater
 Boiler: the heat of combustion of coal in
the boiler is used to convert water in to
steam at high temperature and
pressure. The flue gases produced are
passed through, superheater,
Steam economizer, air pre heater and then
chimney(exhaust)
generation
plant Superheater: the wet steam from the
boiler is dried in the superheater and
then superheated. This improves
efficiency and prevents condensation in
the last stages of turbine. This
superheated steam is fed to the turbine
 Economiser: This is a feedwater heater. It derives heat
from the flu gases.the feedwater is fed to the
economizer before supplying to the boiler

Steam
generation
plant Air preheater: this increases the
temperature of the air supplied for
coal burning by deriving heat from
Increased thermal
efficiency
the flue gases. Air is drawn from Increased steam
the atmosphere by a forced capacity per square
meter
draught fan. The benefit of using
air preheater is
 Steam turbine: the dry and superheated steam from
the steam turbine . The heat energy of the steam
passing over the blades of the turbine is converted in
to mechanical energy. After this, the steam is
condensed in a condenser.

Other Alternator: the mechanical energy of the turbine is

components converted in to electrical energy.

Feedwater: The condensate from the condenser is

used as feedwater in the boiler.
 Fuel supply: the steam power station should be located near coal
mines for minimum transportation cost.

Water availability:The plant should be located near a river as a

Choice of site huge amount of water is required for the condenser.

for steam
Transportation facilities: the plant requires transportation of
machine and machinery. So adequate facilities should be available

power Cost and type of land: land should be cheap and possible for
further extension

stations Nearness to load centres: the plant should be located near the
load ( preferably)

Distance from populated area: to avoid pollution

 Steam generating equipment
• Boiler : of two types-water tube and
firetube boilers
• Boiler furnace: chamber where fuel is
burnt to release heat. The furnace walls
are made of refractory materials-
Equipment of the fireclay, silica etc
steam power station • Superheater: it raises the temperature
of steam above that of water. Made of a
group of tubes made of special alloy
steels like chromium-molybdenum. The
tubes are heated by flue gases from the
furnace to the chimney
 Two types are available
• Radiant superheater:This is
placed in the furnace and receives
heat through the process of
radiation. It is less frequently used
Superheaters as it tends to get overheated and
therefore has less efficiency.
• Convection supereheater: this is
placed in the boiler tube bank and
receives heat from the flue gases
entirely by convection.
 Economiser

• Preheats feedwater on its

way to the boiler
• It has a large number of
closely spaced steel tubes.
• The feedwater flows through
these tubes
• The flue gases flow outside
and heats up the feedwater.
Air preheater
• They are used to extract heat from the escaping flue gases and supply
it to the air supplied to the furnace for coal combustion
• They are of two types
1. Recuperative type: It consists of steel tubes. The flue gases pass
through the tubes while air flows outside
2. Regenerative type: It has a slowly moving drum made of corrugated
metal plates. Flue gases flow on one side and air on the other side.
Recuperative air
preheater
Regenerative type
Condensers
• It condenses the team at the exhaust of the turbine.
• It creates a low pressure, permitting expansion of steam on the
turbine.
• The condensed steam can be fed in to the boiler.
• They are of two types
1. Jet condenser
2. Surface condenser
 Surface condensers

• No direct contact between

cooling water and
exhausted steam.
• The cooling water flows
through the tubes, the and
exhausted steam over the
surface of the tubes
• High initial cost and large
floor area
 The cooling water
and exhausted steam
are mixed together
Jet condenser
Low initial cost and
less floor area
required.
 • Hydraulic energy in to
electrical energy
• Dam is constructed over a
river or lake .
• Water from the catchment
area collects at the back of
the dam to form a reservoir
• The valve house contains
sluice valves and automatic
isolating valves.

Hydro-electric power
station
Choice of site for hydro electric power
stations
Availability of water: plant should be built near a place where
adequate water is available.
Storage of water: Water is stored in a dam to ensure generation
of power through out the year.
Cost and type of land: land should be cheap. Also, the capacity of
the equipment should be adequate to stand heavy equipment
Transportation facilities: Site should be easily accessible
Constituents of hydro-electric power plant
Dam: the barrier which stores water and creates a water head
Built of concrete or stone masonry

Spillways: if the river flow exceeds the storage capacity of the reservoir,
it can lead to flooding
Spillways are used to discharge surplus water from the storage
reservoir in to the river
 Surge tank

Used to prevent abnormal pressure in the pipes.

Constituents
of hydro- It is a small reservoir in which water level rises or falls
to reduce pressure swings in the conduit.
electric power
plant It is located near the beginning of the conduit

When load on the turbine reduces, the governor closes

the gates of the turbine. The excess water in the lower
end of the conduit rushes to the surge tank.
Constituents of hydro-electric power plant
PENSTOCKS They are open or closed conduits
which carry water to the turbines

They are made of reinforced

concrete or steel

Steel penstocks are designed for

any head.

Different valves are provided for Automatic butterfly valve

protection of the penstock
Air valve
Water turbines
• Convert energy of falling water in to mechanical energy
• Two types of water turbines
1. Impulse turbine
2. Reaction turbine
 • Used for high heads
• The entire pressure of
water is converted in to
kinetic energy in a
nozzle and velocity of
the jet drives the wheels
• Consists of wheels with
buckets along the
periphery
• Each nozzle is controlled
by a needle, which
controls the flow of
Impulse turbine water
 Used for low and medium
heads

Water enters the runner with

Reaction pressure and velocity head.
turbine
They are of two types
• Francis turbine
• Kaplan turbine
 • Used for low to medium
heads
• Has an outer ring of
stationary guide blades fixed
to the turbine casing
• Also has inner ring of
rotating blades
• Guide blades guide the flow
of water to the turbine.
• Head=25-400 m

Francis turbine
 • Used for low heads
• The runner of the turbine
receives water axially
• Water flows radially inwards
through regulating gates
• Head is 2-25 m

Kaplan turbine
Nuclear power
station
• Fuel used is Uranium and
Thorium
• They are subjected to
nuclear fission in a reactor
• Large amount of electricity
can be produced from a
small quantity of fuel
Advantages
• The amount of fuel required is small. So saving in cost of fuel
transportation
• Has low running charges
• Very economical for producing bulk power
• Need not be near load centers or near water spots
• Reliable operation
 Fuel is expensive

Capital cost is very high

Erection and commissioning requires great

Disadvantage technical know- how

s Fission by-products are radioactive

Maintenance charges are high

Cannot be used for varying loads

 Nuclear reactor

Various stages Heat exchanger

of nuclear
power plant Steam turbine

alternator
 Nuclear reactor

• Here the fuel is subjected to

nuclear fission
• It is a vessel that houses fuel
rods of Uranium, moderator and
control rods
• Graphite is used as moderator
• Cadmium is used as control rods.
It regulates the supply of
neutrons for fission.
• Lowering the control rods
reduces the power generation
and viceversa
Other components
• Heat exchanger: the heat produced by the reactor is romoved by a
coolant like sodium metal
• The coolant gives heat to the heat exchanger which increases steam
Steam turbine
Steam produced is sent to the turbine through a valve.The steam is
exhausted to the condenser.
The condensate is again pumped back in to the heat exchanger
Alternator: converts mechanical energy in to electrical energy
Selection of site for nuclear power station
• Availability of water: sufficient water required for cooling
• Disposal of waste: waste is radioactive. It should be buried in a deep
trench or disposed off in the sea.
• Distance from populated areas
• Transportation facilities
 Power factor

• It is the ratio of the real

power absorbed by the load
to the apparent power
flowing in the circuit.
 Most of the ac motors are induction type.
The power factor ranges from 0.2 to 0.8 or
0.9 (full load)

Causes of low Arc lamps, electrical discharge lamps and

industrial heating furnaces operate at low
power factor lagging pf

Transformers draw a magnetizing current

from the supply. At light loads, they draw
larger amounts of magnetizing current
causing low primary current pf
 Reduced peak kW billing. As low pf requires
larger reactive and apparent power. So
utility has to increase transmission and
generation to handle this.

Benefits of
good power Eliminating power factor penalty: customers
are charged more for lower pf

factor

Increased system capacity (Kw)