Diesel Engine Power plant

Introduction:

Diesel plants are more efficient than any other heat engine of comparable size. Diesel power plant is suitable for small and medium outputs (2-50

MW). These power plants are suitable for peak load power requirements, fuel cost are favour and where the water scarcity present. It can be

started very quickly and immediately generate the electric power.

Description:

The essential components of a Diesel Electric Power Plant are:

(1) Engine
Diesel operated multi cylinder engine- 4 stroke, number of cylinder increased based on power requirement
(2) Engine air intake system
Air compressor and filter assembly to supply high pressure air
(3) Engine fuel system
Fuel tank, filter, pump and injector assembly
(4) Engine exhausts system
Exhaust as smoke removed from engine cylinder- noise minimized by the silencer
(5)Engine cooling system -Air and water are used as coolant tool cool the engine- coolant water storage,
pump heat exchanger and cooling tower.
)Engine lubrication system  lubricating oil is stored and re-circulated up to decay of the oil life. Oil tank,
filter and pump assembly.
(7)Engine starting system 12-36 Volts battery operated start up motor is used to start the engine
Working of Diesel Engine Power plant:

Multi cylinder diesel engine is started by using the startup motor. To run the engine, fuel and air are continuously supplied, the compressed clean air is

passed to the engine cylinder and remaining part of the air is used to cool the engine. The high pressure fuel pump is used to supply the fuel through

distributed injector. Cooling water is continuously supplied to remove the heat from the engine cylinder and it is recalculated. The life of the engine

and the efficiency depend largely on the lubrication system. During the power transmission the engine moving internal parts wear out due to the

friction so lubrication oil is pumped on the required points. Large amount smoke and noise is created during the combustion period which can be

channelized and removed by the silencer system. The engine output shaft is coupled with the generator which produces the electricity.

Merits:
1. Plant is compact and light.

2. Very simple design also simple installation..

3. Diesel power plants maintain their high operating efficiency irrespective of load.

4. No standby loses.

5. Less supervision required.

6. Quickly started and put on load.

Demerits:
1. High Maintenance and operating cost.

2.Fuel cost is more, since in India diesel is costly.

3. The plant cost per kW is comparatively more.

4. The life of diesel power plant is small due to high maintenance.

5. Noise is a serious problem in diesel power plant.

Applications:
y
Diesel power plants are suitable for mobile power generation and are widely used in transportation
systems consisting of railroads, ships, automobiles and aero-planes.
y
It can be used for electrical power generation in capacities from 2 to 50MW.
y
It can be used as standby power plants.
y It can be used as peak load plants for some other types of power plants
Diesel power plants produce power from a diesel engine. Diesel electric plants in the range of 2
to 50 MW capacities are used as central stations for small electric supply networks and used as a
standby to hydro electric or thermal plants where continuous power supply is needed. Diesel
power plant is not economical compared to other power plants.

The diesel power plants are cheaply used in the fields mentioned below.

1. Peak load plants

2. Mobile electric plants
3. Standby units
4. Emergency power plants
5. Starting stations of existing plants
6. Central power station etc.

4.3.1     General Layout of Diesel power plants

General Layout of Diesel power plants

Figure shows the arrangements of the engine and its auxiliaries in a diesel power plant. The major components of the plant are:

a)            Engine

Engine is the heart of a diesel power plant. Engine is directly connected through a gear box to the generator. Generally two-stroke engines are
used for power generation. Now a days, advanced super & turbo charged high speed engines are available for power production.

b)            Air supply system

Air inlet is arranged outside the engine room. Air from the atmosphere is filtered by air filter and conveyed to the inlet manifold of engine. In
large plants supercharger/turbocharger is used for increasing the pressure of input air which increases the power output.

c)             Exhaust System

This includes the silencers and connecting ducts. The heat content of the exhaust gas is utilized in a turbine in a turbocharger to compress the air
input to the engine.

d) Fuel System

Fuel is stored in a tank from where it flows to the fuel pump through a filter. Fuel is injected to the engine as per the load requirement.

e) Cooling system
This system includes water circulating pumps, cooling towers, water filter etc. Cooling water is circulated through the engine block to keep the
temperature of the engine in the safe range.

f)          Lubricating system

Lubrication system includes the air pumps, oil tanks, filters, coolers and pipe lines. Lubricant is given to reduce friction of moving parts and
reduce the wear and tear of the engine parts.

g)          Starting System

There are three commonly used starting systems, they are;

1) A petrol driven auxiliary engine,

2)      Use of electric motors,

3)Use of compressed air from an air compressor at a pressure of 20 Kg/cm”

h)       Governing system

The function of a governing system is to maintain the speed of the engine constant irrespective of load on the plant. This is done by varying fuel
supply to the engine according to load.

4.3.2 Advantages of diesel power plants

1. More efficient than thermal plant

2. Design, Layout etc are simple and cheap
3. Part load efficiency is very high
4. It can be started quickly
5. Simple & easy maintenance
6. No problem with fuel & dust handling
7. It can be located in the heart of town
8. Less cooling water required.

4.3.3     Disadvantages

1. There is a limitation for size of a diesel engine

2. Life of plant is comparatively less
3. Noise pollution is very high
4. Repair cost is very high
5. High lubrication cost
Diesel – Electric Power Plant Layout

The general layout of a medium size diesel-electric, power plant .The units are usually placed parallel to
each other in order to keep the length of electrical connections for generators to control board and air
ducts and exhaust pipes minimum. Thegenerating units (diesel engine – generator sets) are placed on
large concrete slabs preferably reinforced. The foundation should be firm and sub-soil solid. The
foundation should be firm and sub-soil solid. The air intake and filters and the exhaust mufflers should not
be located in the engine room. 

Layout of a Medium Size Diesel-Electric Power Plant

CHAPTER 7
DIESEL ENGINE POWER PLANT DESIGN
7-1. Engines
a. Diesel engines have higher thermal efficiencies
t ha n o t h e r c o m m e rc i a l p ri m e m o ve rs of co mpa ra bl e
size. Diesel engine-generators are applicable to elec-
t ri c l oa ds. from about 10 t o 5000 kil owa tts. Diesel-
engine-driven electric generator sets are divided into
t hree ge neral ca te gori es based on appl ic ation as fol-
lows:
(1) C la ss A: Diesel-electric generator sets for
stationary power plants generating prime power
c on t i nu ou sl y a t f ul l n a m e pl a t e k W r a t i n g a s t he s ol e
source of electric power.
(2) C la ss B: Diesel-electric generators sets for
stationary power plants generating power on a
sta ndby ba si s for extende d periods of ti me where
months of continuous operation at full nameplate
kW rating are anticipated.
(3) Class C: Diesel-electric generator sets for
s t a t i on a r y p ow e r pl a nt s g e n e r a t i n g p ow e r on an
e me rgenc y basis for short pe ri ods of t im e at full
nameplate kW rating where days of continuous
ope ra ti on are anti ci pa te d.
b. Di esel engi nes norm al ly wi ll be suppli ed as
s ki d m ou nt e d pa c ka ge d s ys t e m s. Fo r m ul ti pl e- un it
procure me nt, mat ched engi ne -gene ra tor sets will be

provided for units of 2500kW electrical output or less. For larger units, investigate the overall eco- nomics
and practicality of purchasing the gener-

a tors se pa ratel y, rec ogni zi ng that the ca pability for reliable operation and performance of the units are
sac ri fi ced if engi ne and genera tor a re bought from

two sources.
c. E n gi ne s a nd e n gi ne - ge ne ra t o r s e t s a re n or ma l-
l y p ro vi de d w i t h t he pr i m a r y s ub sy st e m s ne ce ss ar y
f or e n gi ne op e ra t i on, su c h a s :
(1) Starting system.
(2) Fuel supply and i nj ec ti on syste m.
(3) Lubrication system and oil cooling.

(4) Primary (engine) cooling system. (5) Speed control (governor) system. (6 ) R eq ui re d i ns tr um en tat io n.

d . The designer must provide for the following

(1) Intake air.
( 2) E x ha us t a nd e x ha u st si l e nc ng.
(3) Source of secondary cooling (heat sink).
(4) Engi ne founda ti on and vibrat ion i sola tion.
(5) Fuel storage, transfer and supply to the en-
gine.(6 ) E l e c t ri c a l sw i t c h ge a r, st e p up t r a n sf or mer, if
required, and connection to distribution wiring.
(7) Fa ci li ti es for e ngine ma inte na nc e, such as
c ra ne s, hoi st s and disasse mbly spac e.
(8) Compre ssed ai r system for sta rt ing, i f re-
qui re d.
e. Ge ne ra t o r de si gn c r i t e r i a a r e p ro vi de d in
C ha pt e r 4.
7-2. Fuel selection
A fuel selection is normally made according to avail-
a bi l i t y a n d ec on om i c c r i t e r i a du ri ng t h e co nc ep tu al
design. Fuels are specified according to ASTM, Fed-
e ra l a nd mi litary spe ci fi ca ti ons a nd inc lude:
a . ASTM Grades l-D, 2-D, and 4-D as specified
by AST M D 975. T he se fuel s a re sim il ar to No. 1,
No. 2 and No. 4 he at ing oil s.
b. Fe de ra l Spe ci fic at ion Gra de s DF-A a nd DF-2
(see Federal Specification VV-F-800). These specifi-
c at ions pa ralle l AST M Gra de s 1-D and 2-D, respec-
t ivel y.
c. Je t Fue l Gra de JP-5 (Mil it ary Spec ific ation
MIL-T-5624).
d . Marine Diesel (Military Specification MIL-
F-16884). Marine Diesel is close to ASTM No. 2-D,
a lt hough requi re ments di ffer some what.
e. ASTM No. 6, or i ts Fe de ra l e quivale nt, or Navy
special may be specified for engines in excess of
2000 kW i f e conomic s permi t. Fue l sel ec tion must
be c lose ly coordinat ed wi th the requi re ments of the
e ng i n e m a n ufa c t ur e r. T h e N o. 2 -D or DF - 2 fu el s a re
m os t c om m o n. I f f ue l i s s t o re d a t a m bi e n t t em pe ra -
tures below 20 0F,, No. 1-D or DF-A (arctic fuel)
should be considered. ASTM No. 4-D or No. 6 are
residua l oil bl ends which re quire pre he at ing prior to
burning. Fuel oil storage and handling equipment
and the engine itself will be specifically designed for
burning these viscous fuel oils

TM 5-811-6
Section ll. BALANCE OF PLANT SYSTEMS
7-3. General
B a l a n c e o f p l a nt sy st e m s a re t h os e w hi c h m us t b e
provi de d a nd inte rfa ce d wit h a pa cka ge d diesel or
diesel-generator set to provide an operational gener-
ating unit.
7-4. Cooling systems
a. Water-to-water systems. J a c k e t w a t e r a n d l u b e
oil cooling heat exchangers are cooled by a sec-
o nd a r y c i r c u l a t i n g w a t e r sy st e m . No rm a l ly, a re ci r-
c ul at ing syste m wil l be used. He at is di ssipated to
the atmosphere through an evaporative, mechan-
ical-draft cooling tower. If the plant is located on or
nea r a body of wat er, once -t hrough ci rc ulating water
will be evaluated. Bidders will be informed of the
t yp e a nd so ur c e o f s e c on da ry wa t e r u se d so he at ex -
changers can be designed for their intended service.
b. Water-to-air system s. W a t e r - t o - a i r s y s t e m s

wi ll be re st ri cte d t o sma ll engi ne s. If a n i ntegral (skid mounted) radiator is used, sufficient cooling air
wil l be provi de d. Out si de air ma y be duc ted to

t he ra di at or air inle t. Duc twork wil l be designed for

m inim um pressure loss. The cool ing fan(s) will be

c he cke d for adequa te fl ow (c fm ) and sta tic pressure under the intended service. Air leaving the radiator
norma ll y goe s t o t he engine room a nd is exhausted. Cooling air inlets will be equipped with automatic

d a m pe rs a n d b i r d sc re e n s.
7-5. Combustion air intake and exhaust
systems
a. Purpose. T h e f u n c t i o n s o f t h e i n t a k e a n d e x -
haust syst em s a re t o del iver cl ea n combustion air to
t he e n gi ne a nd di sp os e o f t he e x ha us t q ui et ly wi th
t he mi ni mum l oss of perform anc e.
b. In t a ke . T h e a i r i n t a ke s ys t e m u su a l l y co ns is ts
of a ir inta ke duc t or pipe a ppropria te ly supported, a
silencer, an air cleaner, and flexible connections as
requi re d. T hi s a rra ngem ent permi ts loca ti on of area
o f a i r i n t a ke be y on d t he i m m e di a t e v i c i n it y o f t he
engine, provides for the reduction of noise from in-
t a k e a i r fl ow, a nd pr ot e c t s vi t a l e ng i n e pa rt s a ga in st
a irborne i mpurit ie s. T he a ir inta ke wi ll be designed
to be short and direct and economically sized for
minimum friction loss. The air filter will be designed
for the e xpect ed dust loading, sim pl e m ai ntenance,
and low pressure drop. Oil bath or dry filter element
air cleaners will be provided. The air filter and si-
lencer may be combined.
c . E x h a u s t . T h e e xh a u st sy st e m c on si st s o f a
muffler and connecting piping to the atmosphere
w i t h s ui t a bl e e xpa ns i o n j oi nt s, i ns ul a t i o n, a nd su p-
ports. In coge ne rat ion pla nt s, i t a lso provides for
u t i l i z a t i on of e x ha u st he a t e n e r gy by i n c o rp ora ti ng
7-2
a waste heat boiler which can be used for space heat-
i ng, a b so rp t i on re fr i g e ra t i on, or ot he r u se fu l p ur -
pose. This boiler produces steam in parallel with the
vapor phase cool ing syste m. T he exha ust silencer
attenuates exhaust gas pulsations (noise), arrests
s pa rk s, a nd i n so m e c a s e s re c o ve rs wa s t e he at. Th e
m uffl er de si gn wi ll provide t he requi re d sound at-
t e n ua t i on wi t h m i ni m u m p re ss ure l o ss.
7-6. Fuel storage and handling
a. Storage requirements.
(1) Aboveground fue l stora ge t anks wi th a mini-
m um ca pac it y for 3 0 days c onti nuous ope ration will
be provided for continuous and standby duty
p l a nt s. F ue l s t o ra ge sha l l be de si gn e d t o th e r eq ui re-
ments of NFPA 30. A tank with 3 day storage ca-
pacity will be provided for emergency duty plants.
( 2) Fo r c on t i nu ou s d ut y p l a nt s, p ro vi de a da y
tank for each engine. The tank will provide a 4-hour
s t o ra ge c a p a c i t y a t m a x i m um l o a d. T he t a nk wi ll be
f i l l e d b y a ut om a t i c l e v e l c o nt ro l s a n d t ra ns fer
p um ps. St a n db y p l a nt s w i l l b e p ro vi de d w it h da y
t a n ks of su ff i c i e nt c a p a c i t y t o p e r m i t m a n ual fi ll in g
o nc e p e r sh i f t ( 10 -h ou r c a pa c i t y ). N o s e p ara te da y
t ank i s requi re d for eme rgency pl ants.
b. Fu e l ha nd l i ng. Pr ov i d e u nl oa di ng pu m p s i f f ue l
is to be delivered by rail car or barge. Most fuel tank
t ru c k s a re e qu i p pe d w i t h p um ps. Pr ov i d e t ra ns fe r

pum ps ca pa ble of fi ll ing t he da y t ank i n l ess than 1/2 hour when the engine is operating at maximum
l oa d. Duple x pum ps, va lved so tha t one can operate while

the other is on standby, will be provided for reliabil-

i ty. Pi pe li ne st ra iners and fil te rs wi ll be provided to
p ro t e c t t h e f ue l pu m p s a nd e n gi ne i n j e c t or s f ro m
dirt. Strai ne rs and fil te rs wi ll not pa ss pa rticles larg-
er than half the injector nozzle opening.
7-7. Engine room ventilation
A bo ut 8 p e r c e nt of t he he a t i n g v a l ue of t h e f uel co n-
sumed by the engine is radiated to the surrounding
a i r. It i s e s se nt i a l t h a t pr ov i s i o n b e m a d e f or re -
moval of this heat. Engine room temperature rise
s ho ul d b e l i m i t e d t o 15 0F. F or e n gi ne s w it h w al l
mounted or ducted radiators, radiator fans may be
suffi ci ent i f a dequa te exha ust or a ir rel ie f is pro-
vided. If engines are equipped with water cooled
h e a t e xc h a n ge rs, a s e p a ra t e ve nt i l a t i o n s ys te m w il l
b e p ro vi de d. T he a pp ro xi m a t e ve nt i l a t i o n r ate ma y
be determined by the following formula:
1,000 x HP
C F M =
T
where:
HP =
T =
m axim um engi ne horse powe r
a ll owable tem pe ra ture ri se, ‘F
TM 5-811-6
Provision will be made to allow for reducing the air
the engine room; however, jacket water cooling will
flow during the cooler months so as not to over-cool
rem ai n wit hi n recomm ende d l im it s a t a ll times.
Section Ill. FOUNDATIONS AND BUILDING
7-8. General
Chapter 2 should be consulted for the civil facilities
design criteria associated with a diesel power plant.
This section amplifies the civil engineering aspects
directly applicable to the diesel plant.
7-9. Engine foundation
a. Design considerations.
( 1) T h e f ou nd a t i o n w i l l h a ve t h e r e q ui re d m as s
’
a nd ba se a re a , a ss um i n g i ns t a l l a t i o n o n f ir m s oi l an d
t he use of high qua li ty concret e. B efore final details
of t he founda ti on de si gn are esta bl ishe d by the de-
signer, the bearing capacity and suitability of the
soil on which the foundation will rest will be deter-
m i n e d. Mo di fi c a t i on of t he m a nu fa c t ur e r ’s rec om -
m e n de d f ou nd a t i o n m a y b e r e q ui re d t o m ee t s pec ia l
requirements of local conditions. Modifications re-
qui re d m ay incl ude :
(a) A d j u s t m e n t o f t h e m a s s .
(b) Additional reinforcing steel.
(c) U se of a r e i nf orc e d m a t u nd e r t h e r e g ula r
f ou nd a t i o n.
(d ) Support of t he founda ti on on pi le s. Piling
m a y re qu i r e b ra c i n g a ga i n st ho ri z o nt a l di sp lac e-
ment.
‘ (2) The engine foundation will extend below the

footings of the building and the foundation will be completely isolated from the walls and floors of the
building. The foundation block will be cast in a sin-

gle, continuous pour. If a base mat is used, it will be

c a s t i n a se p a r a t e c on t i nu ou s p ou r a nd be p ro vi de d
w i t h v e r t i c a l re -b a r s e xt e n di ng up i n t o t h e f ou nd a-
tion block.
b . V i br a t io n m ou nt s.
(1) For sma ll engi ne inst al lat ions where t here is
a possibility y of transmission of vibration to adjacent
a re a s, t he e n gi ne fo un da t i on s w i l l b e a deq ua te ly in -
s ul a t e d by gr a ve l , o r t he e n gi ne m o un t e d o n v ib ra -
t i o n i ns ul a t i n g m a t e r i a l or de vi c e s. V i b ra ti on
m ount s for la rger engi nes be come im prac tical and
foundat ion m ass m ust be provi ded ac cordingly.
( 2) Sk i d m o un t e d g e n e r a t i n g u ni t s wi l l be s up -
plied with skids of sufficient strength and rigidity to
m a i nt a i n p ro pe r a l i g nm e n t b e t we e n t h e e n gi ne an d
t he ge ne ra t or. Vi br a t i o n i so l a t o rs, e i t h e r of th e ad -

justable spring or rubber pad type, will be placed be- tween the unit skid and the foundation block to min-
i mi ze the t ransm issi on of vi brat ions.

7-10. Building
a. Location.
(1) A die se l e ngine powe r pla nt ha s few limita-
t ions re ga rding l oca ti on. Ae st he ti ca ll y, a n architec-
t ur a l l y a t t r a c t i v e b ui l d i n g c a n e n c l ose t h e e qu ip -
m e n t i f r e q ui re d. F ue l c a n b e s t o re d u nd er gr ou nd if
appearance so dictates. Proper exhaust and intake
air silencing can eliminate all objectionable noise.
Air and wat er poll ut ion proble ms are m inimal with
most recommended fuels.
(2) Consider the rela ti ve im port ance of the fol-
lowing when selecting a plant site:
(a) Proxim it y t o t he ce nt er of power de ma nd.
(b) Economical delivery of fuel.
(c) Cost of property.
(d ) Suit abil it y of soi l for buil di ng and m achin-
e ry fo un da t i on s.
(e) Spa ce ava il able for fut ure e xpansi on.
(f) P r o x i m i t y t o p o t e n t i a l u s e r s o f e n g i n e
waste heat.
(g) Availability of water supply for cooling
systems.
b. Arra ngem ent.
(1) In designing the power plant building, a gen-
eral arrangement or plant layout will be designed for
t he m a j o r c om po ne n t s. T h e a rr a n ge m e nt wi ll fac il i-
tate installation, maintenance and future plant ex-
pansi on. Am pl e spac e sha ll be provided around each
unit to create an attractive overall appearance and
s i m pl i f y m a i nt e n a nc e f or e n gi ne s a nd a u xi lia ry
equipment.
(2) I n a dd i t i o n t o t he ba si c e q ui pm e n t a rr an ge -
ment, provide for the location of the following, as re-
quired by the project scope:
(a) Office space.
(b) Lunchroom and toilet facilities.
(c) E n g i n e p a n e l s , p l a n t a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n
s wi t c hg e a r, a n d a c e nt ra l c on t r ol boa rd (C ha pt er 5,
Section I).
(d ) Cool ing syste m i nc ludi ng pumps a nd heat
exchangers.
(e) Lube oil filters and, for heavier fuels,
oil processing equipment such as centrifuges.
(f) T ools and ope ra ti ng supplie s stora ge.
(g) Fa ci li ti es for m ai nte na nc e.
(h) Heat recovery equipment, if included.
fue l
(3) The m ai n uni ts should usua ll y be li ne d up in
paral le l, pe rpendi cula r t o t he long axis of the engine
room thus making unlimited future expansion easy