POWER PLANT

A power plant is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. At the center of nearly all power stations is a generator, a rotating machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. The energy source harnessed to turn the generator varies widely. It depends chiefly on which fuels are easily available and on the types of technology that the power company has access to.

THERMAL POWER PLANT

A steam or thermal power station uses heat energy generated from burning coal to produce electrical energy. A thermal power station is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven. This power station uses the Rankine cycle. This is the cycle of the steam produced in the boiler, and then taken to the Steam turbine which is the prime mover. From the turbine the steam is cooled back to water in the Condenser, the resulting water is fed back into the boiler to repeat the cycle.

Rankine cycle

LAYOUT OF A COAL FIRED STEAM THERMAL POWER PLANT

 The fuel is pulverized coal Fuel, preheated air is fed to furnace cum boiler steam generator. Combustion of fuel gives heat. The preheated feed water is supplied to the boiler The water enters the boiler through a section in the convection pass called the economizer. From the economizer it passes to the steam generator. The water is eventually turned into steam /vapour due to the heat being generated by the furnace.

 The steam/ vapour is passed through a series of steam and water separators and then dryers inside the steam generator. The steam is then piped from the upper steam generator area into tubes inside the super heater. The superheated steam is then piped through the main steam lines to the valves before the high pressure turbine There may be a reheater section containing tubes heated by hot flue gases outside the tubes. Exhaust steam from the high pressure turbine is rerouted to go inside the reheater tubes to pickup more energy to go drive intermediate or lower pressure turbines.

 The superheated steam expands in multistage steam turbine. The exhaust steam is condensed in the condenser and the condensed water is fed to the steam generator via the feed-water-heaters. Meanwhile, the exhaust gases are passed over the economizer, superheater, reheater, air preheater, ESP, chemical treatment plant, etc and let out through the stack to the atmosphere. Steam turbine drives the AC Generator. 3 phase, 50 Hz, synchronous Generator is used. AC Generator converts mechanical energy at shaft to electrical energy and feeds it to the network via a suitable power transformer and substation

The energy conversion route is:

Coal Furnace Steam Generator Chemical Energy (Fuel plus Auxiliary Power) Steam Synchronous Supply Turbine Generator of AC, 3PH, Energy 50 Hz Thermal Mechanical Electrical Supply Energy Energy Energy of (Steam) (Shaft) (Generator) Energy (to load)

EFFICIENCY
The power output or capacity of an electric plant can be expressed in units of megawatts electric (MWe). The overall efficiency of the power plant to around 33.5 %. This means we get only 1.9 kwhr of electrical energy from one kg of coal instead of the 5.56 kwhr that is theoretically available in the coal.

ADVANTAGES Cheap coal is used. Can be installed anywhere near fuel & water supply is available. Requires less construction space. Cost for Generation is less. DISADVANTAGES Air pollution from smoke fumes. Costs more to run compared with other types of power stations.

COMBINED CYCLE POWER PLANT

A combined cycle is characteristic of a power producing engine or plant that employs more than one thermodynamic cycle. Combining two or more cycles results in improved overall efficiency.

The thermal efficiency of combined cycle power plant is about 48%.

Combined cycle power plant combines a Gas turbine Generator as a topping cycle unit and Steam Turbine Generator as a bottoming cycle unit.

 In steam turbine generator, the steam is produced in the boiler, and then taken to the Steam turbine which is the prime mover. From the turbine the steam is cooled back to water in the Condenser, the resulting water is fed back into the boiler to repeat the cycle. In gas turbine generator, the compressor discharges air into a combustion chamber where it is heated by combustion of fuel. The mixture of air and combustion gases is then expanded in a turbine. The expanded gas may be discharged to the atmosphere or may be used to preheat the air discharged from the compressor. In a closed cycle operation, the working fluid after expansion is recycled to the compressor through an exhaust-gas cooler.

 The input fuel for combined cycle power plant is natural gas (principally methane) or other synthetic fuel gases derived from petroleum/biomass/chemicals.

Schematic representation of a combined cycle power plant

 The gas turbine unit in a combined cycle is like that in a simple gas turbine plant.

The exhaust is not wasted into atmosphere

The heat is recovered in a Heat Recovery Steam Generator and the steam so generated is supplied to the steam generation unit.

Layout and switching arrangements

Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle Plants (ICGCC)

Coal Extraction Transport Preparation Storage Pulverisation

Coal Gas Turbine Generator Electrical Output Gasification HRSG Steam Steam Turbine Generator Electrical Output

Plant Layout