Unit VI.

Applied Thermal
Engineering
Syllabus :
➢ Power Plant Engineering
▪ Conventional and Non conventional Energy sources
▪ Hydro- Electric, Thermal, Nuclear Power Plant
▪ Wind and Solar Energy
➢ Power Producing Devices
▪ Boilers, IC Engine, Turbines
➢Power Absorbing Devices
▪ Pumps, Compressors, Refrigeration Process.
 Power Plant Engineering
➢ Introduction :
➢ Electricity is only form of energy which is easy to
produce, easy to use, easy to transport & easy to
control.
➢Electricity in bulk quantities is produced in power
plants.

➢ Conventional or commercial energy sources:

➢Coal energy, Nuclear energy ,Water energy & Fossil
oils.

➢ Non Conventional (non commercial) energy

sources:
 Steam Power plants:
● In steam power plants the chemical energy of fuel is
utilized to generate high pressure, high temperature
steam in a boiler.
● This steam is used to in the turbine to produce
mechanical power which finally converted into
electrical energy.
● Block Diag. of Energy Conversion:

Combustion Steam
Boiler Nozzle Generator
Chamber Turbine
Components of a Steam Power Plants :
Blower, Air preheater, furnace, economizer, boiler tubes, steam
turbine and generator, condenser and condensate extraction
pump, feed pump, cooling tower, condenser water circulating
pump.
1. Coal & Ash Ckt.
2. Air & Hot Gases Ckt.
3. Feed Water & Steam
Ckt.
4. Cooling Water Ckt.
To generate 100 MW power, steam power plant
needs
1. Feed water for steam generation : 500 tons of water per
hour has to be circulated continuously. (there is always 2
% loss of water.)
2. Coal : 1500 tons/day has to be burned to produce steam.
3. Cooling water to condense the steam : 25,000 tons per hr
and nearly 2% of cooling water is evaporated in the
cooling water.
4. Ash after coal burning : 20 tons/hr ( 1500 to 2000
tons/day)
5. Space : 5 arcs per MW capacity installed out of which
a. Coal Storage : 33% (50,000 tons per month)
Advantages & Disadvantages of Steam power
plants :
● Advantages :
● Fuel used i.e. coal is cheaper.
● A part of steam can be used as process steam for various
industries.
● Can be located near the load center conveniently hence
reduces the transmission line cost and loss of energy in
transmission lines.
● Generation and Initial cost is less compared to diesel plants.

● Disadvantages :
● Operation and maintenance cost is high.
● Time needed in erection of plant is high.
● Large quantity of water is needed.(Feed water, cooling water)
● The handling & disposal of ash is a serious problem.
● Pollution causes health problems to workers and habitants
 Nuclear Power Plant :
➢ Nuclear Chain Reaction :
U235 + n1 → Ba144 + Kr89 + 3n1 + Energy
➢ Atomic Fission :
The heavy nucleus like uranium is split in to two or more
lighter nuclei having a combined mass less than the parent
nucleus, the reduced mass is converted in to enormous
energy in accordance with Einstein mass energy equation
i.e. E = mc2
1 kg of U235 = Heat energy obtained by burning 4500 tons
coal
➢ The fuel used in nuclear plants are unstable atoms such as
Boiler produced
Uranium (U235), Thorium(Th232), or artificially
Plutonium(Pu239 )
Nuclear
reactor
Schematic arrangement of a simple nuclear power plant is
as shown as follows --

1. Nuclear Reactor, 2. Moderator, 3. Control Rods, 4. Heat

exchanger, 5.Steam turbine, 6. Condenser, 7. Cooling tower, 8.
Pumps, 9. Shield ,10. Fuel
Materials used :
1. Moderator – Graphite, Heavy Water or Beryllium
2. Control Rods – Cadmium or boron
3. Primary coolant – CO2 , Helium or liquid metals like Na or
K
Advantages & Disadvantages of nuclear power
plants:
Advantages :
✓ Compare to conventional fuels large quantity of energy
is released by very small amount of fuel.
✓ Needs less space compared to conventional steam
plants.
✓ Does not cause air pollution.
✓ Reduces the demand on depleting resources and rising
cost of fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Disadvantages :
✓ Problem of radioactive waste disposal
✓ Against the nuclear radiations high degree of safety is
needed
✓ Capital cost is high.
✓ Needs trained manpower.
 Hydro Electric Power Plant :
● Hydro-electric power plant utilize the potential energy of
water to move hydraulic turbines which are coupled to
electric generators
● These plants have to located where the water is available
in abundance at sufficient head.

● Working Principle:
● The potential energy of water is utilized to move the
hydraulic turbines which in turn runs an electric generator
to convert the mechanical energy of turbine in to electric
energy.

● The power developed by the hydraulic turbine depends on

the quantity of water and the head of water is available.
Components of the hydro-electric power plant:
Reservoir, Dam, Trash rack, Gate, Surge tank, Penstock,
Power house, Hydraulic turbines, Draft tube, Tail race
Advantages & Disadvantages of Hydro-electric power
plant :
● Advantages :
● The cost of power generation per unit is low.
● Starting and stopping of these plants are takes very short
time compare to steam and nuclear power plant
● No disposal problems like steam and nuclear power plant
● The life of power plant is higher, about 50 years
● These plants are used for irrigation and flood control
purposes.

● Disadvantages :
● These plants depends on the rainfall for electricity gen.
● These plants are located far away from load centers.
● Development of such a plants requires more time.
 Wind Energy Power Systems :
● The wind energy is indirect part of solar energy.
-- Planetary winds & local winds
● It can be utilized for generation of electrical power
with the help of Wind Turbine Generators(WTG).
wind velocity ≥ 8 km per hr → electricity
● Operation :

Mechanical Electricity
K.E. of Wind Blades rotate
energy energy

● Wind energy is available is dilute and fluctuating in

nature both in magnitude and direction.
 Advantages of Wind Power:
● Wind is available at no cost.
● It doesn't cause any kind of pollution.
● After installation, only cost is maintenance.
● Available everywhere to some extent.(Off-shore/on-
shore)
● Wind farms make it profitable.
Disadvantages of Wind Power:
● Expensive to set up, custom products (3.5 crores /
MW)
● Wind speed varies a lot ---
◦ Hard to predict.
◦ Not steady, so unreliable.
◦ Accurate data absolutely necessary.
● It has low energy density.
Solar Energy : PV Cell Power Plant
▪ Photovoltaic comes from the words
photo meaning light and volt, a
measurement of electricity.
▪ A photovoltaic cell is the basic device
that converts solar radiation into
electricity.
▪ The energy which reaches earth
surface is taken as 1 KW/ sq.m
approximately.
▪ Power output of one solar cell = 3 watt.
▪Therefore, cells are connected in
series/parallel to form array.
▪ Application : Lighting, pumping of
Solar Energy :Solar thermal power plant
▪Element are exactly similar to Thermal
Power Plant except boiler is replaced by
flat or parabolic solar collector.
▪ Energy received from the sun is in the
form of radiations.
▪ Power plant collects & concentrate this
solar energy at reflectors focal line.
▪ The receiver is a tube positioned directly
above the middle of the parabolic mirror
and filled with a working fluid.
▪ A working fluid (e.g. molten salt) is heated
to 150–350 °C
▪ The reflector follows the sun during the
daylight hours.
▪ Cost = US$ 2.50 to $4 per watt (US$ 2 for
Hydel power plant)
 Advantages of Solar Energy Systems:
❖ After initial investment, all the electricity produced is free.
❖ Incentives and rebates from government and utility
companies offset the initial investment.
❖ Clean, renewable energy source.
❖ No transmission costs for stand alone systems.
❖ Ideal for remote locations that cannot be tied to the grid

Disadvantages of Solar Energy Systems :

❖ No electricity can be produced at night, and reduced
production on cloudy/rainy days.
❖ High initial cost to purchase solar panel system

❖ A relatively large area is required to install a solar

system.
❖ The highest efficiency is dependent on full sun
Solar Wind Hybrid Power System
:
➢A system using the combination of wind power and
solar power is called the solar wind hybrid power system
➢ These systems can be located in vast flat open terrains
away from forests and tall buildings at locations where
both the solar radiations and wind speeds are available for
several months.
➢ The solar wind hybrid system ensures the continuous
supply of power at remote locations where grid is not
available.
➢ Battery acts as a storage system. It stores the excess
power when demand of energy by consumers is less than
 A block diagram of solar wind hybrid power system for an isolated
location is shown below ----

Advantages of Solar- Wind Hybrid power system are:

➢ Ensures continuous power supply.
➢ System can be used at remote locations where transmission lines
are not available.
➢ It reduces the size of large energy storage needed individually for
solar power system and wind power systems.