ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
It can be made multipurpose so as to give
HYDRO STATIONS
Advantage:
1. The plant is highly reliable and its operation
and maintenance charges are very low.
2. It is quick starting and can be brought on load
within few minutes, and the load can be
increased rapidly.
3. Hydro stations are able to respond to rapidly
changing loads without loss of efficiency.
4. The plant has no standby losses.
5. The efficiency of the plant does not change
with age, whereas there is considerable
reduction inefficiency of thermal as well as
nuclear power plant with age.
6.The plant and associated civil engineering
structures have a long life.
7. Less labour is required to operate the plant,
much of the plant is under automatic control.
8. In this case no nuisance of smoke, exhaust
gases, soot etc. exists.
9. It uses non-wasting natural source, i.e. water
power.
10. Cost of land is not a problem, as the hydro
stations are situated away from the developed
areas.
11. The cost of generation of energy varies with
little with the time.
12. The machines used in hydel plants are more
robust and generally run at low speeds (300 to
400 rpm) where the machines used in thermal
plants run at a speed of 3000 to 4000rpm. Due
to low speed and temperature, there are no
complications of special alloys required for
construction.
13.
additional advantages of irrigation and flood
control.
Disadvantage:
1. Initial cost of the plant including the cost of
dam is high.
2. Hydro-station has special requirement of site
which usually is an isolated area with difficult
access.
3. Power generation by the hydro-plant is only
dependent on the quality of water available,
which in turn depends on rain. During the dry
year, the power production may be curtailed or
even discontinued. This availability of power
from such plants is not much reliable.
4. The site of hydro-electric station is selected
on the basis of water availability at economical
head. Such sites are usually away from the load
centres. The transmission of power from power
station to the load centre requires long
transmission lines. This substantially increases
the capital expenditure and also there is loss of
power in such transmissions.
5. It takes long time for its construction as
compared to thermal plants.
MAIN EQUIPMENT PROVIDED IN A
POWERHOUSE
1. Prime movers (turbine) coupled with
generators
2. Turbine Governors
3. Relief valve for penstock fittings
4. Gate valves
5. Water circulating pumps
6. Flow measuring devices
7. Air ducts
8. Transformers
9. Reactors
10. Switch board equipment and
instruments
 11. Oil Circuit breakers
12. Low tension and High tension bus bar
13. Cranes
14. Shops and offices
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE
SELECTION OF SITE
1. Quantity of water available
2. Storage of water
3. Sedimentation
4. Availability of head of water
5. Water pollution
6. Distance from load center
7. Geological investigations
8. Access to site
MERITS AND DEMERITS OF EARTH FILL DAMS
Merits:
1. It can be built on all types of foundation.
2. It can be constructed quickly.
3 Usually less costly than a masonry dam.
4. If protected from erosion, this type of dam is
the most permanent type ot construction.
5. It fits best in natural surroundings and
becomes stronger with age.
Demerits:
1. Greater seepage loss than other dams.
2. It fails suddenly without any warning and is
subjected to erosion and flood damage. 3. The
earth dam is not suitable for a spillway,
therefore, a supplementary spillway is required.
4. It is not suitable in areas of heavy rain fall.
S. It requires heavy maintenance.
6. It is limited in height.
ADVANTAGES OF BUTTRESS DAM:
1. The buttress dams are much lighter in
weight as compared to the gravity
dams.
2. They also have no problem of
foundation drainage or uplift, as only
part of the area supports the
buttresses.
3. The foundation treatment also
becomes easier. Although the
buttresses transmit concentrated load
to their footings, overall requirements
of the foundation are not as stringent
as in case of gravity of arch dams.
4. The dam is inherently stable against
over-turning and sliding due to the
vertical component of water pressure
on the sloping deck.
5. If the need so arises, the height of the
dam can he easily raised subsequently.
6. Less weight of concrete is required than
for the solid gravity dams.
7. Powerhouse and other associated
equipment can be housed in the space
between buttress thus saving in cost
and space
DIFFERENT TYPES OF SYSTEMS AND
COMPONENTS USED IN STEAM POWER
1. High pressure boiler
2. Prime mover
3. Condensers and cooling towers
4. Coal handling system
5. Ash and dust handling system
6. Draught system
7. Feed water purification plant
8. Pumping system
ADVANTAGES OF WATER TUBE BOILERS
1. High pressure can be obtained.
2. Heating surface is large. Therefore
steam can be generated easily.
3. Large heating surface can be obtained
by use of large number of tubes.
4. Because of high movement of water in
the tubes the rate of heat transfer
becomes large resulting into a greater
efficiency.
STEAM TEMPERATURE CONTROL arrangements are required for
conversion of Reciprocating Motion into
1. Excess air control
circular motion. But in Steam Turbine
2. Flue gas recirculation
no friction losses are there.
3. Gas By-pass control
8. Steam Turbines are quite suitable for
4. Control of combination superheaters
large Thermal Power Plant as they can
5. Adjustable burner control
be built in size from few Horse Powers
to over 200000 HP in single unit.
FACTORS AFFECTING BOILER PERFORMANCE
NEED FOR PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF STEAM
1. Periodical cleaning of boilers TURBINES
2. Periodical soot blowing
1. To increase availability and reliability.
3. Proper water treatment programme
2. To reduce operating cost and maximize
and blow down control
production.
4. Draft control
3. To assess the effect of blade washes.
5. Excess air control
4. To identify optimum range of throttle
6. Percentage loading of boiler
loading rates.
7. Steam generation pressure and
5. To maintain power demand to the plant
temperature
or grid.
8. Boiler insulation
6. To avoid catastrophic shutdowns.
9. Quality of fuel
7. To reduce maintenance expenditure.
ADVANTAGES OF THE STEAM TURBINE OVER 8. To determine the underlying causes of
RECIPROCATING ENGINE operating deviations

1. Thermal Efficiency of a Steam Turbine is VARIOUS HEAT LOSSES IN BOILER

higher than that of a Reciprocating
1. Dry flue gas loss
Engine.
2. Loss due to hydrogen in fuel
2. The Steam Turbine develops power at a
3. Loss due to moisture in fuel
uniform rate and hence does not
4. Loss due to moisture in air
require Flywheel.
5. Partial combustion of C to CO
3. No internal lubrication is required for
6. Surface heat losses
Steam Turbine as there are no rubbing
7. Loss due to Unburnt in fly ash
parts inside.
8. Loss due to Unburnt in bottom ash
4. No heavy foundation is required for
Turbine because of the perfect
balancing of the different parts.
5. If the Steam Turbine is properly
designed and constructed then it is the
most durable Prime Mover.
6. Much higher speed may be developed
and a far greater range of speed is
possible than in the case of
Reciprocating Engine.
7. There are some frictional losses in
Reciprocating Engine as some