M.S.

STEVE
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirapally.
Definition of Power Plant

The assembly of equipments that produces

mechanical energy utilizing the available
energy source and converting it to electrical
energy is known as a power plant

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 2

 Classification

• Hydro-electric Power Plant

• Thermal (Steam) Power Plant
• Diesel Engine Power Plant
• Nuclear Power Plant
• Gas Turbine Power Plant

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 3

 Hydraulic Power Plant

 Plants used to produce electric power from water are

known as hydro electric power plants
 This Power plants utilize the potential energy and
Kinetic energy of water as the source of energy for
power generation.
 KE & PE of water is converted into mechanical power
by using prime mover Hydraulic Turbines.
 This mechanical energy is used to run an electric
generator which is directly coupled to the shaft of the
turbine.
M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 4
 Main Elements
o Storage Reservoir – Natural or artificial.
o Dam – Masonry dams, wooden dams, steel dams
o Waterways – canal, penstock, tunnel
o Control elements – gates, valves, trash rack etc
o Surge Tank – additional storage space between
main reservoir and power house. Also controls
pressure variations from rapid changes in rate of
flow of water through penstock
o Power House
o Water Turbines
o Generator M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 5
Hydraulic Power Plant - General
Layout

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 6

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 7
 Advantages

• Operating cost is minimum compared to other

power plants as no fuel is used
• Low maintenance cost
• Man power required for the operation is low
• No air pollution and safety problems
• Rapid fluctuating loads can be served economically
• Life of more than 50 years.

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 8

 Disadvantages

• High initial cost.

• Power generation not steady and reliable.
• Long distance transmission required
• Cost of power transmission high.
• Long time needed for planning and
erection(10 to 15 years).

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 9

 Steam – Thermal Power
Plant
A Steam thermal power plant converts the
chemical energy of the fossil fuels (coal,oil,gas)
into mechanical/electrical energy
In India, coal using as the main fossil fuel.

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 10

 Main systems of steam thermal plant

 Fuel system – coal and ash circuit

 Air and gas circuit
 Feed water system
 Cooling water system
 Boiler House
 Prime mover and Generator system
 Control and Instrumentation System

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 11

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 12
Components of steam thermal
plant
1. Boiler
9. Super heater
2. Steam turbine
10. Re heater
3. Generator
11. Air heater
4. Condenser
5. Cooling towers
12. Boiler chimney
6. Circulating water pump
13. Water treatment plant
7. Boiler feed pump 14. Coal mill
8. Economiser 15. Control room

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 13

 Advantages
• Less capital cost
• Construction time is low
• Power generation not dependent on nature’s
mercy
• Power plant can be located near industrial
areas, so transmission cost will be less

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 14

 Disadvantages
• Power generation cost is high
• Part load efficiency is less
• Fuel transportation and handling is difficult.
• Pollution
• Ash handling is difficult
• Life time of 20-25 years.

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 15

Diesel Engine Power Plant

• Utilizing diesel for the power generation.

• Capacity of plant – 2 to 50 MW
• Mostly used as a standby power plant
• Uses – Small power capacity, for small
towns, continuous power generation, peak
load plant, mobile power plant

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 16

 Components
• Engine- generally a 2 stroke engine
• Air supply system
• Exhaust system
• Fuel system
• Cooling system
• Lubricating system
• Starting system- compressed air
system(20kgf/cm2)
• Governing system- varying fuel supply
M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 17
M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 18
 Advantages
• More efficient for small capacity power generation than
thermal plant.
• Layout, design and construction of buildings and foundations
easier and less expensive
• Quickly started up and brought into service.
• Full automation possible at low capital cost.
• No problem of fuel handling and waste disposal
• Less space required

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 19

 Disadvantages
• Size is limited and very large capacities are not
possible.
• Life is very less.
• Generates heavy noise
• High repair and maintenance cost
• High lubrication cost

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 20

 Nuclear power plant
• Use atomic energy for power generation
• Heat energy liberated using nuclear reaction.
• Heat produced by 1 kg of uranium = Heat
produced by 4500 tones of coal.

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 21

 Types of conventional reactors
• Pressurized water reactor (PWR)

• Boiling water reactor (BWR)

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 22

 Conventional Reactor....
Pressurized water reactor
– The most safe and reliable technology available

– Ordinary water used both for coolant and moderator

– High pressure of 150atm used to prevent boiling inside the

reactor

– Using high pressurized hot water, steam is generated in

secondary loop (called steam generator)

– Thermal efficiency of about 30%

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 23

Pressurized water reactor...

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 24

 Reactor systems used..1
• Pressurized water reactor

25
M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE
 Conventional Reactor....
Boiling water reactor

– Ordinary water used as both coolant and moderator

– Steam is directly generated inside the reactor core

– Pressure inside the reactor is around 75atm

– Thermal efficiency is about 35%

– But maintenance cost more than PWR

– Eg:- Tarapur Power station

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 26

Boiling water reactor

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 27

 M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE

Reactor systems used..2

• Boiling water reactor

28
 Advantages
• More economical compared to thermal plants.
• No problem of fuel transportation, storage
and handling , ash handling
• Low man power required
• Cost of operation reduced.
• Less space occupied than thermal plant.

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 29

 Disadvantages

• Danger of nuclear radiation.

• Disposal of radio active wastes
• Part load operation is inefficient.
• Capital cost of small sized plants is high.

M.S.Steve/ Assist. Professor/ Dept. of ME/ AJCE 30