National Institute of Technology

Tiruchirappalli

Basics of Mechanical Engineering

(MEIR11)

Power Plant
Presented by,

Dr. G. Rajasekaran

Assistant Professor

Department of Mechanical Engineering

“The journey of a thousand miles begins National Institute of Technology,

with a single step.”
Tiruchirappalli – 620015
- Lao Tzu
https://www.nitt.edu/home/academics/departm
ents/mech/faculty/rajasekaran/
 Thermal Power Plant
• Power plant: An industrial location that is utilized for generation and distribution of electricity in large scale.

• Almost two third of electricity requirement of the world is fulfilled by thermal power plants or thermal power
stations.

• At present 54.09% or 93918.38 MW (Data Source CEA, as on 31/03/2011) of total electricity production in India is
from Coal Based Thermal Power Station

• Steam is produced by burning some fossil fuel (e.g. coal) and then used to run a steam turbine. Thus, a thermal
power station may sometimes called as a Steam Power Station.

• Steam passes through the steam turbine, it is condensed in a condenser and again fed back into the boiler to
become steam. This is known as ranking cycle.

• Coal: Generally, bituminous coal or brown coal is used as fuel. In a coal based thermal power plant, coal is
transported from coal mines to the generating station.

• Boiler: The mixture of pulverized coal and air (usually preheated air) is taken into boiler and then burnt in the
combustion zone. On ignition of fuel a large fireball is formed at the center of the boiler and large amount of heat
energy is radiated from it. The heat energy is utilized to convert the water into steam at high
 Thermal Power Plant
• Steam turbine: High pressure super heated steam is fed to the steam turbine which
causes turbine blades to rotate.

• Condenser: The exhausted steam is condensed in the condenser by means of cold

water circulation. Here, the steam loses it's pressure as well as temperature and it is
converted back into water.

• Generator: The steam turbine is coupled to an alternator. When the turbine rotates
the alternator, electrical energy is generated. This generated electrical voltage is
then stepped up with the help of a transformer and then transmitted where it is to
be utilized.

• Chimney: It is used to release flue gases into the atmosphere.

• Cooling Water Pump: This pump send water from cooling tower to condenser.
Layout of Thermal Power Plant
Layout of Thermal Power Plant

Can you recollect the

applications of the belt and
chain drives
Coal Mining
 Boiler

Pressure Cooker
 Turbine

This big turbine is rotated by a Steam, then imagine the power of the steam.
Generator
NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation)Thermal Power Plant
Tamil Nadu

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What is this

What is this
Thermal Power Plants in India
Advantages:
• Less initial cost as compared to other generating stations.
• It requires less land as compared to hydro power plant.
• The fuel (i.e. coal) is cheaper.
• The cost of generation is lesser than that of diesel power plants.
Disadvantages:
• It pollutes the atmosphere due to the production of large amount of smoke. This is one
of the causes of global warming.
• The overall efficiency of a thermal power station is low (less than 30%).
• Maintenance and operating costs are high
• Long time required for erection and putting into action
• A large quantity of water is required
• Great difficulty experienced in coal handling
• Unavailability of good quality coal
• Maximum of heat energy lost
• Problem of ash removing
Thermal Power Plant
 Gas Turbine - Industry
Why it is called gas turbine
Gas Turbine - Aircraft
Hydro Electric Power Plant
 Components and functions
• Dam and Reservoir: The dam is constructed on a large river in hilly areas to ensure sufficient water
storage at height. The dam forms a large reservoir behind it. The height of water level (called as
water head) in the reservoir determines how much of potential energy is stored in it.

• Control Gate: Water from the reservoir is allowed to flow through the penstock to the turbine. The
amount of water which is to be released in the penstock can be controlled by a control gate. When
the control gate is fully opened, maximum amount of water is released through the penstock.

• Penstock: A penstock is a huge steel pipe which carries water from the reservoir to the turbine.
Potential energy of the water is converted into kinetic energy as it flows down through the
penstock due to gravity.

• Water Turbine: Water from the penstock is taken into the water turbine. The turbine is
mechanically coupled to an electric generator. Kinetic energy of the water drives the turbine and
consequently the generator gets driven. There are two main types of water turbine; (i) Impulse
turbine and (ii) Reaction turbine. Impulse turbines are used for large heads and reaction turbines
are used for low and medium heads.
 Components and functions
Generator: A generator is mounted in the power house and it is mechanically coupled to the turbine
shaft. When the turbine blades are rotated, it drives the generator and electricity is generated which
is then stepped up with the help of a transformer for the transmission purpose.

Advantages
• No fuel is required as potential energy is stored water is used for electricity generation
• Neat and clean source of energy
• Very small running charges - as water is available free of cost
• Comparatively less maintenance is required and has longer life
• Serves other purposes too, such as irrigation

Disadvantages
• Very high capital cost due to construction of dam
• High cost of transmission – as hydro plants are located in hilly areas which are quite away from the
consumers
TURBINES

• Turbines are classified into two types

1) Impulse turbines
2) Reaction turbines
• In the case of impulse turbine all the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy in the
nozzles. The impulse provided by the jets is used to turn the turbine wheel. The pressure
inside the turbine is atmospheric. This type is found suitable when the available potential
energy is high and the flow available is comparatively low.
• In reaction turbines the available potential energy is progressively converted in the turbines
rotors and the reaction of the accelerating water causes the turning of the wheel.
REACTION TURBINE
KAPLAN TURBINE

FRANCIS TURBINE
IMPULSE TURBINE
Advantages and disadvantages
Pelton Turbine
Papanasam Hydro Electric Power Plant – Tamil Nadu
What is this

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Castaic Power Plant
Hydro Electric Power Plant
 SOLAR ENERGY

❖ Used to heat water for home, hotel, hospitals and hostels etc,..

❖ Solar water heating systems consists of a solar collector and a water storage tank.
They use a solar collector generally mounted on a roof to heat either water or
working fluid .

❖ The heated water is stored in a water tank.

❖ If a working fluid is heated it is passed through a heat exchanger to heat water.

 TYPES OF COLLECTORS

❖ Flat plate collectors

❖ Evacuated plate collectors
❖ Concentrating collectors
 FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS
Incident Solar Radiation ( G t )
•
Outer Glass
Cover

Inner Glass
Cover

Insulation Fluid Flow Absorber

Tubes Plate

Flat Plate Collector

PARABOLIC CONCENTRATOR
COLLECTOR
SOLAR ELECTIC CONVERSION SYSTEMS
❖ Solar thermal conversion systems
➢Low temperature system
➢High temperature system
❖ Photovoltaic conversion systems
Solar thermal conversion system
LOW TEMPERATURE SYSTEM
HIGH TEMP SYSTEM
 PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION

• Photovoltaics (PV) is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into
direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect.

• Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells
containing a photovoltaic material.

• Materials presently used for photovoltaics include monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon,
amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium gallium selenide/sulfide.

• Due to the increased demand for renewable energy sources, the manufacturing of solar cells and
photovoltaic arrays has advanced considerably in recent years.
STEPS FOR SELECTING A PV SYSTEM

• Calculate the Electrical load.

• Size of PV system
• PV subsystems
• Mounting PV panels.
• Batteries
• Photovoltaic cells
WIND ENERGY
• Electrical energy can be generated by wind energy by utilizing
the kinetic energy of wind

• Wind mills are classified into two types

✓ Horizontal axis wind turbine
✓ Vertical axis wind turbine
HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE
VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE
• Vertical axis wind turbine can be
classified into two types
Darrieus type
Savonius type
ADVANTAGES
• Wind Is Renewable And Free Of Cost
• Pollution free
• Can be installed in remote villages, thus reducing costly
transmission lines
DISADVANTAGES
• Capital cost is very high
• Large area of land is required
• Very diffuse source.
• maintenance cost is very high
TIDAL ENERGY
• The large scale up and down movement of sea water
represents an unlimited source of energy.

• The main feature of the tidal cycle is the difference in water

surface elevations at the high tide and at the low tide.

• If the differential head could be utilized in operating a hydraulic

turbine, the tidal energy could be converted into electrical
energy by means of an attached generator.
TIDAL POWER PLANT
ADVANTAGES
• It is inexhaustible source of energy
• No problem of pollution
• After the capital cost, the cost of power generation is quite
low
• High output can be obtained compared to solar or wind
energy
DISADVANTAGES
• Capital cost is very high
• As the head is not constant, variable output is obtained
• As the head is low, large amount of water is necessary for the
turbine
• It will not operate when the available head is less than 0.5m
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

• Geothermal power plants derive energy from the heat of

the earth’s interior.

• The average increase in temperature with depth of the

earth is 10C for every 30-40m. At a depth of 10-15km, the
earth’s interior is as hot as 1000-12000C.

• In certain areas of our planet, the underground heat has

raised the temperature of water to over 2000C which
bursts out as hot steam through the cracks in the earth’s
crust. This steam can be utilized for power production.
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
• Geothermal wells are drilled at
suitable locations.
• Water vaporized into steam comes
out of the earth’s surface in a dry
condition at around 2000C and 8
bar.
• This steam will run the turbine
coupled with a generator.
• Steam is condensed in a
condenser and re injected back
into the ground by a rejection well
ADVANTAGES
• Geothermal energy is cheaper
• Used as space heating for buildings
• Used as industrial process heat
• Geothermal energy is inexhaustible
DISADVANTAGES
• Low overall power production efficiency (about 15%)
• Drilling operation is noisy
• Large areas are needed for exploitation of geothermal energy
 Nuclear Power Plant
• In a nuclear power plant, heat energy is generated by a nuclear reaction called as nuclear fission. Nuclear fission of
heavy elements such as Uranium or Thorium is carried out in a special apparatus called as a nuclear reactor.
• A large amount of heat energy is generated due to nuclear fission. Rest parts of a nuclear power plant are very
similar to conventional thermal power plants.
• It is found that fission of only 1 Kg of Uranium produces as much heat energy as that can be produced by 4,500 tons
of high grade coal. This considerably reduces the transportation cost of fuel, which is a major advantage of nuclear
power plants.
• About 17% of the total electricity of the world is generated in nuclear power plants.
• A nuclear reactor is a special apparatus used to perform nuclear fission. Nuclear fission produces heat inside the
reactor.
• A nuclear reactor consists of fuel rods, control rods and moderator.
• A fuel rod contains small round fuel pallets (uranium pallets).
• Control rods are of cadmium which absorb neutrons. They are inserted into reactor and can be moved in or out to
control the reaction.
• The moderator can be graphite rods or the coolant itself. Moderator slows down the neutrons before they
bombard on the fuel rods.
• Splitting up of nuclei of heavy atoms is called as nuclear fission, during which huge amount of energy is released.
Nuclear Power Plant
Fuel: Uranium fuel
To slow down the speed fast moving neutrons produced during
the fission process, moderators are used.
Control rods (cadmium or boron)absorb neutrons and stop the
chain reaction to proceed further.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant – Tamil Nadu
 – Nuclear
MovieNuclear Power
Power Plant
Plant
 Nuclear Reactor
• There are many different reactor types used in nuclear power create nuclear energy. Two of
the most common reactors
• Boiling water reactor
• Pressurized water reactor Primary water system absorbs enough heat from the fission process to
boil its water.

Nuclear reactor
with water as a
coolant and as
a moderator,
boiling in the
Core.

Boiling water reactor