Power Generation

Thermal Power Plants

Working of thermal power plant
Cycles in an Thermal plant
● Fuel and Ash Circuit ● Air & Fuel Gas circuit
Cycles in an Thermal plant
● Feed water and steam ● Cooling water circuit
circuit
Hydro Power Plants
Working of Hydro Power plants
Important Elements of a Hydro Plant
● Storage Reservoir & Dam ● Prime Mover / Water
Turbines
Important Elements of a Hydro Plant
● Surge Tank: ● Penstock
Merits and Demerits of Hydro Power Plant
1. No Fuel is required 1. Larger area
2. High reliability and cheapest in operation
2. Construction cost is high
3. Plant can be run up and synchronized
faster 3. Long TL are required as plants are
required in hilly areas.
4. The load can be varied quickly and
rapidly, changing load demand can be 4. Long dry season may affect power
met. supply
5. Accurate governing, f = constant 5. Firm capacity is low.
6. No stand-by losses
7. Plants are robust & have longer life.
8. Efficiency is not a function of age.
9. Neat and clean (no smoke or ash)
10. Such plants also serve irrigation.
Nuclear Power Plants
Working of Nuclear Power Plants
Reactor Core
Control Rods Cooling
Water out

Fuel Rods

Cooling
Water in
Multiplication Factor
Control Rods Cooling
Water out

Fuel Rods

Cooling
Water in
 Merits and Demerits of Nuclear Power
● Amount of fuel required is quite small,
therefore there is no problem of
transportation, storage etc.
● These plants need less area as
compared to any other plant of same
size.
● Because of negligible cost of
transportation, these plants can be
constructed near load centers.
● Most economical for large MVA rating.
● Large deposits of nuclear fuels available
across the world.
● Operating cost is very low.
● Initial cost of plants is very high.
● Fission materials produce radioactive
waste which causes radioactive
pollution.
● Not suitable for varying loads.
● Fuel used is expensive and difficult to
recover.
● Maintenance charges are high.
● Cooling water requirement of a nuclear
power plant are very heavy so cooling
towers are larger and costlier.
Gas Turbine
Power Plant
Working of Gas Turbine Plant
Merits and Demerits
● Simplicity of design & ● Low net output
installation ● Low 𝜂
● High reliability ● Noisy operation
● Simple liberation system
● Clean exhaust requiring
no stack.
● Compactness
● Low initial cost
● No stand by losses.
Solar Power
Plants
Working of Solar Plants [Steam Turbine]
Working of Solar Plants [PV Panels]
Merits and Demerits
1. Solar energy is a clean and
renewable energy source.
2. Once a solar panel is
installed, solar energy can be
produced free of charge.
3. Solar energy will last forever
whereas it is estimated that
the world's oil reserves will
last for 30 to 40 years.
4. Solar energy causes no
pollution.
1. Energy density per unit area
is very low
2. Available only for parts of a
day
3. Cloudy & hazy atmospheric
conditions largely reduce the
energy received.
4. A means to store energy is
required.
Wind Turbines
Working of Wind turbines
Horizontal and Vertical axis Turbines
Merits and Demerits
1. Wind is a reliable and infinite
renewable energy resource
2. Wind energy reduces carbon
emissions when used instead of
fossil fuels
3. Few running costs when the
turbines are up and running.
4. Offshore wind farms can take
advantage of offshore wind flow,
without affecting the landscape
view.
1. Wind energy can be
unpredictable
2. Wind farms can affect the visual
appearance of the landscape
3. Wind turbines can damage the
habitats of birds and marine life.
4. Wind farms can be expensive to
construct
Diesel Power
Plant
Working of Diesel Plants
Diesel Engine
Merits and Demerits
1. It can also be designed for portable 1. The cost of diesel is very high
use. compared to coal.
2. It has quick starting facility; the 2. Cost of lubricants is high.
small diesel generator set can be 3. The plant generally used to
started within few seconds. produce small power requirement.
3. Cooling is easy and required 4. Maintenance is quite complex and
smaller quantity of water in this costs high.
type power station. 5. The plant doesn’t work satisfactorily
4. Thermal efficiency of diesel is quite under overload conditions for a
higher than of coal. longer period.
5. It requires less operating staff.
Q1 The power output from an hydroelectric power plant depends on
(a) Type of dam, type of catchment area and discharge.
(b) Type of dam, head and system efficiency.
(c) discharge, head and system efficiency.
(d) Type of turbine, type of dam and type of catchment area.
Q2 What is the correct expression for the electrical power developed by a hydroelectric
plant in kW?
0.736
(a) wQHη
75
75
(b) wQHη
0.736
(c) 75 × 0.736 wQHη
7
(d) wQHη
75×0.736
Q3 Taking the density of water to be 1000 kgΤm3 , how much power would be
developed by a hydroelectric generator unit, assuming 100% efficiency, with 1.0 m
head and 1.0 m3 Τ𝑠 discharge?
(a) 2.90 kW
(b) 4.45 kW
(c) 9.80 kW
(d) 19.60 kW
Q4 In hydroelectric power plants
(a) Operating cost is low and initial cost is high.
(b) Operating cost is high and initial cost is low.
(c) Both operating cost as well as initial cost are high.
(d) Both operating cost as well as initial cost are low.
Q5 Gross head of an hydroelectric power station is
(a) The difference of water level between the level in the storage and tail race.
(b) The height of water level in the river where the tail race is provided
(c) The height of water level in the rover where the storage is provided.
(d) All of the above.
Q6 Consider the following statements concerning steam power plants:
1. Maintenance and operating costs are low.
2. Water is required in huge quantity.
3. Requires long time for starting.
4. Handling of coal and disposal of ash can be easily.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only
(d) 3 and 4
Q7 Operating cost of steam power station is
(a) Less than that of nuclear power plants.
(b) Less than that of diesel/gas turbine power plants.
(c) Less than that of hydroelectric power plants.
(d) Is the same as that of nuclear power plant.
Q8 On which one of the following cycles does a modern steam power plant work?
(a) Carnot cycle
(b) Rankine cycle
(c) Otto cycle
(d) Bell-Coleman cycle
Q9 Rankine cycle efficiency of a steam power plant is in the range of
(a) 20 – 30%
(b) 30 – 45%
(c) 45 – 60%
(d) 60 – 80%
Q10 In Rankine cycle, the work output from a turbine is given by
(a) Change of enthalpy between inlet and outlet.
(b) Change in internal energy between inlet and outlet.
(c) Change of entropy between inlet and outlet.
(d) Change in temperature between inlet and outlet.
Q11 Nuclear reactors usually employ
(a) fission
(b) fusion
(c) Both fission and fusion
(d) None of the above
Q12 Consider the following statements regarding the nuclear power plants:
(a) A thermal reactor needs a moderator material.
(b) In a nuclear reactor, multiplication factor is kept almost equal to one.
(c) Nuclear power plants are used as peak load plants only.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Q13 In a thermal nuclear reactor
1. The purpose of moderator is to slowdown fast neutrons produced due to fission.
2. The moderator material must have low molecular weight.
3. Ordinary water can be used as moderator with natural uranium as fuel.
4. The multiplication factor is kept slightly greater than unity during its normal
functioning.
Of these statements
(a) 1 and 3 are correct.
(b) 3 and 4 are correct.
(c) 1, 2 and 3 are correct.
(d) 1, 2 and 4 are correct.
Q14 The operation of a nuclear reactor is controlled by controlling the multiplication
factor (k), defined as
Number of neutrons of any one generation
K= Number of neutrons of immediately
preceding generation

The power level of the reactor can be increased by

(a) Raising the value of k above 1 and keeping it at that raised value.
(b) Raising the value of k above 1, but later bringing it back to k = 1.
(c) Lowering the value of k below 1 and keeping at that lowered value.
(d) Lowering the value of k below 1, but later bringing it back to k = 1.
Q15 The power output of a nuclear power station is proportional to
(a) The rate at which fission reaction occurs
(b) Square root of the rate at which fission reaction occurs.
(c) Square of the rate at which fission reaction occurs.
(d) None of the above.
Q16 The function of moderator in a nuclear reactor is
(a) To absorb the excess neutrons.
(b) To increase the energy of the neutrons.
(c) To slow down the neutrons.
Q17 For satellites the source of energy is
(a) Solar cell
(b) Fuel cell
(c) Edison cell
(d) Cryogenic storage
Q18 The disadvantage(s) of renewable sources of energy is/are
(a) Intermittency
(b) Lack of dependability
(c) Availability in low energy densities.
(d) All of the above
Q19 The permissible variation of frequency in power system is
(a) ± 1%
(b) ± 3%
(c) ± 5%
(d) ± 10%
Q20 During load shedding
(a) System voltage is reduced.
(b) System frequency is reduced.
(c) System loads are switched off.
(d) System power factor is changed.
Q21 Load shedding is done for
(a) Reducing peak demand on the system.
(b) Repairing of machines
(c) Power factor improvement.
(d) Efficient operation of equipment.
Q22 Generators for base load plants are usually designed for maximum efficiency around
(a) 20% over-load.
(b) full-load.
(c) 75% full-load.
Q23 Generators for power plants to supply exclusively peak loads are usually designed
for maximum efficiency to occur at
(a) Full load.
(b) 50 – 75% full load.
(c) 25 – 50% full load.
(d) 10% full load.