College of Engineering Education

2nd Floor, B&E Building

Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

Week 8-9: Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO-4): At the end of the unit, you are expected to
understand the different Energy Sources and types of power plants

a. Discuss the Power Plant Layout and Component

Big Picture in Focus: ULO-4a. Discuss the Power Plant Layout and
Component

Metalanguage

The demonstration of this ULO requires the understanding of the following:

1. Power House is a building provided to protect the hydraulic and electrical equipment.
Generally, the whole equipment is supported by the foundation or substructure laid for
the power house.
2. Moderator -Material in the core which slows down the neutrons released from fission
so that they cause more fission. It is usually water, but may be heavy water or graphite.
3. Inverters - convert the electricity from solar panels which are in DC form to AC form.
4. Nuclear Reaction – is semantically considered to be the process in which two nuclei,
or a nucleus and an external subatomic particle, collide to produce one or more new
nuclides.
5. Hydroelectric Turbine – is a rotary machine that converts kinetic energy and potential
energy of water into mechanical work.

Essential Knowledge

STEAM POWER PLANT

steam power station utilizes heat energy produced from burning coal to generate electrical
energy. This kind of power station is generally used around the world. Because of the wealth
of fuel (coal), this set of the power station can be used to generate large amounts of electrical
power.

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

MAIN COMPONENTS OF STEAM POWER PLANT

The Boiler has the capacity to convert water into steam. The process of change of water to
vapor is produced by heating the water in the tubes with energy from burning fuel. The
combustion process is carried out continuously in the combustion room with fuel and airflow
from the surface.

The resulting steam is superheated fumes which have high temperature and high pressure. The
size of steam production depends on the surface area of heat transferal, flow rate, and the heat
of combustion is applied. Boiler system consisting of water-filled pipes is called a water tube
boiler.

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

The Steam Turbine works to change the heat energy carried in the steam into rotary motion.
Steam with high load and temperature were conducted to push turbine blades installed on the
shaft, so the shaft turns. Due to complete work on the turbine, the pressure and heat of steam
coming into the turbine down to drenched vapor.

Condensers are tools to convert steam into water. The changes are made by the steam flow
into a room holding tubes. Steam runs outside tubes, while the cooling water flows inside the
tubes. This is called surface condenser. It is usually for coolant use seawater.

Generator. The main idea of the activities at a plant is electricity. The electrical energy is
produced by the generator. Function generator converts mechanical force into electrical energy
in the form of a circle with the origin of magnetic induction.

The generator consists of stator and rotor. The stator consists of the casing which holds coils
and a rotor magnetic field station consists of a core comprising a coil.

The steam turbine copulates to an Alternator. When the turbine turns the alternator, electrical
energy is produced. This generated electrical voltage is then walked up with the help of a
transformer and then transferred where it is to be employed.

HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT

Hydropower plant uses hydraulic energy of water to produce electricity. The power obtained
from this plant is termed as hydroelectric power. Nearly 16% of total power used by the world
is represented by hydropower.

There are several types of hydropower plants classified on different characteristics. But for
every hydropower plant some important principal components are needed and those are
explained here.

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

COMPONENT OF HYDROPOWER PLANT

A Forebay is a basin area of hydropower plant where water is temporarily stored before going
into intake chamber. The storage of water in forebay is decided based on required water demand
in that area. This is also used when the load requirement in intake is less.

We know that reservoirs are built across the rivers to store the water, the water stored on
upstream side of dam can be carried by penstocks to the power house. In this case, the reservoir
itself acts as forebay.

Intake Structure is a structure which collects the water from the forebay and directs it into the
penstocks. There are different types of intake structures are available and selection of type of
intake structure depends on various local conditions.

Intake structure contain some important components of which trash racks plays vital role. Trash
racks are provided at the entrance of penstock to trap the debris in the water.

Penstocks are like large pipes laid with some slope which carries water from intake structure
or reservoir to the turbines. They run with some pressure so, sudden closing or opening of
penstock gates can cause water hammer effect to the penstocks.

A Surge Chamber or surge tank is a cylindrical tank which is open at the top to control the
pressure in penstock. It is connected to the penstock and as close as possible to the power house.

Whenever the power house rejected the water load coming from penstock the water level in
the surge tank rises and control the pressure in penstock.

Hydraulic Turbine, a device which can convert the hydraulic energy into the mechanical
energy which again converted into the electrical energy by coupling the shaft of turbine to the
generator.

The mechanism in this case is, whenever the water coming from penstock strike the circular
blades or runner with high pressure it will rotate the shaft provided at the center and it causes
generator to produce electrical power.

Power House is a building provided to protect the hydraulic and electrical equipment.
Generally, the whole equipment is supported by the foundation or substructure laid for the
power house.

If reaction turbines are used, then Draft Tube is a necessary component which connects turbine
outlet to the tailrace. The draft tube contains gradually increasing diameter so that the water
discharged into the tailrace with safe velocity. At the end of draft tube, outlet gates are provided
which can be closed during repair works.

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

Tailrace is the flow of water from turbines to the stream. It is good if the power house is located
nearer to the stream. But if it is located far away from the stream then it is necessary to build a
channel for carrying water into the stream.

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

A nuclear reactor produces and controls the release of energy from splitting the atoms of certain
elements. In a nuclear power reactor, the energy released is used as heat to make steam to
generate electricity. (In a research reactor the main purpose is to utilize the actual neutrons
produced in the core. In most naval reactors, steam drives a turbine directly for propulsion.)

The principles for using nuclear power to produce electricity are the same for most types of
reactor. The energy released from continuous fission of the atoms of the fuel is harnessed as
heat in either a gas or water, and is used to produce steam. The steam is used to drive the
turbines which produce electricity (as in most fossil fuel plants).

COMPONENTS OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Fuel (Uranium) is the basic fuel. Usually pellets of uranium oxide (UO2) are arranged in tubes
to form fuel rods. The rods are arranged into fuel assemblies in the reactor core. * In a 1000
MWe class PWR there might be 51,000 fuel rods with over 18 million pellets.

* In a new reactor with new fuel a neutron source is needed to get the reaction going. Usually
this is beryllium mixed with polonium, radium or another alpha-emitter. Alpha particles from
the decay cause a release of neutrons from the beryllium as it turns to carbon-12. Restarting a
reactor with some used fuel may not require this, as there may be enough neutrons to achieve
criticality when control rods are removed.

Moderator. Material in the core which slows down the neutrons released from fission so that
they cause more fission. It is usually water, but may be heavy water or graphite.

Control Rods. These are made with neutron-absorbing material such as cadmium, hafnium or
boron, and are inserted or withdrawn from the core to control the rate of reaction, or to halt it.
* In some PWR reactors, special control rods are used to enable the core to sustain a low level
of power efficiently. (Secondary control systems involve other neutron absorbers, usually
boron in the coolant – its concentration can be adjusted over time as the fuel burns up.) PWR
control rods are inserted from the top, BWR cruciform blades from the bottom of the core.

* In fission, most of the neutrons are released promptly, but some are delayed. These are crucial
in enabling a chain-reacting system (or reactor) to be controllable and to be able to be held
precisely critical.

Coolant. A fluid circulating through the core so as to transfer the heat from it. In light water
reactors the water moderator functions also as primary coolant. Except in BWRs, there is
secondary coolant circuit where the water becomes steam. (See also later section on primary
coolant characteristics.) A PWR has two to four primary coolant loops with pumps, driven
either by steam or electricity – China’s Hualong One design has three, each driven by a 6.6

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

MW electric motor, with each pump set weighing 110 tonnes.

Pressure Vessel or Pressure Tubes. Usually a robust steel vessel containing the reactor core
and moderator/coolant, but it may be a series of tubes holding the fuel and conveying the
coolant through the surrounding moderator.

Steam generator. Part of the cooling system of pressurized water reactors (PWR & PHWR)
where the high-pressure primary coolant bringing heat from the reactor is used to make steam
for the turbine, in a secondary circuit. Essentially a heat exchanger like a motor car radiator.
Reactors have up to six 'loops', each with a steam generator. Since 1980 over 110 PWR reactors
have had their steam generators replaced after 20-30 years’ service, 57 of these in USA.

Containment. The structure around the reactor and associated steam generators which is
designed to protect it from outside intrusion and to protect those outside from the effects of
radiation in case of any serious malfunction inside. It is typically a meter-thick concrete and
steel structure.

SOLAR POWER PLANT

SOLAR POWER PLANT MAIN COMPONENTS

Panels – [Sunlight to DC Power]: A panel consists of a number of solar cells that converts
sunlight into electricity. It is the main component of the plant and accounts for 50-60% of the
capital costs. Its selection has a significant effect on the overall generation of the plant.

Inverters – [DC Power to AC Power]: Inverters convert the electricity from solar panels which
are in DC form to AC form. Apart from this, command and control signals for electricity
production from panels are provided by the inverters.

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

Module Mounting Structures – [Module Support]: Mounting structures support solar panels
on the ground or on the rooftop. They provide a secure fastening of the panels and protect them
against wind, water logging and other external impacts.

Cables – Cables transfer electricity from the panels to the inverter, and from the inverter to the
load. Solar cables are expected to withstand long-term exposure to sunlight and other
atmospheric conditions.

Batteries – Battery packs can be added to the solar power plants at an additional cost to store
the excess energy produced by the solar power plant during day. But beware – batteries, at their
current costs and performance, provide value for money only for small scale rooftop solar
power plants.

Other Electricals – Components like combiner boxes, fuses, switches, meters, distribution
boards, monitoring systems, etc., complete the solar power plant infrastructure.

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you
further understand the lesson:
To further visualize and understand more about the significant concepts in the strength
of materials you can view the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUn5-0VG3Hw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPg7hOxFItI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZt5xU44IfQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U6Nzcv9Vws
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT7B7IWmOtU

Or you can read the following reference:

Robba, Minciardi (2012). Handbook of Power Plant Engineering, London, UK: Auris
Reference Ltd.

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

Let’s Check
Choose the correct answer.

Problem 1
Which of the following power plants uses Uranium to generate electricity?
(a) Diesel Engine (b) Hydroelectric (c) Nuclear (d) Steam

Problem 2
In geothermal plant, the source of energy is _____.
(a) Hot water or steam (c) Hot gases
(b) Molten lava (d) all of these

Problem 3
A gas turbine works on ______.
(a) Carnot Cycle (c) Brayton Cycle
(b) Dual Cycle (d) Rankine Cycle

Problem 4
The Gas Turbine Power Plant mainly use ________.
(a) coal and peat
(b) Kerosene oil, diesel oil and residual oil.
(c) Gas oil
(d) natural gas and liquid petroleum fuels

Problem 5
Ships are usually supplied by _______.
(a) Steam accumulators
(b) Diesel Engine
(c) Hydraulic Turbines
(d) None of these

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

Let’s Analyze
Solve the following and simplify your answer.

Problem 1
A waterfall discharges water at 1800 cm3/min with an available head of 20m. What is the
available power if it is proposed to install a hydraulic turbine at the bottom with 85%
efficiency?

Problem 2
A yearly duration curve of a certain plant can be considered as a straight line from 300 MW to
80 MW. Determine load factor.

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 College of Engineering Education
2nd Floor, B&E Building
Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

In a Nutshell

Activity 1
Photoelectric effect is directly relative to photovoltaic effect, which is used to convert sun light
to energy in the solar cell. Photovoltaic effect is the creation of voltage or electric current in a
material upon exposure to light.

Activity 2
In nuclear power plants, neutrons collide with uranium atoms, splitting them. This split releases
neutrons from the uranium that in turn collide with other atoms, causing a chain reaction. This
chain reaction is controlled with "control rods" that absorb neutrons.

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