Thermal power station

- These station can be used as : 1. Private industrial plants : small capacity( up to 10 MW).
2. Center stations: large capacity (10 - 500 MW or more).
- It's more ecumenical to locate it at or near pit head rather than load center.

 Selection of Site:
1. Cost-of land should be reasonable and further extensions, if necessary, should
be possible.
2. Abundant quantity of cooling water for the condenser should be available.
3. Facilities should exist for the transport of fuel.
4. If the station is located near the center of distribution the distribution costs are
low.

 Functions of Different Components:

1) Boilers. It is a device meant for producing steam under pressure. Steam boilers are classified
into fire tube and water tube types.
 Fire tube: have low initial cost, more compact but more likely to explode can't meet
changes in demand, the outer shell is bigger.
 Water tube: have less weight, less liable to explode, produce higher pressure, easily
accessible, can meet changes in demand, the outer shell is smaller.
2) Economizers. The purpose is to heat feed water to recover apart of heat which would
otherwise be lost through flue gases.
3) Air Preheater. The purpose is to heat air before entering the boiler by flue gases so it
reduces the fuel that will be used.
4) Super heater. The purpose is to improve the efficiency of the station by increasing the
temperature to the desired value and avoid the turbines corrosion by removing the steam
moisture.
5) Condenser. The purpose is to improve the efficiency of the station by decreasing the
exhaust pressure below atmosphere & condensed steam can be recovered which provides a
source of a good and pure feed water.
6) Spray pond. It consists of a tank of water, in which water to be cooled, is distributed by
pipes.
7) Cooling tower. The amount of water is divided in smaller quantities and fall from a height
of 8 – 10 m to the bottom of it.
8) Prime mover. is to convert chemical energy of steam into mechanical energy.
9) Evaporator. used for supplying pure water as make up feed water to the boilers.
10) Feed water heaters. used to heat feed water before it is supplied to boiler and have two
types Open heater & Closed heater.
 Circuits of Steam Plant:
 Fuel and Ash Circuit. Fuel (Coal) from the storage is fed to the boiler by fuel feeding
device. Ash, produced as a result of combustion of coal, collects at the back of the boiler and
is removed to ash storage through ash handling equipment.
 Air and Gas Circuit. Air from atmosphere passes through air preheater where it is
heated by flue gases. Then it is supplied to the chamber of the boiler by fans.
 Feed Water and Steam Circuit. The condensate leaving condenser is heated in closed
feed water heater by steam from the lowest pressure extraction point of the turbine. This
water then passes through deaerator and a few more water heaters before it goes into the
boiler through the economizer. A small part of steam and water is lost. Therefore, water is
added in the feed water system as make-up water. Raw water passes through evaporator is
heated to steam and condensed into water then passes by feed water pump into the boiler.
 Cooling Water Circuit. Cooling water is taken from the upper side of the river and after
passing through the condenser (where it gets heated) it is discharged to the lower side of the
river. This system of cooling water requires ample quantity of water is available
throughout the year.
 Hydro-Electric Station
It is used to supply electrical energy to consumers where water resources are available. And this
type of station, however, cannot be located anywhere.

 Selection of Site:
1. Quantity of water available. This is estimated on:
- Stream flow over as long a period as possible.
- Records of rainfall.
- Minimum and maximum quantity of water available during the year.

2. Storage of water. Due to variation of rainfall during the year it necessary to store water and
storage capacity can be calculated with the help of a mass curve. There are two types of storage:
(a) storage of water for one year only.
(b) storage of water for worst dry seasons.

3. Head of water. It depends on the topography of the area, and has considerable effect on the
cost and economy of power generation.

4. Distance of power station from load center. As the distance between them decrease, the
transmission cost and losses will be decreased.

5. Accessibility of the site. The site should be easily accessible by rail and road.
 Classification of Hydro-electric Plants:
(1) According to Quantity of water-available.
(i) RUN-OFF RIVER PLANTS WITHOUT PONDAGE. this type of plant does not store water
and can use water only when available.
(ii) RUN-OFF RIVER PLANTS WITH PONDAGE. In this type pondage permits storage of
water during the off-peak periods and use it during the peak periods.
(iii) RESERVOIR PLANTS. This type has a reservoir to permit carrying over storage of water
during wet seasons to the next dry seasons and water is stored behind the dam. Also is has better
capacity and can be used efficiently throughout the year. Majority of hydro-electric plants are of
this type.

(2) According to Available Head.

(i) LOW-HEAD PLANTS.
 Work with heads below 30 meters.
 Water is allowed to flow over the dam itself.
 Water is stored by the construction of a dam across a river.
 No surge tank is required.
(ii) MEDIUM-HEAD PLANTS.
 Works on a head between 30 to 300 meters.
  Water is generally carried in open canals from main reservoir to the forebay and then to the
power house through the penstock.
 Forebay works as surge tank.
(iii) HIGH-HEAD PLANTS.
 High head if operating on a head above 300 meters.
 Water is carried from the main reservoir by a tunnel to surge tank then to the power.
 Water is stored at high elevations.

(3) According to Nature of load:

(i) BASE-LOAD PLANTS.
Run-off river plants without pondage can be used as peak load plants.
(ii) PEAK-LOAD PLANTS.
Run-off river plants with pondage can be used as base load plants.
Note: Reservoir Plants can be used as both types as required.
(iii) PUMPED STORAGE PLANTS.
Water after passing through the turbine is stored in the tail race pond from where it may be pumped
back to head water pond by the penstock to operate the turbines.

 Functions of Different Components in Storage

1) RESERVOIN. Its purpose is to store water which may be utilized to run the prime mover to
produce electrical power. A reservoir stores water during the rainy season and supplies the
same during the dry season.
2) DAM. to provide a head of water to be utilized in the water turbine.
3) TRASH RACK. is to prevent entry of debris which might damage the wicket gates and
turbine runners or mean choking of nozzles of the turbines.
4) FOREBAY. The forebay serves as a regulating reservoir storing water and providing water
for initial increase-on-account of increasing load.
5) SURGE TANK. It is an additional storage space near the turbine. And control the pressure
variations resulting from rapid change in water flow in penstock thereby preventing water
hammer effects.
6) PENSTOCK. It is a conduit system for taking, water from the intake works and forebay to
the turbines. There are two types of penstock, the low-pressure and high-pressure.
7) SPILL WAY. This may be considered a sort of safety valve for a dam. A spillway serves to
discharge excess water in the reservoir beyond the full permissible level.
8) POWER HOUSE. It is generally located at the foot of the dam and near the storage
reservoir. A power house consists of two main parts:
a sub-structure to support the hydraulic and electric equipment and a super-structure to
house and protect this equipment.
9) PRIME MOVER. is to convert kinetic energy of water into mechanical energy. Commonly
used prime movers are Pelton wheel, Francis, Kaplan and Propellers.

Additional: Two types of turbines: 1. Impulse: have both vertical and horizontal
arrangement. 2. Reaction: have vertical arrangement.
 Nuclear Power Station

 Selection of Site:
1. Availability of water. Ample quantity of water should be available because water is the
secondary working fuel.
2. Distance from population area. Nuclear station should as far as possible be located away
from thickly populated area.
3. Disposed of waste. the waste produced in nuclear power station by burning the fuel should be
either burned in deep pit or disposed off in sea.
4. Nearness to load Center. Nuclear station should not as far as possible be located away from
load center.
5. Accessibility by Rail and Roads. The station should be easily accessible.

 Basic components of a nuclear reactor:

- Reactor is that part of nuclear power plant where energy released as a result of nuclear fission
radio- active material is utilized to heat the coolant which may in turn generate steam or be used gas
turbine.
1) FUEL. Fuels generally used in reactors is uranium 235U92, and it should be so shaped and
located in the reactor.
2) REACTOR CORE. This contains number of fuel rods made of fissile material.
3) MODERATOR. The purpose of moderator is to moderate or reduce the neutron speeds to a
value that increases the probability of fission occurring.
4) SHIELDING. The purpose of shielding is to give protection from the deadly a and B
particles radiations and y-rays as well as neutrons given off by the process of fission with
the reactor.
5) CONTROL RODs. To prevent the melting of fuel rods, disintegration of coolant and
destruction of reactor & to maintain the chain reaction at a steady value during the operation
of the reactor. Also, to shut-down the reactor automatically under emergency conditions.
- Chain reaction: can be controlled either by removing the fuel rods or by inserting neutron
absorbing materials like boron.

6) REFLECTOR. It surrounds the reactor core and the thermal shielding and helps to bounce
escaping neutrons back into the core.
7) COOLANT. a coolant transfer heat produced inside the reactor to the heat exchanger for
further utilization in power generation.
8) REACTOR VESSEl. provides the entrance and exists passage for directing the flow of
coolant.
 Advantages of Nuclear:
1. A nuclear power station reduces the demand for coal, oil and gas so the cost of fuel will
decrease.
2. Weight of nuclear fuel required is negligible. As a result, the problems of transporting costs
are avoided.
3. The area and volume needed for a nuclear station is less in comparison to other power
plants.
4. In addition to producing large amounts of power a nuclear plant produces valuable fissile
material which is extracted when the fuel is renewed.
5. Location of a nuclear power station is independent of geographical factors, except for that
there should be good supply of water.

 Disadvantages of Nuclear:
1. It's not suitable for variable loads.
2. The reactor can't be easily controlled to respond to loads changes.
3. Load factor is not less than 80%.
4. Capital costs are very high.
 Diesel Electric Station

 Selection of Site:
(1) Distance from Load Centre.
(2) Availability of Land and Water.
(3) Foundations.
(4) Transport of Fuel.
(5) Local Conditions.
(6) Neighborhood Noise and Nuisance.
 Uses:
 Central Station.
 Stand-by Plant.
 Peak Load Plant.
 Emergency Plant.
 Mobile Plants.
 Nursery Stations.
 Small supply units for hospitals, cinemas, etc.

 Main Components and functions:

1) ENGINE. This is the main component of the plant which develops power. Generally engine
is directly coupled to the generator.
2) ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM. This includes:
- Storage tanks: to store fuel.
- Transfer pumps: to transfer fuel from delivery point to storage tanks and then to engine.
- Strainers: to ensure clean fuel.
- Heaters and Connecting pipe.
3) ENGINE AIR INEKE SYSTEM. This includes:
- Air filters: to remove dust from the air to be supplied to the engine.
- Super-charger: to increase pressure of air supplied to engine so the power output's increased.
4) ENGINE EXHAUST SYSTEM. This includes:
- Silencers: to reduces the noise level.
- Connecting ducts.
The purpose of system is that As the temperature of the exhaust gases is high heat of these
gases is used to heat oil and air applied to the engine.
5) ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM. This includes:
- A coolant pumps: circulates water through cylinder and head jackets to carty away heat.
- Cooling towers or spray ponds.
- Water treatment or filtration plant.
 - Connecting pipe.
The purpose of system is to carry heat from engine cylinder to keep the temperature of
cylinder within safe limits.
6) ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM. This includes:
- Lubricating oil pumps & Oil tanks.
- Filters & Coolers.
- Purifiers & Connecting pipe.
The function of the lubrication system is to reduce the friction of moving parts and reduce
the wear and tear of the engine parts.
7) ENGINE STARTING SYSTEM. This includes:
- Battery, compressed air tanks & self-starter.
The function of the starting system is to start the engine from cold by supplying
compressed air.

 Advantages:
1. More efficient than any other heat engine of same size.
2. Has low initial cost.
3. Can be started and stopped quickly.
4. Can burn a wide range of fuel.
5. Doesn't require worming period.
6. Doesn't need a large amount of water for cooling.
7. No stand by losses.
8. Can be commissioned (ready for active service) in much short time.

 FOUR STROKE CYCLE:

 Suction stroke. air is sucked into the cylinder by the manifold and inlet valve, the piston
goes towards the crank end of the cylinder. And exhaust valve is kept closed.
 Compression stroke. the piston moves towards the cover end of the cylinder. The stroke is
completed when the piston reaches the extreme position at cover end. During this both inlet
and exhaust valves are kept closed.
 Expansion (power) stroke. fuel is injected in atomized which resulting in its ignition and
increasing in the pressure in the cylinder.
 Exhaust stroke. the piston moves forward, exhaust valve opens and gases of combustion get
out from the cylinder.

 Arrangements of Cylinders:
 Vertical in line.
 V type.
 Horizontal type.
 Choice and Characteristics of Diesel Engines:
 Frame. In small size, horizontal engines are used, and in large size vertical are used.
 Speed. The more speed, the more degree of compactness and the less cost of engine,
however, the range of 500 to 1000 rpm is more common.
 Capacity of Engine.
 Number of Cylinders. The No. of cylinders depends on the power required. Six to eight
cylinder engine are commonly used.
 Supercharging. If an increased amount of air is supplied to cylinder, the more quantity of
fuel will be burned, as a result, the power output will also increase.
 Rate of Engine.
 Gas Power Station
- These plants are suitable for peak load purposes because their initial costs are low.
 Advantages:
1. The cheapest type of plants available.
2. They are useful and economical when the amount of energy required is a small.
3. The load factor is less than 15%.
4. The fixed charges are low.

 Disadvantages of Nuclear:
1. The thermal efficiency is low.
2. High fuel costs.

 Uses: They are used for:

 Supercharging. Air is supplied to the boiler under pressure by a compressor mounted on the
common shaft with turbine and gases, formed as a result of combustion after coming out of the
boiler, work the gas turbine before passing through the economizer and exhausting through the
chimney. The turbine drives the compressor and also generates some additional power for the
station. The heat transfers in the boiler increases by about 7 to 8%.
 Heat recovery from exhaust gases. The gas turbine plant is fitted with the usual combustor
and gets the gas supply from the combustor. The gases after expanding in the turbine enter the
boiler and transfer part of the heat to the boiler tubes. The heat rates are improved
by about 4 to 5%.

 Methods to Improve Thermal Efficiency:

 Regeneration. It is a device used to heat the air which coming out of the compressor by the
exhaust gases which have high temperature and this reduces the fuel required due to less
heat would be required.
 Intercooling. By cooling the compressed air, it results in improvement of thermal
efficiency, air rate, work ratio. Therefore, the size of turbine and compressor can be reduced.
 Reheating. Gases after partial expansion in the turbine may be reheated so that they can be
expanded further and may produce additional work.