Hydroelectric power plants convert the potential difference of water

into electricity by transferring it between two points at different

heights or elevations.
. The dam across the
natural river course holds
back the water to form
a reservoir. The potential
energy of the flowing water
is then converted into
electrical output.
2. Water behind the dam
flows through an opening
and down a pipe called a
penstock.
. Potential energy is 4. When it reaches the
transformed into kinetic machine room, the water
energy as the water flows causes the turbine blades
through the pipes. to spin, transforming
kinetic energy into
mechanical rotation.
5. After giving up its
energy, the flow
of water drains
downstream through
a spillway.
6. The turbine shaft
is attached to the
electricity generator,
which converts
rotational energy
into electricity.

subsystem of thermal power plant

. Feed pumps
Feed pumps are used to deliver water to the boiler. It is essential to use a feed
pump because the quantity of water supplied should meet amount of water evaporated
and supplied to the engine.

Subsystems of Thermal Power Plant

Basically two types of pump are in use

Reciprocating feed pump

Rotary feed pump
Reciprocating feed pump consists of a cylinder and a piston. The piston displaces
water as it reciprocates inside the cylinder. The reciprocating pump may be of two
types.

Single acting pump and

Double acting pump
They are continuously run by steam from the same boiler to which water is to be
fed.

Rotary feed pumps are of centrifugal types and are commonly run either by a small
steam turbine or by electric motor.
The duplex feed pump is a double acting reciprocating feed pump. In this pump,
there are two simple engine cylinders placed side by side. The pressure of steam
acts directly on the piston to pump the water. Each pump has one steam cylinder and
water cylinder.

2. Economiser
It is a device in which the waste heat of the flue gases is utilized for heating
feed water.

The uses of a economiser has many advantages

The temperature range between various parts of the boiler is reduced which results
in reduction of stress on the inner wall of boiler drum due to uneven thermal
expansion.
Evaporate capacity of the boiler is increased.
Less fuel is required to turn the feed water into steam.
Overall efficiency of the plant is increased.
Greens’ vertical tube economiser is shown in Fig.1.47.

Subsystems of Thermal Power Plant

Economiser is used to preheat the feed water using furnace flue gases.

It consists of a large number of cast iron vertical tubes. These tubes are
connected at the top and bottom by two horizontal pipes and are placed in the main
flue between the boiler and the chimney. The water is pumped to the lower
horizontal pipe and then flows through the vertical tubes. The water becomes heated
by absorbing heat from the flue gas which passes over the tubes. The hot water
enters the upper horizontal pipe and is fed to the boiler. To remove the deposits
of soot from the surface of the tubes, scrapers are provided. These scrapers move
up and down slowly by means of a chain passing over the pulleys to remove the
soots.

3. Air preheater
In this subsystems of thermal power plant, air preheater is an auxiliary system
that increase the temperature of air before it enters the furnance. It is generally
placed after the economiser – i.e. in between economiser and chimney.

Subsystems of Thermal Power Plant

Preheated air accelerates the combustion and facilitates the burning of coal.

There are two types of air preheaters (a) recuperative and (b) regenerative.

In a recuperative air preheater, the heat from the flue gases is transferred to air
through a metallic medium. In a regenerative air preheater, air and flue gases are
made to pass alternatively through the matrix. When the hot gases pass through the
matrix it transfers heat to the cold air. The preheating of air helps the burning
of low grade fuel, thus permitting a reduction in excess air and thereby increasing
the efficiency. The overall efficiency of the plant may be increased by 10% by its
one.

4. Super heater
In this subsystems of thermal power plant, the function of the super heater is to
increase the temperature of the steam above its saturation point.

Super heater steam has the following advantages.

Steam consumption by the turbine is reduced.
Loss due to condensation is reduced.
Erosion of turbine blade is eliminated.
Efficiency of the plant is increased.
A superheater is located in the path of the hot furnace gases. Fig.1.49. shows a
Sudgen’s superheater.

Subsystems of Thermal Power Plant

When the superheater is in operation, the valve A is closed. The wet steam from the
boiler enters the right heater through the valve C. The steam flows through the
number of U – tubes where it receives heat from the hot flue gases and becomes
superheated. The superheated steam then passes to the discharge header and then to
the main steam pipe connected to one end of the discharge header through the valve
B.

The overheating of the superheater tubes is prevented by using a damper which is

controlled by the Handle. It controls the flow of flue gases to the superheater
chamber. When the damper is horizontal, the hot flue gases pass over the U tubes
(superheated tubes). But when the damper is vertical, the hot flue gases directly
pass to the bottom flue without superheating. Thus degree of superheating is
controlled by changing the position of damper.

5. Steam separator
The steam generated may be either wet steam (or) dry steam (or) superheated steam.
The wet steam must be separated from the dry steam before letting it enter the main
steam line. This separation is done by steam separator. It prevents the wet steam
from entering the main steam line, thus prevents the turbine blades from corrosion.

6. Injector
An injector is used to feed water into vertical and locomotive boilers using steam
from the same boiler. It consists of three jets – steam jet, suction jet, combining
and delivery jet.

Steam Injector

The steam expands in the steam nozzle where its pressure drops but its velocity
increases. As the steam passes across space between steam and suction nozzles a
vacuum is developed in the suction chamber. The water is drawn into the suction
chamber from the feed tank. The high speed steam jet takes the water along with the
steam into the combining and delivery jet.

Here the steam is condensed and mixed with the water. The delivery jet is so
designed that a considerable amount of kinetic energy of the jet changes into
pressure energy which is sufficient to force the water in the boiler. There will be
no overflow when the steam and water are in proper ratio. For the injector to act
properly there is a definite relation between the quantity of steam and water
entering the injector.

7. Wagon tippler
It is the machine used to tip the coal from the wagon. The coal tipped is directly
fed to conveyor belt which takes the coal to the coal mills.

8. Coal mills
Coal feeds in the coal mill are converted into pulverised form and they are fed to
the boiler furnance.

9. Boiler furnance
It is the chamber in which fuel burns and fire blows.
10. Boiler Drum
It contains feed water for boiling.

11. Electro Static Precipitator (ESP)

ESP is located between the boiler and the chimney, it extracts the fly ash from
flue gases and thus prevents the fly ash from entering the atmosphere.

12. Chimney
It is used to release flue gas into the atmosphere.

Different types of Chimney are

Steel Chimney
Site constructed chimneys
Plastic chimneys
13. Cooling Tower
It is used to cool the water and its height is about 140 meters.

14. Low pressure heater

It is used to increase the temperature of water at low pressure, in this way
efficiency of system increases.

15. High pressure heater

In HP heater, the temperature of water increases at high pressure. Thus efficiency
further increases.

site selection criteria for hydroelectric power plant

availability of water
the river run off data pertain to many years should be available so that and
estimate of the power potential of the project and the made . the data should
include minimum Flo and maximum flow and their periods.

2. Water storage
Because of white fluctuation in stream flows storage is needed most hydroelectric
project to store the water during high flow periods and use it during the leading
flow periods. the storage capacity can be calculated from the hydro graph.

3. Geological investigation
It is need to see that the foundation roof from the demand and other structure is
stable and strong enough to with stand water thrust and other stress.

4. Water pollution
Polluted water may cause excessive corrosion and damage to metallic structure .
this may make the operation of the plant un reliable and UN economical so it is
necessary to sea the water is of good quality .

5. Sedimentation
the capacity of storage reserve wire is reduced dew to the gradual deposition of
snit
snit may cause damage to turbine plate .

6. Environmental effect
Hydro project submerge use areas and many villages the environmental effect are
also importation . The site should ensure safe soundings, avoid heath hazard and
presser important cultural and storage aspect of the area.