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Overview of Coal Power Plants

Coal power plants generate electricity through the combustion of coal. Coal is pulverized, burned in boilers to produce steam, which spins turbines connected to generators. This process produces electricity but also emits greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Newer plants try to reduce emissions through pollution controls and lower-sulfur coal. While coal power is reliable and affordable due to coal's abundance, it significantly contributes to air pollution and climate change issues due to the greenhouse gas emissions produced.

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Naomi Aira Gole Cruz
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38 views12 pages

Overview of Coal Power Plants

Coal power plants generate electricity through the combustion of coal. Coal is pulverized, burned in boilers to produce steam, which spins turbines connected to generators. This process produces electricity but also emits greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Newer plants try to reduce emissions through pollution controls and lower-sulfur coal. While coal power is reliable and affordable due to coal's abundance, it significantly contributes to air pollution and climate change issues due to the greenhouse gas emissions produced.

Uploaded by

Naomi Aira Gole Cruz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

COAL POWER PLANT

Coal Power Plant


makes use of the combustion of coal in
order to generate electricity
History of Coal Power Plant
1700’s the English found that coal could produce a fuel
that burned cleaner and hotter than wood charcoal
1300s in North America, the Hopi Indians used coal for
cooking, heating and to bake the pottery they made from
clay.
The Industrial Revolution played a major role in
expanding the use of coal
James Watt invented the steam engine which made it
possible for machines to do work previously done by
humans and animals. Mr. Watt used coal to make the
steam to run his engine.
Components of
Coal-fired Power Plants
Coal Pulverisers – coal is fed into a pulveriser to
be ground into a fine powder to facilitate
combustion. Pulverisers are approximately 30ft
high and are fabricated mostly from steel and steel
components
Coal burners – after the coal has been pulverised it
is blown through a burner for combustion. The
burner controls the flow of coal and air and ignites
the mixture as it enters the boiler. There are
typically four to eight burners for each pulveriser,
with at least four pulverisers serving a large boiler.
Coal Boilers – boilers for coal fired electricity
are large, customized integrated systems
constructed with specialty metals and
equipment. The coal boiler system for electric
power units is the most critical coal-unique
component in the industrial base, representing
approximately 35% of a coal EGU’s
equipment costs.
Pollution Control System – To reduce the
amount of So2 from coal combustion and
therefore meet pollution-control regulations,
plant owners sometimes switch to a lower-
sulfur coal but often install “scrubber” or flue
gas desulfurization systems to chemically
remove the sulfur from the flue gas before it
exits the smokestack.
Smokestaks – after pollutants are reduced from
the coal-combustion process, the remaining
flue gases are exhausted to the atmosphere
through a smoke stack or chimney
Process of Coal Power Plant
Coal fired power plants follow the Rankine Cycle in order to complete this process. 
1. The coal must be unloaded from the train.
Traditional ways of doing this require the use
of cranes picking up the coal from the cars,
however newer plants have the floor
underneath the train tracks drop away, allowing
the coal to be dropped into underground
containment.
2. Once unloaded, the coal is then pulverized into
a fine powder by a large grinder. This ensures
nearly complete burning of the coal in order to
maximize the heat given off and to minimize
pollutants.
3. The pulverized coal is then input to a boiler,
where combustion occurs and the coal
provides heat to the power plant. This heat is
transferred to pipes containing high pressured
water, which boils to steam.
4. The steam then travels through a turbine,
causing it to rotate extremely fast which in
turn spins a generator, producing electricity.
The electricity can then be input to the electric
grid for use by society.
ADVANTAGES
Reliability
Affordability
Abundance
Known technologies
Safety
DISADVANTAGES
Greenhouse gas emissions
Mining destruction
Generation of millions of tons of waste
Emission of harmful substances

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