Introduction

The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the

1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Faraday. The first commercially
developed central electrical power stations were established in 1882 at Pearl Street
Station in New York and Holborn Viaduct power station in London. The
development of the steam turbine in 1884 provided larger and more efficient
machine designs for central generating stations. By 1892 the turbine was
considered a better alternative to reciprocating engines. Turbines offered higher
speeds, more compact machinery, and stable speed regulation allowing for parallel
synchronous operation of generators on a common bus. After about 1905, turbines
entirely replaced reciprocating engines in large central power stations. Electricity is
most often generated at a power station by electromechanical generators. So, we
need to spin these generators for the electricity generation which is carried out at
various power plants. Thermal power plants use the fossil fuels like coal, natural
gas for that process by use of boilers and steam turbines. A conventional coal-fired
power

plant produces electricity by

the

burning of coal and air in

a steam

generator, where it heats water to produce high pressure and high

temperature steam. The steam flows through a series of steam turbines which spin
an electrical generator to produce electricity.

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 4

Thermal Power Plant

A thermal power plant is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven.
Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which drives an
electrical generator. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is condensed in a
condenser and recycled to where it was heated. The steam is produced in high
pressure in the steam boiler due to burning of fossil fuel in boiler furnaces. This
steam is further super heated in a super heater. This super heated steam then enters
into the turbine and rotates the turbine blades. The turbine is mechanically so
coupled with alternator that its rotor will rotate with the rotation of turbine blades.
After entering in turbine the steam pressure suddenly falls and corresponding
volume of the steam increases. The rotational energy imparted to the turbine by
high pressure steam is converted to electrical energy in the Generator. After
imparting energy to the turbine rotor the steam passes out of the turbine blades into
the condenser. In the condenser the cold water is circulated with the help of pump
which condenses the low pressure wet steam.
This condensed water is further supplied to low pressure water heater where the
low pressure steam increases the temperature of this feed water, it is again heated
in high pressure. The cooling water used to condense the steam in the condenser
returns to its source without having been changed other than having been warmed.
If the water returns to a local water body (rather than a circulating cooling tower),
it is mixed with cool raw water to lower its temperature.
Types of Thermal Power Plants: The thermal power plants are different because
of variations of different fossil fuel resources generally used to heat the water.
Some prefer to use the term energy centre because such facilities convert forms of
heat energy into electrical energy. Certain thermal power plants also are designed

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 5

to produce heat energy for industrial purposes of district heating, or desalination of

water, in addition to generating electrical power.
Almost all coal, nuclear, geothermal, solar thermal electric as well as many natural
gas power plants is thermal. Natural gas is frequently combusted in gas turbines as
well as boilers. The waste heat from a gas turbine can be used to raise steam, in a
combined cycle plant that improves overall efficiency. Power plants burning coal,
fuel oil, or natural gas are often called fossil-fuel power plants. Non-nuclear
thermal power plants, particularly fossil-fuelled plants, which do not use cogeneration, are sometimes referred to as conventional power plants.

WORKING OF A THERMAL POWER

PLANT
Diagram of a typical coal-fired thermal power station looks like this:

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 6

The processes in thermal power plant are described:

Conversion of Coal to Electricity: The coal is taken from stockpiles to coal

hopper through the conveyor belt. Before the coal is burned, it is pulverized to the
fineness of talcum powder. It is then mixed with hot air and blown into the
firebox of the boiler. Burning in suspension, the coal/air mixture provides the most
complete combustion and maximum heat possible. Now, water is turned to steam
inside the boiler. Highly purified water, pumped through pipes inside the boiler, is
turned into steam by the heat. The steam reaches temperatures of up to 1,000
degrees Fahrenheit and pressures up to 3,500 pounds per square inch, and is piped
to the turbine.

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 7

The enormous pressure of the steam pushing against a series of

giant turbine blades turns the turbine shaft. The turbine shaft is connected to the
shaft of the generator, where magnets spin within wire coils to produce electricity.
This generated electricity is supplied to electrical grid and then is supplied to our
homes through transformers.

Steam to Water Conversion: After doing its work in the turbine, the steam is
drawn into a condenser, a large chamber in the basement of the power plant. In this
important step, millions of gallons of cool water from a nearby source (such as a
river or lake) are pumped through a network of tubes running through the
condenser. The cool water in the tubes converts the steam back into water that can
be used over and over again in the plant. The cooling water is returned to its source
without any contamination, and the steam water is returned to the boiler to repeat
the cycle.

Thermal power plants are different on the basis of fossil fuels used for heating the
water. Design of thermal power plants is too different on the basis of fossil fuel as
it has to be carried out to the boiler for heating function.

Typical coal fired thermal power plant is shown in fig. -

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 8

Typical diagram of a coal-fired thermal power station

1. Cooling tower

10. Steam Control valve

19. Super heater

2. Cooling water pump

11. High pressure steam turbine

20. Forced draught (draft) fan

3. transmission line (3-phase)

12. Deaerator

21. Reheater

4. Step-up transformer (3-phase)

13. Feed water heater

22. Combustion air intake

5. Electrical generator (3-phase)

14. Coal conveyor

23. Economiser

6. Low pressure steam turbine

15. Coal hopper

24. Air preheater

7. Condensate pump

16. Coal pulveriser

25. Precipitator

8. Surface condenser

17. Boiler steam drum

26. Induced draught (draft) fan

9. Intermediate pressure steam turbine

18. Bottom ash hopper

27. Fuel gas stack

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 9

Some of these terms are illustrated below:

Cooling Tower: Cooling tower is a heat rejection device which rejects waste
heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a water stream to a lower
temperature. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of water to remove
process heat and cool the working fluid to near the wet-bulb air temperature or, in
the case of closed circuit dry cooling towers, rely solely on air to cool the working
fluid to near the dry-bulb air temperature. Common applications include cooling
the circulating water used in oil refineries, petrochemical and other chemical
plants, thermal power stations and HVAC systems for cooling buildings.

Economizer: In boilers, economizers are heat exchange devices that heat fluids,
usually water, up to but not normally beyond the boiling point of that fluid.
Economizers are so named because they can make use of the enthalpy in fluid
streams that are hot, but not hot enough to be used in a boiler, thereby recovering
more useful enthalpy and improving the boiler's efficiency. They are a device fitted
to a boiler which saves energy by using the exhaust gases from the boiler to
preheat the cold water used to fill it (the feed water).

High Pressure Steam Turbine: A steam turbine is a device that extracts thermal
energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating
output shaft. Because the turbine generates rotary motion, it is particularly suited
to be used to drive an electrical generator about 90% of all electricity generation
in the United States (1996) is by use of steam turbines. The steam turbine is a form
of heat engine that derives much of its improvement in thermodynamic
efficiency from the use of multiple stages in the expansion of the steam, which
results in a closer approach to the ideal reversible expansion process.

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 10

Coal pulverizer: A pulverizer or grinder is a mechanical device for the grinding

of many different types of materials. For example, a pulverizer mill is used
to pulverize coal for combustion in the steam generating furnaces of fossil fuel
power plants.

Thermal Power Generation Efficiency

The energy efficiency of a conventional thermal power station, considered salable

energy produced as a percent of the heating value of the fuel consumed, is typically
33% to 48%.As with all heat engines, their efficiency is limited, and governed by
the laws of thermodynamics. By comparison, most hydropower stations in the
United States are about 90 percent efficient in converting the energy of falling
water into electricity.

The energy of a thermal not utilized in power production must leave the plant in
the form of heat to the environment. This waste heat can go through
a condenser and be disposed of with cooling water or in cooling towers. If the
waste heat is instead utilized for distinct heating, it is called co-generation. Net
generation is the amount of electricity a power plant (or generator) supplies to the
power transmission line connected to the power plant. Net generation accounts for
all the electricity that the plant itself consumes to operate the generator(s) and other
equipment, such as fuel feeding systems, boiler water pumps, cooling equipment,
and pollution control devices.
Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 11

Efficiency Terms: The Carnot efficiency dictates that higher efficiencies can be
attained by increasing the temperature of the steam. Sub-critical fossil fuel power
plants can achieve 3640% efficiency. Super critical designs have efficiencies in
the low to mid 40% range, with new "ultra critical" designs using pressures of
4400 psi (30.3 MPa) and multiple stage reheat reaching about 48% efficiency. An
important class of thermal power station is associated with desalination facilities;
these are typically found in desert countries with large supplies of natural gas and
in these plants, freshwater production and electricity are equally important coproducts.

A Rankine Cycle with a two-stage steam turbine and a single feed water heater:

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 12

Present Conditions: Currently most of the nuclear power plants must operate
below the temperatures and pressures that coal-fired plants do, since the
pressurized vessel is very large and contains the entire bundle of nuclear fuel rods.
The size of the reactor limits the pressure that can be reached. This, in turn, limits
their thermodynamic efficiency to 3032%. Some advanced reactor designs being
studied, such as the very high temperature reactor, advanced gas-cooled
reactor and supercritical water reactor, would operate at temperatures and pressures
similar to current coal plants, producing comparable thermodynamic efficiency.

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 13

Graph: Thermal Efficiency of Thermal Power Plants

Advantages and Disadvantages of Thermal Power Plants

Thermal Power Plants are as much advantageous as they are

disadvantageous to the environment. These are stated below:

Advantages:
Smaller space is required as compared to hydro power
plants
Economical in initial cost as compared to other power
plants
Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 14

 They can respond to rapidly changing loads without

difficulty
A portion of the steam generated can be used as a process
steam in different industries
Steam engines and turbines can work under 25 % of
overload continuously
Fuel used is cheaper
Cheaper in production cost in comparison with that of
diesel power stations
Thermal plants can be placed near load centres unlike
hydro and nuclear plants
Plants can withstand for certain extent

Disadvantages:
Requires higher maintenance and operational costs
Pollution of atmosphere
Long time required for erection and putting into action
A large quantity of water is required
Great difficulty experienced in coal handling
Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 15

 Presence of troubles due to smoke and heat in the plant

Unavailability of good quality coal
Maximum of heat energy lost
Handling of coal and disposal of ash is quite difficult.
Efficiency of thermal plant is less 30%

CONCLUSION

Thermal power is the largest source of power in India. There are different types of
Thermal power plants based on the fuel used to generate the steam such as coal,
gas, Diesel etc. About 75% of electricity consumed in India is generated by
Thermal power plants. More than 50% of Indias commercial energy demand is
met through the countrys vast coal reserves. Public sector undertaking National
Thermal Power Corporation and several other state level power generating
companies are engaged in operating coal based Thermal Power Plants. Thermal
power plants are highly complex and custom designed on a large scale for
continuous operation 24 hours per day and 365 days per year. Such plants provide
most of the electrical energy used in many countries.

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 16

However, Power generation plant location plays an optimizing part in the economy
of the station. While construction and operation of the plant can generate wastes
but a detailed waste management programme and Environmental Management
plan have been developed to mitigate the pollution potential. The project must
meet all the stipulated environmental norms. Utilisation of ash for cement
production will also be an environment-friendly step. Though there are some forest
areas and sanctuary around, it can be concluded that the implementation of EMP
will ensure that the overall effect will not have any significant impact on local
environment.

References

http://electrical4u.com/thermal-power-generation-plant-or-thermal-power-station/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_power_station

http://www.google.com

http://indianpowersector.com/home/power-station/thermal-power-plant/

http://www.reliancepower.co.in/power_industry/power_generation/working_of_a_pow
er_plant.htm

http://www.eia.gov/electricity/capacity/

http://indianpowersector.com/power-station/thermal-power-plant/

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 17

http://www.learnengineering.org/2013/01/thermal-power-plant-working.html

http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=107&t=3

http://www.brighthubengineering.com/power-plants/72369-compare-the-efficiencyof-different-power-plants/

http://www.brighthubengineering.com/power-plants/19182-how-efficient-is-energyconversion-in-a-thermal-power-plant/

http://www.answers.com/Q/Advantages_and_disadvantages_of_thermal_power_plant
s

Energy Generation By Thermal Power Plants| 18