Classification of power plants

• A power plant may be defined as a machine or assembly of equipment that

generates and delivers a flow of mechanical or electrical energy. The main
equipment for the generation of electric power is generator. When coupling
it to a prime mover runs the generator, the electricity is generated.
• The type of prime move determines, the type of power plants. The major
power plants, which are discussed are,
• 1. Steam power plant
• 2. Diesel power plant
• 3. Gas turbine power plant
• 4. Nuclear power plant
• 5. Hydro electric power plant
• 6. Solar power generation
• 7. Wind power
• 8. Fuel cells
• The Steam Power Plant, Diesel Power Plant, Gas Turbine Power Plant and
Nuclear Power Plants are called THERMAL POWER PLANT, because
they convert heat into electric energy.
Classification of power plants
 Steam power plant
• A steam power plant simply converts the heat of coal
combustion into electricity. Figure shows the schematic
arrangement of steam power plant. The whole
arrangement can be divided into following stages;
• 1) coal and ash handling arrangement
• 2) steam generating plant
• 3) steam turbine
• 4) alternator
• 5) feed water
• 6) cooling arrangement
Steam power plant
,
 Steam power plant

1) Coal and ash handling plant:

• Coal is transported to power station and is stored in the
coal storage plant. From coal storage plant the coal is
delivered to coal handling plant where it is pulverized(
crushed into small pieces).
• The pulverized coal is fed to boiler. The coal is burnt in the
boiler and the ash produced after complete combustion of
coal is removed to ash handling plant and then delivered to
ash storage plant for disposal.
 Steam power plant
• Steam generating plant: consists of;
Steam power plant
Steam power plant
 Types of steam turbines
• Steam turbines are generally classified into two types according
to the action of steam on moving blades.
• (i) Impulse turbines (ii) Reactions turbines
• In an impulse turbine, the steam expands completely in the
stationary nozzles (or fixed blades), the pressure over the moving
blades remaining constant.
• In doing so, the steam attains a high velocity(K.E) and impinges
against the moving blades. This results in the impulsive force on
the moving blades which sets the rotor rotating.
• In a reaction turbine: The reaction turbine, as the name implies, is
turned by reactive force rather than by a direct push or impulse. In
reaction turbines, there are no nozzles as such. Instead, the blades that
project radially from the periphery of the rotor are formed and
mounted so that the spaces between the blades have the shape of
nozzles. Since these blades are mounted on the
revolving rotor, they are called moving blades. Fixed or stationary
blades of the same shape as the moving blades (fig.) are fastened to the
stator (casing) in which the rotor revolves. The fixed blades guide the
gas into the moving blade system.
 Steam Turbine

Reaction turbine
Impulse turbine
 Rankine cycle
• Steam engine and steam turbines in which steam is used as working
fluid follow the Rankine cycle. It consists of following four
thermodynamic processes:
• 1-2-3 Isobaric Heat Transfer. High pressure liquid enters the boiler
from the feed pump (1) and is heated to the saturation temperature (2).
Further addition of energy causes evaporation of the liquid until it is
fully converted to saturated steam (3).
• 3-4 Isentropic Expansion. The vapor is expanded in the turbine, thus
producing work which may be converted to electricity.
• 4-5 Isobaric Heat Rejection. . At this state, steam is usually a saturated
liquid–vapor mixture with a high quality and low pressure. Steam is
condensed at constant pressure in the condenser, which is basically a
large heat exchanger, by rejecting heat to a cooling medium such as a
lake, a river, or the atmosphere.
• 5-1 Isentropic Compression. The pressure of the condensate is raised
in the feed pump. Because of the low specific volume of liquids, the
pump work is relatively small and often neglected in thermodynamic
calculations.
 ,

T-S diagram

Rankine Cycle
 Energy analysis of Rankine cycle
• The boiler and the condenser do not involve any work, and
the pump and the turbine are assumed to be isentropic.
Then the conservation of energy relation for each device
can be expressed as follows:
•

Thermal efficiency is;

 Problem (1)
• A steam power plant uses coal 5000Kg/hr. The heat conversion
efficiency is 30% and calorific value of coal is 7000k.cal/Kg, calculate
the electric produced per day. (305)
Problem (2)
• A thermal power station has the following data :
• Max. demand = 20,000 kW ;
• Load factor = 40%
• Boiler efficiency = 85% ;
• Turbine efficiency = 90%
• Coal consumption = 0·9 kg/kWh ;
• Cost of 1 ton of coal = Rs. 300
• Determine
• (i) Thermal efficiency and
• (ii) Coal bill per annum.
 Problem (3)

• Steam power station spends Rs. 30 lakhs per

annum for coal used in the station.
• The coal has a calorific value of 5000 kcal/kg and
costs Rs. 300 per ton. If the station has thermal
efficiency of 33% and electrical efficiency of 90%,
• find the average load on the station.
 Problem (4)
• A 100 MW steam station uses coal of calorific value 6400
kcal/kg. Thermal efficiency of the station is 30% and
electrical efficiency is 92%. Calculate
the coal consumption per hour when the station is
delivering its full rated output.
Problem (5)
• Consider a steam power plant operating on the
• simple ideal Rankine cycle.
• Steam enters the turbine at 3 MPa and 350°C and is
condensed in t the condenser at a pressure of 75 kPa.
Determine the thermal efficiency of this cycle.
 Problem (5)

T-S diagram
Schematic