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Mohave Generating Station, a 1,580 MW thermal power station near Laughlin, Nevada fuelled
by coal
Geothermal power station in Iceland
A thermal power station is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven. Water is
heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which either drives an electrical generator or
does some other work, like ship propulsion. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is
condensed in a condenser and recycled to where it was heated; this is known as a Rankine cycle.
The greatest variation in the design of thermal power stations is due to the different fuel sources.
Some other to use the term energy center because such facilities convert forms of heat energy
into electrical energy.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Introductory overview
• 2 History
• 3 Efficiency
• 4 Cost of electricity
• 5 Diagram of a typical coal-fired thermal power station
• 6 Steam generator
○ 6.1 Boiler furnace and steam drum
○ 6.2 Superheater
○ 6.3 Reheater
○ 6.4 Fuel preparation system
○ 6.5 Air path
○ 6.6 Auxiliary systems
6.6.1 Fly ash collection
6.6.2 Bottom ash collection and disposal
6.6.3 Boiler make-up water treatment plant and storage
• 7 Steam turbine-driven electric generator
○ 7.1 Barring gear
○ 7.2 Condenser
○ 7.3 Feedwater heater
○ 7.4 Superheater
○ 7.5 Deaerator
○ 7.6 Auxiliary systems
7.6.1 Oil system
7.6.2 Generator heat dissipation
7.6.3 Generator high voltage system
• 8 Other systems
○ 8.1 Monitoring and alarm system
○ 8.2 Battery supplied emergency lighting and communication
• 9 Transport of coal fuel to site and to storage
• 10 See also
• 11 References
• 12 External links
Diagram of boiler feed water deaerator (with vertical, domed aeration section and horizontal
water storage section
A steam generating boiler requires that the boiler feed water should be devoid of air and other
dissolved gases, particularly corrosive ones, in order to avoid corrosion of the metal.
Generally, power stations use a deaerator to provide for the removal of air and other dissolved
gases from the boiler feedwater. A deaerator typically includes a vertical, domed deaeration
section mounted on top of a horizontal cylindrical vessel which serves as the deaerated boiler
feedwater storage tank.[2][3][8]
There are many different designs for a deaerator and the designs will vary from one
manufacturer to another. The adjacent diagram depicts a typical conventional trayed deaerator.[8]
[9]
If operated properly, most deaerator manufacturers will guarantee that oxygen in the deaerated
water will not exceed 7 ppb by weight (0.005 cm³/L).[8][10]
[edit] Auxiliary systems
[edit] Oil system
An auxiliary oil system pump is used to supply oil at the start-up of the steam turbine generator.
It supplies the hydraulic oil system required for steam turbine's main inlet steam stop valve, the
governing control valves, the bearing and seal oil systems, the relevant hydraulic relays and other
mechanisms.
At a preset speed of the turbine during start-ups, a pump driven by the turbine main shaft takes
over the functions of the auxiliary system.
[edit] Generator heat dissipation
The electricity generator requires cooling to dissipate the heat that it generates. While small units
may be cooled by air drawn through filters at the inlet, larger units generally require special
cooling arrangements. Hydrogen gas cooling, in an oil-sealed casing, is used because it has the
highest known heat transfer coefficient of any gas and for its low viscosity which reduces
windage losses. This system requires special handling during start-up, with air in the chamber
first displaced by carbon dioxide before filling with hydrogen. This ensures that the highly
flammable hydrogen does not mix with oxygen in the air.
The hydrogen pressure inside the casing is maintained slightly higher than atmospheric pressure
to avoid outside air ingress. The hydrogen must be sealed against outward leakage where the
shaft emerges from the casing. Mechanical seals around the shaft are installed with a very small
annular gap to avoid rubbing between the shaft and the seals. Seal oil is used to prevent the
hydrogen gas leakage to atmosphere.
The generator also uses water cooling. Since the generator coils are at a potential of about 22 kV
and water is conductive, an insulating barrier such as Teflon is used to interconnect the water
line and the generator high voltage windings. Demineralized water of low conductivity is used.
[edit] Generator high voltage system
The generator voltage ranges from 11 kV in smaller units to 22 kV in larger units. The generator
high voltage leads are normally large aluminum channels because of their high current as
compared to the cables used in smaller machines. They are enclosed in well-grounded aluminum
bus ducts and are supported on suitable insulators. The generator high voltage channels are
connected to step-up transformers for connecting to a high voltage electrical substation (of the
order of 115 kV to 520 kV) for further transmission by the local power grid.
The necessary protection and metering devices are included for the high voltage leads. Thus, the
steam turbine generator and the transformer form one unit. In smaller units, generating at 11 kV,
a breaker is provided to connect it to a common 11 kV bus system.
[edit] Other systems
[edit] Monitoring and alarm system
Most of the power plant operational controls are automatic. However, at times, manual
intervention may be required. Thus, the plant is provided with monitors and alarm systems that
alert the plant operators when certain operating parameters are seriously deviating from their
normal range.
[edit] Battery supplied emergency lighting and communication
A central battery system consisting of lead acid cell units is provided to supply emergency
electric power, when needed, to essential items such as the power plant's control systems,
communication systems, turbine lube oil pumps, and emergency lighting. This is essential for a
safe, damage-free shutdown of the units in an emergency situation.
[edit] Transport of coal fuel to site and to storage
Main article: Fossil fuel power plant
Most thermal stations use coal as the main fuel. Raw coal is transported from coal mines to a
power station site by trucks, barges, bulk cargo ships or railway cars. Generally, when shipped
by railways, the coal cars are sent as a full train of cars. The coal received at site may be of
different sizes. The railway cars are unloaded at site by rotary dumpers or side tilt dumpers to tip
over onto conveyor belts below. The coal is generally conveyed to crushers which crush the coal
to about ¾ inch (6 mm) size. The crushed coal is then sent by belt conveyors to a storage pile.
Normally, the crushed coal is compacted by bulldozers, as compacting of highly volatile coal
avoids spontaneous ignition.
The crushed coal is conveyed from the storage pile to silos or hoppers at the boilers by another
belt conveyor system.
[edit] See also
• Boiler Energy portal
• Combined heat and power
• Cooling tower system • Nuclear power
• Flue gas stacks • Power station
• Fossil fuel power plant • Relative cost of electricity generated by
different sources
• Geothermal power
• Levelised energy cost
• Water-tube boiler
• Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
[edit] References
1. ^ British Electricity International (1991). Modern Power Station Practice: incorporating
modern power system practice (3rd Edition (12 volume set) ed.). Pergamon. ISBN 0-08-
040510-X.
2. ^ a b c d e Babcock & Wilcox Co. (2005). Steam: Its Generation and Use (41st edition ed.).
ISBN 0-9634570-0-4.
3. ^ a b c d Thomas C. Elliott, Kao Chen, Robert Swanekamp (coauthors) (1997). Standard
Handbook of Powerplant Engineering (2nd edition ed.). McGraw-Hill Professional.
ISBN 0-07-019435-1.
4. ^ a b Air Pollution Control Orientation Course from website of the Air Pollution Training
Institute
5. ^ a b Energy savings in steam systems Figure 3a, Layout of surface condenser (scroll to
page 11 of 34 pdf pages)
6. ^ Robert Thurston Kent (Editor in Chief) (1936). Kents’ Mechanical Engineers’
Handbook (Eleventh edition (Two volumes) ed.). John Wiley & Sons (Wiley Engineering
Handbook Series).
7. ^ Fundamentals of Steam Power by Kenneth Weston, University of Tulsa
8. ^ a b c Pressurized deaerators
9. ^ Tray deaerating heaters
10. ^ Deaerator Presentation
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