19-Sep-18

L-T-P-C
3-0-0-3

ME403
Advanced Energy Engineering

Module - I
Prepared by:
Mr. Rejeesh C R, Asst. Professor,
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Federal Institute of Science and Technology

https://sites.google.com/site/rejeeshcrfisat
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Course Outcomes Basic Concept of Energy

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to • The word is used with many different connotations, but in physics, it
has a very definite meaning.
Sl. PO
DESCRIPTION
• Energy is the capacity of a physical system to perform work [Energy is
NO MAPPING
Discuss and compare the layout and working principles of steam, the capacity for doing work, generating heat and emitting light]
1 PO1
hydro, nuclear, gas turbine and diesel power plants.
Describe the use of solar energy and the various components used in the Work = Force X Displacement along the direction of force
2 PO1
energy production.
Appreciate the need of Wind Energy and the various components used Law of conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy
3 PO1
in energy generation and know the classifications. in a closed system (like earth) remains a constant. It may change from
4
Acquire knowledge about the concept of power generation from
PO1
one form to another, but the total remains a constant.
biomass energy resources and their future prospects and economics.

5
Describe the principles and applications of power generation from
PO1
A system may possess energy even when no work is being done. Since
various sources and Hydrogen energy conversion systems. energy is measured by the total amount of work that the body can do,
Understand energy scenario and the environmental effects of energy energy is expressed in the same unit of work.
6 conversion and become aware of different renewable energy sources PO1
and choose sustainable energy for future.
6
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Unit of Energy Classification of Energy

Joule:
• Based on nature of availability of energy
equal to the energy transferred to (work done on) an object when Primary resources secondary resources
a force of one Newton acts on that object in the direction of its
motion through a distance of one metre (1 N⋅m).
• Based on utilization of energy
It is also the energy dissipated as heat when an electric current Conventional energy Non -conventional energy
of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one
second.
• Based on availability of energy
The work required to produce one watt of power for one second,
Renewable energy Non-Renewable energy
or one watt-second (W⋅s) (1kWhr = 3.6 MJ).
One joule in everyday life represents approximately the amount of • Based on commercial application of energy
electricity required to light a 1 W LED for 1 s.
Commercial energy Non-commercial energy
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Unit of Energy Renewable &Non-renewable Energy

Calorie: amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one
gram of water by 1 0C at a pressure of one atmosphere.
Thermochemical calorie:
the amount of energy exactly equal to 4.184 joules.
= 4.184 J
the amount of energy required to warm one gram of air-free
4°C calorie: ≈ 4.204 J
water from 3.5 to 4.5 °C at standard atmospheric pressure.
the amount of energy required to warm one gram of air-free
15°C calorie: ≈ 4.1855 J water from 14.5 to 15.5°C at standard atmospheric pressure.
Experimental values ranged from 4.1852 to 4.1858 J.
20°C calorie: ≈ 4.182 J
the amount of energy required to warm one gram of air-free
water from 19.5 to 20.5°C at standard atmospheric pressure.
1⁄ of the amount of energy required to warm one gram of
100
Mean calorie: ≈ 4.190 J air-free water from 0 to 100°C at standard atmospheric
pressure.
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• Renewable energy is energy obtained from naturally repetitive
and persistent flows of energy occurring in the local
environment.
An obvious example is solar (sunshine) energy that ‘persists’ and ‘repeats’ day
after day, but is obviously not constant but variable.
In contrast,
• Non-renewable energy is energy obtained from static stores of
energy that remain underground unless released by human
interaction.
Examples are nuclear fuels and the fossil fuels of coal, oil, and natural gas. With
these sources, the energy is initially an isolated energy potential and external
action is required to initiate the supply of energy for practical purposes.

Sources of Energy Renewable &Non-renewable Energy

There are SIX sources of useful energy utilised by human beings on planet Earth.
They are:
(i) the Sun (thermal and electric);
(ii) geothermal energy from cooling, chemical reactions and radioactive
decay in the Earth (thermal and electric);
(iii) the gravitational potential and planetary motion among Sun, Moon
and Earth;
(iv) chemical energy from reactions among mineral sources;
(v) fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum products and natural gases
(thermal and electric); and
(vi) nuclear energy from nuclear reactions on the Earth.
Renewable energy is obtained from sources (i), (ii) and (iii),
whereas sources of non-renewable energy are (iv), (v) and (vi)
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Conventional Energy resources Tipping the energy world off its axis
• Fossil fuel energy Four large-scale upheavals in global energy set the scene for the new
(a) Coal (b) Petroleum (c) Natural gas energy outlook:
Mixture of carbon, Crude petroleum is refined by 1.The United States is turning into the undisputed global leader for oil & gas.
Product of petroleum
hydrogen and oxygen fractional distillation. mining 2.Solar PV is on track to be the cheapest source of electricity in many
Heating of coal gives coal Heated up to 4000C in a furnace. Occurs alone or along countries.
gas, Ammonia, coal tar and Vapour is passed through a tall with petroleum deposits.
coke fractioning column and is cooled Methane (95%), Ethane 3.China’s new drive to “make the skies blue again” is recasting its role in
Coke is 98% carbon and is Products: LPG (<400C), Petrol (40 and propane energy.
smoke free to 1700C), Kerosene (170 to 2500C),
CNG and LNG 4.The future is electrifying, spurred by cooling, electric vehicles &
Types: Peat (60% C), Diesel (250 to 3500C), Fuel oil (for boilers
0
Lignite (70% C), Bituminous and furnaces) (350 to 400 C) and Residual digitalization.
oils (asphalt, paraffin wax, lubrication
(80% C), Anthracite (90% C)
oils) These changes brighten the prospects for affordable, sustainable energy &
require a reappraisal of approaches to energy security.
• Hydraulic energy There are many possible pathways ahead & many potential pitfalls if
governments or industry misread the signs of change.
• Nuclear energy 13 16

Non conventional energy resources Global Energy Resources

• Solar energy Total Energy supply: 87% Non renewable sources
Oil: Transportation, heat generation and chemical industry
• Wind energy
Natural gas: Heat, Electricity generation and chemical industry
• Tidal energy Coal: Electricity generation and steel production
Uranium: Electricity generation
• Wave energy
World oil reserves estimated Why? Vigourous
• Geothermal energy exploration
 300 billion barrels in 1963
• biomass energy  998 billion barrels in 1994 Current reserves are
(a) Biogas (b) Bio fuel (c) Solid biomass  1016 billion barrels in 2000 enough for 52 to 54 years
Methane from Bio deiesel and ethanol Combustion, Gasification
going at the current rate
 1300 billion barrels in 2014 of production
waste derived from plants and Anaerobic digestion
14 17

Global Energy Resources - Oil

OPEC contributes 81.5% of crude oil reserves
• Venezuela-24.9%, Saudi-22.1%,Iran-13.1%, Iraq-11.9%,
Global Kuwait-8.4%, UAE-8.1%, libya-4%, Nigeria-3.1% and
Qatar-2.1% and Algeria, Angola, Ecuador

Energy Scenario Total: 1206 billion barrels (2014 estimate)

Non OPEC countries
• Canada (175 billion barrels), Russia (80 billion barrels),
Kazakhstan (30 billion barrels), USA (25 billion barrels),
China (25.4 billion barrels), EU (14 billion barrels)

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EVs are on the way, but oil demand

Global Energy Resources – Natural Gas
still keeps rising
• World reserves –187.1 trillion cubic metres (tcm)
• Iran 34 tcm, Russia 32.6 tcm and Qatar 24.5 tcm
• Shale gas to be added

Global Energy Resources – Coal

• Enough reserve to last 110 years at current rate of
production.
• 73% of total coal is in 5 countries.
• US - 26.6%, Russia - 17.6%, China - 12.8%, Australia
- 8.6%, India - 6.8%
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A new strategy for energy & sustainable

Global Energy Resources – Uranium development
• Australia 29%, Kazakhstan 12%, Russia 9% and
Canada 8% .

Global Energy Resources – Hydro-electric

Predominant form of renewable energy. At present
supplies 20% of worlds electricity.
Main Contributors:
China 27.4%, Canada 9.8%, Brazil 9.5%, US
6.7%,Russia 4.5%, Norway 3.5%, India 3.4%
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875 million electric vehicles 2times more efficient than today
3250GW global solar PV capacity 580bcm additional gas demand
Only 15% additional investment is required to 2040 to achieve the Sustainable
development scenario, with two-thirds of energy supply investment going to
electricity generation & networks 23

The future is electrifying Indian Energy Scenario

INDIA IS THE THIRD LARGEST PRODUCER OF ELECTRICITY IN THE
WORLD.

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Global Energy demand & supply

• USA – 11.4 kWh per person (population 4.59%)
(25% consumption in 2000-> 18.5% in 2011)
• Japan – 6 kWh per person
• Germany – 6 kWh per person
• China – 1.6 kWh per person (population 19.6%)
(10.8% consumption in 2000-> 21.3% in 2011)
• India – 0.7 kWh per person
(3.2% consumption in 2000-> 4.6% in 2011)
• Bangladesh – 0.2 kWh per person (lowest)
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Renewable Energy demand & supply Sources of power

Renewable energy comes from natural resources such as sunlight, Sources of power
wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally
replenished.
16% of global energy consumption comes from renewables, with
10% coming from traditional biomass, mainly used for heating, Renewable power sources Non-renewable power sources
and 3.4 % from hydroelectricity.
New renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar,
geothermal, and biofuels) accounted for another 2.8% and are
growing very rapidly. Wind Solar Tidal Hydro power Geothermal Coal Oil Nuclear
The share of renewables in electricity generation is around 19%,
with 16% from hydroelectricity and 3% from new renewables. Two main sources of power

While many renewable energy projects are large-scale, they are also
suited to rural areas, where energy is crucial in human  Prime mover is a machine that transforms energy from thermal or
pressure form to mechanical form; typically an engine or turbine.
development. 31

Hydel power Small hydel power

Renewable Energy demand & supply plants in Kerala plants in Kerala
Sl. Installed Capacity Sl. Installed Capacity
Name of Station
Small solar PV systems provide electricity to a few million No
Name of Station
(MW) of station No (MW) of station
households, and micro-hydro configured into minigrids serves 1 Idukki 6 x 130 780 1 Kallada 2x7.5 15
2 Sabarigiri 4 x 55 + 2x 60 340 2 Peppara 1x3 3
many more. 3 Idamalayar 2 x 37.5 75 3 Malankara 3x3.5 10.5
4 Sholayar 3x18 54 4 Madupatty 1x2 2
Over 44 million households use biogas made in household-scale 5 Pallivasal 3 x 5+ 3x7.5 37.5 5 Malampuzha 1x2.5 2.5
digesters for lighting and/or cooking, and more than 166 6 Kuttyadi 3x25 75 6 Lower Meenmutty 1x0.5 + 2x1.5 3.5
7 Chembukadavu - 1 3x0.9 2.7
million households rely on a new generation of more-efficient 7 Kuttyadi Extension 1x50 50
8 Chembukadavu - 2 3x1.25 3.75
Kuttyadi Additional
biomass cookstoves. 8
Extension
2x50 100 9 Urumi -1 3x1.25 3.75
9 Panniar 2 x 16.2 32.4 10 Urumi -2 3x0.8 2.4
Climate change concerns, coupled with high oil prices, and 10 Neriamangalam 3 x17.55 52.65 11 KTR 3x1.25 3.75
increasing government support, are driving increasing 11 NES 1x25 25 12 Poozhithode 3 x 1.6 4.8
12 Lower Periyar 3 x 60 180 13 Ranni-Perinadu 2x2 4
renewable energy legislation, incentives and commercialisation. 13 Poringalkuthu 4x9 36 14 Peechi 1x1.25 1.25
14 PLBE 1x16 16 15 Vilangad 3x2.5 7.5
According to IEA in 2011, solar power generators may produce 16 Chimmony 1x2.5 2.5
15 Sengulam 4 x 12.8 51.2
most of the world’s electricity within 50 years, reducing the 16 Kakkad 2x25 50 17 Adyanpara 2x1.5 +0.5 3.5
Sub Total (SHEP) 31Nos 76.4
emissions of greenhouse gases that harm the environment. Sub Total (HEP) 49 Nos 1954.75
Total (Hydel) 80 Nos 2031.15
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India’s Energy demand & supply Thermal power IPP(Independent Power

Producer)
plants in Kerala
• Oil reserves – 125 million metric tonnes & consumption – 2 /CPP (Captive Power
million barrels a day per capita Installed Capacity plants)
SL.
Name of Station (MW) of station
No.
• Natural gas reserves – 38 Trillion cubic feet (Tcf) & Nos MW
SL. Name of Station
Installed Capacity
(MW)of station
consumption – 752 billion cubic feet 1
BDPP (Brahmapuram
Diesel Power Plant)
3x21.32 63.96
No.
Nos MW

3rd largest electricity producer with 4.8% global share. KDPP (Kozhikode
1 Maniyar 3x4 12
2 6x16 96 2 Kuthungal 3x7 21
• 281.4 GW capacity ( in 2015)-> 28% renewable & 72 non Diesel Power Project)
3 Ullunkal 2x3.5 7
Sub Total (Thermal) 13 nos. 159.96
renewable. 4 Iruttukanam 3 x 1.5 4.5
Wind/ Solar
• Solar resources-> 4.5 kWh/sq.mile, market potential 30 MW 1 Kanjikode Wind Farm 9x0.225 2.025
5 Karikkayam 10.5
6 Mankulam 0.11
• Wind-> 845 MW, biomass -> 17000 MW, market potential 2 Kanjikode Solar plant 1
7 Meenvallom 3
TOTAL (KSEB) 102 Nos 2194.135
3800MW 8 Kallar 0.05
Sub Total 58.16
• Geothermal -> 2000 – 10000 MW, limited market potential
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Steam power plant Components of steam power plant

1. Boiler – Boiler is an equipment to produce steam.
Turbine
2. Steam turbine – High pressure super heated steam is fed to the steam turbine which causes turbine
blades to rotate. Energy in the steam is converted into mechanical energy in the steam turbine
which acts as the prime mover.

3. Generator – It is coupled with the turbine rotor and converts the mechanical energy of the turbine
to the electrical energy.
Boiler Condenser
4. Condenser – Condenser is a heat exchanger in which cooling water is circulated through the
tubes. The exhaust steam from turbine enters the condenser where it is cooled and converted to
condensate (water). The use of condensers improves the efficiency of the power plant by decreasing
Pump the exhaust pressure of the steam below the atmospheric pressure. The deposition of the salt in the
boiler is prevented with the use of condensate instead of using feed water from outer source which
Rankine cycle may contain salt. The use of condensers reduces the capacity of the feed water cleaning system.
Water circulating through the condenser may be taken from the various sources such as river, or
A steam power plant using steam as working substance works lake. If sufficient quantity of water is not available the hot water coming out of the condenser may
basically on Rankine cycle. A steam power plant converts the be cooled in cooling towers and circulated again through the condenser.
chemical energy of the fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) into
5. Economizers – Economizers are devices fitted to a boiler which saves energy by using the heat
mechanical/electrical energy. energy of exhaust gases from the boiler to preheat the feed water thereby improving the boiler's
efficiency.

Steam power plant Components of steam power plant

5. Super-heater – Super-heater is a device that heats the steam generated by the boiler again
To atmosphere
increasing its thermal energy. It converts wet steam into superheated steam (high temperature
Chimney dry steam).

Flue gases 6. Precipitator – Precipitator is a device (dust collector) that removes particles from the flowing gas.
Air
Air-preheater Air
7. Air pre-heater or air heater – Air pre-heater is used to recover the heat from the boiler exhaust
Flue gases gases which increases the thermal efficiency of the boiler by reducing the useful heat lost in the
exhaust gases.
Coal/oil
Steam 8. Deaerator – It is a device used for the removal of air and other dissolved gases from the feed
Economiser
water to steam generating boilers. A steam generating boiler requires that the boiler feed water
Turbine should be devoid of air and other dissolved gases, particularly corrosive ones, in order to avoid
Ash storage yard Boiler with Flue gases
Generator corrosion of the metal.
super-heater
Condenser 9. Forced and induced draught fans – The small pressure difference which causes a flow of gas to
take place is termed as a draught. In a forced draught draught system, the draught is produced
Feed water Cooling
tower by a fan or a blower installed at the base of the boiler forces the air through the furnace, flues, air
Feed pump pre-heater, economizer, etc. It is a positive pressure draught. In induced draught system, a fan or
blower is located at or near the base of the chimney creating a partial vacuum so that the
products of combustion pass up the chimney.
Layout of a steam power plant Pump

Steam Power Plant Circuits in a steam power plant

1. Coal and ash circuit – The coal from the storage is fed to the boiler through coal handling
equipments such as belt conveyors. Heat produced by the burning of coal is utilized in
converting water contained in boiler drum into steam at suitable pressure and temperature.
Ash resulting from combustion of coal is removed to the ash storage yard through ash
handling equipment.
2. Air and gas circuit – Air taken in from atmosphere through the action of a forced draught
(air forced to flow in by the use of blower) or induced draught (air flowing in due to
decreased pressure) fan first passes through the air pre-heater, where it is heated by flue
gases. The hot air then passes through the furnace. The flue gases after passing over boiler
and super-heater tubes, flow through the dust collector and then through economizer
(economizer capture the waste heat from flue gas and transfer it to the boiler feed-water), air
pre-heater and finally they are exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney.
3. Feed water and steam circuit – The steam generated in the boiler is supplied to the turbine
to develop mechanical power. The steam coming out of turbine is condensed in the condenser
and fed back to the boiler using feed pump. Some of the steam and water is lost by passing
through the different components. Therefore it is necessary to supply 4 to 5% of total feed
water from external source to compensate the loss.
4. Cooling water circuit – Abundant quantity of water is required for condensation of steam.
This is mostly taken from river. If adequate quantity of water is not available at the plant site
39
a cooling tower is used.

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Advantages of steam power plant

1. Less initial cost as compared to other generating plants. Components of Hydel Power Plant
2. The capital cost is low compared to hydel plant.
3. Construction time is low. 1. Catchment area – Whole area behind the dam, draining into a
4. Power generation does not depend on nature’s climatic condition.
5. Power plant can be located near industrial areas. stream or river across which the dam has been built.
6. The fuel used is quite cheap.
7. It can be installed at any place irrespective of the existence of coal.
8. It requires less space as compared to Hydro power plants.
2. Reservoir –The purpose of the storing of water in the reservoir
9. Cost of generation is less than that of diesel power plants. is to get a uniform power output throughout the year. A
10. Steam power plants are most economical if sited near coal mines and reservoir can be either natural or artificial.
by the side of river or canal.

Disadvantages of steam power plant 3. Dam – A dam is any barrier that holds water; the water stored
1. Source of fuel i.e., coal reserve all over the world is considered to be
behind the dam is used to drive turbines that are connected to
fixed and therefore coal mines are being exhausted. Hence, there is a electrical generators. It acts as an artificial reservoir.
limit in source of power.
2. Power generation cost is considerably high compared to hydal plant.
3. Operating cost is more compared to diesel and nuclear power plant.
Based on structure and design, dams are classified as gravity
4. Maintenance cost is high as compared with that of hydro and diesel dams, arch dams and buttress dams.
power plants.
5. Fuel transportation and handling are difficult. 46

Hydro Electric Power Plant Components of hydel power plant

Types of dams
Reservior 1. Gravity dams –Gravity dams rely on their own weight to hold
back large volumes of water.
e
lin

Dam
ion

2. Arch dams – An arch dam is curved in plan, with its convexity

iss

Transmitting
sm

Water carrying Tower towards the upstream side. eg. Idukki dam.
an
Tr

pipe
3. Buttress dam – A buttress dam is a dam with a solid, water-
Trash rack
tight upstream side that is supported at intervals on the
downstream side by a series of buttresses or supports.
Anchor
Transformer room

Control room

Transformer

Generator
Tail race
Turbine

Layout of a hydro electric power plant Outlet 44 Gravity dam Arch dam Buttress dam 47

Hydro Electric Power Plant Components of hydel power plant

Dam
Reservoir Surge tank

Tunnel

Penstock

Power house

Surge tank

6. Trash rack – The function of trash rack is to prevent the flow

of debris, sand and fishes to the turbine.

7. Surge tank –It is a storage reservoir used to absorb the sudden

rises of water pressure, as well as to provide extra water during
a drop in water pressure.
45 48

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Selection of site for a hydro power plant

Surge tank 1. Water available – The most important aspect of hydro-electric plant is the availability
of water at the site since all other designs are based on it. Therefore the run-off data at
the proposed site must be available.
2. Water-storage – The output of a hydropower plant is non-uniform due to variations in
rain fall. To have a uniform power output, storage is needed so that excess flow at
certain times may be stored to make it available at the times of low flow. To select the
site of the dam; careful study should be made of the geology and topography of the
catchment area to see if natural foundations could be found and put to the best use.
3. Head of water – In order to generate a requisite quantity of power it is necessary that a
large quantity of water at a sufficient head should be available. The level of water in the
reservoir for a proposed plant should always be within limits throughout the year.
4. Distance from load center – Most of the time the electric power generated in a hydro-
electric power plant has to be used some considerable distance from the site of plant.
For this reason, to be economical on transmission of electric power, the routes and the
distances should be carefully considered since the cost of erection of transmission lines
and their maintenance will depend upon the route selected.
5. Access to site – It is always a desirable factor to have a good access to the site of the
plant. This factor is very important if the electric power generated is to be utilized at or
near the plant site. The transport facilities must also be given due consideration.
49 52

Components of hydel power plant Hydrologic cycle

Precipitation
(Rain, snow, etc. )
8. Turbine – The function of turbine is to act as a prime mover to Transpiration Evaporation The hydrologic cycle,
from vegetations
convert the potential energy of water in to mechanical energy. Sn
ow also known as the
,e
It is explained in a later section in detail. tc. water cycle describes
Water table
the circulation of water
9. Runner – The runner is a circular wheel on which a series of Ocean in the earth-atmosphere
Pe
rco system.
curved vanes are mounted. Vanes are so designed that water lat
ion
enters and leaves the runner without shock. Hydrologic cycle

1. Precipitation – It includes all the water that falls from atmosphere to earth surface.
10. Power house – The powerhouse accommodates prime mover, Precipitation is of two types, viz., liquid precipitation (rain fall) and solid precipitation (eg. snow).

generator (generate electrical power using mechanical power
obtained from the turbine), accessories and control room
sometimes transformer also. Water after passing through the
turbine is discharged into a downstream called as tailrace,
which carries it into the river.
50
2. Run-off – Run-off is the part of water cycle that flows over the land as surface water instead of
being infiltrated into soil or evaporating.
a) Surface runoff is that portion of rainfall which enters the stream immediately after the
rainfall.
b) Sub-surface runoff is that part of rainfall, which first reaches into the soil and moves
laterally without joining the water - table to the streams, rivers or oceans.
c) Base flow is that part of rainfall which after falling on the ground surface which get
infiltrated into the soil and meets the water table (level below the surface of the ground
where water can be found) and flow to the streams oceans, etc.
Runoff = Surface runoff + Base flow (Including sub - surface runoff)
53

Classification hydro electric power plants

1. Classification with respect to quantity of water available
Hydrologic cycle
a) Run-off river plants – Run-of-the-river hydroelectric harvest the Precipitation
(Rain, snow, etc. )
energy from flowing water to generate electricity in the absence of Transpiration Evaporation
a large dam and reservoir. Sn
ow
from vegetations
b) Reservoir plants – A reservoir plant is that which has a reservoir ,e
tc.
of such size as to allow carrying over storage from wet season to
Water table
the next dry season. Ocean
Pe
rco
lat
ion
2. Classification according to availability of water head Hydrologic cycle
a) High-head hydro-electric plants (head more than 250 m)
b) Medium-head hydro-electric plants (head ranges from 30 m – 4. Evaporation – Transfer of water from liquid to vapour state is called
250 m) evaporation.
c) Low-head hydro-electric plants (head is less than 30 m)
5.Transpiration – The process by which water is released to the atmosphere by
the plants is called transpiration.
3. Classification according to nature of load
a) Peak load plants – The peak load plants are used to supply 6.Sublimation – Sublimation results from when pressure and humidity are low. It
power at the peak demand phase. is not only liquid water that can evaporate to become water vapor, but ice and
snow, too. Due to lower air pressure, less energy is required to sublimate the ice
b) Base load plants – A base load power plant is one that provides
into vapour.
a steady flow of power regardless of total power demand.
51 54

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Hydrologic cycle Advantages of hydro electric power plants

1. Water source is perennially available. No fuel is required to be burnt to generate
Precipitation
(Rain, snow, etc. ) electricity. It is aptly termed as 'the white coal'. Water passes through turbines to
Transpiration Evaporation produce work and downstream its utility remains undiminished for irrigation of
Sn
ow
from vegetations farms and quenching the thirst of people in the vicinity.
,e
tc. 2. The running costs of hydropower installations are very low as compared to thermal
or nuclear power stations. In thermal stations, besides the cost of fuel, one has to
Water table take into account the transportation cost of the fuel also.
Pe Ocean 3. The number of operations required is considerably small compared with thermal
rco
lat
ion power plants.
Hydrologic cycle 4. There is no problem with regards to the disposal of ash as in a thermal station.
5. The hydraulic turbine can be switched on and off in a very short time.
The hydrological cycle can be briefed as 6. The hydraulic power plant is relatively simple in concept and self-contained in
(hydrological equation). I – Q = ∆S; operation.
7. Modern hydropower equipment has a greater life expectancy and can easily last 50
where,
years or more. This can be compared with the effective life of about 30 years of a
I = Inflow of water to a given area during any given time period, steam or nuclear station.
Q = Outflow of water from the area during the selected time period, 8. Modern hydro-generators give high efficiency over a considerable range of load.
ΔS = Change in storage of water in a given area during the time period. 9. Hydro-plants provide additional benefits like irrigation, flood control, afforestation,
navigation and aqua-culture.
This equation states that during a given period, the difference between the 10. Being simple in design and operation, the hydro-plants do not require highly
total inflow of water and out flow of water must equal the change in storage of skilled workers. Manpower requirement is also low.
water 11. The cost of land is not a major problem since the hydro-electric stations are
situated away from the developed areas.
55 58

Factors affecting run-off Disadvantages of hydro electric power plants

1. Cost of transmission is high since most of the plants are in
remote areas.
2. Hydro-power projects are capital-intensive with a low rate of
return.
Fan shaped catchment area Elongated catchment area
3. It takes considerable long time for the erection of such plants.
4. Power generation is dependent on the quantity of water
Discharge

Hydrograph of fan shaped

available, which may vary from season to season and year to

catchment area
Hydrograph of elongated

year. If the rainfall is in time and adequate, then only the

catchment area

satisfactory operation of the plant can be expected

Time 5. Such plants are often far away from the load centre and
1. Topography of catchment area – Steep and impervious areas will produce large require long transmission lines to deliver power. Thus the cost
percentage of run-off. The water will flow quickly and absorption losses will be small. of transmission lines and losses in them are more.
The size of catchment has a definite effect on the runoff. More the area, more will be the 6. Large hydro-plants disturb the ecology of the area, by way of
runoff. So also, the shape will have a definite effect on the runoff. In case of a fan-shaped deforestation, destroying vegetation and uprooting
catchment area, the period of the resulting hydrograph will be less and thus more peak people. The emphasis is now more on small, mini and micro
flow may be expected. In case of an elongated catchment, the period of the resulting
hydel stations.
hydrograph (graph showing discharge (runoff) of flowing water with respect to time for a
specified time) will be comparatively more and thus more will be the infiltration losses
and less will be the runoff 56 59

Factors affecting run-off Diesel power plant

Service tank Fuel injection pump Exhaust
2. Nature of rainfall – Short and hard showers may produce Silencer
relatively little run-off. Rains lasting longer time results in larger Fuel filter
To atmosphere
run-off.

3. Geology of area – The run-off is very much affected by the types Diesel engine
of surfaces soil and sub-oil, types of rocks, etc. Rocky areas will
give more run-off while pervious soil and sandy soil will give less Generator
run-off. Fuel storage tank Pump
Compressed air Hot water Lubricating Cold water
Hot oil
4. Vegetation –Thick vegetation like forest consumes a portion of oil cooler Cold oil
rain fall and also acts as a obstruction for run-off. Surge tank
Pump
Air filter
5. Other climate factors – Other factors such as temperature wind
Heat
velocity, humidity, annual rainfall etc., affect the water losses Air compressor Pump
exchanger
from watershed (small streams) area.
Diesel power plant

57

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Advantages of diesel thermal power plant

Diesel power plant 1. Design layout of diesel power plant is simple and cheap.
2. Part load efficiency diesel power plant is very high.
3. Diesel power plant can be started quickly.
4. Maintenance of diesel power plant is easy.
5. Thermal efficiency of diesel is quite higher than steam power
plant.
6. It can also be designed for portable use.
7. Diesel plants can be located very near to the load centers.
Disadvantages of diesel thermal power plant
1. The cost of diesel is very high compared to coal. Hence, the
running cost of this plant is higher compared to steam and hydro
power plants.
2. There is a limitation for size of a diesel engine.
3. Noise pollution is very high.
4. High maintenance and lubrication cost.
61 5. Capacity of diesel plants is limited and Life is less.

Components of diesel power plant Nuclear Power Plant

1.Engine – For electric power generation, four-stroke engines are
predominately used. Horizontal engines are used for comparatively smaller  In nuclear power plant, heat energy available from
outputs, while vertical engines with multi-cylinder construction are used nuclear fission is used for the generation of steam.
for larger outputs. It is generally directly coupled to the generator.

2.Air supply system – Air from atmosphere after filtering is admitted to the
engine. In large plants supercharger (uses an air compressor that
increases the pressure of air supplied to the engine so that more fuel is
burned and do more work)/turbocharger (uses an air compressor driven
by the exhaust gases to compress the air supplied to the engine increasing
the amount of fuel and air fed into the engine and hence more efficient) is
used to increase the output power.
3.Exhaust system – Exhaust system is used to discharge the engine
exhaust to the atmosphere outside the building. A silencer is incorporated
to reduce the noise level.
 Nuclear fission can be defined as the process, in which
a nucleus is split into two divisions, more or less of equal
mass releasing energy in the form of electromagnetic
radiation and kinetic energy.
 The heat produced by fission in the nuclear reactor is
carried out of the reactor by coolant. This heat is used to
generate steam. This heat transfer takes place in a heat
exchanger such as boiler.

4.Fuel system – Fuel is stored in the storage tank is pumped to a smaller  The pressurized steam is then fed to a steam turbine
service tank at daily or short intervals. Fuel stored in the service tank is which is connected to a generator.
fed to fuel filter and is finally injected in to the engine.

Components of diesel power plant Nuclear Power Plant

5.Cooling system – Hot water from the engine is carried to the
surge tank. From the surge tank, hot water is fed through the
heat exchanger. In the heat exchanger, cold water from the
cooling towers is circulated which takes away the heat of the
water from the engine. Cold water is then pumped back to the
engine.
6.Lubricating system – It includes the oil pumps, oil tanks, filters,
coolers and pipe lines. Lubricating system provides lubricating oil
to moving parts of the system to reduce the friction and wear and
tear of the engine parts.
7.Starting system – This is an arrangement to start the engine
initially, until firing starts and the unit runs with its own power.
There are mainly three types (1) petrol driven auxiliary engine (2)
use of electric motors (3) use of compressed air from an air
compressor.
8.Governing system – The function is to maintain the speed of the
engine constant respective of load on the plant.
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Components of Nuclear power plant Components of Nuclear reactor

1. Nuclear reactor – It is an apparatus in which
nuclear fuel is subjected to nuclear fission.
2. Heat exchanger – The coolant gives up heat to the
heat exchanger, which utilized for generating steam.
After giving up heat, the coolant is fed back to the
reactor.
3. Steam turbine – The steam produced in the heat
exchanger is fed to turbine for doing useful work.
4. Generator – The steam turbine drives the generator
which converts mechanical energy in to electric
power.
Nuclear reactor is an apparatus in which nuclear fuel is subjected to nuclear
fission.
1. Fuel – Nuclear fuels usually used in the reactors are isotopes (atoms of the
same element having the same numbers of protons, but different numbers of
neutrons) of Uranium and Plutonium. Isotopes like U-233, U-235 and Pu-239
can be fissioned by neutrons of all energies, whereas isotopes U-238, Th-232
(Thorium) and Pu-240 are fissionable by high energy (14 MeV) only. Usually
pellets of fissionable materials are arranged in tubes to form fuel rods.
2. Moderator – Moderator is used to slow down the kinetic energy of fast
moving neutrons. This has to be done as only the slow neutrons maintain the
fission chain reaction. The neutrons collide directly with the moderator and
thus slowed down. Substances like light water, heavy water, carbon,
beryllium are used as moderator.
3. Control rods – Control rods are used to control the nuclear chain reaction. It
is an essential part of a reactor and serves the following purposes .
a) For starting the reactor.
b) For maintaining at that level.
c) For shutting the reactor down under normal or emergency conditions.
Control rods are usually made up of cadmium and boron. Control rods
control the chain reaction by absorbing neutrons.

Components of Nuclear reactor Components of Nuclear reactor

4. Coolant – Purpose of coolant is to extract heat generated by
the fission process. The various fluids used as coolant are
water (light water /heavy water), gas (Air, CO2, Hydrogen),
and liquid metal cooled reactors etc.

5. Reactor vessel – It is a strong walled container housing the

reactor core, shield and the reflector. It is strongly built so
as to withstand high pressures developed.

6. Reflector – Reflector is used to reduce the loss of neutrons

by reflecting back into the core of the nuclear reactor.
Reflector is generally made of the same material as the
moderator.

7. Shield – Shield prevents the transfer of radiation o the

external world.

68

Components of Nuclear reactor Advantages of nuclear power plant

1. No problem of fuel transportation, storage, etc.
Control rod Control rod 2. Less man power is required.
3. It is more economical compared to thermal plant.
4. Power capacity of plant is very high.
Coolant OUT 5. Capital cost except for reactor is very less.
Pressure vessel 6. It does not depend up on the condition of the weather.
Reflector 7. By this process we can conserve the fuels like oil, coal
gases and other by-products.
Moderator
Fuel
Disadvantages of nuclear power plant
1. Nuclear radiation causes severe environmental problems.
Neutron
detector
Biological
2. Disposal of radioactive nuclear waste is menace.
shield 3. Varying load conditions are not suitable.
Coolant in 4. Capital cost is very high for the reactor.
Components of nuclear reactor

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Nuclear Power Plant Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Types of reactors
Light water-cooled and moderated reactors (LWR)
using slightly enriched uranium fuel are the type most
commonly used for power production. These reactors
are further divided into :-
 Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) make use of two loops viz.,
primary and secondary loops to convert the heat generated by
the fuel into electric power.
 In the primary loop, the pressurizer maintains a high pressure
in the water in the range of 150 bar. The pressurized water
(coolant) is circulated in the reactor. Due to the high pressure
of the water, the water does not boil.

 The coolant gets heated in the reactor and the hot water enters
1) Pressurized water reactor (PWR) and the boiler and transfers heat to the feed water in the boiler in
the secondary loop. The transfer of heat is accomplished
2) Boiling water reactor (BWR). without mixing the two fluids, which is desirable since the
primary coolant might become radioactive.

 Feed water evaporates and runs the turbine.

Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Pressurizer
Advantages of PWR

Turbine 1. Because the water used in the high-pressure water

Pressurized heated Steam loop is isolated from water in the steam loop, no
water radioactive material is contained in the steam.
Heat exchanger
(Boiler) 2. PWR has high power density and has compact size.

Reactor Disadvantages of PWR

Condenser
1. Capital cost is high as high primary circuit requires
Feed
water strong pressure vessel.
2. In the secondary circuit, the thermodynamic
Feed water heater
efficiency of the plant is quite low.
Coolant pump Feed water pump
Pressurized water reactor

Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)

Turbine

Concrete shell Thermal shielding

Generator

Uranium fuel

Condenser
Moderator

Feed pump
Coolant water

Boiling water reactor

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Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Gas Turbine Power Plant

In steam turbine plants, the products of combustion do not form the

working medium. These are utilized to produce the intermediate fluid,
i.e., the steam which is expanded in the turbine. If this intermediate
step of converting water to steam by means of gases is eliminated, the
arrangement would be far simpler and less wasteful. This principle is
used in gas turbine power plants where the gases are directly
79
expanded through the several ring of fixed and moving blades.

Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Gas turbine power plant Combustor

Nozzle
Hot gas
Fuel

 In Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), the coolant (water)

used in the reactor absorbs heat produced during
the fission reaction in the reactor. Coupling

Compressor Turbine

 The fuel used is enriched uranium oxide. Water Generator

evaporates and steam is generated in the reactor

itself. In this type of reactor, there is no need of
Air inlet Exhaust
separate boiler. Arrangement of simple gas turbine plant

 In principle, a gas turbine plant consists of a compressor in which the working

 In BWR, the coolant is in direct contact with
turbines, so if a fuel rod had a leak, radioactive
material could be placed on the turbine.
medium is raised to a high pressure. So, generally, a centrifugal or an axial
compressor is employed.
 The turbine drives the compressor and so it is coupled to the turbine shaft. From
the compressor, the working medium is taken to a combustor where its
temperature is raised. This high pressure and high temperature working medium is
then expanded in a gas turbine. In the turbine blading, the expansion of the
working gas takes place and the heat energy is converted first into the kinetic
energy and then into the work of the turbine shaft rotation.

Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Components of a gas turbine

Advantages of BWR
 A major advantage of the BWR is that the overall
thermal efficiency is greater than that of a
pressurized water reactor because there is no
separate heat exchanger.
 The pressure inside the pressure vessel is not high
so, a thicker vessel is not required.
Disadvantages of BWR
power plant
1. Gas turbine – There are two basic types of gas turbines
viz., radial flow and axial flow turbines
2. Air-compressor – There are mainly two types of air-
compressors used in gas turbine power plants viz.,
centrifugal compressor and axial flow compressor.
3. Combustion chamber

 Possibility of radioactive contamination in the

turbine mechanism.

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Axial flow compressor of Closed and open cycle plants

gas turbine power plant
Fuel (heat)

Heater
Combustion Shaft
Compressor chamber Turbine
Work Work
Turbine
Shaft Compressor
Cooling chamber
Air in Air out Air in Exhaust
Open cycle gas turbine
Rotor Closed cycle gas turbine

 In this turbine, the air from the  In this turbine, the working fluid is
atmosphere is drawn into the compressed.
compressor.  The compressed gas is heated (by
 After compression, it is passed into a burning fuel or by nuclear reactor)
Air in Air out combustion chamber.
 It is then made to flow over the
 The hot gas is then made to flow over turbine blades and gets expanded.
Casing Stationary blades the turbine blades. The gas, while
flowing over the blades, gets expanded  From the turbine, the gas is passed
and finally exhausted into atmosphere. to the cooling chamber.
An axial flow compressor losses in the drive.  The air is then made to flow into the
85
compressor.

Combustion chamber of gas

turbine power plant
Igniter Air stream around combustion chamber
Primary zone

Diluting or mixing zone

Air from air Hot gases to

compressor turbine nozzles

Tertiary zone
Fuel oil from pump Outer casing
A combustion chamber of gas turbine
86 89

Advantages of gas turbine power plant

Gas Turbine Power Plant 1. The mechanical efficiency of a gas turbine (95%) is quite higher than the IC
engine (85%) since the IC engine has many sliding parts.
2. The work developed by a gas turbine per kg of air is more than an IC
engine.
3. Gas turbine power plants are compact in design and can generate high
power. They require less space than steam turbines or IC engines.
4. Compared with steam plants, they have lower initial cost/unit output.
5. Gas turbine power plants have bigger power weight ratio, so it is very
useful for marine power plants.
6. The machine is simple to operate and is smooth running.
7. It requires little or no water for cooling.
8. They have relatively low maintenance costs.
Disadvantages of gas turbine power plant
1. The thermal efficiency of a simple turbine cycle is low (15 to 20%) as
compared with I.C. engines (25 to 30% ).
2. Its overall efficiency is very low since a large proportion of the power
developed, about three fourth, is required to drive the compressor and also
by the temperatures safely attainable.
87
3. The noise of operation is a source of extreme annoyance unless the plant
design includes sound control features.

15