Thermal Power Plant

Pre-Operational Activities

Dipak Sarkar

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9780081011126
• eBook ISBN:
  9780081012260
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Renewable Power Resources
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Thermal Power Plants: Pre-Operational Activities covers practical information that can be used as a handy reference by utility operators and professionals working in new and existing plants, including those that are undergoing refurbishments and those that have been shut for long periods of time. It is fully comprehensive, including chapters on flushing boiler systems, various methods of testing steam generators, and the drying out of generators. This book will be invaluable for anyone working on the startup, commissioning, and operation of thermal power plants. It is also a great companion book to Sarkar's Thermal Power Plant: Design and Operation. Sarkar has worked with thermal power plants for over 40 years, bringing his experience in design and operations to help new and experienced practicing engineers perform effective pre-operational activities. - Consolidates all pre-operational aspects of thermal power plants - Explains how to handle equipment safely and work efficiently - Provides guidance for new and existing power plants to help reduce outage time and save on budgets

Chapter 1

General Description of Thermal Power Plants

Abstract

Globally power stations utilize various sources of energy such as fossil fuels, nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and wave. A thermal power plant utilizes the “heat of combustion” of fossil fuels. A steam power plant constitutes a steam generator, a steam turbine, generator, condenser, heaters, pumps, fans, and other auxiliaries. Rankine cycle is the backbone of steam power plants. A gas turbine power plant comprises an upstream compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between; and also a generator. Principle of operation of a gas turbine is based on the Brayton cycle or the Joule cycle. A Diesel generating station uses a Diesel engine and a generator and operates following a Diesel cycle. Output power from a generator is transmitted to a high-voltage grid/bus for further distribution to different consumers.

Keywords

Fossil fuel; Prime mover; Rankine cycle; Brayton cycle; Diesel cycle; P–V; T–S; Efficiency

Chapter Outline

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Nuclear Power Plant

1.1.2 Hydel Power Plant

1.1.3 Renewable Energy Power Plant

1.1.4 Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC)

1.1.5 Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Generator

1.1.6 Fuel Cell Power Plant

1.1.7 Thermal Power Plant

1.2 Steam Power Plant

1.2.1 Steam Generator

1.2.2 Steam Turbine

1.3 Gas Turbine Power Plant

1.4 Diesel-Generating Station

Reference

1.1 Introduction

Electricity was first supplied to the public back in the year 1881. It was a hydroelectric-generating station built on Niagara Falls supplying power to New York State. Tokyo Electric Lighting was the first in Asia to begin supplying electricity to the public in the year 1886. First time in Europe, London was electrified in 1888. Generation of electricity in India commenced from the year 1899 with the electrification of the city of Kolkata having a generating capacity of 1000 W.

A power-generating plant is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. At the center of nearly all power stations is a generator, which is a rotating machine that converts mechanical energy into electric energy. The energy source harnessed to turn the generator varies widely. It depends chiefly on fuels and on the types of technology.

Most power stations in the world burn fossil fuels, that is, coal, oil, and natural gas, and some use nuclear power. In order to abate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, in addition to the above there is an increasing use of cleaner, renewable sources of energy such as hydroelectric (addressed under a separate section below), solar, wind, and wave.

The following paragraphs briefly describe various types of power plants, as shown in Fig. 1.1. “Thermal power plant” is discussed in detail separately.

Fig. 1.1 Various types of power-generating plants.

1.1.1 Nuclear Power Plant [1]

Energy generation by a nuclear fuel takes place either by the process of nuclear fission of heavy fissile elements in a nuclear reactor, resulting in chain reactions, or by the process of nuclear fusion, in which simple atomic nuclei are fused together to form complex nuclei, as in the case of fusion of hydrogen isotopes to form helium. The process of nuclear fusion is also known as thermonuclear reaction, which is difficult to control even on date. As a result, the main source of nuclear energy is available at the present time mainly from nuclear fission.

In the heart of a “nuclear power plant” there is a nuclear reactor, wherein a controlled chain reaction of nuclear fission of heavy elements takes place. The most common fissile radioactive heavy metals are the naturally occurring isotope of uranium, U²³⁵, artificial isotope of uranium, U²³³, and artificial element plutonium, P²³⁹. In a nuclear reactor, plutonium is produced from naturally occurring isotope of uranium, U²³⁸, and U²³³ is produced from naturally occurring element thorium, Th²³².

The nuclear energy thus liberated is converted into heat that is removed from the reactor by a coolant, eg, liquid sodium. Hot liquid sodium is then passed through another heat exchanger where water is circulated as a coolant agent, which absorbs heat, resulting in generation of steam. This steam generator emits virtually no carbon dioxide, sulfur, or mercury. Nevertheless, a major concern of a nuclear power plant is that the area surrounding the nuclear reactor is potentially radioactive. Further nuclear wastes, if not disposed of taking special care, may cause a devastating effect on living beings and inanimate objects, including the environment.

Nuclear reactors are of various types, that is, pressurized-water reactor (PWR), boiling-water reactor (BWR), gas-cooled reactor (GCR), heavy-water reactor (HWR), and fast-breeder reactor (FBR).

1.1.1.1 Pressurized-water reactor (PWR)

A PWR power plant is composed of two loops in a series, the coolant loop, called the primary loop, and the water-steam or working fluid loop. The coolant picks up reactor heat and transfers it to the working fluid in the steam generator. The steam is then used in a Rankine cycle to generate electricity (Fig. 1.2).

Fig. 1.2 Flow diagram of a pressurized-water reactor. Source: From Fig. B.2, P 555. D.K. Sarkar, Thermal Power Plant–Design and Operation, 2015, Elsevier; Amsterdam, Netherlands.

1.1.1.2 Boiling-water reactor (BWR)

In BWR, the coolant is in direct contact with the heat-producing nuclear fuel and boils in the same compartment in which the fuel is located. Liquid enters the reactor core at the bottom, flows upwa...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• List of Acronyms/Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: General Description of Thermal Power Plants
• Chapter 2: Quality Assurance and Quality Control (Applicable to Preoperational Activities)
• Part 1: Preoperational Cleaning of Various Sub-Systems
• Part 2: Activities that Make Critical Equipment Ready to Put them in Service
• Appendix A: Brief Description on Performance Guarantee/Performance Acceptance Tests
• Appendix B: General Safety Guidelines
• Appendix C: Tagging Procedure
• Appendix D: Conversion Factors
• Index