Study Material on Basic Electrical Engineering

CHAPTER -FOUR
GENERATION OF ELECTRICAL POWER
TIBUKELECTRIC POWERISPRODUCEDBY SPECIALPLANTS KNOWNAS GENERATING STATIONS ORPOWER
PLANTS.
1. STEAM POWERSTATION
2
3.
HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER(THERMALSTATION)
STATION
NUCLEAR POWER STATION
STEAM POWER STATION (THERMALSTATION
CHOICEOFSITE
1. SUPPLY OFFUEL:- The steam power station
should be located near coal mines so that transportation cost of fuel is
minimum.
2. AVAILABILITY OF WATER:- Ahuge amount of wateris requiredfor the condenser for which it is it is
plant should be located at the bank of a river or near a canal essential that the
3. TRANSPORTATION FA CILITIES:- : A modem steam to ensure continuous supply of water.
power station
machinery. Therefore adequate transportation facilities by rail or Roadoften requires the transportation of material and
should exist.
4. COST AND TYPE OF LAND:- The steam power
station should be located at a place where land is cheap and further
extension if necessary is possible.
5. NEARNESS TO LOAD CENTRES:- In order to
load.
reduce transmission ost the plant should be located near the center of
6. DISTANCE FROM POPULATEDAREA:-As huge amount of is burnt in a
and fumes pollutes the surrounding area.This necessitates that coal
plant
steam power Plant due to which smoke
the populated areas. should locate at a copsiderable distance fpm
be
MAIN UNITS OFPLANT
1. COAL STORAGE PLANT:- Coalis
2. COAL transported to the power station by road or rail and is stored in coal storage plant.
HANDLING PLANT:- : From the coal storage plant coal is delivered to the coal handling plant
pulverized for rapid combustion with out using excess amount of air. where it is
3. ASH STORAGEPLANT:-The coal is burnt in
the boiler & the ash produced after the complete
removed to the ash handling plant. combustion of coal is
4. ASH HANDLING PLANT:- the ash from
ash handling plant is then delivered to the ash storage plant
use as fertilizer etc. for subsequent
5. BOILER:- The heat of
combustion of coal in the boiler is utilized to convert water into steam at very high
and pressure.The flue gases from the boiler makes their journey temperature
finally exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney. throughsuperheater,economizer, air pre-heater &are
6. SUPERHEATER:- The steam produced in the
boiler is wet and is passed through super heater where it is
super heated. dried and
7. ECONOMISER:- An economizer is
essentially a feed water heater & derives heat from the flue gases for the purpose.
8. AIR PREHEATER:: Air pre-heater increases the
flue gases.
temperature of the air supplied for coal burning by deriving beat from
9. FORCED DRAUGHT FAN:-It draws air from
atomosphere which is supplied to the boiler for effective combustion.
10. INDUCED DRAUGHTFAN: it draws the flue gas and sends to chimney.
11. CHIMNEY:- The hot flue gases go to the atmosphere though chimney.
12. STEAM TURBINE:- The dry and super heated steam irom the
super heater is fed to the steam turbine which converts
the heat energy of steam tto mechanical energy.
13. ALTERNATOR:- The alternator converts the mechanical energy of
14. CONDENSER:- In order to improve the efficiency of the plant the steam turbine to clectrical energy.
steam
means of a condenser. The condensate from, the condenser isused as feedexhausted fromhoiler
water to the the turbine is condensed by
15, COOLING TOWER:The cooling tower provides a cooling
arrangement for the feed water to be reused in boiler.
study Material on Basic Electrical Engineering 38

sCHEMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF STEAM POWER

STATION
chimney
Induced
Bus-bers

draught lan

isolators
Hot ale Air CB
pro lgolators
hoater
Forced
Fue draught tan
Econo Transtormer
miser
Fue Turbin
Coal
storage
Super
heatot
FOAnernator
plant

Ash
Ash Flue oase
handno Exnawst
storege plant Steam
Feed water
healer
Condeenate
Foed water ntractton
Punmp pum
Condenser

Circulating
walerpunp

Water
CooNng
tower
troatment
chamb

Working af Thermal power Plant : When the water from condenser is fed to the Boiler through Economiser it
remains a linte hot.The Boiler is a extremely heated chamber because of acontinuous burning of Coal in presence of
air injected by r fan through pre-heater.
So, ,the water gets converted to steam with very high temperature and pressure and reaches the Steam Turbine
through Super-Heater. The Internal Energy of Steam gets converted to Mechanical Energy by Turbine and the Alter
nator convertsthe mechanical Energy of Turbine output to Electrical Energy The Electrical Energy thus produced is
supplied to the Bus-Bar for Power use.
Assignments /Discussion:
What are the Advantages / Disadvantages ofa Steam Power Station ?
ADVANTAGES
i) The Fuel (i.e. Coal) used is quite cheap.
ii) Less initial cost as compared to other generating stations.
 ElectricaB Engineering
Sdr Material on Basic by Rail / Road. 4
) It can be installed at any place & the coal can be transported
iv) It requires less space as compared to hydro-electric Power Station.
DISADVANTAGES
i) It pollutes air / atmosphere due to smoke / fumes
ii) Running cost is higher than hydro power plant.
HYDRO-ELECTRICPOWERSTATION
CHOICE OFSITE
aVAlLABILITY OF WATER:- Since the primary requirement ofa bydro-electric ppwr station is the availability of huge
quantity of water at a good head this requirement is very essential. it
L STORAGE OF WATER:-There are wide variations in water sunnly from a river or canal during the year. This makes
necessaryto store water by constructing a Dam in order to ensure the generation of power throughout the year.
3. COST& TYPE OF LAND:-The land for the construction of Plant should be available atareasopajle pre qurther the
bearing capacity of the ground should be adequate to withstand the weight of heavy equipment to be installed.
4. TRANSPORTATION FACILITY :The site sclected should be accesible by Rail and Road so that necessary equipment
and machineries be easily transported.
MAIN CONSTITUENTS OFPLANT
1. DAM:-ADam is a barrier which stores water& creates water head.Dams are built of concreteor stone masonary,earth
or rock fill.
2 SPILWAYS:- There are times when the river flow exceeds the storage capacity of the rservoir.In order to discharge the
surplus water from the storage reservoir into the river on the down-stream side of the dam, spill ways are used.
3. HEAD WORKS :-The head works consists of the diversion structures at the head of an intake They generally include
booms and racks for diveting floating debris,sluices for by-passing debris,sediments and valves for controling the
flow of water to the turbine.
4. SURGE TANK :-For close conduits abnormal pressure may cause damage to the conduit leading from head works to
penstock.Surge tank acts as a protection for such situation.
5. PENSTOCKS -Penstocks are open or lose conduits which carry water to the turbines.They are generally made of
reinforced concrete or steel.
6. WATER TURBINES :- Water turbines are used to convert the energy of falling water into mechanical energy.
7. ALTERNATOR:- The alternator converts the mechanical energy of turbine to electrical energy.

Surge tank

From Air vave

headworks

Automatic
buttertly vatve

To
Various pcnstock prolective devices Penstock
 Material on Basic Electrical Engineering 40

Surge tank
Reservoir Dam

f Valve house
Pressure Channel

Penstock

Power hoUse
Aiver

Schematic arrangement of aHydro-clectric plant

Working of Hydro-Electric Power Plant:When the water from Reservoir is allowed to get
released through pressure channel, it reaches the Valve house. The surge tank is provided in order to safe guard the
extra back-thrust of water causing heavy damage to Penstock.The valve house controls the amount of
flow to the power house turbines through the Large sized Pen-stocks. Inside the power house the water that will
water Turbine
convert the potential energy of water with sufficient head to Kinetic energy i.e. mnechanical Energy which
as a prime-mover for the Altermator as before and generates in turn acts
Electrical Energy.
Assignments /Discussion:
State the Advantages / Disadvantages of a Hydro-Power Station ?
ADVANTAGES
i) It requires no fuel as water is used for the generation of
ij) It is quite neat & clean as no smoke-or ash is
Electrical Energy.
produced.
iii) Running cost is very less as water is used.
iv) It is simple in construction & requires less
maintenance.
v) It can be started quality as compared to Thermal Power Station.
vi) In addition to generation of Electrical Energy these plants are
also helpful in irrigation & control of floods.
DISADVANTAGES
i) it involves high capital lost due to construction of dams,
ii) Generation depends on average rainfall round th» year.
ii) High cost of transmission as these plants are located in hilly
areas quite for off from localities.
NUCLEARPOWERSTATION
CHOICE OFSITÉ
1. AVALLABILITY OF
WATER:-Ahuge amount of water is required for the condenser for
plant should be located at the bank of a river or near which it is it is essential that the
2. DISPOSAL OF WASTE :-The waste a canal to ensure continuous supply of water.
produced by fission in a nuclear power station is
be disposed off properly to avoid health hazards for
2 DISTANCE FROM which it must be buried in deepgenerally
trench.
radio-active which mnust
POPULATED AREA:- The site for setting up a nuclear power station should be quite away
populated areas. from
A TRANSPORTATION FACILITY:- The site
selected for a nuclear power station should have adequate facilities in order
to transport the heavy equipment during erection.
 Electrical Engineering
Study Material on Basic
NUCLEARFUEL
1. URANTUM (U 35 )
2 PLUTONIUM(Pu239 )
3. THORIUM (TH 212 )
FISSION& CHAINREACTION
slow neutron it will split into two or more fragments.This is called a nuclear fisalon
When a U-235 atom is struck by a
by release of thermmal energy in large quantity and two or three fast neutrons,
.This splitting(fission) is accompanied down by moderators so that they have high probability to hit othernuclear u- 235
These fast moving neutrons are slowed continuous self sustaining sequence of
atoms which in turn get fissioned and release heat £nd neutrons. This
fissions is called CHAIN REACTION.
MAIN UNITS OFPLANT
subjected to nuclear fission:
REACTOR :- It is an apparatus in which the nuclear fuel( 7J 235 ) is
1. NUCLEAR
gives up heat to the heat exchanger which is utilized in raising the steam &afer
2. HEATEXCHANGER:-The coolant
again fed to the reactor. converts
giving up heat the coolant is turbine which
dry and super heated steam from the super heater is fed to the steam
3. STEAM TURBINE:- The
the heat energy of steam to mechanical energy. Electrical Energy.
ALIERNATOR:- The alternator converts the mechanical energy of turbine to
4.

() Nuclear reactor (i) Heat exchanger (iHi) Steam turbine () Alternator.

Bus-bars

Isolators7
lsolators

Heat Transformer
exchanger
Hot meta! Turblne Excter
Nuclear Steam
reactor Vave Atemator

Exhaust
Flter
Steamn

Pump Cold Condenser

metal
Foed water
pump
Ciroulating
water pump

Cooling
tower

ErTE Aver a
Schematic arrangement of Nuclear Power Station
Study Material on Basic Electrical
Engineering 42
Controt rod

Steam
Coolant

Water
Uranium
Coolarit
.circulating pump
Moderator (Graphite) -Pressure
Vessel
Reactor

Nuclear Reactor
Working of Nuclear Power Plant: As discussed earlier, the chain reaction produces a huge amount of heat inside
the Nuclear Reactor and requires a lot of care to control
this reaction. The heat of the Reactor is carried to
Exchanger by molten sodium which also heats the water injected into this Heat Exchanger chamber. After the waterHeat
gets
converted to steam with very high temperature and high pressure ,the Turbine converts the internal
to Mechanical Energy and this is converted to Electrical Energy by Energy of steam
Alternator as before.
Assignments / Discussion:
SState the Advantages / Disadvantages of a Nuclear Power Station ?
ADVANTAGES
i) There is saving in fuel transportation as amount of fuel required is less.
iü) A Nuclear Power Plant requires less space as compared to other plants.
iil)Thistype of plant is economical for producing bulk Electrical Energy.
DISADVANTAGES
i)Fuel is expensive and difficult to recover,
ii) Capital lost is higher than other plants.
iii) Experienced workman ship is required for plant erection &commissioning.
iv) The Fission by-products are radio active &can cause
dangerous radio-active pollution. The disposal ofby-product
is big problem.

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