Power Generation

Power Plants

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Generation
• Depending upon the form of energy converted into electrical energy,
the generating stations are classified:
1. Steam power stations
2. Hydroelectric power stations
3. Diesel power stations
4. Nuclear power stations

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Steam Power Station

• A steam power station basically works on the Rankine cycle

• The steam expands in the prime mover (i.e., steam turbine)
• The steam turbine drives the alternator which converts
mechanical energy of the turbine into electrical energy

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

• Advantages:
(i) The fuel (i.e., coal) used is quite cheap.
(ii) Less initial cost as compared to other generating stations.
(iii) It can be installed at any place irrespective of the existence of coal. The coal can
be transported to the site of the plant by rail or road.
(iv) It requires less space as compared to the hydroelectric power station.
(v) The cost of generation is lesser than that of the diesel power station.
• Disadvantages:
(i) It pollutes the atmosphere due to the production of large amount of smoke and
fumes.
(ii) It is costlier in running cost as compared to hydroelectric plant.

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Fuel handling arrangement Steam generating plant Steam turbine

Cooling arrangement Feed water Alternator

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt
Factors for Steam Power Station
• Supply of fuel
• Availability of water
• Transportation facilities
• Cost and type of land
• Nearness to load centers
• Distance from populated area

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Efficiency of Steam Power Station

The thermal efficiency of a modern steam power station is about 30%.

The overall efficiency of a steam power station is about 29%.

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Examples
Q1. A steam power station has an overall efficiency of 20% and 0·6 kg
of coal is burnt per kWh of electrical energy generated. Calculate the
calorific value of fuel.

Q2. A thermal 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
Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt
Q3. A 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.

Q4. 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

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Hydro-Electric Power Station
A generating station which utilizes the potential
energy of water at a high level for the generation of
electrical energy is known as a hydro-electric power
station.

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

• Advantages:
(i) It requires no fuel as water is used for the generation of electrical energy.
(ii) It is quite neat and clean as no smoke or ash is produced.
(iii) It is comparatively simple in construction and requires less maintenance.
(iv) It is robust and has a longer life.
(v) Such plants serve many purposes. In addition to the generation of electrical
energy, they also help in irrigation and controlling floods.
• Disadvantages:
(i) It involves high capital cost due to construction of dam.
(ii) There is uncertainty about the availability of huge amount of water due to
dependence on weather conditions
(iii) It requires high cost of transmission lines as the plant is located in hilly areas
which are quite away from the consumers

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt
Choice of Site for Hydro-electric Power
Stations
(i) Availability of water
(ii) Storage of water
(iii) Cost and type of land
(iv) Transportation facilities

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Constituents of Hydro-electric Plant
• Hydraulic structures
• Water turbines
• Electrical equipment

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Hydraulic Structures
• Dam
• Spillways
• Head-works
• Surges Tank
• Penstock

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Turbines used in Hydro-power station
• Impulsive Turbine
• Such turbines are used for high heads. In an impulse turbine, the entire
pressure of water is converted into kinetic energy in a nozzle and the velocity
of the jet drives the wheel.
• Reaction Turbine
• Reaction turbines are used for low and medium heads. In a reaction turbine,
water enters the runner partly with pressure energy and partly with velocity
head
1. Francis Turbine
2. Kaplan Turbine

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Examples
Q1. A hydro-electric generating station is supplied from a reservoir of
capacity 5 x 10^6 cubic metres at a head of 200 metres. Find the total
energy available in kWh if the overall efficiency is 75%.

Q3. It has been estimated that a minimum run off of approximately 94

m3/sec will be available at a hydraulic project with a head of 39 m.
Determine (i) firm capacity (ii) yearly gross output. Assume the
efficiency of the plant to be 80%

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Diesel Power Station
A generating station in which diesel engine is used as the prime mover
for the generation of electrical energy is known as diesel power
station.

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

• Advantages:
(i) The design and layout of the plant are quite simple
(ii) It occupies less space as the number and size of the auxiliaries is small.
(iii) It can be located at any place
(iv) The overall cost is much less than that of steam power station of the same
capacity
(v) The thermal efficiency of the plant is higher than that of a steam power station
• Disadvantages:
(i) The plant has high running charges as the fuel (i.e., diesel) used is costly. Also
maintenance charges are quite high
(ii) The plant does not work satisfactorily under overload conditions for a longer
period
(iii) The plant can only generate small power

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

• Fuel supply system
• Air intake system
• Exhaust system
• Cooling system
• Lubricating system
• Engine starting system

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Examples
Q1. A diesel power station has fuel consumption of 0·28 kg per kWh, the
calorific value of fuel being 10,000 kcal/kg. Determine (i) the overall
efficiency, and (ii) efficiency of the engine if alternator efficiency is 95%.

Q2. A diesel power station has the following data :

Fuel consumption/day = 1000 kg; Units generated/day = 4000 kWh
Calorific value of fuel = 10,000 kcal/kg; Alternator efficiency = 96%
Engine mech. efficiency = 95%
Estimate (i) specific fuel consumption, (ii) overall efficiency, and (iii) thermal
efficiency of engine.

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Nuclear Power Station
A generating station in which nuclear energy is converted into electrical
energy is known as a nuclear power station

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

• Advantages:
(i) The amount of fuel required is quite small. Therefore, there is a considerable saving in the
cost of fuel transportation.
(ii) A nuclear power plant requires less space as compared to any other type of the same size
(iii) This type of plant is very economical for producing bulk electric power
(iv) It has low running charges as a small amount of fuel is used for producing bulk electrical
energy.
• Disadvantages:
(i) The fuel used is expensive and is difficult to recover
(ii) The capital cost on a nuclear plant is very high as compared to other types of plants
(iii) The fission by-products are generally radioactive and may cause a dangerous amount of
radioactive pollution
(iv) Nuclear power plants are not well suited for varying loads as the reactor does not respond to
the load fluctuations efficiently.
(v) The disposal of the by-products, which are radioactive, is a big problem

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Examples
Q1. What is the power output of a reactor if it takes 30 days to use
up 2 kg of fuel? Given that energy released per fission is 200 MeV and
Avogadro’s number = per kilomole.

Prepared By: Engr. Osama Majeed Butt

Economics of Power Generation
“The art of determining per unit cost of electrical energy”

Power engineers have to plan for cheapest electrical power so that

consumer can utilize it conveniently
Economics of Power Generation
Interest
Cost of use of money is known as interest

Plant is constructed normally by borrowing capital from banks,

investment has to be paid on it

Even if construction is from own reserves, interest is counted as it

would gain interest if invested elsewhere
Economics of Power Generation
Depreciation
The decrease in the value of power plant equipment and building due
to constant use

Every plant has a useful life 50-60 years,

due to wear and tear in equipment
Equipment has to be replaced after the useful life
Reduction in the value of plant every year is called annual depreciation
Economics of Power Generation
Cost of Electrical Energy

i. Fixed Cost
ii. Semi Fixed Cost
iii. Running Cost
Economics of Power Generation
Cost of Electrical Energy
i. Fixed Cost
Independent of maximum demand and units generated

e.g. central organization, cost of land and its annual interest, salaries of
officials
Economics of Power Generation
Cost of Electrical Energy
ii. Semi Fixed Cost
Depends on maximum demand but not on units generated
e.g. annual interest on equipment and building, taxes, salaries of
management and clerical staff

Greater the value of maximum demand, greater will be the value of

above factors.
Economics of Power Generation
Cost of Electrical Energy
ii. Running Cost
depends upon the number of units generated.

e.g. cost of fuel, machine oil, repair and maintenance and cost of
operating staff.
Economics of Power Generation
Expressions for Cost of Electrical Energy

i. Three part form

ii. Two part form
Economics of Power Generation
Expressions for Cost of Electrical Energy
Three part form
Total Energy = fixed cost + semi fixed cost + running cost
= a + b kW + c kVA

a= annual fixed cost

b= annual semi fixed cost per unit max demand
c = annual running cost per unit energy
Economics of Power Generation
Expressions for Cost of Electrical Energy
Two part form
Total Energy = semi fixed cost + running cost
= A kW + B kVA

A= annual semi fixed cost per unit max demand

B= annual running cost per unit energy
Economics of Power Generation
Methods for Determining Depreciation

i. Straight Line Method

ii. Diminishing Method
iii. Sinking fund Method
Economics of Power Generation
Methods for Determining Depreciation
Straight Line Method
a constant depreciation charge is made every year
Annual Depreciation Charge= (P-S)/n
Where P = Initial Cost
S = Scrap value of equipment
n = useful life
Economics of Power Generation
Methods for Determining Depreciation
Straight Line Method
It is the simplest method, its graph is a straight line with negative slope
Economics of Power Generation
Methods for Determining Depreciation
Straight Line Method
It has two drawbacks
a. assumption of constant depreciation every year is not correct
b. it doesn’t account for the interest that accumulates every year
Economics of Power Generation
Methods for Determining Depreciation
Diminishing Value Method
Depreciation is made every year on a fixed rate on the
diminished value of the equipment.
With initial cost ‘P’, scrap value ‘S’ and annual unit depreciation ‘x’,
then after ‘n’ years
S= P(1-x)^n
(1-x)^n= S/P
x= 1 – (S/P)^1/n
Economics of Power Generation
Methods for Determining Depreciation
Diminishing Value Method
Economics of Power Generation
Methods for Determining Depreciation
Diminishing Value Method
Drawbacks
a. it draws low depreciation charges when maintenance cost is high
b. it doesn’t include interest that accumulates each year
Economics of Power Generation
Methods for Determining Depreciation
Sinking Fund Method
A fixed depreciation charge is made every year and interest
compounded on it annually.
For the same variables mentioned above and ‘q’ is depreciation charge
every year and ‘r’ is annual rate of interest then
P-S=q ((1+r)^n-1)/r
q= (P-S) (r/ ((1+r)^n-1)))
Examples
Q1. transformer costing Rs 90,000 has a useful life of 20 years. Determine the annual depreciation
charge using straight line method. Assume the salvage value of the equipment to be Rs 10,000.

Q2. The equipment in a power station costs Rs 15,60,000 and has a salvage value of Rs 60,000 at the
end of 25 years. Determine the depreciated value of the equipment at the end of 20 years on the
following methods :
(i) Straight line method ;
(ii) Diminishing value method ;
(iii) Sinking fund method at 5% compound interest annually.
Economics of Power Generation
Importance of High Load Factor
i. Reduces cost per unit generated

High load factor means for a given max demand, units generated
are high, making total cost per unit of energy lower
Economics of Power Generation
Importance of High Load Factor
ii. Reduces variable load problems

High load factor means less variation in the load in daily routine,
this reduces the use of regulating devices connected.
 Examples
Q1. A generating station has a maximum demand of 50,000 kW. Calculate the cost per unit generated
from the following data :
Capital cost = Rs 95 × 106
Annual load factor = 40%
Annual cost of fuel and oil = Rs 9 × 106
Taxes, wages and salaries etc. = Rs 7·5 × 106
Interest and depreciation = 12%

Q2. generating station has an installed capacity of 50,000 kW and delivers 220 × 106 units per annum. If
the annual fixed charges are Rs 160 per kW installed capacity and running charges are Rs. 0.04 per
kWh, determine the cost per unit generated.

Q3. generating plant has a maximum capacity of 100 kW and costs Rs 1,60,000. The annual fixed
charges are 12% consisting of 5% interest, 5% depreciation and 2% taxes. Find the fixed charges per
kWh if the load factor is (i) 100% and (ii) 50%.