This document provides an overview of how a thermal electric power plant operates. It explains that coal is burned in a boiler to produce high pressure steam, which is then used to spin a turbine and generate mechanical power. An alternator converts this mechanical power into electrical power. The key components of the plant are described in detail, including the coal handling system, pulverizer, boiler, turbine, condenser, cooling towers, and other auxiliary equipment. The document also discusses the energy conversion process from chemical to thermal to mechanical to electrical energy.

1. Theophilus A T Kambo Jr
2158003
MTech (Candidate), Power and Energy
Systems
March 12, 2022
Thermal Electric Power Plant
‘Fossil Fuel and Steam’
ACTIVITY 1 – Presentation on Predefined Topic
Guided by Prof. Dr. Tanmoy Roy Choudhury
Renewable Power Generation Technology- (EE 6206)
Course Professor

2. CONTENT
 INTRODUCTION WORKING PRINCIPLE
 GENERAL LAYOUT OF THERMAL POWER
 PLANT MAIN EQUIPMENTS
 SUMMARY
 REFERENCES
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

3. A Thermal Power Plant converts the heat energy of fossil fuel / coal
into electrical energy.
Coal is burnt in a boiler which converts water into steam.
The expansion of steam in turbine produces mechanical power which
drives the alternator coupled to the turbine.
Thermal Power Plants contribute maximum to the generation of
Power for any country.
In thermal generating stations coal, oil, natural gas etc. are employed
as primary sources of energy.
Introduction

4. Energy Conversion Process in Steam Power Plants
Chemical Energy is
Converted into Thermal
Energy by Combustion
In Boiler
Thermal Energy is
Converted into
Mechanical Energy
In Turbine
Mechanical Energy is
Converted into
Electrical Energy
In Generator
Chemical
Energy
Fuel
Thermal
Energy
Mechanical
Energy
Electrical
Energy

5. General Layout of Thermal (Steam) Electric Power Plant

6.  Coal handling plant
 Pulverizing plant
 Boiler
 Turbine
 Condenser
 Cooling towers and ponds Feed water
heater
 Economizer Air preheater
PLANT MAIN EQUIPMENTS

7. COAL HANDLING PLANT
Coal is transported to power
station by rail or road and
stored in coal storage plant and
then pulverized.
The function of coal handling
plant is automatic feeding of
coal to the boiler furnace.

8. PULVERIZING PLANT
In modern thermal power plant,
coal is pulverized i.e. ground to dust
like size and carried to the furnace
in a stream of hot air. Pulverizing is
a means of exposing a large surface
area to the action of oxygen and
consequently helping combustion.
Pulverizing process consists 3
stages classified as:
1. Feeding
2. Drying
3. Grinding

9. BOILER
The function of boiler is to generate steam at desired pressure and
temperature by transferring heat produced by burning of fuel in a
furnace to change water into steam.
0 bar
(g)
100°C
5 bar
(g)
152°C

10. Steam drum
Mud drum
Downcomer
Airpreheater
Dust
collector
Convection tube
Furnace tube
WATERTUBE BOILER (PALM WASTE)

11. BOILER READY TO USE (SIDE VIEW)
Downcomer
Casing
Dust
Collector
SDF ducting
SD fan
FF fan
FFF ducting
Steam drum
Airpreheater
Mud drum

12. FRONT VIEW OF BOILER
Fire door
Fuel feeding

13. STEAM TURBINE
• Steam turbine are devices which convert thermal energy from the
steam into rotational shaft power with high pressure steam
passing through a nozzle that increases the velocity of the steam
and focusses the flow path into a jet of steam.
• This high velocity jet of steam is directed to strike a blade which a
result the force on the blade is converted into shaft torque and
shaft rotation.
• Based on their operation and steam flow configurations, steam
turbine are classified as follows :
 Backpressure
 Extraction
 Condensing

14. STEAM TURBINE
In thermal power plants generally 3 turbines are used to increases
the efficiency.
 High pressure turbine
 Intermediate pressure turbine
 Low pressure turbine
Alternator
Turbine

15. Steam separator
PIPING ARRANGEMENT OF STEAM TURBINE
Expansion joint
Expansion joint
Turbine steam inlet

16. CONDENSER
The surface condenser is a shell and tube heat exchanger
where cooling water flows through tubes and exhaust steam
fed into the shell surrounds the tubes, as a result, steam
condense outside the tubes.
COOLING TOWERS AND PONDS
A condenser needs huge quantity of water to condense the steam.
Most plants use cooled cooling system where warm water coming
from condenser is cooled and reused.

17. FEED WATER HEATER
Feed water heating improves overall plant efficiency.
Thermal stresses due to cold water entering the boiler drum are avoided.
Quality of steam produced by the boiler is increased.
ECONOMIZER
Flue gases coming out of the boiler carry lot of heat. An economizer extracts a part
of this heat from flue gases and uses it for heating feed water.
Saving coal consumption and higher boiler efficiency.
AIR PREHEATER
The function of air preheaters is to preheat the air before entering to the furnace by
utilizing some of the energy left in the flue gases before exhausting them to the
atmosphere.
After flue gases leave economizer, some further heat can be extracted from them
and used to heat incoming heat. Cooling of flue gases by 20 degree centigrade
increases the plant efficiency by 1%.
WASTE GENERATED AND THEIR CONTROL
ASH HANDLING PLANT
WATER HANDLING PLANT

18. ASH HANDLING PLANT
I
The ash from the boiler is collected in two forms-
Bottom ash(slurry): It's a waste which is dumped into ash pond.
Fly ash: Fly ash is separated from flue gases.
WATER HANDLING PLANT
Water in a Power Plant is used for:-
 Production of Steam- for rotating turbine.
 Cooling Purpose-For cooling of various equipment.
 Water is recycled and used for various purpose:
Raw Water
For Cooling Purposes
Steam
Condenser

19. Summary
Thermal Electric Power Plant is one of the electric generating
plants used in the world today.
The simple principle of operation - generated steam duct to a
steam turbine which produce mechanical energy due to steam
pressure and later converted to electrical energy by electric
alternator.
Most of these power plants are used solely for generating electric
power and few used in the process industries for co generation –
process steam and electric power.
The design of thermal power stations depends on the intended
energy source: Fossil Fuel, Geothermal, Solar Energy, Biofuels and
waste incineration are all used.

20. Questions and Answers
Thanks