Introductory Overview: Diagram of A Typical Coal-Fired Thermal Power Station
Introductory Overview: Diagram of A Typical Coal-Fired Thermal Power Station
Introductory Overview: Diagram of A Typical Coal-Fired Thermal Power Station
38 MW (Data Source CEA, as on 31/03/2011) of total electricity production in India is from Coal Based Thermal
Power Station. A coal based thermal power plant converts the chemical energy of the coal into electrical energy. This is achieved by raising
the steam in the boilers, expanding it through the turbine and coupling the turbines to the generators which converts mechanical energy into
electrical energy.
Introductory overview
In a coal based power plant coal is transported from coal mines to the power plant by railway in wagons or in a merry-go-round system. Coal is unloaded from the
wagons to a moving underground conveyor belt. This coal from the mines is of no uniform size. So it is taken to the Crusher house and crushed to a size of 20mm.
From the crusher house the coal is either stored in dead storage( generally 40 days coal supply) which serves as coal supply in case of coal supply bottleneck or
to the live storage(8 hours coal supply) in the raw coal bunker in the boiler house. Raw coal from the raw coal bunker is supplied to the Coal Mills by a Raw Coal
Feeder. The Coal Mills or pulverizer pulverizes the coal to 200 mesh size. The powdered coal from the coal mills is carried to the boiler in coal pipes by high
pressure hot air. The pulverized coal air mixture is burnt in the boiler in the combustion zone.
Generally in modern boilers tangential firing system is used i.e. the coal nozzles/ guns form tangent to a circle. The temperature in fire ball is of the order of 1300
deg.C. The boiler is a water tube boiler hanging from the top. Water is converted to steam in the boiler and steam is separated from water in the boiler Drum. The
saturated steam from the boiler drum is taken to the Low Temperature Superheater, Platen Superheater and Final Superheater respectively for superheating. The
superheated steam from the final superheater is taken to the High Pressure Steam Turbine (HPT). In the HPT the steam pressure is utilized to rotate the turbine
and the resultant is rotational energy. From the HPT the out coming steam is taken to the Reheater in the boiler to increase its temperature as the steam becomes
wet at the HPT outlet. After reheating this steam is taken to the Intermediate Pressure Turbine (IPT) and then to the Low Pressure Turbine (LPT). The outlet of the
LPT is sent to the condenser for condensing back to water by a cooling water system. This condensed water is collected in the Hotwell and is again sent to the
boiler in a closed cycle. The rotational energy imparted to the turbine by high pressure steam is converted to electrical energy in the Generator.
Diagram of a typical coal-fired thermal power station
Principal
Coal based thermal power plant works on the principal of Modified Rankine Cycle.
Components of Coal Fired Thermal Power Station:
Coal Preparation
i)Fuel preparation system: In coal-fired power stations, the raw feed coal from the coal storage area is first crushed into small
pieces and then conveyed to the coal feed hoppers at the boilers. The coal is next pulverized into a very fine powder, so that coal will undergo
complete combustion during combustion process.
Reheater
Power plant furnaces may have a reheater section containing tubes heated by hot flue gases outside the tubes. Exhaust steam from the high
pressure turbine is rerouted to go inside the reheater tubes to pickup more energy to go drive intermediate or lower pressure turbines.
Steam turbines
Steam turbines have been used predominantly as prime mover in all thermal power stations. The steam turbines are mainly divided into two
groups: -
1. Impulse turbine
2. Impulse-reaction turbine
The turbine generator consists of a series of steam turbines interconnected to each other and a generator on a common shaft. There is a high
pressure turbine at one end, followed by an intermediate pressure turbine, two low pressure turbines, and the generator. The steam at high
temperature (536 ‘c to 540 ‘c) and pressure (140 to 170 kg/cm2) is expanded in the turbine.
Condenser
The condenser condenses the steam from the exhaust of the turbine into liquid to allow it to be pumped. If the condenser can be made
cooler, the pressure of the exhaust steam is reduced and efficiency of the cycle increases. The functions of a condenser are:-
1) To provide lowest economic heat rejection temperature for steam.
2) To convert exhaust steam to water for reserve thus saving on feed water requirement.
3) To introduce make up water.
We normally use surface condenser although there is one direct contact condenser as well. In direct contact type exhaust steam is mixed with
directly with D.M cooling water.
Boiler feed pump
Boiler feed pump is a multi stage pump provided for pumping feed water to economiser. BFP is the biggest auxiliary equipment after Boiler
and Turbine. It consumes about 4 to 5 % of total electricity generation.
Cooling tower
The cooling tower is a semi-enclosed device for evaporative cooling of water by contact with air. The hot water coming out from the
condenser is fed to the tower on the top and allowed to tickle in form of thin sheets or drops. The air flows from bottom of the tower or
perpendicular to the direction of water flow and then exhausts to the atmosphere after effective cooling.
The cooling towers are of four types: -
1. Natural Draft cooling tower
2. Forced Draft cooling tower
3. Induced Draft cooling tower
4. Balanced Draft cooling tower
Fan or draught system
In a boiler it is essential to supply a controlled amount of air to the furnace for effective combustion of fuel and to evacuate hot gases formed
in the furnace through the various heat transfer area of the boiler. This can be done by using a chimney or mechanical device such as fans
which acts as pump.
i) Natural draught
When the required flow of air and flue gas through a boiler can be obtained by the stack (chimney) alone, the system is called natural
draught. When the gas within the stack is hot, its specific weight will be less than the cool air outside; therefore the unit pressure at the base
of stack resulting from weight of the column of hot gas within the stack will be less than the column of extreme cool air. The difference in the
pressure will cause a flow of gas through opening in base of stack. Also the chimney is form of nozzle, so the pressure at top is very small and
gases flow from high pressure to low pressure at the top.
iii) Electrostatic precipitator: From air preheater this flue gases (mixed with ash) goes to ESP. The precipitator has plate banks (A-F)
which are insulated from each other between which the flue gases are made to pass. The dust particles are ionized and attracted by charged
electrodes. The electrodes are maintained at 60KV.Hammering is done to the plates so that fly ash comes down and collect at the bottom.
The fly ash is dry form is used in cement manufacture.
Generator
Generator or Alternator is the electrical end of a turbo-generator set. It is generally known as the piece of equipment that converts the
mechanical energy of turbine into electricity. The generation of electricity is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction.
Advantages of coal based thermal Power Plant
They can respond to rapidly changing loads without difficulty
A portion of the steam generated can be used as a process steam in different industries
Steam engines and turbines can work under 25 % of overload continuously
Fuel used is cheaper
Cheaper in production cost in comparison with that of diesel power stations
Disadvantages of coal based thermal Power Plant
Maintenance and operating costs are high
Long time required for erection and putting into action
A large quantity of water is required
Great difficulty experienced in coal handling
Presence of troubles due to smoke and heat in the plant
Unavailability of good quality coal
Maximum of heat energy lost
Problem of ash removing