14-09-2017, 03:39 PM
A thermal power plant is a power plant in which thermal energy is converted into electrical energy. In most parts of the world the turbine is driven by steam. The water heats up, turns into steam and rotates a steam turbine that drives an electric generator. After it passes through the turbine, the vapor is condensed in a condenser and recycled to where it was heated; this is known as a Rankine cycle. The greatest variation in the design of thermal power plants is due to the different heat sources; fossil fuel dominates here, although nuclear heat energy and solar heat energy are also used. Some prefer to use the term energy center because such facilities convert forms of thermal energy into electrical energy. Certain thermal plants are also designed to produce thermal energy for industrial purposes, or for district heating or water desalination, in addition to generating electricity.
Almost all coal, nuclear, geothermal, thermal solar thermal and waste incineration plants, as well as many natural gas power plants are thermal. Natural gas is often burned in gas turbines as well as in boilers. The residual heat of a gas turbine, in the form of hot exhaust gas, can be used to raise the steam, passing this gas through a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), the steam is then used to drive a steam turbine in a combined cycle plant that improves overall efficiency. Power plants that burn coal, fuel oil or natural gas are often called fossil fuel power plants. Some biomass-fueled thermal power plants have also appeared. Non-nuclear power plants, particularly fossil fuel plants, which do not use cogeneration, are sometimes referred to as conventional power plants.
Commercial electricity power plants are generally built on a large scale and are designed for continuous operation. Virtually all power plants use three-phase electric generators to produce AC power at a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz. Large enterprises or institutions may have their own power plants to supply heating or electricity to their facilities, especially if steam is created anyway for other purposes. Steam power stations have been used to drive most of the ships in most of the twentieth century until recently. Steam power plants are now only used on large nuclear naval vessels. On-board power plants typically directly couple the turbine to the ship's propellers through the gearboxes. The power plants of these ships also provide steam to the smaller turbines that drive the electric generators to supply electricity. Nuclear marine propulsion is, with few exceptions, used only on naval vessels. There have been many turbo-electric ships in which a steam-powered turbine drives an electric generator that drives an electric motor for propulsion.
Combined heat and power plants (CH & P plants), often called cogeneration plants, produce both electrical and heat energy for process heat or space heating. Steam and hot water.
Almost all coal, nuclear, geothermal, thermal solar thermal and waste incineration plants, as well as many natural gas power plants are thermal. Natural gas is often burned in gas turbines as well as in boilers. The residual heat of a gas turbine, in the form of hot exhaust gas, can be used to raise the steam, passing this gas through a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), the steam is then used to drive a steam turbine in a combined cycle plant that improves overall efficiency. Power plants that burn coal, fuel oil or natural gas are often called fossil fuel power plants. Some biomass-fueled thermal power plants have also appeared. Non-nuclear power plants, particularly fossil fuel plants, which do not use cogeneration, are sometimes referred to as conventional power plants.
Commercial electricity power plants are generally built on a large scale and are designed for continuous operation. Virtually all power plants use three-phase electric generators to produce AC power at a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz. Large enterprises or institutions may have their own power plants to supply heating or electricity to their facilities, especially if steam is created anyway for other purposes. Steam power stations have been used to drive most of the ships in most of the twentieth century until recently. Steam power plants are now only used on large nuclear naval vessels. On-board power plants typically directly couple the turbine to the ship's propellers through the gearboxes. The power plants of these ships also provide steam to the smaller turbines that drive the electric generators to supply electricity. Nuclear marine propulsion is, with few exceptions, used only on naval vessels. There have been many turbo-electric ships in which a steam-powered turbine drives an electric generator that drives an electric motor for propulsion.
Combined heat and power plants (CH & P plants), often called cogeneration plants, produce both electrical and heat energy for process heat or space heating. Steam and hot water.