A modern power station contains numerous electrical equipment. However, the most important items are: (i) Alternators. Each alternator is coupled to a steam turbine and converts mechanical energy of turbine into electrical energy. The alternator may be hydrogen or air cooled. The necessary excitation is provided by means of main and pilot exciters directly coupled to the alternator shaft. (ii) Transformers. A generation station has different types of transformers, viz., (a) main step -up transformers which step-up the generation voltage for transmission of power. (b) station transformers which are used for general service (e.g., lighting) in the power station. (c) auxiliary transformers which supply to individual unit-auxiliaries. (iii)Switchgear. It houses such equipment which read more

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Read more »

Boiler require clean and soft water for longer life and better efficiency.However, the source of boiler feed water is generally a river or lake which may contain suspended and dissolved impurities,dissolved gases etc. Therefore, it is very important that water is first purified and softened by chemical treatment and then delivered to the boiler.The water from the source of supply id stored in storage tanks.The suspended impurities are removed through sedimentation, coagulation and filtration. Dissolved gases are removed by aeration and degasification. The water is ’softened, by removing temporary and permanent hardness through different chemical processes. The pure and soft water thus available is fed to the boiler for steam generation.Picture of a water treatment plant is shown read more

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Read more »

The prime mover converts steam energy into mechanical energy. There are two type of steam prime mover viz., steam engines and steam turbines. A steam turbine has several advantages over a steam engine as a prime mover viz., high efficiency, simple construction, higher speed, less floor area requirement and low maintenance cost. Therefore, all modern steam power stations employ steam turbines as prime mover.Steam turbines are generally classified into two type according to the action of steam moving blades viz., (i)Impulse turbines (ii) reaction turbines In an impulse turbine, the steam expands completely in the stationary nozzles (or fixed blades), the pressure over the moving blades remaining constant. In doing so , the steam attains a high velocity and impinges against the read more

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Read more »

A condenser is a device which condenses the steam at the exhaust of turbine. It serves two important functions.Firstly, it creates a very low ( By liquidation steam at the exhaust of turbine, a region of emptiness is created. This results in a very low pressure at the exhaust of turbine.) pressure at the exhaust of turbine, thus permitting expansion of the steam in the prime mover to very low pressure. This helps converting heat energy of steam into mechanical energy in the prime mover. Secondly, the condensed steam can be used as feed water to the boiler. There are two types of condensers, namely: (i) Jet condenser (ii) Surface condenser In a jet condenser, cooling water and exhausted steam are together. Therefore , the temperature of cooling water and condensate is the same read more

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Read more »

A modern steam power station is highly complex and it requires numerous main equipments and auxiliary equipments.The important equipments of steam power station are 1.Steam Generating Equipment 2. Condenser 3.Prime mover 4.Water Treatment Plant 5. Electrical Equipment 1.Steam Generating Equipment It is an important part of steam power station and it is mainly concerned with the generation of superheated steam.It includes items such as boiler,boiler furnace,super heater,economiser,air pre- heater and other heat reclaiming devices 1.1 Boiler Boiler is a closed vessel in which heat energy obtained by coal combustion is used to convert water into steam and it could be broadly classified into two (a)Water tube boilers (b) Fire tube boilers In a water tube boiler water flows through the read more

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Read more »