Thermal Power Stations. Lucas González

Thermal Power Stations

1.- What's a thermal power station?

A thermal power station is a power plant, in which the prime mover is pushed by steam. A conventional coal-fired power plant produces electricity by the burning of coal and air in a steam generator, where it heats water to produce high pressure and high temperature steam. The steam flows through a series of steam turbines, which spin an electrical generator to produce electricity. The exhaust steam from the turbines is cooled, condensed back into water, and returned to the steam generator to start the process over.

2.- Types of thermal power station

Almost all coal, nuclear, geothermal, solar thermal electric, and waste incineration plants, as well as many natural gas power plants are thermal.

3.- How does it work?

When water is heated, it turns into steam and spins a steam turbine, which drives an electrical generator. Once it has passed through the turbine, the steam is condensed in a condeser, and recycled  he place in where it has been heated. This is known as a Rankine cycle.

4.- Main parts of a thermal power plant

Simplified coal-fired power plant

1. Cooling tower	11. High pressure steam turbine	20. Fan
2. Cooling water pump	12. Deaerator	21. Reheater
3. Three-phase transmission line	13. Feedwater heater	22. Combustion air intake
4. Step-up transformer	14. Coal conveyor	23. Economiser
5. Electrical generator	15. Coal hopper	24. Air preheater
6. Low pressure steam turbines	16. Coal pulverizer	25. Electrostatic precipitator
7. Condensate and feedwater pumps	17. Boiler steam drum	26. Fan
8. Surface condenser	18. Bottom ash hopper	27. Flue gas desulfurization scrubber
9. Intermediate pressure steam turbine	19. Superheater	28. Flue gas stack
10. Steam control valve