BASICS OF 13

THERMAL
POWER PLANT

Thermodynamics is the main subject of Thermal Engineering. It deals with the

behavior of gases and vapors, when they are subjected to varying temperatures and
pressure. In a thermal power plant, heat energy of the steam is converted to
mechanical energy of the turbine, which is further converted to electrical energy with
the help of a generator. The simple circuit of thermal plant can be drawn as below:-
\

Some of the definitions dealing with the thermodynamics are as below:-

GAS:- A gas is the name given to the state of any substance of which the evaporation
from the liquid state is complete. For example Hydrogen, Oxygen and air etc.
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VAPOUR:-A vapor may be defined as a partially evaporated liquid and consists of

the pure gas state along with particles of liquid in suspension. It does not behave
in the same way as the gas, as the substance is further liable to the evaporation.
The laws of gases do not apply to vapors. When a vapor becomes completely
evaporated, it is said to be dry and any further heating of a dry vapor is termed as
super heating. Once a vapor is superheated it is approx. behaves as a gas.
HEATING OF A GAS:- A gas may be heated while either its volume is kept constant
or its pressure is kept constant, when the volume is kept constant, the temperature,
pressure will increase as the heat is supplied to a gas. But there will be no work
done by the gas as there is no change in volume. But when the gas is heated at
constant pressure then the volume increases and some work is done by the gas in
expanding.
Work = pressure x change in volume
INTERNAL ENERGY OF GAS:- The internal energy of a gas is the heat energy
stored in the gas. It is quantity of heat. If the quantity of steam is applied to a gas, the
temperature of gas may increase or its volume may increase thus doing external work
or it may do both, the result will depend upon certain set of conditions under which
heat is supplied to gas. If this heating is accompanied by a rise of temperature, the gas
will increase its internal energy. This means that some of the heat supplied has been
stored in gas in the form of heat energy. Thus producing the rise of temperature the
gas will have increased its internal energy. This means that some of the heat supplied
has been stored in the form of heat energy, remaining is given out by gas as the form
of external work as gas increased its volume. The increase in heat energy stored in the
gas due to rise of temperature is called the increase of internal energy.
LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY:-
Total heat supplied to a gas must be equal to the increase of internal energy
plus any external work done by the gas in expanding.
H = total heat supplied to gas
E = increase in internal energy
W = external work done by gas
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Then H = W + E
ISOTHERMAL EXPANSION:- Heat can be supplied to a gas keeping its
temperature constant. In this case the gas will expand doing external work equal to the
amount of heat supplied. This type of expansion is called Isothermal Expansion.
ADIABATIC EXPANSION:- When a gas expands, doing external work in such a
manner that no heat is supplied or rejected during the expansion. Such an expansion is
called adiabatic expansion.
ENTHALPY :-The total heat of substance is known as its enthalpy.

BASIC TYPE OF STEAM POWER PLANT :- The conversion of heat energy of

organic or nuclear fuel into mechanical energy with the aid of steam is carried out in
steam power plant. A diagrammatic view of the simplest steam power plant is shown
on next page :-

The initial state of the working body is assumed to be water, which at a certain
temperature is compressed by the pump BFP and is fed into boiler ‘B’ through
economizer ‘E’. In the Boiler water is heated at constant pressure process (4-5), to its
Boiling point. When the vaporization takes place in the same boiler process (5-6),
since dry saturated steam is rarely used in power plants, it is superheated to the
required temperature in superheated state.
The steam which is superheated through a pipe flows to steam turbine ‘T’.
Where it undergoes adiabatic expansion producing some external work (process 1-2).
To have the steam produce more work, its pressure at the turbine outlet must be as low
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as possible. For this purpose steam from turbine is exhausted to a special apparatus
condenser ‘C’, in which the pressure of below atmosphere (vacuum) is created. In the
condenser latent heat of vaporization is removed from the steam with the aid of
cooling water and the steam condenses into liquid (the process of condensation 2-3) at
a constant pressure and temperature. Then this cycle is reheated. The basic cycle of the
steam power plant considered above is called the Rankine cycle.
η R = H1 – H2
H1 – Hw

where
η R = Rankine efficiency
H1 = enthalpy of steam at turbine inlet
H2 = enthalpy of steam at turbine outlet
Hw = enthalpy of condensate

METHODS OF INCREASING EFFICIENCY:-

Raising the initial steam pressure:- By increasing the initial pressure at turbine inlet,
the enthalpy drop (H1 –H2) can be increased. Thereby increase in thermal efficiency of
Rankine cycle. However it must be mentioned that an increase in the initial steam
pressure results in increase in the wetness of the steam at the end of expansion. The
drops of liquid of steam can appearing in the steam at the last stage of the turbine
cause erosion of blades and reduce overall efficiency of turbine.
In order to avoid this increase in steam wetness above the tolerated value, an
increased temperature of the superheated steam as well as reheating may be employed.
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REHEATING :-

Reheating:- Reheating consists of subjecting steam to repeated super heating, after it

has expanded in the first cylinder of the turbine, at originally constant pressure in the
reheaters to original temperature, then the steam is directed into the second cylinder of
the turbine T2, where the steam expands and goes to the condenser. Reheating
increases dryness fraction of steam. It also results in the thermal efficiency of the
cycle.
Raising the temperature of superheating:- By raising the temperature of
superheated steam at constant pressure, the heat drop (H1-H2) increases. As a result
efficiency increases. Increasing the temperature of superheated steam also increases
the dryness factor. In modern steam power plants the temperature of superheating is
limited. By the heat resistant properties of the metal used.
Increasing the vacuum at condenser or reducing pressure at final:- A reduction in
the final pressure increases the heat drop (H1-H2) which results in the increase in the
thermal efficiency of the cycle.
Regenerative feed heat cycle:- In this system, the steam is fed from the turbine at
certain points during its expansion and is utilized for preheating the feed water
supplied to the boiler. At certain sections of turbine a small quantity of wet steam is
drawn from the turbine. This steam is circulated around the feed water pipe leading
from the hot well to boiler. The relatively cold water causes this steam to condensate.
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The heat thus lost by the steam being is transferred to the feed water; the condensed
steam then drains into the hot well.
The net effect of this process is to supply the boiler with hotter water while a
small amount of work is lost by the turbine. There is a slight increase in efficiency due
to this process, but there efficiency depends upon following factors:-

 Steam pressure
 Degree of superheat in steam
 Reheat/nonreheat
 Vacuum in condenser
 Regenerative/ non regenerative cycle