09-06-2012, 12:43 PM
SEMINAR TOPIC ON POWER PLANT ENGINEERING
POWER PLANT ENGINEERING.doc (Size: 1.05 MB / Downloads: 32)
Introduction
Large amount of power is generated using prime movers in a site called power plants. Power plant is a unit built for production and delivery of an electrical energy.
Sources of energy
The basic sources of energy for power generation are coal, oil, nuclear fuels, and gas. These sources are known as “conventional sources of energy”. These sources will one be used up and are exhaustible.
The most reassuring and promising energy which is abundant in supply and is inexhaustible is “non conventional sources of energy: such as solar, wind, tidal, geo-thermal etc.
Primary energy sources and secondary energy sources
At the power station electricity is made from energy released by burning coal or oil or by using nuclear fuel or water power. Each of these four sources of energy is called a primary source. Electricity is a secondary source, because it is produced from a primary source.
Non-renewable sources
Most of the energy sources like coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear fuels are called Non-renewable energy sources because once they have been used up, they cannot be replaced. One day all the coal (within 120 years), oil & natural gas and nuclear fuels (less than 50 years) on earth will be used up and these may no more be available.
Renewable energy sources
Sources of energy that can be used over and over again are called renewable sources.
• Energy from the sun (Heat and light energy)
• Energy from the wind (Kinetic energy)
• Energy from the waves and tides (Kinetic energy)
• Energy from the Earth’s core (Heat energy)
Nuclear energy or Atomic energy
It is the most powerful kind of energy known. The atoms of a few metals can be changed or split, to make new, different atoms. The nucleus of an atom of metal called uranium can be split into two. This is called nuclear fission. The word fission means breaking apart. In a nuclear power station this heat energy is used to produce electricity. The complete fission of 1 kg uranium U235 releases as much energy as the burning of 4500 tonnes of coal or 2000 tonnes of oil.
