Thermal Power Plant

A thermal power plant turns the thermal energy of steam into kinetic energy transferred then to a turbine that moves a generator’s rotor which then transforms this energy into electricity.

The most important elements of this process are the boilers which produce high pressured steam, the turbine that is propelled in a rotatory movement by steam and the generator which is embedded to the turbine’s axis and through this movement electricity is produced by the slicing in the magnetic field.

Boilers get energy from different fuels depending on the kind of thermal power plant like: coal, fuel oil, diesel or natural gas. A very important topic is gas emissions into the atmosphere due to the burning of these fuels and which reduction is intended through better combustion and by using cleaner fuels such as natural gas.

Water treatment
The water used in steam generation needs to go through a special process of demineralization either by cations and anions chemical process or reverse osmosis microfiltration with the goal of reducing hardness and avoiding inlays in boilers and steam pipes due to precipitation of insoluble calcium and magnesium salts.

Steam generation
Demineralized water enters the boiler where due to the thermal energy produced by burning fuel steam is produced.

Steam required for this process is overheated at high pressure and temperature.

Power generation
Steam obtained from the boilers is then directed at high pressure to activate the blades on the turbine, thus moving the turbine’s rotor and at the same time the generator’s where electrical power is produced.
At this stage, energy recovery is done in two phases, since the steam with lower pressure recirculates to medium and low pressure turbines to really take max advantage of power generation.

Condensation.
Vapors are conducted to a condensation tower, where by the use of a cooling condensation is obtained and returned to the boilers’ feeding tank and it recirculates in the thermal generation system.

Transmission.
Electrical power obtained in the generation phase has to be conditioned to be transmitted, in order to do so transformers which accelerate the voltage to the transmission lines are used.

Distribution.
This is the last step in the process, where electrical power generated is standardized and sent to the final user through the distribution system.

Thermal power plant process diagram