steam plant operation

[...]... from steam generators that use the fossil fuels of coal, oil, or natural gas A portion of the energy from natural gas powers gas turbine cogeneration plants that incorporate a steam cycle Since nuclear plants also use steam to drive turbines, when added to the fossil fuel plant total, almost 90 percent of electricity production comes from steam power plants, which certainly reflects the importance of steam. .. major uses of steam in industry 1.4 What are the sources of heat that are used to generate steam? 1.5 What is a British thermal unit (Btu)? 1.6 Why is air pollution control equipment so important in the production of steam? 1.7 Provide a sketch and describe the operation of the Rankine steam cycle What is the advantage of superheating the steam? 1.8 Define dry saturated steam and superheated steam 1.9... systems that are a necessary part of a modern plant are also thoroughly described because their reliability and efficiency are necessary to the successful operation of these plants Questions and Problems 1.1 Why are the study and understanding of steam power plants so important? 1.2 Describe the various forms of energy input to a power plant Provide examples of the plant output that uses this energy Ch01_Lammers_1418466... The steam generated flows through a steam turbine that is connected to its electric generator Figure 1.10 shows a block diagram of a cogeneration system The interest in the combined cycle for power plants has resulted from the improved technology of gas turbines and the availability of natural gas The steam cycle plays a secondary role in the system Fuel Steam Stack C.T steam Combustor Process steam. .. the plant in order to determine the best economical selection of a power plant type and its fuel With an expected plant life of 40 years and more, making the proper decision on the type of power plant and its fuel is critical to the economic viability of the project This decision is often complicated when plant site environmental requirements force a decision toward a more expensive fuel 1.7 Summary Steam. .. economical to distribute steam through long steam lines at pressures below 150 psig because, in order to minimize Figure 1.9 Effect of steam pressure on evaporation in industrial boilers (Babcock & Wilcox, a McDermott company.) Ch01_Lammers_1418466 10/8/04 11:34 AM Page 23 Steam and Its Importance 23 TABLE 1.1 Heat Absorption Percentages for Water Preheating, Evaporation, and of Steam Superheating 500... utility plants, a kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity is produced for each 8500 to 9500 Btus that are supplied from the fuel, and this results in a net thermal efficiency for the plant of 36 to 40 percent These facilities use steam- driven turbine generators that produce electricity up to 1300 MW, and individual boilers are designed to produce steam flows ranging from 1 million to 10 million lb/h Modern plants... development of the economic aspects of a power plant, both the initial capital costs of the plant and the operating costs must be evaluated carefully Of these costs, the fuel cost is the highest of all costs over the life of the plant, and thus the overall plant efficiency is extremely important This, therefore, involves the careful selection of the primary fuel for the plant and of the operating and environmental... chemicals Ch01_Lammers_1418466 10/8/04 11:34 AM Page 31 Steam and Its Importance I Ash and by-product effluent handling and treatment I Consumables I Annual maintenance I Spare parts I Fixed Costs Plant operators I Plant management I Maintenance personnel I 31 Overhead expenses The preceding fixed O&M costs are incurred whether or not the plant is operational, and such costs increase over time The variable... Utility Boilers for Electric Power Both in the United States and worldwide, the majority of electric power is produced in steam power plants using fossil fuels and steam turbines Most of the electric production comes from large electric utility plants, although many of the newer plants are much smaller and owned and operated by independent power producers (IPPs) Until the 1980s, the United States and . equipment that are used commonly in today’s operating steam power plants. Each power plant has many interacting systems, and in a steam power plant these include fuel and ash handling, handling. condensate, steam, environmental control systems, and the control systems that are necessary for a safe, reliable, and efficiently run power plant. The eighth edition of Steam- Plant Operation continues. important in producing energy. Steam is basically recycled, from steam to water and then back to steam again, all in a manner that is nontoxic in nature. The steam plants of today are a combination