thermal power plants

The three main engines of thermal power plants are: boiler, turbine and generator. It is a factory that uses coal, oil and natural gas as fuel to produce electricity. The basic production process of a thermal power plant is to put the fuel (coal) into the boiler for combustion, transfer the heat generated by it to the steam, generate high temperature and high-pressure steam, steam into the steam turbine, drive the turbine rotor to rotate, the heat energy into internal mechanical energy, the steam turbine drives the generator to rotate, the mechanical energy into electrical energy.

A modern thermal power plant is a large and complex plant that produces electricity and heat. It consists of the following five systems: ① Fuel system. ② Combustion system. ③ Soda water system. ④ Electrical system. ⑤ Control system. In the above systems, the most important equipment is the boiler, steam turbine and generator, which are installed in the main building of the power plant. Main transformers and distribution devices are generally installed in independent buildings or outdoors, other auxiliary equipment such as water supply systems, water supply equipment, water treatment equipment, dust removal equipment, fuel storage and transportation equipment, some installed in the main plant, some installed in auxiliary buildings or in the open field.

Compared with wind power, nuclear power and solar power, the price advantage of coal-based thermal power is obvious. Thermal power generation has strong stability, less site restrictions, mature power generation technology and high frequency of use. Most hydropower is seasonal, and the power generation varies greatly during high and low water periods. Wind power is also limited by the uncertainty of wind power. Nuclear power needs to be built in areas with sufficient cooling water and low seismic intensity, and nuclear waste disposal capacity requires high requirements, and new construction and expansion take time. Photovoltaic power generation has low energy density, is greatly affected by the climate environment, and has strong regional dependence on sunshine resources.

In addition, coal power generation is the main energy source of emergency peaking reserve power supply program, and once it encounters tight power and heat supply, serious grid failures and major power preservation needs, the emergency protection function is still mainly dependent on coal.

（picture from Xiaohongshu app）

Resource of information：

【1】     Sarkar D. Thermal power plant: design and operation[M]. Elsevier, 2015.

【2】     Kaushik S C, Reddy V S, Tyagi S K. Energy and exergy analyses of thermal power plants: A review[J]. Renewable and Sustainable energy reviews, 2011, 15(4): 1857-1872.

This article is a part of the class “751447 SEM IN CUR ECON PROB” supervised by Asst. Prof. Napon Hongsakulvasu Faculty of Economics, Chiang Mai University

This article was written by Jiayi Li 631615506