THERMOELECTRIC POWER PLANT: PARTS AND CHARACTERISTICS - DUDAS - 2025

A thermoelectric plant, also known as a thermoelectric generation plant, is a system constituted to generate electrical energy by releasing heat, by burning fossil fuels.

The mechanism currently used to generate electrical energy from fossil fuels essentially consists of three phases: fuel combustion, turbine drive and electric generator drive.

1) Fuel burning ==> Transformation of chemical energy into thermal energy.

2) Turbine operation by means of the electric generator attached to the turbine ==> Transformation into electric energy.

3) Drive of the electric generator attached to the turbine ==> Transformation into electric energy.

Fossil fuels are those formed millions of years ago due to the degradation of organic waste in primeval times. Some examples of fossil fuels are petroleum (includes its derivatives), coal, and natural gas.

By means of this method, the vast majority of conventional thermoelectric plants worldwide operate, broadly speaking.

Parts

A thermoelectric power plant has a very specific infrastructure and characteristics, in order to fulfill the purpose of electricity generation in the most efficient way and with the least possible environmental impact.

Parts of a thermoelectric plant

A thermoelectric plant is made up of a complex infrastructure that includes fuel storage systems, boilers, cooling mechanisms, turbines, generators and electrical transmission systems.

Here are the most important parts of a thermoelectric plant:

1) Fossil fuel tank

It is a fuel reservoir conditioned according to the safety, health and environmental measures corresponding to the legislation of each country. This deposit must not pose a risk to plant workers.

2) Boiler

The boiler is the mechanism for generating heat, by transforming the chemical energy released during fuel burning, into thermal energy.

In this part the fuel burning process is carried out, and for this the boiler must be manufactured with materials resistant to high temperatures and pressures.

3) Steam generator

The boiler is lined with pipes for circulating water around it, this is the steam generation system.

The water that runs through this system heats up due to the transfer of heat from burning fuel, and evaporates quickly. The generated steam is superheated and is released under high pressure.

4) Turbine

The output of the above process, that is, the water vapor generated due to the burning of fuel, drives a turbine system that transforms the kinetic energy of the steam into rotary motion.

The system can be made up of several turbines, each with a specific design and function, depending on the level of steam pressure they receive.

5) Electric generator

The turbine battery is connected to an electric generator, through a common shaft. Through the principle of electromagnetic induction, the movement of the shaft causes the rotor of the generator to move.

This movement, in turn, induces an electrical voltage in the generator stator, thereby transforming the mechanical energy from the turbines into electrical energy.

6) Condenser

In order to guarantee the efficiency of the process, the water vapor that drives the turbines is cooled and distributed depending on whether it can be reused or not.

The condenser cools the steam through a cold water circuit, which can either come from a nearby body of water, or it can be reused from some of the intrinsic phases of the thermoelectric generation process.

7) Cooling tower

The water vapor is transferred to a cooling tower to drain said vapor to the outside, through a very fine metal mesh.

Two outputs are obtained from this process: one of them is the water vapor that goes directly into the atmosphere and, therefore, is discarded from the system. The other outlet is the cold water vapor that returns to the steam generator to be used again at the beginning of the cycle.

In any case, the loss of water vapor that is expelled into the environment must be replaced by inserting fresh water into the system.

8) Substation

The electrical energy generated must be transmitted to the interconnected system. For this, the electrical power is transported from the generator output to a substation.

There, the voltage levels (voltage) are raised in order to reduce energy losses due to the circulation of high currents in the conductors, basically due to their overheating.

From the substation, the energy is transported to the transmission lines, where it is incorporated into the electrical system for consumption.

9) Chimney

The chimney expels the gases and other wastes from the burning of fuel to the outside. However, before doing so, the fumes that result from this process are purified.

characteristics

The most outstanding characteristics of thermoelectric plants are the following:

- It is the most economical generation mechanism that exists, given the simplicity of the assembly of the infrastructure in comparison with other types of electricity generation plants.

- They are considered as unclean energies, given the emission of carbon dioxide and other polluting agents into the atmosphere.

These agents directly affect the emission of acid rain and increase the greenhouse effect that the earth's atmosphere complains about.

- Vapor emissions and thermal remnant can have a direct impact on the microclimate of the area in which they are located.

- The discharge of hot water after condensation can negatively influence the state of the water bodies surrounding the thermoelectric plant.

How do they work?

The thermoelectric generation cycle begins in the boiler, where the fuel is burned and the steam generator is activated.

Then, the superheated and pressurized steam drives the turbines, which are linked by a shaft to an electric generator.

Electric power is transported through a substation to a transmission yard, which is connected to some transmission lines, which allows it to meet the energy demands of the adjacent town.

References

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2. Conventional thermal or thermoelectric plants (sf). Recovered from: energiza.org
3. How a thermal power plant works (2016). Recovered from: Sostenibilidadedp.es
4. Operation of a thermoelectric plant (sf). Provincial Energy Company of Córdoba. Cordoba Argentina. Recovered from: epec.com.ar
5. Molina, A. (2010). What is a thermoelectric plant? Recovered from: nuevamujer.com
6. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2018). Thermal Power Plant. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org