Energy Content in Coal

The basic function of the power plant is to convert energy in coal to electricity. Therefore, the first thing we should know is how much energy there is in coal. Energy content of coal is given in terms of KiloJoules (kJ) per Kilogram (kg) of coal as the Gross calorific value (GCV) or the Higher Heating value (HHV) of coal. This value can vary from 10500 kJ/kg to 25000 kJ/kg depending on the quality and type of the coal. You should have an idea of the type of coal, or the source or mine from where the the plant gets the coal. Published data about the sources, mines, regions or the procurement data gives an idea about the HHV of coal. For this example we use a HHV of 20,000 kJ/kg.

Efficiency
Energy conversion takes place in two stages.

The first part of the conversion is efficiency of the boiler and combustion. For this example we take 88 % on an HHV basis that is the normal range for a well-optimized power plant. Second part is the steam cycle efficiency. Modern Rankine cycle, adopted in coal fired power plants, have efficiencies that vary from 32 % to 42 %. This depends mainly on the steam parameters. Higher steam perssure and tempertures in the range of 600 C and 230 bar have efficiencies around 42 %. We assume a value of 38 % for our case. The overall conversion efficiency then is (38% x 88%) 33.44 %.

Heat Rate
Heat rate is the heat input required to produce one unit of electricity. (1 kw hr)

One Kw is 3600 kJ/hr. If the energy conversion is 100 % efficient then to produce one unit of electricity we require 3600 kJ. After considering the conversion efficiency in a power plant we require an heat input of (3600 / 33.44% ) 10765 kJ/ kw hr.

Coal Quantity

Since coal has a heat value of 20,000 kJ/kg, for producing one kw.hr we require (10765 / 20000) 0.538 kg of coal. This translates to (0.538 x 100 x 1,000) 53800 kg/hr (53.8 T/hr) of coal for an output of 100 MW.

Coal Cost

Basic cost of coal depends on the market conditions. Transportation costs, regional influences and government taxes are also part of the cost. Coal traders web sites give base prices in the international market.

We take a coal price of around 65 $ / Ton. The cost of coal consumed by 100 MW power plant is (53.8 x 65) 3497 $ /hr A 100 MW unit produces 100,000 units of electricity. So the cost of coal per unit of electricity is (3497/100,000) 3.5 cents per unit.

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/52544.aspx#ixzz0x WGA Thermal Power Plant requires enormous quantity of water for cooling the steam in the condenser. Availability of this large amount of condenser cooling water known as Circulating Water is a key factor in deciding the investment and location of a Thermal Power Plant. Thermal power plants utilize water as the medium of converting heat energy from coal or other fuels to mechanical rotational energy in the turbine to produce electricity. Water on heating in a boiler forms steam at high pressure and temperature. The steam then expands in a turbine to rotate it. After the steam leaves the turbine, it is then condensed and reused again. The condensation takes place in the condenser. The process removes the Latent heat and changes water in the vapour form to liquid form. This requires a medium to cool the steam. Water is the cooling medium in the condenser. This cooling water is termed Circulating Water or Condenser cooling water. As the steam condenses to water, the volume reduces drastically, to one by ten thousandth of the steam volume. This creates a vacuum in the condenser. The water then collects in the bottom part of the condenser called the hot well. The vacuum enables the steam to expand more to get higher work output from the turbine. The continuous condensing and removal of the water helps maintain the vacuum. Power plants operate with condenser vacuum in the range of 0.1 to 0.15 bar absolute. This is the maximum vacuum practically possible. The heat rejected in the condenser is almost 25 % of the heat input to a power plant. This constitutes the biggest loss in a thermal power plant. This makes the Vacuum in the condenser one of the most critical operating parameters that affects the efficiency of a thermal power plant. All power plants critically monitor the condenser vacuum continuously. The quantity and temperature of the Circulating Water is the main factor that affects the condenser vacuum and consequently the power output.

How much Circulating Water?

The quantity of Circulating Water required is very high. Based on a simple heat balance, the requirement will be almost 65 to 70 times the steam flow entering the Turbine. A 600 MW thermal power plant uses around 1800 tons per hour of steam from the boiler. This means the circulating water requirement in tropical areas will be almost 120,000 cubic metre per hour. With a 15 Meter head, this requires a pumping power of around 4 MW. This huge quantity of water, the second biggest input in a power plant after fuel, decides the location of a thermal power plant, including nuclear power plants.
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