Efficiency Of Power Plants-1

Efficiency of Power Plant

Efficiency of power plant can be defined by how efficient a power plant converting the maximum possible power available to the electricity i.e potential and kinetic energy of water into electricity by hydel power plant and heat energy of steam into electricity by steam turbine.

Another meaning of efficiency which is more practical is installation and then running cost. Installation cost of hydel power station are highest while running cost is lowest with high rate to return while Combined cycle power plant has low installation cost while running cost is relatively high.

Robust Power Plant is another quality of efficient power plants. It meant plant capability to reach full load in minimum time. Combined cycle power plant are efficient in this criteria requiring only 1 hour or maximum of 2 hour to reach full base load while single cycle steam turbine power plant take up to 24 hours to reach full base load.

Thermal Power Plant

Efficiency of Thermal power plant depend upon many factors ranging from theoretical irreversibilities of the processes to geological and domestic factors. All these complexities end up to set a price/cost for per unit electricity. Major factors shall be discussed here.

Power plants can be classified depending upon the prime mover which is being used to drive the generator. This classification often set minimum level of efficiency for a power plant. However, the cost per unit of electricity is not entirely dependent upon this factor.

Overall final cost of single unit is dependent upon following major factor:
 

·        Fuel Cost

·        Location of Power Plant

·        Availability of Water

·        Quality Of Water

·        Fluctuation of Electrical Load

Fuel Cost
The cost of fuel is the major factor which often dominant others factors and also decide the type of power plant among thermal power plants (including nuclear power plant) including the prime mover( steam turbine, gas turbine, diesel engine etc) to be used. 

For example, coal power plants are not clean way to produce electricity efficiently and the system (conventional steam turbine and boiler system) which is used to produce electricity is not robust enough to tackle today’s challenge of fluctuating load demand. But still those countries with rich natural sources of coal or have nearby countries with these resources are considering to set-up these power plants.

With all these drawbacks, coal power plant are being erected only because their fuel cost is low enough to produce relatively cheap electricity.