Power 101
As interest in the power segment of the energy continues to grow into a front-of-mind issue, our corporate clients have increasingly sought out learning materials for their staff. Opportunities abound for energy companies as this shift occurs, but so do risks.
Empower your teams to recognize the opportunities available in power with our Power 101 course.
Power 101 Course Outline
Module A Overview: Scope and Breadth of Power Plant Types
Latest (2016) Data Source is the IEA Global Electricity Overview 2018
Video Timing: 19:40
1) Setting the stage – Providing context:
a) Power Generation, Trends and future direction
b) Need for power.
c) Growth around the world – where will it be?
2) Basic Categories of Power Plants/Stations… In order of global generation capacity from IEA
a) How will it be supplied
i) Current plants (totals & by global location)
ii) Future outlook – Plant type and where
b) Thermal or often called FFPPs (fossil-fueled power plants)
i) Coal-fired
ii) Natural gas – combined cycle
iii) Oil-fired
c) Nuclear – future outlook covered briefly
d) Renewables – future outlook covered briefly
3) Power 101: Module Overview
a) Power 101 focus is on FFPPs, thermal power, generation
b) What is a FFPP power plant/station?
c) How will they be discussed? – Used the EKTi navigation model below
4) Summary
Module B: Thermal Power Plant Fundamentals
(Adapted from the “How power plants work” handbook)
Video Timing: 19:30
Thermal Power Plant – Basic Principles
(“How power plants work” – update and animate)
Let’s discuss each component, its importance, operation and basic terminology…
But first we must understand some things about steam.
Current topics follow the diagram:
1) Basics of steam would include
a) Steam: temperature- pressure relationships
b) Superheated steam –
2) The boiler: what it is, how it works, and why it’s important
a) Typical boiler design,
b) Feedwater and water quality management
c) Fans
d) Flue gas and ash management.
3) The turbine: what it is (pinwheels), how it works, and why it’s important
a) What about exhausted steam and condensate?
b) Size and capacity
c) TBD
4) The generator – covered briefly
5) Power Distribution covered briefly
6) Condenser: what it is, how it works, and why it’s important
7) Preheater: Raising boiler efficiency from Lesson 2 “How power plants work”
8) Cogen – covered briefly
9) The Cooling Tower what it is, how it works, and why it’s important
a) TBD
b) TBD
10) A word about control systems – and why we will discuss them.
11) Summary
Module C: Coal-Fired Power Plants
Video Timing: 17:33
Current Topics:
1) Overview
a) What is a coal- fired power plant
b) Why are they (still) important? And where?
c) Refer back to Overview Module A
d) Schematic of plant layout
2) Fuel Management Complexity is Very High and Details:
a) Raw coal to plant and storage
b) Conveyor transport to a hopper
c) Pulverizing mill
d) Combined with air to get to the furnace
3) Types of coal fired plants – Efficiency improvement
a) Sub Critical
b) Super Critical
c) Ultra Supercritical (future)
4) Primary : The Fuel/Air – Flue Gas system
5) Secondary: The Water-Steam system
6) A word about controls and challenges
7) Environmental challenges
a) CO2 Emissions
b) Coal Ash
c) Cooling water
d) Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) – Currently a separate module because of importance
8) “Decommissioning” or converting to natural gas
9) Summary
Module D: Natural-Gas Fired Power Plants
Video Timing: 19:30
Current Topics:
1) Overview
a) What is a natural gas-fired power plant
b) Why are they important? And where?
c) Refer back to Overview Module A
d) Schematic of plant layout
2) Fuel Management Complexity is Low and Details:
a) Pipeline to plant via a Local Distribution Company (LDC)
b) What is a Local Distribution Company (LDC)
3) Types of natural gas fired plants
a) Simple Cycle – Peak loading
b) Combined Cycle – Baseload power
4) Gas turbine (prime mover) basics… Key suppliers/sizes
5) Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HSRGs) in combined cycle
6) The steam turbine in a combined cycle application
7) A word about controls and challenges
8) Environmental challenges
a) CO2 Emissions
b) Cooling water
9) Summary
Module E: Flue Gas Desulfurization
Video Timing: 20:23
Current Topics:
1) What is Flue Gas Desulfurization, and where is it applied
2) Where does FGD fit in a power plant?
3) Global FGD equipment investments that include expansions and retrofits
4) Background on fossil fuel emissions and flue gas legislation
5) The two primary types of FGD absorber technologies, including:
a. Wet scrubbing and
b. Dry scrubbing
6) The key gas-handling equipment in an FGD unit, including:
a. Ducting,
b. The stack and the
c. Gas-to-gas heater.
7) And finally, the FGD process.
Learn more with our Power 101 course. Available now.