Rankine cycle is a vapor power cycle (a type of thermodynamic cycle) on which a steam based thermal power plant works. It consists of four processes Isobaric heat addition at boiler Isentropic expansion at turbine Isobaric heat rejection at condenser Isentropic compression at pump Now let’s understand Rankine cycle by relating it to steam based… Read More »
A thermal power plant is a power station which converts thermal energy to electrical energy. A thermal power plant is different from hydro power plant, where energy (kinetic and potential) of water is converted into electrical energy. For operating a thermal power plant, thermal energy can be obtained by burning fossil fuel, nuclear fuel, solar… Read More »
A steam engine is a type of heat engine in which working fluid is steam. It converts thermal energy of steam into mechanical work. Mechanical work can be used in generating electricity or propelling a locomotive. There are two types of Steam Engines. Steam is obtained from a boiler, where some fuel is burned to… Read More »
What is a Kaplan Turbine? Kaplan turbine is a propeller type, axial flow water turbine. It has adjustable blades. Adjustable blades help in obtaining good efficiency at wide range of head and discharge available to the turbine. It is suitable for low head and high flow applications. It is an evolution of Francis turbine. It is… Read More »
What is a Francis Turbine? A Francis Turbine is a type of reaction turbine in which inward flow (of water) is mixed. Mixed flow means a combination of both axial and radial. It is mainly used for electrical power generation. Operating parameters of Francis Turbine Head: 40 m to 600 m RPM: 75 to 1000… Read More »
What is Geothermal energy? Geothermal energy is a type of thermal energy which is generated and stored in earth. Note: Thermal energy is a type of energy which is responsible for the temperature of the matter. The geothermal energy in the earth’s crust has originated from the formation of earth and the radioactive decay of… Read More »
What is a turbine? Before moving to the definition of turbine (and its types: Radial and Axial flow turbines) and how it works, let’s first understand the meaning of the word from which turbine has derived its name. The word turbine has been formed from the Latin word ‘Turbo’, which means ‘to spin’. Now you… Read More »
Cochran Boiler Working and Construction Cochran boiler consists of a cylindrical shell with its crown having a spherical shape. The furnace is also hemispherical in shape. The grate is also placed at the bottom of the furnace and the ash-pit is located below the grate. The coal is fed into the grate through the fire… Read More »
We all know any thermodynamic power cycle depends on a working fluid for the transfer of heat from the source to the point where it is converted to some useful work. Picking a working fluid for any vapour power cycle is not a random decision, as in case of any malfunction, it can be dangerous… Read More »