Abstract

The basic processes and equipment used to generate power, whether mechanical or electrical, have advanced significantly in the twentieth century. Fossil fuel-fired power plants remain the main sources of power generation, although nuclear fuels provide a large percentage of power worldwide. Power generation facilities harness the thermal energy released during the combustion of fossil fuels or the fission of nuclear ones and convert this thermal energy to electricity for transmission and distribution to users. Predominant fossil fuel plant types include conventional boiler-based Rankine cycle facilities; engine-based plants relying on combustion turbines (Brayton cycle) or reciprocating engines (Carnot cycle); and combined-cycle plants relying on a combination of technologies. The various arrangements of the components, the thermodynamic factors, and the efficiencies of these systems are described. Fuel handling and storage, combustion and process control, water and waste treatment, as well as emissions monitoring and control for fossil fuel-fired plant operations are discussed. Renewable energy technologies, particularly hydroelectric generation, have also been widely applied and demonstrated. Advanced technologies, such as electrochemical fuel cells, hold promise for the future. Many of the principles related to the operation of conventional fossil fuel-fired plants are also employed in nuclear stations, waste-fired plants, and renewable energy facilities.