To achieve overall economy, the following points should be considered when choosing a site (Site selection) for a steam power station.
i) Fuel supply:
Steam power station should be near coal mine to minimize fuel transportation cost. However, if such a plant is to be set up in a place where coal is not available, Care should be taken to ensure adequate facilities for transportation of coal.
ii) Water availability:
Due to the large amount of water required for the condenser, such a plant should be near the river bank or canal to ensure continuous supply of water.
iii) Transportation facilities:
Modern steam power stations often require transportation of materials and machinery. Therefore, adequate transport facilities should be available. That is, the plant should be well connected to other parts of the country by railways, roads etc.
iv) Cost and type of land:
The steam power station should be in a place where the land is cheap and further expansion is possible if required. In addition, the carrying capacity of the land should be sufficient to accommodate heavy equipment.
v) Closeness to load centers:
To reduce transmission costs, the plant should be located close to load centers. This is especially important if a DC supply system is adopted. However, if the AC supply system is adopted, this factor becomes relatively less important. This is because AC power can be transmitted at high voltage resulting in lower transmission costs. Therefore, if other conditions are favorable, it is possible to install the plant away from the load centers.
vi) Distance from the population area:
Due to the large amount of coal being burned in the steam power station, smoke and fog pollute the surroundings. It is essential that the plant be located at a significant distance from the population area.
Conclusion:
It is clear that not all of the above factors can be favorable in one place. However, given the importance given to generation over supply and transmission in ACs nowadays, space away from cities can be chosen. In particular, riverside areas where sufficient water is available and fuel can be transported economically may be an ideal option.
MCQ Questions PDF of Module 11 : Power Generation and Substation.
- Sources of energy – Thermal power generation
- Hydel power plants
- Visiting of electrical substation
- Electrical substations
- Electrical power generation by non conventional methods
- Tidal power generation
- Magneto hydro dynamic (MHD) power generation
- Power generation by solar and wind energy
- Wind power generation
Download MCQ Questions PDF of Power Generation and Substation.
what is meant by quality of fule in connection with thermal power station? state its effect on quality of power generation