Series 110: Power Plant Operations
Course 112: Generating Steam in the Power Plant
Covers energy principles and boiler maintenance. Explains coal, oil, and natural gas combustion, and how to conserve energy through improved combustion control.
Lesson 1 - Transforming Energy into Work
Topics:
Energy and matter; Fuels; Combustion; Temperature and pressure; Heat transfer; Sensible and latent heat; Enthalpy
Learning Objectives:
- Define energy and describe the main forms of energy encountered in a power plant.
- Explain the process of combustion and list the three elements necessary for combustion to occur.
- Explain the principles of temperature and pressure measurement and describe the four scales on which temperature is measured.
- Describe the methods of heat transfer and the types of effects heat transfer can have on a material.
- Summarize the interrelationship of temperature, volume, and pressure in a gas.
Lesson 2 - Boiler Operation
Topics:
Types and characteristic of boilers; Water treatment; Boiler and cooling tower blowdown; Wastewater disposal; Thermodynamic efficiency
Learning Objectives:
- Compare the two basic types of boilers.
- Describe the characteristics by which boilers are classified.
- Explain the different processes by which water is treated for use in a boiler.
- Define blowdown and explain its importance in boiler operation.
- List the problems associated with wastewater disposal and describe how these problems are overcome.
- Describe the factors that affect boiler efficiency, as well as auxiliary equipment efficiency.
- Calculate thermodynamic efficiency.
- List practices that aid in energy conservation in all areas of the power plant.
Lesson 3 - Boiler Maintenance
Topics:
Soot and scale removal; Corrosion; Calibration; Cleaning; Maintaining auxiliaries; Valves; Piping; Pumps; Fans; Controls; Stacks and cyclones
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how the two types of sootblowers remove soot and slag from heat exchange surfaces.
- Describe how scale forms on boiler surfaces and list the three common removal methods.
- Explain why both hot-end and cold-end corrosion occur in a boiler, and tell what practices help prevent corrosion.
- Describe how refractory should be maintained and list the problems that can occur if it is not properly maintained.
- List the primary functions of boiler control systems and describe the three common types.
- Explain how to calibrate and clean boiler control systems and maintain compressed air systems.
- Summarize maintenance procedures for boiler auxiliaries such as pumps, valves, motors and electric circuits.
Lesson 4 - Combustion and How It Works
Topics:
Coal, oil and natural gas; Chemistry and efficiency of combustion; Burners; Flame color and adjustment; Coal firing; Ash analysis
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the different ranks of coal and describe how the makeup of coal affects its heating value.
- List the properties that are tested in a coal analysis.
- Summarize the properties of oil and natural gas fuels.
- Explain the combustion process in detail.
- Describe how to interpret and adjust a flame's characteristics in coal, oil, and gas burners.
- Describe the three types of coal firing systems.
- List the ways in which combustion efficiency is measured.
Lesson 5 - Steam Generation
Topics:
Temperature/pressure/volume relationships; Superheating; Boiler water circulation; Conserving energy; Blowdown; Makeup water
Learning Objectives:
- Trace the flow of water and steam through the boiler system.
- Explain the relationship between temperature and pressure and explain why superheated steam has a higher quality than saturated steam.
- Read a steam table properly and apply its information to a boiler system.
- Compare natural circulation boilers with forced circulation boilers, and explain how pressure and temperature affect the type of boiler used.
- Describe the process of operating a high-pressure boiler at low pressure.
- Describe how proper maintenance of steam traps, valves, packing, flanges, and insulation improve the energy conservation rate in a boiler system.
