Encyclopedia of what is who is a power plant. Great Soviet encyclopedia - power plant. Home power plant is not a dream

power station

Power plants are enterprises that generate electricity. Power plants are divided into thermal, hydraulic and nuclear. Thanks to mechanization and automation, the operation of power plants is controlled centrally. The work of the staff is characterized by great responsibility and tension.

The most favorable working conditions are at hydroelectric power stations. At nuclear power plants, radiation, aerosols and gases pose a health hazard.

The main producers of electricity are powerful block-type thermal power plants using coal, oil shale, peat, fuel oil, natural gas as fuel. Harmful factors are high temperatures, (see), noise (see) and vibration (see). In summer, the temperature in the boiler-turbine shop reaches 30-35°C, at the sites of the boilers, at the deaerators and in the crane cabins - 35-50°C. In winter, the microclimate is characterized by sharp temperature changes and drafts. The microclimate can be improved by careful thermal insulation of equipment and proper operation of ventilation. It is necessary to install air conditioners in the rooms of control panels and cabins of crane operators. When unloading and transporting fuel, in the boiler shop and ash department, the concentrations of fuel and ash dust reach 20-100 mg/m 3 ; when repairing and cleaning boilers - 100-500 mg / m 3. Fuel oil ash can cause poisoning with vanadium contained in it and skin diseases caused by impurities, nickel, vanadium, etc.

Dust reduction is facilitated by: sealing the fuel supply tracts, the introduction of dust-free methods for cleaning boilers and wet cleaning of premises. On sites with intensive dust emission it is necessary to use (see). Turbine generators, gas and steam pipelines, pumps, mills, etc. are sources of noise and vibration. The total noise levels at turbines are 94-110 dB, at mills - 109-120 dB, in the boiler shop - 80-95 dB, in control rooms - 70-90 dB. Noises are high frequency. The parameters of the general vibration, somewhat exceed the permissible levels. Noise and vibration reduction can be achieved by careful sound and vibration isolation of machines. In some areas, it is advisable to use antiphons (see).

Power plants are enterprises (thermal, hydraulic and nuclear) that generate electricity. The energy sector is based on powerful block-type thermal power plants, which, in addition to electrical power, can produce thermal energy for industrial and domestic needs in the form of steam and hot water (cogeneration). The operation of the power plant is controlled from the main shield, individual blocks and units from group and local shields. The work of machinists-operators is characterized by great responsibility and tension, especially during the start-up period and in an emergency. For the rational organization of their work, control electronic computers are currently used.

The most favorable working conditions are at hydroelectric power plants (HPP), at nuclear power plants (NPP).

The main workshops of the thermal power plant are the boiler and turbine. The fuels are coal, oil shale, peat, fuel oil and natural gas. Harmful factors are high temperatures, intense noise (see), dust (see) and toxic gases. In summer, the temperature reaches 30-35°, at the sites of water inspections, deaerators and in crane cabins - 35-50°. In winter, the microclimate is characterized by sharp temperature changes and drafts. Favorable meteorological conditions are achieved by improving the thermal insulation of equipment and the proper operation of aeration systems. In the premises of group control panels and cabins of crane operators, it is advisable to install air conditioners.

The highest concentrations of dust (10-50 mg/m 3) are observed during unloading, crushing, transporting fuel and in the ash room. When repairing and cleaning boilers, dust concentration reaches 100-500 mg/m 3 . Ash aerosols of high-sulfur fuel oils contain from 5 to 27% vanadium and up to 8-10% nickel, coal ash aerosols - up to 24% free silicon dioxide, shale ash - up to 10-20% free lime. Reducing dust can be achieved by installing local suction, the introduction of dust-free methods for cleaning boilers and wet cleaning of premises. It is necessary for repair workers to use respirators (see) and overalls.

The concentration of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, sulfurous and sulfuric anhydrides, as a rule, does not exceed the permissible values. Noise sources are turbine generators, steam pipelines, ejectors, pumps, mills. The general noise levels for turbines range from 94 to 110 dB, for ball mills - from 109 to 120 dB, in the boiler shop - from 80 to 95 dB, in the rooms of group shields - from 70 to 90 dB. Noises are characterized by the entire frequency range, including ultrasonic. To reduce noise, it is necessary to carefully soundproof steam and gas pipelines and eliminate additional noise in a timely manner. In some areas, antiphons should be used.

Electric energy, which began to be actively used, by historical standards, not so long ago, has significantly changed the life of all mankind. Currently, different types of power plants produce a huge amount of energy. Of course, for a more accurate representation, specific numerical values ​​could be found. But for a qualitative analysis, this is not so important. It is important to note the fact that electrical energy is used in all spheres of human life and activity. It is even difficult for a modern person to imagine how it was possible to do without electricity some hundred years ago.

The high demand also requires corresponding generating capacities. To generate electricity, as people sometimes say in everyday life, thermal, hydraulic, nuclear and other types of power plants are used. As it is not difficult to see, the specific type of generation is determined by the type of energy that is required to generate electric current. At hydroelectric power plants, the energy of a water stream falling from a height is converted into electric current. In the same way, gas-fired power plants convert the thermal energy of burning gas into electricity.

Everyone knows that the law of conservation of energy operates in nature. All of the above inherently transform one type of energy into another. In a chain reaction of decay of certain elements occurs with the release of heat. This heat is converted into electricity through certain mechanisms. Thermal power plants operate on exactly the same principle. Only in this case, the source of heat is organic fuel - coal, fuel oil, gas, peat and other substances. The practice of recent decades has shown that this method of generating electricity is very costly and causes significant damage to the environment.

The problem is that the reserves on the planet are limited. They should be used sparingly. The advanced minds of mankind have long understood this and are actively searching for a way out of this situation. One of the possible exit options are alternative power plants that operate on other principles. In particular, sunlight and wind are used to generate energy. The sun will always shine and the wind will never stop blowing. As experts say, these are inexhaustible or which need to be rationally used.

More recently, the list, which includes types of power plants, was short. Only three positions - thermal, hydraulic and nuclear. Currently, several well-known companies in the world are conducting serious research and development in the field of solar energy applications. As a result of their activities, solar-to-electricity converters appeared on the market. It should be noted that their efficiency still leaves much to be desired, but this problem will be solved sooner or later. The same is true for the utilization of wind energy. are becoming more widespread.

A hundred years ago, an ordinary person could not even imagine how many different devices would surround him. And all current electronics, household appliances and industrial equipment use electricity in their work - from a banal lighting lamp to multifunctional machining centers in large industries.

Providing electricity is one of the most important tasks for a home, office or production. It is quite clear that specialized equipment is used for this, which meets the needs in each specific case - power plants for various purposes and capacities.

Power plant - what is it?

According to the definition accepted in the technical literature, power plant is a complex of equipment, installations, as well as control equipment, which ensures the production of electrical energy. In addition, power plants are all buildings and structures involved in the process of generating electricity, which belong to one enterprise and are located in a certain area.

Almost all power plants use in their work the energy of rotation of the shaft of the main element - the generator, which actually produces electricity. The main differences between all types of such generating equipment are in size, form factor, and the type of energy source that actually rotates the shaft.

In addition to the generator itself, which is the main part of all power plants, regardless of their size, the complete set includes other elements: power lines and connecting power lines, boilers and tanks, turbines and transformers, switches and automation equipment. All these parts, combined into a single system, form power plants of the required capacity and purpose.

Some history and statistics

The opening of the first of them can be called the beginning of the development of power plants. A historic event took place in September 1882 in New York City, where Thomas Edison's company opened the first thermal plant, feeding an entire area of ​​the city. Also in 1882, the first hydroelectric power station appeared, providing electricity to two paper mills and the private house of the owner of the company that implemented this project.

For Russia, the era of electrification began in 1886 - it was in this year that a thermal power plant was successfully launched, which first guaranteed lighting only for the Winter Palace, and then for all utility rooms and Palace Square. The station operated on coal and successfully demonstrated the possibility of providing a large number of consumers with inexpensive and high-quality energy. This year should be considered the beginning of a successful, albeit rather slow, electrification of the country. With the advent of Soviet power, the pace of creating a single powerful energy system has increased significantly - suffice it to recall the famous Goelro plan, which successfully provided even remote settlements of the Soviet Union with "Ilyich's bulbs".

The development of technology has not spared its attention and energy. In addition, humanity has long been concerned about the gradual depletion of natural resources, which also led to a change in energy sources and the usual coal, gas, oil are gradually replaced by renewable resources - wind, solar, tide, nuclear energy. Naturally, new types of energy also require new technological solutions that ensure not only the correct use, but also the complete safety of any power plant.

Taking into account the specifics of their own natural resources, traditional energy in different countries and continents has received various main directions of development: thermal, nuclear, hydropower currently generate the vast majority of all electricity in the world. More than 90% of all power plants in the world operate using liquid, solid and gaseous fuels - oil products, coal, gas. Their use prevails in the power systems not only of our country, but also of other countries - China, Mexico, Australia.

Hydroelectric power plants make it possible to successfully use a directed and concentrated water jet as a propulsion for turbines, with only a minimal impact on the environment. In Brazil and Norway, almost all of the electricity generated is produced by hydroelectric power plants - this is facilitated by the presence of a large amount of water resources.

A striking example of countries where nuclear power prevails are France and Japan. Without their own reserves of coal or gas, these countries, with the discovery of the possibility of using a controlled nuclear reaction, almost completely switched to electricity generated by nuclear power plants.

Home power plant is not a dream

The development of compact energy sources is also a natural trend in the energy sector. Even a small diesel power plant is an opportunity to provide an office building, a working camp or several houses with an uninterrupted supply of electricity. Often, such options are the only possible way to enable remote fields to work, especially in permafrost or a polar station. The usual power sources for generators of power plants in places where it is impossible to lay conventional power lines are gradually being replaced by alternative options - wind turbines, solar panels, power plants powered by tidal or surf energy.

Due to their compactness, alternative methods of generating electricity are gaining great popularity among individuals. One relatively small windmill can easily provide electricity for private households, and if you approach the process in a complex way, then by supplementing the system with a solar station and batteries, you can easily get an excellent autonomous house. Among other things, non-standard options for generating electricity can significantly reduce its cost, which in modern conditions is an important factor. It is alternative methods of energy supply that make it possible to boldly assert that in the near future it will be so that a compact home power plant is not a luxury, but a completely affordable and safe source of electricity for every family.

3.4. EARLY POWER PLANTS

Power stations, which are understood as factories for the production of electrical energy to be distributed among various producers, did not appear immediately. In the 70s and early 80s of the XIX century. the place of electricity production was not separated from the place of consumption.

Power stations that provided electricity to a limited number of consumers were called block stations (not to be confused with the modern concept of block stations, by which some authors understand factory heat and power plants). Such stations were sometimes called "brownies".

The development of the first power plants was associated with overcoming difficulties not only of a scientific and technical nature. So, the city authorities forbade the construction of overhead lines, not wanting to spoil the appearance of the city. Competing gas companies in every possible way emphasized the real and imaginary shortcomings of the new type of lighting.

At block stations, mainly reciprocating steam engines and, in some cases, internal combustion engines (which were a novelty at that time) were used as primary engines, locomobiles were widely used. A belt drive was made from the primary engine to the electric generator. Typically, one steam engine powered one to three generators; therefore, several steam engines or locomobiles were installed at large block stations. To adjust the tension of the belts, electric generators were mounted on skids. On fig. 3.7 shows a view of a power plant for lighting one house.

For the first time, block stations were built in Paris to illuminate Opera Street. In Russia, the first installation of this kind was the station for lighting the Liteiny Bridge in St. Petersburg, created in 1879 with the participation of P.N. Yablochkov.

Rice. 3.7. Block station - a power station with two generators (lower right) and a locomobile (left) to light one house

However, the idea of ​​centralized electricity generation was so economically justified and so in line with the trend of concentration of industrial production that the first central power plants appeared already in the mid-1980s. and quickly ousted block stations. Due to the fact that in the early 1980s only light sources could become mass consumers of electricity, the first central power plants were designed, as a rule, to power the lighting load and generate direct current.

In 1881, several enterprising American financiers, impressed by the success that accompanied the demonstration of incandescent lamps, entered into an agreement with T.A. Edison and began construction of the world's first central power plant (on Pearl Street in New York). In September 1882, this power plant was put into operation. Six T.A. generators were installed in the machine room of the station. Edison, the power of each was about 90 kW, and the total power of the power plant exceeded 500 kW. The station building and its equipment were designed very expediently, so that in the future, during the construction of new power plants, many of the principles that were proposed by T.A. Edison. So, the generators of the stations had artificial cooling and were connected directly to the engine. The voltage was regulated automatically. The station provided mechanical fuel supply to the boiler room and automatic removal of ash and slag. The equipment was protected from short circuit currents by fuses, and the main lines were cable. The station supplied electricity to a vast area of ​​2.5 km at that time.

Soon, several more stations were built in New York. In 1887, 57 central power plants of the T.A. system were already operating. Edison.

The initial voltage of the first power plants, from which others were subsequently produced, forming a well-known voltage scale, has developed historically. The fact is that during the period of exceptional distribution of electric arc lighting, it was empirically established that the voltage of 45 V is the most suitable for arc burning. arcs included in series with the arc lamp ballast resistor.

It has also been empirically found that the resistance of the ballast resistor should be such that the voltage drop across it during normal operation is approximately 20 V. Thus, the total voltage in DC installations was at first 65 V, and this voltage was applied for a long time. However, two other lamps were often included in the same circuit, which required 2x45 \u003d 90 V to work, and if you add another 20 V to this voltage, which are attributable to the resistance of the ballast resistor, you get a voltage of 110 V. This voltage was almost universally accepted as a standard .

Already in the design of the first central power plants, difficulties were encountered that were not sufficiently overcome during the entire period of the dominance of direct current technology. The power supply radius is determined by the permissible voltage losses in the electrical network, which for a given network are the smaller, the higher the voltage. It was this circumstance that forced the construction of power plants in the central districts of the city, which significantly hampered not only the provision of water and fuel, but also increased the cost of land for the construction of power plants, since land in the city center was extremely expensive. This, in particular, explains the unusual appearance of New York power plants, where the equipment was located on many floors. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the first power plants had to place a large number of boilers, the steam capacity of which did not meet the new requirements imposed by the electric power industry.

Our contemporary would have been no less surprised to see the first St. Petersburg power plants that served the Nevsky Prospekt area. In the early 80s of the XIX century. they were placed on barges fixed at the berths on the Moika and Fontanka rivers (Fig. 3.8). The builders proceeded from considerations of cheap water supply, in addition, with this decision it was not necessary to buy land close to the consumer.

In 1886, a joint-stock "Society of Electric Lighting of 1886" was established in St. Petersburg: (abbreviated as the "Society of 1886"), which acquired power plants on the Moika and Fontanka rivers and built two more: near the Kazan Cathedral and on Engineering Square. The power of each of these power plants barely exceeded 200 kW.

Rice. 3.8. Power plant on the river. Fontanka in St. Petersburg

In Moscow, the first central power plant (Georgievskaya) was built in 1886, also in the center of the city, at the corner of Bolshaya Dmitrovka and Georgievsky lane. Her energy was used to illuminate the surrounding area. The power of the power plant was 400 kW.

The limited possibilities for expanding the radius of the electricity supply made it increasingly difficult to meet the demand for electricity over time. So, in St. Petersburg and Moscow, by the mid-90s, the possibilities of connecting a new load to existing power plants were exhausted and the question arose of changing the network layouts or even changing the type of current.

The growth in electricity demand effectively stimulated an increase in the productivity and efficiency of the thermal part of power plants. First of all, it should be noted a decisive turn from reciprocating steam engines to steam turbines. The first turbine at Russian power plants was installed in 1891 in St. Petersburg (a station on the Fontanka River). A year before, a turbine test was carried out at a station located on the river. Moika. The most significant shortcoming of direct current power supply has already been noted above - the area of ​​​​the district is too small, which can be served by a central power plant. The remoteness of the load did not exceed several hundred meters. Power plants sought to expand the circle of consumers of their product - electricity. This explains the persistent search for ways to increase the area of ​​power supply, while maintaining the already built DC stations. Several ideas have been proposed on how to increase the energy distribution radius.

The first idea, which did not receive noticeable distribution, concerned lowering the voltage of electric lamps connected at the end of the line. However, calculations showed that with a network length of more than 1.5 km, it was more economically profitable to build a new power plant.

Another solution, which in many cases could meet the need, was to change the network layout: moving from two-wire networks to multi-wire networks, i.e. actually increase the voltage

A three-wire power distribution system was proposed in 1882 by J. Hopkinson and independently by T. Edison. With this system, the generators at the power plant were connected in series and a neutral, or compensating wire, went from a common point. At the same time, ordinary lamps were preserved. They were switched on, as a rule, between the working and neutral wires, and the motors could be switched on at an increased voltage (220 V) to maintain load symmetry.

The practical results of the introduction of a three-wire system were, firstly, an increase in the power supply radius to about 1200 m, and secondly, the relative savings of copper (all other conditions being the same, the consumption of copper in a three-wire system was almost half that in a two-wire system).

To regulate the voltage in the branches of a three-wire network, various devices were used: additional regulating generators, voltage dividers, in particular, the widely used voltage dividers of Mikhail Osipovich Dolivo-Dobrovolsky, and batteries. The three-wire system has been widely used both in Russia and abroad. It was preserved until the 20s of the XX century, and in some cases it was used even later.

The maximum variant of multi-wire systems was a five-wire DC network, in which four generators connected in series were used and the voltage was quadrupled. The power supply radius increased to only 1500 m. However, this system was not widely used.

The third way to increase the radius of power supply involved the construction of battery substations. Batteries were at that time a mandatory addition to every power plant. They covered peak loads. Charging during the day and late at night, they served as a reserve.

Networks with battery substations have gained some popularity. In Moscow, for example, in 1892 a battery substation was built in the Upper Trading Rows (now GUM), located at a distance of 1385 m from the Georgievskaya central station. Batteries were installed at this substation, feeding about 2000 incandescent lamps.

In the last two decades of the XIX century. many DC power plants were built, and for a long time they provided a significant share of the total electricity generation. The power of such power plants rarely exceeded 500 kW; the units usually had a power of up to 100 kW.

All the possibilities of increasing the radius of power supply at direct current were exhausted rather quickly, especially in large cities.

In the 80s of the XIX century. alternating current power plants are being built, the profitability of which for increasing the radius of power supply was indisputable. If we do not count the AC block stations built in England in 1882-1883, then, apparently, the Grosner Gallery (London) power station can be considered the first permanent AC power station. At this station, put into operation in 1884, two V. Siemens alternators were installed, which, through J.D. Golar and L. Gibbs worked on the lighting of the gallery. The shortcomings of the series connection of transformers and, in particular, the difficulties of maintaining a constant current were identified rather quickly, and in 1886 this station was reconstructed according to the project of S.Ts. Ferranti. W. Siemens generators were replaced by machines designed by S.Ts. Ferranti rated at 1000 kW each with a terminal voltage of 2.5 kV. Transformers designed by S.Ts. Ferranti, were connected in parallel to the circuit and served to reduce the voltage in the immediate vicinity of consumers.

In 1889–1890 S.Ts. Ferranti returned to the problem of supplying electricity to London in order to provide electricity to the City of London. Due to the high cost of land in the city center, it was decided to build a power plant in one of the suburbs of London, in Deptford, located 12 km from the City. Obviously, at such a great distance from the place of consumption of electricity, the power plant had to produce alternating current. During the construction of this installation, powerful high-voltage generators (10 kV) with a power of 1000 hp each were used. The total output of the Deptford Power Station was about 3,000 kW. At four city substations fed by four main cable lines, the voltage was reduced to 2400 V, and then at consumers (in houses) - up to 100 V.

An example of a large hydroelectric power station that fed the lighting load in a single-phase circuit is the station built in 1889 on a waterfall near Portland (USA). At this station, hydraulic motors drove eight single-phase generators with a total capacity of 720 kW. In addition, 11 generators specifically designed to power arc lamps (100 lamps per generator) were installed at the power plant. The power from this station was transmitted over a distance of 14 miles to Portland.

A characteristic feature of the first AC power plants is the isolated operation of individual machines. Synchronization of generators has not yet been carried out, and a separate circuit went from each machine to consumers. It is easy to understand how uneconomical under such conditions turned out to be electrical networks, the construction of which involved enormous amounts of copper and insulators.

In Russia, the largest AC stations were built in the late 80s and early 90s of the 19th century. The first central power plant was built by the Hungarian company Ganz & K? in Odessa in 1887. The main consumer of energy was the single-phase electric lighting system of the new theatre. This power plant was a progressive building for its time. It had four water tube boilers with a total capacity of 5 tons of steam per hour, as well as two synchronous generators with a total power of 160 kW at a terminal voltage of 2 kV and a frequency of 50 Hz. From the switchboard, energy was supplied to a 2.5 km long line leading to the theater's transformer substation, where the voltage was reduced to 65 V (which incandescent lamps were designed for). The equipment of the power plant was so perfect for its time that, despite the fact that imported English coal served as fuel, the cost of electricity was lower than at later St. Petersburg and Moscow power plants. Fuel consumption was 3.4 kg/(kWh) [at St. Petersburg power plants 3.9–5.4 kg/(kWh)].

In the same year, the operation of a DC power plant in Tsarskoe Selo (now the city of Pushkin) began. The length of the air network in Tsarskoye Selo was already about 64 km in 1887, while two years later the total cable network of the Society of 1886 in Moscow and St. Petersburg, was only 115 km. In 1890, the Tsarskoye Selo power station and the network were reconstructed and transferred to a single-phase alternating current system with a voltage of 2 kV. According to contemporaries, Tsarskoye Selo was the first city in Europe to be illuminated exclusively by electricity.

The largest power plant in Russia for supplying a single-phase AC system was the station on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, built in 1894 by engineer N.V. Smirnov. Its power was 800 kW and exceeded the power of any DC station that existed at that time. Four 250 hp vertical steam engines were used as prime movers. each. The use of an alternating voltage of 2000 V made it possible to simplify and reduce the cost of the electrical network and increase the radius of power supply (more than 2 km with a loss of up to 3% of voltage in the main wires instead of 17–20% in DC networks). Thus, the experience of operating central stations and single-phase networks showed the advantages of alternating current, but at the same time, as already noted, revealed the limitations of its use. A single-phase system hindered the development of the electric drive, complicating it. So, for example, when connecting a power load to the Deptford station network, it was necessary to additionally place an accelerating AC collector motor on the shaft of each synchronous single-phase motor. It is easy to understand that such a complication of the electric drive made the possibility of its wide application very doubtful.

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