Coal Fired Power Plant & Electric Generator

A coal fired power plant makes a significant contribution to the electricity generation process. It is one of the biggest sources for providing energy to run the turbines. So, how is electricity generated from coal?

How Does Coal Fired Power Plant Work?

It produces energy that makes an important part of the total electricity generated. The coal energy helps drive turbine or the power plant to generate electricity. Often people mix thermal power station with a coal fired power plant. However, there is a difference between these two types of plants for producing electricity.

The coal fired power plants burn it to generate electricity. It is used to heat the boiler full of water. The heat generated boils the water to convert it into steam. This steam, under extreme pressure, flows through a power turbine to spin it. The coal energy thus directly contributes to the production of electricity.

The coal factory keeps producing electricity on a continuous basis to add to the grid station. The grid station has transformers which step up the voltage according to the distance that the electricity has to travel. Once the power reaches to the substations, the transformers there step down the voltage. After stepping down of voltage, the power is distributed to the business and domestic users.

Pros and Cons of Coal Generated Electricity

Here is a look at the benefits & disadvantages of producing electricity from coal.

Advantages

• It is cheaper to generate electricity using this resource. Also, its price remains relativity stable compared to other ways of generating power.
• Coal is easy to burn, producing high levels of energy upon combustion.
• The users of the electric utility can afford cheap power due to its usage.
• It is a reliable source of producing electricity on a continuous basis.

Disadvantages

• It is not the cleanest source of generating energy with a lot of carbon dioxide released into the air. The carbon dioxide damages the ozone layer and increases the Earth’s temperature.
• Besides carbon dioxide, it also produces many other harmful gases detrimental to human health.
• We cannot consider it among renewable sources of energy, and its reserves are fast depleting.
• The mining activity also has its ill effects on the environment, putting the lives of many at risk, including the miners.

There is no doubt about the significance of coal energy. However, we still need to develop renewable sources of energy to have alternative ways of producing low-cost electricity.