22073 - POWER PLANT ENGINEERING

One mark questions

For fifth semester

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Prepared by

S. VISWANATHAN
Lecturer / Mechanical

RANGANATHAN POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

Viraloyur (post ), Thondamuthur, Coimbatore- 641 109

UNIT-I
SOURCES OF ENERGY AND ECONOMICS OF POWER PLANT
1. What are the sources of energy?
A)Conventional energy sources
Eg: Fossil Fuel, Hydel Energy, and Nuclear Energy
B) Non Conventional Energy Sources
E.g.: Solar, Wind, Biogas
2. What is power?
Power is rate of doing work
Power=Work Done/Time (KJ/S)
3. What are the conventional energy sources?
Conventional energy sources are fossil fuel energy, hydel energy and
nuclear energy.
4. What are the primary energy sources?
Primary energy sources are coal, oil, uranium and natural gas.
5. What is fuel?
Fuel is a substance which produces heat when burnt with air
6. What are different types of fuels?
(i) Solid Fuel
(ii) Liquid Fuel
(iii) Gaseous Fuel
7. Give examples for solid fuels.

(i)Wood
(ii)Coal
(iii)Coke
(iv)Char Coal
8. Give examples for liquid fuels.
(i)Petrol
(ii)Diesel
(iii)Kerosene
9. Give examples for gaseous fuels.
(i) LPG
(ii)Natural Gas
(iii)Methane
10. Mention two disadvantages of solid fuels.
(i)It Contains Ash
(ii)It Pollutes Atmosphere
11. What is calorific value?
It is define as amount of heat energy liberated by combustion of
1 kg of coal
12. What are different types of coal?
(i) Anthracite Coal
(ii) Bituminous Coal
(iii) Lignite Coal
13. Mention the type of coal which has less moisture and ash content.
Anthracite Coal.

14. What is hydel energy?

Is defined as the greatest demand of load on the power station.

It is the energy derived from water power.

24. What is load curve?

15. What is nuclear energy?

Load curve is a graph showing the variation of load on power station

It is the energy produced from fission of nuclear fuels

with respect to time

16. What are nonconventional energy sources?

25. What is meant by economic load sharing?

(i)Solar Energy

When combined load is to be supplied by two or more power plants in

(ii)Wind Energy

parallel. The maximum overall efficiency is obtained when the plants are

(iii)Bio Gas

operating at loads which correspond to the same incremental rate value.

17. What is solar energy?

It is known as economic load sharing.

It is the energy derived from heat radiation of sun.

26. What are different types tariff?

18. What is wind energy?

(i) Simple Tariff

It is the energy derived from wind power.

(ii) Flat Rate Tariff

19. What is bio gas?

(iii) Block Rate Tariff

Bio gas is a gas produced from digestion of organic matter.

(iv) Two Part Tariff

20. What are types of load?

(v) Maximum Demand Tariff

(i) Residential load

27. What is traction load?

(iii) Industrial load

(ii) Commercial load (iv) Irrigation load

Electricity used by railways and trolleys are called traction load.

(v) Municipal load

28. What is flat rate tariff?

21. What is residential load?

When different types of consumers are charged at different uniform per

Electricity used by domestic lights and domestic appliances are called

unit rates is called flat rate tariff.

residential load.

29. What is two part tariff?

22. What is commercial load?

When the rate of electrical energy is charged on the basis of maximum

Electricity used by shops advertisements are called commercial load.

demand of consumer and the units consumer is called two part tariff.

23. What is maximum demand?

30. Give some examples for manufactured fuels.

(i) Coke (ii) Briquette

6. What is the function of mechanical stokers?

(iii) Char Coal (iv) Producer Gas

It is used to feed solid fuels in to furnace in thermal power plants.

31. State any two merits of gaseous fuels

7. Name the various methods of ash handling.

(i) It has higher calorific values

(i) Hydraulic Ash Handling System

(ii) It requires less space for storage

(ii) Pneumatic Ash Handling System

32. What are the requirements of fuel?

8. What is the need of quench the ash before handling?

(i) it should have high calorific value

The purpose of quench ash is to reduce the temperature of ash and to

(ii) It should have low ignition temperature

reduce dusts in fly ash.

UNIT-II
STEAM POWER PLANT

9. What is the function of draught?

The purpose of draught is to supply sufficient air for combustion and to
remove exhaust from system.

1. What is steam power?

(iii) Air and flue gas circuit (iv) Cooling water circuit.

10. What are different types of draughts?

(i) Natural Draught
(ii) Mechanical Draught
a)Induced Draught b)Forced Draught.
11. What is natural draught?

3. Write any two advantages of pulverizing the fuel.

Movement or flow of air and flue gas due to density difference is called

(i) Rapid and high rate of combustion.

natural draught.

(ii) It requires less excess air.

12. What is mechanical draughts?

(iii) Rate of combustion can be adjusted easily

Movement of flow of air and flue gas due to mechanical devices is called

4. State the functions of pulverize.

mechanical draught.

(i) Drying the coal

(ii) Grinding
(iii) Separation of particle of desired size.
5. Name the different types of coal pulverizing mills.

13. What is condenser?

(i) Ball Mill (ii) Hammer Mill

14. What is the use of condenser in thermal power plant?

(iii) Ball and Race Mill (iv) Bowl Mill (v) Shaft Mil

It is used to condense exhaust steam into water.

It is the energy derived from steam produced from water.

2. Name four main circuits in thermal power plant.
(i) Feed water and steam circuit (ii) Coal and ash circuit

It is the device where exhaust steam is condensed into water is called

condenser.

15. What is surface condenser?

Cooling tower is a device in which condenser water is evaporative

It is a type of condenser in which exhaust steam and cooling water do not

cooled by atmospheric air.

in to direct contact.

24. What are components of cooling tower?

16. What is the use of electrostatic precipitators in thermal power

1. Fill 2. Frame and casing

plants?

3. Drift eliminators 4. Fans

It is used to collect fly ash and particulates from exhaust gas.

5. Air outlet 6. Air inlet

25. What are the types of cooling tower?

17. List out any two types of surface condenser.

(i) Natural draft cooling tower

(i) Down flow type surface condenser

(ii) Mechanical draft cooling tower

(ii)Evaporative condenser
18. What are types of steam turbines?

26. What is steam boiler?

(i) Impulse turbine (ii) Reaction turbine

Steam boiler is used to produce steam from water.

19. What is impulse steam turbine?

27. List out any two types of boilers.

The turbine which works on the principle of impulse is known as

impulse turbine.
20. What is reaction steam turbine?

(i) Fire tube boiler

(ii) Water tube boiler
28. What is fire tube boiler?

The turbine works on the principle of impulse reaction is known as

reaction turbine
21. What is the function of steam engine?

It is a type of boiler in which hot flue gases pass through tubes

Steam engine is a heat engine that develops mechanical energy from hot
steam
22. Write any two advantages of steam turbines over steam engines.

surrounded by water
29. What is water tube boiler?
It is a type of boiler in which water pass through tubes surrounded by
hot flue gases

(i) High thermal efficiency (ii) Less maintenance

30. Name any two advantages of water tube boiler.

(iii) Low noise (iv) High capacity

(i) High boiler efficiency

23. What is cooling water?

(ii) Suitable for power plants

(iii) Large capacity

31. State any two factors affecting steam plant design

3. What is purpose of hydel power plant?

(i) Location side of power plant

1. Generation of power.

(ii) Land cost

2. Storage of irrigation water.

(iii) Availability of water

4. List any two types of dams.

32. Name any two effects thermal power plant on environment.

1. Earth dam

(i) Low yield of crops

(ii) Asthma to humans
(iii) Throat irritation
33. What are main pollutants from thermal power plant?

2. Masonry dam

(i) Fly ash (ii) Carbon monoxide

(iii) Sulphur dioxide (iv) NOx

5. What is the purpose of spillway?

It is used to provide for the release of flood water from a dam.
6. What is pumped storage hydel plant?
These plants supply the peak load for the base load power plant pump all

(v) Particulates

or a portionof their own water supply

34. State the coal weighing methods.
a) Mechanical, b) Pneumatic, c) Electronic
35. What is pulverizer?
Coal is pulverized to increase its surface3 exposure and permitting
rapid combustion. The pulverizing coal is obtained by grinding the raw
coal in pulverizing mills.
UNIT-III
HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PLANT
1. What is hydel power plant?
The falling water having possesses some energy. This flow energy of
water is called Hydel power
2. State any two applications of hydro power plant.
1. Control the floods in the rivers.
2. Generation of power.

7. What is meant by penstock?

Penstocks are pipes usually made of steel and are equipped with gate
system.
8. State the purpose of penstock in hydel plant.
It is used carry water under pressure from the reservoir to the turbine
inside power station.
9. What are materials used for penstock?
1. Mild steel,

2. PVC (polyvinyl chloride),

3. Pre-stressed concrete

10. What is surge tank?

It is the tank connected to the water conductor system for reducing water
hammering in pipes.
11. What is the function of surge tank?
It is used to regulate the flow of water to the turbines.

And reducing water hammering in pipes.

2. Francis turbine

12. What is micro hydel power plant?

20. What is pelton turbine?

Micro hydel power plants are small capacity hydel power plants which

This turbine is run by the impact force of water jet on the pelton wheel.

produce less than 100 KW power.

21. Give examples for reaction turbines

13. What is mini hydel power plant?

1. Francis turbine

Mini hydel power plants are small capacity hydel power plant which

2. Kaplan turbine

produces power ranges from above 100 KW to 10 MW.

22. What is the purpose of turbine governing?

14. Mention any two advantages of mini and micro hydro power

Governor is used to control the speed of turbine according to the load

plants?

variation.

1. It is a good option for rural electrification.

23. What is cavitation?

2. Initial cost is low.

The formation of water vapour and air bubbles on the water surface due
to the reduction of pressure is known as capitation.

15. What is draft tube?

Draft tube is a pipe which connects the runner exit to the tail race.

24. Name any two methods of avoid cavitation.

16. What is the purpose of draft tube?

1. Installation of turbine below tailrace level

The purpose of draft tube is to reduce the velocity of the discharged

2. Using cavitations free runner.

water. This minimizes the loss of kinetic energy at the outlet.

25. What are control room functions in hydal power plant?

17. What are the types of draft tube?

1. Control the flow of water.

1. Straight type
2. Simple elbow type
3. Elbow type with varying cross section.
18. What is hydel turbine?

2. Control start and stop sequence of plant.

Turbine is a equipment which is used to convert the kinetic energy of

27. What is impulse turbine?

water into mechanical energy.

19. Name any two hydel turbines widely used.
1. Pelton wheel turbine

26. Name any two safety measures adopted in hydal power plant.
1. Danger & warning signs. 2.Audible devices.

Impluse turbine is running by impulse force of jet striking on turbine

buckets. In impulse turbine all the available pressure energy of water is
converted into kinetic energy by means of nozzle.
28. Which turbine is suitable for high heads?

It is used for making and breaking the circuit

(i) Starting by an auxiliary engine

(ii) Use of self starting motors
(iii) compressed air system
8. What are applications of diesel power plant?

30. State the elements of switch gears.

(i) It is used as stand by plants to hydro power plants

i)Switches ii) Isolators iii) Surge arrestors iv) Circuit breakers

(ii) It is used as peak load plant in combinations with thermal or hydro

Impluse turbine
29. What is the use of switch gear?

UNIT-IV
DIESEL ENGINE & GAS TURBINE POWER PLANTS

plants.
9. What are main elements of gas turbine power plants?

1. What is diesel power plant?

(i) Compressor

A generating station in which diesel engine is used as the prime mover

(ii) Combustor

for the generation of electrical energy is known as diesel power plant.

(iii) Turbine

2. Name any two essential components of diesel power plant.

10. What is the function of gas turbine?

(i) Diesel engine

A gas turbine is a machine delivering mechanical power by using

(ii) Engine starting system

(iii) Fuel system

gaseous working fluid.

3. What are the types of diesel engine power plant?

11. What is open cycle gas turbine?

(i) Peak load plant

(ii) Mobile plant
(iii) Stand by unit
4. Name main auxiliaries of diesel power plant.

Air enters in to the compressor and gases coming out of turbine are

(i) Engine starting system

(ii) Engine cooling system
5. What is the need of cooling system in diesel power plant?

12. What is closed system gas turbine?

To keep the temperature of the engine parts with the safe operating limits
cooling system is provided.
6. State any two advantages of diesel power plant.
(i) The design and layout of the plant are quite simple
(ii) It can be located at any place
7. Write any two engine starting methods.

exhausted into the atmosphere the working medium must be replaced

continuously is called open system.

The fluid coming out from the turbine is continuously used in the system
is called closed system.
13. What is the use regeneration in gas turbine plant?
It is used to increase the thermal efficiency of gas turbine.
14. What is effect of reheated in gas turbine power plant?
A reheated is used to increase the work output while a regeneratative
cycle is used to enhance the efficiency.

15. What is the function of inter cooling in gas turbine?

The objective of combined cycle is use all of the heat energy goes as a

The function of inter cooler is to reduce the temperature of exhaust gas

waste with the exhaust of gas turbine.

from turbine.

23. List out the equipments used to improve the efficiency of a gas

16. What is effect of intercooler in gas turbine power plant?

turbine plant.

It reduces the work of compression and increase the specific output of

i)Re-Generator. ii) Inter cooler iii) Re-Heater

the plant.

UNIT-V

17. Write any two advantages of gas turbine?

NUCLEAR AND OTHER POWER PLANTS

(i) Initial cost is low compare to steam power plant.

1. What is nuclear energy?

(ii) It requires less water.

Nuclear energy is every released from nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.

18. List out any two applications of gas turbine plant.

2. What is nuclear fission?

(i) It is used to supply peak loads in steam or hydro plants.

Nuclear fission is the splitting of an atoms nuclear into parts using

(ii) Gas turbines are used in jet, air craft and ships.

neutron.
3. What is nuclear fusion?
Nuclear fusion is the fusing of two light atoms into single atom neutron.

19. What is combined cycle power plant?

Two or more cycles are combined in the power plant utilized the all

4. What is chain reaction?

energy this is called combined cycle power plant.

Chain reactor is the fusing of two light atoms into single atom and a
neutron.
5. Name any different elements of nuclear power plant.

20. Write any two advantages of combined cycle plants.

(i) Capital cost is low compare steam power plant.
(ii) It uses less fuel.
21. Name the fuel used in gas turbine plants?
(i) Natural gas
(ii) Liquid fuels of petroleum origin.
(iii) Residual oil
22. What is the objective of combined cycle plants?

1.Nuclear reactor 2.Control rod 3.Moderator

4.Biological shielding 5.Steam generator 6.Turbine
7.Generator 8.Cooling tower 9.Condenser
6. What are the function control rods?
It is used to control the rate of nuclear reaction in reactor.
Example: Born, cadmium.
7. Name any nuclear fuels.

1. Uranium-235 2. Plutonium-239
3. Uranium-238 4. Thorium-232
8. What is fertile fuel? Give examples.
Fertile fuel is a material, which is not itself fissile that can be converted
into a fissile material by Irradiation in a reactor.
9. What is fissile fuel? Give examples.
Fissile fuel is a material, which can be sprit by neurons in chain reaction.
10. What are the materials used for control rod?
1. Born
2. Cadmium
11. What are the materials used for control rod?
1. Born
2. Cadmium
12. What is moderator?
Moderator is a material used to reduce the speed of fost moving neutrons
in reactor.
13. What is the function of moderator?
The function of moderator is to reduce the speed of fast moving neutrons
in reactor.
14. Name the coolants used in nuclear reactor?
1. Light water
2. Heavy water
3. Liquid sodium
4. Liquid potassium
15. What is the function of reflector?
The function of reflector is to reflect the neutrons back into the core of
reactor.
16. Write the function of biological shielding?

17. What are the different types of nuclear reactor?

1. Pressurized water reactor
2. Boiling water reactor
3. Candu reactor
4. Fast breeding reactor
18. What is the purpose of pressurizer in PWR?
The function of pressurized is to maintain high pressure in primary
circuit of PWR reactor.
19. What is radioactive wastes?
Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material scrapped
from nuclear power plants.
20. Name the sources of radioactive wastes.
1. Nuclear fuel wastes
2. Coolant wastes from reactor
3. Air contamination.
21. Name the nuclear waste disposal methods.
1. Deep sea disposal
2. Disposal in deep bore holes
3. Disposal in unused mines.
22. What is solar thermal power?
Solar thermal power is energy obtained from solar radiation.
23. What is geo thermal power?
Geo thermal power is energy obtained from magma or water beneath
the earths surface.
24. What is tidal power?
Tidal power is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides

The function of biological shielding is to protect environment from

into electricity.

nuclear radiation.

25. What is wind mill?

Wind mill is a method of generating energy from kinetic energy of

atmospheric air.
26. What is biogas?
Biogas is a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter.
27. Write the composition of biogas.
1.Methane 40-70%
2. Carbon dioxide 30-60%
3. Hydrogen
4. Hydrogen sulfide
28. What is radio activity?
The natural phenomenon of emitting , g rays by unstable heavy
isotopes is called radio activity.
29. Give the examples of moderator
Graphite, Heavy water, water etc.
30. What are the uses of gobar gas?
Gobar gas is used for cooking, house lighting.