Steps for a Coal Plant to Make Electricity
Coal-fired power plants remain one of the biggest sources of electricity in the United States. Coal plants burn fuel to create steam, which spins a turbine that creates electricity. Coal plants have been in service for over a century, during which many developments have taken place, including installing coal scrubbers, adding high-efficiency turbines and using crushed coal instead of raw, unprocessed fuel. While they are not the cleanest plants, coal-fired facilities remain one of the least expensive sources of electrical generation.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Coal pulverizer
- Firebox
- Boiler
- Precipitator
- Water source
- Turbine
- Generator
Instructions
-
-
1
Crush the coal into a fine powder and mix it with heated air. Inject the coal air mixture into the firebox of the boiler, where it will burn hotter and more completely than the charcoal in your grill.
-
2
Pump purified water through a pipe that runs through the boiler. The water will boil into steam which will eventually spin the turbine blades. Most power plants, coal-fired and others, are located on lakes and rivers where water can be supplied in great quantities for free.
-
-
3
Pump the hot steam into the turbine chamber. Since the steam can be in excess of 3,500 pounds per square inch, according to Duke Energy, it will spin the blades at a high rotational speed. The blades of the turbine are mounted on a shaft that spins a generator. The generator has magnets that spin around coil windings to induce an electrical current.
-
4
Run the steam into a condenser at the bottom of the plant. The steam will cool down and condense back into water where it can be reused in the generation process.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
