A thermal power plant is a power plant where steam is used to drive a steam turbine. This turbine is connected to an electrical generator. After this, the water is condensed, and may be used again. This is known as the Rankine cycle. There are different procedures that can be used to heat the water;
Components of a thermal power plant
Cooling tower
Cooling water pump
transmission line (3-phase) Step-up transformer (3-phase) Electrical generator (3-phase) Low pressure steam turbine Condensate pump Surface condenser Intermediate pressure steam turbine Steam Control valve High pressure steam turbine Deaerator Feedwater heater Boiler steam drum Superheater Forced draught (draft) fan Reheater Combustion air intake Induced draught (draft) fan
Main disadvantage of fossil fuel thermal power plant
Fossil fueled thermal power plants produce a large part of man-made CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, and efforts to reduce these are varied and widespread. It occupies lot of space and release gases.