POWER PLANT TERMS AND FACTORS
ADDITIONAL SAMPLE PROBLEMS:
6. A 75,000-kW power plant has an average load of 35, 000 kW and a load factor of 65%.
Determine the following: (a) peak load, and (b) reserve over peak.
Given:
Rated or Installed Plant Capacity = 75, 000 kW
Average load = 35, 000 kW
Load factor = 65%
Required: Peak load (or Maximum demand) and reserve over peak
SOLUTION:
Average load
a. Load factor =
Peak load
Average load
Peak load =
load factor
35,000
= = 53,846.15 kW --- Answer
0.65
b. Rated or Installed capacity = Peak load + Reserve over peak
Reserve over peak = Rated capacity – Peak load
= 75, 000 – 53, 846.15
= 21, 153.85 kW ---Answer
LOAD, kW
75, 000 kW
Reserve over peak= Installed capacity – Peak load
53, 846.15 kW
Time, hr
7. If the operation factor of a unit is 78% and the output or use factor is 49%, what is the
capacity factor?
Given:
Operation factor = 78%
Use factor = 49%
Required:
Capacity factor
Solutions:
no . of hours∈ service per year
Annual operation factor = ----------------- equation 1
8760
annual energy output
Annual use factor = -------- equation 2
rated capacity x no . of hours ∈ service per year
annualenergy output
Annual capacity factor = -------------------------------- equation 3
rated capacity x 8760
Dividing equation 3 by equation 2:
Capacity factor annualenergy output /(rated capacity x 8760)
=
Use factor annual energy output /(rated capacity x no . of hours ∈service per year )
Take note that the annual energy output and rated capacity cancel out on the right side
of the equation,
Capacity factor no . of hours∈ service per year
= = Operation factor
Use factor 8760
Therefore, Capacity factor = Use factor x Operation factor
=0.49 x 0.78 = 0.3822 or 38.22% ----Answer
8. Given a load factor of 48%, installed capacity of 35, 000 kW, reserve over peak of 3000
kW, and hours out of service per year of 410. Compute the capacity factor.
Given:
Load factor = 48 % Installed capacity = 35, 000 kW
Reserve over peak = 3000 kW no. of hours out of service per year = 410
Required: Capacity factor
annualenergy output
Capacity factor =
rated capacity x 8760
annualenergy output
Annual capacity factor = -------------------------------- equation 3
rated capacity x 8760
SOLUTION:
No. of hours out of service per year = 8760 – no. of hours in service per year
Solving for the no. of hours in service per year,
no. of hours in service per year = 8760 – 410 = 8350 hours
Solving for peak load,
Installed capacity = Peak load + Reserve over peak
Peak load = Installed capacity – Reserve over peak
= 35, 000 – 3000
= 32, 000 kW
Solving for average load,
Average load
Load factor =
Peak load
Average load = Load factor x Peak Load
= 0.48 x 32, 000
= 15, 360 kW
Therefore,
Average annual energy output = Average load x no. of hours in service per year
= 15, 360 x 8350
= 128, 256,000 kW-hr
annual energy output 128 , 256,000
Annual capacity factor = = = 0.4183 or 41.83%--
rated capacity x 8760 35,000× 8760
Answer
9. A daily load curve which exhibited a 15-minute peak of 150, 000 kW is drawn to scales
of 1 cm = 3 hrs and 1 cm = 10, 000 kW. The area under the curve is measured by a
planimeter and found to be 60 cm2. (a) Determine the daily energy produced in kW-hr.,
(b) Estimate the daily average load in kW, and (c) What is the load factor based on the
15-minute peak?
Solution:
Load, kW
1 cm = 10, 000 kW
1 cm = 3 hours
Area under the curve = 60 cm2
Time, hours
12 MN 12 MN
The area (1 cm x 1 cm) = 1 cm2= (10, 000 kW) (3 hr) = 30, 000 kW-hr
30,000 kW −hr
(a) The daily energy produced in kW-hr = 60 cm2 x 2 = 1, 800, 000 kW-hr
1 cm
1, 800 , 000 kW −hr
(b) The daily average load = = 75, 000 kW
24 hrs
(c) The load factor based on 15-min peak load is,
Average load 75 , 000
Load factor = = = 0.50 or 50%
Peak load 150,000
EXAMINATION NO. 1 _ POWER PLANT TERMS AND FACTORS
PROBLEMS:
1. A 300 MW thermal power station is to supply power to a system having a
maximum and minimum demand of 240 MW and 180 MW respectively in a
year. Assuming the load duration curve to be a straight line, estimate the
(a) load factor, and (b) capacity factor. (10%)
Solution:
Load, MW
240 MW
180 MW
Area of a trapezoid= ½ (h) (b1 + b2)
0 1 Time, hours 8760 hrs
Annual energy output = 2 (8760) (240 + 180) = 1, 839,600 MW-hr 2%
1, 839,600 ANNUAL LOAD CURVE
Average load = 8760
= 210 MW 2%
average load 210
(a) Load factor = peak load = 240 = 0.875 or 87.50% 3%
annual energy output 1,839,600
(b) Capacity factor = ( Installed Capacity ) (8760) = ( 300 ) (8760) =0.70 or 70% 3%
2. The peak load on a power plant is 60 MW. The loads having maximum
demands of 30 MW, 20 MW, 10 MW, and 14 MW are connected to the power
plant. The capacity of the power plant is 80 MW and the annual load factor is
0.50 or 50%. Estimate (a) the average load on the power plant, (b) the energy
supplied per year, (c) the demand factor, and (d) diversity factor. (15%)
Solution:
Required: Diversity Factor Between Substations
Power Station
1 2 3 4 SUBSTATIONS
average load
(a) Load factor = peak load
Average load = (load factor) (peak load)
= (0.50) (60) = 30 MW 4%
(b) Annual energy output = (30) (8760) = 262, 800 MW-hr 3%
Peak Load 60
(c) Demand factor = Connected Load = 30+20+10+14 =0.8108 or 81.08% 4%
(d) Diversity factor =
∑ individual peak load
Group simultaneous maximum demand
30+20+10+14
= 60
= 1.233 4%
