THERMAL POWER PLANTS

17 MECHANICAL
By
Engr. Ans Ahmed
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Diesel Engine Power Plant
 Diesel Engine Power Plant
• Diesel Engine power plant is the plant where diesel
engine is used as a prime mover to electric generator to
produce electric power via using fuel.
• It is also known as stand by power station and peak load
power station.

• This power plant produces power in the range of 2 to 50

MW, that’s why diesel engine power plant used to supply
peak load of hospitals, industries, cinema theatres,
railways, ships etc.

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 DIESEL ENGINE POWERPLANT
• The oil engines and gas engines are called Internal
Combustion Engines.
• In IC engines fuels burn inside the engine and the products
of combustion form the working fluid that generates
mechanical power.
• Whereas, in Gas Turbines the combustion occurs in
another chamber and hot working fluid containing thermal
energy is admitted in turbine.
• Reciprocating oil engines and gas engines are of the same
family and have a strong resemblance in principle of
operation and construction.
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A typical Oil Engine has:
1. Cylinder, in which fuel and air are admitted and
combustion occurs.
2. Piston, which receives high pressure of expanding hot
products of combustion and the piston, is forced to
linear motion.
3. Connecting rod, crankshaft linkage to convert
reciprocating motion into rotary motion of shaft.
4. Connected Load, mechanical drive or electrical
generator.
5. Suitable valves (ports) for control of flow of fuel, air,
exhaust gases, fuel injection, and ignition systems.
6. Lubricating system, cooling system 3
The main differences between the Gasoline Engine
and the Diesel Engine are:
• A Gasoline engine (Spark Ignition) intakes a mixture of
gas and air, compresses it and ignites the mixture with
a spark. A Diesel engine (Compression Ignition) takes
in just air, compresses it and then injects fuel into the
compressed air. The heat of the compressed air lights
the fuel spontaneously.
• A gasoline engine compresses at a ratio of 8:1 to 12:1,
while a diesel engine compresses at a ratio of 14:1 to
as high as 25:1. The higher compression ratio of the
diesel engine leads to better efficiency.
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The main differences between the Gasoline Engine and the
Diesel Engine are:

• The diesel engine has NO SPARK PLUG, it simply intakes air

and compresses it, and that it then injects the fuel directly
into the combustion chamber (direct injection). It is the heat
of the compressed air that ignites the fuel in a diesel engine.

• One big difference between in diesel engine and a gas engine

is in the INJECTION PROCESS. Most gas engines use port
injection or a carburettor rather than direct injection.

• A diesel engine compresses air only so higher the

compression ratio higher the thermal efficiency, so diesel
engine have a better fuel efficiency.
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 OPERATING PRINCIPLE
• All the gas engines and oil engines operate in the
same general way. The working fluid undergoes
repeated cycles. A thermodynamic cycle is
composed of a series of sequential events in a
closed loop on P-V or T-S diagram. A typical cycle
has following distinct operations
1. Cylinder is charged
2. Cylinder contents are compressed
3. Combustion (Burning) of charge, creation of high
pressure pushing the piston and expansion of
products of combustion.
4. Exhaust of spent products of combustion to
atmosphere.
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• Various types of Gas Engines and Oil Engines have
been developed and are classified on the basis of their
operating cycles. Cycles are generally named after
their Inventors e.g. Carnot Cycle; Diesel Cycle; Otto
Cycle; Bryton Cycle; etc.
Two principal categories of IC Engines are: Four
Stroke Engines and Two Stroke Engines
• In a Four Stroke Engine Cycle, the piston strokes are
used to obtain the four steps (intake, compression,
expansion, exhaust) and one power stroke in two full
revolutions of crankshaft.
• In a Two Stroke Engine Cycle, one power stroke is
obtained during each full revolution of the crankshaft.
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 OPERATING PRINCIPLE

This is achieved by using air pressure slightly above

atmospheric to blow out exhaust gases out of the cylinder
and fill the fresh charge (SCAVENGING).
1
0
OPERATING CYCLE – DIESEL CYCLE

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1
Layout of Diesel Engine Power Plant
 ADVANTAGES
• Very simple in design point of view
• Limited cooling water requirement
• Initial cost is less than other types of power station
• Quickly started and put on load
• Smaller storage is needed for the fuel
• Layout of power plant is quite simple
• There is no problem of ash handling
• Less supervision required
• For small capacity, diesel power plant is
more efficient as compared to steam power plant
• They can respond to varying loads without
any
difficulty
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 DISADVANTAGE
•
S
 Running cost of this plant is higher compared to

steam and hydro power plant ( cost of diesel is high

than coal)
• Maintenance is quite complex and costs high
• The life of diesel power plant is small due to high
maintenance
• Cost of lubricants is also high.
• Noise is a serious problem in diesel power plant
• Diesel power plant cannot be constructed for large
scale
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 APPLICATIONS
• Quite suitable for mobile power generation and are
widely used in transportation systems consisting of
railroads, ships, automobiles and aeroplanes
• Can be used for electrical power generation in
capacities from 100 to 5000 H.P
• Can be used as standby power plants
• Can be used as peak load plants for some other
types of power plants
• Industrial concerns where power requirement are
small say of the order of 500 kW, diesel power
plants become more economical due to their
higher overall efficiency. 12
 APPLICATIONS
Diesel engine power plants are installed where;
• Supply of coal and water is not available in desired
quantity.
• Where power is to be generated in small quantity
for emergency services.
• Standby sets are required for continuity of supply
such as in hospital, telephone exchange.

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 PERFORMANCE OF DIESEL ENGINE
• The performance of the diesel engine means
the power and efficiency
• Indicated Horse Power (I.H.P), Brake Horse power
(B.H.P), Frictional Horse Power (F.H.P), Mechanical
efficiency (ηm)

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• Brake horse power is defined as the net power
available at the crankshaft. It is found by measuring
the output torque with a dynamometer.

• The difference of I.H.P. and B.H.P. is called F.H.P. It is

utilized in overcoming frictional resistance of rotating
and sliding parts of the engine.
F.H.P. = I.H.P. – B.H.P.

• Mechanical efficiency (ηm) : It is defined as the ratio

of B.H.P. to I.H.P. 18
 FUEL SYSTEM OF DIESEL POWER PLANT
The five essential functions of a fuel injection system are:
1. To deliver oil from the storage to the fuel injector.
2. To raise the fuel pressure to the level required for atomization.
3. To measure and control the amount of fuel admitted in each
cycle.
4. To control time of injection.
5. To spray fuel into the cylinder in atomized form for thorough
mixing and burning.

The following are the systems normally which are used:

• Common Rail
• Individual Pump Injection
• Distributor
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COMMON RAIL

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COMMON RAIL

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 COMMON RAIL
• It incorporates a pump with built in pressure regulation,
which adjusts pumping rate to maintain the desired
injection pressure.
• The function of the pressure relief and timing valves is
to regulate the injection time and amount.
• Spring-loaded spray valve acts merely as a check.
• When injection valve lifts to admit high-pressure fuel to
spray valve, its needle rises against the spring.
• When the pressure is vented to the atmosphere, the
spring shuts the valve.

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 INDIVIDUAL PUMP INJECTION

The pump itself does the measuring of the fuel charge

and control of the injection timing. The delivery valve in
the nozzle is actuated by fuel-oil pressure.
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 DISTRIBUTOR

In this system, the fuel is metered at a central point i.e.,

the pump that pressurizes, meters the fuel and times the
injection. From here, the fuel is distributed to cylinders in
correct firing order by cam operated poppet valves, which
open to admit fuel to nozzles and ensure uniform distribution
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of fuel.
 LUBRICATION SYSTEM OF DIESEL POWER PLANT
1. To reduce friction and wear between the parts having relative motion by
minimizing the force of friction and ensures smooth running of parts.
2. To seal a space adjoining the surfaces such as piston rings and cylinder
liner.
3. To clean the surface by carrying away the carbon and metal particles
caused by wear.
4. To absorb shock between bearings and other parts and consequently
reduce noise.
5. To cool the surfaces by carrying away heat generated due to friction.
6. It helps the piston ring to seal the gases in the cylinder.
7. It removes the heat generated due to friction and keeps the parts cool.

The following are the systems normally which are used:

• Wet sump lubrication system

• Dry sump lubrication system

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 WET SUMP LUBRICATION SYSTEM

In this case oil is always contained in the sump that

is drawn by the pump through a strainer.
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DRY SUMP LUBRICATION SYSTEM

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 DRY SUMP LUBRICATION SYSTEM

• In this system, the oil from the sump is carried

to a separate storage tank outside the engine cylinder
block.
• The oil from sump is pumped by means of a
sump pump through filters to the storage tank.
• Oil from storage tank is pumped to the engine cylinder
through oil cooler.
• Dry sump lubrication system is generally adopted
for high capacity engines.

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AIR INTAKES AND ADMISSION SYSTEM OF DIESEL POWER PLANT

The air intake system conveys fresh air through pipes

or ducts to:
• Air-intake manifold of four-stroke engine.
• The scavenging pump inlet of a two-stroke engine.
• The supercharger inlet of a supercharged engine. 25
 SUPERCHARGING SYSTEM OF DIESEL POWER
• Supercharging is to increase the power output of engine without
increasing its rotational speed or the dimensions of the cylinder. This
is achieved by increasing the charge of air, which results more
burning of the fuel and a higher mean effective pressure.
Three possible methods that increase the air consumption of an engine;
1. To increasing the piston displacement, but this increases the
size and weight of the engine, and introduces additional
cooling problems.
2. Running the engine at higher speeds, which results in
increased fluid and mechanical friction losses, and imposes
greater inertia stresses on engine parts.
3. Increasing the density of the charge, such that a greater
mass of charge is introduced into the same volume or same
total piston displacement.
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 SUPERCHARGING SYSTEM OF DIESEL POWER
Supercharging is done by means of compressor; there
are two types of compressors that may be used as
super chargers. They are as follows:
1. Positive displacement type super charger.
2. Centrifugal type super chargers or turbo type.
3. Turbo type super chargers.
• The blowers are usually driven from the engine
cranks shaft

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 ADVANTAGE OF SUPERCHARGING SYSTEM

1. Power Increase. Mean effective pressure of the engine

can be easily increased by 30 to 50% by supercharging
which will result in the increase the power output.
2.Fuel Economy. Due to better combustion because of
increased turbulence, better mixing of the fuel and air,
and of an increased mechanical efficiency, the specific
fuel consumption in most cases, though supercharging
reduces not all.
3.Mechanical Efficiency. The mechanical efficiency
referred to maximum load is increased since the increase
of frictional losses with a supercharger driven directly
from the engine is quite smaller as compared to the
power gained by supercharging. 28
 ADVANTAGE OF SUPERCHARGING SYSTEM

4.Fuel Knock. It is decreased due to increased

compression pressure because increasing the inlet
pressure decreases the ignition lag and this reduces
the rate of pressure rise in the cylinder resulting in
increasing smoothness of operation.
5.Volumetric Efficiency. Volumetric efficiency is
increased since the gases are compressed by the
induced charge that is at a higher pressure than the
exhaust pressure.

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 COOLING SYSTEM OF DIESEL POWER
• The temperature of the hot gases inside the cylinder may be
as high as 2750 C . If there is no external cooling, the
cylinder walls and piston will tend to assume the average
temp. 1000 to 1500 C.
• Cooling is necessary because:
• There is a temperature limit of lubricating oil, above it limit
(160 to 200 C), so above this limit lubricating oil deteriorates
very rapidly and may evaporate and burn.
• Increase in pre-ignition and knocking.
• The strength of the materials used for various engine parts
decreases with increase in temperature. And thermal
stresses can develop due to uneven expansion of part.
There are two methods of cooling I.C. engines:

1.Air cooling.

2. Liquid cooling
 Air cooling :

Air cooling system is used for small

engines, where fins are provided to
increase heat transfer surface area.
 Liquid cooling
• Liquid cooling is applicable to big
diesel engines.

• In this method, the cylinder and its

head are provided with water
jackets which is connected to
radiator.
• The heat is transferred from the
cylinder walls to the liquid by
convection and conduction.

• The liquid gets heated during its

passage through the cooling jackets
and is itself cooled by means of an
air-cooled radiator system.
 COOLING SYSTEM OF DIESEL POWER – NATURAL CIRCULATION

• This system is designed so that the water may circulate naturally

because of the difference in density of water at different
temperatures.
• Rate of water circulation is slow and insufficient.
• When water passing through jacket tends to rise and the water
cooled in the radiator with the help of air passing over the
radiator by fan tends to sink. Arrows show the direction30 of
natural circulation, which is slow.
 COOLING SYSTEM OF DIESEL POWER – FORCED CIRCULATION

• The system consists of pump, water jacket in the cylinder,

radiator, fan and a thermostat. The coolant (water or synthetic
coolant) is circulated through the cylinder jacket with the help
of a pump, which is usually a centrifugal type, and driven by
the engine.
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Example No.01 Diesel engine develops 200 H.P. to over come friction
and delivers 1000 BHP. Air consumption is 90 kg per minute. The air
fuel ratio is.15 to 1. Find the following:
(a) IHP, (b) Mechanical efficiency, (c) Specific fuel consumption.

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Example No.02 A six-cylinder two stroke cycle marine diesel engine
with 100 mm bore and 120 mm stroke delivers 200 B.H.P at 2000 RPM
and using 100 kg of fuel per hour. If I.H.P is 240, Determine the
following:

(a) Torque
(b) Mechanical efficiency,
(c) Indicated specific fuel consumption

Ans:
(a). 71.7 kg.m
(b). 0.83
(c). 0.41 Kg/IHP hour
 EXAMPLE No. 03
A 2-cylinder C.I. engine with a compression ratio 13:1 and cylinder
dimensions of 200mm × 250mm works on two stroke cycle and
consumes 14kg/h of fuel while running at 300 r.p.m. The relative and
mechanical efficiencies of engine are 65% and 76% respectively. The
fuel injection is effected upto 5% of stroke. If the calorific value of
the fuel used is given as 41800 kJ/kg, calculate the Indicated Power
and Brake Power.

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EXAMPLE No. 03

13

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 EXAMPLE No. 03

1.6
0.6

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EXAMPLE No. 03

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Example No.04 The brake thermal efficiency of a diesel engine is 30
percent. If the air to fuel ratio by weight is 20 and the calorific value of the
fuel used is 41800 kJ/kg, what brake mean effective pressure may be
expected at S.T.P. conditions ?

STP conditions: 1 bar & 15 C

Brake mean effective pressure, Pmb = Work done/Cylinder volume

Brake thermal efficiency = work produced/heat supplied

Volume of cylinder= volume of air =

PV= nRT
V= nRT/P
THANKYOU

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