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0 Introduction Diesel Power Plant

Diesel plants are more efficient than any other heat engine of comparable size. These plants are cheap by way of initial cost, can be started and stopped quickly and can burn a wide range of fuels. A Diesel plant does not require any warming period; it need not be kept running for a long time before peaking up loads. As a result there are no standby losses. Another advantage of such a plant is that it does not need large amount of water for cooling. A diesel plant can be commissioned in such a much little time compared with a hydro, steam or nuclear power station. In view of these advantages a Diesel station is suitable for localities where fuel costs are low, where water supply is limited, where oil is cheaper than coal and where loads are of such magnitudes that they can be handled by a plant of small capacity. Another means of generating electricity (i.e. hydro, thermal, nuclear) are rivals to Diesel plants and can be attractive under certain conditions. Also a gas turbine plant for continuous power generation is superior to a diesel plant where fuel is very cheap (as at a refinery or where load factors are very poor). Notwithstanding competition from its rivals a diesel plant provides the most economical means of generating electricity on small scale particularly where there is no convenient site for microhydroplants, cheap fuels are not available and load factors are considerably large. The important fields of applications of diesel engines are as rail road locomotives, ship propulsion, road building and farm machinery, electric generators for small supply units for public, industrial and institutional purposes e.g. cinema halls, hospitals, municipalities etc. These are used in freight trucks, and buses. However, since diesel engines can make efficient use of fuels that are cheaper than gasoline, they are being utilized increasingly in automobiles. Diesel electric power plants have been chiefly used as peak load and standby units, for the hydroelectric power plants. These are used as emergency standby units which normally remain idle and are run only where there is a failure of the central station and where key industrial processes cannot be interrupted to avoid financial loss.

2.0 Important fields of Application of Diesel Power Plants

Railroad locomotives Ship Propulsion Road Building and Farm Machinery Electric generator for small supply unit for public

3.0 Diesel Engine: Working Principle and General Description

3.1 Diesel Cycle System An internal combustion engine in which the fuel is ignited by injecting it into air that has been heated to a high temperature by rapid compression; hence, diesel engines are also called compression ignition engines. The concept of ignition compression was patented by Rudolf Diesel in 1892, and first demonstrated in an engine, five years later. The compression ignition engine is a heat engine (i.e. one that converts heat partially into mechanical work) operating on An approximation to the idealized Diesel cycle in which combustion of the fuel, that is, the heat addition stage, occurs at essentially constant pressure. Diesel cycle. A repeated succession of operations (or cycle) representing the idealized behavior of the working fluid in the diesel engine form of heat engine. The diesel cycle is illustrated and Described in Fig. (1321.) Following main events are taking place in a cycle.

Suction operation (oa) at constant pressure in which air is sucked inside the cylinder from atmosphere at nearly atmospheric pressure. Adiabatic compression of the working fluid i.e., air (gas) along a b ; the temperature and pressure are increased. Heat addition along beat constant pressure; the gas temperature and volume are increased. Adiabatic expansion along c d, work is done by the expanding gas, and, the temperature and pressure decrease.
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Heat removal (rejection) along d, a at constant volume; the pressure and temperature decrease, and the gas is restored to its initial condition at a. Here cycle is completed. Heat removal (rejection) along d, a at constant volume; the pressure and temperature decrease, and the gas is restored to its initial condition at a. Here cycle is completed. In the description each stage is assumed to have been completed before the next stage is initiated. However, in an actual engine there is a gradual rather than a sharp transition from one stage to next; hence the sharp points in the figure would actually be rounded off. In a diesel engine (Fig. 1322), air is down into a cylinder where

it is compressed adiabatically by the inward motion of the piston and thereby heated (stage 1). Just prior to maximum compression, fuel is injected and it burns rapidly in the very hot compressed air; heat is thus added to the working fluid at essentially constant pressure (stage 2). The hot combustion gases expand adiabatically and in doing so push back the piston and mechanical work is done stage 3). At stage 4, exhaust valve opens and operation 4 heat rejection and then exhaust takes place. Following four strokes are taking place in one cycle. 1. Intake or Suction. The piston moving downward (i.e., out of the cylinder) draws air into the cylinder by way of the open intake valve. The exhaust valve is closed (operation oa). 2. Compression. The intake valve is closed and piston moving upward (i.e., into the cylinder) compresses the air. The pressure is increased to about 35 to 40 atm. (35 to 4 MPa), and the air temperature rises to 450 to 500C.

3. Power. Just before the point of maximum compression, with both valves closed, a spray of very small droplets of fuel is injected into the top of the cylinder. At the existing high temperature of the air the fuel burns rapidly and produces extremely hot compressed gases. The gases expand and push back the piston ; this is the power stroke in which mechanical work is done. Not all of this work is available, however since part is utilized in the other strokes, especially in the compression stroke. 4. Exhaust. The piston moving upward pushes the some whatcooled gases out through the open exhaust valve. The network in a Diesel cycle in the difference between the workdone by the working fluid in stages 2 and 3 and the work done on the fluid in stage 1. The thermal efficiency (i.e. the fraction of the heat supplied in stage 2 that is converted into net mechanical work) is increased by increasing the temperature at c and by decreasing that at d. An equivalent statement is that an increase in the compression ratio (volume at a divided by volume at .b) and decrease in the cut ofTratio (volume at c divided by the volume at b) increase the thermal efficiency. The minimum value of the cut off ratio is unity.

3.2 Four Stroke and Two-Stroke Engines Diesel engines like spark ignition engines can operate on four stroke or two stroke cycle (A stroke is an in or an out motion of the piston). In the four-stroke cycle there are two in and two out motion (i.e., two revolutions of the crankshaft) per cycle. However, only one of these four strokes is a power stroke ; hence there is only one power stroke for two rotation of the crankshaft. In the two stroke engine, on the other hand, there, are one in and one out operation (i.e., one rotation of the crank shaft) per cycle. Consequently there is one power stroke in each rotation of the crankshaft. The two-stroke diesel engine are designed without valves and with only two ports in the cylinder wall; the ports are opened and closed when they are uncovered and covered, respectively, by the moving piston. The advantage of a two-stroke cycle in providing a power stroke for each revolution of the engine crankshaft, rather than one power stroke in two revolutions in a four stroke cycle, is out weighted in a spark ignition(gasoline) engine by the associated power losses. In two stroke diesel engines, however, especially those operating at low and medium speeds these losses are greatly decreased. There is no loss of fuel through the exhaust port because the fuel is not added until both ports are closed. Consequently, because of its design simplicity and increased power for a given engine speed, the two-stroke diesel engine is quite common, whereas the corresponding spark ignition engine has found only limited use. Engines in the speed range of 200-1000 r.p.ro. are more common. Each cylinder is designed for around 75 kW and multi-cylinder engines having up to 16 cylinders; arranged vertically, are used for higher outputs.

4.0 Diesel Electric Plant Main Components

The essential components of a Diesel Electric Plant are: Engine Engine Air Intake System Engine Fuel System Engine Exhaust System Engine Cooling System Engine Lubrication System Engine Starting System

The diesel engine and the auxiliary equipment as stated above are discussed in detail in the following paragraphs. A typical schematic arrangement of the diesel plant installation is shown in Fig. 1331..

1) The diesel engine. This is the main component of the plant which develops power. Generally engine is coupled directly to the generator. Diesel engine may be a four stroke or a two stroke Engine. Four stroke engines is generally preferred as it has higher efficiency, lower specific fuel consumption and more effective lubrication than a two stroke engine. Other things which may be specified in diesel engines are: arrangement and number of cylinders used, simple aspiration or supercharging, efficiency and economical fuel consumption. 2) Engine air intake system. This includes air filters, ducts and supercharger (an integral part of the engine). The system supplies the required quantity of air for combustion. Air requirements c" large diesel plants are considerable, around 4-8 m:! per kwh. Air is drawn from outside the engine room and delivered to the intake manifold through the air filters which remove the dust and other suspended impurities from air. The purpose of the filter is to catch any air borne dirt as it otherwise may cause the wear and tear of the engine. The filter should be cleaned periodically. Filters may be of dry type (made up of cloth, felt, glass wool etc) or oil bath type. In oil bath types filter the air is swept over or through a bath of oil in order that the particles of dust get coated. The supercharger increases the pressure of air supplied to the engine so that it could develop an increased power output. Superchargers are generally driven by the engine. 3) Fuel system. This includes fuel storage tanks, fuel transfer pumps, strainers, heaters and connecting pipe work. Fuel transfer pumps are required to transfer fuel from delivery point to storage tanks and from storage tanks to engine. Strainers (filters) are needed to ensure clean fuel. Heaters for oil may be required especially during winter. The fuel oil which is transferred to the daily consumption tank which is located either above the engine level so that the fuel flows by gravity to the injection pump or below the engine level and the fuel oil is delivered to the injection pump by a transfer pump driven from the engine shaft. The fuel injection system should be such that adequate quantity of fuel oil is measured by it, atomised and injected into the engine cylinder.

4) Engine Exhaust System. The function of the exhaust system is to discharge the engine exhaust to the atmosphere outside the building. This includes silencers (mumer) and connecting ducts/ pipes. A good exhaust system should keep the noise at a low level, exhaust well above the ground level to reduce the air pollution at breathing level and should isolate the engine vibrations from the building by using a flexible selection of exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe is provided with a muffler to reduce pressure in the exhaust line and reduces the noise level. A typical exhaust system is shown il'\ Fig. 1336.

5) Engine Cooling System. This includes coolant pumps, spray ponds, water treatment or filtration plant and connecting pipe work. The purpose of the cooling system is to carry heat from engine cylinder to keep the temperature of the cylinder within safe limits. The extra heat, not used for doing useful work, has to be removed from the engine, otherwise this extra heat may disintegrate the lubricating oil film on the cylinder walls and damage the cylinder liners, heads, walls, piston and rings. Small engines may be air cooled, but large stationary engines use water circulating in cylinder jacket with the help of a pump. The hot water is cooled in a spray pond and recalculated.

5.0 Advantages and Disadvantages of Diesel Power Plants

Advantages
The diesel power plants have got several advantages over other types of power plants. They are as listed below: They can be easily located at the load centre without causing pollution in the environment. Handling of fuel (oil) is easier. Smaller storage is needed for the fuel, and there is no refuse to be disposed off. The size of the plant is comparatively small for the same capacity, which results in reduced cost of foundations and buildings. Diesel power plants maintain their high operating efficiency irrespective of load They can be easily started from cold conditions, and can be put on full load No standby loses. Cooling water requirement is limited and also quantity of make-up water required for this plant is much less than other plants of same capacity. The operation of the plant IS easy and less number of labour is needed to operate it, saeconomy in labour is there. There is less fire hazard. Plant is compact and light.

Disadvantages
The capacity of the plant in this case is limited, large capacity units as available in case of steam power plants, are usually not possible. Diesel oil is costly Cost of lubrication is also high. This type of plant does not work satisfactorly under overload conditions for longer time. Noise from the exhaust is also a problem.

6.0 Maintenance of Diesel Power Plant

Plant maintenance depends on various factors. It is usual to maintain a correct record of instrument readings and condition of operation at regular intervals, say every half hour. Such records form log sheets. For proper plant maintenance various temperatures, pressures electric load etc. have to be checked periodically. Maintenance includes cleaning of fuel oil from dirt and other impurities by means of filters. Filters may have power element, or cloth or fibre or a combination of cloth and fibre-when filter element becomes choke it should be replaced by a new one. Dirt in fuel oil ruins the fine lap of fuel injection pumps and plugs the injection nozzle orifice. The temperature and flow of coolant, lubricating oil and exhaust gases should be checked at regular intervals. The specific fuel consumption of diesel engines in almost constant from halfload to full load and is around 035 litres per kWh output. The specific fuel consumption increases sharply if the load is less than half load and is such it is not advisable to operate diesel engines at less than half load.

7.0 Super Charging

Increasing the air consumption permits greater quantities of fuel to be added and results in a greater potential output. The power developed by an I.e. engine depends upon the effective burning of fuel in the cylinder. The greater the fuel burnt, the greater is the engine power. If a greater quantity of air is supplied to an engine, it would develop more power for the same size, so it is desirable that the engine takes in the greatest possible mass of air. Thus the method of increasing the air capacity\ of an engine is termed super charging. In supercharging the supply of air is pumped into the cylinder at a pressure greater than the atmospheric, usual rap.ge being 028 to 14 kglcm2 The apparatus used to increase the air density is known as supercharger. It is raerely a compressor which proVides a denser charge to the engine, thereby enabling the consumption of a greater massof the charge with the same total pistOn displacement. For ground installation, it is used to produce a gain in the power output of the engine. For air craft installations, in addition to producing a gain in power output at sea level, it also enables the engine to maintain a higher power output as altitude is increased.

During the process of compressing air or charge, the supercharge produces the following effects:

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Provides better mixing of air fuel mixture. The turbulent effect created by the supercharger assists in additional mixing' of the fuel and air particles. The arrangement of certain types of superchargers, particularly the centrifugal type, also encourages more even distribution of the charge to the cylinders. The temperature of the charge is raised as it is compressed, resulting in a higher temperature within the cylinders. This is partiaIly beneficial in that it helps to produce better vaporization of the fuel, but deterimental in that it tends to lessen the density of the charge. The increase in temperature of the charge also affects the detonation of the fuel. Super charging tends to increase the possibility of detonation in a S.I. engine and lessen the possibility in a C.!. engine. Power is required to drive the supercharger. This is usually taken from the engine and thereby removes, from over-all engine output, some of the gain in power obtained through supercharging.

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III.

There are three basic types of compressors that may be used as superchargers, namely the positive displacement type, centrifugal flow type and the axial flow type. Positive displacement superchargers ,nay be further divided into the piston and cylinder, the rotary, and the 'screw' types. In the piston and cylinder arrangement, a piston compresses air in a cylinder in much the same manner as it compresses the air in a C.I. engine. In the rotary type, the air may be compressed by a meshing 'gear' arrangement (exempIified by a Roots, blower), or by a rotating vane element. These are illustrated in Fig. 1381 (a) and (b). In both of

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