Power Plant Engineering

and Sources of Energy

Basic Mechanical Engineering, First Edition

by Dr Pravin Kumar

Copyright2013DorlingKindersley(India)Pvt.Ltd.

Chapter 3

Prime mover is a primary source of power. All the

machinery that provides power for performing various kinds
of mechanical work is prime movers.
It is a group of machines that transform various forms of
energy such as thermal, electrical or pressure into
mechanical energy. Engines, turbines, pumps and actuators
are the examples of prime movers.
On the basis of direction of movement, prime movers
may be classied as reciprocating prime movers and
rotating prime movers.

Basic Mechanical Engineering, First Edition

by Dr Pravin Kumar

Copyright2013DorlingKindersley(India)Pvt.Ltd.

Prime Mover

Power plant engineering is a branch of engineering which

deals with conversion of various forms of energy into
electrical energy.
In thermal power plant, coal, diesel, petrol, natural gas,
and kerosene oil are used as fuel and chemical energy of
these fuels is converted into mechanical energy and then
mechanical energy into electrical energy.
In hydroelectric power plant, the potential energy of water
is converted into mechanical energy as shaft power and then
mechanical energy into electrical energy.
In the case of nuclear energy, nuclear power is used to
generate the heat required to produce superheated steam
and then the heat energy is converted into mechanical
energy and the mechanical energy is converted into electrical
energy.

Basic Mechanical Engineering, First Edition

by Dr Pravin Kumar

Copyright2013DorlingKindersley(India)Pvt.Ltd.

Power Plant Engineering

Fig. 3.1

Fig. 3.2
Basic Mechanical Engineering, First Edition
by Dr Pravin Kumar

Copyright2013DorlingKindersley(India)Pvt.Ltd.

Thermal Power Plant

Copyright2013DorlingKindersley(India)Pvt.Ltd.

Hydroelectric Power Plant

Basic Mechanical Engineering, First Edition

by Dr Pravin Kumar

Copyright2013DorlingKindersley(India)Pvt.Ltd.

Nuclear Power Plant

Basic Mechanical Engineering, First Edition

by Dr Pravin Kumar

Renewable Energy
o
o
o
o
o
o

Non-renewable Energy

Solar Energy
Photovoltaic Cells
Hydroelectric Energy
Wind Power
Biomass Energy
Geothermal Energy

o
o
o
o

Coal
Oil
Natural Gas
Nuclear Power

Basic Mechanical Engineering, First Edition

by Dr Pravin Kumar

Copyright2013DorlingKindersley(India)Pvt.Ltd.

Sources of Energy

Basic Mechanical Engineering, First Edition

by Dr Pravin Kumar

Copyright2013DorlingKindersley(India)Pvt.Ltd.

Thank You.