Common Types of Fuels in Steam Power Plant: A Review

M. A. Khattak; M. A. Ashraff; M. Ikmal; A. Syafiq; M. Hazritz

Authors

M. A. Khattak Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia
M. A. Ashraff Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia
M. Ikmal Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia
A. Syafiq Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia
M. Hazritz Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia

Keywords:

Steam power plant , classification of power plants , types of fuels , plant efficiency

Abstract

Steam power plant plays essential roles in the generation of electrical energy. Steam power plant divided into two types which are conventional steam power plant and nonconventional steam power plant. The common type of conventional steam power plant are thermal power plant, nuclear power plant and natural gas power plant while common type of non-conventional steam power plant are geothermal power plant, biogas power plant and biomass power plant. This paper reviews the common type of fuels used in the steam power plant in order to produce steam and indirectly generating electricity. Fuel candidates encompass the entire spectrum from gases to solids. Gaseous fuels include natural gas, process gas, low-Btu coal gas and vaporized fuel oil gas. Liquid fuels can vary from light volatile naphtha through kerosene to the heavy viscous residuals. A final fuel group contains high-ash crudes and residuals. The basic fundamental of steam power plant operation and its essential equipment is also considered. The major type of steam power plant used is thermal power plant or coal power plant which account for almost 41% of the world electric generation with efficiency ranges from 32% to 42%. Besides, this paper reviews the features and characteristic of the common fuels used, the waste products from the fuels, advantages and disadvantages of the fuels and cost of the fuels. It is marked that several common type of fuels used in steam power plant are identified as fossil fuels, waste heats, waste fuels, and nuclear fuels.