Thermal energy steam generation

The steam electric power generation industry is defined as those establishments primarily engaged in the steam generation of electrical energy for distribution and sale. Those establishments produce electricity primarily from a process utilizing fossil-type fuel (coal, oil, or gas) or nuclear fuel in conjunction with a thermal cycle employing the steam-water system as the thermodynamic medium. The industry does not include steam electric power plants in industrial, commercial, or other facilities. The industry in the United States falls under two Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes SIC 4911 and SIC 4931. 

A conventional power plant fired by fossil fuels converts the chemical energy of combustion of the fuel first to heat, which is used to raise steam, which in turn is used to drive the turbines that turn the electrical generators. Quite apart from the mechanical and thermal energy losses in this sequence, the maximum thermodynamic efficiency e for any heat engine is limited by the relative temperatures of the heat source (That) and heat sink (Tcoid) ... 

A nuclear process heat reactor was selected for this application for economic reasons. Studies (1,3) indicated that the economics of steam generation from nuclear energy are favorable where a large amount of relatively low-temperature thermal energy is required in a single-purpose plant. The source of energy used to produce the steam required is immaterial as far as the sea water evaporators are concerned. 

The optimization of the large-capacity multistage flash evaporator was based on the consumption of the 370 thermal megawatts of energy available from the nuclear steam generator. It was necessary to determine the capital cost for various assumed terminal temperature differences and numbers of stages. Added to the amortized capital cost were all other costs necessary for operation of a complete plant, such as steam, labor, utilities, materials, and overhead. 

If a fossil fuel is combusted in a steam plant, the combustion proceeds to release thermal energy and uses this energy to supply the heat used to generate steam. The analysis given above can be adapted to any type of (fossil) fuel. 

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