Preface
Energy, or power as it is often referred to, is critical, directly or indirectly, in the entire process of evolution, growth and survival of all living beings. It plays a vital role in the socio-economic development and human welfare of a country.
Power is a ‘strategic commodity’. Any uncertainty about its supply can threaten the functioning of an economy, particularly in developing countries. Since the demand for power is growing consistently, an emphasis is given to generate power by utilizing various sources of environment-friendly energy. In this context, acquiring the fundamental aspects of power generation is a must for everyone.
The book discusses about the intricacies of power generation using both renewable and non-renewable resources throughout its nineteen chapters. Conventional method of power generation and the system details have been covered in the first fourteen chapters while the non-conventional methods of power generation have been explained in chapters 15 and 16.
The chapters cover issues like thermal power plant, steam power plant, diesel engine power plant, gas turbine plant, hydro-electric plant, and nuclear power plant, power from non-conventional sources and power plant economics and Instrumentation. All chapters are supplemented by neat sketches and illustrations while SI units have also been used throughout the book which makes it a good reference for engineering students and teachers alike.
Key Features
Salient features of the book are:
- Thermal, hydro and nuclear power generations
- Solar and wind energy conversion systems
- Ocean, geothermal and biomass energy systems
- Fluidized bed combustion technology
- Power from non-conventional sources
- Illustrations, sketches and supplementary photographs
- Environmental aspect of power generation
- Power plant economics
Acknowledgements
I would like to dedicate this book to my father late N. R. Hegde, who was a humble teacher and had been a role model for me. I thank my mother Savitri Hegde, who is a constant source of guidance and encouragement for me. My thanks are due to the publishing team of Pearson, in particular Dheepika, for her timely response and utmost care taken during the manuscript preparation stage. I would also like to thank Sandhya Jayadev for her inputs. I would like to thank my family members, namely, my wife Sathyabhama and lovely daughters Divya and Disha for their support and sacrifice while writing this book.
My special thanks to CA. Raghavendra Rao, President, Srinivas Group of Institutions, Mangalore and Srinivas Rao, Vice-President, Srinivas Group of Institutions, Mangalore for their whole hearted support in bringing out this book.
My heartfelt thanks to Shrinivasa Mayya, Principal, Srinivas Institute of Technology for his encouragement and motivation. Finally, I would like to thank one and all who have been directly or indirectly involved during the process of writing this book.
R. K. Hegde