When installing a new power plant, leave aside the part of designing it, you are done with the design and now you want to install it, there are some things that you should consider.
In this article, I will discuss several factors to be considered when installing a new plant.
These factors are what are going to keep the new power plant in shape and reliable.
If any of these factors are taken for granted, it will render the new power plant not fit for use.
When installing a new power plant you might think that you are done with every aspect since you designed it.
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Designing the power plant was just a single part of the puzzle. For the new power plant to be fit for use, you will have to take care of certain aspects.
Without wasting time, let me share these aspects that should be considered when installing a new power plant.
These are the factors to be considered when installing a new power plant;
1. The estimate of the load that will be produced.
When installing a new power plant after you have designed it, you will need to know the estimated load that will be produced by the power plant.
Knowing the load that will be produced by the power plant will give you an idea about the equipment you should install.
You know that there are different types of loads that a power plant can produce, e.g. industrial, commercial, domestic and private loads etc.
Each of these loads will require different equipment because of the energy that the power plant will be supplying.
You can’t expect a power plant that produces an industrial load to have the same generators and transformers similar to a power plant that was designed to supply a domestic load.
The power plant supplying industrial load will have higher voltages; so it will need more efficient equipment to be able to handle the amount of energy being produced.
So, when installing a new power plant, all these are factors that should be put into consideration.
Knowing the estimated load of the new power plant will give you the direction you should take when it comes to installing essential components of the power plant.
2. Future load conditions.
When installing a new power plant, you also have to keep in mind the possibility of future expansions.
It’s just the same thing that you should consider during the design of a new power plant.
You have to install the power plant knowing that in the future the load condition might change.
The population in that area will increase, the electrical energy demand is going to be higher and if there are no other plants around to do interconnection, the only solution that will be available is to expand the power plant.
When installing a new power plant, don’t just think that there is no possibility of the future load conditions changing.
You should always open your mind and be ready for any change that will come along with the increasing demands.
Also, you may install the new power plant thinking that their load is always going to be industrial, then the industries close and the only option you have is to change the load to supply the electrical energy to the people around that area.
The future load conditions should always be kept in calculations when installing a new power plant.
2. The power plant capacity.
The power plant capacity is another important factor that should be considered when installing a new power plant.
The power plant capacity is the amount of electrical energy that the power plant can produce to meet the demands of the consumers.
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In most cases, the power plant capacity must be at least equal to the peak load.
When installing a new power plant this is something that should be thought of very hard before putting the power plant into use.
What is the need of installing a new power plant when it can’t even meet the demands of the consumers?
The power plant capacity should be well calculated to be able to cater for the needs of the consumers.
If it’s a large power plant that is being installed several generating units should be installed to ensure that the power plant will produce the required capacity of electrical energy.
Also, in case one of the generating units is broken the power plant will still be able to meet the demands of the consumers.
The power plant capacity should not be interfered with no matter what happens because that is the only thing that will make it reliable.
3. The total cost of the power plant.
The total cost of the power plant should be considered when installing it.
This is another factor that will help on the economic side of things.
Installing a new power plant needs lots of money. Without knowing the amount of money that is going to be spent on installing the power plant, one might make silly mistakes that may result in ineffective installation.
The cost of the new power plant should be written down for future reference and to able to know how much was lost and the estimated time that the new power plant can bring back that money.
Having a clear budget for the total cost of the power plant is going to make things easier when deciding on the type of fuel to be used in that power plant and calculating the cost of electrical energy production.
I know you already did that when you were designing the power plant, but there are several things that might change during installation and you will need a backup plan to cover the changes and the extra cost that will come with the installation.
Also, when installing a new power plant the total cost should be reasonable enough.
We are in the business of making profits, not losses. The cost of the power plant installation should not be a reason for rendering the power plant bankrupt.
4. Annual running cost of the power plant.
When installing a new power plant this is something else that should be kept into consideration.
The annual running cost of the power plant should be reasonable. That will be made possible by the type of equipment, fuel and operation that will be carried out in the new power plant.
The running cost of the power plant can either be higher or lower depending on the components that were installed and its overall operations.
Some components will need a huge deal of expensive maintenance which will end up increasing the overall annual running cost of the new power plant.
But if the components and machines are wisely chosen and researched, this issue of racking up higher annual running costs is not going to happen.
There is so much when it comes to the running cost of the power plant.
What you have to put in mind is that everything that will be done to put the power plant in shape will always add up to the cost of operation.
So, when installing a new power plant, you have to ensure that the equipment installed isn’t going to need frequent maintenance and replacement since that is going to increase the annual running cost.
Another thing that will take most of the money in a power plant is the kind of fuel being used.
When installing a new power plant you should use an effective firing system that is going to have an economic use of fuel so that not so much money is spent on fuel.
These are just small parts of the annual running cost that should be considered when installing a new power plant.
We have personnel, license, labour and transportation etc that will add up to the annual running cost of the power plant.
All in all, we have to do everything we can to ensure that the annual running cost of the new power plant is going to be reasonable.
This is what will enable you to profit from the new power plant you are installing.
5. The rate at which the power will be sold to the consumers.
When installing a new power plant you also have to consider the rate at which the electrical energy will be sold to the consumers.
This is important to know because it’s going to help you determine the kinds of equipment you should install in the power plant and the possible profits to make out of the power plant.
Knowing the rate at which the power will be distributed to the consumers will also help set the right schedules for power generation in the power plant.
The electrical energy that will be produced from the power plant has to be used not wasted.
One will also be able to make a rough approximation of the profit he or she will be able to make from this new power plant.
This is important to know especially if there is a possibility of future expansions of the power plant.
Also, knowing the rate of distribution will enable the personnel to do effective energy audits in the power plant to conserve energy.
All these are measures that can be put in to ensure the power plant is reliable and sound as long as it’s used.
6. The type of fuel to be used in the new power plant.
The type of fuel to be used in the power plant is also one of the factors that should be put into consideration when installing a new power plant.
The generation of power in the power plant will mainly be dependent on the fuel used.
When installing a new power plant, all measures should be taken to ensure that the power plant will have an economic use of the fuel.
Apart from that, the power plant should be installed keeping in mind the type of fuel that is going to be used to generate power.
This is what will help the engineers set up the appropriate firing system during the installation.
Installing the wrong firing system in the new power plant is going to cost the power plant a lot of money.
If the power plant being installed needs to use oil, then all measures should be put on how this fuel is going to be used in this power plant.
The burner, handling of the fuel and possible inventions to maximize the effectiveness of this firing system.
All these things can be done during the installation of the new plant.
If it’s coal that is going to be used, then one has to ensure that handling equipment is installed, the appropriate firing system, the furnace should be situated for maximum air provision and any other factors that will affect the function of the firing system.
It’s important that this should be noted during installation to make the right installation that will increase the efficiency of the power plant.
Lastly…
The factors I have shared in this article are to be considered when installing a new power plant.
All these factors are what will keep the new power plant reliable and profitable as long as it’s in use.
Any mistakes done during the installation will result in huge losses that will render the power plant broke.
If the power plant will be broke, it will be impossible to take care of the annual running cost and it will end up being a failed project.
It’s important research is done during the installation of the new power plant so that the appropriate components are installed.
Thanks for reading, if you have any other questions about what I have shared in this article, leave your comment. See you in my next article.
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