Classification of Power Plants

There are several different types of power plants used across the world today. Each of these plants has their own set of advantages and drawbacks from various perspectives and various factors govern which type of power plant is best suited for a particular region or situation.

                                                                                            

• Thermal Power Plants – as the name suggests, these power plants convert heat energy into electrical energy. The working fluid of these plants is steam or a gas. Depending upon the working fluid, they are mainly of two types, Steam Turbine and Gas Turbine power plant.

• Hydro Power Plants – these plants use the kinetic energy of flowing water to rotate the turbine blades, hence converting kinetic energy into electrical energy. These types of power plants are very good for peak loads. Their main disadvantage lies in the fact that their location depends on a number of factors which are beyond the control of human beings such as the hydrological cycle of the region and so forth. If there is shortage of water it could lead to shut down of these plants. For this reason alternative arrangements such as thermal power plants need to be made to ensure uninterrupted generation of power.

Apart from these main two types there are plants which use nuclear energy, solar energy and even wind energy to generate power.