Furnace

(furnace section of power plant)    Return to How a coal-fired power plant generates electricity.

(5) Silos
Once inside the plant, the coal is moved to 12 silos, from which it’s fed automatically into pulverizers that reduce its size to 1/4 inch or less before it is burned in the furnaces.

(6) Cyclone furnaces
The 12 coal-fired cyclone furnaces heat the boiler to create steam.

(7) Boiler furnace
The 26-story boiler furnace converts 3½ million pounds of water to steam every hour.

(8) Forced-draft fan
To improve combustion, 2 forced-draft fans force air into the boiler furnace.

Areas of power plant

Fuel handling
(1) Rotary dumper
(2) Storage building
(3) Alternate fuel-handling facility
(4) Transfer house
Furnace
(5) Silos
(6) Cyclone furnaces
(7) Boiler furnace
(8) Forced-draft fans
Electric generation
(9) Turbine
(10) Generator
Electric transmission
(11) Transformer
(12) Substation
Environmental equipment
(13) Fans
(14) Precipitator
(15) Ash silo
(16) Stack
(17) Emission monitors
Water handling
(18) Cooling pond
(19) Condenser
(20) Brine concentrator

Return to How a coal-fired power plant generates electricity.