Here’s a brief description:
Gas Power Plant Simulation
This interactive simulation models how a natural gas power plant converts chemical energy into electrical energy for the national grid. It follows the complete energy transfer chain across five stages:
- Gas Supply — Natural gas is drawn from a pressurised storage tank and delivered through a pipe to the combustion chamber.
- Combustion — The gas is ignited with air inside the combustion chamber, releasing heat energy at temperatures up to 1,400°C.
- Turbine — Hot expanding gases spin a turbine at up to 3,000 RPM, converting thermal energy into kinetic (mechanical) energy.
- Generator — The spinning turbine shaft drives a generator, where rotating electromagnets induce an electromotive force (EMF) in the stator coils, producing alternating current (AC electricity).
- Grid Output — The voltage is stepped up by a transformer before being transmitted to the national grid.
Users can adjust the gas flow rate using the slider to observe how fuel input affects power output, combustion temperature, turbine speed, grid frequency, efficiency, and CO₂ emissions in real time. The plant can also be shut down or emergency-stopped to observe how the system responds to changes in fuel supply.