Electricity generation process in principle is the conversion of primary energy into mechanical energy which serves as a driving force and the driving force (mechanical energy) is converted to an electric generator into electricity. In the conversion process issues inevitably arise. Problems arising in the energy conversion poses are:
1. Provision of Primary Energy
Primary energy for a thermal power station fuel. The provision of fuel to be optimal, include: procurement of fuels, transportation fuels, and fuel storage and safety factors of the risk of fire because the fire can be caused by human error factor in saving fuel as well as due to the chemical reaction of the fuel itself.
Primary energy in hydropower is water, the process can pengadaanya derived from the original nature and can come from rivers and rain water collected in reservoirs or dams. In hydropower, required forest conservation area in the watershed (DAS) of forest in order to function as a store of water so it does not arise floods in the rainy season and vice versa no drought during the dry season.
2. Provision of water for cooling purposes
Fulfillment of the needs of the cooling water supply, especially in thermal power plants, is very important keperadaannya as the power plant and diesel. While in power plant water requirements for cooling purposes does not require a lot of cooling water.
And diesel power plant with installed capacity exceeding 25 MW built in many coastal areas because it requires large amounts of cooling water to the plant and diesel can use sea water as an ingredient for the purpose of cooling water. In the diesel units are small, or under 3 MW, the cooling process can use air from the radiator.
3. Issues Waste
Steam Power Plant that uses fuel coal, waste coal ash and smoke containing gas S02, C02, and NO. All power plants produce waste chemicals from water kettle (blow down). On diesel and gas power plant in the form of waste lubricating oil. Hydropower does not produce waste, but the waste that comes from the people who went into the river often cause disruption in hydropower.
4. Problems Noise
In thermal power stations can cause a loud noise that is noise for the people living around it, so the noise level generated must be maintained so as not to exceed the noise standards set.
5. Operation
Operation of power plants mostly 24 hours a day. Besides the cost of supplying electricity most (± 60%) for the operation of power plants, particularly for procurement of fuel, so we need a power plant operating efficiently. If the power station operates in system interconnect, (ie power stations that operate in parallel with the centers of other power plants through transmission lines), then the power stations must follow and meet the operating pattern of interconnection systems.
6. Maintenance
Maintenance is an activity to keep or maintain the facilities and or equipment and make repairs or adjustments and or replace necessary so that there is a satisfactory state of production operations.
This type of maintenance is composed of two kinds, namely:
a) Preventative Maintenance (preventive maintenance), and
b) Maintenance repair (corrective or breakdown maintenance).
Problems or issues in maintenance include:
(1) technical issues and
(2) economic problems.
On the technical issues that need to be considered is what action should be taken to maintain or treating and or repair / refit faulty machinery or equipment, as well as tools or parts are required and must be provided in order to act on the job or taking care of the maintenance and or repairing broken machinery or equipment that can be done.
On technical issues: whether to do preventive maintenance or corrective maintenance, should be repaired damaged equipment within the company or outside the company, and whether to faulty equipment or machinery repaired or replaced.
The types of maintenance that can be performed by the maintenance section, include:
a) Maintenance of buildings
b) Maintenance of workshop equipment
c) Maintenance of electronic equipment
d) Maintenance of power plants
e) Maintenance of lighting and ventilation
f) Maintenance of material handling and transport of
g) Maintenance yard and garden
h) Maintenance of equipment service
i) Maintenance of equipment warehouse
7. Disorders and Damage
Disturbance is an event that causes the breaker Power (PMT) open (trip) outside the will of the operator resulting in disconnection of power supply. Is a real disorder that causes short circuit events mostly lightning and plants. The disorder can also be caused by damage to the tool, otherwise the interference caused crate happened many times can ultimately lead to tools (eg transformer) become damaged.
8. Development Plant
In general, stand-alone power stations that exist in the system and interconnect require development. This is because the burden faced growing, while on the other hand the existing generating units are getting older and need to be removed from operation.
If the existing power station building still allows for the addition of generating units, the development of the generation can be done by adding generating units in the center of the building’s existing electrical. But if there is no possibility of extending the existing power station building, then it should be built new power center. Generation development, especially in the interconnection system, in addition to attention disorders and damage problems should also pay attention to transmission line problems in the system.
9. Development Generating Technologies
Development of generation technology generally leads to improved efficiency of energy conversion and application of new techniques and new fuels decline. These developments include the terms of the hardware (hardware) as well as computerized software (software) such as the development of mathematical models for optimization.