Electric

DIAGRAM:

​Combined cycle technology employs a number of methods to squeeze the most energy out of every natural gas molecule. This includes recapturing waste heat whenever possible, putting it to use to create more electricity or to run our city’s snowmelt system.

1. ​The plant’s two 50MW combustion turbines (CTGs) draw in outside air, compress it and combust it with natural gas. The hot exhaust gas propels the turbine blades to turn a generator creating electricity.
   
2. The heat recovery steam generators capture heat from the CTGs’ exhaust and use it to convert a closed loop of water into steam.
   
3. Pressurized steam from the HRSG’s turns the 45MW steam turbine generator (STG) to generate additional electricity.
   
4. Electricity from the plant is stepped up from 13,800 volts to 138,000 volts for distribution to the community’s substations.
   
5. A flow of cool water from the cooling towers condenses steam back to liquid after it exits the steam turbine.
   
6. Warm water from the condenser can divert to deliver heat to the city’s snowmelt system.
   
7. Cooling towers use evaporation to cool a closed loop of hot water from the condenser.