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By Fluid Components International
In all electric power generation plants (gas, solar, coal or nuclear), the fuel source of choice heats a large boiler, which creates steam that drives turbine blades to rotate. The turbine shaft in turn spins magnets inside the generator, which induces an electrical current in a coil of wires. It’s a high-temperature process both in terms of the boilers and steam, but also at the back end of the process where the electric current generates a large amount of heat that must be managed in order to keep the generator’s wire coils cool enough to avoid degradation or failure. Depending on the MVA size of the generator, hydrogen (H2), air or water is typically used to provide cooling.
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