QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) |ALREADY
GRADED A+(NEWEST)
How are electricity costs historically expressed? - ANSWER-In mills per
kilowatt-hour, where 1,000 mills equal $1.
What are the three main components of generation costs? - ANSWER-
Capital, Operating and Maintenance (O&M), and Fuel costs.
What does capital cost in electricity generation include? - ANSWER-
Land, equipment, construction, and interest.
What are the main financial considerations in electricity generation? -
ANSWER-Financial considerations include generation costs,
transmission, distribution, and administrative profits.
What percentage of consumer payments typically goes to electricity
generation? - ANSWER-Approximately 60%.
What are the two types of O&M costs? - ANSWER-Fixed O&M costs
($/kW per yr) and Variable O&M costs (¢/kW·hr).
,What is the relationship between plant size and costs according to the
economy of scale? - ANSWER-As the plant size increases, costs decrease.
What is the significance of capital costs in relation to the plant's
operating lifetime? - ANSWER-Capital costs must be distributed
throughout the expected operating lifetime to find an annual payment.
How are power plants classified based on capacity factor? - ANSWER-
They are classified as Base load, Peak, and Intermediate plants.
What characterizes base load power plants? - ANSWER-They operate
24/7 and have a high capacity factor.
What is a key feature of peak power plants? - ANSWER-They are used
only as needed, typically during high demand periods.
What geological features are associated with geothermal power
locations? - ANSWER-Cracks in the Earth's crust, known as rifts, often
near tectonic plate boundaries.
What are the three classifications of geothermal sources? - ANSWER-
Hydrothermal, Geopressurized water, and Petrothermal.
What is the typical thermal efficiency of geothermal power? - ANSWER-
Approximately 20%.
, What are the two types of hydrothermal systems? - ANSWER-Vapor
dominated and liquid dominated systems.
What is a flash steam geothermal plant? - ANSWER-A plant where
geothermal water is pumped under high pressure to the surface, where it
flashes into steam to drive a turbine.
What type of geothermal plant uses a binary cycle? - ANSWER-A plant
that uses geothermal water to heat a secondary working fluid with a
lower boiling point.
What is the typical temperature range for liquid dominated geothermal
plants? - ANSWER-Between 225°F and 360°F.
What is the role of hot springs in geothermal locations? - ANSWER-They
release geothermally heated groundwater.
What is the main advantage of binary cycle geothermal plants? -
ANSWER-They produce no air emissions.
What is the typical depth range for drilling geothermal wells? -
ANSWER-Between 3,000 to 9,000 feet.