Electrical Engineering XYZ MCQs
A gas turbine power plant is best suited for:
- Emergency
- Peak loads
- Base loads
- None of these
Correct answer: 2. Peak loads
Explanation: A gas turbine power plant is best suited for peak loads
- Gas turbine power plants are most suitable for meeting peak loads. Peak loads refer to periods of high electricity demand, typically during daytime hours when businesses are operating at full capacity and households are using appliances extensively. During these times, additional power generation capacity is required to meet the increased demand.
- Gas turbine power plants are well-suited for peak loads due to their ability to start up quickly and ramp their power output up or down rapidly in response to fluctuations in demand. Unlike some other types of power plants, such as coal-fired plants, gas turbine plants do not require a lengthy startup time or a significant warm-up period. They can be brought online relatively quickly to meet sudden increases in demand.
- While gas turbine power plants can also be used for base loads (continuous, steady electricity generation required to meet minimum demand), they are not as efficient for this purpose compared to other types of power plants, such as combined cycle plants. Base load plants are usually optimized for efficiency over long periods of operation at a constant output level.
- Gas turbine power plants are generally not used for emergency purposes. Emergency power generation is typically provided by backup generators or standby power systems, which may use diesel engines or other technologies that are specifically designed for reliable operation during emergencies or power outages.