how exactly to fossil fuel power plants work?
the short answer is they use the fuel to heat water and create steam and use the steam in a turbine to create electricity
Fossil fuel power plants burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and heat water to produce steam which turns a turbine to drive a generator which produces electricity.
Depends on the type of power plant. There are some, like coal and furnace-type natural gas plants, that burn fossil fuels in a furnace or combustor. The burning of the fuel heat water flowing through a boiler, evaporator, or steam generator to produce steam. This steam is directed to a steam turbine which turns a generator and sends power to the grid. Fossil fuels can also be used in a gas turbine (basically a jet engine mounted stationary) to directly turn a generator and send power to the grid. This is known as simple cycle. The waste exhaust from the gas turbine can be sent through a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam. This steam is directed to a steam turbine which turns a generator and sends power to the grid. This would be a combined-cycle operation. Fossil fuels can be used to run a diesel generator.
