In simple terms, base load means more or less continuous operations.
As opposed to "two-shifting" or "peak lopping" where plant is started and stopped one or more times per day to meet changes in demand.
Any generating set will have a maximum continious rating. At this load the unit operates at maximum efficieny. There is certainly a scope of generating more power but it will be at the cost of sacrificing the inbuilt margins which is called as peak load operation.
Suggestion: Reference:
1. IEEE Std 100 "Dictionary.."
The Base Load (Power Generation). The minimum load over a given period of time. Reference IEEE Std 858-1987 "Standard Definitions in Power Operations Terminology"
Base Load Operation is based on the Based Load definition.
thank you for your response. In a chemical plant to meet the auxillary consumption of the plant, a captive generator set has been suggested having a capacity of 10MW. In this case what is the base load operation of the gen. set
Base load operation of a generating station is sopposed to be a kind of operation with a fix number of a power generators in parallel carrying a load less than their capacity.Or a single generator is operating at a load lower to its capacity and that the load never exceeds the generator capacity.
jbartos is right, load profile versus time plot will help to comment on what is base load generation and pls also also clarifies is your plant operate in parallel with utility / grid, if yes then only question of base load comes. If you will be operating in isolation with Grid, there is no question of base load because in that case what will be the load on your generator, that will be the base load.
with reference to generating station base load is minimum continuous generation of the station. for which certain generator / set of generators is always running. during peak hours other machines are started to take care of increased load demand.
