What happens in coal power plants?

Answer 1

They burn coal, to generate steam in steam boilers or generators. The steam expands in steam engines or turbines which drive generators that generate electricity.

The expanded steam is then condensed back to water, and sent back to the boiler to be reused.

Cooling water for these condensers is circulated by large pumps from the condenser to the cooling tower where it trickles down through trays or "fill" and evaporates cooling the remaining water, what doesn't evaporate is pumped from the basin to the condenser and the cycle repeats, some powerplants use river or sea water instead or in addition to cooling towers.

The flue gasses from the combustion of the fuel is passed through scrubbers (to remove sulfur compounds), and ash collectors, (baghouses and/or electrostatic precipitators) before being released to the atmosphere. Most large powerplants use catalysers or activated carbon injection to remove heavy metals from the flue gasses as well.

Ash handling equipment remove ash from the bottom of the boiler and some additional points down stream in the flue gas path, to a central collection point where it is removed for use elsewhere or landfilling.

Coal handling equipment moves the coal from the coal yard, to hoppers which feed ball mills or hammermills before feeding the coal to the boiler furnace.

Typically large plants burn pulverized coal in suspension (no grates) by blowing it into the furnace with big forced draft fans.