We all know that electricity flows in wires and lights up bulbs, allowing us to use electrical devices like computers and kitchen machines. But the question arises where does the electricity comes from. In this post we will learn about how electricity is generated in power plant and in future posts we will get more knowledge of resources that produce heat to create electricity. In next post we will get to know how electricity is brought to homes, schools and market from power plant.
How is Electricity Produced?
Thermal power plants have big boilers in which a fuel is burnt to produce heat. It is the same as a kettle on stove. When the water in a kettle boils, it produces steam that evolves through a hole above on the spout. The evolving steam makes a whistle to alert that the water is boiled.
In the power plant, the water is heated, and the steam that produces is passed through thick and wide pipes and reaches turbines. In most of the boilers, natural elements like coal, oil, wood or natural gas is burnt in the firebox to reveal heat. Above the fire box are the pipelines that goes through box with water filled in it. The heat that is revealed from the firebox makes the water boils in those metal pipes till it steams. The water boils at the temperature of 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Generally the energy sources used in the boilers to heat the water are natural.
The Structure of the Turbine
The structure of the turbine is lengthy; it has a steam inlet on one side and an outlet on the other end that is connected to the generator. The steam in turbine is pressured as the turbine spins at speed, and the shaft is connected to the turbo generatorg. The turbo generator changes the mechanical spinning energy into electricity. The turbine has a defined structure inside it. There is a fan structure made of many blades inside the turbine. These blades are at equal distances and form a fan type. When the steam intact the blades, it makes the turbine shaft spin that is situated at the bottom of the structure. After the steam goes through the turbine, it basically moves from the hot to the cooler place, where it changes its form from steam to water vapors. Then when the water vapor comes into contact with the hot pipes, it leaves a white cloud of steam, this is the steam but not smoke, that is produces when the vapors intact with the hot pipes, apart from the steam that has been used.
This cooled water is then again forwarded to the turbine, where it is heated again in process to create electricity, and thus the circle goes on and on.
Energy Sources Used in the Production of Electricity
In many of the power plants, different energy sources are used, in California; many power plants use cleaner- burning natural gas for production of energy. Similarly coal, wood and oil are also used in major and in other cases, natural hot water from ground of the earth that needs no burning at all. This and much more details shall be mentioned in next posts.
The Working of a Generator
The turbine has an attachment with the turbogenerator through its shaft. The generator is circled with a long coiled wire on its shaft and the shaft is surrounded by a huge magnet. The shaft that is attached to the turbine and the other end to the generator works well, when the turbine moves, it makes a circulation in the generator as well and creates electricity in the wires. This process makes the electrical generator converts the moving energy into electrical energy.
The generator is built on the theory of electromagnetic induction presented by Michael Faraday. According to him, when an electrical conductor for example cooper wire is passed through a magnetic field, it allows current to induce in the conductor. So the mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy, that is mechanical energy of the cooper wire is than changed into electrical energy that flows in the wire.
The electricity that is produced by generators than is forwarded to homes, schools, markets and businesses. Further details regarding transmission lines are mentioned in next post. All the power plants have generators and turbines. Some of the turbines are turned by wind, some by water and other by steam. The electricity is highly important in our daily lives and the production of electricity goes through large process including conversion of energy.
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