Electricity generation explained

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Electricity generation explained

Posted On : Jun-20-2009 | seen (1482) times | Article Word Count : 373 |

Electricity is present throughout nature, in the form of the static electricity in thunder clouds and neurons, but there is no direct natural source of flowing electricity of the type required by electrical appliances.

Instead, this type of electricity has to be generated using a primary energy source such as fossil fuels, nuclear fission, or wind power to provide sufficient kinetic energy to drive an electricity generator. Thus, electricity is usually referred to as being a secondary energy source.

Before the advent of electricity, the heating, lighting, and refrigeration needs of a typical dwelling were met by devices such as wood stoves, gas lamps, and ice houses.

Once safer, more powerful and more flexible electrical replacements for these devices came along, such as electric lights and fridges, these primary devices became a lot less popular, which created a huge demand for electricity generation.

The principle behind the modern electric generator is still the same as that pioneered by Michael Faraday in the 1830s, when he discovered that turning a magnet inside a coil of wire induced a current in the wire.

However, the current produced by a magnet in this way is directly proportional to the strength of the magnet, so when electromagnets came along that were many times stronger than a normal magnet, a reasonable amount of power could finally be generated in this way.

The generators used in modern power stations utilise a huge electromagnet rotating inside a series of insulated coils, inducing a current in each one, which is then summed into a far larger current when those coils are joined at the end of the circuit.

These giant electromagnets are not going to rotate themselves, however, and require the energy for movement to come from a secondary source such as a steam turbine or a windmill. Typically, a power plant can achieve an energy efficiency of around 35%, meaning that only just over a third of the energy used to create the electricity is actually turned into electrical energy.

The majority of power stations use turbines, which are essentially large water wheels that are propelled by jets of steam produced by heating water with coal, gas, petrol, or nuclear power.

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<h1>Electricity generation explained </h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Dave Sabri.aspx'>Dave Sabri</a> Electricity is present throughout nature, in the form of the static electricity in thunder clouds and neurons, but there is no direct natural source of flowing electricity of the type required by electrical appliances.

Instead, this type of electricity has to be generated using a primary energy source such as fossil fuels, nuclear fission, or wind power to provide sufficient kinetic energy to drive an electricity generator. Thus, electricity is usually referred to as being a secondary energy source.

Before the advent of electricity, the heating, lighting, and refrigeration needs of a typical dwelling were met by devices such as wood stoves, gas lamps, and ice houses.

Once safer, more powerful and more flexible electrical replacements for these devices came along, such as electric lights and fridges, these primary devices became a lot less popular, which created a huge demand for electricity generation.

The principle behind the modern electric generator is still the same as that pioneered by Michael Faraday in the 1830s, when he discovered that turning a magnet inside a coil of wire induced a current in the wire.

However, the current produced by a magnet in this way is directly proportional to the strength of the magnet, so when electromagnets came along that were many times stronger than a normal magnet, a reasonable amount of power could finally be generated in this way.

The generators used in modern power stations utilise a huge electromagnet rotating inside a series of insulated coils, inducing a current in each one, which is then summed into a far larger current when those coils are joined at the end of the circuit.

These giant electromagnets are not going to rotate themselves, however, and require the energy for movement to come from a secondary source such as a steam turbine or a windmill. Typically, a power plant can achieve an energy efficiency of around 35%, meaning that only just over a third of the energy used to create the electricity is actually turned into electrical energy.

The majority of power stations use turbines, which are essentially large water wheels that are propelled by jets of steam produced by heating water with coal, gas, petrol, or nuclear power. About the Author: 
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