Physics
Electricity Generation
Electricity generation is the process of producing electric energy from various sources such as coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar power. This is typically achieved through the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy using generators. The generated electricity is then transmitted and distributed to power homes, businesses, and industries.
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11 Key excerpts on "Electricity Generation"
eBook - PDFElectronics NQF2 SB
TVET FIRST
- Jowaheer Consulting and Technologies R Van Heerden(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Macmillan(Publisher)
Topic 1, Module 3 22 Overview Electricity is an invisible force that can produce heat, light, motion by attraction or repulsion, and many other physical effects. The study of electricity is, for the most part, the study of the energy provided by the flow of electrons in various conductors and devices that form complete circuit systems. This module looks at how electricity is produced at power stations and distributed to consumers. You will find out how renewable and non-renewable energy resources are converted into usable energy. Finally, you will discover how direct current and alternating current generators work. When you have completed this module, you should be able to: ⦁ explain how electricity is produced at power stations ⦁ explain how energy from coal, gas, nuclear fuel, water, wind and the Sun can be converted into usable energy ⦁ explain the generation of direct current (d.c.) in terms of a single loop in a magnetic field ⦁ explain and calculate the generation of single-phase alternating current (a.c.) in terms of a single loop in a magnetic field. Module 3 Fundamentals of power generation and distribution 23 Electricity is a form of energy. Earlier we defined electricity as the flow of electrons through a conductor. Electricity is a basic part of nature and it is one of our most widely used forms of energy. Electricity is a secondary energy source because we convert primary energy sources like coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear power, running water and so on, into electrical energy. Sources of electricity There are six basic sources of electricity: heat, light, friction, pressure, magnetism and chemical action . Of these, magnetism is the most important, as it contributes by far the largest portion of electrical production worldwide. Power generators are electric generators which convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.
eBook - ePubThe Electric Power Industry
A Nontechnical Guide
- Thomas O. Miesner, A. Andrew Gallo(Authors)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- PennWell Books(Publisher)
Converting primary energy to secondary energy is normally referred to as generating electricity. Generation Fuel Sources Currently, about 60% of the world’s electricity comes from converting chemical energy contained in fossil fuels (coal and natural gas) into electrical energy. Gravity pulling water downhill produces about 16% of electrical energy; converting atomic power into electricity yields another approximately 10%; a variety of sources, most commonly called renewables, produce around 12%; leaving approximately 3% for all other fuels. The numbers are rounded which is why they add to 101% rather than perfectly adding to 100%. Figure 3-1. World Electrical Generation by Energy Source. Of the renewables portion, a little over half is generated by wind, with 27% generated with biomass, geothermal, and a few other sources. Figure 3-2. World Renewable Electrical Generation by Source. Generation Types Coal, natural gas, hydro, nuclear, and wind – all drive electromechanical generators. Figures 3-1 and 3-2 demonstrate that electromechanical generators account for over 90% of all electrical power generation. This chapter discusses electromagnetic and other types of generators and the primary fuel sources driving them. Electromechanical or Electromagnetic? Many people use the terms electromechanical generators and electromagnetic generators synonymously, with no ill effect. As nearly as the authors can deduce from the various definitions that abound, the term electromechanical refers to a machine that converts mechanical energy into electricity, and the term electromagnetic refers to a machine that converts mechanical energy into electricity using an electromagnet rather than a permanent magnet
eBook - ePub- Paul Breeze(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Newnes(Publisher)
The aim of the book is to provide a description of every type of power generation. Even so there will be occasional lacunas; there is no description of magnetohydrodynamic power generation, for example, although even this obscure phenomenon does earn a brief mention under the chapter on marine power generation. Apart from this, all practical and some still experimental means of producing electricity are included.The History of Electricity Generation
The roots of the modern electricity-generating industry are to be found in the early and middle years of the 19th century and in the work of men such as André Ampère, Michael Faraday, Benjamin Franklin and Alessandro Volta. It was during this period that scientists began to forge an understanding of the nature of electrical charge and magnetic fields. The chemical battery that converts chemical energy into electricity had also been discovered and permitted the properties of a flowing electrical charge (an electric current) to be explored. This also allowed the development of the telegraph, the first electrical means of communication. It was Faraday who was able to establish the relationship between electric currents and magnetism, a relationship that makes it possible to generate electricity with moving machinery rather than taking it exclusively from chemical batteries. His discoveries opened the way to the use of rotating engines as a source of electrical power.The widening understanding of electricity coincided with the development of the steam engine as well as the widespread use of gas for fuel and lighting. Lighting in particular caught the public imagination and one of the first major uses for electricity was as a source of light. In the United States, Thomas Edison developed the carbon filament that produced light from an electric current. Similar work was carried out in the United Kingdom by Sir Joseph Swan.Some of the first rotating machines used for Electricity Generation were based on water wheels and dynamos. However, water was not always available where power was needed, and the trend among municipal power stations, the first important type of public power plant, was often to utilise steam engines and generators. These stations were initially built to provide electricity for lighting in cites. Early plants were generally small with a limited number of customers but the area supplied by each power station gradually grew in size. At the same time, there was little standardisation and supply voltages varied from place to place and company to company. Meanwhile, there was an extended debate about the comparative merits of direct current and alternating current as the means of supplying electrical power. This was not resolved until well into the 20th century.
eBook - ePub- Paul Breeze(Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Newnes(Publisher)
Chapter 14 on marine power generation. That aside, all practical and some still experimental means of producing electricity are included.History of Electricity Generation
The roots of the modern electricity-generating industry are found in the early and middle years of the 19th century and in the work of men such as André Ampère, Michael Faraday, Benjamin Franklin, and Alessandro Volta. It was during this period that scientists began to forge an understanding of the nature of electrical charge and magnetic fields. The chemical battery that converted chemical energy into electricity had also been discovered and permitted the properties of a flowing electrical charge (an electric current) to be explored. This also allowed the development of the telegraph, the first electrical means of communication. It was Faraday who was able to establish the relationship between electric currents and magnetism, a relationship that makes it possible to generate electricity with moving machinery rather than taking it exclusively from chemical batteries. His discoveries opened the way to the use of rotating engines as a source of electrical power.The widening understanding of electricity coincided with the development of the steam engine as well as the widespread use of gas for fuel and lighting. Lighting, in particular, caught the public’s imagination and one of the first major uses for electricity was as a source of light. In the United States, Thomas Edison developed the carbon filament that produced light from an electric current. Similar work was carried out in the United Kingdom by Sir Joseph Swan.Some of the first rotating machines used for Electricity Generation were based on water wheels and dynamos. However, water was not always available where power was needed and the trend among municipal power stations, the first important type of public power plant, was often to utilize steam engines and generators. These stations were initially built to provide electricity for lighting in cites. Early plants were generally small with a limited number of customers, but the area supplied by each power station gradually grew in size. At the same time there was little standardization and supply voltages varied from place to place and company to company. Meanwhile, there was an extended debate about the comparative merits of direct current and alternating current as the means of supplying electrical power. This was not resolved until well into the 20th century.
eBook - PDF- DENNIS A SNOW(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Newnes(Publisher)
Electricity Generation BEng, PhD, CEng, FIMechE, FIMarE, MemASME Davy McKee (Stockton) Ltd . BSc, CEng, MIMechE ABB Power Ltd Contents 20.1 Introduction 20/3 20.2 Generation of electrical power 20/3 20.2.1 Diesels 20/3 20.2.2 Gas turbines 20/5 20.2.3 Thermal power plant 20/7 20.2.4 Gas turbines in combined cycle 20/8 20.3 Combined heat and power (CHP) 20/9 , f 20.3.1 Steam turbines for CHP 20/10 20.3.2 Diesels and gas turbines in combined heat and power 20/12 20.4 Factors influencing choice 20/13 20.4.1 The available fuels 20/13 20.4.2 The electrical load profile 20/15 20.4.3 The heat load 20/15 20.4.4 Power station auxiliary systems and services 20 16 20.4.5 Site conditions 20/16 20.4.6 Plant availability and maintenance 20/16 20.4.7 Environmental aspects 20/18 20.4.8 Generated voltages 20/19 20.5 The selection 20/19 20.5.1 For electrical power 20/19 20.5.2 For combined heat and power 20/20 20.5.3 Economic considerations 20/22 20.6 Plant and installation 20/23 20.6.1 Diesel power plants 20/23 20.6.2 Gas turbine power plants 20/26 20.6.3 Steam turbogenerators 20/30 20.6.4 Generators 20/31 20 20/1 I G Crow and K Shippen This page intentionally left blank Generation of electrical power 20/3 20.1 Introduction Electricity is one of the key energy sources for industry and commerce. It is normally provided by the electricity supply authorities, being generated from very large fossil-fuelled or nuclear central power stations and distributed throughout the country via high-voltage transmission systems. It can be fair to say that the electricity supply authorities play a very important part in meeting the demands of the consumer efficiently, reliably and at an economic cost. However, there will always be a role for the private generation of electrical power, either to meet the needs for security of supply or to provide the electricity more economically.
- H. Lee Willis, Lorrin Philipson(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
These original sources of energy can be fossil fuels, i.e., coal, oil, and natural gas, or energy released by the fissioning of radioactive materials, by falling water in hydro-electric plants, or by energy taken from sunlight, wind, or geothermal sources. The complete set of machinery for producing electricity, including an electric generator, whatever converts the original energy source, e.g., coal, into energy, and all control and supporting ancillary equipment, is called a generating unit. Usually, several generating units will be located together at one site, a generating plant. Central Station Generation The various generating stations in a traditional utility system are connected together by a high-voltage transmission grid (Figure 6.4). The set of transmission lines, each of which can usually move an entire generator’s worth of power several hundred miles, joins all the generators electrically, so that they act as one large set. Theoretically, power from any one generator can be routed to any location in the grid. This concept is called infinite bus generation. Since the power from any generator can, conceivably, be routed to any customer in the system, all the generators serve all the customers . By contrast, zonal generation has generators in one part of the system reserved only for customers in that area, e.g., those in the south serve customers in the south, and those in the north serve customers in the north. Electric utilities and private generating companies (Gencos) usually try to put two or more generating units at sites called generating stations , partly to reduce site acquisition and licensing costs. In the developing era of electric systems, prior to 1930, most utilities had only one such big generating facility, the central station . Most modern utilities have grown to where they have 12 or more such generating stations.
eBook - PDF- Ion Boldea(Author)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
We refer to changes in flora and fauna due to hydro-dams intrusion in the natural habitat. Big windmill farms tend to influence the fauna and are also sometimes considered “ugly” to the human eye. Consequently, in forecasting the growth of electric energy consumption on earth, we must consider all these very complex limitation factors. Shifting to more renewable energy sources (wind, hydro, tidal, solar, etc.) while using combined heat-electricity production from fossil fuels to increase the energy conversion factor, together with intelligent energy conservation, could be a complicated, but a potent, way of increasing material prosperity in more harmony with the environment. 1.4 Electric Power Generation Electric energy (power) is produced by coupling a prime mover that converts the mechanical energy (called a turbine) to an electrical generator, which then converts the mechanical energy into electri-cal energy (Figure 1.3). An intermediate form of energy is used for storage in the electrical generator. 5 Electric Energy and Electric Generators This is the so-called magnetic energy stored, mainly between the stator (primary) and the rotor (second-ary). The main types of “turbines” or prime movers are as follows: Steam turbines Gas turbines Hydraulic turbines Wind turbines Diesel engines Internal combustion engines Figure 1.3, which is self-explanatory, illustrates the most commonly used technologies to produce electric energy. They all use a prime mover that outputs mechanical energy.
eBook - ePubEnergy and the New Reality 1
Energy Efficiency and the Demand for Energy Services
- L. D. Danny Harvey, Danny Harvey(Authors)
- 2010(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
When a fossil fuel is burned, the chemical energy of the bonds in the fuel is converted to thermal energy. Some of this thermal energy is converted to electricity in the powerplant, and the rest is lost as heat that is dissipated to the environment (the surroundings). The reported energy content of a fossil fuel is the thermal energy that is produced when the fuel is burned. The efficiency of the powerplant is the fraction of this thermal energy that is converted to electricity. Thus:Conversely, the primary energy (fuel energy) required to produce a given amount of electricity is given by the electricity production divided by the powerplant efficiency. The higher the efficiency, the less primary energy required to produce a given amount of electricity.When there is a chain of processes with losses at each step, compute the efficiency for each step and multiply the efficiencies together in order to get the overall efficiency. For example, if the transmission of electricity entails a 7 per cent loss, the transmission efficiency is 0.93 (93 per cent). If the powerplant efficiency is 35 per cent, the efficiency of generation + transmission is 0.35 × 0.93 = 0.326.3.1 Some basics on electricity and Electricity Generation
Before discussing how electricity is generated using fossil fuels, it is useful to outline some of the basics of electricity.3.1.1 DC electricity
When a wire is connected to a battery, the electrons flow continuously in one direction. This is called direct current (DC) electricity. The force that makes electrons flow is called voltage potential or simply the voltage, and has units of volts. The electrical current is measured in units called amperes. The rate of energy carried (power, watts) by an electrical current is given by the product of voltage (V ) and current (I ):There is a resistance within the wire to the movement of electrons, given in units of ohms; this resistance causes some of the electric energy to be dissipated as heat, so there is a loss in electric energy. The resistance is normally assumed to be constant, although it increases slightly with temperature. The voltage drop over a resistance R
eBook - PDFGreen Power
Perspectives on Sustainable Electricity Generation
- Joao Neiva de Figueiredo, Mauro F. Guillén(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Productivity Press(Publisher)
9 2 An Overview of Electricity Generation Sources Akhil Jariwala and Saumil Jariwala 2.1 INTRODUCTION I shall make electricity so cheap that only the rich can afford to burn candles . —Thomas Edison When Thomas Edison made pioneering advancements in electric power in the late 1800s, electricity was still a luxury good. Since then, it has become an integral part of industry, communication, transportation, food, and recreation. The evolution of national electric grids has provided the infra-structural backbone for national economies by connecting places where power is cheap to produce to places where power is needed. Continued CONTENTS 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 9 2.2 Coal ........................................................................................................... 14 2.3 Oil .............................................................................................................. 19 2.4 Natural Gas .............................................................................................. 22 2.5 Nuclear Power .......................................................................................... 27 2.6 Biomass ..................................................................................................... 31 2.7 Wind ......................................................................................................... 35 2.8 Solar .......................................................................................................... 38 2.9 Geothermal Energy ................................................................................ 41 2.10 Hydroelectric Energy ............................................................................ 44 2.11 Hydrokinetic Energy ..............................................................................
eBook - PDFElectricity Power Generation
The Changing Dimensions
- Digambar M. Tagare(Author)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- Wiley-IEEE Press(Publisher)
They have rising dimensions now and offer scope for innovation and wealth production. Chapter 3 details these. Noncontinuous energy supply from the seas and its adoption in the existing electricity supply grids demands a look. Thermal electricity power generation today is the backbone of electricity business. Universally available coal is the main fuel. A close look is being taken into the meth- ods of its use. Emphasis is shifting from the size of generators to better efficiencies through higher temperatures and pressures, and, consequently, through combined cy- cle plant processes. With interconnections and rising transmission grid sizes, the old NERC norms meant for bringing uniformity in the rising electricity systems are giving xxv PREFACE way to new norms such as dispersed reliability reserves in specified droop characteris- tics of generators, very stringent system frequency controls, and so on. Power market- ing has brought renovations in maintenance systems of generators in general. Chapters 4 and 5 cover these aspects of thermal generation. Acid rain resulting from oxidation of sulfur present in fossil fuels and of nitrogen in air have a limited product volume. These can be and are contained, at a cost. Past leg- islation and current costs for containing acid rain, along with its measurement and re- porting systems, are given in Chapter 6. Carbon emissions, on the other hand, spread out and have to be attacked at the gen- erating source, only by cutting down on thermal generation. This is rather a tall order, considering that thermal generation is the main electricity producer today. Containing carbon emissions in times of rising electricity requirements is undertaken as a main task by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The efforts are backed up by no less than a former president of the United States, Nobel prize winners, and governments all over the world.
- M. Godoy Simões, Felix A. Farret(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
12 Modeling and Analysis with Induction Generators power should not be connected to a small generator. So we need to think in terms of a spectrum of power supplies from small (few watts) to large (close to 100 kW). “Small applications” are, for example: • Small data transmission equipment or telephony for distant places • Equipment for scientific experiments or unassisted collection of data in remote areas • Power supply for electric equipment in places subject to dangerous condi-tions: fire, explosions, toxic environment, radiation, conflict areas, cliffs, proximity to wildlife, and so on Whereas “Large applications” are, for example: • Irrigation • Facilities in farms with high conditions of comfort • Reduction in the electric bills of companies or other large consumers • Storage of energy during off-peak hours of consumption of the public net-work for reduction of the peak hours of higher demand 6,7 In all its manifestations, primary energy comes in nature in raw form and has to be captured and adapted to be useful. The process of conversion of energy as nature provides it to us into electric power can be described in three stages: the primary energy, the conversion system, and the electric load (Figure 1.3). 8,9 Among the alter-native primary sources of energy, the most common, in order of current importance, are as follows: • Hydraulic energy represented by the movement of waters • Wind energy present in the movements of air masses • Thermal energy from the burning of fuels • Solar energy (light and heat) found in the sun’s rays • The energy of gases or of biomass generated from the decomposition of plants and animals or from the burning of organic matter like trees and organic garbage • Electrochemical energy represented by fuel cells and batteries Energy conversion uses the primary energy in its raw natural state and trans-forms it into electricity in a useful and efficient form suited to its purpose.
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