Power Sources For Generation of Electricity
Most electricity is generated by thermal power stations or steam plants, the majority of which are fossil fuel power stations that burn coal, natural gas, fuel oil or bio-fuels, such as wood waste and black liquor from chemical pulping.
The most efficient thermal system is combined cycle in which a combustion turbine powers a generator using the high temperature combustion gases and then exhausts the cooler combustion gases to generate low pressure steam for conventional steam cycle generation.
- Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity uses a water turbine to generate power. Between 1880 and 1895, hydropower was beginning to be used for generating electricity; these first hydroelectric plants produced direct current (DC) used mostly to power nearby arc and incandescent lighting.
- Wind turbines
Advances in recent decades greatly lowered the cost of wind power making it one of the most competitive alternate energies and competitive with higher priced natural gas (before shale gas). Wind energy's main problem is that it is too intermittent and there is no practical storage infrastructure.
- Geothermal
Geothermal requires very hot underground temperatures near the surface to generate steam which is used in a low temperature steam plant. Geothermal power is only used in a few areas. Italy supplies all of the electrified rail network with geothermal power.
- Diesel-electric transmission
Read more about this topic: Electrification
Famous quotes containing the words power, sources, generation and/or electricity:
“Guilty. Guilty. My evil self is at that door, and I have no power to stop it.”
—Cyril Hume, and Fred McLeod Wilcox. Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon)
“I count him a great man who inhabits a higher sphere of thought, into which other men rise with labor and difficulty; he has but to open his eyes to see things in a true light, and in large relations; whilst they must make painful corrections, and keep a vigilant eye on many sources of error.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 16:8.
“Prudence and justice tell me that in electricity and steam there is more love for man than in chastity and abstinence from meat.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)