We are all familiar with electricity and its numerous benefits. I mean…how could we not! We make use of it for basic stuff like lighting our homes, charging our phones and cooking. The deep freezers in our kitchens need electricity to keep the food supplies preserved just as electricity is required if we must watch some TV. There are just a lot of things we do which are all dependent on the availability of electric power. Perhaps this explains why many people are usually distressed when we can’t seem to have it. But then, probably just a few percentage of teens have ever bothered to find out how exactly this valuable phenomenon called electricity is generated. Anyway, just in case you never knew, this post details the various sources of electricity generation just for your interests. Who knows…perhaps this could be the starting point of your desire to become an Electrical Engineer. It’d be interesting to know that Passnownow.com helped shape such an amazing dream!
We all should probably already know that the generation of electricity takes place primarily at a place called a Power Station. This is where the Electrical Engineers work, using several available methods (as we shall discuss shortly) to generate electric power, store and then distribute across the final users such as you and I. One thing to note however is that the generation of electricity must involve the production of heat, enabled by some form of combustion which could be as a result of fossil or nuclear fission. Asides, other [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][renewable] means of energy production include solar energy, the kinetic energy of flowing water, wind and biofuel/biomass.
TURBINES+COMBUSTION=ELECTRICITY: Ever been baffled by how boiling water could generate the same electric effect as the one generated by your diesel generator at home? Well, that’s the wonder of Steam. Although rarely depended upon for electricity generation, this was one of the foremost means to generating energy back in the days. It works in such a way that water is boiled until the steam from it is strong enough to rotate the turbine and in so doing, generate electricity. But then it is not just the steam that is capable of doing this because any combustible element which has the power to rotate the turbine could as well help in power generation.
FOSSIL-FUELED ELECTRICITY GENERATION: These are the most common means to electricity generation. Typically, this involves the burning of naturally-occurring elements such as coal or gas; the combustion which inevitably creates the needed heat and hence electricity. To achieve this, a turbine is needed. Please note that turbines are generally needed for virtually all forms of electricity generation. And in the case of fossil-fuelled electricity, the burning natural gas helps to propel the turbines which in turn generate the needed energy.
REWEABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY: Renewable sources of energy such as biomass, solar energy, geothermal power and other forms of kinetic energy all have elements of turbine-energy relations towards the production of electricity. These all work in as much the same way as the earlier scenario described, the only difference being that whereas in the case of non-renewable energy generation combustion must take effect, no combustion is needful for renewable energy generation. Consequently, solar panels, nuclear fusion, wind meals and more all generate power without combusting anything just as does our very own Kainji Dam for instance.
Please note that I may not have been able to discuss this topic in detail and definitely [not] with the needful depth with which an expert would have. Yet, I believe you must have learnt something. Kindly consult your textbooks for details as this is mere appetizer; please! That said; please see below pictures depicting the several processes/sources of energy generation. All the best, please!
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