Friday, December 9, 2011

Electrical energy - How Is Electricity Produced?

Man's many discovery was fire, a requisite form of energy, and then later electrical energy. This power has been instrumental in developing civilizations. But, how is electricity produced? It is produced straight through the use of fuel sources such as water, nuclear fission, fossil fuels and even the wind. In this narrative we will look at some of the separate methods used in the production of electrical energy.

Quite simply, most electricity is produced by using huge turbines. These turbines produce power by being moved and the ways that the turbines are moved include these power sources:

Nuclear Reactor

Fossil Fuels:

When the huge blades of turbines are moved by large volumes of steam, electricity is produced. This steam is produced by boiling water using large furnaces. The heat is produced by burning fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas. Unfortunately, carbon dioxide is also produced as a side product, and this is released into the air polluting our atmosphere. This main down side is the suspect that exploring alternative green sources of power production is imperative for long-term supplies and global preservation.

Water:

In this case the huge turbine blades are moved by the flow of large bodies of water. These large bodies of water are obtained by construction dams which do two things: include volumes of water and produce electrical energy. This way of producing power is safe when it comes to air pollution but the down side with this formula is that it negatively impacts on the ecosystem under water.

Power derived straight through water produces 90% of power generated using renewable sources.

Wind:

Windmills or wind turbines produce electricity by using the power of the wind and converting it. Wind power turns the blades of windmills to produce mechanical power which is then converted into electrical energy. This formula of harnessing power has been used for centuries, but only recently for the production of electrical energy.

Nuclear Reaction:

Nuclear power is released by a chain reaction where the element Uranium is bombarded by neutrons causing it to split. When these splits occur, more neutrons are released, and these neutrons cause even more splits. This consequent of this chain reaction is that it generates a lot of heat power which is then used to boil large quantities of water to produce steam. This steam is used to drive the turbines which produce electricity. Most of these reactors are relatively safe but have a negative impact of the environment straight through solid waste and carbon emissions.

Bio-waste:

With advancing technology bio-waste is also being used to originate electrical energy. Bio-gas is more commonly used in places like India. For example, in Bihar in India a new technology has been developed to use human waste as a fuel to produce power. without fail a renewable source of energy!

These are the commonly used methods currently used in producing electrical power with various down sides from microscopic supplies to adversely affecting the environment. So, how is electricity produced using renewable and environmentally amiable sources? There are alternative methods ready precisely within the reach of the average family to not only save power but save on power costs in general.

Electrical energy - How Is Electricity Produced?

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