When you are sitting in your house, stuck to the phone connected with the charger. You are the most carefree person in the world until the power cuts off. Power plant generators have been one of the most efficient ways to generate electricity. Fascinatingly, the entire operation is conducted on a principle developed in 1831 by Michael Friday.
While we all enjoy the air conditioner and the lovely light around the house. Not many people know where it comes from or how it is generated. Hence, today we will talk about how electricity is generated in power plants through generators.
What are the kinds of generators?
There are many ways through which a lot of power plants are distributing and generating energy. This helps a lot of areas to light up with electricity. Energy cannot be created; it can only be transferred. Hence humankind has found a way to use this theory to generate electricity.
Some of the ways are through hydroelectricity, solar power, and gas energy among others. Power plants have different kinds of generators which have different sources of power. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Impoundment power plants
- Diversion
- Thermal plants
- Nuclear plants
- Coal and solar power plants
- Wind power plants
- Steam turbines
What is the difference between a steam turbine and a gas turbine?
You will find that a huge mass of smoke is coming out of many power plants. That is because of the residue of the power plant generators. With any kind of source, the energy needs to be changed into electricity. This can only be done with the help of turbines, which are typically of two types; steam turbines and gas turbines.
Steam turbines make use of water vapours which are treated under high pressure and heat. This force combines and turns the turbine blades to generate electricity. The method is not that difficult and is very straightforward. On the contrary, gas turbines have some procedures more than steam turbines. The steam in the gas turbines is treated in similar ways, although there are chambers dedicated to different things. When compared to steam turbines, gas turbines are a better option considering there is little to no waste.
Importance of power plant generators
When the electricity goes off, the entire area looks incomplete. It also comes with a lot of inconveniences which are not felt when people have electricity. That being said, no one has much gratitude for electricity when it is there. That shows the importance of electricity. But how do you have the energy if the source is missing itself? Hence comes the importance of power plant generators which are working well to generate electricity.
Even power plans have a lot of aspects that comprehensively make the energy flowing. Gas turbines are one of the important aspects that makes it all happen. While there are also other ways to generate it, gas turbines are the ones saving most of it and recycling with zero-waste. it leaves as little of carbon footprints in the world and assists in the greenhouse effect. They are also called nuclear power plants which are a part of at least 30 states.
How does a generator work in a power plant?
To know how a power plant generator works, you will need to know what are components of one. The needs and wants of a gas turbine differ from that of a steam turbine. It comes with valves and chambers that help generate the maximum output. These chambers are as follows:
- Combustion chamber
- Rotors
- Compressor chambers
- Turbines
- Valves
The generator is fuelled by nuclear energy under the principle of thermodynamics. The steam is heated under very high temperatures where it expands. The gas then passes through two chambers where it is treated under high pressure and fossil fuels or natural gas. This produces chemical reactions and energy. The vapours then move on to rotate the turbine blades. This causes the chemical energy to convert into mechanical energy and then that to electrical energy.
The cycle is called the Brayton cycle and it involves an irreversible change of mechanical energy into electrical energy. The comparison, gas turbines are a lot less complicated with respect to piston engines. Why most operators choose gas turbines is because the outcome of the power is more compared to its weight. They are also perfect to use in aircraft and planes to get the power along whilst not making the engine heavy.
Conclusion
While there are many ways to generate electricity, we must remember to save the globe along with it. Hence it is important to make sure that the electricity generated leaves as little waste as possible. Additional to that, it is also important to find out alternatives that would help the Earth to cool down.
