any one knows how electricity is generated?in uk?

Question

i know they use coal and spins turbins....but to be honest i need some more details????

i meant on microscopic or molecular level...
using coal....and why isn't the coal finishing,..why dont they use biofuel to generate electricity?///////////??????

Answer 1

Ok, so you know that the natural resource (coal or whatever) is usually used to heat up steam which in turn spins a turbine shaft. But, how do we get electrical power from the spinning mechanical power embodied in this shaft?

In almost all power plants (except for some wind energy systems), a synchronous generator is used. Basically, the rotating shaft of the generator has wire windings attached such that they produce a magnetic field (a DC voltage source is attached to the windings). This spinning magnetic field produces 3 phases of AC electricity in stationary wire windings distributed just outside the generator shaft (with a small amount of air gap in between). To fully understand how this happens, you would need to understand a bit about electromagnetics and generator/motor operation. The power company can control the speed of the turbine via a steam control valve and in turn the speed generator rotates dictates the frequency of the AC electricity (50 Hz frequency for Europeans). The voltage magnitude output can be controlled by how much current flows through the windings on the generator shaft (by the separate DC power supply at the plant). Now, you have well-controlled 3 phases of AC voltage on those power lines you see. You only use one of those phases in your house, but large companies and industries need to use all three.

So, that's my basic interpretation based on my experience. You might find this "howstuffworks" link more illustrative on how the generators work though.

Oh, and why don't we use bio-fuels? Well, the power source that plants use is generally dictated by a lot of different factors, but I suppose you could boil it down to cost. If a source of power isn't easily transported/stored or there is a lot of capital investment bundled up in getting electricity from the source of power, it is unlikely that a power company is going to invest in that particular source. I'm pretty sure bio-fuels tend to produce less energy per unit of mass than the average fossil fuel, so that may be one of the reasons they are not as widely used. Then again, bio-fuels may be cheaply obtained as common waste products, so they might be used as auxiliary sources in the near future. Not sure though.

Answer 2

The UK, like other countries, use coal, nuclear, hydro, and many other forms of energy to spin a turbine. This turbine is connected to a rotor which has a basically, a permanant magnet on it. The rotation of the magnet causes a time-varying magnetic field, which induces an electric current in a coil of wire surrounding the rotor (called a stator). The current is the refined and transformed (using transformers) into the AC current that is then shipped to your house.

In terms of spinning the rotor in the turbine, most methods heat water up to create steam and this steam is sent to the turbine to spin the rotor. Some methods, like hydro, using the potential energy of a body of water to spin the rotors.

Answer 3

They spin a turbine [gas / coal / steam or water through a dam] the turbine has a magnet which spins within windings, the spinning magnetic flux produces electricity in the windings, this is transformed up to a higher voltage which is then transported around the country to light your lights and put pictures on your T.V.
Ian.

Answer 4

All sorts of ways; coal and gas fired burners, hydroelectric, wind farms, Energy from Waste, Combined Heat and Power, solar power, nuclear power...all except solar power involve some sort of turbine driving a generator that produce electricity.

Answer 5

Ubi pretty much spelled it out. But on the microscopic or molecular (actually atomic) level, the moving magnetic field causes a flow of electrons in a conductor. That's the physics behind it. The rest is just control and magnitude of the electron flow.

Answer 6

1mm is a stress of 3500V/cm. So certain there's a probability or arcing, although in case you're neat and know how arcing initiates you should get away with it. (30kV/cm maximum acceptable case breakdown stress for air assumed, I used to artwork on 25kV/inch as a pragmatic maximum which your 1mm continues to be interior) I now not undergo in ideas the minimum creep and bounce figures for the united kingdom mains with any reality :( i imagine that they are 4mm and 3mm respectively notwithstanding that's been a lengthy lengthy time period. those numbers are laid down in the protection criteria.

Answer 7

they use Nuclear to generate electricity

Answer 8

nuclear power stations

Answer 9

zap