Power generation
2 min read
is increasingly used to the transition towards a more sustainable world. We take a look at all the ways this energy is generated, in facilities such as thermal power and hydroelectric plants, as well as wind and solar farms.
Do you know the different ways of producing electricity?
Nuclear power plants
atoms are split inside a reactor using the fission process. This produces
, which is used to heat water that passes through a
. The steam then drives a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces an electric current.
Thermal power plants
Heat is released from the combustion of
, gas or, less often,
oil, which generates steam. This drives a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces electricity.
power plants
Heat from the combustion of organic matter from plants and animals, or “biomass”, is used to produce electricity.
Hydropower plants
Energy from falling water in a network of pipes drives turbines connected to a generator.
plants
A dam fitted with turbines in a bay or estuary is used to generate energy from the ebb and flow of the tide.
Wind turbines
They transform
from the wind into electricity using a rotor connected to their blades.
Tidal turbines
Similar to wind turbines, tidal turbines capture energy from currents to produce electricity.
Solar panels
They convert energy from sunlight into electricity using a semi-conductor that, when light shines on it, displaces electrons and therefore produces power.
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