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Chapter 10: Problem 26

How is electricity mechanically produced in a power plant?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Electricity is mechanically produced in a power plant through a series of processes. First, fossil fuels are burned to produce heat, which is used to heat water in a boiler, creating high-pressure steam. This steam powers a turbine, converting the heat energy into mechanical energy. The spinning turbine is connected to a generator, where the mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy via electromagnetic induction. Finally, the generated electricity is transmitted through power lines to consumers.

Step by step solution

01

1. Introduction to Power Plant

A power plant is an industrial facility designed to generate electricity. In a typical power plant setup, mechanical energy is first obtained through various methods, such as burning fossil fuels, nuclear reactions, or utilizing renewable energy sources like wind and hydroelectricity. The mechanical energy is then converted into electrical energy using a generator. In this explanation, we will consider the working of a thermal power plant which uses fossil fuels as the primary energy source.
02

2. Thermal Power Plant Components

In a thermal power plant, the main components involved in electricity production are: 1. Boiler: The boiler heats water, creating steam. 2. Turbine: The steam produced in the boiler is used to power the turbine, which is connected to a generator. 3. Generator: The generator converts the mechanical energy obtained from the turbine into electrical energy. 4. Cooling system: The cooling system helps remove excessive heat from the power plant. 5. Transmission lines: The generated electricity is then transmitted through power lines to reach the consumers.
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3. Fuel Combustion and Steam Production

In a thermal power plant, fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, or oil are burned to produce heat. This heat is used to heat water in a boiler, turning it into high-pressure steam. The burning of the fossil fuels releases a large amount of heat energy, which serves as the source of mechanical energy required for generating electricity.
04

4. Turbine and Generator

The high-pressure steam produced in the boiler is directed into the turbine, causing its blades to rotate. The rotation of the turbine is the conversion of the heat energy from the steam into mechanical energy. The turbine is connected to a generator's rotor through a shaft. As the turbine rotates, it causes the rotor within the generator to spin. The spinning rotor has a series of magnets attached to it, and it is surrounded by coils of conducting wire, known as a stator.
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5. Electrical Energy Production

As the rotor spins within the stator, the magnetic fields generated by the magnets interact with the coils of wire in the stator, which induces an electric current. This is an example of electromagnetic induction, where electrical energy is produced by varying magnetic fields. The resulting electric current is then sent through the transmission lines to be distributed to the consumers.
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6. Cooling of the Steam

After passing through the turbine, the steam loses much of its energy and pressure, turning it back into water. The condenser, part of the cooling system, helps condense the steam back into the water so that it can be fed back into the boiler to be reheated and turned into steam again. This creates a closed-loop system, allowing the power plant to operate more efficiently. In summary, electricity is mechanically produced in a power plant by converting the heat energy obtained from burning fossil fuels into mechanical energy through a turbine and then converting the mechanical energy into electrical energy using a generator. The generated electricity is then transmitted to the consumers through power lines.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In a nickel-cadmium battery, the relevant redox reaction is: \(2 \mathrm{NiO}(\mathrm{OH})+\mathrm{Cd}+2 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O} \rightarrow\) \(2 \mathrm{Ni}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}+\mathrm{Cd}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}\) Does this agree with the EMF series? What are the oxidation states of nickel before and after the reaction?

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