Methods We Use to Generate Electricity

Generating electricity
1. In some power stations an energy source is used to heat water which produces steam that can be used to turbine coupled to an electrical generator
  1. Fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) which are burned to heat water and air
    1. There supply is limited
    2. Coal and oil release sulphur dioxide which causes breathing problems for animals and contributes to acid rain
    3. Fossil fuels, when burnt, produce carbon dioxide which adds to effective of global warming
      1. A system called carbon capture allows carbon to be captured and can be stored underground
  2. Uranium and plutonium, when energy from nuclear fission is used to heat water
    1. Nuclear energy does not produce carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide
    2. Nuclear energy is a non-renewable energy source and is hazardous to health for thousands of years
  3. Biofuels that can be burned to heat water
2. Water and wind can be used to drive turbines directly
  1. Wind turbines are renewable,don't produce toxic gases and have no fuel costs
  2. Wind farms produce noise and visual pollution and the amount of power they make is dependent to the amount of wind; if there is no wind, there is no power
  3. Water energy is a renewable source and produces no harmful gases- they are reliable and easily switched on
  4. Water energy does not produce large amounts of energy, destroys the habitat of estuary species, floods farmland and drives people from their homes- it also produces rotting vegetation which produces methane a green house gas
3. Electricity can be produced directly from the sun's radiation
  1. Solar energy is renewable, produces no harmful gases and have no fuel costs
  2. Solar energy is unreliable, inefficient, expensive and doesn't work at night
4. In some volcanic areas hot water and steam rise to the surface which can be tapped and used to drive turbines (geothermal energy)
  1. Geothermal energy is renewable, produces no harmful gases and has no fuel costs
  2. Most places in the world have these rocks
5. Small-scale production of electricity may be useful in some areas and for some uses, e.g. hydroelectricity in remote areas and solar cells for roadside signs
The National Grid
1. The national grid is a network of cables which distributes energy from the power stations to homes and buildings
2. Increasing the voltage reduces the current required and this reduces the energy losses in the cables
  1. The voltage is then decreased to make the energy safe for domestic uses

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Methods We Use to Generate Electricity

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