Have you imagined what would the world be like without electricity? That would mean there will be no electricity and hence darkness. It will lead to no WIFI thus no connectivity and the people would have to get out of the house to socialize. Now, this is not possible in times of crisis like a pandemic.
Did you know that the most amount of electricity is generated through gas? It runs to 23% of the whole world. Electricity is the most essential part of living which does not get enough credit. The only time we understand the value of electricity is when there is a power cut. But have we ever wondered where does all this supply of electricity comes from? It is an energy; therefore, it is transferred. But what is the source and how it is commercially owned? The answer lies within a power plant generator.
What is a power plant generator?
Power plant generator are also known as electric generators. They have reactions inside them which builds a source for electricity. There are many parts and chambers of a power plant generator that uses different kinds of energy to finally create electricity.
These generators follow the principle of magnetism, motion, and electric energy. As a whole, these generators create electricity by having the turbines rotate and spin at a high speed. Through this, compressed and combusted air is blown. This creates a magnetic field and continued spinning will create an electric field. This is then directed through to provide electricity to places.
Components
For something as huge as electricity generation, it cannot be done without a comprehensive setup. Therefore, there are components in the power plant generator which came together in a routine and generate electricity. They are:
The engine- gas or steam
· A fuel System
· Control Panel
· Voltage Regulators
· An alternator
· Lubrication System
· Cooling and Exhaust chambers
· Battery Charger
Types of fuels
Electricity is energy and it can be transferred. This means that there can be many ways that would create an electric charge. You can either mechanical energy to electrical energy, or hydraulic or chemical. Power plant generators crate this energy by combining chemical and mechanical energy with electrical energy. For this, there are different types of fuels that can be used. They are:
· Gasoline
· Diesel
· Liquid or gas propane
· Natural gas
· Petroleum
· Bi-fuel, where you use both diesel and gas
Mechanism
The general mechanism a power plant generator is; a device that changes mechanical energy to electrical energy from a source that can be identified. The source would either be naturally occurring or produced through which an output of electricity will be generated.
Types of power plant generators
Man has created many ways through which they can help themselves and their fellow people. Hence there is more than one source of electricity generation. But they need to be separated as the process is huge and also requires a lot of space. Each type of power plant generator is determined by the source of energy. Hence, they are as follows:
· Tidal power plants – this kind of power plant only became available in 1966. The energy is produced through the force of the tides and then is regulated to generate electricity. But the outcome is dependent on the force of the tides.
· Wind-generated power plants – the mechanism of these energies is the same. You may notice huge fans in some places that just keep spinning. The force from the winds is channelled through these blades. The rotating movement changes mechanical energy to electrical.
· Diesel and gas power plants – they are either used separately or together as a bi-fuel. Here they are put into gas turbines and then developed under pressure and heat. This creates chemical energy which then changes into electrical.
· Hydroelectric power plants – this is a little different than tidal energy and contributes to 16.2% of the world’s electricity. Here the force does not depend on the force of the tides. Instead, they are forced to create energy through rotating blades in the water.
· Nuclear power plants– nuclear power release the lowest carbon footprints and also have more density as compared to others. It is the most environment-friendly source which also provides great results. That is why it contributes about 10% of the electricity around the world.
· Solar power generators– the most effective and environmentally friendly way are solar panels. These convert heat energy into electrical energy after these solar panels absorb the heat from the sun.
Conclusion
Electricity is an important part of living. We are human beings who have had the taste of electricity which led us to create more things. It helped with the improvement of technology and thus we are in this data-driven generation. That being said, should the power supply of the entire world is cut off, there will be more disasters in the world than we can imagine.
