4 d) energy resources and electricity generation Flashcards
4.16 describe the energy transfers involved in generating electricity using:
Wind: Winds are powered by the Sun’s heat energy. Wind is a renewable source of energy. Wind mills have been used o grind corn and power machinery like pumps drain lowland areas. Today, wind turbines drive generators o provide electrical energy. Here, kinetic energy is transformed to electrical energy.
Water: Water is used to generate energy in three ways: Hydroelectric power, Tidal power & Wave energy. All the ways uses the same role using the movement of water(K.E.) to rotate that generator and produce electricity. In this case kinetic energy is also transformed to electrical energy.
Geothermal resources: Geothermal energy is heat energy stored deep inside the Earth. The heat in regions of volcanic activity was produced by the decay of radioactive elements. The heated water from the earth’s crust is used to rotate turbines in generator. Here, heat energy is converted to kinetic energy which is converted to electrical energy.
Solar heating systems: Solar heating panels absorb thermal radiation and use it to heat water. The panels are placed to receive the maximum amount of the Sun’s energy. This produce steam which can be used to drive electricity generators.
Solar cells: Solar energy directly convert light energy into electrical energy.
Fossil fuels : Fossil fuels are natural gas, oil and coal. Those are burned which rotates the turbine in the generator to produce electricity.
Nuclear power: Nuclear fuels like uranium are used in nuclear generator. The heat produced in nuclear reaction is used to produce steam from water which rotates the turbine and produce electricity.
