Generating Electricity Flashcards
Renewable energy sources
Wind
Solar
Biomass
Hydroelectric
Tidal
Solar advantages
- no waste produced
- renewable
Disadvantages of solar (3)
- low power output
- unreliable - dependant on weather
- unsightly
Advantages of wind (2)
- renewable
- no waste or pollution
Disadvantages of wind (3)
- unsightly
- low power output
- unreliable - dependant on weather
Advantages of hydroelectric (3)
-no waste is produced
- short start up time
- reliable
Disadvantages of hydroelectric
- not many suitable areas
- land has to be flooded - wildlife
Tidal advantages (2)
- renewable
- no waste is produced
Tidal disadvantages
- must flood a large area which affects wildlife
Biomass advantages (3)
- Renewable
- reliable
- carbon neutral
Biomass disadvantage
- Uses a lot of crops which require a lot of land to grow
How do thermal power plants work (6)
1) coal is burned
2)water is boiled
3) steam turns the turbine
4) turbine turns the generator
5) generator creates electricity
Non - renewable energy sources (4)
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
Nuclear
Advantages of coal (3)
- inexpensive
- reliable
- there are huge global reserves
Disadvantages of coal (3)
- non renewable
- greenhouse gases
- cause acid rain
Oil advantages (2)
- reliable
- large power output
What power stations have fast start up times
Natural gas and hydroelectric
What power station has slow start up time
Nuclear
Oil disadvantages (3)
- greenhouse gas emissions
- oil spills can be deadly to animals
- acid rain
Natural gas advantages (2)
- reliable
- large power output
Disadvantages of natural gas (3)
- greenhouse gas emmisions
- carbon monoxide produced - toxic
- highly flammable
Advantages of nuclear (3)
- No greenhouse gases
- reliable fuel
- large power output
Disadvantages of nuclear (3)
- radioactive waste
- expensive to decommission
- large scale accidents are destructive
Efficiency equation
Useful output energy
——————. X100
Total energy input
How do you draw a sankey diagram
1) the width of the main block on the left is the total input energy
2) the useful energy is the width of the small arrow to the right
3) the wasted energy is the width of the arrow pointing downwards
Who supply’s electricity to the nation
The National Grid
Base-load
The permanent minimum load that a supply system is required to deliver
What is the national grids purpose
Electricity distribution network that monitors and responds to changes in demand.
How do the national grid make electricity supply reliable (2)
-They buy electricity from other countries (France) when demand spikes
-Hydroelectric power stations on standby that have fast start up times
How does energy travel from the power station to your home
- Power station
- Step up transformer
- Cables and pylons
- Step down transformer
- Houses
Power station
Generates electricity
Step up transformer
Increases the voltage and lowers the current
Step down transformer
Decreases the voltage and increases the current
When would electricity demand be high
On a cold, snowy day
When would electricity demand be low
Summer at 1:00-4:00 am
Why is a step up transformer used
Reduces energy losses in transmission lines through heat, making distribution more efficient.
Why is a step-down transformer used
Reduce voltage to make it safer for consumers
Equation for power using current + voltage
P = VI
Most efficient power plant
Hydroelectric
Least efficient power plant
Thermal (e.g, coal)
