The Source of Our Electricity and Luxury! – Energy Resources

In the article below, I have explained how electricity is produced so that it can be transferred to our homes so we can use our televisions, computers, and other appliances. Electricity is also referred to as energy in the article.

What are Energy sources?

 – Energy is basically needed for every process. We need it for heating buildings, to make TVs and computers    work.
 –This useful energy has to be produced in controlled energy transfers.
 –The ‘raw materials’ used for the process of producing electricity are called energy sources.

Non – Renewable energy sources

These Energy sources are used because of their high energy density and availability.

Fossil fuels

—Fossil Fuels include the fuels coal, natural gas and oil. They are our main energy source as they are quite abundant and have high energy density. These fuels get the name fossil fuels due to their origins.

—These were formed when ancient plants died and after many years were deposited deep into rocks. The pressure compacted the plants into dense energy sources.

—Burning these fuels contributes to the greenhouse effect.

A big chunk of coal – A fossil fuel

Nuclear Fuels

The element uranium which is nuclear in nature can be used to produce electricity. The nuclear fuels do not produce any pollution by any harmful gas but they produce radioactive waste with really long half-lives. Safe ways of storing this waste have not been found.

Non-Renewable Source Power Stations:

—The non-renewable sources are used in thermal power stations to produce heat energy to turn water to steam which drives the turbine. The steam is obtained from boiler for coal while it is obtained in heat exchanger for nuclear fuel
—Steam enters the turbine and is directed by the diaphragm or sets of fixed blades onto the rotor which is basically sets of blades on a rotating shaft.
—Cooling towers are needed so efficiency = 30%
—In gas power stations the gas is burnt in a gas turbine which then heats steam.
—Efficiency over 50% as combustion is almost 100%.

How a Nuclear Power Station Works?

Renewable Energy sources

These energy sources can’t be exhausted except that usually the energy density is low.

Solar Energy

—Solar cells, are like panels made from semiconducting materials, and these cells convert sunlight into energy directly.
—These cells are used for small-scale power generation.
—There is a large solar power plant in California specialized for manufacturing such cells.