Activity 1: How is Electricity Generated and Transmitted?

How is electricity generated?

1. By spinning a magnet within a coil of wire

Electricity will be made in the wire.

2. The solar energy or the energy of sunlight can be used to generate electricity by using special type of solar panels named photovoltaic cells. These solar panels contain silicon which produce electricity when sunlight falls on them.

3. In a coal, oil or gas power station, they burn fuel to make water turn to steam. The steam is used to turn a steam turbine (in a form of big wheels). This will turn the generator.

4. In hydro-electric power station, water is dropped through a big wheel which makes it turn. This is connected to the generator.

5. In Nuclear power stations, they use uranium as their radioactive fuel. The heat produced by the reaction between uranium atoms and neutrons (split into two and create heat, radioation and more neutron) is then used to make the steam that runs the turbine which generate the electricity.

6. In biomass powerstation, the fuel are from trees, shrubs, animal poo, which are burned in a boiler in order to produce a high-pressure steam. The steam will rotate the turbines which then turn the generator that will produce electricity.

7. Geothermal energy uses the steam from hot water reservoir beneath the earth. The engineers will need to drill the reservoir and as the water rises to the surface, it will begin to boil and the steam will be used to turn the turbines which turn the generator and will produce electricity.

How electricity are transmitted?

• Electricity are produced in power plants by huge generators (fuel: coal, natural gas, water,wind)

• Current is sent to the transformers. The transformers will push the power.

• The electrical charge will go through the transmission lines

• It will go to the substation. Here, the voltage will be lowered so that it can be sent to smaller power lines

• Then, it will travel throught the distribution lines in the neighbourhood. The transformers in each pole top lowered the voltage again so that it can be distributed to each houses.

• When it reaches to our house, it will pass through a meter which indicates how much the our family used electricity

• The electricity will go to the service panel and travel through all the wires in our house.

Sources:

• (2012). Energy and the Environment. Retreived on 28 November 2013 at 19.30 from http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives/science/energy/electricity/
• (n.d.). How Electricity is Produced. Retreived on 28 November 2013 at 19.30 from http://www.ge-flexibility.com/power-generation-basics/how-electricity-is-produced/index.html
• (n.d.). How Electricity Gets To Your House. Retreived on 28 November 2013 at 19.45 from http://www.alliantenergykids.com/EnergyBasics/AllAboutElectricity/000416
• (n.d.). Electricity Transmission System. Retreived on 28 November 2013 at 19.50 from http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter07.html
• (n.d.). How the electric transmission system works. Retreived on 28 November 2013 at 19.50 from http://www.minnelectrans.com/transmission-system.html
• (n.d.). Ho electricity gets from the power station to your home. Retreived on 28 November 2013 at 19.50 from http://www.powerwise.org.uk/ollieandsparky/teachers/OC3.html

-Shannisya, Naomi, Andra, Ibram
10 Centaurus