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So where does power generation start? |
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The conventional
power generation process requires a heat source, water, a turbine and a
generator. As you will see in this presentation, not all power
generation requires heat or water to produce clean or "green" power.
Heat sources may be nuclear, coal fired, liquid or gaseous fossil fuels, the earths heat (geothermal) or even the heat from sunlight! These heat sources are used to make steam which is forced through a turbine engine which turns a generator head. The image to the left is a high pressure steam boiler, fueled by oil. |
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| The picture to the right is a large steam turbine undergoing service. The turbine is constructed of thousands of blades or "veins" which act much like fan blades. As the steam is forced through the turbine, the veins catch the steam and cause the turbine to rotate. This turbine will be attached to a generator in what is known as the "turbine hall" in a power plant. The generator is a large copper coil used to produce electricity. Once spinning, the generator produces 60 Hz power (North America) or 50 Hz power (Europe). In the next section, we'll discuss one of the most common sources of steam. |
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