Normally we don’t think much about how we get power to our homes. It’s just there. In science class, we researched how power is generated and how it gets to our homes.
There are 2 main ways power is generated: Hydroelectric generation and thermal power plants.
Hydroelectric generation:
Water from rain or snow is stored in dams, a barrier that holds the water back. Gates and smart meters measure the water flow through penstocks, large pipes that funnel water to the turbines. When the water hits the turbines it spins. The shaft of these turbines are attached to an electricity generator, changing the kinetic energy of the spinning turbines into electrical energy. This energy then goes through a step-up transformer to increase the voltage for efficient transportation and minimal energy loss. We will explore step-up and step-down transformers in how the electricity is transferred to our homes.
A visual of how hydro electric dams look
Pros (+)and cons (-) of Hydroelectric dams:
+No waste products
+Uses water that naturally falls into the dam
+Can use up extra water and turn it into energy
+Creates quite a bit of electricity
-Must be placed where there is an abundance of water
-Requires 24 352 488 L of water to power a home for a year–> 66 719 L of water a day
– Wildlife can be harmed by turbines
Thermal Power Plants:
Water is stored and heated up until it evaporates, turning to super heated steam. This steam spins turbines and like hydroelectric generation, the kinetic energy is turned to electrical energy. It goes through another transformer to increase voltage. The water that turned to steam is turned back to water and goes back to where the water is stored to be re-used.
A visual of thermal power plants
Pros (+)and cons (-) of thermal power plants:
+water is re-used
+no waste products
-air pollution from heating the water
https://www.bchydro.com/energy-in-bc/our_system/generation/thermal_generation.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/physics/energy_matters/generation_of_electricity/revision/1/
Electricity Transfer:
As mentioned before, after the electricity is generated, it goes through a transformer to increase the voltage. How this works is transformers a core with two coils next to it on either side. These two coils have different amounts of “turns” which control how much voltage it will have. In order to have efficient energy transfer, and minimal energy loss higher voltage is needed. Once the electricity goes through this step-up transformer, it goes across the grid with the help of steel tower called pylons as well as the cables attaching them. By lining up all of these that are in BC it would stretch from Victoria’s Parliament to the leaning tower of Pisa and back. Once the electricity gets to your city, it goes through another transformer, a step-down transformer this time so that it can be used for daily use. Smart meters in your home measure the electricity used and sends a bill.https://www.bchydro.com/energy-in-bc/our_system/generation/electric_generation.html
Daveen, your summary of electricity generation and distribution is thorough and informative. I like how included an introductory statement and ensured that your post had a flow that made it easy to read. Well done!