How Does A Power Station Generate Electricity?

Electricity is generated at power stations from a variety of raw materials including coal, gas and nuclear. The energy released by these sources is harnessed to create highly pressurised steam to drive turbines.

The blades of the turbine in turn spin a magnet-bearing shaft that is encased within heavy copper coils, a generator. The rotating motion creates massive amounts of electricity.

The electricity generated in the power station reaches our homes, businesses and offices via the National Grid. This grid is a distribution network comprising a UK-wide network of overhead lines and underground cables.

To get from the power station to the customer, the electricity is distributed at very high voltage. With the exception of very large industrial customers like manufacturing factories and such who take their electricity direct from the National Grid, the high distribution voltage needs to be reduced. This is achieved by stepping the voltage down through a series of national, regional and local distribution systems and substations. These act like transformers, eventually reducing in stages the voltage to the 240 volts we're all familiar with in our homes.

Electricity is generated at Power Stations by burning materials such as: Coal, Gas and Nuclear. The steam from this procedure is released to drive turbines. Turbines can be turned by other things such as: Water (Waves and Tidal), Wind and Solar. The turbines in turn, spin a magnet covered in heavy copper rods. This is called a generator and creates a large amount of electricity. The electricity created is sent around the country via The National Grid. This grid is a network covering the UK via Telegraph wires and underground cables. Electricity has to be distributed at a high voltage to be able to reach places. 240 volts is what is need for a normal family home. Most electricity plants are powered by Coal as it produces steam. Nuclear Power Plants use Nuclear power to turn turbines as Nuclear also produces steam.

Most electric plants are coal powered. They burn the coal to make steam that turns electric motors that produce electricity. Nuclear plants create steam too. There's also hydroelectric power, that's made by having water turn the motors. Hopefully wind and solar are the next two widely used sources.

Thermal power stations. In a thermal power station fuel such as coal, oil or gas is burned in a furnace to produce heat - chemical to heat energy. This heat is used to change water into steam in the boiler. This drives thegenerator to produce electricity - kinetic toelectrical energy.

The conversion of other forms of energy into electricity is known as electricity generation. At power stations, electricity is produced by using electromechanical generators. The most common method used in these generators is electromagnetic induction. Large coils are placed between poles of large permanent magnets. These coils are moved with the movement of turbines. When these coils are moved electric current is produced due to change of magnetic flux. This method is known as electromagnetic induction. The turbines can be moved by falling water, steam and wind. In this way mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.