Naturally, electricity has always been present among us. So much so that primitive man could distinguish electricity in lightning. Electricity is a form of energy that is present in most human activities. In an increasingly developed society, we depend more and more on it. Even for the most everyday activities, such as brushing your teeth with an electric toothbrush, we need to be supplied with electricity. Essential activities are ultimately derived from its use.
If you want to know more details about how electricity is generated, be sure to read this interesting article from EcologíaVerde.
What is electricity
Electrical energy is the potential result between two or more points with different electrical charges . In this way, an electric current is established between the same points through an electrical conductor. Academically, electricity did not begin to be studied until the 17th and 18th centuries, and it was not until the 19th century that this source of energy began to be used for industrial and domestic activities.
We measure electricity using units of electrical power. The most commonly used units today are kilowatts per hour (kWh), megawatts (mW), milliwatts (mW) or microwatts (μW). For example, electricity and gas bills that indicate household consumption do so based on kilowatts used per hour. Another fact is that electricity can be stored , meaning its chemical content can be stored for later use. This is what batteries do, for example.
How electricity is produced
If you have ever wondered how electricity is generated, this section will clarify it for you. There are two different ways to produce electricity. On the one hand, we can talk about the electricity that is created in power plants. This is possible from other primary energies . That is, electricity is created from other energies such as wind, thermal or hydraulic . Even so, the one we use the most is mechanical energy. Another way to produce electricity is in small quantities with specialized devices.
Focusing on mechanical energy, in order to produce electrical energy, power plants operate turbines connected to generators . These turbines can be powered by steam produced by heating water, by nuclear reactions or by burning fossil fuels. In this way, movement is transformed into electricity.
Here you can learn more about What is wind energy, how it works and examples or What is hydraulic energy and examples .
Types of power plants
Depending on the primary energy source used to produce mechanical energy, power plants can be classified in one way or another. Based on this distinction, we find 8 types of power plants where electricity is produced:
- Hydroelectric power stations : water from a natural or artificial stream, stored in reservoirs, is allowed to fall from a great height. The gradient and the impact of the falling water acts on the blades of a hydraulic turbine, which sets the water in motion.
- Conventional thermal power plants : these are those that use fossil fuels such as coal, gas or fuel oil. These are burned in a boiler and thus heat energy is generated that is used to obtain water vapor. This water vapor, at high pressure, will move the blades of a steam turbine.
- Combined cycle thermal power plants : in these plants, the thermal energy from natural gas is transformed into electricity thanks to the joint operation of two turbines: one for gas and one for steam. First, the natural gas is burned to move the gas turbine and then the residual heat from the gases is used to produce steam and move a steam turbine.
- Nuclear power plants : a large amount of energy is obtained by the fission of uranium atoms. This energy is used to obtain water vapor, which will be used to move a turbine that, thanks to the alternator, will produce electricity.
- Wind farms : Wind farms harness the power of the wind. The kinetic energy of the wind moves the blades of a wind turbine, which in turn drives a turbine that converts this energy into electrical energy.
- Solar power plants : there are two types of solar power plants: thermal solar power plants, which heat water with the sun’s heat to generate steam that moves a turbine; or photovoltaic power plants, which, thanks to photovoltaic cells, directly transform solar energy into electrical energy. You can find out more about What is solar energy here.
- Tidal power plants : these plants take advantage of the rise and fall of the tides to drive a turbine that, through a generator, will produce electricity. At EcologíaVerde we show you more information about Tidal energy: what it is and how it works .
- Biomass or municipal solid waste (MSW) power plants : they operate in the same way as a conventional thermal power plant, with the only difference being that the fuel used in the boiler comes from municipal solid waste. If you would like to find out more about Biomass energy: advantages and disadvantages , click on the article.
How electricity reaches homes
Surely you have asked yourself more than once how the electricity reaches your home once it has been generated. We bring you the answer to this question and we explain it to you step by step:
- Once electrical energy is obtained, it is directed through transmission lines , elevated or underground, from the power plants where electricity is produced to the electrical substations.
- Once in the electrical substations , normally located outdoors or on the outskirts of cities but always close to the generating plants, the voltage, frequency, number of phases and connections of two or more circuits are transformed appropriately.
- Once transformed, the energy is sent back through transmission lines to homes .
- Thanks to the cables that are piped in the walls, floors or ceilings of our houses we can receive electricity.
If you still want to know more about electrical energy, you may find this article from Green Ecology on What is electrical energy and examples interesting .
