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Basic Energy Resources for Electrical

Energy Generation
Last Updated on September 23, 2018 by Muhammad Sarwar — 1 Comment (Edit)

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E
lectrical energy is obtained from various energy resources; the process of
energy conversion is completed at power generating stations. The energy
resources may be renewable or non-renewable and each energy resource has a
different impact on the environment. The role of these energy resources in the
development of modern civilization cannot be estimated. In fact, per-capita income of a
country is directly proportional to the energy consumption per person. In this post, we’ll
discuss basic types of energy resources and the process by which they are converted to
Electrical Energy.

Energy exists in different forms in nature but the most important form is the electrical
energy. The modern society is so much dependent upon the use of electrical energy that it has
become a part and parcel of our life. In this article, we shall focus our attention on the general
aspects of electrical energy, its generation, transmission and distribution system which is
known as Power System.

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Distribution of Energy Resources by Utilization

Power Generating Stations

“ The conversion of energy available in different forms in nature into

electrical energy is known as the generation of electrical energy. The
location where the is transformed from one form to another is called
Power Generating Station.

Electrical energy is a manufactured commodity like clothing, furniture or tools. Just as the
manufacture of a commodity involves the conversion of raw materials available in nature into
the desired form, similarly electrical energy is produced from the forms of energy available in
nature. However, electrical energy differs in one important respect. Whereas other
commodities may be produced at will and consumed as needed, the electrical energy must be
produced and transmitted to the point of use at the instant it is needed. The entire process
takes only a fraction of a second. This instantaneous production of electrical energy
introduces technical and economical considerations unique to the electrical power industry.

Energy Conversion
Energy is available in various forms from different natural sources such as pressure head of
water, the chemical energy of fuels, the nuclear energy of radioactive substances etc. All these
forms of energy can be converted into electrical energy by the use of suitable arrangements.

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Energy Conversion Process

The arrangement essentially employs (see above Fig) an alternator coupled to a prime mover.
The prime mover is driven by the energy obtained from various sources such as the burning
of fuel, the pressure of water, the force of wind etc. For example, the chemical energy of a
fuel (e.g., coal) can be used to produce steam at high temperature and pressure. The steam is
fed to a prime mover which may be a steam engine or a steam turbine. The turbine converts
heat energy of steam into mechanical energy which is further converted into electrical
energy by the alternator. Similarly, other forms of energy can be converted into electrical
energy by employing suitable machinery and equipment.

Energy Resources
Since electrical energy is produced from energy available in various forms in nature, it is
desirable to look into the various energy resources. These sources of energy are:

(i) The Sun

(ii) The Wind
(iii) Water
(iv) Fuels
(v) Nuclear energy.

Out of these energy sources, the energy due to Sun and wind has not been utilised on large
scale due to a number of limitations. At present, the other three sources viz., water, fuels and
nuclear energy are primarily used for the generation of electrical energy.

(i) Solar Energy

The Sun is the primary source of energy. The heat energy radiated by the Sun can be focussed
over a small area by means of reflectors. This heat can be used to raise steam and electrical
energy can be produced with the help of turbine-alternator combination. However, this
method has limited application because : (a) it requires a large area for the generation of even
a small amount of electric power (b) it cannot be used in cloudy days or at night (c) it is an
uneconomical method. Nevertheless, there are some locations in the world where strong

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solar radiation is received very regularly and the sources of mineral fuel are scanty or lacking.
Such locations offer more interest to the solar plant builders.

Solar Energy System in Grid connected mode

(ii) Wind Energy

This method can be used where wind flows for a considerable length of time. The wind energy
is used to run the wind mill which drives a small generator. In order to obtain the electrical
energy from a wind mill continuously, the generator is arranged to charge the batteries.
These batteries supply the energy when the wind stops. This method has the advantages that
maintenance and generation costs are negligible. However, the drawbacks of this method are
(a) variable output, (b) unreliable because of uncertainty about wind pressure and (c) power
generated is quite small.

Wind Energy Conversion System in Grid Connected Mode

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(iii) Hydroelectric Energy

When water is stored at a suitable place, it possesses potential energy because of the head
created. This water energy can be converted into mechanical energy with the help of water
turbines. The water turbine drives the alternator which converts mechanical energy into
electrical energy. This method of generation of electrical energy has become very popular
because it has low production and maintenance costs.

Hydel Energy Conversion to Electrical Energy

(iv) Fossil Fuels

The main sources of energy are fuels viz., solid fuel as coal, liquid fuel as oil and gas fuel as
natural gas. The heat energy of these fuels is converted into mechanical energy by suitable
prime movers such as steam engines, steam turbines, internal combustion engines etc. The
prime mover drives the alternator which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Although fuels continue to enjoy the place of chief source for the generation of electrical
energy, yet their reserves are diminishing day by day. Therefore, the present trend is to
harness water power or other renwable energy resources which is more or less a permanent
source of power.

(v) Nuclear Energy

Towards the end of Second World War, it was discovered that large amount of heat energy is
liberated by the fission of uranium and other fissionable materials. It is estimated that heat
produced by 1 kg of nuclear fuel is equal to that produced by 4500 tonnes of coal. The heat
produced due to nuclear fission can be utilised to raise steam with suitable arrangements.
The steam can run the steam turbine which in turn can drive the alternator to produce
electrical energy. However, there are some difficulties in the use of nuclear energy. The
principal ones are (a) high cost of nuclear plant (b) problem of disposal of radioactive waste
and dearth of trained personnel to handle the plant.
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Nuclear Power Plant

Final Words
We hope you’ve found out about various energy resources and how they are converted to
electric energy. There are other energy resources that need to be discussed in detail. We hope
to write an article soon on the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy
resources.

You may also want to read how electric energy is transmitted from generating stations to
consumers and Load flow analysis of a power network.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video tutorials
and project descriptions. You can also find us on Facebook . Give us your feedback
in the comments section.

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Filed Under: Energy

Tagged With: Energy Resources, Power System, Renewable Energy, Solar Power

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About Muhammad Sarwar

Muhammad Sarwar is an Electrical Engineer by profession and a blogger by passion. He loves
to teach and share knowledge. He reads books, play games, blogs and program in his spare
time.

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