MAKING ELECTRIC POWER: Turbines and Boilers

Of course, your local electric company doesn't use pinwheels to make electricity. They do use gigantic turbines, which have blades that are turned by wind, water or steam, just as the pinwheel blades are turned by the steam from the tea pot.

And of course, a teapot is not used to make steam. Most power plants are big boilers that use a fuel such as coal, oil, natural gas or uranium to make heat. The heat energy boils water to make steam. The steam is not allowed to escape. It is collected until it builds up pressure. Then the steam is fed under high pressure to a turbine. It makes the turbine spin.

Heat energy released from the fuel is converted into mechanical spinning energy of the magnet which is the converted into electrical energy delivered by the electric current.

Sometimes the heat energy to boil the water comes directly from the sun. Or sometimes steam isn't needed at all. Wind or falling water can be used to turn the turbines directly.

A Quick Summary of How Electricity is Generated

1. Fuel used in a boiler heats up water until the water in the boiler pipes become steam.
2. The steam travels through the pipes to the turbine.
3. The steam spins the turbine blades. Sometimes steps #1 and 2 are skipped and wind or falling water turns the turbine.
4. The spinning blades turn a shaft connected to the generator.
5. In the generator, wire loops spin close to electromagnets.
6. When this happens, electrical current is produced in the wires.
7. The current goes out through huge transmission wires and delivers electrical energy to homes, schools, and businesses.

NEXT: Problems & Solutions