Homework Session 1 Power Generation

E.ON
QSQ Level 3

Electrical Installation

LCL Awards
Level 3 Certificate in Installing Testing and Ensuring Compliance of Electrical installations in Dwellings

Homework Session 1

Unit

Learning Outcome (LO)

3006

1.1

By the end of this session you should:

Understand how power is generated using both fossil and renewable sources

Power
Generation

Electricity Supply

Electricity is a relatively new source of energy.

In 1831 Michael Faraday discovered how
to convert mechanical power into electrical
energy.

The first practical application was a lighthouse in 1856.

It was not until the 1880’s that power was produced commercially.

At the turn of the 20th century the full benefits to industry were realised.

In 1916 the power stations were linked together and the national grid came into being.

Electrical power in the UK is produced from five
main sources.

Multiple Select

What are the main sources of electricity generation in the uk?

• Natural Gas

• Nuclear

• Hydroelectric

• Wind

• Solar

UK Power Sources

The UK used the following fuels in energy production in 2023:

Coal - 1.2%
Gas - 27.5%
Solar - 5%
Wind - 32%
Hydroelectric - 1.4%
Nuclear - 14.95
Biomass - 6.7%

​The uk also imports and exports energy to neighbouring countrys but the total percentage of import is 13.3% and export is 1.9%

Other Power Sources

Electricity can be produced with other sources of power.

Geothermal uses the heat from the
earth to provide a supplement to heating water. This source of power is used in Iceland and New Zealand

We can also use methane that is produced from rubbish in land fills. Syphoning off the methane gas produced can contribute to the production of energy.

Producing Power

Coal, oil, nuclear and bio-mas energy all
heat water up until it is high pressure
steam.

This steam then drives turbines, which
drive generators, that produce the
electricity.

Turbines are the mechanical way of
converting steam into rotational energy.

Generators convert rotational energy into
electrical energy.

These types of generation is by
means of a Thermal Power Plant

13

Turbines are the mechanical way of converting steam into rotational energy

Generators convert rotational energy into electrical energy

Boiler

Steam

(High

pressure)

Condensate (water)

Mechanical

power

Heat & mechanical
losses

Heat
losses

Mechanical and
electrical losses

Electrical
power

(Coal etc)

Energy input

Water

Turbine

Generator

Reservoir

Block diagram of electrical
power production

Coal fired power station

16

Nuclear Power plant

​Watch this video before moving on.

Multiple Choice

A generating station in which nuclear energy is converted into electrical energy is known as

• A nuclear power station

• A thermal Power station

• A Hydro power station

• None

Multiple Choice

Which of the following element is used as a fuel for Nuclear power plant?

• Boran

• Cadmium

• Uranium

• Graphite

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is disadvantage of a nuclear power plant?

• Carbon emission is Zero

• Uses less fuel

• less space required

• highly Radio active

Multiple Choice

The process of Splitting up the uranium into 2 Atoms is known as

• Nuclear fission

• Nuclear fusion

• condensation

• emission

Multiple Choice

What part of the nuclear reactor is pictured?

• Turbine

• Fuel rods

• Generator

• Transmission lines

Multiple Choice

Which of the following element used as coolant?

• Sodium

• Water

• Petrol

• Carbon dioxide

Multiple Select

The advantage of a nuclear power plant is?

• Higher efficiency than solar power plant

• The fuel is cheap

• The fuel source can be easily obtained

• The fuel is radioactive

Producing Power

Gas turbine generators work
much like a jet engine on an
airplane.

The combustion of natural gas
within a chamber produces a
thrust which turns a turbine that is connected to a generator via a shaft.

There is no need for a cooling
tower as we don’t need to cool
water vapor as we do in a thermal power plant and therefore can be smaller.

17

Gas

Gas is heated up and driven

through the turbines to produce
the electricity

They are popular for three reasons

• They can be built smaller

• They can be run up to full power

quicker than a thermal power
plant.

• The exhaust gasses can be utilised

in a secondary cycle to produce
more electricity.

Hydroelectric Power

Hydroelectric power plants are
found in areas of high rainfall, they
are placed beside rivers or within
dams.

The large head of water is
released into the penstock which
flows through the turbine, out the
draft tube and onwards continuing
through its natural water flow
down river.

The turbine rotates the generator
via a shaft and electricity is
produced.

Hydro-electric is not a sustainable
source of electricity as when the
head of water is depleted it needs
time to re-fill.
It also requires areas of land to be flooded and can cause variance in river flows.

19

Pumped Storage Generation

The water passes through the turbines in the same
way but the water is stored in a lake further down the
mountain, when there is less demand the water is
pumped back to the top.

It is expensive and is only used when the demand for power
is excessive

Wind Generation

Wind is fast becoming the
prominent energy generator
here in the UK.

The past year showed that
the majority of electrical
energy (32%) was produced
by wind.

This figure is set to rise as
more wind farms are
commissioned reducing the
need to rely on fossil fuels.

21

Wind Generation
How it works

22

Wind hits the blade of the
propeller (aerofoil in shape) which causes the
propeller to rotate.

The propeller rotates about a shaft.

The shaft turns the
generator via a shaft and
gearbox setup (to speed up the rotation)

The generator
produces the electricity.

Solar Generation

Solar unlike all other power
generation does not rely on the
rotation of a generator.

Solar generation relies on the
sun alone and is therefore most
optimal at the middle of the
day.

23

13

​Solar panels are made from silicone or other semi-conductor materials within a metal frame and usually a glass front.

Within sunlight there are pockets of energy called photons, when these little pockets of energy hit the solar panel, the semi-conductor material it releases electrons and produces and electric charge.

This electric charge is Direct Current (DC)
and needs to be converted into AC for ease of transmission and use via an inverter.

​Solar Generation

National Grid

The link on the next page takes you to a website where you can view the statistics from the national grid and shows you the power generation currently and sources of generation.

National Grid: Live Home

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The
End