Traditional and alternative ways to generate electricity

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Currently, humanity uses all possible ways to generate electricity. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this resource. And its consumption is growing every day. For this reason, more and more attention is paid to non-traditional methods of generating electricity. At the same time, these sources at this stage of development cannot fully satisfy the needs of the earth's population. This article briefly reviews the main traditional and alternative ways to generate electricity.

Getting electricity from thermal power plants

This method of generating electricity is the most common. For example, in the Russian Federation, heat sources account for almost 80% of the entire generation of the necessary resource. Years go byenvironmentalists are already practically shouting about the negative impact of such engineering structures on the environment and human he alth, but stations built in the middle of the last century (or even pre-revolutionary ones) continue to supply populated cities and large industrial enterprises with electricity.

Heat sources are traditional methods of generating electricity. And now, for three or four decades, they have occupied a leading position in the ranking in terms of output. And this is despite the rapid development of alternative methods of generating electricity.

Among all engineering projects, a special type of structure is distinguished. These are combined heat and power plants, the additional function of which is to supply houses and apartments of citizens with heat. According to experts, the efficiency of such power plants is extremely low, and the transfer of the generated resource over long distances is associated with large losses.

Energy generation is carried out as follows. Solid, liquid or gaseous fuel is burned, heating the water in the boiler to significant temperatures. The force of the steam drives the turbine blades, causing the turbine generator rotor to rotate and generate electricity.

Hydroelectric power plants are a promising way to generate electricity

The construction of complex engineering structures designed to convert water energy into electricity began in the Russian Empire. Many years have passed since then, and this source is still active.used. During the years of industrialization of the USSR (1930s), giant hydroelectric power plants grew throughout the country. All the forces of a young and fragile country were thrown into the construction of these giants (which is worth only one Zaporizhzhya hydroelectric power station!). Engineering structures of those years are still in operation and generate a significant amount of electricity.

Currently, the state is betting on the development of "green" ways to generate electricity. Therefore, the construction of modern and very productive hydroelectric power plants throughout the country is being actively financed. The strategy of building medium-sized facilities on small tributaries of the rivers has fully justified itself. One such station can fully satisfy the electricity needs of small adjacent settlements. On a national scale, this will lead to an increase in the efficiency of the national economy and the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers of industrial goods.

The disadvantages of this technology include the high cost of such objects and very long payback periods. The main costs are for the construction of the dam. But it is necessary to erect the building itself (administrative and machine buildings), build a device for discharging water, and so on. The parameters and composition of the structure depend on many factors: the installed power of the generators and the pressure of the water, the type of power plant (dam, channel, diversion, storage, tidal). Hydroelectric power plants on large navigable rivers also have complex navigable locks and channels to ensure fish migration to spawning grounds.

Nuclear power industry

Nuclear power plant today no longer surprise anyone. Such facilities began to be actively erected back in the USSR. Therefore, this technology belongs to the traditional methods of generating electricity.

Nuclear power plants are still being actively built not only in Russia, but also in countries near and far abroad. For example, a company with Russian roots Rosatom finances the construction of such a source in the Republic of Belarus. By the way, this station will be the first in this territory.

The world's attitude to nuclear energy is very ambiguous. Germany, for example, seriously decided to completely abandon the peaceful atom. And this at a time when the Russian Federation is actively investing in the construction of new facilities of the latest generation.

Scientists have reliably established that the deposits of nuclear fuel in the bowels of the earth are much larger than all reserves of hydrocarbon raw materials (oil and gas). The ever-increasing demand for hydrocarbons leads to their rise in price. That is why the development of nuclear energy justifies itself.

Wind Energy

Wind power industry on an industrial scale arose relatively recently and added to the list of non-traditional ways to generate electricity. And this is a very promising technology. With a high degree of probability, it can be argued that in the distant future, windmills will generate as much electricity as humanity needs. And these are not empty words, because according to the most modest estimatesscientists, the total wind force on the surface of the globe is at least a hundred times greater than the power of all water resources.

The main problem is the inconsistency of air flows, which makes it difficult to predict energy production. Winds constantly blow on the vast territory of Russia. And if you learn how to effectively and efficiently use this inexhaustible resource, then you can more than satisfy all the needs of heavy industry and the country's population.

Despite the obvious benefits of using wind energy, the amount of electricity generated by wind farms does not exceed one percent of the total. Equipment for these purposes is very expensive, in addition, such facilities will not be effective in every area, and the transportation of electricity over long distances is associated with large losses.

Geothermal Energy

The development of geothermal sources marked a new milestone in the history of the development of alternative methods of generating electricity.

The principle of power generation is the supply of kinetic and potential energy of hot water steam from an underground source to the blades of a generator turbine, which produces current through rotational movements. In theory, the temperature difference on the surface and in the depths of the earth's crust is characteristic of any area. However, it is usually minimal, and it is not possible to use it to generate electricity. The construction of such stations is justified only incertain areas of our planet (seismically active). Iceland is a pioneer in the development of this method. The lands of Russian Kamchatka can also be used for these purposes.

The principle of obtaining energy is as follows. Hot water from the bowels of the earth comes to the surface. The pressure here is much lower, which causes the water to boil. The separated steam is directed through the pipeline and rotates the blades of the generator turbines. It is difficult to predict the future of this modern way of generating electricity. Perhaps such stations will be massively built on the territory of the Russian Federation, or perhaps this idea will die out over time and no one will remember about it.

Development of ocean thermal energy

The world's oceans are amazing in their scale. Specialists cannot give even a rough estimate of the amount of thermal energy accumulated in it. One thing is clear – a colossal amount of resources remains unused. At present, prototypes of power plants have already been built that convert the heat energy of ocean waters into current. However, these are pilot projects, and there is no certainty that this area of energy will be further developed.

Ebb and flow in the service of the electric power industry

Transforming the powerful force of the ebb and flow into valuable derivatives is a new way to generate electricity. The nature of these phenomena is now known and does not cause that reverent awe that arose among our ancestors. This is due to the influence of the magnetic fieldfaithful satellite of the planet - the moon.

The most noticeable tidal and ebb currents of water are observed in the shallow waters of the seas and oceans, as well as in riverbeds.

The first station that really gave a result was built back in 1913 in the UK near Liverpool. Since then, many countries have tried to repeat the experience, but in the end they abandoned this venture for various reasons.

Solar energy

In fact, all natural fossil fuels were formed millions of years ago with the participation and under the influence of sunlight. Thus, we can say that mankind has long and actively used products obtained from the sun. As a matter of fact, we owe the presence of rivers and lakes to this inexhaustible source, which ensures the circulation of water. However, this is not what is meant by modern solar energy. Relatively recently, scientists have been able to develop and produce special batteries. They generate electricity when sunlight hits their surface. This technology refers to an alternative way to generate electricity.

The sun is perhaps the most powerful source of all currently known. In three days, the planet Earth receives as much energy as is not contained in all explored and potential deposits of all types of thermal resources. However, only 1/3 of this energy reaches the surface of the earth's crust, and most of it is dissipated in the atmosphere. And yet we are talking about colossal volumes. According to experts, one small reservoirreceives as much energy as a fairly large thermal power plant.

There are installations in the world that use the energy of sunlight to produce steam. It drives a generator and generates electricity. However, such installations are very rare.

Regardless of the principle by which electricity is generated, the installation must be equipped with a collector - a device for concentrating sunlight. Surely many have seen solar panels with their own eyes. It seems that they are under dark glass. It turns out that such a coating is the simplest collector. The principle of its operation is based on the fact that a dark transparent material transmits the sun's rays, but delays and reflects infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Inside the battery there are tubes with a working substance. Since thermal radiation is not transmitted through the dark film, the temperature of the working fluids is much higher than the ambient temperature. It should be noted that such solutions work effectively only in tropical latitudes, where there is no need to turn the collector after the sun.

Another type of coating is a concave mirror. Such equipment is a very expensive solution, so it has not found wide application. Such a collector can provide heating up to three thousand degrees Celsius.

This direction is rapidly developing. In Europe, you will not surprise anyone with houses that are disconnected from electrical networks. However, on an industrial scaleelectricity is not generated by this method. Solar panels flaunt on the roofs of such houses. This is a highly questionable investment. In the best case, the installation of such equipment will pay off only after ten years of operation.

Using sea currents

This is a very unusual way to generate electricity. Due to the temperature difference in the northern regions of the oceans and the southern (equatorial), powerful currents arise throughout the volume. If a turbine is immersed in water, then a powerful current will rotate it. This is the basis of the principle of operation of such power plants.

However, this energy source is currently not actively used. There are many engineering challenges yet to be solved. Only experimental work is being carried out. The British are the most active in this direction. It is possible that in the near future colonies of power plants will appear off the coast of Great Britain, the blades of which will be set in motion by sea currents.

Ways to get electricity at home

Electricity can also be generated at home. And if you take this issue seriously, you can even meet the needs of the household for electricity.

First of all, it should be noted that some of the listed methods of generating electricity are quite applicable in a private economy. So, many farmers and just owners of country estates install windmills on their plots. Also, solar panels can be seen more and more often on the roofs of country houses.

There are othersways of producing electricity, but their practical application is out of the question. This is more for fun, or for the purpose of experiment.