Where does electricity come from? Power Sources

The life of modern man is organized in such a way that its infrastructure support involves many components with different technical and functional properties. These include electricity. Ordinary consumers do not see and do not feel exactly how it performs its tasks, but the final result is quite noticeable in the work of household appliances, and not only. At the same time, questions regarding where the electricity is taken from, in the view of many users of the same home appliances remain undisclosed. To expand knowledge in this area, it is worth starting with the concept of electricity as such.

What is electricity?

The complexity of this concept is quite understandable, since energy can not be designated as a common object or phenomenon accessible to visual perception. In this case, there are two approaches to the answer to the question of what electricity is. The definition of scientists says that electricity is a stream of charged particles, which is characterized by directional motion. As a rule, particles are understood as electrons.

In the energy industry itself, electricity is often viewed as a product produced by substations. From this point of view, the elements that directly participate in the process of formation and transmission of current also have significance. That is, in this case the energy field created around a conductor or another charged body is considered. To bring this understanding of energy closer to real observation, one has to deal with such a question: where does the electricity come from? There are different technical means for producing current, and all of them are subject to the same task - the supply of end consumers. However, until the moment when users can provide their devices with energy, it must go through several stages.

Electricity generation

To date, about 10 types of stations are used in the energy sector, which provide electricity generation. This is a process, as a result of which a certain type of energy is converted into a current charge. In other words, electricity is formed during the processing of another energy. In particular, thermal, wind, tidal, geothermal and other types of energy are used as the main working resource at specialized substations . Answering the question as to where the electricity comes from, it is worth noting the infrastructure that each substation is provided with. Any power generator is provided with a complex system of functional units and networks that allow to accumulate the generated energy and prepare it for further transmission to the distribution nodes.

Traditional power stations

Although in recent years, the trends in energy have changed rapidly, it is possible to identify the main types of power plants operating according to classical principles. First of all, these are thermal generation facilities. The resource is produced as a result of combustion of organic fuel and subsequent conversion of the heat energy released. There are different types of such stations, including heat and condensation ones. The main difference between them is the possibility of objects of the second type also generate heat flows. That is, when answering the question about where electricity comes from, it is possible to note stations that produce other types of energy in parallel. In addition to heat generation facilities, hydro and nuclear power plants are quite common. In the first case, the conversion of energy from the motion of water is assumed, and in the second case, as a result of the fission of atoms in special reactors.

Alternative energy sources

To this category of energy sources, it is customary to include solar beams, wind, ground bowels, etc. Particularly common are various generators focused on accumulation and conversion into solar energy. Such installations are attractive in that any consumer can use them in the amounts required to supply his home. However, the high cost of equipment, as well as the nuances in operation, caused by the dependence of working photocells on the intensity of light, hinders the widespread use of such generators .

At the level of large energy companies, wind alternative sources of electricity are actively developing. Already today a number of countries are using programs for a gradual transition to this type of energy supply. However, there are some obstacles in this direction, caused by the low power of the generators at a high cost. A relatively new alternative source of energy is the natural heat of the Earth. In this case, the stations transform the thermal energy obtained from the depths of the underground channels.

Distribution of electricity

After power generation, the transmission and distribution stage begins, which is provided by energy sales companies. The resource providers organize the appropriate infrastructure, which is based on electrical networks. There are two types of channels for electricity transmission: air and underground cable lines. These networks are the ultimate source and the main answer to the question of where electricity comes from for different needs of users. Supplier organizations lay special routes for the organization of network distribution of electricity, using different types of cables.

Consumers of electricity

Electricity is required for a variety of tasks, both in the domestic economy and in the industrial sector. A classic example of the use of this energy carrier is lighting. However, in our days electricity in the house serves to provide a wider range of instruments and equipment. And this is only a small part of the society's needs for energy supply.

This resource is also required to support the operation of the transport infrastructure: for servicing lines of trolley, trams and metro, etc. It is worth noting industrial enterprises. Plants, factories and processing complexes often require the connection of huge capacities. It can be said that these are the largest consumers of electricity using this resource to support the operation of technological equipment and local infrastructure.

Management of electric power facilities

In addition to the organization of electric grid facilities, which technically provides the possibility of transmission and distribution of energy for end users, the operation of this complex is impossible without control systems. To implement these tasks, suppliers use operational dispatch centers, whose employees implement centralized control and management of the operation of the power facilities entrusted to them. In particular, such services monitor the parameters of networks to which consumers of electricity are connected at different levels. Separately it is worth noting and the departments of dispatch centers that perform maintenance of the networks, preventing wear and repairing damage on certain sections of the lines.

Conclusion

For all time, the energy industry has undergone several stages of its development. Recently, there have been new changes due to the active development of alternative energy sources. The successful development of these areas already today makes it possible to use electricity in the house, obtained from individual household generators, regardless of the central networks. However, in these industries there are certain difficulties. First of all, they are connected with the financial costs for the purchase and installation of appropriate equipment - the same solar panels with batteries. But since the energy generated from alternative sources is completely free, the prospects for further promotion of these areas remain relevant for different categories of consumers.