Download electricity production and the grid

ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION AND THE GRID
ACTIVITY 1A: POWER PLANT HOOKUP
Students will understand how electricity is produced and delivered.
Location: Classroom
Time: 20 minutes
1 » Divide the class into small groups of 4–5 students.
2 » Give one set of cards to each group.
3 » Students must put the cards in the correct order begin-
Materials: Power Plant Hookup Cards (1 set per group)
ning with the raw material (fossil fuel) and ending with use-
Prep: Print, cut, and if possible, laminate cards
able electricity (light bulb). If the class seems to struggle with
Instructions:
the concept of electricity production, show them either the
first or last card to get them started.
NOTE: It is recommended that students perform this activity
4 » Once all groups have completed ordering the cards,
before engaging in a discussion about how power plants work.
review the correct order.
CORRECT ORDER: Fossil Fuel – Boiler (Furnace) – Turbine –
Generator – Step Up Transformer - Power Lines – Light Bulb
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Activities » Electricity Production and the Grid
FOLD HERE
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FOSSIL FUEL
Nonrenewable energy sources such as coal, petroleum
and natural gas found deep within the Earth. Fossil
fuels are extracted via mining or drilling. Once the fuel
is extracted, it is refined and sent to power plants
where they are burned to release energy.
Photo: Steven Codrington, Wikimedia Commons
LIGHT BULB
Like many other things you use in your daily life,
light bulbs require electricity to work. This is the
point where the electricity is used.
Photo: Alfred T. Palmer, Wikimedia Commons
BOILER (FURNACE)
Fuel is burned in the boiler’s firebox which has
a series of pipes running through it. The heat
generated from the combustion boils the water in
the pipes, producing a superheated, high pressure,
steam, which is then piped to the next part of the
power plant.
Photo: Remi Kaupp, Wikimedia Commons
TURBINE
Turbines are composed of hundreds of angled
blades, similar to those of a fan. When high
pressure steam enters the turbine area, it
expands through the blades, causing them to
turn. The movement of the blades rotates the
shaft of the turbine.
Photo: Alexander Seetenky, Creative Commons
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V
GENERATOR
A generator converts mechanical energy into
electrical energy. It is usually composed of
a powerful electromagnet attached to the
shaft of the generator, which is surrounded
by coils of conductive wire. As the magnet is
rotated, it shifts the magnetic field, creating
an electric current in the wires by the process of
electromagnetic induction.
Photo: Creative Commons
STEP UP TRANSFORMER
For electricity to be distributed over long
distances without losing power, it must travel at
a very high voltage of 375,000–400,000 volts.
Power plants generate electricity at about 22,000
volts. Step-up transformers are used to increase
the voltage in order to efficiently transmit the
electricity generated at the power plant.
Photo: Worklife Siemens
TRANSMISSION LINES
Transmission lines are thick cables
made of low-resistance conductors
such as copper or aluminum, which
move electricity in bulk from
the power plant to the points of
distribution where step down
transformers lower the voltage to
prepare electricity for consumer use.
Photo: Packa, Wikimedia Commons
INTRO TO ENERGY
ACTIVITY 1A: POWER PLANT HOOKUP
page 1 NAME:
Label each part of the power plant diagram and explain the function of each part in the corresponding space below.
A
B
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D
E
F
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Activities » Intro to Energy