Journey of Electrical Energy from Power stations to End consumer!

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    Electrical energy is one of the most powerful sources that powers and lights up our world today. Today electrical energy has been transmitted and delivered to every corner of the world. Most of the equipment and home appliances operate on electrical energy. The best example of an electrical appliance is the incandescent bulb which was invented by the great scientist Thomas Alva Edison.


    The journey of electrical energy is an amazing process. The electrical energy is generated at one place, and it is transmitted to very distant places for several miles. Let’s look at the journey.

   At first, the electricity is generated in power stations. These power stations are located only at specific places according to the raw materials available and due to several other factors. Here the electricity is generated in large amounts by using huge alternators. An alternator is a machine that is rotated by some source to generate power. The source may be classified depending upon the type of power station. The types of power stations are.

 

            Thermal power station
   Hydropower station
  Nuclear power station
  Diesel power station
 Wind power station
 Geothermal power station
Tidal power station
Diesel Power station
Bio-gas power station
Gas-fired power station

 


Different types of powerplants



     There is also a power station, which does not require any alternators or generators to generate electricity. The best example of such a type of power station is the solar power plant.

 


Solar power Plant


Note: The voltage range mentioned below is, respective to Indian Standards, and it may differ from country to country.

     The amount of power usually generated in these power stations is 11kV (kilovolt) or 33kV (kilovolt). Here volt is the unit for measuring voltage. This voltage is then transmitted and distributed to the consumers. But on the way, the generated power is altered by various substations to optimize the generated power. Those substations are classified as,

1.       Primary transmission (11kV to 132kV)

2.       Secondary transmission (132kV to 66kV)

3.       Primary Distribution (66kV to 11kV)

4.       Secondary Distribution (11kV to 440V)


Credit (Substation): By David Neale, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9157804


  First of all, the generated power in the power station is stepped up (increased) from 11kV/33kV to 132kV/220kV/400kV by using a transformer. A transformer is a device that converts one amount of voltage into another amount. These transformers either step up (increase) the voltage or step down (decrease) the voltage. The purpose of stepping up the voltage is to supply very large consumers whose need is very large and who take this voltage directly to power their needs. Another purpose of stepping up the voltage is to overcome line losses. Because the generated power has to be transmitted over a long distance through the transmission lines, to reach the end consumer. During the journey through the lines, the voltage may decrease. So a very high voltage is produced at the starting point. The transformer used here is present inside the power stations and they are called primary transmission.


Credit (Power Transformer): Image by Paul Chernikhowsky from flickr.com

     The increased voltage is then transmitted over a long distance through transmission lines for distribution to the consumers. The transmission lines are carried by big steel towers. But before supplying the power to the consumers, the power is altered again. This process is done by secondary transmission or Sub transmission level substations. This substation alters the voltage by stepping down the 132kV to 33kV/66kV. Large consumers usually tap this power for powering their utilities.

 


Transmission Lines

      Then the power from the secondary transmission substations is again stepped down from 66kV to 33kV or 11kV. Medium consumers tap this power and use it. This stage is called primary distribution. 

     Again the 11kV power from the primary distribution is stepped down to 440V by secondary distribution. Small houses consume this final voltage. This is how Electrical power is transmitted and distributed to all over the place.

 


Electrical Generation and Transmission System

To know how an alternator works please visit my next article,

https://sciencetopic03.blogspot.com/2021/11/how-dc-motor-and-dc-generator-works.html





 

 

                                             

                                  

 

 

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