Thermo plants with flame

The thermo plants with flame use chemical fuels to produce heat transformed into mechanical energy by a driving cycle Thermodynamique, even supplying an alternator to him. The fuels are generally fossil:

Renewable fuels the such Wood or the Biogaz are sometimes used.

Conventional power stations with boilers

The most widespread power stations consist of a boiler and a steam turbine (Rankine cycle). Their fuel is generally coal but one finds also boilers using of the biomass, natural gas, oil, or waste municipal.

The majority of the coal stations are of type “fire pulverized”, where coal is tiny room powders some very fine and injected in the boiler. The most recent power stations have a cycle vapor Supercritique, which makes it possible to have an output which exceeds 45%.

Gas turbines

The turbines in simple cycle are inexpensive to build, moreover they have the advantage of starting very quickly (contrary to the steam boilers which have a certain inertia). Nevertheless, their weak output (35% at best) prevents from using them directly for the electrical production without developing their after-heat, except in supplement at the time of the peaks of request or with any small scales.

The exhaust fumes of the gas turbines being very hot (about 600°C), heat can be re-used various ways. The Cogénération (or Trigénération) is generally associated with the gas turbines; exhaust fumes supplying a boiler which provides heat (generally in the form of vapor) and/or a turbine providing of the mechanical energy (movement) for an industrial process.

Obstacles, defects or disadvantages

the sources of fossil energy S have the defect to be épuisables and polluting, inducing moreover one dependence with regard to the producers of resources (gas, oil, coal, uranium.)
very centralized character of the power stations, and the dependence with electrical communication VHV make them vulnerable
the thermo plants to flame produce dioxide and carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and steam (all being gas with greenhouse effect) and other pollutants (dust, heavy metals, of which mercury, Sulfur dioxide…) contributing to the photochemical Smog S, the tropospheric production of Ozone, and rains, fogs and fogs acid.

Advantages

The energy production is relatively independent of the weather conditions, the energy source can be (to a certain extent) easily stored and the density of power is very high.

They make it possible to make cogeneration : when one needs at a given place (agglomeration, chemical industries, greenhouses,…) of heat in great quantity, it is interesting to create a thermo plant which produces electricity and whose coolant circuit is used as source of heat for the desired application. (the solar power stations, hydraulics and the wind one also allow it, but when the sun, water or the wind are present)

It is a manner of making profitable the inevitable losses of this type of power stations. Co or tri-generation is however not yet systematic.

Nuclear plants

Renewable energies

The renewable energies correspond to various energy sources which are renewed on a human scale.

Hydroelectric station

The hydraulic power is for a long time a solution implemented in the electrical production (also called Hydroélectricité) because it uses an renewable energy.

With a throttling of banks of a river, the men set up a Barrage which creates a water reserve. With the foot of this stopping, one installs Turbine S connected to Alternateur S. One supplies with water under pressure the turbines by a system of drains and volumetric governors.

In addition to the potential sites are generally in mountain involving of on high costs of construction, the number of these sites is limited.
Moreover this system implies sometimes walnut tree of the whole cultivable ground valleys, where the men very often live since generations.

There are various types of hydroelectric stations, in particular the Microphone-power station S, installed on Rivière S in Tête of basin, some with a strong ecological impact.
There exist also hydroelectric station of pumping treatment by turbine action which make it possible to accumulate energy coming from others not very handy production sites such as the nuclear plants when consumption is low and, to restore it at the time of the peaks of consumption.

Wind

The wind energy is produced in the form of electricity by a wind . Formed wind mills of a chechmate overcome of an electric Generating pulled by a Propeller, are positioned ideally on the water levels or the been windy hills.

Obstacles and disadvantages:

the principal defects of these wind mills, are a visual Pollution landscape and the obstruction of the aerial navigation of proximity at low altitude. The noise is also harmful according to certain testimonys, when that a wind mill is installed close to a dwelling.
the investment is important, with outputs prone to the whims of the wind and enough means compared with other rival systems.

individual Solution:

Just like one sees more and more individual solar panels on the dwellings, a horizontal version of the wind mill, two imbricated paddle wheels, can be installed on its roof. It is quasi quiet and avoids the transport of energy on long distances and, the losses which go with. Storage solutions (thus regularity of the supplied energy) exist on an individual dwelling scale.

Solar energy

One distinguishes the photovoltaic solar powerplants from the thermal powerplants, these last being developed very little.

Solar power station photovoltaic

This other means of manufacturing electricity with solar energy uses the light radiations of the sun, which are directly transformed into a Electric current by cells containing Silicium or other Matériau having properties of conversion light/electricity. Each cell delivering a weak tension, the cells are assembled in panels.
This system, although of weak output, is very simple to implement and particularly light. Invented for the needs for the military artificial satellites, it today is very much used for a local production or embarked electricity.
Of the Solar panels embarked on board boats, terrestrial vehicles, satellite S and spaceships, assisted by a Accumulator battery. These accumulating S provides energy during the moments of not or weak production of the panels and stores the surplus of electricity during the moments of great production.
Obstacles, defects or disadvantages:

Of the projects of solar power station in space exists. But in addition to the problem of the electricity transmission on ground, it would initially be necessary to transport and assemble thousands of tons of material in orbit, without speaking about the problems of maintenance induced by such a system.

thermal Solar energy

to collect a maximum of thermal energy solar, several lines of Miroir S laid out in arc of Cercle vis-a-vis the race of the Sun return the solar rays in only one point, called hearth. So that the hearth permanently does not change a position, the mirrors directional and are controlled by a centralized system. With this hearth a Chaudière containing a liquid is used as sensor of energy.
Another system uses mirrors curved vis-a-vis the Southern in the northern Hemisphere provided with a tube filled with a Fluide which warms up with the rays of the sun concentrated by the mirror. The liquid is in general of the water which overheated by solar thermal energy is led to a steam turbine.
Lastly, another system called Solar tower uses solar energy to heat the air contained in an immense greenhouse. The heated air is then lighter and goes up in a chimney where turbines are actuated.
Obstacles, defects or disadvantages:

the basic problem of this type of powerplant, is that solar energy is in relatively small quantity in a given point of the ground and, that it uses only radiated heat, (Rayonnement Infrarouge). The density of power is weak, but quite higher than that of the photovoltaic one.
In addition, the production is intermittent (intermittency day laborer day/night and seasonal) and locally unforeseeable in the medium term (weather risk). For résuire the intermittance day/night, to even allow a production 24:00 /24, the most modern power stations (like andasol, in construction in Spain) is equipped with tanks making it possible to store hot carrying fluid.

Tidal, hydrolienne or marethermic

The water of the Sea S and the Océan S can also be used to produce electricity.

Three systems exist:

tidal Energy, it is the energy potential of the Marée S which is used
Energie hydrolienne, it is the kinetic energy of the currents of tide, of the large oceanic currents and of the rivers
marethermic Énergie, they is the differences in temperatures of the water to various depths which is used

Obstacles, defects or disadvantages:

the means implemented are heavy and require much maintenance.

The density of power is very high if one defers only to the surface occupied by the stopping him even, but very low if one counts the surface covered by the lake with reserve.

Geothermic

The ground is made up of a crust, posed on a coat of rock in fusion. The principle of the geothermal energy consists in digging a hole in this crust, sending a Coolant to the bottom using a pipe and recovering this heated fluid going up by another pipe. This heat makes turn of the Turbine S which involve Alternateur S. This energy is of an everyday usage in Iceland where it is easy to implement.

Obstacles, defects or disadvantages:

the depth of the Forage necessary differs according to the places.
the depth of Forage, in spite of these variations, remains important, which involves a strong capital cost.
There exists a risk of increase of magma.

The investors thus let for the moment the geologists seek zones having favorable characteristics before starting this kind of project.

See too

Old paper mill of Caps

Simple: Power station

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