Hydro Electric Power Plant:
The Hydro-Electric Power Plant is obtained either from the natural flow of a river or from water stored in a reservoir. This power station utilizes the potential energy of water at a high level for the generation of electrical power.
In a nuclear power station, fissile materials such as uranium 235 or uranium 238. Thorium or plutonium are subjected to atomic fission in an atomic reactor. A large amount of heat at a high temp. is produced by the fission of fissile materials. This heat energy is used in a heat exchanger to convert water into steam at a high temp & pressure.
When the steam has impinged on the number of the turbine blades producing mechanical energy on the shaft of the turbine. The shaft of the turbine is coupled with the shaft of the alternator and thus producing electrical energy. The following are the different types of Power Plant generating bulk power in our country are –
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i. Steam Power Station – Efficiency (23% to 25%)
ii. Hydro-electric Power Station – Efficiency (85%)
iii. Nuclear Power Station – Efficiency (25%)
The electrical power generated in the power station is to be transmitted through a line to the place where the electrical power is utilized through a sub-station. This transmission is a comparatively higher voltage than the generated voltage. This transmission of electrical power may be in an AC system or DC system. A large amount of energy is transmitted by a three-phase AC system at an economical high voltage.