3.11 Electrical energy production 5 November 2010

How is electrical

energy created in

a typical power

station?

Aims

• Show how to use block and Sankey diagrams

in relation to electricity generation

• Show how relevant criteria can be used to

compare different ways of generating

electricity

• Consider advantages and disadvantages of

main station types – and how diverse energy

sources improve security of supply

Wasted thermal and

sound energy

Electrical energy used

for radio, lights,

recharging battery etc

Tracking transformations

• We use energy block diagrams to

understand how energy is transformed

Chemical energy from

burning fuel

Kinetic energy used to

move the lorry

Activity A: Draw a block diagram to show the

energy transformations for someone using a hair

drier

Activity A: Draw a block diagram to show the

energy transformations for someone using a hair

drier

Electrical energy from

mains

Heat from heater

Kinetic energy from fan

Sound of fan

Useful versus wasteful

• It is sometimes good to know

exactly how much energy is

being used

• We use a sankey diagram to

show this

• The width of the arrows shows

the amount of energy

Read and discuss Textbook Section G

• Answer questions 1-4