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Electricity/Power

Power

Equation:Power=VI
V=volts
I=current(measuredinamperes,oramps(a)milliamps(ma)ormegaamps)
Powers:measuredinwatts(ormilliwatts(mw)ormegawatts(MW)orkilowatts
(kW))
measurements:milli:10
3
kilo:10
3
mega:10
6
PlantBoen(MariettaspowersourcelocatedinCartersville,GA):3,200MGisall4
unitsareoperating(enoughtorunAtlanta)2units:880MGunitstheother2are
about740MGunits
Baseloadunitsaredesignedtorun24/7exceptwhenmaintenanceisneeded(usually,
maintenanceisconductedduringoffpeakhours)
PlantAtkinson:intheCobb/Fultonareaandisusedtoproduceelectricitytoproduce
enoughelectricitytocoverthedemandforelectricityinthesummerfrom39pm(the
plantisonlyusedinthesummer)
(insertdiagramofpoweruse)

PowerGrids

Howpowergridswork(science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/power.htm)
RankineCycle:4components

1.preparesteamtoenterthepumpbymakingitintoasaturatedliquid2.
sendsaturatedliquid(vacuumpressure)intothepumpandaddpump
energysothattheliquidisnowat4500psi):watergetsenergizedjust
becauseitisbeingpumped3.superheat4:Wetrytogetalltheenthalpy
outofwaterthatwecan.X(Quality)Steamisatvacuumpressureandis
lowenergy
StreamgeneratorplantBoen(Cartersville):4steamgenerators14stories
each.1stfloor:injectcoalandburncoaltoheatwatertosuperheat.
I. Takethesuperheatandrunittotheturbine
i. 3stages:highpressure(wheresuperheatcomesin)
intermediatedoublepassdoubleflow
ii. 3600rpm(60cyclespersecond,whichisequivalentto
whatcomesoutofourwallsocket)iswhattheturbine
bladesturnat)
iii. turbinehasbalanceplatesandboltstokeepthebladesin
place
II. generatorparts:
i. rotor(innerportionattachedtoshaftstatorcoilsonoutside
totheoutside
magneticinductioninstatorcoil:takeamagnetand
runitthroughcoilstogenerateelectricity)
comingoutofgenerator:sinewave
ii. Takethermalenergyfromwatertoturngenerator
(mechanicalenergy)andthenconvertittoelectricity.
Meanwhile,thewaterisdegraded.Waterhas2energy
components:
enthalpy:alltheenergythatisavailable(free
energy)
entropy:energythatcannotbeusedtodowork
iii. veryhighcurrentataverylowvoltageiswhatcomesoutof
thegenerator
III. coolingtowers:2types
i. forceddraft(looklikeboxeswithfansontop)
ii. naturaldraft(theonesthattheyhaveonanuclearpower
plant)
IV. sinewave:whatcomesoutofthegenerator
V. transformers(outsidetheplant):have3bigstandoffsbringinhigh
currentatalowvoltageandsteppingupthevoltagealotusingthe
transformer(upto765,000volts,dependingonthecompany)
result:lowcurrentatahighvoltagethatgetsroutedthrough
highpowergridlinestodifferentplaceswherepowerisneeded.
Distributiongrid:
Asubstationisapartofanelectricalgeneration,transmission,anddistribution
system.Substationstransformvoltagefromhightolow,orthereverse,or
performanyofseveralotherimportantfunctions.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_substation)
poleinpowergridsforresidentialareas:
transformerforyourhouse:changetheflowofelectricityto240V
groundwire:groundthepole
powermeter(locatedoutsideyourhouse):recordshowmuchelectricityyou
usedhasspinningdialsthatspinfasterifyouturnonmoreelectricaldevicesand
thusrecordmoreelectricityused.

EnergySources/Distribution

USelectricityproduction:coal:49%oil:1.5%naturalgas:23%nuclear:19%
hydropower7%wind:1%(total:92%)
REA(RuralElectrificationAct):allowTennessee,Alabama,andGeorgiatobuild
hydraulicpowerandcoalpowerplantstocreateelectricityfortheruralareas
BeforeOPEC,Floridausedtoextractoil($4/barrel),butOPECcausedthepricesto
skyrocket.So,theylookedtoGA.GAvolunteeredtosellpowerfromoneofitsnuclear
plantstoFloridaandchargeFloridamoremoney.Georgia,however,boughtelectricity
fromtheTennesseeValleyAssociation(TVA)forcheapfromhydroelectricdams.
Duringthesummer,peopleusealotofelectricity,soPlantAtkinsonstartsoperatingto
meetthedemand:

EnvironmentalConcerns

Easterncoal(minedfromtheEastCoastofUS):hasalotofsulphur,soifthesmoke
fromcoalendsupinthecloudsandmixeswithwater,yougetsulphuricacid.
PROBLEM!!!Tosolvetheproblem,wegoovertothestatesinthewesttomine
lowsulfurcoal.
Combininghighsulphurandlowsulfurcoalmeetsthefederallimitssetbythe
EPA(EnvironmentalProtectionAgency)forsulphuricacidintheair.
Thesolutiontopollutionisdelusion.:Youbuildahighersmokestacksothatthe
smokedriftsovertheplacewherethemeasuringinstrumentsmeasurethe
effluenceoftheairtoseehowmuchsulphurthereisintheair.
effluent:anythingthatgoesoutsidetheplantboundary,sowearemeasuringhow
muchsmoke/sulphurgoesoutofthepowerplant

Magnetism/Electricity

Volt:aunitofelectromotiveforce
Anode:thepositiveelectrode
Cathode:thenegativeelectrode
Current:theflowofelectronsmeasuredinamps(amperes)ormilliamps
Ohms():unitsofresistance
Electromotiveforce(EMF):sourceofenergythatcancauseacurrenttoflowinan
electricalcircuittheenergyperunitthatiscovertedfromanysourcelikemechanicalor
chemicalthatisconvertedintoelectricalorbatteryenergy
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/electromotive+force
Conductor:materialsthatconductelectricity
Circuits:collectionofelectronicdevicesspecifictoapurpose
DC:directcurrent(currentgoesinonedirectionlikefromabatterytoalightbulb)ex:
battery,computerpowersource
AC:alternatingcurrentwaveformsarecalledalternating

Waves/Wavelength

Theelectromagneticspectrum:aspectrumthatshowsthewavelengthsofraysandtheir
frequency(ex:frequencyandwavelengthofradiowaves,gammarays,visiblelight,etc.)
importanttous:radiospectrum(wavelengththesizeofbuildings)usedforradio
waveslikeFM,AM,microwaves,etc.
FCC:FederalCommunicationCommission:allocatesfrequenciesspecificfor
radio(see
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/146585acloserlookatthewirelessspect
rumcrunchforalldifferentfrequencies)
AM:amplitudemodulated(commercialradiofrequency)goesmuchfurther
throughtheatmosphereandbounceofftheatmospherethanFM
FM:Frequencymodulated(commercialradiofrequency)verylocaltravelsabout
1520milesmaxsignalismuchclearerthanAM
VHF:VeryHighFrequency(TVbroadcastband)
UHF:UltraHighFrequency(TVbroadcastband)
Phonecompaniesrecordyourconversationonthesewavelengths.Otherpeople
canrecordthem,too,buttheconversationsareencrypted.
SETI:listensfortrafficfromthegalaxyregularpeopleareprohibitedtolistento
these
Waveforms:sinewave(curved),square,triangle,sawtoothgeneratedbyoscillators
generatedforvariouspurposeincircuits

Radio

Antenna:metaldeviceofcertainlengththatpicksupfrequencies
Antennatransmitssignaltopreamp(preamplifier)thatmagnifiesthesignalandfilters
outtheunwantedfrequency.Whatisleftisamplifiedwhenyouadjustthevolume.
Radar(RadioDetectionandRanging)
inradiowaves
sendoutradiowaves,andradiowavesbounceoffanairplane.Bycalculatingthe
timethatittakestogettotheairplane,youcanusethedopplereffecttocalculate
thedistancebetweenyouandtheairplaneandthensendamissile.(likesonar
butwithradiowaves)

Circuits

Timercircuit:whenImrunningradar,timingisimportant.WhenIsendthesignal,Istart
thetimerandlistenfortheecho.Thetimerrecordsthetimebetweensendingtheradio
wavesandreceivingtheecho.
Synchronize:makesurethateverythingisoperatingonthesametimezero.
Transmitters(transmittercircuits):transmitradiosignal(ex:phone)abbreviation:T
sebax
Receiver:receiveradiosignalandenablesyoutolistentoit(ex:phone[cellphonesare
transmitters/receivers])abbreviation:Rsebax
Tuner:thepartofareceiverthatselectsthefrequencythatyouwilllistento(inoldcars,it
isaknobthatincreases/decreasesthefrequency).
Filter:acircuitthatremovesunwantednoiseorstatic
Rectifier:changeswaveformstoDCthemostcommonisthealternatorinourcar
CreatesACvoltage(likewhatageneratordoes).Ontheback,thereare4large
dioderthatformabridgerectifier.
(http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/ford/1004dp_ford_failures_and_fixes_prev
entative_maintenance/photo_18.html)
BridgerectifierconvertsACto13.6voltsDC
Regulator:electroniccircuitsthatmakesurethatonlyspecifiedvoltagesand/orcurrents
topass

Capacitors

Capacitors:chargedstoringdevices
asthevoltagefluctuatesontheline,voltagecansuddenlyincrease,sothe
capacitorstorestheextravoltageandlaterreleasesitintothelinewhenneeded
(basically,voltagestabilizer)
units:Farads(oftenmicrofarads[mf])

Resistors

Thermistors(heatsensitiveresistor):asheatgoesup,resistancegoesup,soifbattery
getstoohotthebatteryshutsdown
Lightsensitiveresistor
Units:ohms

Switches

Switches:generallyonoroffdoublethrow,triplethrow,etc.4circuitsmaybepluggedin

Inductors

Asyourunelectricitythroughacoil,itbuildsamagneticfield
constantcurrent,constantfield
morecurrent,themagneticfieldincreases,whichmakesthecurrentgodown
lesscurrent,themagneticfieldcollapses,andthismakesthecurrentincrease
units:Henries

Transformer

2types:stepup(voltagegoup)orstepdown(voltagegoesdown).Powerisalwaysthe
sameb/cifvoltagegoesupthecurrentgoesdown.

Transistor
Transistor:3leads(base,emitter,collector)actsasaswitch,amplifier(magnifyinput
signal),orboth

Relay

Arelayisanelectricallyoperatedswitch
Solenoid:relayincar:whenyoustartyourcar,youturnaswitch.Thesolenoidhasa
startergearconnectedtoit.Thesolenoidpushesthegearforward,whichengagesthe
flywheelandstartstheengine.

OHMsLaw

V=IR

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