Energy Matters: Generation of Electricity

• fuel is burned in a furnace to produce heat
• this heat is used to change water into steam in the boiler
• the steam then drives the turbine which in turn drives the generator to produce electricity

• nuclear fuel is reacted in the reactor to produce heat
• this heat is then used to change water into steam in the boiler
• the steam drives the turbine which in turn drives the generator to produced electricity

• is one where, at night, when there is excess energy being produced by other power stations, water is pumped back into the reservoir.
• this stores energy and during the day the water can be allowed to flow back down to produce electricity just like a normal power station
• such a system saves energy and also can be turned on quickly at times of peak demand

• water is stored behind a dam in a reservoir
• the water then runs down pipes to turn the turbine
• the turbine is then connected to a generator to produce electricity

• Energy is released from nuclear fuel in the reactor by a process known as a chain reaction.
• In a chain reaction a neutron hits uranium nucleus causing it to split.
• This generates heat and 2 or 3 more neutronswhich can then go on to hit further uranium nuclei.

they produce radioactive waste, which needs to be stored for thousands of years before it is safe

• energy can neither be created nor destroyed
• energy can be degraded, that is there is less useful energy after the change than there was before
• this is because some of the original energy has been changed into heat and lost to the surroundings