1. Fossil fuels like coal burn in a furnace, using the heat to boil water into steam. 2. The high-pressure steam spins turbines connected to generators, converting the kinetic energy into electrical energy. 3. Excess steam is released into cooling towers, where it condenses back into water that is recycled to repeat the process, while the carbon dioxide from combustion exits through smokestacks.

1. Energy
Target
To know how electricity is generated in
power stations.
Thursday, February 9, 2017

2. Starter
• This is a picture of the
cooling towers of a
power station-
• How you think the
power station works to
make electricity?

3. An electrical generator
• To make an electrical
current move the
magnet around the coil
of wire
• The movement energy
becomes electrical
energy

4. coal train
cooling
towers
CO2

5. The parts of a power station
1. The furnace –
Fossil fuels
burn in the air
and boil water
and make steam

6. The parts of a power station
2. The turbine – steam from the
furnace blows onto the fins and turns
the turbine axle.

7. The fins a real turbine

8. The turbine

9. The parts of a power station
3. The generator
creates an electric
current in the wires
that lead out of the
power station when it
spins

10. Cooling towers
The gases escaping
from the cooling
towers are water
vapour – these gases
do not pollute the air –
unlike carbon dioxide
which is released from
the furnaces.

11. The parts of a power station
4. Cooling
towers release
the excess
steam to the air
– the cooled
water is
recycled to the
furnace.

12. The parts of a power station

13. 1. The furnace – Fossil fuels burn in air, the
heat boils water and makes steam
2. The turbine – steam from the furnace blows
onto the fins and turns the turbine axle.
3. The generator creates an electric current in
the wires that lead out of the power station
when it spins
4. Cooling towers release the excess steam to
the air – the cooled water is recycled to the
furnace.
The parts of a power station
Questions – Core Science 1 – page 240 to 241

14. turbine
generator
steam
steam
shaft
spinning
wires
carry
electricity
Furnace :
fuel burning
Boiling water
3. The turbine shaft turns the generator:
kinetic energy changes to electricity.
CO2 into the air
1.The fuel burns. Chemical energy changes to heat
(which is used to make steam).
( the turbine is driven indirectly by the steam made from the fossil fuel)
2. Steam drives turbine : heat energy changes to kinetic

15. The pressure of the
steam drives the
turbine blades
which, in turn drive
the generator.
Here you can see the scale of
the generating hall producing
many millions of watts of
power

16. Fossil fuel power stations
Power stations convert c__________ energy into h_______energy
then into k_________ and finally into e______ energy which is sold to
the consumer.
What are the different parts of a power station called?
________
________
________
In what order does energy pass through a power station?
Boiler GeneratorTurbine
turbine
boiler
generator

17. Parts of power station
Device Description
Input
energy
Output
energy
Boiler
Turbine
Generator
chemical heat
heat kinetic
kinetic electrical
Burns fuel to change
water into steam
Steam turns the turbine
Turbine connected to generator
makes electricity
Where is most of the energy lost? In the turbines
In what form is the energy lost? Heat energy

18. Plenary Questions
• 1a Name two other fossil fuels used in power stations.
b Why does the water need to be turned into steam?
c What energy transfer takes place in the generator?
d What are condensers used for at a power station?
• 2 Draw an energy flow diagram for a coal-fired power
station.
• 3 What greenhouse gas is produced by the furnaces?