Power station
From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.
- For other uses, see Power station (disambiguation).
A power station (also power plant) is a facility for the generation of electric power. The term is also used to refer to the engine in ships, aircraft and other large vehicles.
At the center of any power station is a generator, a rotating machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by creating relative motion between a magnetic field and a conductor. The energy source harnessed to turn the generator varies widely from installation to installation. It usually involves some manner of heat engine, which transforms thermal energy, often from combustion of a fuel, into rotational energy. These power stations are often easily identified by cooling towers, huge cylindrical chimney-like structures that release the waste heat to the atmosphere. Other power stations use the energy of water (waves, tides, or rivers confined by hydroelectric dams), wind, or sunlight.
Related topics
- Electricity generation - this article covers many topics that relate to power stations
- Electricity transmission
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