In commercial power plants, a turbine's rotational motion is primarily used to convert the energy from steam, water, or gas into mechanical energy. This rotational motion drives a generator, which then converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. The generated electricity is subsequently distributed to the power grid for use in homes and industries. Additionally, turbines can improve overall energy efficiency and help in managing the power output based on demand.
Most commercial power plants obtain mechanical energy to rotate the generator's turbine blades by converting various energy sources into heat and then into mechanical energy. In fossil fuel plants, coal, natural gas, or oil is burned to produce steam, which drives the turbine. Nuclear power plants generate heat through nuclear fission, producing steam in a similar manner. Renewable energy plants, such as wind and hydro, utilize wind or flowing water directly to turn the turbines without the need for steam.
The engine you are referring to is likely a "steam turbine." A steam turbine converts the energy from steam, produced by boiling water, into mechanical energy. This process typically involves high-pressure steam passing through blades in the turbine, causing it to spin and generate power. Steam turbines are widely used in power plants and various industrial applications.
There are wind turbine towers that are as tall as 262 feet, installed in Texas, according to a scientific paper titled, "LARGE SCALE DEPLOYMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY BY COMBINING WIND FARMS WITH SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS."
A simple turbine.Air is drawn into the engine continuously and compressed by a series of rotating blades. Fuel is sprayed into the combustion chamber and burnt increasing the gas temperature to around 1200C.The hot high pressure gas expands through a second set of blades mounted on the same shaft as the compressor blades. The energy of the gas is partially expended powering the compressor, but has a residual energy which is either expended as a hot jet (resulting in thrust) or which drives a further independent set of blades to power a propeller or other device.see http://www.rolls-royce.com/education/schools/how_things_work/journey02/index.html
A reciprocating triple expansion steam engine is a type of steam engine that uses three cylinders, each operating at progressively higher pressures to extract energy from steam. The steam expands in three stages, which allows for more efficient energy conversion compared to single or double expansion engines. This design increases the engine's efficiency and power output, making it suitable for large applications, such as ships and power plants. The engine operates by converting the thermal energy of steam into mechanical work through the reciprocating motion of pistons.
Steam turbines
Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity through the photovoltaic effect. Wind turbines generate electricity by converting the kinetic energy of the wind into rotational motion that drives a generator. Hydroelectric power plants produce electricity by harnessing the energy of flowing or falling water to turn turbines connected to generators.
Steam turbines, which then themselves turn generators.Nearly every method for generating electricity at commercial scales uses turbines at some point (though they may be wind, steam, or water turbines).
Turbines drive various types of machinery and systems by converting kinetic energy from fluids, such as air, steam, or water, into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy can then be used to generate electricity in power plants, propel ships, or drive industrial equipment. In wind turbines, for example, the wind's energy turns the blades, which then drive a generator to produce electricity. Similarly, steam turbines in power generation facilities convert steam pressure into rotational motion to generate electrical power.
An engine typically converts fuel into mechanical energy through combustion, while a turbine uses a fluid or gas to generate rotational motion. Engines are commonly found in vehicles and machinery, while turbines are often used in power plants and aircraft engines.
Expanding steam energy involves utilizing the energy released from the expansion of high-pressure steam to perform mechanical work. This is commonly used in steam turbines to generate electricity in power plants. As steam expands, its pressure drops, and the energy is converted into rotational motion to drive a generator.
Power plants
In nuclear power plants, the turbines are turned by steam that is created through the heat generated by nuclear fission reactions. In geothermal power plants, the turbines are turned by steam created from the Earth's heat stored in the ground, which is accessed through wells and used to drive the turbines.
Turbines.
Both fossil fuel plants and nuclear plants use heat to produce steam by heating water. This steam is then used to drive turbines that generate electricity. Fossil fuel plants heat water by burning coal, oil, or natural gas, while nuclear plants use nuclear reactions to produce heat.
Steam turbines are external combustion engines.
Power plants. Not a plant like a tree or a shrub- it is an industrial structure that uses the weight of falling water to spin turbines. The turbines spin electrical generators.