What are the different methods of using a turbine and generator to make electricity?
There are different sub-types of each turbine but broadly: – – Modern windmills are a type of turbine & you are more likely to hear them referred to as wind turbines. – Steam turbines are the ones you have referred to & can be coal, oil, gas or nuclear fueled & there some, e.g., in Japan that run on solid waste, i.e., garbage. – Gas turbines are basically a jet engine with a few extra turbine wheels in them. Instead of the jet being used to propel an aircraft they can be used to drive generators, ships & other machinery. They can be oil or gas fired & a few have been run on pulverised coal. – Water turbines (hydro-electric) are another form of turbine. They are either high flow / low head or vice versa. The above are probably the main types you are looking for. Hydraulic turbines are occasionally used in power production but are normally used as a medium to transmit power.
same as above (wind and water) For water, you’d need high pressure to turn it adequately to generate (hydro-electric) power… So what they do is they create a small hole in a large dam, which then allows a small amount of water through, but at a very high pressure, and allow it to flow through a mechanism that will eventually turn the turbine. As wor wind, it’s the same principle (…you need alot of turning force), except in the case of wind, you cant really shape the flow of wind! So i guess in that case you’d have to just fnd a place with strong winds, and maybe work with gearing ratios to get adequate force to turn the turbines to make significant power.
