Generation by water

For definitions of bolded words, visit Chapter 2s G

alaxyGlossaryat the end of the chapter.

The next major form of electric generation is h

ydroelectricity, which has a few advantages of
its own. For example, on a strong, uninhabited river, complete with an often-flooded town at the bottom,
a dam would be perfect, not only restricting water flow from melted snow, but also would produce
electricity for the town below. Hydroelectricity is also renewable, and doesn't rely on polluting fuels.

Impacts&Results

You'll notice the 'uninhabited' part, as you read through the introduction. If the waters were
inhabited with marine life, it would be a different story. Building a dam can be a bad idea in rivers or
streams that are major migrating grounds or contain a large amount of marine life, as blocking the river
may force the migrating animals to be stuck and even die in ice come winter. For example, 3 kinds of
salmon (Coho, Chinook, and Sockeye) migration was blocked because of 4 large Pacific-Northwest and
Californian [Sic]dams*. If and when the dam-blocked water froze, marine wildlife migrating to warmer
waters would be trapped and be killed. To add insult to injury, the number of migrating salmon that
make it upstream has dropped by 90% since construction of the dams.* Even worse, creating these
large dams can really knock the water flow balance out of whack, which basically means that seasonal
water flow changes (caused by snowfall, spring showers, minor drought period in summer, etc.) will be
stopped when the water reaches the dam, and usually come out at the same speed all year long, as the
dams can store extra water when necessary. The end result will be sort of like those hot-tub jets in
pools.
Change in water flow patterns can disrupt yearly wildlife acts,* and degrades water quality* as well.
Yearly wildlife acts include migration, breeding, daily travel for food, and so on. But amidst the bustling
marine life villages, there is a trap: The water dam: The physical presence of the dam is not nearly as
bad as the turbine rotating in great haste. The turbine blades can quickly reduce a juvenilefish to skin
and teeny little bones. This can cause marine species to become endangered quickly as they are
suddenly introduced into a new obstacle, complete with thresher.
*From the The Union Of Concerned Scientists.
Water quality is degraded because the turbines interfere with natural elements, and even disrupting
waterflow can lessen quality, possibly forcing surrounding people to move to other cities. These dams
can also release different amounts of water each year at the wrong time, unnatural to previous water
flow, causing death to marine wildlife, (not enough water, suddenly too much water) the flooding of
cities and towns. These dams can also destroy 'dry' wildlife, meaning wildlife on land. For example, trees
relying on a large water source, or even trees relying on a small water source may be lost, giving
humans yet another reason to move. (No oxygen.)

Sohydroelectricityisn'tthatgreat...Right?

No, no. If you're thinking what the subheading says, you're getting confused.

If so, don't blame yourself. There are lots of things to consider (and confuse you) when building a
hydroelectric power source. Hydroelectric dams are (usually) only a bad idea when the waterway the
dam is built on is a major artery of marine life traffic, as the dams can block passage. They could also be
bad in scenic areas, for obvious reasons. Fortunately, however, there also is a less destructive process
called Run of the river, which uses passing waterflow (usually from a river) to generate electricity. This
process is less destructive because it uses the river's water flow, which means that there are no artificial
currents, and migrating marine life usually will be fine. Also, There are no large walls to build, like a dam,
so it saves some money as well. But of course, the run of the river process has a few detriments.
Electricity is generated on the season's terms as run of the river stations cannot store their own water,
so you may get a lot more electricity in spring, rather than summer. In a remote area, this is perfect.
Chicago lets just say many people would be angry at you for constructing such a facility, as there
would most likely not be a steady water flow, which in turn means no steady flow of electricity.

Here are some pictures to clarify:

This is a run of the river process. As you can see, marine life can pass through with relative ease. The run
of the river dam is thinner because there are no tanks to store water, so there are no artificial currents.
This is usually a much better design when wildlife is involved.

This is the Hoover Dam in Colorado. A normal dam, like this one, only lets water through the bottom,
meaning that wildlife would have a slim chance of passing through. Unfortunately, like most dams, the
9

Colorado river (which the dam is built on) has some wildlife on it. The Arizona Game and Fish
Department notes that there are 5 species of fish in the river, (Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Striped
Bass, Sunfish, and Channel Catfish,) and one species occasionally reported. (Crappie.)
Sohowdodamsgenerateelectricity?Water+electricity=Bad...
Youre right. Water and electricity dont go well together, but you have nothing to worry about.
(Electrocution-wise.) See, dams have an insulator of their own, and actually, the insulator does all the
converting work. Dams use turbines to generate electricity, and there are currently 3 main types. I have
here The Union Of Concerned Scientiststo tell you more.
In order to generate electricity from the kinetic energy in moving water, the water has to move
with sufficient speed and volume to spin a propeller-like device called a turbine, which in turn rotates a
generator to generate electricity. Roughly speaking, one gallon of water per second falling one hundred
feet can generate one kilowatt of electricity.
To increase the volume of moving water, impoundments or dams are used to collect the water. An
opening in the dam uses gravity to drop water down a pipe called a penstock. The moving water
causes the turbine to spin, which causes magnets inside a generator to rotate and create electricity.
There are a variety of types of turbines used at hydropower facilities, and their use depends on the
amount of hydraulic head (vertical distance between the dam and the turbine) at the plant. The most
common are Kaplan, Francis, and Pelton wheel designs. Some of these designs, called reaction and
impulse wheels, use not just the kinetic force of the moving water but also the water pressure.
The Kaplan turbineis similar to a boat propeller, with a runner (the turning part of a turbine) that has
three to six blades, and can provide up to 400 MW of power. The Kaplan turbine is differentiated from
other kinds of hydropower turbines because its performance can be improved by changing the pitch of
the blades. The Francis turbinehas a runner with nine or more fixed vanes. In this turbine design, which
can be up to 800 MW in size, the runner blades direct the water so that it moves in an axial flow. The
Pelton turbineconsists of a set of specially shaped buckets that are mounted on the outside of a
circular disc, making it look similar to a water wheel. Pelton turbines are typically used in high hydraulic
head sites and can be as large as 200 MW.
Wrap-up

Overall, hydropower is a generally good, renewable source, and typically, depending on where
built, doesn't kill a load of fish. Even with such detriments and downfalls, hydropower is much better
than coal, and could possibly be used as a fuel of the future.

Chapter 2's GalaxyGlossary

francis turbine:A turbine design that gets the water swirling around, which forces the runner (the thing that
gets spun and generates electricity) to turn in a cyclical motion. A Francis turbine graphic is shown on p. 11
10

(The bronze-colored object is the runner, or the part of the turbine that is spun by the water. The blades on
the runner are the vanes. Diagram from LearningEngineering) *Side note: On a real turbine, the enlarged runner
in front of the pipe is not there. It is there just to show detail.*

Hydroelectricity:Electricity generated by water, or hydropower

Juvenile: Young, immature (age-wise, not behavior-wise)
Kaplan Turbine:A turbine design that acts like a propeller, but the blade angles can be changed to further
improve performance, meaning that more electricity is generated. Floven Energydisplays the features of a
Kaplan turbine below...

Notice how the vanes (the blades) can be adjusted (The

blades can be turned by rotating the blades left and right on their axis)
pelton turbine:A turbine design that looks and acts similar to a waterwheel, due to specially shaped buckets
mounted on the outside of the disk. Floven Energyshows what a Pelton turbine looks like

Notice all the scoops on the sides... This is why the waterwheel
reference from before was mentioned.
Penstock:A gate in a dam that controls water flow, before the water enters the dam and rotate the turbines.
*Note that all turbine images on pages 11 in the glossary may be false-color. I say this, because depending on the
dam, certain parts of the turbine may be different colors. This may be for safety and maintenance purposes, and/or
be the natural color of the material. (More or less. Metal usually isnt, for example, green.)*

11

Overall Score: (78/10=Decent - Great)Hydroelectricity does not rely on fossil fuels, and
is renewable. But it still can kill marine wildlife. I was going to give it 6.3
/10 as aFish Murdering Detriment, but then raised
the score, as hydropower improvements should be coming in about 2018. Including fish friendly-ness

Inside the hoover dam:

12

Generation by wind [Earths solar wind]

For definitions of bolded words, visit Chapter 3s G
alaxyGlossaryat the end of the chapter.

The work of the wind producing electricity is normally done by several wind turbines, often in a
wind farm, which is a collection of wind turbines in a large, open area. This is only done for commercial
electricity generation. For rural use, it would be very unnecessary, for obvious reasons:

SIZE!

Even a single commercial size wind turbine would most likely be too large for most homes,
Rural wind turbines are used in open areas when there is no commercial electrical gridto power homes.
These rural wind turbines, usually up to 100 kilowatts, typically powers a single home. Single small
turbines, below 100 kilowatts, are used for homes, telecommunications dishes, or water pumping. Small
turbines are sometimes used in connection with diesel generators, batteries, and photovoltaic systems.
These systems are called hybrid wind systems and are typically used in remote, off-grid locations,
where a connection to the utility grid is not available.(From the Department of Energy.) But besides the
issue of size, wind turbines arent all lilacs and cute little kitties snuggling up and purring. They have a
tendency to occasionally shorten the lives of flying things that come near very quickly. (Spoiler alert:
death.) In order to have enough wind to substantially generate enough electricity, the turbine blades
must be high from the ground, right where many airborne animals fly.
Ok,howdowindturbineswork?Iknowwindspinstheblades...
Ok in basic English, it works like a backwards fan. Instead of a motor spinning blades and
cooling you, (as a fan) the blades get spun and turn a generator. The blades face into the wind, so the
blades spin faster. The faster the blades get spun, the more electricity is generated.
During a quick commercial break, I shall attempt to read your mind.

13

While finishing the last page, you were thinking You were thinking You were thinking that you
would have more power during a storm with high winds, because I said The faster the blades get spun,
the more electricity is generated.
Was I right? Yes!!
You see, generators can only spin so fast before an outwardly acting centrifugal force will cause them
to explode. Most turbines have a safety device that disconnects the blade from the generator (Just the
shaft is disconnected, The rotor blades arent, because they would just fall on the ground. That would
also be dangerous and costly.) This system usually engages around 50-55 mph. Turbines do not
operate above 55 mph because parts could become damaged. Reader: Yeah Makes sense.
The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy h
as all the things inside a wind turbine noted below.
The rotor [Which includes 2-3 blades and the hub], connected to the pitch system (Which faces
the rotor in and out of the wind to control turbine speed) turns the low-speed shaft, which rotates at
30-60 rpm. The shaft enters the gear box, which increases the rotating speed of the second shaft to
1,000-1,800 rpm. This turns the generator, which produces 60-cycle [ Sic ]AC electricity. The unit is
usually an off-the-shelf induction generator. The high speed shaft can be stopped by an electrical,
mechanical, or hydraulic brake to stop the rotor, in emergencies, such as high winds. An a
nemometer
measures wind speed, and transmits wind speed data to the controller, and the controller starts up the
machine [Wind turbine] at speeds of about 8-16 mph, and shuts off the machine [Wind turbine] at
speeds of about 55 mph. Turbines do not operate above 55 mph because they may be damaged by the
high winds. A wind vane measures wind direction and communicates with the Yaw drive to orient the
turbine properly with respect to the wind. The yaw motor powers the Yaw drive, and the Yaw drive
orients upwind turbines to keep them facing the wind when the wind direction changes. Downwind
turbines dont require a yaw drive because the wind manually blows the rotor away from it.
If you want to see the page for yourself, see: http://energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work
It includes an animated cut-away, showing everything inside an upwind turbine.

Chapter 3's GalaxyGlossary

Anemometer: An instrument that measures the speed of wind surrounding it.
Downwind:Facing the direction that the wind is blowing, but in wind turbine terms, this means that that the
front of the rotor faces away from the wind.
photovoltaic :The production of electric current at the junction of two substances exposed to light. This is
basically photosynthesis, just involving electricity. Not plants. (Photo means light. Voltaic means relating
to electricity produced by chemical action in a battery. Is also a kind of solar panel, which uses light to
generate electricity.
Upwind:Facing opposite the direction that the wind is blowing, but in wind turbine terms, this means that
that the front of the rotor faces towards the wind.

Overall Score: (9/10=Exceptional)Wind power is a clean, renewable, compact, (unless

youre planning to build a wind farm) and relatively efficient source of energy. This is a definite candidate in the Fuel of the
future election. But we cant be too reliant on wind. Unexpected power outages may occur on a regular basis. Bad, bad, bad
Hopefully offshore wind stations can boost our reliance on wind. But as I said earlier, not too much.
14

Solar Generation
For definitions of bolded words, visit Chapter 4s G
alaxyGlossaryat the end of the chapter.

Compared to all the others, solar power is relatively simple In terms of the number of steps it takes to
convert sun into electricity. But it actually is the most complicated. For starters, solar cells (the stuff
inside solar panels that do most of the work) are actually black. Theyre not blue.
I know that making them black might sound obvious, as black absorbs the most light, but solar
panels have always been blue on top, where the sunlight goes. Or have they?
Really, solar cells arent blue. They just appear blue. It is actually the glaze under the protective
glass that gives solar cells their blue hue. The blacker a solar cell is, (which can only be changed by
design) the more energy from the suns rays can be harnessed, creating more electricity.

Picture and quote below from EDF energy.

Solar panels turn energy from the suns rays directly into useful energy that can be used in homes and
businesses. There are two main types: solar thermal and photovoltaic, or PV. Solar thermal panels use
the suns energy to heat water that can be used in washing and heating. PV panels use the photovoltaic
effect to turn the suns energy directly into electricity, which can supplement or replace a buildings
usual supply.
15

A PV panel is made up of a semiconducting material, usually silicon-based, sandwiched between two

electrical contacts. To generate as much electricity as possible, PV panels need to spend as much time
as possible in direct sunlight (1a). A sloping, south-facing roof is the ideal place to mount a solar panel .
A sheet of glass (1b) protects the semiconductor sandwich from hail, grit blown by the wind, and
wildlife. The semiconductor is also coated in an antireflective [ Sic ]substance (1c), which makes sure
that it absorbs the sunlight it needs instead of scattering it uselessly away.
When sunlight strikes the panel and is absorbed, it knocks loose electrons from some of the atoms that
make up the semiconductor (1d). The semiconductor is positively charged on one side and negatively
charged on the other side, which encourages all these loose electrons to travel in the same direction,
creating an electric current . The contacts (1e and 1f) capture this current (1g) in an electrical circuit.
The electricity PV panels (2) generatedirect current (DC). Before it can be used in homes and
businesses, it has to be changed into alternating current (AC) electricity using an inverter (3). The
inverted current then travels from the inverter to the buildings fuse box (4), and from there to the
appliances that need it.
PV systems installed in homes and businesses can include a dedicated metering box (5) that measures
how much electricity the panels are generating. As an incentive to generate renewable energy, energy
suppliers pay the systems owner a fixed rate for every unit of electricity it generates - plus a bonus for
units the owner doesnt use, because these can help supply the national grid. Installing a PV system is
not cheap, but this deal can help the owner to earn back the cost more quickly - and potentially even
make a profit one day.
Solar panels also can be used easily in wide open spaces, because there will be little to obstruct the
suns rays. (Trees, building, etc.) This arrangement works well for bulk electrical production to a power
grid, because, in this case, the more the better. In addition, having a solar farm is much more efficient
than having just a few solar panels, as having a wind farm is more efficient than having one turbine. This
is because, when grouped together, these farms can produce more, rather than having solar panels
spread out over some houses. In the same area, a solar farm will be more efficient, because there will
be more solar cells in the same space.. This makes bulk generation much easier.

Buckeye Solar Farm

16

Chapter 4's GalaxyGlossary

Electrons: A stable subatomic particle with a charge of negative electricity, found in all atoms and acting as
the primary carrier of electricity in solids.
Semiconductor:FA solid substance that has a conductivity between that of an insulator and that of most
metals, either due to the addition of an impurity or because of temperature effects. Devices made of
semiconductors, notably silicon, are essential components of most electronic circuits.
photovoltaic :In this case, photovoltaic has a slightly different meaning than before. All thats different here
is that the semiconductor exhibits the photovoltaic effect, which is caused by employing solar cells to use
each other and the sun to produce electricity thats actually useable.

Overall Score: (10/10=Outstanding)Like wind power, solar power is a clean, renewable,

compact, efficient source of energy. Solar panels are extremely compact, and do not cause harm. (Except to your wallet. But
installing any of these in your backyard would make your wallet run and scream in fright.) Of current major generation
methods we can use, this is by far the best.

Closure
Basically, weve been screwing this earth up over the past century, or another century before
that, ever since the industrial revolution. Although many are aware, not too many people are doing
anything, just sittin around, eating jelly beans No, Im kidding. Using coal was acceptable when we
had no idea that there was anything else, and without many tools to help mankind build a solar panel in
the 1800s. But there are more ways now. Theyre more efficient. Theyre more compact. They dont kill
people walking past. (Yes, that was an exaggeration. Im getting to my point.) And only one harms no
living things (or non-living things) under normal operating circumstances.
If you didnt guess who won the election already, Ill give you some hints.
1.
2.

Coal lost. (Gee, I wonder why?)

10

Yes, solar has won this election. And you can have a big jar of jelly beans because you participated. You
participated by listening to every candidate, and the judge. (Who else but our mysterious author?)
Thank you for participating.
Sincerely,
17

About the author

Your author is very mysterious. So mysterious, I dont even know where he lives. He lives somewhere. In
one of those galaxies, surely.

Credits
www.eia.org
www.pbslearningmedia.org
ucsusa.org
www.whitehouse.gov/climate-change
www.weather.com
Floven Energy
LearningEngineering
www.learnengineering.org
http://energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
http://www.edfenergy.com/energyfuture/solar-generation
EDF energy
http://www.weather.com/science/environment/news/20-countries-most-risk-sea-level-rise-2014092
4
CNN
Moi

~ The end ~

18