Generators are devices which are used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Generators are based around principles from an important discovery made by the British scientist Michael Faraday in 1831. Generators are now used all over the world to power lights and many other items that require electricity.
Generators work on the principle of rotating magnets and copper coils. First an electromagnet is attached onto an axle. Lots of copper cables are then wrapped around the magnet. When the magnet is rotated by using mechanical energy an electric current is generated within the copper cables which can then be used to transfer electrictricity. If you are reading this on your computer then right now then the power needed to power your computer will have been created through the use of a generator. Electrical power has to be generated as and when it is needed as there is currently no way to store it.
The generators require mechanical energy to operate and convert it into the electrical energy, and there are several options available for obtaining this energy. In large scale industrial plants one of the most common sources of mechanical energy is a turbine steam engine which burns fossil fuels to create mechanical energy from steam. The steam is under a high pressure which makes it rotate a turbine. Internal combustion engines or compressed air can also be used.
Many of the large industrial energy plants are investing in creating sustainable energy through the use of renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and hydroelectric sources. This helps to provide less pollution which is much better for the environment. One downfall with sustainable energy is that it currently generates less energy than nonrenewable sources such as the turbine steam engines.
On a smaller scale a hand crank can be used, or even riding a bicycle connected to a generator system can generate enough electrical power to charge batteries for electronics. This is becoming a popular novelty at music festivals where punters can cycle static bikes which will in turn charge up their cell phones.
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