Electrical generators are used to produce electricity by converting mechanical energy (energy created by a motorized or automated system) into electrical energy. So as to power up some device that relies on electricity; power generator is the more generic term used for any system that uses some mechanism to create power.
Many power generators make use of diesel in order to maintain their mechanical process; this generates a great deal of pollution and is also not a readily accessible option in different parts of world, where diesel and other fuels are too costly, or too difficult to gain access to.
Diesel remains an industry standard though because it comparatively cheap, does the job effectively especially when considered in light of its cost, as well as the low fire hazard it poses, such reasons are exactly why petrol is very rarely used. Typically, all internal combustion generators produce major volumes of carbon monoxide, an extremely toxic gas as well as being rather noisy.
Fuel cells are now beginning to make a major push in the market as a result of their innovative design. Fuel cells differ from normal power generators in a major way, in that they produce power by producing electrons directly, (thus achieving the end result of electric energy without the need for mechanised, kinetic energy process.)
This poses a number of advantages, they produce almost no noise, and require much much less maintenance because of the reduced number of mechanical pieces. Best of all, they do not require any oil or fuel at all!
In a bid to find a more environmentally friendly, eco-conscious and effective way of producing power, a great deal of money and research has been committed to so call "renewable energy sources". Some of the more readily known examples include the likes of solar powered generators as well as wind turbines, with wind-powered generators currently a firm favourite.
So how do these wind powered generators (also known as turbines) actually work then? Well, they make strategic use of natures very own resources: the wind, as well as the sun. The sun, heats our atmosphere in a very disorganised and random manner, meaning that different layers of the atmosphere are warmer, others cooler.
The segments of the atmosphere that are warmer begin to rise and climb in altitude, and as they make their ascent, the cooler parts of the atmosphere then begin to also move to take their place. This creates the sensation we know as the wind.
The wind powered generators are designed like a giant fan on a large "stalk", as the wind blows the propellers of the fan, this kinetic energy is then converted into electrical energy which can be used to power any sort of electrical equipment.
A major drawback to this method of power generation is that it requires areas that are predominantly windy anyway, so apart from coastal areas, and plains as well as higher altitudes, such generators are not much use. However, solar power energy is steadily being worked upon and finessed, and has also resulted in a major increase in awareness for the need for renewable energy supplies.
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