Energy

Electricity Utilities
A power plant is an industrial facility that generates electricity from primary energy. Most power plants use one or more generators that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy in order to supply power to the electrical grid for society's electrical needs.
Although electricity is a clean and relatively safe form of energy, nearly all types of electric power plants have an effect on the environment, but some power plants have larger effects than others.

Industrial Heat/Steam
Many industrial and institutional facilities that consume large quantities of heat or steam require a reliable supply of power and chose to operate an onsite power plant independent of the local grid.
Some common examples that operate an onsite power plant at their industrial plant locations are Cement Kilns and Paper Mills

Thermal Power Plants
Thermal Power Plants attempt to harness the calorific or BTU values in the form of heat by conversion through Combustion of traditional Fossil Fuels or a blend or substitution of Alternative Fuels. The heat may be consumed for any number of purposes or used to produce Steam in a boiler system. The steam may be consumed for industrial purposes or the energy contained in the steam may be converted into electricity with a Steam Turbine.

Electricity or Thermal Electric Power may be generated with Steam Turbines, Gas Turbines or more commonly a combination of both. By capturing the the exhaust heat from a gas turbine and using that heat as a source to produce steam to power a steam turbine overall the generation of electricity becomes more efficent.

Thermal Power Plants may generate any combination of Heat, Steam or Electricity as an output.

The Thermal Electric Generation Forum was established as a vehicle to collaborate by exchanging information and sharing ideas in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption. Please feel free to participate in the Thermal Electric Generation Forum

Thermal Power Plants combust traditional Fossil Fuels or a blend or subsitution of Alternative Fuels to generate heat. In some applications the heat is used to generate steam, sometimes the steam is converted into electricity.

Fossil Fuels
Traditionally Fossil Fuels such as Oil, Petroleum, Coal or wood fuels have been used to fuel power plants. Using Natural Gas as a fuel adds to the flexibility of direct use in a Gas Turbine or may be used as a traditional boiler fuel to feed a steam turbine.
Currently we see an accelerated movement towards greener fuel alternatives and increased efforts but have not fully managed the issues surrounding combustion Emissions.

Alternative Fuels
In the realm of Energy From Waste EFW we find that Thermal Power Plants are ideal operations to consume large, continuous quantities of various types of waste materials.

Some thermal combustion power plants blend Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) with traditional coal or wood fuels feedstocks.

The production of a green Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is a direct substitute for traditional natural gas. One method of producing RNG is by capturing and cleaning BioGas from sources such as digesters. A number of incentives (tax and emission credits) have been introduce to promote the use of RNG.

The development and increased use of Solid Recovered Fuel SRF changes the dynamics of the blending or substitution of traditional fossil fuels with this alternative.

Thermal Power Plants support Biomass Recovery, and the use of Anaerobic Digestion (AD) allows for Organic Waste to Electricity (OWTE).

Nuclear Power Plants
Nuclear power plants are a type of power plant that use the process of nuclear fission in order to generate electricity. Nuclear power plants heat water to produce steam. The steam is used to spin large turbines that generate electricity. Nuclear reactors do not produce air pollution or carbon dioxide while operating. One of the major problems in the nuclear power plant is the disposal of waste products which are highly radioactive.

The opportunity to regenerate spent Nuclear Fuel is a highly specialized field with unique operation restrictions.

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)
Concentrated Solar Power CSP is a method to collect and concentrate the sun's energy as a sufficient heat source to operate a Steam Turbine to generate electricity.
Solar thermal plants typically use magnifying lens or mirrors to indirectly convert the sun's energy by concentrating heat and generating steam for conversion into electricity. Continuing development in the field of Microturbine Solar Power systems may result in the proliferation and implantation of CSP systems globally.

STEG Generators
Solar Thermo Electric Generators (STEG), are solid state heat engines that generate electricity from concentrated sunlight. Heating one end of a thermoelectric material causes the electrons to move away from the hot end toward the cold end. When the electrons go from the hot side to the cold side this causes an electrical current.

Thermal Luminescence
Thermal Luminescence refers to the effect of emission of heat & light when heating materials such as metals & minerals, These emissions are generated from both energetic solids and molten state materials. The light fraction of the emitted energy may be harvested with the use of multi-junction and Thermal Photovoltaics.
The potential to capture energy in the form of emitted heat & light from plasma arc operations and processes exists.

In addition to Concentrated Solar Luminescence, the opportunity to concentrate or focus electromagnetic emissions in the form of thermal luminescent energy is a largly untapped potential area. The exploration of harvesting thermal luminescent energy from heavy industrial processes such as melting, smelting and refining operations is immense and also includes combustion processes,

Solar Water Heaters
Solar Thermal Hot Water Systems use collectors to absorb the sun’s heat energy and transfer it to a heat transfer fluid in the system. A pump moves the hot fluid to a water tank where the heat is transferred to the water through a heat exchanger. Then the cooled heat transfer fluid circulates back to the collector to gather more heat.
Commonly solar water heaters are installed on Roof Tops and are used to heat water for use in Homes, Industry, Swimming Pools, etc.
Active solar heating systems use solar energy to heat a fluid (either liquid or air) and then transfer the solar heat directly to the interior space or to a storage system for later use. If the solar system cannot provide adequate space heating, an auxiliary or back-up system provides the additional heat.
Passive solar heating systems capture sunlight within a building's materials and then releases that heat during periods when the sun is absent, such as at night. South-facing glass and thermal mass to absorb, store, and distribute heat are necessary in the design.

Photovoltaics
Photovoltaic cells PV, also known as solar cells, convert sunlight directly into electricity.

A PV cell is made of semiconductor material. When the semiconductor material absorbs enough sunlight (solar energy), electrons are dislodged from the material's atoms.
The movement of electrons, each carrying a negative charge, toward the front surface of the cell creates an imbalance of electrical charge between the cell's front and back surfaces. Electrical conductors on the cell absorb the electrons. When the conductors are connected in an electrical circuit to an external load, such as a battery, electricity flows in the circuit.

A single PV cell is the basic building block of a PV system. PV cells are electrically connected in a package to create a module or panel. The PV module electricity generating capacity increases with the number of cells in the module. PV modules can be connected in groups to form a PV array. The number of PV modules connected in a PV array determines the total amount of electricity the array can generate.

Photovoltaic cells generate direct current (DC) electricity. This DC electricity can be used to charge batteries that, in turn, power devices that use direct current electricity. Nearly all electricity is supplied as alternating current (AC) in electric power lines. Devices called inverters are used on PV modules or in arrays to convert the DC electricity to AC electricity.

The opportunity to exercise your recycling practices are available with both the trade of Secondhand Solar Panels and in the recovery of Photovoltaic Scrap.

Wind Turbines
A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an extensive area. Wind farms can be either onshore or offshore.
Wind

Hydro Electric Power
A Hydropower system uses a dam to store river water in a reservoir. The water is released from the reservoir, flowing through a turbine, spinning it, which then in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. Hydroelectric power (hydro) is classed as a renewable energy as it relies on the natural water cycle's kinetic energy to generate electricity.
Harnessing the energy of of falling water to turn water driven turbines, Hydro takes advantage of gravity and the physics of the fall of water in this energy convertion process.

Water Wheels
Traditional Water Wheels harness kinetic energy to mechanically operate grist mills for milling grains or to pump water.
Millrun or penstock, water wheel, lumber sawmill, harness industrial power to operate manufacturing like textile mills
water powered elevators, bucket conveyers lift or elevate materials up to a point where a gravity drop flow may be harnessed for material handling.
Most water wheels have been replaced with water driven turbines which operate at a higher efficiently.

Tidal Power
Tidal generators (or turbines) work like wind turbines, except it is ocean currents, not wind, that turns them. The spinning turbine is connected to another device that produces electricity. The electricity then travels through wires to a city where people need it.
Barrage, underwater turbines, wave motion, ocean current, generator coils, wave tridal pumps.
Wave Power that uses wave motion that drive a hydraulic piston into an accumulator and hydro generator
may used a modified version of a Tesla turbine .
Wave and Tidal Energy

Wave & Tidal Energy Forum
ENERGYchange.com has established an online Forum that invites open Collaboration to share ideas primarily surrounding Wave & Tidal Energy. It is our hope that the Forum may provide a networking opportunity that assists in the advancement of the efforts related to the advancement of Energy development.
Please feel free to contribute your input to the Wave & Tidal Energy group.
If you are interested, you may become a Sponsor of the Wave & Tidal Energy Forum.

Steam Turbines
Steam Turbines use pressurized steam to produce electricity, typical turbines are optimized to convert both high and low pressure steam. Turbines used in Thermal Power Plants are concidered as Prime Movers.
A device that generates rotational mechanical or kinetic motion is referred to as a Prime Mover, turbines are a typical example of a prime mover that drives an electrical generator.
Typical Steam Turbines are feed from boiler systems that convert water into steam with heat energy. The exhausted or spent steam is condensed back into water with the aid a cooling tower or chiller stack and recirculated back to the boilers.

Steam Heating
Steam Heating, piping steam heat radiators. The steam comes from reservoirs of hot water found a few miles or more below the earth's surface. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity.

Steam Engine
Steam Engine, steam cylinder piston, fly wheel, steam boats, steam trains, Steam Engines

Geothermal Energy
Geothermal power plants use steam to produce electricity. The steam comes from reservoirs of hot water found a few miles or more below the earth's surface. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity.

Industrial Product & Commodity Trade
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You may buy or sell any of the materials listed on this page by clicking on the links and adding your trade inquiry.
The on-line exchange service directly connects Buyers and Sellers.

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