Module 1 Review
Generators only work in isolation.
False
It takes more fuel today to produce one kilowatt of power than it did 75 years ago.
False
Nuclear power involves the combustion of uranium.
False
______________________ voltages are needed to move large amounts of electricity long distances with minimum losses.
Higher
Which of these types of generation do not require a furnace?
Hydroelectric Power
Electricity has properties that make it difficult to _____________.
Store
Public utility
maintains the infrastructure for providing a public service such as gas, electric, water, and waste‐disposal service
Blackout
power loss affecting many consumers over a large geographical area for a significant period of time
Electric power generation
process of creating electrical energy from other forms of energy
Boiler
A device for generating steam for power
alternating current (AC)
An electric current that reverses its direction at regularly recurring intervals.
Creation and delivery of electricity to consumers occurs through all of the following EXCEPT:
Transformation
A____________ is an electrical device by which alternating current of one voltage is changed to another voltage.
Transformer
A transformer cannot produce power.
True
Coal is classified as a hydrocarbon.
True
Common residential customer voltage levels are 120/240 volts.
True
Electricity is delivered as it is generated (rather than stored for later use).
True
Which of the following is not part of the power transmission system?
Residential Customers
Power generation is connected with power transmission at a switching station.
True
The distribution system takes power from the transmission grid and steps down the voltage.
True
The ____________ is used to convert steam to mechanical energy.
Turbine
conductor
a material along which electrons easily flow
Balancing authority
a regional organization responsible for planning and maintaining the balance of electricity resources and electricity demand
balancing authority
a regional organization responsible for planning for and maintaining the balance of electricity resources and electricity demand.
Distribution system
The portion of electric system that is dedicated to delivering electric energy to an end user
Furnace
The portion of the generating unit containing the fire and fuel-burning equipment
Generator
The portion of the generating unit where the rotating mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy; it consists of a stator containing the armature windings and a rotor (center shaft) that is turned by the turbine to produce the magnetic field
natural monopoly
a situation in which smaller companies are not able to complete with big companies in a particular industry sector and as a result a large company dominates the market.
Independent power producer (IPP)
also known as a Non‐Utility Generator (NUG); an entity which is not a public utility, but which owns facilities to generate electric power to sell, usually to public utilities
static electricity
an electrical charge that cannot move, created when two objects have been in contact and then are separated -- leaving them with either too many ot too few electrons (an electric charge)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
an independent regulatory agency within the Department of Energy and the successor to the Federal Power Commission; FERC governs interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, oil pipeline rates, and gas pipeline certification
Merchant generators
businesses that have been formed to own power plants and market their output; a merchant plant is one that has been built without a specific end user selected, which allows the plant to be more competitive in the wholesale energy market
Fossil fuels
carbon‐rich energy sources such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, which are derived from the decomposition of ancient (fossilized) living matter
public utility
maintains the infrastructure for providing a public service such as gas, electric, water, and waste-disposal service.
smart grid
modernization of the current grid technology; has the ability to monitor energy flow and communicate data back to utility companies; uses smart meters; takes advantage of distributed generation allowing smaller power sources to feed energy back into the grid; stores energy genrated in off-peak hours and distributes it during peak hours
Hydroelectric power
power generated by using moving water to power a turbine generator to produce electricity
hydroelectric power
power generated by using moving water to power a turbine generator to produce electricity
blackout
power loss affecting many consumers over a large geographical area for a significant period of time.
Cogeneration
process in which electricity and heat are produced at the same time from the same fuel or energy source
cogeneration
process in which electricity and heat are produced at the same time from the same fuel or energy source.
Small power producer
small power plants that generate power to resell to others through renewable technologies such as biomass, geothermal, wind, and solar
effluent
substance released into a body of water
emissions
substances released into the environment; usually used to refer to substances discharged into the air.
Electric power transmission
the bulk transfer of high‐voltage electrical energy from its source at generating plants to substations
pollution
the introduction of harmful contaminants into the environment
obligation to serve
the obligation of a utulity to provide electric service to any customer who seeks that service, and is willing to pay the rates set for that service; traditionally, utilities have assumed the obligation to serve in return for an exclusive monopoly franchise
polarity
the orientation of the positive and negative poles of a power source
reliability
the power system is able to meet the electricity needs of customers even when equipment fails or other factors reduce the amount of available electricity; consists of the adequacy of an electric business by non-utility corporations
Electric power distribution
the transfer of high voltage electrical energy from substations to the end customer
Government‐owned utilities
these include entities such as local authorities, local agencies, and county governing powers. Profits from government‐owned utilities are used to pay for operating costs such as interest on loans, taxes, labor, and other human resources
load diversity
when the peak demands of a variety of electric customers occur at different times
Electric power distribution begins with generation and ends at the distribution substation.
False
Electric power transmission is the final step in the delivery of electric power service to consumers.
False
Common residential customer voltage is:
120 Volts
The transmission system operates at high voltages in ranges from ____________ to _________ volts.
138,000 to 1,000,000
Transmission system
An interconnected group of electric transmission lines and associated equipment for moving electric energy in bulk between points of supply and points at which it is transformed for delivery
In the furnace the __________________ energy of the fuel is converted into __________ energy through combustion.
Chemical, Thermal
Which of the following is a fossil fuel used in electric generating plants?
Coal
A transformer is a rapidly rotating magnet inside a stationary coil of wire that creates an electric current.
False
Residential voltages are carried by three-phase services.
False
The distribution system is connected by all of the following EXCEPT:
Generating switchyards
The main function of a _______________ is to convert the heat energy of steam into more easily used electrical energy.
Generator
The power plant __________________ produce electrical power.
Generators
Early electric power transmission systems encountered problems primarily due to:
Incompatible Voltages
Electrical energy
Potential energy and kinetic energy associated with the position or movement of electrical charge
The transmission system is designed to ______________ the output voltage from the generating units so that it can be used to interconnect production sources and power grids.
Step-up
During low _________________ periods, only a few generators will be in operation.
System Load
System load
The amount of electric power required by consumers
Vertically integrated
a business structure in which the same company owns several or all levels of the production processes for a product or services
holding company
a company which owns or holds stock in other companies, which it then manages and operates.
electrostatic percipitator
a device for removing small particles (such as smoke, dust, or oil) from gas, such as air, by passing the gas first through an electrically charged screen that gives a charge to the particles, then between two charged plates where the particles are attracted to one surface.
Transformer
a device that changes the voltage of an electric current
transformer
a device that changes the voltage of an electric current
current
a flow of electrons along a path, such as a conductive wire
Electric cooperatives
commonly known as co‐ops; nonprofit utility entities that are owned by the customers who are supplied with the services; originally created and financed by lowcost federal government loans to ensure the supply of electric service to rural areas
stepped down
conversion of high voltage electricity to lower voltage through the use of transformers at power substations
Stepped down
conversion of high‐voltage electricity to lower voltage through the use of transformers at power substations
stepped up
conversion of low voltage electricity to higher voltage through the use of transformers; a step-up transmission substation recieves electric power from nearby generating facility and uses a large power transformer to increase the voltage for transmission to distant locations
Stepped up
conversion of low‐voltage electricity to higher voltage through the use of transformers; a step‐up transmission substation receives electric power from a nearby generating facility and uses a large power transformer to increase the voltage for transmission to distant locations
Independent system operator (ISO)
created under the authority of FERC; designed to administer the transmission grid on a regional basis in a neutral manner
Regional transmission organization (RTO)
created under the authority of FERC; designed to administer the transmission grid on a regional basis in a neutral manner. FERC stated that entities desiring to be qualified as RTOs must first meet a specific list of characteristics and functions
direct current
current that moves in only one direction; DC results from a constant polarity power source
load
device or customer that recieves power from the electric system. Load should not be confused with demand, which is the measure of power that a load recieves or requires
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
formed in 1968 in response to the 1965 blackout, NERC is the electric reliability organization certified by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish and enforce reliability standards for the bulk‐power system; all bulk power system owners, operators, and users are required to register with NERC
greenhouse gas
gases that trap heat in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and hydrofluorocarbons.
wet scrubbers
installed on smokestacks to remove sulfur dioxides and some particulates by allowing axhaust gases to pass through a fine water spray that contains lime, a compound which absorbs most of the sulfur
Electrical power grid
interconnected electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems over broad geographic areas
electrical power grid
interconnected electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems over broad geographical areas -- Eastern, Western and Texas.
electron
negatively charged particle outside the nucleus of an atom.
Municipal utilities (muni)
nonprofit entities that are publicly‐owned and controlled by local government agencies; municipal utilities may include the following services: natural gas, water, sewage, and telecommunications
Cooperative energy utilities
nonprofit utility entities that are owned by the customers who are supplied with the services
economies of scale
when cost of production falls because output has increased
peak load
time of highest demand for and use of electricity
Investor‐owned utilities (IOU)
utility entities that are privately owned by individual investors, private funds, and private pension plans that purchase shares or stocks for the purpose of receiving a financial return on investment