AC Electricity

Why AC?
Distribution
Getting Power to Our Homes
• Let’s power our homes with DC power
• DC means direct current: just like what batteries deliver
• But want power plants far from home
• and ability to “ship” electricity across states
• So power lines are long
• resistance no longer negligible
long transmission line
home
power plant appliance

Rwire

looks like: Rload

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Rwire
Power Dissipated in an Electricity Distribution System
150 miles

120 Watt
Light bulb

Power Plant 12 Volt

on Colorado River Connection Box
• Estimate resistance of power lines: say 0.001 Ohms per meter, times 200 km = 0.001
W/m  2105 m = 20 Ohms
• We can figure out the current required by a single bulb using P = VI so I = P/V = 120
Watts/12 Volts = 10 Amps (!)
• Power in transmission line is P = I2R = 102  20 = 2,000 Watts!!
• “Efficiency” is e = 120 Watts/4120 Watts = 0.3%!!!
• What could we change in order to do better?

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• The thing that kills us most is the high current through the (fixed
resistance) transmission lines
• Need less current
• it’s that square in I2R that has the most dramatic effect
• But our appliance needs a certain amount of power
• P = VI so less current demands higher voltage
• Solution is high voltage transmission
• Repeating the above calculation with 12,000 Volts delivered to the house draws only
I = 120 Watts/12 kV = 0.01 Amps for one bulb, giving
P = I2R = (0.01)220 = 2010-4 Watts, so
P = 0.002 Watts of power dissipated in transmission line
Efficiency in this case is e = 120 Watts/120.004 = 99.996%

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DANGER!
• But having high voltage in each household is a recipe for disaster
• sparks every time you plug something in
• risk of fire
• Need a way to step-up/step-down voltage at will
• can’t do this with DC, so go to AC

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A way to provide high efficiency, safe
low voltage:
step-up
step-down,

step-down to 220 V

High Voltage Transmission Lines

Low Voltage to Consumers
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Power Plant Installation
 Contents
Power System Layout
Generation
Transmission
Distribution
Utilization of Electric Power
Main Part of power system
One line diagram of power system
Main parts of power system
1.Power stations/Generating station: in which one form of energy
is converted into electrical energy
(i) In thermal station the energy is first in the form of heat(which may be coal,
gas or oil)
(ii) In a nuclear, or atomic station. Energy is produce by splitting of atom
(iii) In a hydro electric station, the potential energy of water is used

2.Transmission system : the high voltage T/L is the second part of power system
A step up T/F is used to B/W generation and Transmission.
The function of T/L is to transmit power from sending end to the receiving end.
3.Distribution system(network)
Where voltage is step down to primary network to low voltage of the
distribution network 440v/230.240V
Important Terminologies

• Transmission substation: which step-down the high voltage to medium

voltage level to supply the Feeders at required voltage of the primary
distribution network
• Feeder are conductors which carry power from the transmission
substation to various distribution substation
Feeder can not tapped for direct power consumption
• Distributors: are conductors which deliver power to consumers which
can be tapped for direct power consumption
• Service main: the wire which is connected between pole and consumers
meter
• Connected Load: it is the load which is rating at the apparatus (KW)
installed on a consumer's premises
Types of load
In inter connected systems with many generating stations of various
types, the choice of station to supply the varying load is of
considerable economic significance. Entire load of the system may be
divided into two parts
• Base load
Base load is the minimum load over a given period of time
• Peak load
Peak load is the maximum load consumed or produced by a unit or group of
units in a stated period of time. It may be the maximum instantaneous load
or the maximum average load over a designated interval of time
Base Load supply
Base load is the load which is supplied for most of the time which remains
more or less constant.
The main consideration for base load provision are :
(i) High efficiency
(ii) High availability of the system.
Examples of base load power plants are coal-fired power plant, tidal power plant,
nuclear power plant, etc.

Peak load is the irregular requirement at particular hours of the day and
so on.
The main consideration for peak load provision are:
(i) ability to start and take full load with a short time
(ii) low capacity cost in view of the small annual output with the efficiency
only a secondary condition.
Gas turbines, diesel engine plant and pumped storage stations are also suitable for
peak load operation.
• Load on a power plant seldom remain constant. The load varies from season to season and also in a
day from hour to hour.

• In summer, due to fans and air conditioners the plants have generally high load as compared to winter
months.

• During the days of festivals like national festivals, national days etc., there is excessive demand of
electrical power. A power generating plant has to meet with all such variable demands and at the
same time maintain over all economy of operation.

• These plants must be capable of quickly starting from cold conditions. Diesel engine plants, gas
turbine plants, pumped storage plants and sometimes steam power plants and hydroelectric plants
are used as peak load plants. Efficiency of such plants is of secondary importance as these plants
operate for limited period only.
Types of load
There are mainly 7 types of load
1.Residential or domestic load (light, fans, heaters, refrigerator, air
condition, T.V, electric cooker, and small motor for pumping the water
2.Commercial load (lighting for shops, fans, appliances used in commercial
advertisements, restaurants, etc)
3. Industrial load
(i) cottage industries, up to 5 KW
(ii) Small scale industries, up to 25 kW
(iii) Medium scale industries, 25 – 100 kW
(iv) Large scale industries, 100 – 500 kW
(v) Heavy industries, 500kW
4.Government load Separate type of load when it has separate Feeder and
special working condition ( defense factories, mines etc)
5. Municipal load (street lighting, municipal corporation, water supply
,drainage etc)
6.Irrigation load: Water supplying for field as required for crops
7. Traction load: Motors, railways tracks etc
 Load curve

• Load Curve: The curve or graph which showing the load demand of
a consumers against time in hours of the day is known as load
curve.
• If it is plotted for 24 hours or a single day, it is known as daily load
curve.
• If it is considered for whole years, it is known as annual load curve
• The load on a power station is never constant; it varies from time to
time.
Generation
Sources of Conventional
Energy and Method of
Harnessing

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 Energy Sources:
Fossil fuels
Coal - pollution
Gas - pollution
Oil - pollution
Renewable sources – do not run out
Hydroelectricity – needs mountains
Wind - only works when wind blowing
Sunlight – best in sunny countries
Waves – small scale only – so far
Energy from nuclear reactions
Fission – waste needs very careful handling
Fusion – waste less dangerous
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Introduction to Energy
Types of Energy Sources
Solar Energy
Wind Energy
Tidal Energy
Hydro Energy
Biomass Energy
Geothermal Energy

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Definition of Energy: Energy can be defined as the ability
(or) capacity to do work
The different forms of energy:
Energy can be obtained in number of way. It may be in
the form of

(1) Chemical energy - due to chemical reaction

(2) Electrical energy - due to flow of electron
(3) Heat energy - due to thermal vibration
(4) Light energy - due to radiation of light
(5) Mechanical energy – due to moving parts
(6) Nuclear energy - due to nuclear reaction
The SI unit of energy is Joule (or) N/m.

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Law of conservation of energy
According to law of conservation of energy, Energy can
neither be created nor destroyed. But, one form of energy
can be converted to another form.
Example:
 A battery generates electrons from chemical
reactions, which are used to make electrical energy.

 A heater convert electrical energy into heat energy.

 The human leg converts the chemical energy stored in the

muscles into mechanical energy when you pedal a
bicycle.

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 Category of energy resource
On the basis of availability, the energy resources are broadly
categories as,
• Primary energy resources
• Secondary energy resources

Primary energy: All energy originates from natural sources

such as coal, solar, wind, hydro are called
primary energy resources.
Secondary energy: The energy converted from primary energy
sources. For example, the solar energy
can be converted into electricity

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 Types of Energy sources
1. Conventional energy sources (or) Non-renewable energy sources
2. Non-Conventional energy sources (or) Renewable energy sources
(1) Conventional energy (or) Non-renewable energy
Conventional (or) Non-renewable energy sources are those,
which cannot be replaced continuously.

• Generally, non-renewable energy sources come out of the

ground as liquids, gases and solids.

Examples: The conventional (or) Non-renewable energy

sources are Oil, Coal, Petroleum and natural
gas, Nuclear energy
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Non-Conventional energy (or) Renewable energy
Renewable energy is a source of energy that can never be
exhausted and can be replaced continuously

We can obtain renewable energy from the sun, from the

water, from the wind, from crop residues and waste

The types of Non-conventional (or) Renewable energies are

Solar energy Tidal energy

Wind energy Hydro energy
Biomass energy Biofuels
Geothermal Wave Power

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 Solar energy

Solar energy comes from the light of the sun, which means it is a
renewable source of energy. We can use the sun light to create
pollution free electricity

The solar cell is the system used to convert the sunlight

energy into electrical energy

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Solar collectors

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 Tidal energy

Tidal energy is the energy due to the water waves created in the ocean. The
tidal energy is also called hydropower.

• It is a hydropower due to raise and fall of water

wave in ocean. The raise and fall of water wave is
due to the gravitational forces of the moon and sun
as well as the revolution of the earth
• The raising and falling waves are used to rotate
the turbines and hence the electricity is produced.

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38
Turbine rotation due to Tidal

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 Wind energy

Wind energy is the kinetic energy associated with the movement of

atmospheric air
• Wind energy systems convert kinetic energy to more useful
forms of power.
• Wind energy systems for irrigation and milling have been in
use since ancient times
• From beginning of the 20th century it is being used to
generate electric power.

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• Wind is simple air in motion.
• wind is caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface
by the sun.

• During the day, the air above the land heats up more quickly
than the air over water.
• The warm air over the land expands and rises, and the heavier,
cooler air rushes in to take its place, creating winds.
• This winds are used to rotate turbine blades which spins
the generator to produce electricity

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Windmill

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 Hydro energy

Hydro energy is derived from flowing water in rivers, water streams in

mountains or from man-made installations where water flows from a
high-level reservoir down through a tunnel and away from the dam.

• A dam is built to trap water, usually in a valley where

there is an existing lake.
• Water is allowed to flow through tunnels in the dam, to
turn turbines and thus drive generators and the electricity is
produced
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Thermal Power Plants
Fuel: coal, natural gas

Thermal Power Plant diagram

 Biomass energy

Biomass energy (or) bioenergy, is the energy stored in non-fossil

organic materials such as wood, grass, vegetable oils and wastes
from the forest, agricultural and industrial sectors.

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48
 Geothermal energy

The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth)
and therme (heat). So, geothermal energy is heat from within the
earth. We can use the steam and hot water produced inside
the earth to heat buildings or generate electricity.

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The outer layer of the earth is called crest and the center
layer is called Mantle and inner layer is called Core (Iron).

Geothermal Diagram
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• Below the crust of the earth, the top layer of the mantle
is a hot liquid rock called magma.
• The crust of the earth floats on this liquid magma
mantle.

• For every 100 meters you go below ground, the

temperature of the rock increases about 3 degrees
Celsius.
• So, if you went about 10,000 feet below ground, the
temperature of the rock would be hot enough to boil water.
• Deep under the surface, water close to the hot rock can
reach temperatures of more than 148°C.

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• This is hotter than boiling
water (100°C). It doesn't
turn into steam because it is
not in contact with the air.

• When this hot water comes

up through a crack in the
earth, we call it a hot spring
and it is used to rotate the
turbines and the electricity is
produced.

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Generation Sources (MW) June 2013
Thermal Nuclear,
650, 3.14%

Hydro WAPDA,
6733, 32.49%
Thermal IPPs,
8359, 40.34%

Thermal
Ex.WAPDA
GENCOs, 4785,
23.09%
Hydro IPPs, 195,
0.94%

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References:

• https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_load_power_plant
• PH 0101,Unit-5,Lecture -1,SRM university.
• File_43110
• NTDC Power System
• “Electric System” MIT ,Carlos Silva, October 28st 2009
• AC Electricity, UCSD: Physics 121; 2012