Energy and Electricity

This chapter gives an overview of electricity generation and where methods of generation of electricity from various primary energy resources are illustrated. The electromagnetic alternator driven by a turbine is the fundamental mechanism to produce electricity. Traditionally, fossil fuel-based energy resources are used to drive this turbine. As burning of fossil fuel are environmentally polluting and are proven to accelerate global warming and drive climate change, renewable and nuclear resources are increasingly replacing them. While nuclear power plants have been subject to radiation leak with catastrophic consequences, renewables like hydro, solar, and wind resources are being harvested to generate electricity in sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. Electric vehicles are the future of modern transportation and this requires an efficient storage and distribution system for electricity. With advances in information and communications technology, we are moving toward having smart grids which not only improves connectivity of the power produced by multiple energy resources but also optimizes energy production by efficiently managing the dynamic understanding of the usage patterns in a distribution network.