Category Electricity

Electric power is always represented in terms of watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). A thousand watts together make a kilowatt.

Watts describe the rate at which electricity is consumed during a specific period. Take the case of a 15-watt LED bulb. It draws 15 watts of power at any moment when turned on.

Let’s look at other examples to understand the concept better. The power rating of a typical incandescent light bulb used in houses is between 25 to 100 watts. To produce a similar amount of light, fluorescent lamps consume 5 to 30 watts, and LED lamps use 0.5 to 6 watts.

Coming to power stations, a typical power station that uses coal to generate electricity produces around 600 to 700 megawatts. A megawatt is equivalent to one million watts! The term ‘watt’ was named after James Watt who developed the steam engine. Watt-hour is quite different from a watt. It is a measure of electrical energy equivalent to a power consumption of one watt for one hour.

      Short circuit is a term we hear often, and it is something that is dangerous, for sure. Let’s see what exactly a short circuit is.

       It is a problem that arises when two or more wires in an electrical circuit, that are not supposed to come in contact, touch each other. This action is immediately followed by a very high current flowing through the circuit. This can result in a lot of dangers, like sudden fire, destruction of the components in the circuit, or melting of insulation. Sometimes there can also be an electrical explosion, or what is known as an ‘arc flash’.

            Scary, isn’t it? However, there are fault protection devices like circuit-breakers and fuses that can detect a short circuit. 

          As we saw earlier, a fuse is a device that is provided in an electrical circuit to protect the appliances connected to it from damage. It is a safety tool that limits current in a circuit.

          Structurally, a fuse is a short piece of wire made up of elements like zinc, copper, silver, aluminium, which have high resistance, and a low melting point. In case of overheating due to excess current, the fuse tends to melt and separate. It thus prevents fire outbreaks and also protects humans from electric shock.

           Fuses, in general, are used in all types of electrical and electronic applications.

            Depending on their uses, there are different types of fuses available. One is the cartridge fuse, which is used to protect electrical appliances like motors, air-conditioners, refrigerators, pumps etc., where high voltage rating and currents are required.

           Then there are blade type fuses that come in a plastic body with two metal caps, to be fitted in a socket. These fuses are mostly used in automobiles for wiring and protection from short circuit.

           Another category is of reset-table fuses. They can be used multiple times without being replaced. Such fuses are seen in nuclear systems, or in aerospace systems.

       Telegraphy, a technology developed in the early 18th century, revolutionized long-distance communication. It was a simple electrical circuit that transmitted electric signals over a wire, between stations.

        Through the telegraph lines, messages could be sent back and forth as bursts of electricity. It was the connection between electricity and magnetism that led to this path-breaking invention.

           By the end of the 19th century, another invention surfaced – the telephone. It was a different and advanced device that improved communication between long distances. In a telephone, an electric current carries the sound. Here again, the invention followed the principle of electromagnetism.

          Another important device that works on the same principle is the loudspeaker. It converts an electrical signal from devices like a radio, or television into sound. For this purpose, the signals have to be connected to an electronic amplifier.

         Generally, a loudspeaker is built using a coil of thin copper wire, a still paper cone and a circular magnet. When electrical signals are passed through, the coil of copper wire moves back and forth. This, along with the magnet, causes the paper cone to vibrate and reproduce sounds.

          Taking into consideration the above mentioned devices, as well as other equipment, one can say that no invention in recent times has been complete without electricity. 

          The electrical sector of any country in the world depends mainly on its economic system, and policies adopted by its government.

          Hence, the whole process of power production and transmission in a country need not be the same as others. In some of them, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity are done by a government controlled organization. But in some others, privately owned companies will have shares too.

         Just like the operation, the voltage and frequencies for providing electrical power to appliances too, differ from country to country.

Continue reading “Why is it said that electricity distribution is different in every country?”

        The power sector of India is known to be one of the most diversified and powerful ones in the world. Sources of electricity generation here include conventional sources like coal, natural gas, oil, lignite, hydro and nuclear power, and also non-conventional sources like solar, wind, agricultural and domestic waste.

        The country has witnessed a very fast growth in electricity generation since 1990. In the year 2015, the country became a power surplus nation that possessed huge electric generation capacity. But many villages in India do not have power connection even now.

        By mid-2016, India’s power generation capacity crossed the 300,00 MW (megawatt) mark, including more than 42,848 MW renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power plants. This means, the country’s renewable energy sector is considered very important.

         About 65 per cent of the electricity produced in India is from thermal power plants. More than 20 per cent of the power comes from hydroelectric power plants and 3 per cent from nuclear plants. The rest is from alternate sources. 

          A power grid refers to an interconnected network for distributing electricity to consumers.

          It was in the 1960s that India began utilizing the grid management system on regional basis. The power grid system was then geographically divided into five regions for better management. These regions are – northern, eastern, western, north eastern and southern grids.

          They were established to enable the transmission of surplus electricity between states in each region.

          Towards the 1990s, the Indian government started planning for a national grid. As a result, the above mentioned regional grids were interconnected.

          In October 1991, the first interconnection was made, between the north eastern and the eastern grids. A few years later, in 2003, the western grid got connected with the above. This process followed in the later years as well. The northern grid was also interconnected in August 2006.

          In December 2013, the remaining grid- southern was connected to the central grid in a synchronous mode. Thus, the aim to build ‘One Nation – One Grid – One Frequency – was achieved.

           There are many reasons why renewable energy is important for the world and its future.

            The main advantage of these energies is that they are free of pollution. Renewable resources are way cleaner than fossil fuels because they don’t produce toxic wastes.

             Next, the reserves of these energies are never ending unlike coal, gas, oil or nuclear sources. Hence, they’re named renewables!

             Power production from fuels and other non-renewables demand a large-scale import of these resources at high prices. Also, their cost depends on the international market. In the case of renewable resources, it’s not needed as most of the energies depend on the Sun.

              There are many countries that depend largely on renewable resources. For instance, Denmark, UK, Scotland and Ireland make great use of wind energy.

              Denmark, which has been a pioneer in the field, gets around 42 per cent of its power from wind plants.

              And there are countries like China, and India that use of hydro power for electricity, which is equally safe.