ELECTRICITY

TECHNICAL ENGLISH 1
 SOURCE OF ENERGY

RENEWABLE NON-RENEWABLE
• SUN • FOSSIL FUELS • BIOFUEL
• WATER • COAL • PLUTONIUM
• WAVE • OIL • URANIUM
• WIND • NATURAL GAS
• PETROLEUM
 TYPES OF ENERGY

• ELECTRICAL ENERGY • HYDRAULIC POWER • STEAM POWER

• FIRE • HYDROELECTRIC • TIDAL POWER
• FOSSIL FUELS ENERGY • WATER POWER
• GAS POWER • KINETIC ENERGY • WAVE POWER
• GEOTHERMAL • MAGNETIC ENERGY • WIND POWER
ENERGY • NUCLEAR ENERGY
• GREENHOUSE EFFECT • SOLAR ENERGY
 EQUIPMENT TO PRODUCE ENERGY

• ATOMIC ENERGY • HYDROELECTRIC • TIDAL BARRAGE

PLANT SCHEME • TIDE MILL
• GAS STATION • MOTOR • TURBINE
• GASWORKS • NUCLEAR PLANT • WATER FALL
• GENERATING • POWER STATION • WATERWORKS
STATION • POWERHOUSE • WIND FARM
• GENERATOR HEAT • SOLAR CELL • WINDMILL
EXCHANGER
• SOLAR PANEL
 ELECTRIC CURRENT

• AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT IS A PATH IN WHICH ELECTRON FROM

A VOLTAGE OR CURRENT SOURCE FLOW.
• AN ELLECTRICAL SUPPLY – (CELL)
• AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR – AN ELECTRICAL PATH (WIRES)
• ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS – ELECTRICAL DEVICES
CURRENT; THE RATE FLOW OF ELECTRIC CHARGE - AMPERES OR AMPS (A)
 VOLTAGE AND RESISTANCE

THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT (IN AMPS) FLOWING THROUGHT A CIRCUIT PARTLY DEPENDS ON THE
ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE (EMF).
EMF MEASURED IN VOLTS OR VOLTAGE (V)
AMOUNT OF CURRENT ALSO DEPEND IN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE. VALUE IN ‘OHMS’.
OHMS IS MEASURE HOW EASILY CURRENT CAN FLOW THROUGH CONDUCTORS AND COMPONENTS
IN A CIRCUIT.
ELECTRICAL INSULATORS – MATERIALS WITH VERY HIGH RESISTANCE. THIS MATERIAL STOPS PEOPLE
FROM TOUCHING THE CONDUCTORS AND FROM GETTING A DANGEROUS ELECTRIC SHOCK.
 ELECTRICAL SUPPLY

ALTERNATING CURRENT AND DIRECT CURRENT

• AC – SUPPLY FLOWS BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS, ALSO CALLED AS MAIN ELECTRICITY.
• DC – A CONSTANT FLOW OF ELECTRICITY WHICH TRAVELS AROUND A CIRCUIT IN 1
DIRECTION.
• FREQUECY – THE RATE AT WHICH THE CURRENT ALTERNATE, MEASURED IN HERTZ (HZ)
 AC GENERATION AND SUPPLY
• MAIN ELECTRICITY (SUPPLY) GENERATES (PRODUCES) AT A SITES CALLED POWER STATION, WHICH
USE LARGE GENERATORS.
• GENERATORS CONVERT MECHANICAL ENERGY TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY.
• CURRENT FROM THE GENERATORS LEAVES POWER STATION AND ENTERS THE POWER GRID
(GRID). THE NETWORK OF POWER LINES (CABLES) WHICH TRANSMIT IT AROUND THE COUNTRY.
• TRANSFORMERS
• STEP-UP TRANSFORMERS (INCREASE VOLTAGE, DECREASE AMPERAGE)
• REDUCE ENERGY LOST OVER LONG DISTANCES..
• STEP-DOWN TRANSFORMERS (REDUCE VOLTAGE, INCREASE AMPERAGE)
 CIRCUITS AND COMPONENTS

• SIMPLE CIRCUITS
• PARALLEL CIRCUIT
• SERIES CIRCUIT
• MAIN AC CIRCUITS AND SWITCHBOARDS
AC SUPPLY ENTERS A BUILDING --> SWITCHBOARD.
SWITCHBOARD HAS A NUMBER OF SWITCHES TO ALLOW DIFFERENT CIRCUIT TO BE SWITCHED ON
AND OFF.
CIRCUIT BREAKER – A SAFETY SWITCH THAT SWITCHED OFF AUTOMATICALLY IF THERE IS A PROBLEM.
IT CAN ALSO SWITCHED OFF MANUALLY TO ISOLATE THEM.
 ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

• SENSORS OR DETECTORS – CAN SENSE OR DETECT OF-OR CHANGES IN-VALUES SUCH

TEMPERATURE, PRESSURE, LIGHT.
• CONTROL SYSTEMS – FEEDBACK FROM SENSORS TO CONTROL DEVICES AUTOMATICALLY.
• LOGIC GATES – WIDELY USED IN CONTROL SYSTEMS. SEND SIGNALS IN FORMS OF LOW
VOLTAGES TO OTHER DEVICES. THE OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM LOGIC GATES IS SWITCHED ON
OR OFF DEPENDS ON THE INPUT SIGNAL IT RECEIVES.
 LOOK AT THIS TABLE. FILL IN THE GAPS
Electrical device Power Voltage Current

Electric fire 2,400 W 240 V

Light bulb 55 W 110 V
Electric drill 990 W 110 V
Electric kettle 240 V 10 A
Car headlight 48 W 12 V
Television 220 W 110 V
Cassette player 6V 1A

Make a true statements like this example:

• The electric drill has a power rating of 990 W. When it is
connected to a mains supply of 110 volts, it uses a current of 9 A.
• AT SOME POWER STATIONS, COAL IS USED FOR GENERATING ELECTRICITY. COAL IS PLACED
ON A CONVEYOR BELT WHICH TIPS IT INTO A BUNKER. THE COAL LEAVES THE BUNKER AND IS
GROUND INTO A POWDER. THE COAL IS THEN BLOWN INTO A FURNACE AND IT BURNS.
• THE FURNACE HEATS WATER IN THE BOILER TUBES AND STEAM IS PRODUCED AT A VERY HIGH
TEMPERATURE. THE STEAM IS THEN HEATED AND PASSES TO THE TURBINE. THE TURBINE ROTATES
AND TURNS THE GENERATOR. A HIGH VOLTAGE IS GENERATED. THE STEAM IS COOLED AND
PASSES BACK TO THE BOILER.
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORDS FROM THE BRACKETS TO COMPLETE THE DESCRIPTIONS
OF DIFFERENT STAGES OF AC GENERATION AND SUPPLY (A-F). THEN, PUT THE STAGES IN
THE CORRECT ORDER.

a. AFTER THE STEP-UP TRANSFORMER, THE CURRENT ENTERS A

(DISTRIBUTION I TRANSMISSION) LINE.
b. CURRENT IS PRODUCED, BY ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION, IN THE
(MAGNET / FIELD COILS) OF A GENERATOR.
c. THE CURRENT GOES FROM THE LAST STEP-DOWN TRANSFORMER TO A
(DISTRIBUTION I TRANSMISSION) LINE.
d. THE CURRENT LEAVES THE POWER (GRID I STATION) AND ENTERS THE HOME.
e. AMPERAGE IS REDUCED AND VOLTAGE IS INCREASED BY A (STEP-UP I STEP-
DOWN) TRANSFORMER.
f. THE CURRENT IS STEPPED (UP I DOWN) FROM A HIGHER VOLTAGE TO A
LOWER VOLTAGE, IN STAGES.