How does a power plant produce energy?

Question

i can't find it on google. so i need to know..

Answer 1

I depends a *little* on the kind of power plant, but generally:

COAL:

gets burned to make heat, which boils water.  The steam turns a 'turbine' which is like a giant fan.  The turbine turns a generator, which is a rotating machine with lots of wire and magnetism.  The generator converts motion (rotation) into electrical energy.  This gets piped out over wire to all connected to the grid.  

http://www.cf.missouri.edu/energy/em_fun...

has animations

*Fuel Cells* use a completely different process, and work something like a battery, to get about 50% efficiency.  This is generally better than burning, which gets about 30%.  

Some countries make common use of "district heating" or "combined heat and power".  In these cases "waste" heat, not used by the power plant, may be used for space heating or hot water in the surrounding neigborhood or process industry.