SWEDISH COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND

TECHNOLOGY, WAH CANTT

(Affiliated with University of Engineering & Technology
TAXILA)

POWER PLANT
(THEORY)

Assignment No 02

Submitted To

Engr. Muhammad Aqib

Submitted by

Sohail Ahmad Khan UET/SCET-ME-17F-31

Section B

Department Mechanical Engineering

Date: 25-12-2020

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 Table of Contents
1. What is Solar Power plant and its working principle? ........................................................ 4

1.1 How Solar Power Plant works? ....................................................................................... 4

1.2 Working of Photovoltaic Plant ......................................................................................... 5

1.2.1 Parabolic Troughs: ....................................................................................................... 5

1.2.2 Solar Power Tower: ...................................................................................................... 6

1.2.3. Solar Pond: .................................................................................................................. 6

1.3 Efficiency of Solar Power Plant: ...................................................................................... 6

1.4 Benefits of Solar Power Plant: ......................................................................................... 6

1.5 Types of Solar Power Plant: ............................................................................................ 7

1.5.1 Photovoltaic Solar Energy Plant: .................................................................................. 7

1.5.2 Thermal Energy Solar Power Plant: .............................................................................. 7

1.5.3 Concentrating Solar Power Plant: ................................................................................. 8

2. What is Wind power plant and its working? ...................................................................... 8

2.1 How does a wind turbine work? ...................................................................................... 8

2.2 Types of wind turbines .................................................................................................... 9

2.3 Wind turbine applications ................................................................................................ 9

2.4 Future of wind turbines ................................................................................................. 10

3. What is nuclear power plant and its working principle? ................................................... 11

3.1 Nuclear Power Plant Working Principle ........................................................................ 11

3.2 Components of Nuclear Power Plant ............................................................................. 11

3.2.1 Nuclear Reactor .......................................................................................................... 12

3.2.2. Steam Generation ...................................................................................................... 12

3.2.3 Generator & Turbine .................................................................................................. 12

3.3 Working of Nuclear Power Plant ................................................................................... 12

3.4 The Efficiency of the Nuclear Power Plant .................................................................... 13

3.5 Types of Nuclear Power Plant ....................................................................................... 13

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3.5.1 Pressurized Water Reactor .......................................................................................... 13

3.5.2 Boiling Water Reactor ................................................................................................ 13

3.6 Site Selection for Nuclear Power Plant .......................................................................... 13

3.7 Advantages.................................................................................................................... 14

3.8 Disadvantages ............................................................................................................... 14

3.9 Applications .................................................................................................................. 14

4. What is geothermal power plant and its working? ............................................................ 15

4.1 Wells are drilled ............................................................................................................ 15

4.2 Steam turns the turbine .................................................................................................. 15

4.3 The turbine drives the electric generator ........................................................................ 15

4.4 Transmission - power lines deliver electricity ................................................................ 16

5. What is ocean wave and tidal power plant and its working?............................................. 16

6. References....................................................................................................................... 18

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1. What is Solar Power plant and its working principle?
Solar energy is the energy that is available from the sun in abundance. Solar power is the
conversion of sunlight into electricity. As electricity plays a key role in our day-to-day life we
need it in abundance, as sunlight is clean, and is available free solar power is created from it.
A solar power plant is a system that supplies electricity to wide areas. The solar power tower
system has many sun tracking mirrors installed that helps in tracking sunlight into a central
receiver. In the solar thermal power system, the radiation of the sun heats the thermo-oil that
flows inside the receivers to a temperature of 400 degree Celsius so that the downstream heat
exchanger can generate steam. The stream is then pressurized into the turbine that drives the
generator. Thus, the heat collected by the receiver is used as electricity for performing various
activities and purposes. The method of this will however be explained in detail below.
Solar powers plants that are being for some time now, helps in supplying energy. They act as
a source of energy, which is total pollution free and environment friendly. The traditional solar
plants that were used before were solar thermal plants. However, the solar power plants can be
made very easily in few years as they are made readily available materials. These solar power
plants are huge and hence require lots of pace. Thus, the perfect place for their setup would be
desserts and other barren unoccupied lands.
Apart from the solar power plant that makes use of tracking mirrors, we have the photovoltaic
cells that help in converting the sunlight into electricity directly. These cells are made of
semiconductors i.e. crystalline silicon, which are cheap and work effectively. Overall, solar
power plants are being built in all the developing countries even though the installation charges
are expensive.

1.1 How Solar Power Plant works?

Fig of solar power plant

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Electricity can be generated in two ways with the help of solar energy or sun’s energy. It can
be generated Firstly, with the help of photovoltaic electricity and secondly with solar thermal
electricity. Photovoltaic electricity is a method that uses photovoltaic cells to capture direct
sunlight. The photovoltaic cells are nothing but solar cells. The solar thermal electricity on the
other hand makes use of a solar collector, which has mirror for reflecting sunlight into the
receiver that heats up the liquid, and the heated liquid produces steam, which is used to produce
electricity.

1.2 Working of Photovoltaic Plant

Fig of working of photovoltaic plant

As mentioned above, this is the working of a thermal plant but apart from this, the working of
a thermal power plant can be categorized into three methods:

1.2.1 Parabolic Troughs:

In this method, a solar field consists of many parallel rows of solar parabolic trough collectors.
They make use of parabola shaped reflectors that reflect the sunlight. This method is used to
heat a fluid and as mentioned in the above diagram steams the steam emitted by the heated
liquid helps in generation of electricity.

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1.2.2 Solar Power Tower:
This system makes use of sun tracing mirrors, which are called as heliostats for reflecting and
concentrating the energy of the sun. The energy can be concentrated for almost 1500 times.
This concentrated energy is later is used for heating the air in the tower to more than 400 degree
Celsius. The heat is then captured inside a boiler for the production of electricity with a steam
turbine.

1.2.3. Solar Pond:

In this method there is a pool of saltwater which collects solar thermal energy. It makes use
of the salinity gradient technology. The bottom layer of the pond is hot and hence it acts as a
transparent insulator for trapping sunlight so that heat can be stored for future use.

1.3 Efficiency of Solar Power Plant:

Solar power plants are very efficient for providing electricity as they make use of the energy
of the sun. As solar energy is used in abundance for various purposes, constant efforts are being
to improvise the efficiency of solar panels, solar power plants and other systems. For measuring
the efficiency of a solar power plant, you first need to measure the density. In addition, a solar
power plant should be efficient enough to supply power when there is no electricity.
Solar power pants supply or generate more amount of electricity when earth receives maximum
density of sunlight. The power plants however also make use of fossil fuels the conventional
power plants burn the fossil fuels for the production of steam, which then drives the turbines
for generating electricity. As solar power plant‘s main aim is to supply good amount of power
when a person needs it the most. In addition, solar power plants are installed as back up of
electricity. In spite of certain drawbacks, the solar power plants make the right use of the sun’s
energy and have until date been successful in supplying electricity all over the world.

1.4 Benefits of Solar Power Plant:

Generating electricity with the help of sunlight is something, which is going on since many
decades. The sun’s energy i.e. solar energy helps in carrying forward lot of activities.
Electricity makes life easy and that electricity comes from the sun. Solar power plants help in
supplying huge amount of electricity. Solar power pants make use of solar energy, which is
renewable for creating electricity hence it has in hold many benefits.
 They help in keeping the environment pollution free

 Help in generating electricity easily

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  Though the initial installation for the solar power plant is expensive due to the
advancement in technology the price of these plants are dipping down

 It is a brilliant way to store energy and use it for future

 It is a great way to save money as most of the electricity is consumed from the power
plants it can help you to reduce bills

 As solar power is a renewable source of energy it available free of cost everywhere

 It can be used for lighting, mobile charging, security cameras, park lighting etc

 When there is no power you can use the electricity generated from solar power plant

 A solar power plant requires very low maintenance and at the same time have long
life span

 It works in the best way when the location is a remote area

 Using photovoltaic system helps in increasing the value of your home

 As the fuel for running this system is free, you once gain need not worry about
emptying your pockets.

1.5 Types of Solar Power Plant:

We have been talking about what a solar power plant is. Now after knowing what
exactly it is, in easier terms it can be stated that it is a method that makes use of the
energy of the sun for providing electricity for the working of different appliances.
As mentioned before there are three main types of solar power plant namely -

1.5.1 Photovoltaic Solar Energy Plant:

This as mentioned before makes use of photovoltaic cells or solar cells as it is called
for generating power. It is used for house wiring and powering electrical appliances.

1.5.2 Thermal Energy Solar Power Plant:

This can be used for heating water and drying clothes. In addition, this system is used
for heating houses during cold days.

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1.5.3 Concentrating Solar Power Plant:
This type of solar power plant is very similar to the photovoltaic one. However, the
only difference is it makes use of mirrors and lenses for trapping sunlight. The trapped
sunlight will then be directed to the photovoltaic cells that will convert into heat energy.
Big companies and industries use these plans.

2. What is Wind power plant and its working?

The concept of harnessing wind energy to generate mechanical power goes back
for millennia. As early as 5000 B.C., Egyptians used wind energy to propel boats along the
Nile River. American colonists relied on windmills to grind grain, pump water and cut
wood at sawmills. Today’s wind turbines are the windmill’s modern equivalent --
converting the kinetic energy in wind into clean, renewable electricity.

2.1 How does a wind turbine work?

The majority of wind turbines consist of three blades mounted to a tower made from tubular
steel. There are less common varieties with two blades, or with concrete or steel lattice towers.
At 100 feet or more above the ground, the tower allows the turbine to take advantage of faster
wind speeds found at higher altitudes.

Turbines catch the wind's energy with their propeller-like blades, which act much like an
airplane wing. When the wind blows, a pocket of low-pressure air forms on one side of the
blade. The low-pressure air pocket then pulls the blade toward it, causing the rotor to turn. This
is called lift. The force of the lift is much stronger than the wind's force against the front side
of the blade, which is called drag. The combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin like
a propeller.

A series of gears increase the rotation of the rotor from about 18 revolutions a minute to roughly
1,800 revolutions per minute -- a speed that allows the turbine’s generator to produce AC
electricity.

A streamlined enclosure called a nacelle houses key turbine components -- usually including
the gears, rotor and generator -- are found within a housing called the nacelle. Sitting atop the
turbine tower, some nacelles are large enough for a helicopter to land on.

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 Another key component is the turbine’s controller that keeps the rotor speeds from exceeding
55 mph to avoid damage by high winds. An anemometer continuously measures wind speed
and transmits the data to the controller. A brake, also housed in the nacelle, stops the rotor
mechanically, electrically or hydraulically in emergencies. Explore the interactive graphic
above to learn more about the mechanics of wind turbines.

2.2 Types of wind turbines

There are two basic types of wind turbines: those with a horizontal axis and those with a vertical
axis.

The majority of wind turbines have a horizontal axis: a propeller-style design with blades that
rotate around a horizontal axis. Horizontal axis turbines are either upwind (the wind hits the
blades before the tower) or downwind (the wind hits the tower before the blades). Upwind
turbines also include a yaw drive and motor -- components that turns the nacelle to keep the
rotor facing the wind when its direction changes.

While there are several manufacturers of vertical axis wind turbines, they have not penetrated
the utility scale market (100 kW capacity and larger) to the same degree as horizontal access
turbines. Vertical axis turbines fall into two main designs:

 Drag-based, or Savonius, turbines generally have rotors with solid vanes that rotate about a
vertical axis.
 Lift-based, or Darrieus, turbines have a tall, vertical airfoil style (some appear to have an
eggbeater shape). The Wind spire is a type of lift-based turbine that is undergoing independent
testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's National Wind Technology Center.

2.3 Wind turbine applications

 Wind Turbines are used in a variety of applications – from harnessing offshore

wind resources to generating electricity for a single home:
 Large wind turbines, most often used by utilities to provide power to a grid, range from
100 kilowatts to several megawatts. These utility-scale turbines are often grouped
together in wind farms to produce large amounts of electricity. Wind farms can consist
of a few or hundreds of turbines, providing enough power for tens of thousands of
homes.

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  Small wind turbines, up to 100 kilowatts, are typically close to where the generated
electricity will be used, for example, near homes, telecommunications dishes or water
pumping stations. Small turbines are sometimes connected to diesel generators,
batteries and photovoltaic systems. These systems are called hybrid wind systems and
are typically used in remote, off-grid locations, where a connection to the utility grid is
not available.
 Offshore wind turbines are used in many countries to harness the energy of strong,
consistent winds found off of coastlines. The technical resource potential of the winds
above U.S. coastal waters is enough to provide more than 4,000 gigawatts of electricity,
or approximately four times the generating capacity of the current U.S. electric power
system. Although not all of these resources will be developed, this represents a major
opportunity to provide power to highly populated coastal cities. To take advantage of
America’s vast offshore wind resources, the Department is investing in three offshore
wind demonstration projects designed to deploy offshore wind systems in federal and
state waters by 2017.

2.4 Future of wind turbines

To ensure future growth of the U.S. wind industry, the Energy Department’s Wind
Program works with industry partners to improve the reliability and efficiency of wind turbine
technology, while also reducing costs. The program’s research efforts have helped to increase
the average capacity factor (a measure of power plant productivity) from 22 percent for wind
turbines installed before 1998 to more than 32 percent for turbines installed between 2006 and
2012. Wind energy costs have been reduced from more than 55 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
in 1980 to under 6 cents/kWh today in areas with good wind resources.

Wind turbines offer a unique opportunity to harness energy in areas where our country's
populations need it most. This includes offshore wind's potential to provide power to
population centers near coastlines, and land-based wind's ability to deliver electricity to rural
communities with few other local sources of low carbon power.

The Energy Department continues working to deploy wind power in new areas on land and at
sea and ensuring the stable, secure integration of this power into our nation's electrical grid.

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3. What is nuclear power plant and its working principle?
The power plant that is used to warm the water to generate steam, then this steam can be used
for rotating huge turbines for generating electricity. These plants use the heat to warm the
water, which is generated by nuclear fission. Therefore, the atoms in the nuclear fission will
split into different smaller atoms for generating energy.

3.1 Nuclear Power Plant Working Principle

In the power plant, the fission takes place in the reactor and the middle of the reactor is known
as the core that includes uranium fuel, and this can be formed into pellets of ceramic. Every
pellet generates 150 gallons of oil energy. The total energy generated from the pellets is stacked
in metal fuel rods. A bunch of these rods is known as a fuel assembly and a reactor core includes
several fuel assemblies.
During nuclear fission, the heat can be generated within the core of the reactor. This heat can
be used to warm the water into steam so that turbine blades can be activated. Once the turbine
blades activated then they drive the generators to make electricity. In a power plant, a cooling
tower is available to cool the steam into the water otherwise; they use the water from different
resources. Finally, the cooled water can be reused to generate steam.

Working principle of nuclear power plant

3.2 Components of Nuclear Power Plant

In the above nuclear power plant block diagram, there are different components, which
include the following.

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3.2.1 Nuclear Reactor
In a power plant, a nuclear reactor is an essential component like a heat source that includes
the fuel & its reaction of nuclear chain including the waste products of nuclear. The nuclear
fuel used in the nuclear reactor is Uranium & its reactions are heat generated in a reactor. Then,
this heat can be transferred to the coolant of the reactor to generate heat to all the parts in the
power plant.

3.2.2. Steam Generation

In all the power plants, the production of steam is general; however, the way of generating will
change. Most of the plants use water reactors by using two loops of rotating water to generate
steam. The primary loop carries very hot water for heating an exchange once water at a low-
pressure is circulated, then it warms the water to generate the steam to transmit to the turbine
section.

3.2.3 Generator & Turbine

Once the steam is generated, then it travels with high pressures to speed up the turbine. The
rotating of the turbines can be used to rotate an electric generator for generating electricity that
is transmitted to the electrical grid.
Cooling Towers

In a nuclear power plant, the most essential part is a cooling tower, which is used to reduce the
heat of the water. Please refer to this link to know more about what is a cooling tower –
components, construction & applications.

3.3 Working of Nuclear Power Plant

The elements like Uranium or Thorium are sued nuclear fission reaction of a nuclear reactor.
Because of this fission, a huge amount of heat energy can be generated and it is transmitted to
the coolant reactor. Here, the coolant is nothing but water, liquid metal otherwise gas. The
water is heated to flow in a heat exchanger so that it changes into high-temperature steam. Then
the steam, which is produced, is permitted to make a steam turbine run. Again the steam can
be changed back into the coolant & recycled to use for the heat exchanger. Therefore, the
turbine and alternator are connected to produce electricity. By using a transformer, the
electricity that is produced can be increased to use in long-distance communication.

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3.4 The Efficiency of the Nuclear Power Plant
The nuclear power plant efficiency can be decided equally to other heat engines because
technically the plant is a large heat engine. The sum of electric power generated for every unit
of thermal power will provide the plant is thermal efficiency & because of the thermodynamics
second law, there is a higher limit to how efficient these power plants can be.

The normal nuclear power plants attain efficiencies approximately 33 to 37%, equivalent to
fossil-fueled plants. High temperature & more current designs such as the Generation IV
reactors could acquire above 45% efficiency.

3.5 Types of Nuclear Power Plant

There are two types of nuclear power plants such as pressurized water reactor and boiling water
reactor.

3.5.1 Pressurized Water Reactor

In this kind of reactor, regular water is used as a coolant. This is kept at extremely high force
so that it does not get a boil. A heat exchanger in this reactor transfers the heated water where
the water from the secondary coolant circle is changed into vapor. Therefore, this loop is very
free from the material of radioactive. In this reactor, the coolant water works as a moderator.
Because of these benefits, these reactors are used most frequently.

3.5.2 Boiling Water Reactor

In this kind of reactor, a single coolant loop is only available. The water is permissible to heat
within the reactor. The steam is produced from the reactor when it heads out from the reactor
& the steam will flow throughout the steam turbine. The main drawback of this reactor is, the
coolant water approaches the fuel rods & the turbine. Therefore, radioactive material could be
located over the turbine.

3.6 Site Selection for Nuclear Power Plant

Each site has to give needed necessities like discarded and decay heat sinks, power supply
availability, excellent communications and efficient crisis management, etc. For a power plant,
the estimate of the site typically occupies different stages like selection, characterization, pre-
operational, and operational.

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3.7 Advantages
The advantages of nuclear power plants include the following.
 It uses less space compared with other power plants

 It is extremely economical and generates huge electric power.

 These plants are located near the load center because there is no requirement of huge

fuel.
 It generates a huge amount of power in the process of each nuclear fission

 It uses less fuel to generate huge energy

 Its operation is reliable

 When compared with steam power plants, it is very clean and neat

 The operating cost is small

 It does not produce polluting gases.

3.8 Disadvantages
The disadvantages of nuclear power plants include the following.
 The cost of primary installation is extremely high when compared with other power

stations.
 The nuclear fuel is expensive so recovering is difficult

 High capital cost compare with other power plants

 Technical knowledge is required to operate this plat. So maintenance, as well as

salary, will be high.

 There is a chance of radioactive pollution

 The response is not efficient

 The requirement of cooling water is double compare with a steam power plant.

3.9 Applications
The applications of nuclear power plants include the following.
Nuclear energy is used in different industries all over the world for desalination of ocean water,
production of hydrogen, district cooling/heating, and the removal of tertiary oil resources &
used in heat process applications like cogeneration, conversion of coal to liquids & help in the
chemical feedstock synthesis.

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4. What is geothermal power plant and its working?

This animation is meant to convey in simple terms what happens in the operation of a
geothermal power plant. Aspects such as exploration, resource verification, site preparation,
construction, geothermal fluid processing, and power conditioning are not shown or described
in the interest of simplicity, and so the viewer can more readily grasp the basic operating
concepts.

Fig of geothermal power plant

4.1 Wells are drilled

A production well is drilled into a known geothermal reservoir. Typically, an injection well is
also drilled to return used geothermal fluids to the geothermal reservoir. Hot geothermal fluids
flow through pipes to a power plant for use in generating electricity.

4.2 Steam turns the turbine

Hot, pressurized geothermal fluid, or a secondary working fluid, is allowed to expand rapidly
and provide rotational or mechanical energy to turn the turbine blades on a shaft.

4.3 The turbine drives the electric generator

Rotational energy from the turning turbine shaft is used directly to spin magnets inside a large
coil and create electrical current. The turbine and generator are the primary pieces of equipment
used to convert geothermal energy to electrical energy.

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4.4 Transmission - power lines deliver electricity

Electrical current from the generator is sent to a step-up transformer outside the power plant.
Voltage is increased in the transformer and electrical current is transmitted over power lines to
homes, buildings, and businesses.

This animation is meant to convey in simple terms what happens in the operation of a
geothermal power plant. Aspects such as exploration, resource verification, site preparation,
construction, geothermal fluid processing, and power conditioning are not shown or described
in the interest of simplicity, and so the viewer can more readily grasp the basic operating
concepts.

5. What is ocean wave and tidal power plant and its working?
Water in the oceans is constantly in motion due to waves and tides, and energy can be harvested
from these kinds of motions. Waves, driven by the winds, make the water oscillate in roughly
circular orbits extending to a depth of one-half of the wavelength of the wave (distance between
peaks). Tides, related to the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun on the oceans, are like very
long-wavelength waves that can produce very strong currents in some coastal areas due to the
geometry of the shoreline. In terms of power generation technologies, wave and tidal power
have both similarities and differences. Both refer to the extraction of kinetic energy from the
ocean to generate electricity (again, by spinning a turbine just as hydroelectric dams or wind
farms do), but the locations of each and the mechanisms that they use for generating power are
slightly different.

Wave energy projects extract energy from waves on the surface of the water, or from wave
motion a bit deeper (a few 10s of meters) in the ocean. Surface wave energy technologies
capture the kinetic energy in breaking waves – these provide periodic impulses that spin a
turbine. The US Department of Energy (link is external) has a nice description of different
types of surface wave projects as follows:
 Oscillating Water Columns: Oscillating water columns consist of a partially
submerged concrete or steel structure that has an opening to the sea below the waterline.
It encloses a column of air above a column of water. As waves enter the air column,
they cause the water column to rise and fall. This alternately compresses and
depressurizes the air column. As the wave retreats, the air is drawn back through the
turbine because of the reduced air pressure on the ocean side of the turbine.

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 Tapchans: Tapchans, or tapered channel systems, consist of a tapered channel that
feeds into a reservoir constructed on cliffs above sea level. The narrowing of the
channel causes the waves to increase in height as they move toward the cliff face. The
waves spill over the walls of the channel into the reservoir, and the stored water is then
fed through a turbine.
 Pendular Devices: Pendular wave-power devices consist of a rectangular box that is
open to the sea at one end. A flap is hinged over the opening, and the action of the
waves causes the flap to swing back and forth. The motion powers a hydraulic pump
and a generator.
 Offshore wave energy systems are typically placed deeper in the ocean, though not too
deep – perhaps a few hundred feet below the ocean’s surface. The periodic wave
activity at this depth is typically used to power a pump that feeds into a turbine,
generating electricity.

Fig of ocean and tidal wave power plant

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6. References
http://www.idconline.com/technical_references/pdfs/electronic_engineering/Working%20and
%20Benefits%20of%20Solar%20Power%20Plant.pdf.

https://www.energy.gov/articles/how-wind-turbine.

https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/how-nuclear-power-works

www.geothermal.com

www.ocean.energy.com

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