E.F.L.

Worksheet#4- Passive Voice

5th year- 4-104 “Ing. Carlos Fader” ~ Ms. Gabriela Lombardi

Name: _______________________ Date: ________________________ Class: ________

PART ONE: Reading Comprehension

Thermal Energy
Among the most common devices used to capture solar energy and convert it to thermal energy are flat-plate
collectors (FPC). These collectors are used for solar heating applications.
Because the intensity of solar radiation at Earth’s surface is so low, these
collectors must be large in area.
The most widely used flat-plate collectors consist of a blackened metal
plate, covered with one or two sheets of glass, that is heated by the
sunlight falling on it. This heat is then transferred to air or water, called
carrier fluids, that flow past the back of the plate. The heat may be used
directly, or it may be transferred to another medium for storage. Flat-
plate collectors are commonly used for solar water heaters and house
heating.

Direct and Indirect Solar Thermal Systems

There are several different ways to heat water for use in the home. Solar water heating systems that use flat
plate solar collectors to capture the suns energy can be classed as either direct or indirect systems by the way
in which they transfer the heat around the system. In order to heat your water successfully and use it during
both the day and the night, you will need to have both a solar collector to capture the heat and transfer it to
the water and also a hot water tank to store this hot water for use as needed.

A direct solar water heating system, also known as an active open-loop system, uses a pump to circulate the
water around the system. The cooler water is pumped directly from the home to a central water storage or
immersion tank and passes through the solar collector for heating. The hot water leaves the flat plate collector
and returns back to the tank flowing in a continuous loop. From there, the water is pumped back into the house
as hot usable water. A low voltage 12 volt pump can be used which can be powered by a small photovoltaic cell
or electronic controller making the system more green.

In a passive direct hot water system, the system does not use pumps or control mechanisms to transfer the heat
created to the storage tank. Instead, passive systems are what are called “open-loop systems” which use the
natural force of gravity to help circulate the water around the system. This type of system uses a solar flat plate
collector combined with a horizontally mounted storage tank of some kind located immediately above the
collector.

Answer
1. What does FPC mean?
2. What’s solar radiation like?
3. Why do you think the metal plate in a collector should be black?
4. What´s the function of carrier fluids?
5. How can you classify the solar thermal systems?
PART TWO: Grammar- The Passive in English
The active voice makes your writing stronger, more direct, and, you guessed it, more active. The subject is something, or
it does the action of the verb in the sentence. With the passive voice, the subject is acted upon by some other performer
of the verb. While tense is all about time references, voice describes whether the grammatical subject of a clause performs
or receives the action of the verb.

Active Voice: Flat plate collectors capture solar energy.

Subject verb object

Passive Voice: Solar energy is captured by flat plate collectors.

In a passive voice construction, the grammatical subject of the clause receives the action of the verb. So, solar
energy from the above sentence, which is receiving the action, becomes the subject.
The formula: [subject]+[some form of the verb to be]+[past participle of a transitive verb]+(optional by phrase-agent)

Use of the passive:

 Reports of crimes or incidents with unknown perpetrators:
Example: The new flat plate collector was stolen yesterday.
 Scientific contexts:
Example: The heat is transferred to air or water.
 When the doer of the action is unknown, irrelevant or distracting:
Example: These collectors are used for solar heating applications.

Forms:
Active Form Passive Form
Simple Present Someone steals the collector. The collector is stolen.
Someone steals the collectors. The collectors are stolen.
Simple Past Someone stole the collector. The collector was stolen.
Someone stole the collectors. The collectors were stolen.
Modal Verb Someone can steal the collector. The collector can be stolen.

For more tense forms: https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive

PART THREE: Practice

1) Decide whether the following sentences are active or passive. Write AV of PV accordingly.
1. Solar Thermal Flat Plate collectors are some of the oldest proven technology available on the market today. _______
2. A low iron safety glass is used as a transparent cover as it lets through a great amount of the radiation from the sun. _______
3. Only very little of the heat emitted by the absorber escapes the cover (greenhouse effect). _______
4. Together with the frame, the cover protects the absorber from adverse weather conditions. _______
5. The conduction heat loss is lessened by the insulation materials used on the back of the absorber and on the side walls. ______
6. Insulation on better quality panels is usually mineral fiber insulating materials like glass, wool or rock wool. ________
7. Rockwool is an insulation material that is regularly used in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. ________
8. Rockwool can be differentiated from fiberglass by comparing the heat retention, fire resistance, moisture resistance, and
soundproofing capabilities. ________
9. The heart of a solar collector is the absorber (composed of several narrow metal strips).______
10. The carrier fluid (usually water or glycol) for heat transfer flows through a heat-carrying pipe. ______
11. Absorbers are typically made of copper or aluminum. ______
12. Absorbers are usually black, as dark surfaces absorb the solar radiation better. _______
13. The level of absorption indicates the amount of solar radiation being absorbed – that means not being reflected. ______
14. The ratio of absorbed energy to emitted heat is indicated by the degree of emission. ________
15. Using specially formulated absorber coatings and a high level of thermal insulation is fundamental to the efficiency of the solar
panel. ______

2) Choose 3 passive and 3 active sentences from exercise 1 and translate them into Spanish.

3) Write the passive form of the sentence if it is possible. Otherwise write a x next to it.
Examples:
The thermosyphon system heats the water in the house. The water in the house is heated by a thermosyphon system.
Use free solar energy for heating and domestic hot water. X

1. People must take care when installing such a system.

2. Big buildings used storage tanks for the heated water.

3. Indirect hot water systems required pumps to circulate the heat transfer liquid.

4. The heat exchanger may transfer the heat from the collector’s antifreeze solution.

5. You can place the hot water tank anywhere in the home.

6. Solar thermal systems are becoming an increasingly popular addition to new heating systems.

7. You can save up to 60% of the energy used for domestic hot water heating.

8. Solar collectors are an investment in the future.

9. They are very beneficial for the environment.

10. They also lower your yearly energy costs.

4) Write the active form

1. Internal combustion engines are used by gasoline and diesel cars.

2. A spark-ignited internal combustion engine was used by a gasoline car.

3. Compression-ignited systems were used by diesel vehicles.

4. The fuel is injected into the combustion chamber by a spark-ignited system.

5. To power the electric motor, a large traction battery pack was used by the electric vehicle.

6. The vehicle's wheels were moved by the power from the traction battery pack.
5) Read the text and insert the title in each gap describing some key components of the Plug-in Hybrid Electric
Vehicle.
Electric traction motor Charge port Transmission Onboard charger Electric generator Exhaust system
Battery (auxiliary) Fuel filler Internal combustion engine (spark-ignited) DC/DC converter
Power electronics controller Traction battery pack Fuel tank (gasoline) Thermal system (cooling)

How Do Plug-In Hybrid Electric

Cars Work?
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
(PHEVs) use batteries to power an
electric motor and another fuel,
such as gasoline, to power an
internal combustion engine (ICE).
PHEV batteries can be charged
using a wall outlet or charging
equipment, by the ICE, or through
regenerative braking. The vehicle
typically runs on electric power
until the battery is nearly depleted,
and then the car automatically
switches over to use the ICE.

Key Components of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Car

________________: In an electric drive _________________: It channels the _____________________: This unit

vehicle, the low-voltage auxiliary battery exhaust gases from the engine out manages the flow of electrical energy
provides electricity to start the car before through the tailpipe. A three-way delivered by the traction battery,
the traction battery is engaged; it also catalyst is designed to reduce engine- controlling the speed of the electric
powers vehicle accessories.
out emissions within it. traction motor and the torque it
__________________: A nozzle from a produces.
________________: It allows the
fuel dispenser attaches to the
vehicle to connect to an external
receptacle on the vehicle to fill the ____________________: This system
power supply in order to charge the
tank. maintains a proper operating
traction battery pack.
__________________: This tank temperature range of the engine,
stores gasoline on board the vehicle electric motor, power electronics, and
_________________: This device
until it's needed by the engine. other components.
converts higher-voltage DC power
__________________: In this ____________________: Stores
from the traction battery pack to the
configuration, fuel is injected into electricity for use by the electric
lower-voltage DC power needed to run
either the intake manifold or the traction motor.
vehicle accessories and recharge the
combustion chamber, where it is
auxiliary battery.
combined with air, and the air/fuel _________________: It transfers
_________________: Generates
mixture is ignited by the spark from a mechanical power from the engine
electricity from the rotating wheels
spark plug. and/or electric traction motor to drive
while braking, transferring that energy
__________________: Takes the the wheels.
back to the traction battery pack.
incoming AC electricity supplied via
Some vehicles use motor generators
the charge port and converts it to DC
that perform both the drive and
power for charging the traction
regeneration functions.
battery. It also communicates with the
_________________: Using power
charging equipment and monitors
from it, this motor drives the vehicle's
battery characteristics such as voltage,
wheels. Some vehicles use motor
current, temperature, and state of
generators that perform both the drive
charge while charging the pack.
and regeneration functions.