Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is a process that has been done for thousands of years.  In 2011, hydroelectricity accounted for 16% of the world's total electricity, which is second only to fossil fuels.  Hydroelectric power generation has more than doubled since 1970(How Hydroelectric energy works).The process has become must more industrialized and efficient, but the basics of the process are the same that they were thousands of years ago.

The basis behind hydroelectricity is gathering the energy generated by a flowing water source.  The flowing water is directed towards a turbine, which looks just like a propeller.  This propeller then causes a generator to turn, turning mechanical energy into electrical energy.  This energy can then be sent off to be used in any number of ways.  Below is a picture showing what this process looks like.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Hydroelectric_dam.png

There are many different turbines that are currently used in this process, and it depends on how much power generation is desired.  Currently, turbines produce between 200 and 800 Megawatts.  In comparison, the average household in America used 901 Kilowatts per month in 2015(EIA 2016). This shows just how much power can be generated by hydroelectricity.

Unfortunately, hydroelectricity also has downfalls.  A big, flowing, water source is needed.  This makes it difficult to build this systems world-wide, as there are only select locations that will work. Additionally, the energy harvested can only be transferred a certain distance.  Finally, the systems require a lot of maintenance.  Turbine and generators constantly have problems, so regular maintenance is necessary.

Overall, hydroelectricity is a good alternative source of power, but it has limitations.  But it is a good step forward to becoming a cleaner planet.  If you are looking for more information on hydroelectricity, this page gives a good description of how the process works.

Works Cited

How Hydroelectric energy works. (n.d.) Retrieved February 15,2017, from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/how-hydroelectric-energy.html#.WKSwZ_krLcs

U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. (2016, October 18). Retrieved February 15, 2017, from https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3

Power outages and Power Stations

It was the summer of 2006, and it was as hot as can be in St. Louis, Missouri.  As a native of St. Louis, I can bring up this date to anyone, and they will forever remember a week-long span of blistering heat.  Temperatures rose over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and nearly everyone was without power.  With power outages city-wide, this means no air conditioning, and a lot of angry Ameren UE customers.

The reasoning behind this massive power outage that occurred city-wide was solely based upon the weather.  Known as the heat wave of 2006 derecho series, a powerful thunderstorm hit the St. Louis area, that was accompanied by intense winds.  These storms hit from July 17th through July 21st, and the damage was devastating (Heat wave of 2006 derecho series).

As to be expected with massive thunderstorms, damage to local transformer(power) stations caused outages around the city, and all around the midwest.  It is estimated that nearly 3,000,000 people lost power during these storms.

However, some people were able to keep power, despite the devastation.  This is due to the simple fact that these homes had power lines that ran underground, rather then the traditional above-ground lines that are seen everywhere.  Naturally, one would ask why wouldn't all power stations be built underground.  The answer is simple, money.  It is much more expensive to build a power station underground, versus above ground(Underground vs. Overhead).  Most americans obtain power from local power stations located within a few miles of their house.

Some would be willing to pay the extra money that it would cost to build a power station underground, while others would not.  Would you be willing to pay the extra money that it costs to build a power station underground, just to have reliable power 100% of the time?


Works Cited

Heat wave of 2006 derecho series. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2017, from http://pages.redif.com/heat-wave-of-2006-derecho-series/794476

Underground vs. Overhead: Power Line Installation-Cost Comparison and Mitigation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2017, from http://www.elp.com/articles/powergrid_international/print/volume-18/issue-2/features/underground-vs-overhead-power-line-installation-cost-comparison-.html

Introduction Blog

Hello!

My name is Justin Bell, and I am currently a student at Saint Louis University.  I am studying electrical engineering, with an emphasis on bioelectronics.  I aspire to work in one of the two following fields.  I hope to either work as an Radio Frequency (RF) engineer or as a Power systems engineer.  My life currently revolves around sports and math, but other hobbies include hanging out with my friends, going to sporting events, watching netflix, and sleeping.

Over the course of the next 10 weeks, I will focus on the topic of Power Engineering.  This field deals with the generation, transmission, distribution and utilization of electric power (Power Engineering).  This topic also includes all of the devices necessary to carry out the previously named actions.

I decided to choose to blog over this topic because it is something that I have great interest in.  I aspire to be a power systems engineer, and blogging about this topic is one way to learn more about the field.  Also, this field is growing immensely fast, so it will be extremely easy to find topics to blog about.  I hope this blog can stay interesting enough for people to read, and I look forward to talking about many different aspects of the Power Engineering Field.

Works Cited
What is a Power Engineer? Retrieved February 03, 2017, from https://www.powerengineering.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=160&Itemid=547