New ways to generate electricity ?

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In summary: When the temperature reaches a certain point, the metal vapor liquefies and the liquid droplets flow past the magnets towards a collector, where they are turned into electricity.In summary, this modern era has many type of power plant, but most require movement of turbines to generate electricity. One possibility for generating electricity without turbines and magnets is through magnetohydrodynamics. Fuel cells are also a possibility, but turbines are currently more practical.
  • #1
scilover89
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In this modern era, there are many type of power plant, from hydro electric power plant to nuclear fission power plant or even nuclear fussion(still in research). However, besides solar power plant, most power plant require movement of turbin to generate electricity. I think, that the speed of turbin will be reduced by many factors such as friction. Are there any other ways to generate electricity without relying on turbin and magnet?
 
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There are several ways to generate electricity without turbines and magnets such as solar power and photovoltaics. Off in the (hopefully not too distant) future, electricity may be generated commercially with stationary magnets through the use of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). That would rely on the Hall Effect with a plasma flowing through a magnetized channel.
 
  • #3
Fuel cells are another possibility for generating power without moving parts, but turbines are really very good as far as efficiency goes, and are "currently" (heh-heh) a lot more practical
 
  • #4
Tide said:
There are several ways to generate electricity without turbines and magnets such as solar power and photovoltaics. Off in the (hopefully not too distant) future, electricity may be generated commercially with stationary magnets through the use of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). That would rely on the Hall Effect with a plasma flowing through a magnetized channel.
That's interesting. Can you explain more about magnetohydrodynamics if you don't mind?
 
  • #5
scilover89 said:
That's interesting. Can you explain more about magnetohydrodynamics if you don't mind?

The essential features of an MHD generator include a channel bounded on opposite sides by magnets (usually permanent magnets) through which an ionized hot gas flows:

NNNNNNNNNNNN
-------------->
SSSSSSSSSSSS

The magnetic field causes electrons to drift perpendicularly to both the flow direction and the direction of the magnetic field (Lorentz force) while ions tend to drift in the opposite direction thereby generating a potential difference between the front and back of the device as sketched in my figure above. The gas can be heated by chemical reaction (such as from a rocket motor) and seeded with metal vapor.
 

1. What are some new ways to generate electricity?

There are several new ways to generate electricity, including solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, geothermal power, and biomass energy. These renewable energy sources use natural resources to generate electricity without producing harmful emissions.

2. How does solar power generate electricity?

Solar power systems use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity. These cells are made of silicon and other materials that create an electric field when exposed to sunlight. The electricity generated by the cells can then be stored in batteries or sent to the power grid.

3. What is the process of generating electricity from wind?

Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into electricity. As the wind blows, it turns the blades of the turbine, which are connected to a rotor. The rotor spins a generator, producing electricity that can be stored or sent to the grid.

4. How does hydroelectric power generate electricity?

Hydroelectric power plants use the force of moving water, such as from a dam or waterfall, to spin turbines connected to generators. This converts the energy of the moving water into electricity, which can then be used to power homes and businesses.

5. What is geothermal power and how does it generate electricity?

Geothermal power uses the heat from the Earth's core to generate electricity. This is done by drilling deep into the Earth's crust to access hot water and steam. The steam is then used to power turbines connected to generators, producing electricity without relying on fossil fuels.

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