How Does an Oil Power Plant Work?

A power plant generator

How a Thermal Power Plant Works

All thermal power plants convert heat energy into mechanical energy, and then into electricity. This is done by using heat to turn water into steam and then directing the steam at a turbine. The steam turns the turbine blades, converting heat into mechanical power. This in turn runs the generator, which creates electricity.

The Oil-Fired Plant

Power plants that burn oil to produce electricity are called oil-fired plants. They are no different in general principle and operation from their fossil-fueled cousins, the coal-fired and natural gas-fired plants, and are even similar to geothermal and nuclear power plants in some respects.

Other Oil-Powered Designs

Another means of using oil and other petroleum products to generate electricity is the internal combustion engine, which works by converting the explosive potential of burning petroleum and its derivatives directly into mechanical energy, and then using that mechanical power to run a generator. A gasoline-burning version of this system is present in every conventional motor engine in the world. Oil-fired combustion engine generators are common in circumstances when a fixed generator is needed but the power demand is too small to make a steam turbine practical.

Related Articles

How Is Fossil Fuel Converted Into Electricity?
How Steam Generators Work
The Differences Between Nuclear Power & Fossil Fuel-Burning...
How Are Magnets Used to Generate Electricity?
How Does Nuclear Energy Get From the Plant to the Customer?
What is Ethanolic Potassium Hydroxide?
Sources of Energy From the 1800s
How to Convert Horsepower to kWh
How Is Natural Gas Mined?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Thermal Power
How is Wattage Calculated?
How to Remove Oil from Sea Water
Sources of Kinetic Energy
How Is Hydropower Gathered or Created?
How to Convert HP to Amps & Volts
Two New Forms of Energy in the Late 1800s
What Are Three Examples of Fossil Fuels?
The Difference Between a Turbine & a Generator
Negative Effects of Biomass
How Is Diesel Fuel Made?

Dont Go!

We Have More Great Sciencing Articles!