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Power Station
*** Shopping-Tip: Power Station
:''For other uses, see
Power station (disambiguation).''
:''Power plant redirects here; for other uses, see
Power plant (disambiguation)''
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A '''power station''' or '''power plant''' is a facility for the
Electricity_generation generation of
electric power. 'Power plant' is also used to refer to the
engine in ships, aircraft and other large vehicles. Some prefer to use the term "energy center" because it more accurately describes what the plants do, which is the conversion of other forms of energy, like chemical energy, into electrical energy. However, "power plant" remains the most commonly used term in
American English, while "power station" is the most common term in
Commonwealth English.
At the centre of nearly all power stations is a
generator (device) generator, a rotating machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by creating relative motion between a magnetic field and a conductor. The energy source harnessed to turn the generator varies widely. It depends chiefly on what fuels are easily available and the types of technology that the power company has access to.
Thermal power stations
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Steam turbine Steam turbine generators
In thermal power stations, mechanical power is produced by a
heat engine, which transforms
thermal energy, often from
combustion of a
fuel, into rotational energy. Most thermal power plants produce steam, and these are sometimes called steam power plants. Not all thermal energy can be transformed to mechanical power, according to the
second law of thermodynamics. Therefore, thermal power plants also produce low-temperature heat. If no use is found for the heat, it is lost to the environment. If reject heat is employed as useful heat, for industrial processes or
district heating, the power plant is referred to as a
cogeneration power plant or CHP (combined heat-and-power) plant. In countries where district heating is common, there are dedicated heat plants called
heat-only boiler stations. An important class of power stations in the Middle East uses byproduct heat for
desalination of water.
Classification
Image:Poland Warsaw Żerań power station.jpg thumb|CHP plant in Warsaw, Poland
Thermal power plants are classified by the type of fuel and the type of prime mover installed.
=By fuel
=
*
Nuclear power plants use a
nuclear reactor's heat to operate a
steam turbine generator.
*
Fossil fuel power plant Fossil fueled power plants may also use a steam turbine generator or in the case of
Natural gas fired plants may use a
gas turbine combustion turbine.
*
Geothermal power plants use steam extracted from hot underground rocks.
*
Renewable energy plants may be fuelled by
bagasse waste from sugar cane, municipal solid waste, landfill
methane, or other forms of
biomass.
* In integrated
steel mills,
blast furnace exhaust gas is a low-cost, although low-energy-density, fuel.
*
Cogeneration Waste heat from industrial processes is occasionally concentrated enough to use for power generation, usually in a steam boiler and turbine.
=By prime mover
=
*
Steam turbine plants use the pressure generated by expanding steam to turn the blades of a turbine.
*
Gas turbine plants use the heat from combustion gases to directly operate the turbine. Natural-gas fuelled turbine plants can start rapidly and so are used to supply "peak" energy during periods of high demand, though at higher cost than base-loaded plants.
*
Combined cycle plants have both a gas turbine fired by natural gas, and a steam boiler and steam turbine which use the exhaust gas from the gas turbine to produce electricity. This greatly increases the overall efficiency of the plant, and most new baseload power plants are combined cycle plants fired by natural gas.
*Internal combustion
Reciprocating engines are used to provide power for isolated communities and are frequently used for small cogeneration plants. Hospitals, office buildings, industrial plants, and other critical facilities also use them to provide backup power in case of a power outage. These are usually fuelled by diesel oil, heavy oil, natural gas and landfill gas.
*
Gas_turbine#Micro_turbines Microturbines,
Stirling engine and internal combustion reciprocating engines are low cost solutions for using opportunity fuels, such as landfill gas, digester gas from water treatment plants and waste gas from oil production.
Cooling towers and waste heat
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Because of the fundamental limits to thermodynamic efficiency of any
Carnot cycle heat engine, all thermal power plants produce waste heat as a byproduct of the useful electrical energy produced.
Cooling towers are huge hyperbolic chimney-like structures that release the waste heat to the atmosphere by the evaporation of water. Very large cooling towers are often seen at nuclear power plants and dwarf the much smaller concrete containment domes enclosing the reactors. Cooling towers may be employed at many thermal power stations using steam turbines.
Geothermal,
biomass and
trash-to-energy_plant waste to energy plants tend to use smaller cooling towers relative to the station rating. In desert areas a dry cooling tower or radiator may be necessary, since the cost of make-up water for evaporative cooling would be prohibitive. These have lower efficiency and higher energy consumption in fans than a wet, evaporative cooling tower.
Where economically and environmentally possible, electric companies prefer to use cooling water from the ocean, or a lake or river, or a cooling pond, instead of a cooling tower. This type of cooling can save the cost of a cooling tower and may have lower energy costs for pumping cooling water through the plant's
heat exchangers. However, the waste heat can cause the temperature of the water to rise detectably.
Power plants using natural bodies of water for cooling must be designed to prevent intake of organisms into the cooling cycle. A further environmental impact would be organisms that adapt to the warmer temperature of water when the plant is operating that may be injured if the plant shuts down in cold weather.
Other sources of energy
Other power stations use the energy from
wave or
tide tidal motion,
Wind_power wind,
Solar_power sunlight or the energy of falling water,
hydroelectricity. These types of energy sources are called
renewable energy.
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectric dams impound a
reservoir of water and release it through one or more
water turbines to generate electricity.
''See main article
hydroelectricity for more.''
=Pumped storage
=
A
pumped storage hydroelectric power plant is a net consumer of energy but decreases the price of electricity. Water is pumped to a high reservoir during the night when the demand, and price, for electricity is low. During hours of peak demand, when the price of electricity is high, the stored water is released to produce electric power. Some pumped storage plants are actually not net consumers of electricity because they release some of the water from the lower reservoir downstream, either continuously or in bursts.
Solar
Image:Leitstand_2.jpg thumb|A control room of a modern power station
A solar
Solar panel photovoltaic power plant converts sunlight directly into electrical energy, which may need
Inverter (electrical) conversion to
alternating current for transmission to users. This type of plant does not use rotating machines for energy conversion. Solar thermal electric plants are another type of solar power plant. They direct sunlight using either parabolic troughs or
heliostats. Parabolic troughs direct sunlight onto a pipe containing a heat transfer fluid, such as oil, which is then used to boil water, which turns the generator. The central tower type of power plant uses hundreds or thousands of mirrors, depending on size, to direct sunlight onto a receiver on top of a tower. Again, the heat is used to produce steam to turn turbines. There is yet another type of solar thermal electric plant. The sunlight strikes the bottom of the pond, warming the lowest layer which is prevented from rising by a salt gradient. A
rankine cycle engine exploits the temperature difference in the layers to produce electricity. Not many solar thermal electric plants have been built. Most of them can be found in the Mojave Desert, although
Sandia National Laboratory, Israel and Spain have also built a few plants.
''See main article
solar power for more.''
Wind
Wind turbines can be used to generate electricity in areas with strong, steady winds. Many different designs have been used in the past, but almost all modern turbines being produced today use the Dutch three-bladed, upwind design. The newer turbines produce power much more cheaply and are more reliable and efficient. They are also much larger, so it takes fewer turbines to produce the same amount of power and the blades move far slower, which is less visually distracting. However, the old turbines can still be seen at some wind farms, particularly at
Altamont Pass and
Tehachapi Pass.
''See main article
wind power for more.''
See also
*
Combined heat and power
*
District heating
*
Cooling tower system
*
Flue gas desulfurization
*
Electricity generation
*
Environmental concerns with electricity generation
*
Fossil fuel power plant
Category:Power plants
cs:Elektrárna
de:Elektrizitätswerk
et:Elektrijaam
eo:Centralo
fa:نیروگاه
fr:Centrale électrique
hr:ElektriÄ?ne centrale i mreže
it:Centrale elettrica
he:×ª×—× ×ª כוח
hu:Erőmű
lt:ElektrinÄ—
nl:Elektriciteitscentrale
ja:発電所
no:Kraftverk
nn:Kraftverk
pl:Elektrownia
ru:ÐлектроÑ?танциÑ?
simple:Power station
fi:Voimalaitos
sv:Kraftverk
uk:ЕлектроÑ?танціÑ?
{{otheruses3|Power station (disambiguation)}}
Image:Powerstation publicityphoto.jpg thumb|right|left to right: Robert Palmer, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, and Tony Thompson
'''Power Station''' was a
popular music pop group made up of singer
Robert Palmer (British singer) Robert Palmer, bassist
Nigel John Taylor John Taylor and guitarist
Andy Taylor of
Duran Duran, and former
CHIC (band) CHIC drummer
Tony Thompson; two other CHIC members,
Bernard Edwards and
Nile Rodgers were also involved on the studio side. The band was formed in
New York City late in
1984 during a break in Duran Duran's schedule, and were named after the
Power Station recording studio where their album was conceived and recorded.
Origin
The group began as something of a whim -- it was a one-time gathering of friends to provide backing to model and would-be singer
Bebe Buell who wanted to record a cover of the
T. Rex (band) T. Rex song "Bang A Gong (Get It On)". Both Taylors were eager to branch out from the
synthesizer-heavy pop of Duran Duran and play some
Led Zeppelin-flavored
rock'n'roll; the participation of their idols from CHIC lent the project a horn-inflected funk that meshed surprisingly well with the crunching guitars and booming drums.
Soon the project evolved into the idea of a revolving
supergroup (bands) supergroup; a tentative name for the band was Big Brother. The original plan for the one-album project was for the three musicians (Taylor, Taylor and Thompson) to provide musical continuity to an album full of material, with a different singer performing on each track. Those who were approached included
Mick Jagger,
Billy Idol,
Mars Williams and
Richard Butler (singer) Richard Butler (of
The Psychedelic Furs), and
Mick Ronson.
The group then invited eclectic soul singer Robert Palmer to record vocals for the track "Communication". When he heard that they had recorded
Demo (music) demos for "Bang A Gong", he asked to try out vocals on that one as well, and by the end of the day, the group knew that they had found that elusive chemistry which distinguishes successful bands. Before long, they had decided to record the entire album with Palmer.
History
Image:Powerstation albumcover.jpg 200px|left|Power Station CD album cover; click to see the "33 1/3" variant for the vinyl releaseOn February 16, 1985, the band performed "Some Like It Hot" and "Bang A Gong" on the ''
Saturday Night Live'' TV show; this was Palmer's only live performance with the band.
In March of
1985, the band issued the album ''Power Station'' (originally released on
gramophone record vinyl and subtitled ''33⅓'' for the
phonograph turntable speed). The album was produced by
Bernard Edwards, with some informal assistance from
Nile Rodgers.
The band had two hit singles. The first, "Some Like It Hot", reached number 14 on the UK singles charts and number 6 in the USA. (The
music video featured the
transsexual model
Caroline Cossey, credited as "Tula".) The second single was "Bang A Gong (Get It On)", a
Cover version remake of the 1972
T. Rex (band) T. Rex hit, which went to number 22 in the UK and number 9 in the US, while competing against the Duran Duran single "A View to a Kill," which was a number one for Duran Duran. A third single, "Communication", was not as successful; it barely reached the Top 40 in the US, and disappeared after hitting a dismal number 75 in the UK.
The album itself reached number 12 in the UK and number 6 on the US album chart. Incidentally, the album's cover graphics and color scheme, which were also used in the videos, were based on sketches by John Taylor. Later he said about the rather sexy sketches that he had used all his phantasies and considered himself - self ironically - "an old pervert". (Source: Interview with German music magazine "Pop/Rocky, issue 3/1985.) The band also released a collection of the band's three music videos called "The Power Station Video EP".
The group's unexpected success led to two results: the band decided to do a summer tour in America, and Robert Palmer decided to record a new album (eventually produced by Edwards with Tony Thompson contributing some drum tracks) to take advantage of his sudden name recognition. This inevitably led to Palmer's departure from the band. Power Station went on to tour with singer
Michael Des Barres (formerly of
Silverhead and
Checquered Past). Des Barres also performed with them at the enormous
Live Aid charity concert in
Philadelphia that summer.
Des Barres' friendship with actor
Don Johnson led to the band's guest appearance on an episode of the TV drama ''
Miami Vice''. Similarly, his friendship with producer
Joel Silver led to Power Station writing a song called "We Fight For Love" for the
Arnold Schwarzenegger action film ''
Commando (film) Commando'' (1985). The track was originally titled "Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay".
The band folded late in 1985, as its members turned to other projects: John Taylor returned to Duran Duran, while Andy Taylor ''left'' Duran Duran and started a solo career. Tony Thompson was to take the place of
John Bonham in a re-formed
Led Zeppelin, but he was nearly killed in a 1986 car accident before that reunion could get off the ground. Palmer went on to record a string of chart-topping hits, including "Addicted To Love", "Simply Irresistible", and "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On".
Reunion
The band reunited ten years later with its original members, including Palmer. However,
divorce and
drug rehabilitation forced bassist John Taylor to withdraw from the project before the album was complete. Bernard Edwards (former CHIC bassist) stepped in and completed the album ''Living In Fear'' (1997) in his stead, and was prepared to tour with the group, but then died suddenly of
pneumonia during a trip to Japan. The group was staggered, but decided to press on, and toured with bassist
Manny Yanes and second guitarist
Luke Morley instead, to moderate success. The group quietly disbanded shortly after.
After the Band
* Robert Palmer died of a heart attack in September 2003
* Tony Thompson died of kidney cancer in November 2003.
* John Taylor and Andy Taylor reunited with the original members of
Duran Duran in 2001. They released the album ''
Astronaut (album) Astronaut'' in October 2004.
* EMI released a new version of ''Power Station'' on
February 21,
2005 year in music 2005, to commemorate the album's 20th anniversary. The package includes the original 8 track album, 7 bonus tracks and a 40-minute 8-chapter DVD. Among the bonus tracks on the album is the Michael Des Barres-sung track "We Fight For Love" -- now retitled "Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay" (from the ''Commando OST'')
Personnel
*
Robert Palmer (British singer) Robert Palmer - Vocalist
*
Andy Taylor - Guitarist
*
Nigel John Taylor John Taylor - Bassist
*
Tony Thompson - Drummer
Other Members
*
Michael Des Barres - Tour Vocalist (1985)
*
Bernard Edwards - Bassist (1997)
Discography
'''Albums'''
# ''
The Power Station (album) The Power Station'' (1985)
# ''Living In Fear'' (1997)
# ''Best Of'' (2003)
# ''
The Power Station (album) Power Station: 20th Anniversary Edition'' (2005)
'''Singles'''
# "Bang A Gong (Get It On)"
# "Some Like It Hot"
# "Communication"
# "She Can Rock It"
Category:American musical groups Power Station
Category:British musical groups Power Station
Category:Supergroups Power Station
de:Power Station
ja:パワー・ステーション
*** Shopping-Tip: Power Station
