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Electric stations: advantages and disadvantages
Electric stations are an important part of everyone's life, as they transform the energy of natural resources into electricity. One station is a whole complex of measures, artificial and natural subsystems that serve to transform and distribute all types of energy sources. The whole process can be divided into several stages:
- Process of extraction and processing of primary energy source.
- Delivery to the power station.
- The process of converting primary energy into secondary energy.
- Distribution of secondary (electrical or thermal) energy between consumers.
Electric power includes the production of energy at the station and its subsequent delivery through power lines. The most important elements of this chain, such as power plants, differ in the type of primary sources that are available in the region.
Let's consider some types of transformative processes in more detail, as well as advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
| Advantages | disadvantages |
Low cost of consumed fuel | High degree of environmental pollution |
Relatively small capex | Significant operating costs for plants |
Free accommodation. Do not have a binding to any particular area | |
Low cost of energy | |
| Small area of accommodation |
Hydroelectric power stations (HPPs) use water resources as a primary energy source , for example, reservoirs and rivers. Advantages and disadvantages of HPPs are also summarized in the table.
| Advantages | disadvantages |
No extraction and transportation of the resource is required | Alienation of fertile lands. Dampness |
Ecological compatibility | Violation of aquatic ecosystems |
Regulation of water flow | Large accommodation areas |
High reliability | |
Easy maintenance | |
Low cost | |
| Possible additional use of natural resources |
Nuclear power plants (NPPs) are a set of installations and measures designed to convert energy, which is released as a result of fission of atomic nuclei, into thermal, and then into electrical energy. The most important element of this system is a nuclear reactor, as well as a set of associated devices. The table below shows the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power plants.
| Advantages | disadvantages |
Low amount of harmful emissions | Irradiation hazard |
Low fuel consumption | There is no possibility to regulate the output power |
High output power | Low probability of an accident, but very severe consequences of the world scale |
| Low cost of energy | Significant capital investments |
An equally important stage is the transportation of fuel resources to the power plant. This process can be carried out in several ways, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. Consider the main methods of transportation:
- Water transport. Delivery is carried out with the help of tankers and bunkering.
- Automobile transport. Transportation is carried out in tanks. The ability to transport only liquid or gaseous fuels determines the existing advantages and disadvantages of road transport.
- Railway transport. Delivery in cisterns and open wagons for long distances.
- Suspended cable cars and belt conveyors are rarely used and only for very short distances.
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