Labelling diagrams

Read the following passage to find out about how fossil fuels are used to generate electricity.













After visiting a coal-burning power station a student drew the diagram below to show how it works.
Add the following labels to the diagram. You will have to use one label twice.

electrical energy kinetic energy stored chemical energy




Coal, oil and gas are fossil fuels because they come from the remains of plants and
animals that lived millions of years ago. Coal is often crushed into a fine powder to be
burned, while oil and gas are burned directly.





Fossil fuels provide about 66% of the worlds electricity and about 95% of the worlds energy
needs.

Burn
fuel
Heat water
to make
steam
Steam
turns
turbine
Turbines
turn
generators
Electrical
power
Energy from the
wind
Read the following passage to find out about generating electricity using the wind.



























Highlight or underline the section(s) of the text above which answer the following questions. Use a
different colour for each question.

1. What is a wind farm?
2. Why is New Zealand a great place for Wind farms?
3. What does the power of a wind turbine depend on?
4. When do wind turbines produce their most power?


A wind farm is the name we give to a group (or a single) of wind turbines that are all
connected together to make electricity that is fed into our power grid. At the end of
2007, New Zealand had 8 wind farms which had between 1 and 135 wind turbines.
These wind farms produced enough electricity to power 145,000 homes.
New Zealand is very well suited to wind farms as it has a long coastline and its position
in the ocean (in an area known as the roaring forties) means that it has fairly strong
winds throughout the year. Wind farms are often built near the coast, for example
the Makara Wind Farm in the Wellington region. Wind farms are also often built on
hills and mountain ranges where there is good flow of strong wind, for example Te
Apiti Wind farm in the Manawatu.
The amount of power that a wind turbine generates depends on two things:
- the size of the turbine and
- the speed of the wind.
Larger turbines capture more of the winds energy and generate more power. The
amount of electricity generated changes as the speed of the wind changes. Most wind
turbines will not operate if the wind is less than 9 km per hour (kph). They generate
the most electricity when the wind reaches 40 kph and have to turn off when the wind
speed reaches about 90 kph to stop them being damaged.
Using Flow charts
Flow charts are a method used to show various stages in a process. The simplified flow chart
below shows the energy transfers and transformations involved in generating electricity from tidal
power.





Te Aroha and Sam drew the flow chart below to describe how electricity is generated by a wind
turbine. You read the chart from left to right. Inside the boxes are the stages in the process.. On
the arrows are the energy transformations and transfers involved.
In rushing to catch the bus, they forgot to fill in some of the boxes and labels. Complete the flow
chart by filling in the missing information.







Wind
Blows


___________________________
__
___________________________
__
Kinetic energy to
Mechanical energy

Turbine turns drive shaft
Drive shaft turns
______________
______________
Generator produces
electricity
Mechanical energy
to
Mechanical energy
_______________
_ to
_______________
__
_______________
to
________________
_
Moving water
turns turbine
Turbine turns
generator
Electrical
Power
Kinetic energy to
Mechanical energy
Mechanical energy
to Electrical energy
Wind Farms








Here are the views of 3 different people. When you have read each view, decide whether the
person supports wind farms or not, and explain your reason.
Does this person think wind farms are a good idea?
Explain your answer.
i

John:
By building wind
farms in New
Zealand we won't
have to use the old
gas-fired power
stations as much.
Yes No Can't tell (Circle one)
Explanation:


ii Pita:
The wind farm will
spoil the natural
beauty of the hills.
Yes No Can't tell (Circle one)
Explanation:



iii Fred:
"It is windy enough
round here without
having a wind farm
making more
wind!

Yes No Can't tell (Circle one)
Explanation:





Wind Farms are power stations that run on wind
power.
Wind turns the blades of the wind turbine. This
movement is used to generate electrical power.
Some people think that wind farms are a good
idea. Some people don't want them to get built.
Hydro Power
Study the diagram below.
The electricity for the house has come from a hydro dam via falling water.

Complete the following table by writing the energy equation for each of the transformations. The
first two have been done for you.
Energy sources Energy equations
The Sun Nuclear energy solar (heat and light) energy
The water surface Solar energy kinetic energy (of the rising water vapour)
Rising water vapour


Falling rain and rivers


Hydro dam


Now string the five energy equations into one long energy chain to show how energy from the sun
can be converted into electrical energy by a hydro dam.

Nuclear energy _________________________ _________________________
_________________________ ____________________________ electrical energy






Pros and cons
Read the following passage about hydropower generation, and highlight or underline any
keywords.




















Complete the table below to show the advantages and disadvantages of hydropower. The table
has been started for you.

ADVANTAGES
OF HYDROPOWER
DISADVANTAGES
OF HYDROPOWER
It is renewable.
The dams are expensive to build.












A dam is built to trap water, usually in a valley where there is an existing lake. Water is
allowed to flow through tunnels in the dam, to turn turbines and thus drive generators.
Hydro-electric power stations can produce a great deal of power very cheaply.
Gravitational potential energy is stored in the water above the dam. Because of the great
height of the water, it will arrive at the turbines at high pressure, which means that we can
extract a great deal of energy from it. The water then flows away down river as normal.
An advantage of hydropower is that once the dam is built, the energy is virtually free. No
waste or pollution produced and it is much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power.
Water can be stored above the dam ready to cope with peaks in demand meaning that the
Hydro-electric power stations can increase to full power very quickly, unlike other power
stations. As a result electricity can be generated constantly.
The dams are very expensive to build. However, many dams are also used for flood control
or irrigation, so building costs can be shared. Building a large dam will flood a very large
area upstream, which can cause problems for animals that used to live there. Finding a
suitable site can also be difficult - the impact on residents and the environment may be
unacceptable. Water quality and quantity downstream can be affected, which can have an
impact on the plant life. However, hydropower is a renewable resource meaning it will
never run out.
Question 2
Energy Production














The Manawatu is home to two very different methods of producing electricity. There is the
hydroelectric power station at Mangahao and the wind turbines at the Te Apiti Wind
Farm.

For one of the above power generating facilities, discuss how it generates electricity and the
impacts it has on the surrounding environment.

In your answer you should:

State the type(s) of energy involved
Describe the main energy transformation(s) involved
Explain how electricity is generated at the power station or wind turbines
Describe the implications on the environment
Explain whether these implications are positive or negative

Question 2





Mangahao Hydroelectric Power Station Te Apiti Wind
Farm
The Manawatu region produces energy in two very different
ways:
- Mangahao Hydroelectric Power Station
- Te Apiti Wind Farm
Compare and contrast how wind power and hydroelectric power generate electricity and the
impact they have on the surrounding environment.
In comparing and contrasting you should:
State the different types of energy involved in each of the power stations.
State the main energy transformations involved for each of the power stations.
Explain the ways in which the power stations generate electricity.
Discuss the impacts on the environment for each of the power stations.



Question 2 Environmental Energy






As the population grows in
the Manawatu, the energy
demands increase. Councils in
the future will have very difficult
decisions to make regarding energy production
Imagine it is 2030 and the council is considering two new energy production proposals for the area:
1.) A 100 turbine addition to the Te Apiti Wind Farm

OR

2.) A hydroelectric power station damming the Pohangina River

Compare and contrast how wind power and hydroelectric power generate electricity and the impacts they
would have on the surrounding environment.

In your answer you should consider:
The energy changes involved in each process
How the electricity is generated
The advantages and disadvantages of each power station
The impact on the environment of each power station


Question 2 Wind versus Water



Within the Manawatu we find examples of both Hydropower, at Mangahou Power Station in
Shannon, and Wind Power, at Te Apiti Wind farm.
Compare and contrast hydro power with wind power.
In your answer you should:
Explain how the electricity is produced (you may use diagrams to help)
Write energy equations to show the energy changes that occur for each
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of each
Compare and contrast the implications for the local environment of each