HYDROELECTRIC PLANT

In a hydroelectric power plant, water, flowing from a higher level to a lower level, travels through the

metal blades of a water turbine, causing the rotor of the electrical generator to spin and produce

electricity.

In a fossil-fueled power plant, heat, from the burning of coal, oil, or natural gas, converts (boils) water

into steam (A), which is piped to the turbine (B). In the turbine, the steam passes through the blades,

which spins the electrical generator (C), resulting in a flow of electricity. After leaving the turbine, the

steam is converted (condensed) back into water in the condenser (D). The water is then pumped (E)

back to the boiler (F) to be reheated and converted back into steam.

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