Operation of Electric Power Plants

Electric power plants have a number of components in common.

Boiler Unit: Almost all of power plants operate by heating water in a boiler unit into super heated steam at very high pressures. The source of heat from combustion reactions are fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas. In a nuclear power plant, the fission chain reaction is the source of heat.

Turbine-Generator: The super heated steam is used to rotate the blades of a turbine, which in turn rotates the generator. The rotating coil of wire in the magnets results in the generation of electricity.

Cooling Water: After the steam travels through the turbine, it must be cooled and condensed back into liquid water to start the cycle over again. Cooling water can be obtained from a nearby river or lake. Alternate method is to use a very tall cooling tower, where the evaporation of water falling through the tower provides the cooling effect.

Exercise 1. Translate into English.

1.Электростанция – это промышленное предприятие для генерирования электроэнергии.

2. Электрооборудование на электростанции преобразует механическую энергию в электрическую энергию, используя турбины и генераторы.

3. Паровая электростанция состоит из котла для получения пара из воды и паровой турбины, вращающей генератор.

4. Главный недостаток гидроэлектростанций состоит в том, что они очень зависят от гидрологического цикла того района, где они построены.

5. На солнечных электростанциях лучи солнца концентрируются на солнечных панелях, которые преобразуют энергию солнца в электрическую энергию.

6. Энергия, произведенная ветровой электростанцией, может подаваться непосредственно в общую сеть после прохождения через трансформаторы.

Part II

Environment Protection

Text 1

Global Warming

Global warming is an increase in the earth's temperature due to the use of fossil fuels and other industrial processes leading to a build-up of “greenhouse gases” (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons) in the atmosphere. It has been known since 1896 that carbon dioxide helps stop the sun's infrared radiation from escaping into space and thus functions to maintain the earth's relatively warm temperature (this is called the greenhouse effect). The question is whether the measurably increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the last century will lead to elevated global temperatures, which could result in coastal flooding (through a rise in sea level) and major climatic changes, and have serious implications for agricultural productivity.

Since 1850 there has been a mean rise in global temperature of approximately 1° C (1.8° F), but this rise could just be part of a natural fluctuation. Such fluctuations have been recorded for tens of thousands of years and operate in short-term as well as long-term cycles. The difficulty of distinguishing human-made causes of carbon dioxide emissions from natural sources is one reason why governmental legislation regarding their control has been slow. However, the potential consequences of global warming are so great that many of the world's top scientists have urged immediate action, and have called for international cooperation on the problem.

Словарь

due to благодаря; вследствие; в результате

build-up накопление, увеличение

implications последствия, результаты

elevated повышенный

mean средний

fluctuation колебание

to distinguish проводить различие, находить отличия, различать, распознавать

consequence (по)следствие

to urge убеждать, советовать, настаивать

to maintain поддерживать, удерживать, сохранять

cause причина, основание

level уровень

Questions

1. What is global warming?
2. What are the causes of global warming?
3. How can global warming affect life on the Earth?

Text 2

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