how do steam turbines work in generating electricity?
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well, the basic idea is that they're kind of like a big propeller inside a tube.  one side of the tube is connected to a sealed tank with some water in it, and the other side of the tube is vented out to the air.  when you light a fire under the water, the water boils and releases steam.  this fire can be powered by coal, oil, or even not be fire at all - in a nuclear reactor, the nuclear reaction is used to heat water that in turn boils and makes steam.\n\nif you've ever done any cooking on the stove, you know that if the container is sealed, the steam can build up to a VERY high pressure.  \n\nif you then open a valve and send the steam down the tube toward the turbine, the high pressure on one side will cause the turbine blades to spin.  just like a propellor working in reverse, essentially.  obviously i'm glossing over some of the details - there are a lot of subtle thermodynamics involved with a real turbine, and "propellor" is only a very rough approximation.\n\nso the shaft of the propeller is then connected via some gearbox to a generator.  a generator is basically a loop of wire that is free to turn in a magnetic field.  usually this field is generated by a permanent magnet.  \n\nif the loop spins, the mechanical energy of the spin is converted into electrical energy via a phenomenon called magnetic induction.  if you then connect the wires of the loop to some circuit, the induced current will power the circuit.\n\nan old roommate of mine was into collecting miniatures steam engines, for some reason, and apparently there are quite a few companies that make them.  here is a representative example of one or you can search on google for "steam turbine toy" or "steam turbine kit":\n\nhttp://www.lilliputmotorcompany.com/steam-turbine-wilesco-p-451.html\n\nas for a generator, lots of science hobby places sell little kit generators.  you don't want to use a big one as your tiny steam engine won't have enough torque to turn one over.  here's an example:\n\nhttp://sciencekit.com/category.asp_Q_c_E_440210\n\nhere are some links about how steam turbines work, and magnetic induction and generators:\nhttp://library.thinkquest.org/C006011/english/sites/dampfturbine.php3?v=2\nhttp://www.sciencejoywagon.com/physicszone/lesson/otherpub/wfendt/generatorengl.htm\nhttp://www.taftan.com/thermodynamics/STURBINE.HTM
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Steam turbines obviously require steam, and therefore you will need a boiler, a condenser, and a water treatment facility. This could be fairly costly, but the steam turbine is a faily simple device, that runs very quietly. \n\nThe Gas turbine is very noisy, and wastes a lot of heat energy, there is a risk of explosion if not run properly, but a boiler carries the same risk. It may still be more efficient than the Steam Turbine. It requires scheduled cleaning of its air filter and its compressor blades, and will definelty need to be shut down for maintenence more often than the steam turbine.
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A generator is a machine that converts mechanical power to electrical power, by making a conductor cut across a magnetic field's lines of force.  This is done by moving either the conductor or the magnetic field.  Current flows in the conductor if its ends are connected to an electrical load thus producing electrical power.  Because an opposing magnetic field is created by the current in the conductor, it requires mechanical energy to maintain this motion.
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Define power.\nElectricity is the flow of electrons through a substance.\nIn the United States, electricity can be generated through coal/fossil fuel burning plants, nuclear power plants, wind(mills), and solar energy collection.\n\nIn fossil fuel and nuclear plants, they use the furnace and nuclear reactor to heat up water in order to turn a turbine, which spins around an electromagnet to generate electricity. There is much loss of energy through this process because much of the energy used to heat the water is lost through convection.  In windmills, the wind directly turns the turbine, so there is not as much loss, plus, it is a renewable resource.
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I dont want to copy the entire article from the site---please do visit the link below for full information\n\n\nA wind turbine is a machine for converting the mechanical energy in wind into electrical energy. If the mechanical energy is used directly by machinery, such as a pump or grinding stones, the machine is usually called a windmill. If the mechanical energy is then converted to electricity, the machine is called a wind generator\n\n\n\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbines\n.\nhttp://www.howstuffworks.com/search.php\nhttp://windpower.getfast.info/wind_power/?kw=small%20wind%20electricity%20systems,wind%20turbine
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STEAM TURBINE IS THE BEST EXAMPLE\n in this process steam rotates the turbine convert heat anergy to mechanical energy, and then mechanical turbine rotates the dynamo which creates electricity.
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Steam turbines have several controlled nozzles which connect to the superheated steam source from the boiler and superheater.  The number of nozzles and steam flow rate through the nozzles can control the power output of the turbine.  The momentum of the steam gas hitting the turbine (in stages) as it expands spins the turbine creating shaft power.\n\nOne type of gas turbine is the exhaust side of a turbocharger.  Hot exhaust gas under pressure is pumped by the engine into the the outer ring of the turbine.  The gas is still expanding, and spins the turbine providing shaft power to drive the air compressor side.  \n\nThe type of gas turbine common to power plants and airplanes has a compressor section, combustion chamber, and expansion section.  The expansion and compression turbine sections have moving vanes and stationary vanes to direct the gases and extract the most work possible from the setup.  Atmospheric air is compressed by the compressor and fed at elevated pressure to the combustion chamber where fuel is injected and an ingnition source keeps the flame lit.  The exhaust spins the expansion section and exits through the rear of the engine.
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Solar Tower Systems\n\nThese systems produce electricity on a large scale. They are unique among solar technologies because they can store energy efficiently and cost effectively. They can operate whenever the customer needs power, even after dark or during cloudy weather.\n\nPower towers operate by focusing a field of thousands of mirrors onto a receiver located at the top of a centrally located tower. The receiver collects the sun's heat in a heat-transfer fluid, which is used to generate steam for a conventional steam turbine located at the foot of the tower for production of electricity.\n\nBased on other companies experiences with solar tower applications, which used water/steam as the heat-transfer fluid, our engineers determined that power towers would operate more efficiently using molten salt. The salt would have the further advantage of providing a practical way to store the heat.\n\nDuring operation, the salt is heated to more than 565°C and stored in a tank next to the tower. When electricity production is needed, the hot salt is pumped from this "hot" storage tank to the steam generator. \nPower towers also have distinct advantages over conventional power plants. Like all solar technologies, they consume no fuel, so they do not pollute the environment. Similarly, they are capital intensive but cost little to operate.
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It's use water to get electricity\nA electricity is produce by turbine , there is a several way to make this turbine working by motor, by wind flow, by water,....\nIn case of water the hogh velocity of water during shut down make the turbin turn and produce electricity
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electricity or power obtained from moving water\nmainly from dams and tide power plants
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Hydroelectric: moving water from natural or artificial waterfalls powers turbines.\n\nSolar: Special reflective surfaces called photovoltaic convert the sun's radiation into energy, used to power turbines.\n\nWind:  Large turbines are pushed by the movement of the winds; resemble giant windmills.\n\nOil, Natural Gas & Coal (fossil fuels):  Are extracted and burned to power generator turbines.\n\nNuclear (fission): The power of the atom is harnessed as atoms are split apart and the resultant energy used to power turbines; buildings marked by iconic hour-glass-shaped cooling towers.\n\nBiomass: The buring of biologic materials to power turbines.\n\nWaste-to-Energy: the burning of waste materials (such as trash) to power turbines.\n\nNuclear (fussion): Still being developed; fusing atomic nuclei together and capturing the resultant release of energy.
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well I think you are asking how to turn heat into energy.  what it dose is heats a jell in a tube and this heats water out side the tube and the water turns to steam that turn a turbine that turns a motor what produces energy. the water cools falls back into the tank and it get heated up again. so it is a never ending cycle.
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Do you mean electrical power from a Nuclear power plant?\n\nIn a nuclear power plant, a reactor contains a supply of enriched uranium.  This radioactive material reacts with itself as it decays, producing heat.  This heat is used to heat water into steam, which turns a steam turbine, which turns a generator (much like in a coal burning plant).  Due to concerns over leaks of radioactive material, there is usually two steam/water loops, one that goes through the reactor and then through a heat exchanger to heat the water in the second loop that goes through the turbine.\n\nNewer reactor technology replaces the first water loop with helium gas instead, resulting in an even safer reactor design.
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http://www.swri.edu/3pubs/brochure/d18/steam/steam.htm http://www.onsitemachining.com/turbine.html
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a hyrdo electric generator works by using water current flowing againsnt a wheel that in fact turns the generator wheel creating electricity, just like when you put your hand against a current it opushes against your hand, except its being diredcted twards a wheel that catches that current turning it into energy
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The basic theory is that if you pump steam into a place where there is a piston, the piston will move up.  Then you release the steam and the piston will go down.  You connect the piston to something to get movement, such as some gears that turn the propellers or connect them to the wheels.  It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's basically how it's done.
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Nuclear reactors are basically heat engines. As uranium fissions, the breaking apart of atoms releases energy, much of it in the form of heat, which can then be used to do work. In a nuclear-powered submarine, reactor heat produces steam to drive the turbines that provide the submarine's actual power. The development of compact, safe, and highly reliable pressurized water reactors for naval use in the early 1950s was the major technological achievement that made nuclear-powered submarines possible.\n\nHow Reactors Work\nNaval pressurized-water reactors include a primary coolant system and a secondary coolant system. The primary system circulates water, which is pressurized to keep it from boiling, in a closed loop. As water passes through the reactor, it is heated. It then goes through the steam generator, where it gives up its heat to generate steam in the secondary system. Finally, it flows back to the reactor to be heated again. Inside the steam generator, heat energy is transferred across a watertight boundary to the secondary system, also a closed loop. The unpressurized water in the secondary system turns to steam when heated. The steam, in turn, flows through the secondary system to the propulsion turbines, which turn the propellers, and to the turbine generators, which supply electricity. As it cools, it condenses to water and is pumped back to the steam generator.