How Are Fossil Fuels Turned Into Electricity?

Fossil fuels are the dominant energy resource we have today. So, just how are fossil fuels turned into electricity in today's world? The answer is surprisingly simple.

Fossil fuels are treated roughly in the world of public opinion these days. They are blamed for everything from pollution to greenhouse gases to high prices. All of this is true to one extent or another, but we should keep in mind that fossil fuels also made it possible for us to move from a society of primarily farmers to what we see today. Oil moves cars. Coal warms our homes. Oil is the key component to the asphalt you drive on, the plastic products you use and even foods you eat. In short, they played and continue to play a critical role in our lives.


As a modern society, we are very impressed with out supposed sophistication. We develop and use technology to make our lives supposedly easier and easier. The humorous saying is "Give me convenience or give me death!" This is how far modern technology has brought us. When it comes to the production of electricity, however, this is not the case. Will still use the basic methods developed hundreds of year ago.

So, how are fossil fuels turned into electricity? The answer is simple - we burn them. Why? To create steam. Coal is the primary fuel used to create electricity. It is shipped in huge quantities to power plants where it is put into boilers. As the heat builds up, it is applied to tanks of water. The water boils and steam occurs. This steam is under immense pressure and run past turbine blades. This causes the blades to spin a shaft that is connected to a wire coil. The coil spins between magnets and an electric charge is created and stored. Although the system has been made more efficient over the years, this is still the same basic approached used throughout the industrial revolution.



This simple approach also points out the problems associated with replacing fossil fuels as a means of producing electricity on a large and consistent basis. No renewable energy source is currently able to do it on such a large scale and so consistently. Certain technology, particular solar, is moving in that direction, but it will be a while before it is perfected.

To summarize, how are fossil fuels turned into electricity? Coal is the fossil fuel used and we simply burn it to get the job done.

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