Most important materials science in a Power Plant Research Paper

Most important materials science in a Power Plant - Research Paper Example The conclusion looks at the overall outlook of a hydroelectric power plant touching on its main aspects. Hydroelectric power involves extraction of energy from water that is utilized to turn turbines. These turbines run generators that then produce the electricity in question here. The fact behind this is that rain or water falling on the surface of the earth contains potential energy, which is relative to the direction where its drainage is; it can be a lake, sea, or ocean (Krishnaswamy and Bala 107). The water has to fall against a certain vertical distance to gain maximum amount of energy that will turn the turbines to enhance efficient production of electricity. The amount of power produced in hydroelectric power plants is a little less than that produced in nuclear and thermal power plants. During peak hours, the power produced in the hydroelectric power plants is used by the other power plants, thermal and nuclear, to deliver power to the required sites efficiently. The paper describes materials used in hydroelectric power plants. A hydroelectric power station has to consist of a dam that collects water to a certain height for it to attain the maximum required energy to run turbines. The dam is constructed by incorporating a thick wall across the pathway of a river; all season river. The wall varies in thickness; whereby the base is thicker than the top. The reason as to this is to contain the water since pressure at the bottom is greatest risking breakage of the wall if it is not strong enough. A dam straddles a river, hence blocking the water flow. It collects in the upper part of the dam to form an artificial lake or dam; known as a reservoir (Ahmed, Petersen, and Arvanitides 76). Damming a river changes the kinetic energy in water to potential energy: This could be explained well by using an example of a battery. A battery has stored energy that is not in