Welcome to all of our new users! Like most people who discover Steemit, you’re probably wondering about the currency tokens:Steem Power. Why do we need three of them? How are they different? When will I get paid? These questions are understandable, but they focus on the pieces.
Steam Power Plants
Thermal steam power plants are used to generate power from coal, nuclear, geothermal, solar thermal, waste incineration, and many natural gas sources. Though there are many variations, these plants basically turn heat energy into electricity. This basic model forms the bones for much of the world’s energy generation.
Here is a picture of a geothermal power plant in Iceland, which uses steam to convert heat from the earth into electricity. Don’t worry about pollution; there isn't much of that. It is just releasing extra steam into the air. This is a very renewable and sustainable energy source.
Here is a diagram of how the main parts of a steam power plant work:
A steam power plant requires water (which can be recycled and reused) and a heat source. The heat could come from geothermal, solar thermal, coal, nuclear, natural gas, or some other source that is hot or can be burned. A pump sends the water to a boiler, which heats it into steam, and then that steam powers a turbine. When the turbine spins, it creates electricity with help from the generator. The generator is connected to an electrical grid, and customers who plug into the grid are able to use that electricity. The steam condensate is then collected an cooled, and that water gets pumped back into the system for reuse.