Electric generator
device · 1866 · Industrial Revolution
A machine that turns rotation into electric current.
What it is made of
- Stator — has part. The stationary part with the windings.
- Rotor — has part. The rotating part with a magnetic field.
- Copper wire — has part. Windings.
- Ball bearing — has part. Shaft bearings.
Principles and materials it uses
- Electromagnetic induction — uses. Turning a conductor in a magnetic field induces a current.
- Copper — is made of. The windings are copper.
- Iron — is made of. The core is iron.
Where it is used
- Regenerative braking — is used in. In regeneration mode the electric motor works as a generator.
- Diesel locomotive — is part of. The generator powers the traction motors.
- Thermal power station — is part of. Generators.
- Power station — is part of. Generators produce the current.
- Hydroelectric power station — is part of. Generators.
- Wind turbine — is part of. A generator.
- Nuclear power plant — is part of. Generators.
- Bike light with dynamo — is part of. A dynamo.
- Wave power station — is part of. A generator.
- Combined heat and power plant — is part of. The turbine turns the generator.
- Geothermal power station — is part of. The turbine turns the generator.
- Pumped-storage station — is part of. At night pumps lift water uphill; by day it runs back down through turbines and generators.
What it is a kind of
- Alternator — includes. A generator.
- Solar panel — includes. A solar panel also generates electricity — from light rather than rotation.
Things built in a similar way
- Electric motor — works like. A generator and a motor are built the same way and differ only in the direction of energy conversion.