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Text 5. Hydro Power



When it rains in hills and mountains, the water becomes streams and rivers that run down to the ocean. The moving or falling water can be used to do work. Energy, you’ll remember, is the ability to do work. So moving water, which has kinetic energy, can be used to make electricity. For hundreds of years, moving water was used to turn wooden wheels that were attached to grinding wheels to grind (or mill) flour or corn. These were called grist mills or water mills.

Water can either go over the top of the wheel or the wheel can be placed in the moving river. The flow of the river then turns the wheel at the bottom. Today, moving water can also be used to make electricity. “Hydro” means water. “Hydroelectric” means making electricity from water power. Hydroelectric power uses the kinetic energy of moving water to make electricity. Dams can be built to stop the flow of a river. Water behind a dam often forms a reservoir. Dams are also built across larger rivers but no reservoir is made. The river is simply sent through a hydroelectric power plant or powerhouse.

The water behind the dam flows through the intake and into a pipe called a penstock. The water pushes against blades in a turbine, causing them to turn. The turbine is similar to the kind used in a power plant. But instead of using stream to turn the turbine, water is used. The turbine spins a generator to produce electricity. The electricity can then travel over long distance electric lines to mountainous areas of states where there are lakes and reservoirs and along rivers.

The world’s ocean may eventually provide us with energy to power our homes and businesses. Right now, there are very few ocean energy power plants and most are fairly small. But how can we get energy from the ocean?

There are three basic ways to tap the ocean for its energy. We can use the ocean’s waves, we can use the ocean’s high and low tides, or we can use temperature differences in the water. Let’s take a look at each.

Kinetic energy (movement) exists in the moving waves of the ocean. That energy can be used to power a turbine. In this simple example the wave rises into a chamber. The raising water forces the air out of the chamber. The moving air spins a turbine which can turn a generator. When the wave goes down, air flows through the turbine and back into the chamber through doors that are normally closed. This is only one type of wave-energy system. Others actually use the up and down motion of the wave to power a piston that moves up and down inside a cylinder. That piston can also turn a generator. Most wave-energy systems are very small. But, they can be used to power a warning buoy or a small light house.

Another form of ocean energy is called tidal energy. When tides come into the shore, they can be trapped in reservoirs behind dams. Then when the tide drops, the water behind the dam can be let out just like in a regular hydroelectric power plant. Tidal energy has been used since about the 11th century, when small dams were built along ocean estuaries and small streams, the tidal water behind these dams was used to turn water wheels to mill grains.

Using the temperature of water to make energy actually dates back to 1881 when a French Engineer by the name of Jacques D’Arsonval first thought of OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion). The final ocean energy idea uses temperature differences in the ocean. Power plants can be built that use this difference in temperature to make energy. A difference of at least 38 degrees Fahrenheit is needed between the warmer surface water and the colder deep ocean water.

 

Exercise 47. Answer the following questions.

1. How was moving water used for hundreds of years? 2. What does ‘hydroelectric’ mean? 3. What does hydroelectric power use to make electricity? 4. How are dams used? 5. What are the ways to tap the ocean for its energy? 6. What are the types of wave-energy system? 7. How can they be used? 8. Where has tidal energy been used since about 11th century? 9. Is tidal energy widely used to make electricity? 10. What is Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion?

 

Exercise 48. Translate the following universal words without a dictionary.

Electricity, hydroelectric, reservoir, business, temperature, generator, kinetic, energy, system, cylinder, idea, type, Fahrenheit.

 

Exercise 49. These words are used both as verbs and as nouns. Translate and remember them.

To house – house, to stop – stop, to use – use, to flow – flow, to water – water, to tap – tap, to power – power, to trap – trap, to turn – turn, to need – need, to call – call, to form – form, to plant – plant, to rain – rain, to run – run, to fall – fall, to mill – mill, to place – place, to produce – produce, to mean – means, to wave – wave, to cause – cause, to light – light, to drop – drop, to date – date.

 

Exercise 50. Give Ukrainian / Russian equivalents to the following word combinations:

a) flow of water; hydroelectric power; power house; power plant; grinding wheel; ocean energy; wave energy; tidal energy; water wheel; tidal station; water power; thermal energy conversion;

b) to make electricity; to turn a generator; to power a piston; to use tide; to get energy; to form a reservoir; to spin a turbine; to be trapped in a reservoir; to use temperature difference; to power a light house.

 

 

Exercise 51. Translate and comment upon the following grammar forms.

Was used; can be built; can turn; has been used; was used to turn; moving water; moves up and down; comes into; can be let out; larger; were attached; began making; produces; largest.

 

Exercise 52. Find the English equivalents in text 5.

Енергія води; кінетична енергія; гідроелектростанція; різниця температур; системи, що використовують енергію хвиль; енергія приливу і відливу; електрика; атомна електростанція; теплове перетворення; 38 градусів за Фаренгейтом.

 

Exercise 53. Match the synonyms.

 

  1. energy
  2. grind
  3. stream
  4. make
  5. hydro
  6. plant
a) flow b) produce c) power d) mill e) station f) water

 

Exercise 54. Fill in the gaps with words given in brackets bellow and translate the sentences.

Turbine, temperature difference, moving water, kinetic energy, powerhouse, wave-energy systems, water wheels.

1. Today, … … can also be used to make electricity. 2. Hydroelectric power uses the … … of moving water to make electricity. 3. The river is simply sent through a hydraulic power plant or … . 4. Wave energy can be used to power a … . 5. … … can be used to power a warning buoy or a small light house. 6. The tidal water was used to turn … … to mill grains. 7. The final ocean energy idea uses … … in the ocean.

 

Exercise 55. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Рух води, що має кінетичну енергію, може викорис-товуватись для вироблення електрики. 2. Хвилі океану, приливи та відливи вод океану, різниця температур води в океані – це три шляхи використання енергії океану. 3. Кінетична енергія (рух) існує у русі хвиль океану. 4. Однією з форм енергії океану є енергія приливів та відливів. 5. Енергія приливів та відливів океану використовувались приблизно з 11-го століття для роботи водяного колеса млина. 6. У наші дні деякі гідроелектростанції виробляють достатньо енергії, використовуючи енергію приливів та відливів океану. 7. Також будуються електростанції, які використовують різницю температур океанської води для вироблення енергії.

 

Exercise 56. Memorize the following words and word combinations to text 6.

Change – змінювати(ся)

lift – піднімати

sail – вітрило, парус

well – колодязь

device – пристрій, прилад

hub – ступиця (колеса), втулка (гвинта)

attach (to) – кріпити (до)

mount (on) – встановлювати (на)

shaft – вал

damage – пошкодження; пошкоджувати(ся)

gear – зубчаста передача; шестерня

transmission – трансмісія

gear transmission box – коробка передач трансмісії

speed – швидкість

watt – ват

power line – лінія електропередач

Exercise 57. Read and translate text 6.







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