Electrical Sources

Electrical Sources

A source is an electrical component that will provide voltage (motivation for electrons to move) and often an abundant supply of free electrons. Source either has stored electricity within it or it can convert another kind of energy into electrical energy. Electricity is also found naturally an could be collected if you are careful. Every electrical circuit has to have a source.

Sources

Batteries - a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy.

- Each cell contains a positive terminal, or cathode, and a negative terminal, or anode. Electrolytes allow ions to move between the electrodes and terminals, which allows current to flow out of the battery to perform work.

- The alkaline battery used for flashlights and a multitude of portable devices,

- Volta invented the first true battery, which came to be known as the voltaic pile. The voltaic pile consisted of pairs of copper and zinc discs piled on top of each other, separated by a layer of cloth or cardboard soaked in brine (i.e., the electrolyte). the voltaic pile produced a continuous and stable current, and lost little charge over time when not in use, though his early models could not produce a voltage strong enough to produce sparks. He experimented with various metals and found that zinc and silver gave the best results.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_(electricity)

Generators - A device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy for use in an external circuit.

1. A generator generates energy from things like a hand crank, and puts it into an internal combustion engine.

2. Generators can turn different forms of energy, like in a dam, in electrical energy to be moved or stored.

3. The conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by an electrical motor.

4. Generators are important because they provide nearly all of the power for electrical grids.

5. It is used for changing an energy form into a different form.

6. The idea of generators was created by Michael Faraday in 1832.

The first prototype was made in 1852-1854 by Anyos Jedlik http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_generator

Solar Panels - a device that converts light energy to electrical energy. It all goes down to p and n type silicon. A solar cell is made of two types of semiconductors, called p-type and n-type silicon. The p-type silicon is produced by adding atoms—such as boron or gallium—that have one less electron in their outer energy level than does silicon. Because boron has one less electron than is required to form the bonds with the surrounding silicon atoms, an electron vacancy or “hole” is created. A solar cell consists of a layer of p-type silicon placed next to a layer of n-type silicon. In the n-type layer, there is an excess of electrons, and in the p-type layer, there is an excess of positively charged holes. Then when sunlight hits the panel, the electrons in the silica leave, creating holes. If this happens in the electric field, the field will move electrons to the n-type layer and holes to the p-type layer. If you connect the n-type and p-type layers with a metallic wire, the electrons will travel from the n-type layer to the p-type layer will go through the external wire back of the n-type layer, creating a flow of electricity.

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/

Fuel Cells - A fuel cell is a a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell

-A fuel cell converts energy from a fuel to electrical energy.

- It works by having oxygen enters the fuel cell at the cathode and, in some cell types (like the one illustrated above), it there combines with electrons returning from the electrical circuit and hydrogen ions that have traveled through the electrolyte from the anode.

-It is important because this is how human can make electrical energy with different fossil fuels.

-It is used to make electrical energy.

-The fuel cell was invented in 1839.

Tesla Coils - The Tesla coil is an electrical resonant transformer circuit used to produce high-voltage, low-current, high frequency alternating-current electricity. Nikola Tesla invented experimented with a number of different configurations consisting of two, or sometimes three, coupled resonant electric circuits. Nowadays, they are used for entertainment and educational purposes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil

Capacitors - a device used to store an electric charge, consisting of one or more pairs of conductors separated by an insulator.

It can conserve electrical charge. Some people use it as a battery. some are used for high frequency but others are used for high voltage. Capacitors can be manufactured to serve any purpose, from the smallest plastic capacitor in your calculator, to an ultra capacitor that can power a commuter bus. NASA uses glass capacitors to help wake up the space shuttle's circuitry and help deploy space probes. Here are some of the various types of capacitors and how they are used.

Air - Often used in radio tuning circuits

Mylar - Most commonly used for timer circuits like clocks, alarms and counters

Glass - Good for high voltage applications

Ceramic - Used for high frequency purposes like antennas, X-ray and MRI machines

Super capacitor - Powers electric and hybrid cars

A capacitor's storage potential, or capacitance, is measured in units called farads

Inside the capacitor, the terminals connect to two metal plates separated by a non-conducting substance.

An easy way to make a capacitor is simply with a piece of paper and aluminum.

Ewald Georg von Kleist invented the capacitor in November 1745.