From Power Station to Computer: The Voltage Journey
In short: How electricity travels from a generator or solar panel through step-up transformers, high-voltage transmission, substations and distribution lines to the socket, and how power electronics in our devices turn it into the low, steady voltages their chips need.
A 2:11 short film in the series “How Things Work”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “How electricity is generated - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)”; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Electric Power Sector Basics | US EPA”; U.S. Department of Energy, “Solar Integration: Inverters and Grid Services Basics | Department of Energy”; U.S. Department of Energy (Integrated Energy Systems Office), “Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics”; National Council on Electricity Policy (NCSL, NARUC and NASEO), June 2004 primer by Matthew H. Brown and Richard P. Sedano, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity, “Electricity Transmission, A Primer”; U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “Delivery to consumers - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)”; University of Oxford, Department of Physics (lecture handout by Neville Harnew, CP2 Electromagnetism, Lecture 18, HT 2022), “EM-lecture18-handout.pdf”; New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech), PHYSICS 571 lecture notes by Richard Sonnenfeld, “Lecture6.pdf”; U.S. Department of Energy (Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, CESER), “How It Works: Electric Transmission & Distribution and Protective Measures”; International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, “World plugs”; Sandia National Laboratories (U.S. Department of Energy Energy Storage Handbook), “DOE ESHB Chapter 13 Power Conversion Systems”; University of California, Berkeley (final technical report to ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy, hosted on OSTI.gov), “2329526”.
Sources used in this film
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — How electricity is generated - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) · View →
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — Electric Power Sector Basics | US EPA · View →
- U.S. Department of Energy — Solar Integration: Inverters and Grid Services Basics | Department of Energy · View →
- U.S. Department of Energy (Integrated Energy Systems Office) — Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics · View →
- National Council on Electricity Policy (NCSL, NARUC and NASEO), June 2004 primer by Matthew H. Brown and Richard P. Sedano, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity — Electricity Transmission, A Primer · View →
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — Delivery to consumers - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) · View →
- University of Oxford, Department of Physics (lecture handout by Neville Harnew, CP2 Electromagnetism, Lecture 18, HT 2022) — EM-lecture18-handout.pdf · View →
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech), PHYSICS 571 lecture notes by Richard Sonnenfeld — Lecture6.pdf · View →
- U.S. Department of Energy (Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, CESER) — How It Works: Electric Transmission & Distribution and Protective Measures · View →
- International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine — World plugs · View →
- Sandia National Laboratories (U.S. Department of Energy Energy Storage Handbook) — DOE ESHB Chapter 13 Power Conversion Systems · View →
- University of California, Berkeley (final technical report to ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy, hosted on OSTI.gov) — 2329526 · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA): How electricity is generated - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
- Also: Electric Power Sector Basics | US EPA
- Also: U.S. Department of Energy: Solar Integration: Inverters and Grid Services Basics | Department of Energy
- Also: www.energy.gov — Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics
- Also: National Council on Electricity Policy (NCSL, NARUC and NASEO), June 2004 primer by Matthew H. Brown and Richard P. Seda: Electricity Transmission, A Primer
- Also: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA): Delivery to consumers - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
- Also: University of Oxford, Department of Physics (lecture handout by Neville Harnew, CP2 Electromagnetism, Lecture 18, HT 202: EM-lecture18-handout.pdf
- Also: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech), PHYSICS 571 lecture notes by Richard Sonnenfeld: Lecture6.pdf
- Also: U.S. Department of Energy (Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, CESER): How It Works: Electric Transmission & Distribution and Protective Measures
- Also: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), World Plugs page (archived copy via the Internet Archive Wayback Machin: World plugs
- Also: Sandia National Laboratories (U.S. Department of Energy Energy Storage Handbook): DOE ESHB Chapter 13 Power Conversion Systems
- Also: University of California, Berkeley (final technical report to ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy, hosted on OSTI.gov): 2329526
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