Electrcity and the National grid Flashcards
What is electricity transmitted through
The National grid
What does the national grid do
Takes electricity from power stations to where it’s needed in homes and the industry
What is required to transmit a huge amount of power
High current or voltage
What does the National grid enable
Power to be generated and supplied anywhere on the grid
What is the issue with using a high current
Loads of energy is lost through heat in the cables
Why is boosting the voltage high and keeping the current low advantageous
Cheaper
What is the voltage required to transmit power roughly
400,000V
What are the features of the National Grid(5)
Power Station Step-Up transformer Pylons and overhead cables Step-Down transformer Home or Consumer
What do Step-up transformers do
Increase the voltage needed to transmit the electricity
What do Step down transformers do
Decrease the voltage so that it is safe to use in the home
What are the 2 different ways to transmit electricity within the national grid
Overhead cables
Underground cables
What are 4 advantages of Overhead cables
Lower set up cost
Easy access in case of faults
Easy to set up
Minimal disturbance to the land
What are 4 advantages of Underground cables
Minimal maintenance
Hidden so it isn’t visible
Not affected by the weather
More reliable
What are 4 disadvantages of Overhead cables
Needs lots of maintenance
Ugly
Affected by the weather
Less reliable
What are 4 disadvantages of Underground cables
Higher set up cost
Hard to access when there’s faults
Harder to set ups
Disturb the land
