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Sources of Power

The industrial progress of mankind is based on power: power for industrial plants,

machines, heating and lighting systems, transport, communication. In fact, one can hardly find a sphere where power is not required.

At present most of the power required is obtained mainly from two sources. One is from the

burning of fossil fuels, i.e. coal, natural gas and oil. The second way of producing electricity is by means of generators that get their power from steam or water turbines. Electricity so produced then flows through transmission lines to houses, industrial plants, enterprises, etc.

It should be noted, however, that the generation of electricity by these conventional processes

is highly uneconomic. Actually, only about 40 per cent of heat in the fuel is converted into electricity. Besides, the world resources of fossil fuels are not ever-lasting. On the other hand, the power produced by hydroelectric plants, even if increased many times, will be able to provide for only a small fraction of the power required in the near future. Therefore much effort and thought is being given to other means of generating electricity.

One is the energy of hot waters. Not long ago we began utilizing water for heating and hot

water supply, and in some cases, for the generation of electricity.

Another promising field for the production of electric power is the use of ocean tides. Our

engineers are engaged in designing tidal power stations of various capacities. The first station utilizing this principle began operating in the Soviet Union on the Barents Sea in 1968.

The energy of the Sun which is being used in various ways represents a practically unlimited

source. Using atomic fuel for the production of electricity is highly promising. It is the well-known fact, that one pound of uranium contains as much energy as three million pounds of coal, so cheap power can be provided wherever it is required. However, the efficiency reached in generating power from atomic fuel is not high, namely 40 per cent.

No wonder, therefore, that scientists all over the world are doing their best to find more

efficient ways of generating electricity directly from the fuel. They already succeeded in developing some processes which are much more efficient, as high as 80 per cent, and in creating a number of devices capable of giving a higher efficiency. Scientists are hard at work trying to solve these and many other problems.

Источники электропитания

Промышленный прогресс человечества базируется на власть: мощность для промышленных

предприятий, машин, отопления и освещения, транспорта, связи. На самом деле, вряд ли можно найти сферу, где власти не требуется.

В настоящее время большая часть мощности, необходимой получается в основном из двух

источников. Один из Сжигание ископаемого топлива, т.е. угля, природного газа и нефти. Второй способ получения электроэнергии с помощью генераторов, которые получают свою власть от паровых или водяных турбин. Электричество производится так стекает по линиям электропередачи в дома, промышленные предприятия, предприятия и т.д.

Следует отметить, однако, что выработка электроэнергии этими обычными способами

очень неэкономичным. На самом деле, лишь около 40 процентов тепла в топливе, преобразуется в электричество. Кроме того, мировые ресурсы ископаемого топлива, невечный. С другой стороны, энергия, производимая на ГЭС, даже если увеличилась во много раз, будет в состоянии обеспечить лишь малую часть мощности, необходимой в ближайшем будущем. Поэтому много усилий и мысли уделяется другим средством выработки электроэнергии.

Одним из них является энергия горячей воды. Не так давно мы начали использование воды для

отопления и горячего водоснабжения, а в некоторых случаях, для производства электроэнергии.

Еще одно перспективное поле для производства электроэнергии является использование морских

приливов. Наши инженеры занимаются проектированием приливные электростанции различной мощности. Первая станция используя этот принцип начал работать в Советском Союзе на Баренцевом море в 1968 году.

Начало формы

Энергия Солнца, которое в настоящее время используется по-разному представляет практически

неограниченные источник. Использование атомного топлива для производства электроэнергии является весьма перспективной. Это хорошо известный факт, что один фунт урана содержит больше энергии, чем три миллиона фунтов угля, так что дешевой электроэнергии может быть обеспечено там, где это необходимо. Тем не менее, эффективность достигнута в производство электроэнергии от атомных топлива невелика, а именно 40 процентов.

Начало формы

Не удивительно поэтому, что ученые во всем мире делают все возможное, чтобы найти больше

эффективные способы выработки электроэнергии непосредственно из топлива. Они уже преуспела в разработке некоторых процессов, которые являются гораздо более эффективными, достигает 80 процентов, а в создании количество устройств способны дать более высокую эффективность. Ученые напряженно работают, пытаясь решить эти и многие другие проблемы.

Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov - Atomic Scientist and Passionate Fighter for Peace

(1903-1960)

With joy and pride we see that the genius of the Soviet people is mastering the atom's secrets. Among our

famous atomic scientists the first place belongs by right to Academician Igor Kurchatov. Everybody knows that it was he who laid the foundation of the atomic might of the land of Soviets.

Since 1925 I. V. Kurchatov began to work at the Physical-Engineering Institute in Leningrad. It was here that

he achieved great results in the research of dielectrics which had been little known at that time.

As far as the early thirties atomic research was being successfully conducted in the Soviet Union. Soviet

nuclear physics was in need of powerful source of fast particles capable of inducing a nuclear reaction. A group of young research workers, with I. Kurchatov at the head, began investigating the physics of the nucleus of the atom. Their investigations led to a striking discovery of fission of uranium nucleus.

I. Kurchatov understood that the neutron was the key to splitting the atom and he put all his efforts into

neutron research. In 1940 I. Kurchatov came to the conclusion hat slow neutron chain reaction was quite possible. But World War II interrupted his work, and all research programs had to be suspended. During the war I. Kurchatov gave all his energy and knowledge to the strengthening of military might of our Motherland.

In 1949 the Soviet Government announced that the secret of the atom bomb no longer existed and the USA

had lost its atomic monopoly. It was decided that Soviet scientists would continue their work in the field of atom application for peace.

On June 27, 1954, the first atomic power in the world was put into operation near Moscow. This power

generating installation based on the uranium-graphite reactor was Kurchatov's favorite creation. Later he was carried away by another great idea - to master controlled thermonuclear reactions and he surely declared that the second half of the 20th century would be the era of thermonuclear energy.

I. V. Kurchatov died in 1960 but his experience and his knowledge have become immortalized in the world's

first atomic power plant, atom-driven ice-breakers, in Dubna Institute and the broad development of thermonuclear research in our country.