Energy production

Energy production is a broad field of electrical engineering that focuses on systems that convert energy from one form to another for broader use. See also the power grid.

System structure

Main types of production include:

• Hydroelectric power
• Nuclear power

In general, the structure of energy systems follows:

• Generation
• Power transmission
• Distribution
  • via energy conversion and transformers
• Finally to loads in everyday use, like electric vehicles

Terminology

Some important core terminology:

• Primary energy is energy found in nature that has not been subject to processing. This can include fuel, solar, and wind energy.
• Secondary energy is when primary energy is processed or exploited, i.e., electricity.
• Specific energy $E_S$ is the amount of energy that can be extracted from a unit mass of fuel measured in $J\cdot k{g}^{-1}$.
• Energy density $E_D$ is the amount of energy that can be extracted from a unit volume of fuel measured in $J\cdot m^{-3}$.

We can represent energy flows in production systems with Sankey diagrams.