The history of power conversion can be traced back some 4000-years ago with small-site installations involving water wheels doing some form of mechanical work. Crude forms of windmills appeared during a later period. While the combustion of biomass to raise steam first appeared in ancient Egypt, the first practical uses of steam power began during the early 19th century. The development of electrical generation and transmission technology during the late 19th century resulted in the development of large-scale power generation installations. Economy of scale involving higher efficiency and less manpower per megawatt of output gave the mega-power installations the competitive edge over most small-scale power generation installation.  more...
Article Viewed 766 Times  |  23 Comments