Pair work. Put these questions to your groupmate, and ask him/her to answer them.

1. What does a substation serve for?

2. What type of consumers does a substation feed?

3. What parts are the power transmission lines connected to?

4. What components does a substation comprise?

5. What types are substations classed into?

6. What are advantages of a transformer substation?

 

Unit Thirty-Two [32]

1. a) Cover the right column and read the English words. Translate them into Russian and check your translation.

b) Cover the left column and translate theRussian words back into English.

blade		лопасть
level		уровень
magnitude	[ˈmæɡnɪtjuːd]	величина
head	[hed]	(зд.) верх, верхушка
plant	[plɑːnt]	станция, завод
runner		ротор
shaft	[ʃɑːft]	привод, вал
torotate	[rouˈteɪt]	вращать(ся)
to influence		влиять
to fluctuate	[ˈflʌktʃueɪt]	колебаться

Put down the Russian equivalents of these word combinations. Then translate them back into English (orally).

runner blade	______________________________
turbine runner	______________________________
turbine shaft	______________________________
water level	______________________________
water head	______________________________
large capacity power plant	______________________________
magnitude of the water head	______________________________
daily inflow of water	______________________________
turbine runner shaft	______________________________

Hydroelectric Power Plants

Hydroelectric power plants are built on rivers. Large-capacity hydroelectric power plants are commonly located at considerable distances from the consumers of electric power.

The production process at these plants is rather simple: the water flows into the hydroturbine runner, acts upon the runner blades and rotates the runner and the turbine shaft.

The generator shaft is connected to the turbine runner shaft. The difference in the water level influences the power capacity of a plant, i.e. the magnitude of the water head and the daily inflow of water fluctuates considerably according to the season.

The production process is different at power plants of different constructions and of different kinds. In atomic power plants, for example, it is not so simple as in hydroelectric plants.

 

3. Complete the sentences using the correct variant:

1. Hydroelectric power plants are built	a) on rivers. b) on waterfalls.
2. Large-capacity power plants are located	a) at a short distance from consumers of power. b) at a considerable distance from consumers of power.
3. The production	a) is very complex. process at the plants b) is rather simple.
4. The power capacity of a plant	a) remains constant. b) changes considerably. c) is influenced by the difference in the water level.
5. The daily inflow of water	a) fluctuates according to the consumption. b) fluctuates according to the season.
6. The production process	a) depends upon the construction of the plant. b) is the same at power plants of different constructions.

 

4. Pair work. Put these questions to your groupmate and ask him/her to answer them:

1. On what sites are hydroelectric power plants built?

2. Are large-capacity plants located far from consumers of power?

3. Is the production process at the plants simple or is it complex?

4. What influences the power capacity of a plant?

5. According to what factors does the daily inflow of water fluctuate?

6. Does the production process at the plant depend on its construction?

7. Do you know that a thermal power plant seldom has an efficiency more than 40%?

 

 

Unit Thirty-Three [33]

1. a) Cover the right column and read the English words. Translate them into Russian and check your translation.

b) Cover the left column and translate theRussian words back into English.

exchanger	[ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒə]	теплообменник
steam		пар
tube		труба, лампа
dust		пыль
attending personnel	[ˌpəːsəˈnel]	обслуживающий персонал
to deliver		поставлять
to pollute		загрязнить
to shield	[ʃiːld]	защищать

 

Put down the Russian equivalents of these word combinations. Then translate them back into English (orally).

a. auxiliary units	______________________________
steam generator	______________________________
heat exchanger	______________________________
fuel consumption	______________________________
b. water to be heated in the reactor	______________________________
water to be converted into steam	______________________________
steam to be fed into the turbogenerator	______________________________
c. the polluted atmosphere	______________________________
utilized nuclear fuel	______________________________
shielded concrete walls	______________________________

Atomic Power Plant

Atomic power plants are modem installations. They consist of several main units and a great number of auxiliary ones.

In a nuclear reactor uranium is utilized as a fuel. During operation process powerful heat and radioactive radiation are produced. The nuclear reactor is cooled by water circulation. Cooling water circulates through a system of tubes, in which the water is heated to a temperature of 250-300°C. In order to prevent boiling of water, it passes into the reactor at a pressure up to 150 atmospheres.

A steam generator includes a series of heat exchangers comprising tubes. The water heated in the reactor is delivered into the heat exchanger tubes. The water to be converted into steam flows outside these tubes. The steam produced is fed into the turbogenerator.

Besides, an atomic power plant comprises a common turbogenerator, a steam condenser with circulating water and a switchboard.

Atomic power plants have their advantages as well as disadvantages. The reactors and steam generators operate in them noiselessly; the atmosphere is not polluted by dust and smoke. As to the fuel consumption, it is of no special importance and there is no problem of fuel transportation.

The disadvantage of power plants utilizing nuclear fuel is their radiation. Radioactive radiation produced in the reactors is dangerous for attending personnel. Therefore, the reactors and steam generators are installed underground. They are also shielded by thick (up to 1.5 m) concrete walls. All their controls are operated by means of automatic devices. These measures serve to protect people from radioactive radiation.

 

3. Complete the sentences using the correct variant:

1. A nuclear reactor is used in	a) wind-power plants. b) atomic power plants.
2. A nuclear reactor is cooled by	a) water circulating in tubes. b) oil circulating in tubes.
3. Water is passed into the reactor	a) at a low pressure. b) at a high pressure.
4. High pressure	a) activates boiling of water. b) prevents boiling of water.
6. Circulating water flows	a) inside the heat exchangers. b) outside the heat exchangers.
7. Attending personnel is shielded by	a) thick concrete walls. b) thick metal walls.

4. Pair work. Put these questions to your groupmate and ask him/her to answer them:

1.What are the main units of an atomic power plant?

2.By what means is the nuclear reactor cooled?

3.At what pressure does the water pass into the reactor?

4.What types of power plants pollute the air with dust and smoke?

5.Why is it necessary to protect attending personnel?

6.By what means is it done?

 

Unit Thirty-Four [34]

1. a) Cover the right column and read the English words. Translate them into Russian and check your translation.

b) Cover the left column and translate theRussian words back into English.

concrete	[ˈkɔːŋkriːt]	бетон
environment	[ɪnˈvaɪərənmənt]	окружающая среда
fission	[ˈfɪʃən]	расщепление
(stainless) steel		(нержавеющая) сталь
vessel		сосуд
waste		отходы
to confine	[kənˈfaɪn]	заключать
to release	[rɪˈliːz]	выпускать, освобождать
to withstand		противостоять
to dispose		устранять, убирать

2. Put down the Russian equivalents of these word combinations. Then translate them back into English (orally):

nuclear fuel	______________________________________
nuclear fission	______________________________________
steel vessel	______________________________________
reactor vessel	______________________________________
fission release	______________________________________
sealed tubes	______________________________________
concrete housing	______________________________________
waste products	______________________________________
nuclear waste	______________________________________
shielded cylinders	______________________________________