this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2025
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[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Hydro isn't. Nor is solar photo voltaic, wind, or tidal, but yeah, nearly everything else is. In a combined-cycle natural gas or diesel plant half of the power generated isn't steam power, but the other half is.

[–] imsufferableninja@sh.itjust.works 22 points 5 days ago (2 children)
[–] thedirtyknapkin@lemmy.world 12 points 5 days ago (3 children)

aah, but it didn't say steam, it said boiling water.

smaller gas generators based on internal combustion engines don't boil water though, right?

[–] baines@lemmy.cafe 6 points 5 days ago

boiling just makes the water move, hydro just cheats

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Electromagnetic induction.

Basically electric motor in reverse...instead of electricity powering the motor, the motor powers electricity.

But the trick is in "what spins the motor". In the case if ICE generators, it's usually a pulley off the crankshaft.

Or it could be moving water.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

gas generators based on internal combustion

they heat air, afaik. hot gas expands -> mechanical movement moves magnets -> electromagnetism -> electric power.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago
[–] fullsquare@awful.systems 2 points 5 days ago

for ccgt it's more like 2/3 for gas turbine, 1/3 for steam turbine split, even more uneven for diesel/steam because diesel exhaust is much colder