Natural gas power plants generate electricity by burning natural gas as their fuel. All natural gas plants use a gas turbine; natural gas is added, along with a stream of air, which combusts and expands through this turbine causing a generator to spin a magnet, making electricity.
How does natural gas form step by step?
It is formed when layers of decomposing plants and animals are subject to intense heat from the Earth and pressure from rocks. All this pressure, heat and millions of years turned the natural material into coal, petroleum and natural gas.
How is natural gas used in homes?
The residential sector uses natural gas to heat buildings and water, to cook, and to dry clothes. About half of the homes in the United States use natural gas for space heating and water heating.
What is the average cost to heat a home with natural gas?
Equipment Description Estimated Annual Operating Costs
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Natural Gas - Average Furnace, 80% AFUE $574
Residential Heating Oil (#2) - Average Furnace, 80% AFUE $1,238
Propane - Average Furnace, 80% AFUE $1,912
All Electric Furnace/Resistance Heat $1,965
How does natural gas heat my house?
Natural gas can heat your home by creating warm air, hot water or steam. The most common type of system in the United States is a "forced-air" central heating system that uses a natural gas burner to heat air. The air is then circulated through duct work in the home by a blower or fan.
What uses the most natural gas in a home?
space heating
How exactly does natural gas work?
Fuel cells convert gas directly into power without combustion. A molecule of natural gas is made up of carbon and hydrogen. When the hydrogen is segregated from the carbon and filled into a fuel cell, it fuses with oxygen to produce water, electricity, and heat.