• Energy HQ
• Increase Energy In Order To Live A Great Life
• Light Energy, A Viable Solution For The Future
• Chi Energy, The Energy Of Life
• Nuclear energy
• Be Healthier With Natural Energy Boosters
• Basic Terminology On Potential Energy
• Green Energy Jobs: Trying To Make A Safer World
• The Use Of Thermal Energy In Your Life
• Energy Healing Can Change Your Life
• The Two Main Types Of Energy
• Renewable Energy
• Some Tips On Energy Conservation
• Chemical Energy: The Greatest Source Of Energy Used By Man
• Discover The Energy Boosters That Fit You
• Solar Energy
• Geothermal Energy
• All About Tidal Energy
• Energy Supplements, A Solution To Our Health Problems
• Free Energy: A Dream Or The Reality?
• Alternative Energy Sources - The Key To The Future
• Wind Energy
• Mechanical Energy, The Energy Of Work
• Biomass Energy - One Of The Most Common Forms Of Energy
• The Secrets Of Heat Energy
• The Basics Of Hydroelectric Energy
• Kinetic Energy, The Energy Of Motion
• Electrical Energy. What Would Our Lives Look Like Without It?
• What Is The Sound Energy?
• Different Forms Of Energy

The Use Of Thermal Energy In Your Life

A curios thing that I have learned is that, even a cup of water sitting on a table has energy. Why that? Because all the molecules found in the water are in motion. The cup doesn't move, so it doesn't have any kinetic energy. But because of the motion of the molecules, we are in the presence of internal energy, also called thermal energy.

Thermal energy is associated with the term of "heat". For example, we take a cup of tea. When heating that cup of tea, we actually transfer the energy from the burner on the stove to the molecules found in the tea. This energy, also transformed into kinetic energy, increases the temperature of the water. So, we can say that heat is the transfer of thermal energy from one body to another. Also remember not to make confusion between thermal energy and heat. Heat is that process that gives thermal energy from the burner on the stove, and thermal energy is the energy contained in the tea.

We use this kind of energy in power stations. Involving this process of heat, we obtain electric power. Combustion of a fuel, transforms the thermal energy into rotational energy. Within these power plants, with the help of cooling towers, the heat from the steams is converted into electricity, with the help of thermocouples, which then provide us power. This process is easy to understand. It means that a certain kind of energy is converted into another type of energy. In our case thermal energy is converted into steam that contains kinetic energy. For example, the human body releases salt water, with the help of thermal energy. When the water evaporates, our skin is cooled. With this natural process, the body can also drop the excess of heat. It just produces a layer of sweat. This layer evaporates, releasing all the heat.

Using some reversible processes, thermal energy can be stored, allowing us to use this energy whenever we want it. We can do that by changing its temperature or its phase. By cooling, heating, melting or freezing the water, and then reversing the process, energy can be obtained and then used for different purposes.

For the future, science people have good initiatives. They are looking to overcome the barriers, by developing new technologies of thermal energy storage. This way, more and more people will take advantage on this kind of energy.