A system where heat is supplied to areas of a building from a single appliance through a network of ducts or pipes.
Central power plant
A large power plant that generates power for distribution to multiple customers.
Central processing unit (cpu)
Computer section containing memory and processing circuitry for the operations controlled by the computer.
Central receiver solar power plants
Also known as "power towers," these use fields of two-axis tracking mirrors known as heliostats. Each heliostat is individually positioned by a computer control system to reflect the sun's rays to a tower-mounted thermal receiver. The effect of many heliostats reflecting to a common point creates the combined energy of thousands of suns, which produces high-temperature thermal energy. In the receiver, molten nitrate salts absorb the heat energy. The hot salt is then used to boil water to steam, which is sent to a conventional steam turbine-generator to produce electricity.
Centrifugal
Outward movement from the axis of rotation.
Centrifugal compressor
Compressor that uses centrifugal force to compress gas by feeling it into a wheel with radial vanes. The wheel is then seal inside of a cylinder and spun. When the wheel rotates, the gas is thrown away from the wheel center. The outward spinning motion compresses the gas.
Centrifugal fan
Fan that causes air to move outward in a direction perpendicular to direction o the air that enters the fan.
Centrifugal force
Force that causes a mass to move away from the center of rotation.
Centrifugal pump
A pump that moves water by centrifugal force developed by rapid rotation of an impeller. As the rotating impeller whirls the water around, centrifugal force builds up pressure forcing the water through the discharge outlet.
Centrifuge
Machine, which spins and gives a centrifugal force to an attached object. Machine using centrifugal force and the difference in densities of material to separate those materials.
