It’s been more than 200 years since the widespread implementation of the steam engine.
Why is this still the most prevalent means of producing electricity? With things like fusion reactors, why is it so hard to convert the thermal energy into electrical energy?
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The most efficient way to create electrical energy (currently) is via mechanical generation. So how do we get that mechanical energy? We could use flowing water. But what if you don’t have enough flow or the ability to create water storage (i.e. a lake) to allow you to continuously generate electricity? We create mechanical energy and boiling water to create steam is an effective (relatively safe) way to do that. That being said, open system piston based steam engines aren’t really a thing anymore and everything uses much more compact turbines in a closed system which theoretically never needs to have water added as the water you boil is pure and has no impurities to lose and therefor condenses with zero loss.
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