Energy Sources PDF

1\. Be familiar with the relative importance of the different sources of energy used worldwide, and also with the energy sources that are used to generate electricity worldwide.  **Answer:** **[Non- Renewable Energy Sources:]** - **Coal: fossil fuel (solid)** - **Oil: fossil fuel (liquid)**...

1\. Be familiar with the relative importance of the different sources of energy used worldwide, and also with the energy sources that are used to generate electricity worldwide.  **Answer:** **[Non- Renewable Energy Sources:]** - **Coal: fossil fuel (solid)** - **Oil: fossil fuel (liquid)** - **Natural gas: fossil fuel (gas)** - **Nuclear energy: energy from atomic nuclei** **[Renewable Energy Sources:]** - **Biomass energy: energy stored in plant matter** - **Hydropower: energy from running water** - **Solar energy: energy from sunlight directly** - **Wind energy: energy from the wind** - **Geothermal energy: earth's internal heat** - **Ocean energy: energy from tides and waves** 2\. Be familiar with the different types of fossil fuels and with the processes involved in their formation, including the formation of kerogen.  **Answer: The different types of fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas** - **Formation of kerogen: organisms die and become buried under sediments and partly decomposed.  Heat and pressure convert the organic matter into *kerogen*, a complex waxy mixture of hydrocarbons. Heat & pressure then convert the kerogen into coal, oil, and natural gas** **[Coal types:]** - **Anthracite coal (hard coal)- highly desirable fuel because of its high heat context and low sulfur context; supplies are limited in most areas** - **Bituminous coal (soft coal)- extensively used as a fuel because of it's high heat content and large supplies; normally has a high sulfur content** - **Lignite coal (brown coal)- low heat content, low sulfur content; limited supplies in most areas** **[Oil types:]** - **Different variations of petroleum** - **Crude oil** **[Natural gas types:]** - **methane** 3\. Understand how fossil fuels (such as methane) generate carbon dioxide when they are burned to produce energy, and that the annual global consumption of the different fossil fuels has continued to increase, despite the increased use of alternative energy sources.  **Answer: Combustion of methane (CH~4~) and other fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide (CO~2~).** 4\. Be familiar with the use of coal to generate electricity, including the role of turbines, generators, and cooling towers in the process, and with the environmental impacts that accompany coal extraction.  **Answer:** **[Coal to generate electricity]- Much of the coal that we burn is used to produce electricity at coal-fired power plants** **[Turbines]- use heat to make steam, to drive a turbine generator for power plants** **[Cooling Systems]- draws water from a lake, river, or reservoir and uses it to cool the steam from the turbine back into the water** 5\. Understand that crude oil must be refined to produce the variety of petroleum derivatives.  **Answer: Crude oil is refined to produce a diversity of petroleum products, including various fuels and other products** 6\. Understand the concept of peak oil and the two main reasons why we now have new supplies of petroleum.  **Answer: The peak of oil extraction- was in 1970 and then declined ** **[The 2 reasons for the decline were:]** - **Fracking** - **Deep offshore** 7\. Understand the process of hydraulic fracking and how it is used to extract natural gas and oil.  **Answer: hydraulic fracturing (= *fracking*)- techniques has made it possible to access additional natural gas resources** - **Natural gas from fracking has replaced coal in many areas and led to a decrease in CO~2~ emissions, but fracking causes major water contamination including methane in drinking water** 8\. Be familiar with the Marcellus Shale Formation and the advantages and disadvantages of extracting gas from the Marcellus Shale, including impacts on local communities.  **Answer: New wells are being drilled today to extract oil and natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation that lies below much of Pennsylvania** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **[Pros  ]** | **[Cons]** | | | | | - **Creates job opportunities** | - **Contaminates water | | | supplies, leads to methane | | - **Increases energy security** | contamination of drinking | | | water** | | | | | | - **Disrupts communities due to | | | drilling activities** | | | | | | - **Environmental impact** | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ 9\. Understand the process of nuclear fission and how it is used to generate electricity, and be familiar with the major advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power, including accidents.  **Answer: Nuclear power today relies on *nuclear fission*: the splitting of large atoms to produce smaller atoms and release energy.** - **In a nuclear reactor, radioactive uranium fuel rods heat water and produce steam, and the steam turns turbines to generate electricity.** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **[Pros]** | **[Cons]** | | | | | - **Carbon free electricity** | - **Uranium is technically | | | non-renewable** | | - **Small land footprint** | | | | - **Cost effective** | | - **High power output** | | | | - **Nuclear was** | | - **Reliable energy source** | | | | - **Malfunctions can be | | | catastrophic** | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ 10\. Be familiar with the different ways that solar energy can be used as an energy source, and the difference between solar hot water, concentrated solar power, and photovoltaic solar power.  **Answer:** +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **[Solar Hot Water | **[Concentrated Solar | **[Photovoltaic Solar | | Systems:] | Power | Power | | ** | Systems:] | Systems:] | | | ** | ** | | - **Flat-plate | | | | solar collectors | - **Concentrated | - **Photovoltaic | | will absorb solar | solar power (CSP) | cells convert | | energy and use it | uses curved | sunlight directly | | to heat water for | mirrors to focus | into electricity | | household hot | light and heat | by causing | | water or for home | water, which is | special silicon | | heating** | then used to | plates to release | | | drive turbines | electrons.** | | | and generate | | | | electricity.** | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ 11\. Understand the current use of wind energy and the environmental impacts of wind power.  **Answer: modern wind turbines are enormous structures and operate high off the ground where wind speeds are greatest and turbulence is reduced. Wind turbines convert the energy in blowing wind into electrical energy.  Modern wind turbines can be precisely controlled to maximize the electricity produced** - **Wind causes a turbine's blades to spin, turning gears in the nacelle and then driving a generator to produce electricity.** 12\. Understand how geothermal energy can be used to generate electricity and also for direct heating, and how ground-source heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling.  **Answer: Geothermal energy comes from heat below the Earth's surface and can be used for direct heating or to generate electricity. ** **Ground-source heat pumps provide both cooling and heating by transferring heat between buildings and the ground.** - **A heat pump moves thermal energy in the opposite direction of spontaneous heat transfer, absorbing heat from a cold space and releasing it to a warmer one.** 13\. Be familiar with generation of electricity by hydropower and tidal power, and with some of the environmental impacts of these energy sources.  **Answer: ** - **Tidal energy, contained in the twice-daily movement of the tides, can be used to power turbines and generate electricity.** - **Hydroelectric power, generated by large dams on major rivers, provides about one-sixth of the world's electricity.** - **Concrete dams are used to impound water in reservoirs.  The water passes through the dam and turns a turbine, which drives a generator.** - **Hydropower dams destroy habitat for wildlife and disrupt the movements of migratory fishes, though fish ladders can be constructed to help fishes swim upriver.** 14\. Be familiar with the production and types of biofuels and with the advantages and disadvantages they present, including their relative energy return on investment.  **Answer: The energy returned on investment (EROI) is very low for most biofuels because they require inputs of fossil-fuel energy. ** **Pros** **Cons** --------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Hydropower (EROI): 85** **Provides mass amount of electricity(one-sixth of the world's energy)** **Dams destroy habitat for wildlife and disrupt the movements of migratory fishes** **Coal total energy (EROI): 45** **Inexpensive, reliable, and easy to distribute** **Non-renewable, environmental issues, dangerous, and pollution** **Oil & Gas total energy (EROI): 20** **Versatile, relaible, Economic benefits, and cheap** **Non-renewable, environmental impacts, Extraction and  transportation** **Wind power (EROI): 20** **Clean energy source, cost effective, job creatrion, and land flexability** **Wind speed inconsistent, expensive, noise pollution, disruptive in certain landscapes, site dependence (wind conditions are not available everywhere), and impacts wildlife** **Nuclear power (EROI): 15** **Low cost, reliable, does not produce greenhouse gases, creates jobs, and high energy density** **Nuclear accidents are sever, environment impact, radiactive waste, water intensive, and non-renewable** **Coal electricity (EROI): 12** **Photovoltaic solar (EROI): 10** **Geothermal (EROI): 9** **Shale oil (EROI): 7** **Natural gas electricity (EROI): 6** **Ethanol (EROI): 5** **Oil sands (EROI): 4** **Biodiesel (EROI): 2** 15\. Be familiar with the steps that we can take to reduce our waste stream, and the order of preference for these.  **Answer: The more material we remove from the waste stream, the less we need to send for disposal.  These steps will all reduced the amount of waste we produce.** **[Steps to Reduce Waste:]** - **Make industrial practices more efficient** - **Minimize packaging for products** - **Purchase "green" consumer products** - **Reuse items** - **Recycle items** - **Compost materials at home** - **Adopt municpal composting** 16\. Understand the major types of solid wastes that are in municipal waste, and know which types are commonly recycled and composted and how it is done.  **Answer: *Municipal solid waste* comes from homes, institutions, and small businesses ** - **Municipal waste is full of things that don't burn, including broken glass and metal; the metals can be removed and recycled, and the remainder can be used to make asphalt or concrete blocks** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Material** | **Percentage that is Recycled or | | | Composted** | +===================================+===================================+ | **Lead-acid batteries** | **99 ** | | | | | - **Recycled, we break down/ | | | smashed in order to reuse | | | lead** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Newspapers** | **68** | | | | | - **Recycled, placed in a | | | single bin for recycling** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Paper and paperboard** | **65** | | | | | - **Recycled, placed in a | | | single bin for recycling** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Yard trimmings** | **61** | | | | | - **Composted, food wastes at | | | home and in restaurants is | | | relatively simple and will | | | produce rich compost for | | | gardens.** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Aluminum cans** | **55** | | | | | - **Recycled, placed in a | | | single bin for recycling** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Glass Containers** | **33** | | | | | - **Recycled, placed in a | | | single bin for recycling** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Plastic** | **10** | | | | | - **Recycled, placed in a | | | single bin for recycling** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ 17\. Understand the design and functioning of a sanitary landfill and be familiar with concerns about landfill gases and leachates.  **Answer: Sanitary landfills are the main method of disposal for solid waste ** - **Hazardous wastes can be disposed of in special hazardous waste landfills that are more secure than sanitary landfills.** - **Landfills  produces landfill gas, which is about 50% methane and can be collected and burned. ** 18\. Be familiar with the process of composting and how it can be done at home.  **Answer: A mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil\'s physical, chemical, and biological properties.** 19\. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of single-stream recycling. **Answer:**  **Advantages: Decreased garbage collection and allows MRFs (materials recovery facility) to process more materials in a shorter period of time with the help of technology.** **Disadvantages: Difficulties recycling all items due to material flaws like broken glass or non-rinsed bottles. Increased cost to sort commingled material.** 20\. Suggest some ways that you can reduce your ecological footprint without compromising your lifestyle **Answer: Buy organic or grow locally, walk or ride your bike to school, make sure all the lights are off when not in use**