History Of Energy Systems PDF

HISTORY OF ENERGY SYSTEMS Energy: Forms and Changes  Nature of Energy Energy is all around us! We can hear energy as sound. We can see energy as light. And we can feel it as wind.  Nature of Energy We use energy when we: hit a softball. lift a book bag. comp...

HISTORY OF ENERGY SYSTEMS Energy: Forms and Changes  Nature of Energy Energy is all around us! We can hear energy as sound. We can see energy as light. And we can feel it as wind.  Nature of Energy We use energy when we: hit a softball. lift a book bag. compress a spring. Nature of Energy Living organisms need energy for growth and movement. Nature of Energy Energy is involved when: a bird flies. a bomb explodes. rain falls from the sky. electricity flows in a wire.  Nature of Energy What is energy that it can be involved in so many different activities? Energy can be defined as the ability to do work. If an object or organism does work (exerts a force over a distance to move an object) the object or organism uses energy.  Nature of Energy Because of the direct connection between energy and work, energy is measured in the same unit as work: joules (J). In addition to using energy to do work, objects gain energy because work is being done on them. ENERGY TRANSITIONS The History of Energy Transitions Over the last 200 years, how we’ve gotten our energy has changed drastically. These changes were driven by innovations like the steam engine, oil lamps, internal combustion engines, and the wide-scale use of electricity. The shift from a primarily agrarian global economy to an industrial one called for new sources to provide more efficient energy inputs. The current energy transition is powered by the realization that avoiding the catastrophic effects of climate change requires a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Coal and the First Energy Transition Before the Industrial Revolution, people burned wood and dried manure to heat homes and cook food, while relying on muscle power, wind, and water mills to grind grains. Transportation was aided by using carts driven by horses or other animals. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the prices of firewood and charcoal skyrocketed due to shortages. These were driven by increased consumption from both households and industries as economies grew and became more sophisticated. Consequently, industrializing economies like the UK needed a new, cheaper source of energy. They turned to coal, marking the beginning of the first major energy transition. Year Traditional Biomass % of Energy Mix Coal % of Energy Mix 1800 98.3% 1.7% 1820 97.6% 2.4% 1840 95.1% 4.9% 1860 86.8% 13.3% 1880 73.0% 26.7% 1900 50.4% 47.2% 1920 38.4% 54.4% 1940 31.6% 50.7% Coal and the First Energy Transition As coal use and production increased, the cost of producing it fell due to economies of scale. Simultaneously, technological advances and adaptations brought about new ways to use coal. The steam engine—one of the major technologies behind the Industrial Revolution—was heavily reliant on coal, and homeowners used coal to heat their homes and cook food. This is evident in the growth of coal’s share of the global energy mix, up from 1.7% in 1800 to 47.2% in 1900. The Rise of Oil and Gas In 1859, Edwin L. Drake built the first commercial oil well in Pennsylvania, but it was nearly a century later that oil became a major energy source. Before the mass production of automobiles, oil was mainly used for lamps. Oil demand from internal combustion engine vehicles started climbing after the introduction of assembly lines, and it took off after World War II as vehicle purchases soared. Similarly, the invention of the Bunsen burner opened up new opportunities to use natural gas in households. As pipelines came into place, gas became a major source of energy for home heating, cooking, water heaters, and other appliances.  Coal % of Energy Oil % of Energy Natural Gas % of Energy Year Mix Mix Mix 1950 44.2% 19.1% 7.3% 1960 37.0% 26.6% 10.7% 1970 25.7% 40.2% 14.5% 1980 23.8% 40.6% 16.3% 1990 24.4% 35.5% 18.4% 2000 22.5% 35.1% 19.7%  Coal lost the home heating market to gas and electricity, and the transportation market to oil. Despite this, it became the world’s most important source of electricity generation and still accounts for over one-third of global electricity production today.  The Transition to Renewable Energy Renewable energy sources are at the center of the ongoing energy transition. As countries ramp up their efforts to curb emissions, solar and wind energy capacities are expanding globally. In the decade between 2000 and 2010, the share of renewables increased by just 1.1%. But the growth is speeding up—between 2010 and 2020, this figure stood at 3.5%. Traditional Year Renewables Fossil Fuels Nuclear Power Biomass 2000 10.2% 6.6% 77.3% 5.9% 2005 8.7% 6.5% 79.4% 5.4% 2010 7.7% 7.7% 79.9% 4.7% 2015 6.9% 9.2% 79.9% 4.0% 2020 6.7% 11.2% 78.0% 4.0% The Transition to Renewable Energy Furthermore, the current energy transition is unprecedented in both scale and speed, with climate goals requiring net-zero emissions by 2050. That essentially means a complete fade-out of fossil fuels in less than 30 years and an inevitable rapid increase in renewable energy generation. Renewable energy capacity additions were on track to set an annual record in 2021, following a record year in 2020. Additionally, global energy transition investment hit a record of $755 billion in 2021. The Transition to Renewable Energy history shows that simply adding generation capacity is not enough to facilitate an energy transition. Coal required mines, canals, and railroads; oil required wells, pipelines, and refineries; electricity required generators and an intricate grid. Similarly, a complete shift to low-carbon sources requires massive investments in natural resources, infrastructure, and grid storage, along with changes in our energy consumption habits.  Natural resources and energy resources Non-renewable & renewable energy Oil and gas Coal Nuclear power Unconventional fossil fuels What are natural resources? What are some examples of natural resources and what are they used for? What can nations try to do if they don’t have all the natural resources they need? Natural resources – natural substances required by humans for different needs. Metals and Rainforests minerals Crops Water Coal, oil and Forests gas What are energy resources? What are some of the different types of energy resource?  Solar Biofuel Coal Wind Natural gas Biomass Nuclear Hydroelectric Geothermal Energy mix - the specific combination of different energy sources a country uses to meet its energy consumption needs What is a renewable energy resource? What is a non- renewable energy resource?  Depends Renewable Non-renewable  Depends Renewable Non-renewable  *renewables includes wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and biofuels Billion toe = billion tonnes of oil equivalent BP 2017 Energy Outlook © BP p.l.c. 2017  Oil Natural gas Coal Nuclear Unconventional non-renewables: tar sands, methane hydrates  Crude oil and natural gas are formed from phytoplankton and zooplankton Microorganisms sink Phytoplankton & zooplankton to the bottom of the ocean when they die forming layers of organic rich sediment High primary Organic rich production, stagnant, stratified water sediments column, lack of sea floor decomposers, low oxygen (anoxic) = Layers of sediment good conditions for forming oil and gas source rocks  Organic rich sediments are buried by layers and layers of sediment Increased and sustained heat and pressure ‘cooks’ the organic matter in the source rock into petroleum Temperature and Organic rich sediments burial depth determine which hydrocarbons are produced Temperature and burial depth determine whether you get oil or gas and how much is formed.  Oil and gas migrate upwards form the Oil rig source rock into reservoir rocks capped by Drill Sea impermeable seals Can sometimes Impermeable seal rock migrate all the way Reservoir rock to the surface e.g. Oil La Brae tarpits Trapped deposits are drilled to release oil and gas Oil rich Hydraulic fracking source rock can also be used to extract gas  Oil & gas burned to heat steam propels Electricity water turbine Crude oil is refined by fractional distillation into kerosene, petrol, diesel etc. before it is used as a fuel. Relatively inexpensive to extract. Reliable and dependable source of energy and income for local community e.g. in Aberdeen, Scotland. Natural gas can be converted into liquid form When oil and gas are burnt they release gas into the atmosphere. carbon dioxide Oil spills are environmental disasters – e.g. BP Mexico oil spill 2010  Most of the coal we have on Earth today was formed in the Carboniferous Swamp period 360 – 299 million years ago Tropical, swampy climate Plants die and over time form Older rock layers layers of squashed plant material  Squashed plant material accumulates over thousands of years. Peat Plant material turns into peat. Peat is used for fuel Ireland, Scotland and Finland  Peat is buried by layers of sediment and subjected to increased heat and Younger rock layers pressure ‘Cooked’ into coal The type of coal you Coal seam get depends on how long it was buried, how deep and how hot it got. Older rock layers  Peat The hotter the temperature, the deeper the coal is buried, and the Lignite longer the amount of time the coal is Bituminous buried, the more coal efficient coal you get. Anthracite  Coal burned to steam propels Electricity heat water turbine Coal is cheap and there is lots of it! When coal is are burnt it releases carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide into the atmosphere contributing to global burned for heat warming and acid rain. Coal mining is harmful to the environment and mine workers – toxic dust, cave-ins and explosions.  steam propels Nuclear reactions Heat Electricity turbine Uranium and plutonium are nuclear fuels – fission reactions Nuclear fuels do not produce harmful greenhouse gases Nuclear power is very efficient Produces radioactive waste which is dangerous and has to be sealed in containers and buried for thousands of years. Nuclear cores can melt down releasing harmful radiation e.g. Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011 Safety is expensive  Nuclear power currently generates 21% total UK electricity (2018 Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) 15 operational reactors across the UK (2018) Hinkley Point C in Somerset estimated to cost £20.3 billion Scotland have banned any future nuclear plants  Fractional Energy resource formed from ancient plants distillation Natural substances required by Crude oil & natural gas humans for different needs Nuclear power How the different components of crude oil are separated The specific combination of different energy sources a Coal country uses to meet its energy consumption needs Uses uranium and plutonium to generate heat in fission reactions Energy Mix Energy resources formed from Natural resources marine organisms  Temperature and Generates 21% of UK electricity (2018) burial depth Time period when most of the world’s coal was made Carbon dioxide Released in the combustion of fossil Radioactive waste fuels (hydrocarbons) Brown spongey precursor to coal Carboniferous Determines which hydrocarbons Peat are produced By product of using nuclear power Nuclear power Energy resource formed from ancient plants Coal Natural substances required by Natural resources humans for different needs How the different components of Fractional crude oil are separated distillation The specific combination of different energy sources a country uses to meet its energy consumption needs Energy Mix Uses uranium and plutonium to generate heat in fission reactions Nuclear power Energy resources formed from marine organisms Crude oil & natural gas Generates 21% of UK electricity (2018) Nuclear power Time period when most of the world’s coal was made Carboniferous Released in the combustion of fossil Carbon dioxide fuels (hydrocarbons) Brown spongey precursor to coal Peat Determines which hydrocarbons Temperature and are produced burial depth By product of using nuclear power Radioactive waste  Tar sands - mixtures of clay, sand, water, and bitumen Bitumen can’t be pumped so tar sands are mined. Vast reserve of untapped oil. Provided a massive economic growth and thousands of jobs in Alberta. Uses large amounts of land, water, and energy, when compared to other oil resources Carbon dioxide emissions are ~15% higher compared with standard crude oil extraction Open-pit mining produces a lot of waste - leftover sand, clays, and contaminants  Methane hydrates are methane (natural gas) trapped lattices of ice. Arctic permafrost and sea floor sediments at 300-500m depth Untapped reserve of fossil fuel Warming or depressurising → turns into water + natural gas Global warming is likely to liberate methane hydrates Past climate warming events in geological history are linked with methane hydrate CH4 is 20x more potent than CO2 – accelerate global warming  Energy resources are natural resources - non- renewable or renewable Oil, gas and coal are fossil fuels formed from marine plankton (oil and gas) and land plants in swampy conditions (coal). Fossils fuels can be burned directly for heat or used to generate electricity through heating water. Nuclear power is generated from the radioactive elements uranium ad plutonium. No greenhouse gases but issues with radioactive waste disposal. Unconventional fossil fuels include methane hydrates and tar sands.