Chapter 17 Energy: Introduction to Energy and Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Chapter 17 Energy: Introduction to Energy and Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Energy Basics

What is energy?the ability to do work

What are some forms of energy?chemical, electrical, mechanical, nuclear, light, heat

What do we use energy for?transportation, heating, cooking, industry

Energy Basics

What is the difference between nonrenewable and renewable sources of energy?

Once we use up nonrenewable, we can’t get any more

What are examples of nonrenewable?

oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear

What are examples of renewable?

solar, wind, water, biomass, oceans

Energy Efficiency and Energy ConservationWhat is the difference?Energy efficiency – the amount of useful energy produced compared to

the amount wasted as heat (2nd Law of Thermodynamics); built into the device or system, unavoidable waste

Examples of levels of energy efficiency:human body:

20-25%incandescent lightbulb:

5%internal combustion engine:

20-25%steam turbine:

45%Energy conservation – making an effort to reduce the amount of energy

used, some waste can be avoided – Examples?Why should we try to increase both?

Use of energy resources in the U.S.

U.S. has 4.6% of world population; uses 24% of the world’s energy

Nonrenewable energy resources removed from the earth’s crust include: oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium

www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

Fossil Fuels: Oil, Natural Gas, Coal

Fossil fuels originated from the decay of living organisms millions of years ago, and account for about 80% of the energy generated in the U.S.

www.lander.edu/rlayland/Chem%20103/chap_12.ppt

Oil Deposits of crude oil often are trapped within the

earth's crust and can be extracted by drilling a well

Crude oil: complex liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, with small amounts of S, O, N impurities

Example: the Deepwater Horizon was drilling to get oil

OilCrude oil is transported to a refinery where distillation produces petrochemicals

One example: TransAlaska Pipeline

Oil refinery – notice the tall towers….

Oil refineries in the southern U.S.


Info for Oil:

Risk of spills

Infrastructure already in place

Natural Gas – another fossil fuelNatural Gas – another fossil fuel

Mixture of gases•50–90% Methane (CH4)

•Ethane (C2H6)

•Propane (C3H8)

•Butane (C4H10)

•Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)


Sources of Natural GasSources of Natural Gas• Russia & Kazakhstan - almost 40% of world's supply.

• Iran (15%), Qatar (5%), Saudi Arabia (4%), Algeria (4%), United States (3%), Nigeria (3%), Venezuela (3%);

• 90–95% of natural gas in U.S. domestic (~411,000 km = 255,000 miles of pipeline).


What do we use natural gas for?1. Produce electricity

2. Heat homes (inside homes, water heater)

3. Industry (heat for warmth and producing things)

4. Vehicles

5. Cooking

Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking Technique used to get gas out from underground – pump water into spaces to increase pressure

Video on fracking

http://8020vision.com/2011/04/17/congress-releases-report-on-toxic-chemicals-used-in-fracking/


Fracking can cause groundwater contamination and earthquakes

Coal: the first fossil fuel used Long history of use

Can be burned directly to produce a lot of heat in a stove, train engine or factory

The dirtiest type of fossil fuel Relatively cheap and abundant

Coal Mining

Strip mining – very destructive Underground mining, including longwall

mining – can be dangerous to the miners Video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylkdUuNOJzw&feature=related

Ranks of Coal Lignite: A brownish-black coal of low

quality; energy content is less than 4000 BTU/lb Subbituminous: dull black; energy content

is 8,300 BTU/lb

Bituminous: most common coal is dense and black (often with well-defined bands of bright and dull material); energy content about 10,500 Btu/lb

Anthracite: a hard, black lustrous coal, often referred to as hard coal; energy content of about 14,000 Btu/lb

www.uvawise.edu/philosophy/Hist%20295/ Powerpoint%5CCoal.ppt

Acid Mine Drainage

The impact of mine drainage on a lake after receiving effluent from an abandoned tailings impoundment for over

50 years

Relatively fresh tailings in an Relatively fresh tailings in an impoundment. impoundment.

The same tailings impoundment The same tailings impoundment after 7 years of sulfide after 7 years of sulfide

oxidation. The white spots in oxidation. The white spots in Figures A and B are gulls. Figures A and B are gulls.

http://www.earth.uwaterloo.ca/services/whaton/s06_amd.html

Cutting edge research: Clean Coal Technology (CCT)Involves carbon capture and

storage, washing coal to remove pollutants, use of devices to purify air as it leaves the plant, convert solid coal to a gas (cleaner, more efficient)

Video clips:

http://www.cleancoalusa.org/

Advantages and Disadvantages of CoalAdvantages and Disadvantages of CoalPros• Most abundant fossil fuel• Major U.S. reserves – contributes to energy independence

• 300 yrs. at current consumption rates• High net energy yield

Cons• Dirtiest fuel (produces particulate matter, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide)

• Mining causes major environmental degradation• Major threat to health

© Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP


Nuclear Energy

In a conventional nuclear power plant,a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction heats water to… produce high-pressure steam

that… turns turbines which…

generate electricity

Nuclear EnergyNuclear EnergyNuclear fission – splitting of an atom

Once an atom splits, neutrons cause other atoms to split – a chain reaction occurs

In a nuclear power plant, the chain reaction is kept under control (using control rods), and the heat is used to generate electricity

Most common fuel used is uranium – a nonrenewable heavy metal that comes from underground www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

Controlled Nuclear Fission ReactionControlled Nuclear Fission Reaction

cstl-cst.semo.edu/bornstein/BS105/ Energy%20Use%20-%203.ppt


• Types• Alpha particles consist of 2 protons and 2 neutrons,

and therefore are positively charged• Beta particles are negatively charged (electrons)• Gamma rays have no mass or charge, but are a form

of electromagnetic radiation (similar to X-rays)

• Sources of natural radiation• Soil• Rocks• Air• Water• Cosmic rays

RadioactivityRadioactivity


Relative Doses from

Radiation Sources


Unit for measuring radiation dose: millisievert (mSv)

• Genetic damages: from mutations that alter genes

• Genetic defects can become apparent in the next generation

• Somatic damages: to tissue, such as burns, miscarriages & cancers

Effects of RadiationEffects of Radiation


www.geology.fau.edu/course_info/fall02/ EVR3019/Nuclear_Waste.ppt

1. Low-level radiation (Gives of low amount of radiation)• Sources: nuclear power plants, hospitals &

universities• 1940 – 1970 most was dumped into the ocean• Today deposit into landfills

2. High-level radiation (Gives of large amount of radiation)• Fuel rods from nuclear power plants• Half-time of Plutonium 239 is 24000 years• Safe method of storage is difficult – may be stored

in pools, or dry casks on land

Radioactive WasteRadioactive Waste


Yucca Mountain

www.geology.fau.edu/course_info/fall02/ EVR3019/Nuclear_Waste.ppt

Was going to be the nation’s repository for nuclear waste – this plan has been canceled

Nuclear Power Plants in U.S.Nuclear Power Plants in U.S.


Three Mile IslandThree Mile Island• March 29, 1979, a reactor near Harrisburg, PA lost

coolant water because of mechanical and human errors and suffered a partial meltdown

• 50,000 people evacuated & another 50,000 fled area

• Unknown amounts of radioactive materials released

• Partial cleanup & damages cost $1.2 billion

• Released radiation increased cancer rates.


ChernobylChernobyl• April 26, 1986, reactor explosion (Ukraine) flung radioactive debris into atmosphere

• Health ministry reported 3,576 deaths

• Green Peace estimates32,000 deaths;

• About 400,000 people were forced to leave their homes

• ~160,000 sq km (62,00 sq mi) contaminated

• > Half million people exposed to dangerous levels of radioactivity

• Cost of incident > $358 billionwww.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

Effects of Effects of Chernobyl nuclear Chernobyl nuclear disasterdisaster

Fukushima disaster – Japan, March 2011Fukushima disaster – Japan, March 2011

Earthquake, followed by tsunami – Earthquake, followed by tsunami – subsequent loss of power to cool reactors, subsequent loss of power to cool reactors, plus fire at plantplus fire at plant

beforebefore

Use of Nuclear EnergyUse of Nuclear Energy• U.S. phasing out - ???• Some countries (France, Japan) investing

increasingly• U.S. currently ~7% of energy nuclear• No new U.S. power plants ordered since 1978• 40% of 105 commercial nuclear power expected

to be retired by 2015 and all by 2030• North Korea is getting new plants from the US• France 78% energy nuclear



Comparison of Supplies of Nonrenewable Comparison of Supplies of Nonrenewable Energy Sources:Energy Sources:

Energy & Energy & Mineral resourcesMineral resources

garnero101.asu.edu/glg101/Lectures/L37.ppt

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Chapter 17 Energy: Introduction to Energy and Nonrenewable Energy Sources