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17TH MILLER/SPOOLMAN
LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Chapter 15
Nonrenewable Energy
Case Study: A Brief History of Human Energy Use
• Everything runs on energy
• Industrial revolution began 275 years ago, relied on
wood, which led to deforestation
• Coal
• Petroleum products
• Natural gas
• All of these are nonrenewable energy resources
Energy Use: World and United States
Fig. 15-1, p. 370
Fig. 15-1, p. 370
Nuclear power 6%
Geothermal, solar, wind 1%
Hydropower 3%
Natural gas 21%
Coal 24% Biomass 11%
Oil 34%
World
Fig. 15-1, p. 370
Nuclear power 8%
Coal 22%
Natural gas 23%
Hydropower, 3%
Oil 40%
Biomass 3%
United States
Geothermal, solar, wind 1%
15-1 What is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
• Concept 15-1 Net energy is the amount of high-quality energy available from an energy resource minus the amount of energy needed to make it available.
Basic Science: Net Energy Is the Only Energy That Really Counts (1)
• First law of thermodynamics:
• It takes high-quality energy to get high-quality energy
• Pumping oil from ground, refining it, transporting it
• Second law of thermodynamics
• Some high-quality energy is wasted at every step
Basic Science: Net Energy Is the Only Energy That Really Counts (2)
• Net energy
• Total amount of useful energy available from a resource minus the energy needed to make the energy available to consumers
• Business net profit: total money taken in minus all expenses
• Net energy ratio: ratio of energy produced to energy used to produce it
• Conventional oil: high net energy ratio
It Takes Energy to Pump Petroleum
Fig. 15-2, p. 372
Net Energy Ratios
Fig. 15-3, p. 373
Fig. 15-3a, p. 373
Space Heating
Passive solar 5.8
Natural gas 4.9
Oil 4.5
Active solar 1.9
Coal gasification 1.5
Electric heating (coal-fired plant) 0.4
Electric heating (natural-gas-fired plant)
0.4
Electric heating (nuclear plant) 0.3
Fig. 15-3b, p. 373
High-Temperature Industrial Heat
Surface-mined coal 28.2
Underground- mined coal
25.8
Natural gas 4.9
Oil 4.7
Coal gasification 1.5
Direct solar (concentrated) 0.9
Fig. 15-3c, p. 373
Transportation
Natural gas 4.9
Gasoline (refined crude oil)
4.1
Biofuel (ethanol) 1.9
Coal liquefaction 1.4
Oil shale 1.2
Energy Resources With Low/Negative Net Energy Yields Need Marketplace Help
• Cannot compete in open markets with alternatives that have higher net energy yields
• Need subsidies from taxpayers
• Nuclear power as an example
Reducing Energy Waste Improves Net Energy Yields and Can Save Money
• 84% of all commercial energy used in the U.S. is wasted
• 43% after accounting for second law of thermodynamics
• Drive efficient cars, not gas guzzlers
• Make buildings energy efficient
15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Oil?
• Concept 15-2A Conventional oil is currently abundant, has a high net energy yield, and is relatively inexpensive, but using it causes air and water pollution and releases greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
• Concept 15-2B Heavy oils from tar sand and oil shale exist in potentially large supplies but have low net energy yields and higher environmental impacts than conventional oil has.
We Depend Heavily on Oil (1)
• Petroleum, or crude oil: conventional, or light oil
• Fossil fuels: crude oil and natural gas
• Peak production: time after which production from a well declines
• Global peak production for all world oil
We Depend Heavily on Oil (2)
• Oil extraction and refining
• By boiling point temperature
• Petrochemicals:
• Products of oil distillation
• Raw materials for industrial organic chemicals
• Pesticides
• Paints
• Plastics
Science: Refining Crude Oil
Fig. 15-4, p. 375
Fig. 15-4a, p. 375
Lowest Boiling Point Gases
Gasoline
Aviation fuel
Heating oil
Diesel oil
Naphtha
Heated crude oil
Grease and wax
Furnace Asphalt
Highest Boiling Point
How Long Might Supplies of Conventional Crude Oil Last? (1)
• Rapid increase since 1950
• Largest consumers in 2009
• United States, 23%
• China, 8%
• Japan, 6%
How Long Might Supplies of Conventional Crude Oil Last? (2)
• Proven oil reserves
• Identified deposits that can be extracted profitably with current technology
• Unproven reserves
• Probable reserves: 50% chance of recovery
• Possible reserves: 10-40% chance of recovery
• Proven and unproven reserves will be 80% depleted sometime between 2050 and 2100
World Oil Consumption, 1950-2009
Figure 1, Supplement 2
History of the Age of Conventional Oil
Figure 9, Supplement 9
OPEC Controls Most of the World’s Oil Supplies (1)
• 13 countries have at least 60% of the world’s crude oil reserves
• Saudi Arabia: 20%
• United States: 1.5%
• Global oil production leveled off in 2005
• Oil production peaks and flow rates to consumers
OPEC Controls Most of the World’s Oil Supplies (2)
• Three caveats when evaluating future oil supplies
1. Potential reserves are not proven reserves
2. Must use net energy yield to evaluate potential of any oil deposit
3. Must take into account high global use of oil
Crude Oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Fig. 15-5, p. 376
Fig. 15-5a, p. 376
14
13
12
11
10
9 Projected U. S. oil consumption
8
7
6
5
Bar
rels
of
oil
pe
r ye
ar (
bill
ion
s)
4
3
2 Arctic refuge oil output over 50 years
1
0 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Year
2000
The United States Uses Much More Oil Than It Produces
• Produces 9% of the world’s oil and uses 23% of world’s oil
• 1.5% of world’s proven oil reserves
• Imports 52% of its oil
• Should we look for more oil reserves? • Extremely difficult
• Expensive and financially risky
U.S. Energy Consumption by Fuel
Figure 6, Supplement 9
Proven and Unproven Reserves of Fossil Fuels in North America
Figure 18, Supplement 8
Conventional Oil Has Advantages and Disadvantages
• Extraction, processing, and burning of nonrenewable oil and other fossil fuels
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
Trade-Offs: Conventional Oil
Fig. 15-6, p. 377
Fig. 15-6, p. 377
Trade-Offs
Conventional Oil
Advantages Disadvantages
Ample supply for several decades
Water pollution from oil spills and leaks
High net energy yield but decreasing
Environmental costs not included in market price
Low land disruption
Releases CO 2 and other air pollutants when burned
Efficient distribution system
Vulnerable to international supply interruptions
Bird Covered with Oil from an Oil Spill in Brazilian Waters
Fig. 15-7, p. 377
Case Study: Heavy Oil from Tar Sand
• Oil sand, tar sand contains bitumen
• Canada and Venezuela: oil sands have more oil than in Saudi Arabia
• Extraction
• Serious environmental impact before strip-mining
• Low net energy yield: Is it cost effective?
Strip Mining for Tar Sands in Alberta
Fig. 15-8, p. 378
Will Heavy Oil from Oil Shales Be a Useful Resource?
• Oil shales contain kerogen
• After distillation: shale oil
• 72% of the world’s reserve is in arid areas of western United States
• Locked up in rock
• Lack of water needed for extraction and processing
• Low net energy yield
Oil Shale Rock and the Shale Oil Extracted from It
Fig. 15-9, p. 379
Trade-Offs: Heavy Oils from Oil Shale and Oil Sand
Fig. 15-10, p. 379
Fig. 15-10, p. 379
Trade-Offs
Heavy Oils from Oil
Shale and Tar Sand
Advantages Disadvantages
Large potential supplies
Low net energy yield
Easily transported within and between countries
Releases CO 2 and other air pollutants when produced and burned
Efficient distribution system in place
Severe land disruption and high water use
15-3 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Natural Gas? • Concept 15-3 Conventional natural gas is more
plentiful than oil, has a high net energy yield and a fairly low cost, and has the lowest environmental impact of all fossil fuels.
Natural Gas Is a Useful and Clean-Burning Fossil Fuel
• Natural gas: mixture of gases
• 50-90% is methane -- CH4
• Conventional natural gas
• Pipelines
• Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
• Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
• Low net energy yield
• Makes U.S. dependent upon unstable countries like Russia and Iran
Natural Gas Burned Off at Deep Sea Oil Well
Fig. 15-11, p. 380
Is Unconventional Natural Gas the Answer? • Coal bed methane gas
• In coal beds near the earth’s surface
• In shale beds
• High environmental impacts or extraction
• Methane hydrate
• Trapped in icy water
• In permafrost environments
• On ocean floor
• Costs of extraction currently too high
Trade-Offs: Conventional Natural Gas
Fig. 15-12, p. 381
Fig. 15-12, p. 381
Conventional Natural Gas
Advantages Disadvantages
Ample supplies Low net energy yield for LNG
High net energy yield
Releases CO2 and other air pollutants when burned
Emits less CO2 and other pollutants than other fossil fuels
Difficult and costly to transport from one country to another
Trade-Offs
Methane Hydrate
Fig. 15-13, p. 381
15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Coal?
• Concept 15-4A Conventional coal is plentiful and has a high net energy yield and low cost, but it has a very high environmental impact.
• Concept 15-4B Gaseous and liquid fuels produced from coal could be plentiful, but they have lower net energy yields and higher environmental impacts than conventional coal has.
Coal Is a Plentiful but Dirty Fuel (1)
• Coal: solid fossil fuel
• Burned in power plants; generates 42% of the world’s electricity
• Inefficient
• Three largest coal-burning countries
• China
• United States
• Canada
Coal Is a Plentiful but Dirty Fuel (2)
• World’s most abundant fossil fuel
• U.S. has 28% of proven reserves
• Environmental costs of burning coal
• Severe air pollution
• Sulfur released as SO2
• Large amount of soot
• CO2
• Trace amounts of Hg and radioactive materials
Stages in Coal Formation over Millions of Years
Fig. 15-14, p. 382
Fig. 15-14, p. 382
Increasing moisture content Increasing heat and carbon content
Peat (not a coal)
Lignite (brown coal)
Bituminous (soft coal)
Anthracite (hard coal)
Heat Heat Heat
Pressure Pressure Pressure
Partially decayed plant matter in swamps and bogs; low heat content
Low heat content; low sulfur content; limited supplies in most areas
Extensively used as a fuel because of its high heat content and large supplies; normally has a high sulfur content
Highly desirable fuel because of its high heat content and low sulfur content; supplies are limited in most areas
Increasing moisture content Increasing heat and carbon content
Peat
(not a coal)
Lignite
(brown coal) Bituminous
(soft coal)
Anthracite
(hard coal)
Heat Heat Heat
Pressure Pressure Pressure
Partially decayed plant
matter in swamps and
bogs; low heat content
Low heat content; low
sulfur content; limited
supplies in most areas
Extensively used as a fuel
because of its high heat
content and large supplies;
normally has a high sulfur
content
Highly desirable fuel
because of its high heat
content and low sulfur
content; supplies are
limited in most areas
Stepped Art
Fig. 15-14, p. 382
Science: Coal-Burning Power Plant
Fig. 15-15, p. 382
Fig. 15-15b, p. 382
Waste heat
Coal bunker Turbine Cooling tower transfers waste heat to atmosphere
Generator
Cooling loop
Stack
Pulverizing mill Condenser Filter
Boiler
Toxic ash disposal
Air Pollution from a Coal-Burning Industrial Plant in India
Fig. 15-16, p. 383
CO2 Emissions Per Unit of Electrical Energy Produced for Energy Sources
Fig. 15-17, p. 383
Fig. 15-17, p. 383
Coal-fired electricity 286%
Synthetic oil and gas produced from
coal 150%
Coal 100%
Tar sand 92%
Oil 86%
58% Natural gas
Nuclear power fuel cycle 17%
Geothermal 10%
Coal-fired
electricity 286%
Synthetic oil and
gas produced
from coal
150%
Coal 100%
Tar sand 92%
Oil 86%
Natural gas 58%
Nuclear power
fuel cycle 17%
Geothermal 10% Stepped Art
Fig. 15-17, p. 383
World Coal and Natural Gas Consumption, 1950-2009
Figure 7, Supplement 9
Coal Consumption in China and the United States, 1980-2008
Figure 8, Supplement 9
Coal Deposits in the United States
Figure 19, Supplement 8
Trade-Offs: Coal
Fig. 15-18, p. 384
Fig. 15-18, p. 384
Coal
Advantages Disadvantages
Ample supplies in many countries
Severe land disturbance and water pollution
Fine particle and toxic mercury emissions threaten human health
High net energy yield
Emits large amounts of CO2 and other air pollutants when produced and burned
Low cost when environmental costs are not included
Trade-Offs
Case Study: The Problem of Coal Ash
• Highly toxic
• Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury
• Ash left from burning and from emissions
• Some used as fertilizer by farmers
• Most is buried or put in ponds
• Contaminates groundwater
• Should be classified as hazardous waste
The Clean Coal and Anti-Coal Campaigns • Coal companies and energy companies fought
• Classifying carbon dioxide as a pollutant
• Classifying coal ash as hazardous waste
• Air pollution standards for emissions
• 2008 clean coal campaign
• But no such thing as clean coal
• “Coal is the single greatest threat to civilization and all life on the planet.” – James Hansen
We Can Convert Coal into Gaseous and Liquid Fuels
• Conversion of solid coal to
• Synthetic natural gas (SNG) by coal gasification
• Methanol or synthetic gasoline by coal liquefaction
• Synfuels
• Are there benefits to using these synthetic fuels?
Trade-Offs: Synthetic Fuels
Fig. 15-19, p. 385
Fig. 15-19, p. 385
Synthetic Fuels
Advantages Disadvantages
Large potential supply in many countries
Low to moderate net energy yield
Vehicle fuel
Requires mining 50% more coal with increased land disturbance, water pollution and water use
Lower air pollution than coal Higher CO2 emissions
than coal
Trade-Offs
15-5 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy?
• Concept 15-5 Nuclear power has a low environmental impact and a very low accident risk, but its use has been limited by a low net energy yield, high costs, fear of accidents, long-lived radioactive wastes, and the potential for spreading nuclear weapons technology.
How Does a Nuclear Fission Reactor Work? (1)
• Controlled nuclear fission reaction in a reactor
• Light-water reactors
• Very inefficient
• Fueled by uranium ore and packed as pellets in fuel rods and fuel assemblies
• Control rods absorb neutrons
How Does a Nuclear Fission Reactor Work? (2)
• Water is the usual coolant
• Containment shell around the core for protection
• Water-filled pools or dry casks for storage of radioactive spent fuel rod assemblies
Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plant
Fig. 15-20, p. 387
Fig. 15-20a, p. 387
Small amounts of radioactive gases
Uranium fuel input (reactor core)
Containment shell Waste heat
Control rods
Heat exchanger
Steam Turbine Generator
Hot coolant
Useful electrical
energy about 25%
Hot water output
Coolant
Moderator Cool water input
Waste heat
Shielding Pressure vessel
Coolant passage
Water Condenser
Periodic removal and storage of radioactive wastes and spent fuel assemblies
Periodic removal and storage of radioactive liquid wastes
Water source (river, lake, ocean)
Fission of Uranium-235
Fig. 2-9b, p. 43
Fig. 2-9b, p. 43
Nuclear fission
Uranium-235
Uranium-235
Neutron Energy
Fission fragment
n
n
n
n
n n
Energy
Energy
Energy
Fission fragment
Radioactive isotope Radioactive decay occurs when nuclei of unstable isotopes spontaneously emit fast-moving chunks of matter (alpha particles or beta particles), high-energy radiation (gamma rays), or both at a fixed rate. A particular radioactive isotope may emit any one or a combination of the three items shown in the diagram.
What Is the Nuclear Fuel Cycle?
1. Mine the uranium
2. Process the uranium to make the fuel
3. Use it in the reactor
4. Safely store the radioactive waste
5. Decommission the reactor
Science: The Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Fig. 15-21, p. 388
Fig. 15-21, p. 388
Fuel assemblies Decommissioning of reactor
Enrichment of UF6
Reactor
Fuel fabrication
(conversion of enriched UF 6 to UO2 and fabrication of fuel assemblies)
Temporary storage of spent fuel assemblies
underwater or in dry casks Conversion of U3O8 to UF6 Spent fuel
reprocessing
Uranium-235 as UF6 Plutonium-239 as PuO2
Low-level radiation with long half-life
Mining uranium ore (U3O8)
Geologic disposal of moderate- and high-level radioactive wastes
Open fuel cycle today Recycling of nuclear fuel
What Happened to Nuclear Power?
• Slowest-growing energy source and expected to decline more
• Why? • Economics
• Poor management
• Low net yield of energy of the nuclear fuel cycle
• Safety concerns
• Need for greater government subsidies
• Concerns of transporting uranium
Global Energy Capacity of Nuclear Power Plants
Figure 10, Supplement 9
Nuclear Power Plants in the United States
Figure 21, Supplement 8
Case Study: Chernobyl: The World’s Worst Nuclear Power Plant Accident
• Chernobyl
• April 26, 1986
• In Chernobyl, Ukraine
• Series of explosions caused the roof of a reactor building to blow off
• Partial meltdown and fire for 10 days
• Huge radioactive cloud spread over many countries and eventually the world
• 350,000 people left their homes
• Effects on human health, water supply, and agriculture
Nuclear Power Has Advantages and Disadvantages
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
Trade-Offs: Conventional Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Fig. 15-22, p. 389
Fig. 15-22, p. 389
Conventional Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Low environmental impact (without accidents)
Very low net energy yield and high overall cost
Advantages Disadvantages
Emits 1/6 as much CO2 as coal
Produces long-lived, harmful radioactive wastes
Low risk of accidents in modern plants
Promotes spread of nuclear weapons
Trade-Offs
Trade-Offs: Coal versus Nuclear to Produce Electricity
Fig. 15-23, p. 389
Fig. 15-23, p. 389
Coal vs. Nuclear
High net energy yield Very low net energy yield
Coal Nuclear
Very high emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants
Low emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants
High land disruption from surface mining
Much lower land disruption from surface mining
Low cost when environmental costs are not included
High cost (even with huge subsidies)
Trade-Offs
Storing Spent Radioactive Fuel Rods Presents Risks
• Rods must be replaced every 3-4 years
• Cooled in water-filled pools
• Placed in dry casks
• Must be stored for thousands of years
• Vulnerable to terrorist attack
Dealing with Spent Fuel Rods
Fig. 15-24, p. 390
Dealing with Radioactive Wastes Produced by Nuclear Power Is a Difficult Problem
• High-level radioactive wastes • Must be stored safely for 10,000–240,000 years
• Where to store it • Deep burial: safest and cheapest option
• Would any method of burial last long enough?
• There is still no facility
• Shooting it into space is too dangerous
Case Study: High-Level Radioactive Wastes in the United States
• 1985: plans in the U.S. to build a repository for high-level radioactive wastes in the Yucca Mountain desert region (Nevada)
• Problems
• Cost: $96 billion
• Large number of shipments to the site: protection from attack?
• Rock fractures
• Earthquake zone
• Decrease national security
What Do We Do with Worn-Out Nuclear Power Plants?
• Decommission or retire the power plant
• Some options
1. Dismantle the plant and safely store the radioactive materials
2. Enclose the plant behind a physical barrier with full-time security until a storage facility has been built
3. Enclose the plant in a tomb
• Monitor this for thousands of years
Can Nuclear Power Lessen Dependence on Imported Oil & Reduce Global Warming?
• Nuclear power plants: no CO2 emission
• Nuclear fuel cycle: emits CO2
• Opposing views on nuclear power
• Nuclear power advocates
• 2007: Oxford Research Group
• Need high rate of building new plants, plus a storage facility for radioactive wastes
Are New Generation Nuclear Reactors the Answer?
• Advanced light-water reactors (ALWR) • Built-in passive safety features
• Thorium-based reactors • Cheaper and safer
• But much research and development needed
Solutions: New Generation Nuclear Reactors
Fig. 15-25, p. 393
Will Nuclear Fusion Save Us?
• “Nuclear fusion • Fuse lighter elements into heavier elements
• No risk of meltdown or large radioactivity release
• Still in the laboratory phase after 50 years of research and $34 billion dollars
• 2006: U.S., China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and European Union • Will build a large-scale experimental nuclear fusion
reactor by 2018
Nuclear Fusion
Fig. 2-9c, p. 43
Fig. 2-9c, p. 43
Nuclear fusion occurs when two isotopes of light elements, such as hydrogen, are forced together at extremely high temperatures until they fuse to form a heavier nucleus and release a tremendous amount of energy.
Hydrogen-3 (tritium nucleus)
100 million °C
Reaction conditions
Neutron
Energy
Products
Neutron
Nuclear fusion
Fuel
Hydrogen-2 (deuterium nucleus)
Helium-4 nucleus Proton
Experts Disagree about the Future of Nuclear Power
• Proponents of nuclear power
• Fund more research and development
• Pilot-plant testing of potentially cheaper and safer reactors
• Test breeder fission and nuclear fusion
• Opponents of nuclear power
• Fund rapid development of energy efficient and renewable energy resources
Three Big Ideas
1. A key factor to consider in evaluating the usefulness of any energy resource is its net energy yield.
2. Conventional oil, natural gas, and coal are plentiful and have moderate to high net energy yields, but using any fossil fuel, especially coal, has a high environmental impact.
Three Big Ideas
3. Nuclear power has a low environmental impact and a very low accident risk, but high costs, a low net energy yield, long-lived radioactive wastes, and the potential for spreading nuclear weapons technology have limited its use.