Energy Resources Chapter 18 Fossil Fuels Alternate Energy Energy Efficiency

Fuels and Energy Fuel – a substance that provides energy such as heat, light, motion, or electricity Energy Transformation A change in one form of energy to another is called energy transformation. Examples: Rubbing your hands together- (mechanical to heat) Burning a fuel in a car (chemical to mechanical)

Production of Electricity The chemical energy stored in fuels can be used to generate electricity. In a power plant, fuel is burned to create heat to make steam. The steam is used to spin a generator which makes electricity. The fuel used in power plants can be coal, oil, natural gas, or even garbage.

Combustion When fuels are burned, the chemical energy that is released can be used to generate another form of energy. Combustion is the release of chemical energy.

What are Fossil Fuels? -Fossil fuels – are energy-rich substance formed from the remains of once-living organisms. -Fossil fuels are made of hydrocarbons, which are energy rich chemical compounds that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms. -Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources because they take hundreds of millions of years to form.

Three major fossil fuels are:

Fossil Fuel: Coal Coal - a solid fossil fuel formed from plants and other organisms that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. Coal is mined Coal is the most plentiful fossil fuel in the U.S. Pros: Inexpensive Abundant Cons: Air pollution Erosion Water pollution Contributes to global warming

How Coal Forms

Fossil Fuel: Petroleum (Oil) Petroleum (Oil)- Thick , black, liquid formed from the remains of small animals, algae and protists that lived in oceans and seas hundreds of millions of years ago. Oil mostly found in tiny holes in sandstone and limestone. More than 1/3 of energy in the world is from oil U. S. consumes 1/3 of the world’s oil, but only 3% of the supply is located in the U.S. Where do we get the difference from?

Petroleum (Oil) Located deep below the surface so we must drill for it and pump it out of the ground.

Petroleum (Oil) Crude oil - when oil is first pumped out of the ground. Refinery - a factory where crude oil is separated into fuels and other products by heating Petrochemicals - compounds that are made from oil. Used in plastics, paints ,medicines, and cosmetics. Pros: Relatively inexpensive We have petroleum here in the U.S. (Don’t have to import as much) Cons: Pollution Demand causes us to import more than we produce Hard to get out of the ground

Fossil Fuel: Natural Gas Natural gas - mixture of methane and other gases Forms from the same organisms as petroleum Less dense than oil so it rises above oil deposits Pipelines move the gas from its source to where it is used. Pros The U.S. has a large supply Lower air pollution compared to other fossil fuels Easy to transport Cons Highly flammable Still a fossil fuel so it will eventually run out Contributes to global warming

Fossil Fuel Disasters: Petroleum Exxon Valdez 1989 Prince William Sound, Alaska. A salmon and seal habitat Spilled 38 million gallons of crude oil covering 1,300 miles of coastline and 11,000 square miles of ocean. The tanker ship struck an underwater reef. The ships radar was not working and the captain was in his sleeping quarters possibly drunk.

Valdez Clean Up Used a lot of dispersant which makes the oil sink to the bottom of the ocean. Burn off- toxic fumes caused health problems to the natives living close by. Effects of the spill are still felt today- 25 years later.

Valdez Impact Largest impact was on the shore line. Oil had to be scrubbed off rocks and animals. Cost over 2 billion dollars to clean up Hundreds of thousands of birds and marine wildlife were killed or affected.

Deep Water Horizon Gulf of Mexico 2010 Drilling for oil in the Gulf 250 miles south of Houston TX. There was an explosion and fire that burned for 2 days before sinking. Largest oil spill in the history of US The two safety systems used to prevent spills failed. The oil continued to leak for 3 months until July 15th

Renewable Energy Renewable energy- is energy that can be replaced by natural processes in a short amount of time Solar energy - energy from the sun. The sun constantly gives off energy in the form of light and heat.

Solar cells (Photovoltaic cells)- Converts light directly into electricity. Passive solar heating- Uses the heat from the sun to heat a building. This system does not use any pumps or fans. Uses glass and concrete to heat a building. Consider taking out solar plants. Focus on household uses.

This house uses passive solar heating This house uses passive solar heating. It faces south to maximize sun exposure. It has many windows and glass to capture the heat and keep it in like a green house.

Active solar heating- captures the heat from the sun and distributes it throughout the building using pumps and fans. Example: heating water in a solar collector on the roof and then pumping it to the bathroom for hot water.

Solar Energy continued Pros: Inexpensive As long as the sun shines you can generate electricity or heat Cons: Only available when sun is shining Energy from the sun is spread out so collecting the energy takes up a lot of space.

Hydroelectric Power Flowing water can turn a turbine and generate electricity. Most widely used renewable resource today Pros: No air pollution Flowing water provides a steady supply of energy Cons: Must have a dam Dams have negative effects on the environment Need a steady flow of water

Three Gorges Dam- China

Wind Energy Wind can be used to turn a turbine and generate electricity Pros: Fastest growing energy source No pollution Cons: Wind must be steady Noisy Destroyed by very strong winds Wind energy is actually an indirect form of solar energy.

Biomass Fuels Biomass fuels are made from living things including: peat, wood, leaves, food wastes, and even garbage. Pros: Renewable Carbon neutral Widely available Cons: Can lead to deforestation Inefficient Takes up a lot of area

Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy- Intense heat from Earth’s interior that is close to the surface can be used to heat water. Pros- unlimited source of energy Cons- Have to be near an area where magma is close to the surface to be really effective.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Efficiency and Conservation One way that we can preserve our energy resources are to increase efficiency and to conserve resources What is efficiency? Efficiency is the percentage of energy that is actually used to perform work. Energy that is not used is lost. Efficiency is also a way to make resources last longer. Conservations is preserving natural resources. Using less of something.

Efficiency Example: A furnace that heats a home is 85% efficient. That means that 85% of the energy goes directly to heating the home and the rest, 15% is waste. (Goes up the chimney) So that means that if there was a 100 gallon oil tank supplying the furnace, only 85 gallons would be used to heat the home and the remaining 15 gallons is wasted. In terms of money only $85 of every $100 is being used and $15 is waste. So if someone spent $1000 to fill their oil tank, they would be wasting $150. Or 150 gallons of oil (About 3 barrels) 95% Efficiency would reduce waste to 5% Would save $100

How can we increase efficiency in heating/cooling, lighting, and transportation? Heating/ cooling- we can use energy efficient furnaces and insulate the building better. Lighting- We can use energy efficient bulbs like LED’s

Insulation Insulation is a layer of material that traps air to help block the transfer of heat. Fiberglass Foam Spray foam Cellulose Asbestoses

Lighting Only 10% of electricity in an incandescent bulb is converted into light. What happens to the rest of the energy? It is converted to heat. Fluorescent lights use ¼ as much electricity to provide the same amount of light. LED lighting can save even more money and energy over CFL’s and it is a better color light. Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Incandescent LED light bulbs

Transportation Engineers have improved efficiency by designing better engines and tires which saves fuel. Hybrid cars use a combination of gas engines and electric motors to save energy.