ENERGY SOURCES & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

FOSSIL FUELS PROS & CONS CHEAP ABUNDANT SUPPLY FOR NEXT 50 YEARS CONTRIBUTES TO GLOBAL WARMING NON RENEWABLE

… can be classified as either: Energy Sources … can be classified as either: Renewable – can be used over and over again because they can be replaced in a short period of time. Nonrenewable – After they are used once it will take a long time for them to be replenished, if at all

Energy Sources Continued Renewable: Solar Energy Wind Energy Hydropower from H2O Biomass from burning wood and organic material Geothermal Nonrenewable: Fossil Fuels Oil, Natural Gas & Coal Nuclear

U.S. Capacity and Market Share by Fuel 2000 Capacity Factor (percent) Generation Share (percent) Generation (billion kWh) Coal 71.0 51.7 1966 Oil & Gas 29.1 19.0 724 Nuclear 87.9 19.8 754 Hydro 39.6 7.3 276 Geothermal 57.6 0.4 14 Biomass 69.1 1.6 61 Wind 26.8 0.1 6 Photo-voltaic 15.1 <0.1 0.5

Looking at the next 2 slides, answer the following questions: In 1949, what source was used the most to generate electricity? 2nd ? When did we start using Nuclear to generate electricity? In 2006, what source is used the most to generate electricity? 2nd? How does 2006 compare to 1949?

Nuclear Electric Power Conventional Hydroelectric Power Table 8.2a  Electricity Net Generation:  Total (All Sectors), 1949-2006                         (Sum of Tables 8.2b and 8.2d; Billion Kilowatt-hours) Year Fossil Fuels Nuclear Electric Power Hydro- electric Pumped Storage 5 Renewable Energy Other 9 Total Coal 1 Petroleum 2 Natural Gas 3 Other Gases 4 Conventional Hydroelectric Power  Biomass Geo- thermal Solar/PV 8 Wind Wood 6 Waste 7 1949 135.5 28.5 37.0 NA 201.0 0.0 [10] 94.8 0.4 95.2 296.1 1950 154.5 33.7 44.6 232.8 .0 100.9 .4 101.3 334.1 1951 185.2 28.7 56.6 270.5 104.4 104.8 375.3 1952 195.4 29.7 68.5 293.6 109.7 .5 110.2 403.8 1953 218.8 38.4 79.8 337.0 109.6 110.0 447.0 1954 239.1 31.5 93.7 364.4 111.6 .3 111.9 476.3 1955 301.4 37.1 95.3 433.8 116.2 116.5 550.3 1956 338.5 35.9 104.0 478.5 125.2 .2 125.4 603.9 1957 346.4 40.5 114.2 501.1 (s) 133.4 133.5 634.6 1958 344.4 40.4 119.8 504.5 143.6 143.8 648.5 1959 378.4 46.8 146.6 571.9 141.2 141.3 713.4 1960 403.1 48.0 158.0 609.0 149.4 .1 149.6 759.2 1961 421.9 48.5 169.3 639.7 1.7 155.5 155.8 797.1 1962 450.2 48.9 184.3 683.4 2.3 172.0 172.2 857.9 1963 493.9 52.0 201.6 747.5 3.2 169.0 920.0 1964 526.2 57.0 220.0 803.2 3.3 180.3 180.7 987.2 1965 570.9 64.8 221.6 857.3 3.7 197.0 197.4 1,058.4 1966 613.5 78.9 251.2 943.6 5.5 197.9 198.5 1,147.5 1967 630.5 89.3 264.8 984.6 7.7 224.9 225.6 1,217.8 1968

Nuclear Electric Power Conventional Hydroelectric Power Table 8.2a  Electricity Net Generation:  Total (All Sectors), 1949-2006                         (Sum of Tables 8.2b and 8.2d; Billion Kilowatt-hours) Year Fossil Fuels Nuclear Electric Power Hydro- electric Pumped Storage 5 Renewable Energy Other 9 Total Coal 1 Petroleum 2 Natural Gas 3 Other Gases 4 Conventional Hydroelectric Power  Biomass Geo- thermal Solar/PV 8 Wind Wood 6 Waste  2000 1,966.3 111.2 601.0 14.0 2,692.5 753.9 -5.5 275.6 37.6 23.1 14.1 .5 5.6 356.5 4.8 3,802.1 2001 1,904.0 124.9 639.1 9.0 2,677.0 768.8 -8.8 217.0 35.2 R 14.5 13.7 6.7 R 287.7 R 11.9 3,736.6 2002 1,933.1 94.6 691.0 11.5 2,730.2 780.1 -8.7 264.3 38.7 R 15.0 14.5 .6 10.4 R 343.4 R 13.5 3,858.5 2003 1,973.7 119.4 649.9 15.6 2,758.6 763.7 -8.5 275.8 37.5 R 15.8 14.4 11.2 R 355.3 R 14.0 3,883.2 2004 1,978.6 120.6 709.0 16.8 2,825.0 788.5 268.4 R 15.5 14.8 R 351.0 3,970.6 2005 R 2,013.2 R 122.5 R 758.0 R 16.3 R 2,910.0 R 782.0 -6.6 R 270.3 R 38.7 R 14.7 R .6 R 17.8 R 357.5 R 12.5 R 4,055.4 2006P 1,987.2 63.2 807.6 16.0 2,874.0 787.2 -6.9 288.3 39.4 16.2 25.8 385.0 4,053.0

GENERATING ELECTRICTY AS A NATION 2001

GENERATING ELECTRICITY IN TEXAS IN 2001

The principles of electricity generation were discovered by Michael Faraday in 1831. He found that moving a bar magnet through a wire coil generated electricity. Modern generators are more complex, but the difference is mainly one of scale. Power stations range in size from single wind driven devices to major industrial sites, employing many hundreds of staff, but what they are all doing is converting one kind of energy into another. Different stations use a variety of energy sources but they all generate electricity in the same way.

How does burning fossil fuels affect the environment? Fossil Fuels Effect on the Environment How does burning fossil fuels affect the environment? Contributes to the greenhouse effect (Global Warming) Contributes to acid rain Natural Gas does NOT pollute as much as Coal

Why do we use coal/natural gas to generate electricity? Fossil Fuels Effect on the Environment (cont.) Why do we use coal/natural gas to generate electricity? Cheaper because we have an abundant supply and our generating plants are set up to burn mainly coal. New generating plants would have to be built

Fossil Fuels Effect on the Environment (cont.) Power stations waste a lot of the energy in the fossil fuels they burn. The best convert only about 38% of it into electricity. Most of the wasted energy is heat – in the flue gases, and in the water used to condense the steam as it leaves the turbine cylinders.

Coal in Texas is found as lignite which has a low heating value and a high sulfur content.

Energy Transformations for Coal Plants

Energy Transformations for Coal Plants

Energy Transformations for Coal Plants Coal is pulverized into dust Hot air blows coal dust into the furnace The dust burns like a gas and boils the water Superheated steam drives the turbines The generator produces electricity Steam is cooled and converted into water by the condenser The warm water is cooled by air blowing through the tower Water is recirculated to maximize use

Energy Transformations for Coal Plants Generating Electricity Using an Electromagnet Generator

Energy Transformations for Coal Plants CHEMICAL----HEAT-----MECHANICAL—ELECTRICAL This same method can be used for the other types of fossil fuel plants (oil, natural gas, and other petroleum products).

This is the rotor which was removed from the generator shown above.

Energy Conversions for Nuclear Power Plants NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Energy Conversions for Nuclear Power Plants NUCLEAR REACTOR

Energy Conversions for Nuclear Power Plants Liquid in the primary loop is pass through the reactor and becomes superheated. The liquid in the primary loop is then passed through a steam generator where it transfers heat to the water in the secondary loop. Water in the secondary loop absorbs the heat energy from the primary loop and changes from a liquid to superheated gas (steam). The steam then rises and is force through turbines which turn generators producing electricity. The steam is then passed through a condenser that has cool water from an outside storage area (usually a lake or river) pumped through a tertiary loop which helps take the excess heat way condensing the steam back into a liquid in the secondary loop. The water in the tertiary loop becomes steam itself as it absorbs the heat energy and is usually the “smoke” that is seen leaving the nuclear power plant.

Energy Conversions for Nuclear Power Plants NUCLEAR---HEAT---MECHANICAL---ELECTRICAL

Nuclear Waste During fission, very harmful radiation is released. The most harmful of which are gamma radiation. When the human body is exposed to radiation, it can cause tumors and can do extreme damage to the reproductive organs. For this reason, problems associated with radioactivity can be passed on to the victim's children as well. That is why radioactive waste produced by nuclear power plants is so dangerous.

Nuclear Waste (cont.) After about 18 months in a reactor, fission begins to slow down, and the uranium rods must be replaced. It takes about 2 months to remove the old rods and place in the new ones. The used-up uranium rods are stuck in containers which are placed in swimming-pool sized tanks of water. In these tanks, the old rods lose some of their radioactivity and begin to cool down. However, many nuclear power plants are now running into the problem of their water tanks getting full of the rods, and are in need of a permanent storage place.

Nuclear Waste (cont.) Many scientists have argued about a long term storage for our nuclear waste. Many think the waste should be placed in concrete containers and buried far beneath the Earth's surface. Others say that some of the waste should be loaded into rockets and shot at the sun. Some countries have already decided on their plans. Canada is currently looking at a plan to bury their radioactive waste underneath the Canadian Shield. The United States has buries their waste underground in Nevada where some nuclear experiments and tests are conducted. So far, continuing debates have prevented much of anything from being done about nuclear waste. Unfortunately, after buried underground, the nuclear waste can take millions of years to decay.

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS ON TOP OF A HOUSE

GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT DIAGRAM

BEJING WIND GENERATOR BEING BUILT IN 2007 FOR OLYMPICS 2008

WIND GENERTORS IN HAWAII

HOOVER DAM outside of Las Vegas, Nevada

HYDROELECTRIC GENERATES 24% OF OUR ELECTRICITY

Conserving our Energy Sources Let’s think of some ways we can conserve energy in the following areas: 1. Heating & Cooling 2. Electricity 3. Gasoline 4. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle