1. Chapter 17 Energy: Introduction to Energy and Nonrenewable Energy Sources

2. 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

3. 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

4. Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation
What 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:
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?

5. Use of energy resources in the U.S.
U.S. has 4.6% of world population; uses 24% of the world’s energy 5

6. Nonrenewable energy resources removed from the earth’s crust include: oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium 6

7. 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. 7

8. 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 8

9. Oil
Crude oil is transported to a refinery where distillation produces petrochemicals One example: TransAlaska Pipeline 9

10. Oil refinery – notice the tall towers….

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12. Oil refineries in the southern U.S.

13. Info for Oil: Risk of spills Infrastructure already in place 13 13

14. Natural Gas – another fossil fuel
Mixture of gases
50–90% Methane (CH4)
Ethane (C2H6)
Propane (C3H8)
Butane (C4H10)
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) 14

15. Sources 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). 15

16. What do we use natural gas for?
Produce electricity
Heat homes (inside homes, water heater)
Industry (heat for warmth and producing things)
Vehicles
Cooking

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

18. Video on fracking

19. Fracking can cause groundwater contamination and earthquakes 19

20. 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

22. Coal Mining Strip mining – very destructive
Underground mining, including longwall mining – can be dangerous to the miners
Video clip:

23. 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
Powerpoint%5CCoal.ppt 23

24. Acid Mine Drainage
The impact of mine drainage on a lake after receiving effluent from an abandoned tailings impoundment for over 50 years 24

25. Relatively fresh tailings in an impoundment.
The same tailings impoundment after 7 years of sulfide oxidation. The white spots in Figures A and B are gulls. 25

26. 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:

27. Advantages and Disadvantages of Coal
Pros
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 27

28. 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 28

29. Nuclear Energy Nuclear 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 29

30. Controlled Nuclear Fission Reaction
cstl-cst.semo.edu/bornstein/BS105/ Energy%20Use%20-%203.ppt 30

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32. Radioactivity Types Sources of natural radiation
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 32

33. Relative Doses from Radiation Sources
Unit for measuring radiation dose: millisievert (mSv)
cstl-cst.semo.edu/bornstein/BS105/ Energy%20Use%20-%203.ppt 33

34. Effects of Radiation 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 34

35. www.geology.fau.edu/course_info/fall02/ EVR3019/Nuclear_Waste.ppt35

36. Radioactive Waste
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 years
Safe method of storage is difficult – may be stored in pools, or dry casks on land 36

37. Yucca Mountain
Was going to be the nation’s repository for nuclear waste – this plan has been canceled
EVR3019/Nuclear_Waste.ppt 37

38. Nuclear Power Plants in U.S.
cstl-cst.semo.edu/bornstein/BS105/ Energy%20Use%20-%203.ppt 38

39. Three 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. 39

40. Chernobyl
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 billion 40

41. Effects of Chernobyl nuclear disaster41

42. Fukushima disaster – Japan, March 2011
before
Earthquake, followed by tsunami – subsequent loss of power to cool reactors, plus fire at plant

43. Use 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 43

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45. Comparison of Supplies of Nonrenewable Energy Sources:
Mineral resources
garnero101.asu.edu/glg101/Lectures/L37.ppt 45