1. Nonrenewable Energy Sources
Chapter 12
Nonrenewable Energy Sources

2. What have you done today that required energy?
Warm-Up Question
What have you done today that required energy?

4. Measuring Energy Are all energy sources measured in the same way?
Gallons of gasoline
Cords of wood
Cubic feet of natural gas
How do we measure the amount of energy if each source has its own unit of measure?

5. British Thermal Units
1 Btu = amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 lb. of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit
1 wooden kitchen match = 1 Btu
1 ounce of gasoline = 1,000 Btu’s

6. Btu’s
Everyday, the average American uses about 890,000 Btu’s of energy
In order to measure very large quantities of energy, we use the “quad”, which represents 1 quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) Btu’s
The U.S. uses about 1 quad of energy every 3.7 days

7. Energy
What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources?
What percent of our energy comes from nonrenewable energy sources? Renewable energy sources?

8. Nonrenewable Energy
Nonrenewable energy resources - fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and nuclear fuels

9. Source: Energy Information Agency

10. Energy Consumption in the U.S.

11. Energy Use
Commercial energy sources - those that are bought and sold, such as coal, oil and natural gas
Subsistence energy sources - those gathered by individuals for their own use such as wood, charcoal, and animal waste

12. Process of Energy Use

13. Efficiency of U.S. Automobiles
How has automobile efficiency changed over the past 30 years?

14. Efficiency of U.S. Automobiles

16. AP Practice Problem
Which of the following is not a nonrenewable energy resource?
Oil
Coal
Natural gas
Wind
Nuclear fuels

18. Electricity Generation
The burning fuel from coal transfers energy to water, which becomes steam
The kinetic energy contained within the steam is transferred to the blades of a turbine, a large device that resembles a fan
As the energy in the steam turns the turbine, the shaft in the center of the turbine turns the generator
This mechanical motion generates electricity

19. Electricity Generation

20. AP Practice Problem
Which of the following is not a nonrenewable energy resource?
Oil
Coal
Natural gas
Wind
Nuclear fuels

22. Fuels Used for Electricity Generation in the U.S.
Most coal burning power plants are about 35% efficient

23. Cogeneration
Cogeneration - using a fuel to generate electricity and to produce heat
Ex: If steam is used for industrial purposes or to heat buildings it is diverted to turn a turbine first
This improves the efficiency to as high as 90%

24. Coal
Coal - a solid fuel formed primarily from the remains of trees, ferns, and other plant materials that were preserved million years ago
Four types of coal ranked from lesser to greater age, exposure to pressure, and energy content
These four types are: lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and anthracite
The largest coal reserves are in the United States, Russia, China, and India

25. Coal

26. Coal Coal is most abundant fossil fuel There are 3 categories of coal:
Primarily used for generating electricity
There are 3 categories of coal:
Lignite – least desirable because of its high moisture content
Bituminous – most widely used because it is most abundant and easiest to mine
Anthracite – has the highest energy content and is cleanest burning, but is hard to obtain

27. Coal

28. Coal Reserves in the U.S.
lignite
anthracite
bituminous

29. Coal in the World
Where in the world is coal found?

30. Advantages and Disadvantages of Coal
Energy-dense
Contains impurities
Plentiful
Release impurities into air when burned
Easy to exploit by surface mining
Trace metals like mercury, lead, and arsenic are found in coal
Technological demands are small
Combustion leads to increased levels of sulfur dioxide and other air pollutants into the atmosphere.
Economic costs are low
Ash is left behind
Easy to handle and transport
Carbon is released into the atmosphere which contributes to climate change
Needs little refining

31. Petroleum (Oil)
Petroleum - a mixture of hydrocarbons, water, and sulfur that occurs in underground deposits
Oil and gasoline make this ideal for mobile combustion, such as vehicles
Formed from the remains of ocean-dwelling phytoplankton that died million years ago
Countries with the most petroleum are Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United States, Iran, China, Canada, and Mexico

32. Petroleum

33. Oil in the U.S. When was the first U.S. commercial oil well drilled?
1859
Where was it drilled?
Titusville, PA

34. What are the top oil producing states in the U.S.?
Texas (21%)
Alaska (11%)
California (10%)
North Dakota (6%)
Louisiana (3%)

35. Issues Related to the Use of Oil
Present technology only removes 1/3 of an oil deposit
Secondary recovery methods are used to recover more oil, such as forcing water or gas into wells to drive the oil out
As oil prices increase, more expensive and aggressive secondary recovery methods will need to be used

36. Oil Drilling

37. Oil Derrick - starts the well

38. Pump - removes oil from ground

39. Oil Pump

40. Secondary Recovery
Steam can be injected to recover more oil

41. Petroleum Products
What products can be made from petroleum?

42. Oil Refining http://www.howstuffworks.com/oil-refining2.htm

44. Which countries are in OPEC?

45. Benefits of Using Oil
Oil is more concentrated than coal, burns cleaner, and is easily transported through pipelines
Can be used to make many products
It causes less environmental damage than coal mining

46. Drawbacks of Using Oil Oil spills Oil well blowouts
Pipelines and transportation routes
Air pollution when burned

47. Price of Oil per Barrel (U.S.)

48. Source: Energy Information Agency

49. What we pay for in a gallon of gasoline
Source: Energy Information Agency

50. Advantages and Disadvantages of Petroleum
Convenient to transport and use
Releases carbon dioxide into atmosphere
Relatively energy-dense
Possibility of leaks when extracted and transported
Cleaner-burning than coal
Releases sulfur, mercury, lead, and arsenic into the atmosphere when burned

51. Natural Gas
Natural gas - exists as a component of petroleum in the ground as well as in gaseous deposits separate from petroleum
Contains 80-95% methane and 5-20% ethane, propane, and butane

52. Where in the world is Natural Gas?

54. Fracking

55. Advantages and Disadvantages of Natural Gas
Contains fewer impurities and therefore emits almost no sulfur dioxide or particulates
When unburned, methane escapes into the atmosphere
Emits only 60% as much carbon dioxide as coal
Exploration of natural gas has the potential of contaminating groundwater

56. Other Fossil Fuels
Oil sands - slow-flowing, viscous deposits of bitumen mixed with sand, water, and clay
Bitumen (tar or pitch) - a degraded type of petroleum that forms when a petroleum migrates close to the surface, where bacteria metabolize some of the light hydrocarbons and others evaporate

58. Hubbert Curve
Hubbert curve - a graph that shows the point at which world oil production would reach a maximum (“peak oil”) and the point at which we would run out of oil

59. Future Use of Fossil Fuel Use
If current global use continues, we will run out of conventional oil in less than 40 years
Coal supplies will last for at least 200 years, and probably much longer

60. Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Fission - a nuclear reaction in which a neutron strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus, which then splits into two or more parts

61. Uranium Fuel Pellets Uranium Ore
U-235 is more desirable because it’s easier to split (fission)
Enrichment process increases the amount of U-235
Uranium Ore
99.3% of all uranium atoms are the isotope U-238
Remaining 0.7% are U-235

62. Fission
A nuclear power plant converts the energy contained within the nuclei of atoms into electrical energy
U-235 absorbs a neutron to become highly unstable U-236
U-236 splits and releases a tremendous amount of heat energy

63. Nuclear Fission

64. Nuclear Reactors

65. Nuclear Reactors
Fuel rods - the cylindrical tubes that house the nuclear fuel used in a nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plants work by using heat from nuclear fission to heat water
This water produces the steam to turn the turbine, which turns a generator
Control rods - cylindrical devices that can be inserted between the fuel rods to absorb excess neutrons, thus slowing or stopping the fission reaction

66. Nuclear Energy in the World
Nuclear power plants generate about 22% of the United States’ electricity
In comparison:
75% in France
46% in Sweden
43% in Ukraine
39% in South Korea
30% in Germany
30% in Japan

67. Nuclear Power Plants in the U.S.

68. Nuclear Power Plant Meltdowns
In 1986, the Chernobyl (Ukraine) nuclear reactor exploded
50 tons of radioactive material spewed into the surrounding area, contaminating millions of acres of forest.
Forced the evacuation of at least 30,000 people
Eventually caused thousands to die from cancer and other illnesses

69. Nuclear Waste
Radioactive waste - once the nuclear fuel can not produce enough heat to be used in a power plant but it continues to emit radioactivity
This waste must be stored in special, highly secure locations because of the danger to living organisms

70. Nuclear Waste
High-level radioactive waste - the form used in fuel rods
Low-level radioactive waste - the protective clothing, tools, rags, and other items used in routine plant maintenance

71. Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion - occurs when lighter nuclei are forced together to produce heavier nuclei and heat is released
Ex: the reaction that powers the Sun and other stars
Fusion is a promising, unlimited source of energy in the future, but so far scientists have had difficulty containing the heat that is produced

72. Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy
No air pollution is produced
Possibility of accidents
Countries can limit their need for imported oil
Disposal of the radioactive waste