Geologic Resources: Nonrenewable Mineral and Energy Resources

1
Geologic Resources Nonrenewable Mineral and
Energy Resources
G. Tyler Millers Living in the Environment 13th
Edition Chapter 15
Dr. Richard Clements Chattanooga State Technical
Community College
2
Nature and Formation of Mineral Resources

• Mineral resources

• Metallic

• Non-metallic

• Energy resources

• Magma

• Hydrothermal

• Weathering

3
Finding Nonrenewable Mineral Resources

• Satellite imagery

• Aerial sensors (magnetometers)

• Gravity differences

• Core sampling

• Seismic surveys

• Chemical analysis of water and plants

4
Removing Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
Surface mining
Subsurface mining

• Overburden

• Room and pillar

• Spoil

• Longwall

• Open-pit

• Dredging

Refer to Figs. 15-4 and 15-5, p. 341 and 342

• Strip mining

5
Environmental Effects of Extracting Mineral
Resources
Fig. 15-6 p. 343
6
Environmental Effects of Processing Mineral
Resources

• Ore mineral

• Gangue

• Tailings

• Smelting

See Case Study p. 345
7
Environmental Effects of Using Mineral Resources

• Disruption of land surface

• Subsidence

• Erosion of solid mining waste

• Acid mine drainage

• Air pollution

• Storage and leakage of liquid mining waste

8
Supplies of Mineral Resources

• Economic depletion

• Depletion time

• Reserve-to-productionratio

• Foreign sources

• Economics

• Environmental concerns

• Mining the ocean

Fig. 15-9 p. 346

• Finding substitutes

9
Evaluating Energy Resources

• Renewable energy

• Non-renewable energy

• Future availability

• Net energy yield

• Cost

• Environmental effects

Fig. 15-12 p. 351
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Important Nonrenewable Energy Sources
Fig. 15-10 p. 350
11
North American Energy Resources
Fig. 15-20 p. 356
12
Oil

• Petroleum (crude oil)

• Primary recovery

• Secondary recovery

• Tertiary recovery

• Petrochemicals

• Refining

• Transporting

13
Oil Shale and Tar Sands

• Oil shale

• Keragen

• Tar sand

• Bitumen

Fig. 15-28 p. 361
14
Natural Gas

• 50-90 methane

• Conventional gas

• Unconventional gas

• Methane hydrate

• Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

Fig. 15-29 p. 362

• Liquefied natural gas (LNG)

• Approximate 200 year supply

15
Coal

• Stages of coal formation

• Primarily strip-mined

• Used mostly for generating electricity

• Enough coal for about 1000 years

• Highest environmental impact

• Coal gasification and liquefaction

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Coal
17
Burning Coal More Cleanly

• Fluidized-Bed Combustion

Fig. 15-32 p. 364
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Nuclear Energy

• Fission reactors

Fig. 15-35 p. 366

• Uranium-235

• Potentially dangerous

• Radioactive wastes

Refer to Introductory Essay p. 338
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The Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Fig. 15-36 p. 367
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Dealing with Nuclear Waste

• Low-level waste

• High-level waste

• Underground burial

• Disposal in space

Fig. 15-40 p. 370

• Burial in ice sheets

• Dumping into subduction zones

• Burial in ocean mud

• Conversion into harmless materials

21
Nuclear Alternatives

• Breeder nuclear fission reactors

• Nuclear fusion

• New reactor designs

Storage Containers
Fuel rod
Primary canister
Ground Level
Overpack container sealed
Unloaded from train
Personnal elevator
Air shaft
Nuclear waste shaft
Underground
Buried and capped
Lowered down shaft
Fig. 15-42 p. 376
22
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
G. Tyler Millers Living in the Environment 13th
Edition Chapter 16
Dr. Richard Clements Chattanooga State Technical
Community College
23
The Importance of Improving Energy Efficiency

• Net useful energy

• Life cycle cost

Least Efficient

• Incandescent lights

• Internal combustion engine

• Nuclear power plants

Fig. 16-2 p. 381
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Efficiencies (fig. 16-4 p. 382)
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Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency

• Insulation

• Elimination of air leaks

• Air to air heat exchangers

• Cogeneration

• Efficient electric motors

• High-efficiency lighting

• Increasing fuel economy

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Electric and Hybrid Cars

• Rechargeable battery systems

• Hybrid electric-internal combustion engine

• Fuel cells

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Using Solar Energy to Provide Heat and Electricity

• Passive solar heating

• Active solar heating

Fig. 16-17 p. 394
28
Using Solar Energy to Provide High-Temperature
Heat and Electricity
Fig. 16-25 p. 400

• Solar thermal systems

• Photovoltaic (PV) cells

29
Producing Electricity from Moving Water

• Large-scale hydropower

• Small-scale hydropower

• Pumped-storage hydropower

• Tidal power plant

• Wave power plant

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Producing Electricity from Heat Stored in Water

• Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

• Saline solar ponds

• Freshwater solar ponds

31
Producing Electricity from Wind
Fig. 16-28 p. 402
Fig. 16-29 p. 402
32
Producing Energy from Biomass

• Biofuels

• Biomass plantations

• Crop residues

• Animal manure

• Biogas

• Ethanol

• Methanol

33
The Solar-Hydrogen Revolution

• Extracting hydrogen efficiently

• Storing hydrogen

• Fuel cells

34
Geothermal Energy

• Geothermal reservoirs

• Dry steam

• Wet steam

• Hot water

• Molten rock

• Hot dry-rock zones

35
Geothermal Reservoirs
36
Entering the Age of Decentralized Micropower

• Centralized power systems

• Decentralized power systems

• Micropower systems

37
Solutions A Sustainable Energy Strategy