Nonrenewable Energy Resources

1
Nonrenewable Energy Resources

• Chapter 12

2
Nonrenewable Energy

• Nonrenewable
• a. once used up, cannot be replenished
• b. supplies are finite

3

• 2 main categories
• a. fossil fuels
• - coal, oil, and natural gas
• b. nuclear fuels
• - derived from radioactive materials
• that give off energy

4

• Worldwide Patterns
• a. US greatest energy consumption
• b. reasons for patterns
• 1. developed countries
• fossil fuels through electricity
• 2. developing
• wood, charcoal, animal waste
• c. commercial v. subsistence energy

5

• Patterns of Use in US
• a. 1st was wood, then coal, and then oil
• and natural gas
• b. majority of energy used in US (in
• order of importance)
• 1. oil, coal, and natural gas
• c. inputs and outputs
• 1. inputs oil, water
• 2. output work and waste
• d. produces 70 of energy used, 30
• from other countries (petroleum)

6
Reminder of Energy Calculations

• Energy Power X Time
• Energy kWh
• Power W or kW
• BTU usually has been replaced by J
• - amount of heat required to raise the
• temperature of 1 1b of water by 1
• degree F.

7
Electricity

• Primary sources of energy coal, oil, and
  natural gas
• Secondary source of energy
• Energy carrier
• a. moves and delivers energy in a convenient
  and usable
• form

8

• Generation of Electricity
• a. example coal burning power plant
• 1. fuel is delivered to boiler
• 2. steam is produced
• 3. KE within steam transferred to turbine
• 4. turbine turns generator creating
  electricity
• 5. electricity transported along
  electrical grid
• 6. steam is cooled or discharged to
  nearby water

9

• Efficiency of Generation of Electricity
• a. capacity factor
• 1. the fraction of the time a plant is
  operating
• Cogeneration
• a. use of a fuel to generate electricity AND
  heat
• b. used by steam users to create greater
  efficiency

10
Fossil Fuels

• Provide MOST of the energy in both developed and
  developing countries
• Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas

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• Coal
• a. solid fuel
• b. four types ranked from lesser to greater
  age, exposure
• to pressure, and energy content
• 1. lignite ? subbituminous ? bituminous ?
  and anthracite
• 2. precursor peat
• c. largest reserves
• 1. United States, Russia, China, and India
• d. greatest production
• 1. China, United States, India, and
  Australia

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• e. advantages of coal use
• 1. generates electricity
• 2. steel production
• 3. easy to obtain (surface mining)
• 4. low economic costs
• f. disadvantages of coal use
• 1. releases sulfur when burned
• 2. mercury, lead, and arsenic
• 3. increases CO2 concentrations in
  atmosphere

13

• Petroleum
• a. fluid mixture
• b. occurs in underground deposits
• c. oil and gasoline (ideal for vehicles)
• d. contains natural gas
• e. crude oil liquid petroleum from the
  ground
• f. top use
• 1. Saudi Arabia, Russia, US, Iran, China,
• Canada, and Mexico

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• f. advantages
• 1. easy to transport and use
• 2. energy dense
• 3. cleaner-burning than coal
• g. disadvantages
• 1. releases carbon dioxide
• 2. contains sulfur, mercury, lead and
  arsenic
• 3. potential for oil leak/spill or runoff

15

• Natural Gas
• a. 80-95 methane
• b. electricity generation and industrial
  processes
• c. nitrogen fertilizers, fuel for cooking,
  water heaters
• d. advantages
• 1. contains fewer impurities
• e. disadvantages
• 1. methane escapes from unburned natural
  gas
• 2. groundwater contamination

16

• Other fossil fuels
• a. oil sands
• 1. bitumen (tar)
• 2. extracted through surface mining
• 3. extend petroleum supply

17
Nuclear Energy

• Nuclear Reactors
• a. Uranium-235 fuel source
• b. undergoes fission
• c. product heat
• used to generate
• steam

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• Nuclear Reactor Structure

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• Advantages of Nuclear
• a. no air pollution
• b. achieve independence from imported oil
• Disadvantages
• a. potential accidents (Three Mile Island and
• Chernobyl)
• b. disposal of radioactive waste

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Nuclear Accidents

• Three Mile Island
• a. March 28 1979
• b. closed cooling water valve
• c. lack of cooling water around reactor core,
  led to
• partial meltdown

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• Chernobyl
• a. April 26, 1986
• b. violation of safety precautions
• c. disconnected emergency cooling systems
• d. removed control rods
• e. led to explosion
• f. winds blew radiation across most of Europe
• g. increase counts of cancer afterwards
  (Thyroid)

22
Radioactive Waste

• Emitted radioactivity after enough heat is
  produced
• High-level, low-level, uranium mine tailings
• Uranium-235 half-life 704 million years
• Disposal of waste
• a. required to store spent fuel at the plant
  itself
• b. cannot be incinerated, destroyed by
  chemicals,
• dumped in ocean

23
Half-Life Example

• Strontium-90 is a radioactive waste product from
  nuclear reactors. It has a half-life of 29
  years. How many years will it take for a
  quantity of strontium-90 to decay to 1/16 of its
  original mass?

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Nonrenewable Energy Resource Recap
Oil Mobile combustion Potential oil spill Second highest emitter of CO2
Coal No refining necessary Large contributor to acid rain in US Highest emitter of CO2 among energy sources
Natural Gas Efficient for cooking Fewer impurities than coal or oil Risk of leaks/explosions Methane Hydrocarbons
Nuclear Energy Emits no CO2 once plant is operational Generates protests Possible meltdowns Radioactive wastes hangs around for hundreds-thousands of years
25
Renewable Energy

• Nonrenewable Refresher
• a. petroleum, natural gas, coal, and uranium
• Renewable Energy
• a. biomass potentially renewable
• b. solar, wind, geothermal,
• hydroelectric, and tidal
• - nondepletable

http//bcs.whfreeman.com/friedlandapes/668210__69
0868__
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• Facts about Renewable Energy
• a. 13 of energy used worldwide
• b. biomass most widely used today
• c. 7 of energy use in US (biomass and
  hydroelectricity)
• d. more sustainable than nonrenewable, but
  still has
• environmental impacts

27
Using Energy Less

• Energy Conservation and Efficiency
• a. conservation ways to use the source less
• 1. locally
• - turning down thermostat when out of
  house
• - turning off lights when not in the
  room
• 2. government
• - taxing electricity, oil, and natural
  gas
• - offer rebates or tax credits
• 3. can increase efficiency by conserving
• - get the same amount of work from
  using less
• energy

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• b. sustainable design
• 1. passive solar heating
• - solar radiation maintaining building
  temperatures
• - carefully placed windows (heating and
  lighting)
• - dark-colored roofs v. light-colored
  roofs
• 2. green roofs
• 3. recycled denim insulation in walls and
  ceilings

http//science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/gre
en-science/green-rooftop.htm
29
Biomass

• Fuel Types
• a. wood, charcoal, animal wastes, plant
  remains,
• and municipal solid waste (MSW)
• b. ethanol and biodiesel (biofuels)
• United States
• a. 2/3 wood
• b. 1/3 MSW and biofuels

30

• Solid Biomass
• a. wood
• 1. heating, pulp and paper industries,
  power plants
• 2. sustainable if forest growth is able to
  keep up
• b. charcoal
• 1. contains more energy than wood
• 2. produces less smoke
• c. manure
• 1. indoor heating and cooking
• 2. reduces risk of disease transmission,
  but does give
• off pollutants causing respiratory
  illnesses

31

• Biofuels
• a. ethanol
• 1. derived from mostly corn products
• 2. sugarcane, wood chips, crop waste, or
  switchgrass
• 3. US world leader in production of
  ethanol, Brazil
• second
• 4. Gasohol
• - ethanol mixed with gasoline
• - produces less air pollutants
• - reduces gas

32

• b. biodiesel
• 1. derived from soybean oil or processed
• vegetable oil
• 2. typically diluted to B-20
• 3. lower emissions of CO compared to
• petroleum diesel

http//bionews-tx.com/news/2013/05/27/benefuel-fli
nt-hill-resources-to-develop-us-biodiesel-projects
/