1.2 Energy generation and storage Flashcards
Give examples of fossil fuels?
coal, oil and gas
what does burning fossil fuels create?
carbon dioxide which adds to green house effect contributing to global warming
what does a power station need?
a water supply for cooling
Explain how coal is burned for electricity?
- hot water is condensed using a condenser
- coal is burned below the water, heating it up
- the water turns to hot steam, which turns a turbine
- the turbine produces electricity
What are the advantages of coal?
- enough to last hundreds of years
- produces high amounts of energy
- no extra process before burning
What are the disadvantages of coal?
- carbon dioxide formed
- damage caused to land when mining
- sulphur dioxide fumes add to acid rain which can damage trees and plants
- has to be crushed before burning
What is the main source of electricity in the UK?
gas
How is shale gas obtained?
fracking
What type of gas deposits are there in the UK?
Shale gas
What is shale gas?
a natural gas that is trapped in fine-grain rock called shale
advantages of natural gas?
- can be burned directly, doesn’t require crushing like coal
- easily to transport through pipelines
- emits less CO2 then coal
What are the disadvantages of gas?
- highly flammable could cause big explosion
- extracting gas can cause pollution in water
What is the main fuel used in road and sea transportation?
oil
Advantages of oil?
- small amount to produce lots of energy
- easy to store and transplant
What is oil used for?
fuel, turned to plastics, burned to heat water and electricity
Disadvantages of oil?
- lots of air pollution when burned
- Impact on water, land use and disposal
What is fission?
the process in which uranium atoms are split and produce heat
how does fission create energy?
- atoms are split-the energy is used to convert water into super-heated steam
- this spins turbines connected to generators which produces electricity