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
Advantages of nuclear power?
- no harmful gasses released
- more efficient then fossil fuels
disadvantages of nuclear power?
- disposal of uranium is difficult and costly
- cost of nuclear power stations is high
- have to close after about 40 years when uranium becomes less efficient at heating water
What is a renewable source of energy?
energy from a source which is not depleted when used
What are the 5 types of renewable energy?
- wind
- solar
- hydroelectric
- tidal
- biomass
How is wind used for energy?
The wind turns bug turbines, as the turbines move they drive a generator which produces electricity
Advantages of wind energy?
- sustainable
- no cost for wind and running cost is low
disadvantages of wind energy?
- cost a lot to build and put in place
- not aesthetically pleasing
- when no wind, no energy produced
how do solar panels produce energy?
- made from photovoltaic cells, which use suns light energy to convert to electricity
Advantages of solar energy?
- clean, renewable energy source
- reduces household energy bills
disadvantages of solar energy?
- high initial cost
- not much electricity produced
- not aesthetically pleasing
- no sun, no energy
How is tidal energy formed?
- tidal barrage build across mouth of river where it meets the ocean
- as the incoming tide passes through turbines it generates electricity
advantages of tidal power?
- clean and renewable source
- tidal power plants will last a long time
- could produce 1/5 of Uks need as it is an island
disadvantages of tidal power?
- construction of tidal barrages are expensive
- do not know the environmental impact
Explain hydroelectric energy?
- use a dam to block a valley or river creating a reservoir
- once water has built up in the dam, it is released
- water is directed and released by valves in the turbine, generating electricity
advantages or hydroelectric energy?
- clean and renewable
- no pollution when running
- valves can be opened quickly to meet demand at peak times
Disadvantages of hydroelectric?
- construction is expensive
- effects wildlife by flooding valley
- objections from people in surrounding environment
Explain biomass energy?
- growing plants or using animal materials, so that they can be burned to produce heat.
- Plants, such as rapeseed or willow, are specifically grown as biomass crops so that they can be burned in a furnace.
advantages of biomass energy?
- clean and renewable source
- carbon dioxide released in the process and can be reused by plants
- replacement plants can be grown quickly to give good supply
Disadvantages of biomass?
- atmospheric pollution when burned
- Land used for energy crops may be needed for other purposes such as agriculture
What are the two types of battery?
- rechargeable
- single use
What are single use batteries?
alkaline batteries found in common shops and stores
What do button cell batteries power?
calculators, hearing aids
What volts do AA and AAA batteries produce?
1.5V
What do PP3 batteries produce?
9v
Explain rechargeable batteries?
- more expensive
- can be recharged
- more economical in the long term
- limited lifespan - can only be recharged a certain amount of times
how are batteries harmful to the environment?
if not disposed of properly can poison ground and harm animals from the chemicals inside them
What are capacitors?
two plates of opposite polarity, when charged the positive charges migrate to one side and the negative the other
What are super capacitors
can be recharged more then batteries, more suitable for electric vehicles
What is a kinetic pumped storage scheme?
A kinetic-pumped storage system is a fast-acting electrical energy storage system to top up the National Grid power supply at peak times when more electricity is needed. A kinetic-pumped storage system works by having two reservoirs and a hydroelectric dam system.
During the night excess electricity is produced by other electrical energy stations, meaning the cost of the electricity is much lower, so a kinetic-pump plant will pump the water from a lower reservoir up to a higher reservoir, where the water remains. When there is a sudden need for more electricity (spike) during the daytime, the dam is opened and the water from the top reservoir passes through pipes, spinning turbines to quickly produce the electricity needed.
