18.1 - Biomass & Geothermal Energy Flashcards
3 benefits of renewable energies
-they won’t deplete
-they decrease air pollution & greenhouse gasses
-create less dependency on other nations for fuel
Makes up 2/3 of the world’s energy and 80% of the US
Oil, coal, gas
Bio-Mass Energy:
The energy produced from living organisms or that comes from organism
Biofuels:
Liquid fuels from biomass sources which help power many vehicles
The 2 primary biofuels
Ethanol & Biodiesel
How ethanol is produced
the fermentation of starches
Ethanol uses
gasoline engines & diesel
How bio-diesel is produced
vegetable oil like soy beans
Biopower:
Electricity generated by combustion of bio-mass
How gasoline forms
Decomposition of biomass by microorganisms produces gas used to make electricity
4Biomass benefits:
-It releases the same carbon sucked out of air during photosynthesis
-unlike fossil fuels, it’s evenly distributed worldwide
-renewable
-combustion releases no net carbon
5 Biomass disadvatages:
-Biofuel crops take up a large amount of space which could be used for other purposes
-They are noneffiecnt
-Can cause indoor air pollution
-creates a greater methan number
-disruption of land if to rapid
Geothermal Energy:
Beneath the Earth’s surface, high pressure mixed with the breakdown of radiactive elements to produce heat that’ll heat rocks
2 most common ways to harness Geothermal Energy
Geysers or by digging deep pipelines
Steps of a Geothermal Power Plant
- Geothermal power plants tap into steam pockets underground
- Steam rises & spins a turbine that is connected to a generator
- Leftover steam reaches a condenser and may be recycled
Ground Source Heat Pumps:
Water circulates through underground pipes and it is used to heat or cool a building
Biomass Examples
Wood/saw dust
Manure
crop residue (leaves, stalk, or stem)
Bacteria
Algae
Fats/oils (Veg.)
Geothermal Energy benefits
-can help replace fossil fuels
-results in far less green house gasses in comparison to FF
Geothermal Energy disadvantages
-may not be truly sustainable
-plants can run out of water
-water of hot springs can damage/clog equipment
-may trigger earthquakes
Geothermal Energy:
High pressure mixed with breakdowns of
