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BIOL 381 > Alternative Forms of Energy > Flashcards

Alternative Forms of Energy Flashcards

1
Q

clean energy=

A

energy gained from sources that do not release air pollutants
-not necessarily green or renewable or natural

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2
Q

green energy=

A

energy derived from natural sources
- often comes from renewable energy sources

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3
Q

renewable energy=

A

power generated from sources that are constantly being replenished

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4
Q

clean vs green vs renewable energy

A

clean= no air pollutants (carbon-free/low)
green= natural sources (mostly renewable)
renewable= replenishing sources

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5
Q

what are 5 types of renewable energy?

A
  1. bioenergy
  2. wind power
  3. hydropower
  4. geothermal
  5. solar photovoltaics
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6
Q

MOST renewable energy is also “__-___”, meaning:

A

carbon-free (no CO2 or other greenhouse gas emissions)

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7
Q

T/F
not all renewable energy is C-free, and not all C-free energy is renewable

A

true

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8
Q

bioenergy is ___, but not ____
explain

A

renewable
not carbon-free
- we can regrow plants to burn, but burning plants releases CO2

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9
Q

nuclear energy is ____ (___), but _______
explain

A

carbon-free (clean)
non-renewable
- nuclear power plants don’t release ant GHG, but nuclear reactors use uranium that we can’t get back

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10
Q

wind power uses ___ to turn a set of ___ and generate ___

A

wind
blades
electricicy

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11
Q
  • wind turbines are up to ___m tall, and blades can be up tp ___m long
  • wind speed has to be between ___km/hr and ___km/hr for wind turbines to work
  • life of a wind turbine is __-__yrs, operating continuously for ____ hours
A
  • 200m tall, 60m long
  • 13km/hr and 90km/hr
  • 20-25years, 120,000hrs
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12
Q

what are the 4 types of turbines?

A
  1. traditional windmill (Dutch)
  2. land-based wind turbine
  3. shallow water wind turbine
  4. deep water wind turbine
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13
Q

how do shallow-water turbines stay in the water?
- deep water turbines?

A

shallow-water: piles are driven into the seafloor, and the turbine is placed on top of it

deep-water: the turbine rests on a floating platform, which is connected to piles that are driven into the seafloor

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14
Q

the world’s first floating wind farm was constructed in ____ in ___

A

scotland
2017

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15
Q

list the 5 biggest problems associated with wind power

A
  1. ideal wind sites are often in remote locations
  2. installation is expensive
  3. the wind doesn’t always blow!
  4. turbines= noisy and alter the landscape
  5. kills wildlife (esp birds)
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16
Q

solar power=

A

using solar radiation to generate electricity via photovoltaic cells; also used for heating (solar thermal)

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17
Q

enough energy to meet the planet’s power needs for an entire year reaches the earth from the sun in just ___

A

1 hour!
(we need to learn how to capture it efficiently)

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18
Q

T/F
an average house does not have enough roof area for the necessary amount of solar panels to supply its power needs

A

false
most have plenty of space!

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19
Q

this is how solar power capture works:
1. solar panel converts ___ to __ ____
2. _____ converts electricity DC to AC
3. you take the ___ your home needs
4. extra electricity is sent to the ___

A
  1. sunlight to DC current
  2. inverter
  3. electricity
  4. grid
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20
Q

solar ___ are used to concentrate sunlight around solar farms

A

mirrors

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21
Q

Explain the “Brooks Project” in alberta

A
  • western Canada’s first utility-scale solar project!
  • ~49,000 panels
  • completed in 2022
  • powering ~3,000 homes right now (90,000 in future)
22
Q

Problems with solar power:
- initial ___ for installing are quite high
- ____-dependent
- ____ ____ are expensive
- requires a lot of ____
- transportation and installation of solar panels= ___ ___
- ___ materials used during manufacturing

A
  • cost
  • weather
  • storage batteries
  • space
  • GHG emissions
  • toxic
23
Q

Are solar panels toxic?

A

short answer: no, unless we abandon them in the enviro after use

  • modern panels: silicon-based (no toxic heavy metals)
  • contains lots of plastic, some lead, but nothing that can leach during use
24
Q

using fast-moving water to generate electricity=

A

hydroelectricity

25
Q

water can be captured for hydroelectricity how?
-What’s the most common way?

A
  • movement of a river (eg dams)- most common
  • wave power (surface of ocean)
  • tidal power (from flowing waters during the rise and fall of the tide)
26
Q

what’s the leading (and oldest) form of renewable energy?

A

hydropower

27
Q

2 main types of hydroelectric plants:

A
  1. dam
    - accumulate water, regulate flow and energy
    - more control
  2. run of river
    - limited storage capacity
    - natural speed of the river (less control)
28
Q

T/F
hydropower has zero pollutants, except construction of plants (and has a very long lifetime)

A

true!

29
Q

a main issue with dams is they cause problems for places ____ of the dam

A

downstream

30
Q

list 6 problems associated with water power:

A
  1. habitat alteration/ destruction
  2. can affect water quality/ supply (creates stagnant water)
  3. can displace people and wildlife
  4. droughts and floods- must consider when building the dam
  5. Construction of dams is dangerous
  6. safety/ maintenance over time (dam breaks= huge floods downstream)
31
Q

geothermal power=

A

using the heat trapped inside the Earth to bring highly heated water to the surface and generate electricity

32
Q

how is geothermal power captured? (list 2)

A
  1. geothermal power plants: using heat from inside the earth to generate steam (deep in the earth)
  2. geothermal heat pumps: using heat close to the earth’s surface to heat water or provide heat to buildings (near surface)
33
Q

explain the enhanced geothermal system (EGS)

A

you inject water at high pressure to fracture the rocks= able to use this to heat the water then pump to the surface

34
Q

where does the heat for geothermal energy come from?

A

sometimes the crust can crack or thin, allowing plumes of hot magma from the mantle to rise

35
Q

hot water for swimming/ bathing, greenhouse heating, and aquaculture are all direct uses of ____ ___

A

geothermal heat

36
Q

probems with geothermal power:
1. production is limited to areas near ___ ___ ___ (very limited)
2. some locations may ____ ___ over time
3. ____ and____ for new sites is expensive and high ___
4. can release harmful ___, like ___ ____
5. potential ___ due to digging and fracking

A
  1. tectonic plate boundaries
  2. cool down (cracks may close= no longer heated)
  3. drilling and exploring, risk
  4. gases like hydrogen sulfide (smells like rotten eggs)
  5. earthquakes
37
Q

biomass power=

A

use of organic material from plants and animals

38
Q

2 ways of generating biomass power:

A
  1. biological conversion of biomass (eg. anaerobic digestion by microbes)
  2. thermal conversion of biomass resources (eg. combustion- burn it like you would coal)
39
Q

biomass can also be converted into liquid ___, such as __ and biodiesel, which is used to power vehicles

A

biofuels
ethanol

40
Q

explain the cycle of biomass material when it’s being used for biofuel

A
  1. forests absorb CO2
  2. forests are harvested to produce biomass
  3. biomass is compressed/ stored then burned for energy (converted into heat and power)
  4. CO2 is released back into the atmosphere
  5. forests absorb CO2
41
Q

list 4 biomass resources

A
  1. animal wastes
  2. sewage
  3. food processing waste
  4. forestry residues

note- there are unlimited sources!

42
Q

problems with biomass power:
- ___ emissions
- if not controlled, can lead to ____/ destruction of habitats
- less ___ than fossil fuels/ other renewable energies
- ____ and requires a lot of ___
- unpleasant ___ and concerns about ___
- requires large amounts of ___

A
  • GHG
  • deforestation
  • efficient
  • expensive, space
  • odors, pathogens
  • water
43
Q

____ is the most abundant element in the universe

A

hydrogen

44
Q

using ____ ___, ____ energy, or ___ power, we can produce H gas store it, transport it, and ___ it to generate ___

A

fossil fuels
renewable energy
nuclear power
burn it
power

45
Q

T/F
hydrogen emits CO2 when burned, but it yields water!

A

false
- does not emit CO2
- yields water vapor :)

46
Q

what are some end uses for hydrogen power? what’s it similar to?

A
  • transport
  • power production/ storage
  • heat for industry/ buildings

used similarly to natural gas

47
Q

what are the 3 hydrogen production pathways?

A
  1. fossil resources
    - coal gasification
    - natural gas conversion
  2. biomass/ waste
  3. H2O splitting/ electrolysis
    - split water into H and O using electrolyzers
48
Q

T/F
fuel cells used in hydrogen power generation need to be recharged like batteries

A

false!

49
Q

____ ___ is the leading option right now for storing renewable energy

A

hydrogen production

BUT most production of H is still tied to fossil fuels

50
Q

list 4 problems associated with hydrogen

A
  1. it’s expensive
  2. lack of H infrastructures, and not easy to convert existing ones
  3. still too dependent on fossil fuels to produce it (enviro impacts)
  4. H is highly flammable! very dangerous b/c can combust even in low concentrations in the air

BIOL 381 (22 decks)

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