Basic terminology Flashcards
What is Energy conversion efficiency?
It is the ratio between the useful output of an energy conversion machine and the input, in the energy terms. The input, as well as the useful output may be electric power, mechanical work, light (radiation), or heat.
SO basically, Energy in - system process (loss) - Energy out
So, the output energy is always lower than input energy.
What is TWh/year?
Terawatt hour. It is about getting power at a capacity of 1 terawatt (10*12 watts) for one hour. Terawatt per year means equivalent amount of power sometime within period of one year.
Saying1 TWh/year does NOT mean that 1 terawatt was used over the course of only one hour every year (that would a huge drain on power over a short period of time)
What are Energy Services?
Are the utimate aim of energy system. We need energy for services that it can provide for us thru energy flows, eg. certain indoor temperature, transport of goods and people, or the manufacture goods
What are energy carriers?
these include thermal carriers (heat and cold can both be delivered thru district heating or cooling systems), gaseous chemical fuels (natural gas, hydrogen, and biogas), electricity, solid fuels (coal, charcoal, fuel wood) and liquid chemical fuels (gasoline, diesel, ethanol etc.). Energy carriers are obtained by conversion of primary energy sources.
Primary energy?
is the form of energy found in nature and includes uranium, thorium, for nuclear fission (распад); fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, etc.); sunlight, wind, hydorpower, biomass, peat, geothermal energy, and ocean energy (tidal energy and wave energy).
Beware that primary energy data may be presented in different ways!
System?
A set of objects plus the relationships between the objects and b-n their attributes. Key thing to observe is that system consists of:
- objects
- the relation between the objects, and
- the system boundaries which define what is included in and excluded from the system.
When defining a ssystem it’s important to be clear about the boundaries of the system.
What is PJ as a unit of energy?
A megawatt (MW) is one million watts. The joule is a measure of energy, or the ability or capacity to do work. Other measures of energy are. kilowatt-hour (kWh), a thousand watts of power produced or used for one hour, equivalent to 3.6 million joules (MJ). One quadrillion joules (PJ) = 278 million kWh.
What are energy systems?
Energy system consists of the following set of objects: energy supply, conversion, storage and end-use systems.
When analyzing e.s. one analyzes objects and relations b-n objects. The scale could be an industry, a combined heat and power plant with its users, a region, a country or the whole world.
what is kWh
kilowatt-hour (kWh), a thousand watts of power produced or used for one hour, equivalent to 3.6 million joules (MJ)
What is biomass fuel?
Biomass is fuel that is developed from organic materials, a renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of power.
Some examples of materials that make up biomass fuels are:
scrap lumber;
forest debris;
certain crops;
manure; and
some types of waste residues.
With a constant supply of waste – from construction and demolition activities, to wood not used in papermaking, to municipal solid waste – green energy production can continue indefinitely.
Biomass is a renewable source of fuel to produce energy because:
waste residues will always exist – in terms of scrap wood, mill residuals and forest resources; and
properly managed forests will always have more trees, and we will always have crops and the residual biological matter from those crops.
What is biomass?
Biomass includes all of the earth’s living matter, plants and animals, and the remains of this living matter. Plant biomass is a renewable energy source that is produced through photosynthesis when plants capture carbon dioxide from the air and combine it with water to form carbohydrates and oxygen under the influence of sunlight. The chemical energy in plants gets passed on to animals and people that eat the plants. Biomass does not include plant or animal matter that has been converted by geologic processes to create fossil fuels such as oil or coal.
What are energy crops?
Energy crops are plants that are grown specifically for use as fuel or for conversion into other biofuels. They include trees that are harvested for combustion as well as trees and plants that provide the raw materials for biofuels, such as ethanol, biodiesel, and biogas.
Woody Crops: These are mainly trees grown in a forest or plantation that are used primarily for burning to generate heat or electricity. The critical aspect of harvesting woody crops from forests is the sustainability of the forest. Hybrid poplars and cottonwood trees can be harvested every 5 to 8 years, and the stumps grow into new trees, so replanting is not required.
Agricultural Crops: These types of crops mainly fall into two categories: (1) crops that are grown to make biofuels (mainly ethanol) for use as a gasoline additive, and (2) crops that are grown for their oily seeds, which can be converted to a diesel substitute known as biodiesel. The most widely used crops for ethanol production are annual crops such as corn and sugar cane that must be planted every year. Use of perennial crops, such as switchgrass and other crops with cellulose in their body mass, is also increasing because they are easier to grow (e.g., they don’t need to be replanted after harvesting) and they require less water than corn and sugar cane. Plants grown for their oily seeds include annual crops such as soybeans, sunflowers, rapeseed, and castor beans. Perennial crops include seeds from the oil palm.
A third kind of agricultural crop, algae, is currently not widely used for biofuel production although it is being studied extensively. Algae are single-cell, photosynthetic organisms found in freshwater and seawater that are known for their rapid growth and high energy content. Some algal strains are capable of doubling their mass several times per day. In some cases, more than half of that mass consists of lipids or triglycerides—the same material found in vegetable oils. These bio-oils can be used to produce biodiesel. Some researchers argue that because of the rapid growth rate and high oil productivity, algae may exceed other biomass crops in meeting growing energy demands.
what is abatement cost?
DEFINITION of ‘Abatement Cost’
A cost borne by many businesses for the removal and/or reduction of an undesirable item that they have created. Abatement costs are generally incurred when corporations are required to reduce possible nuisances or negative byproducts created during production.
BREAKING DOWN ‘Abatement Cost’
Examples of abatement costs would be the pollution reduction costs of paper mills and noise reduction costs of manufacturing plants.
what is marginal cost?
What is the ‘Marginal Cost Of Production’
The marginal cost of production is the change in total cost that comes from making or producing one additional item. The purpose of analyzing marginal cost is to determine at what point an organization can achieve economies of scale. The calculation is most often used among manufacturers as a means of isolating an optimum production level.
BREAKING DOWN ‘Marginal Cost Of Production’
Manufacturing concerns often examine the cost of adding one more unit to their production schedules. This is because at some point, the benefit of producing one additional unit and generating revenue from that item will bring the overall cost of producing the product line down. The key to optimizing manufacturing costs is to find that point or level as quickly as possible.
What is Opportunity cost?
Opportunity cost refers to a benefit that a person could have received, but gave up, to take another course of action. Stated differently, an opportunity cost represents an alternative given up when a decision is made. This cost is, therefore, most relevant for two mutually exclusive events. In investing, it is the difference in return between a chosen investment and one that is necessarily passed up.
BREAKING DOWN ‘Opportunity Cost’
What is the Formula for Calculating Opportunity Cost?
When assessing the potential profitability of various investments, businesses look for the option that is likely to yield the greatest return. Often, this can be determined by looking at the expected rate of return for a given investment vehicle. However, businesses must also consider the opportunity cost of each option. Assume that, given a set amount of money for investment, a business must choose between investing funds in securities or using it to purchase new equipment. No matter which option is chosen, the potential profit that is forfeited by not investing in the other option is called the opportunity cost. This is often expressed as the difference between the expected returns of each option:
Opportunity Cost = Return of Most Lucrative Option - Return of Chosen Option
