Chapter 12 Vocab Flashcards
Nonrenewable
Once they are used up, they cannot be replenished.
Nuclear Fuels
Derived from radioactive materials that give off energy.
Fossil Fuels
Derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago.
Examples: coal, oil, and natural gas
Commercial energy sources
Sources that are bought and sold
Ex: coal, oil, natural gas
Subsistence energy sources
Sources gathered by individuals for their own immediate need
Energy carrier
Something than can move and deliver energy in a convenient, usable form to end users
Ex: electricity
Turbine
A large device that resembles a fan or jet engine
Electrical grid
Network of interconnected transmission lines; connects power plants together & links them with users of electricity
Combined cycle
Natural - gas fired power plant which has two turbines and generators & waste turns a conventional dream turbine.
60% efficiency
Capacity
Maximum electrical output
Capacity Factor
The fraction of time the plant is operating
*sometimes shut down for maintenance
Cogeneration
Use of a fuel to generate electricity AND produce heat
Coal
Solid fuel formed from the remains of trees, plants, etc (280-360 millions of years ago)
Petroleum
Often used fossil fuel; fluid mix of hydrocarbons, water, & sulfur (occurs in underground deposits)
Crude oil
Liquid petroleum removed from the ground
Oil sands
Slow/flowing, viscous deposits f bitumen mixed with sand, water, and clay
Bitumen
Aka tar or pitch
Degraded type of petroleum formed when petroleum deposit isn’t capped with nonporous rock
CTL
Coal-To-Liquid
Technology to convert solid coal into a liquid fuel
Energy intensity
Energy per unit of gross domestic product
Becquerel (Bq)
Unit that measures the rate at which a sample of radioactive material decays
1 Bq= decay of 1 atom f nucleus per second
Control rods
Cylindrical device inserted between fuel rods in a Nuc. Reactor to absorb excess neutrons & slow/stop fission reactions
Curie
Unit of measure for radiation;
1curie = 37 billion decays per second
Fuel rods
Cylindrical tube that encloses nuclear fuel within a nuclear reactor
Fission
A Nuc. Reaction in which a beauteous strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus, which then splits into two or more parts, releasing additional neutrons an energy in the form of heat
Hubbert Curve
Bell-shaped curve representing oil use & projecting both when world oil production will reach a max. And when it will run out
Nuclear fusion
A reaction that occurs when lighter nuclei are forced together to produce heavier nuclei
Peak Oil
Point at which have of the total known oil supply is used up
Radioactive waste
Nuclear fuel that can no longer produce enough heat to be useful, but continues to emit radioactivity
