Core 2 Flashcards
Discuss the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources.
Renewable
Inexhaustible
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More expensive to implement
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Release less carbon emissions
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Not affected by human activities
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Hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, wind, tidal.
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They are a natural source which can be replenished with time taking the form of either energy or commodities.
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Some require careful management like timber, others are inexhaustible.
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Non-renewable
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Are exhaustible
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Less expensive to implement
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Release carbon emissions
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Resources are present in fixed and limited quantities.
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Coal, timber, gas, oil, nuclear.
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Resources that do not replenish themselves at a rate that is sustainable.
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Very useful sources of energy commonly used to manufacture products and provide power to business, factories and homes.
What are the limitations of the two types of energy?
Renewables
- High setup cost
- Unreliable supply
- Low energy density
Non-renewable
- Long term supply is not guaranteed
- Dependency is high
What is the difference between reserves and resources?
Resources are the total amount of something, while reserves are the portion that can be accessed and used
What is the quality of renewability?
The ability to regrow and sustain itself meeting the demands of energy production. Timber is considered renewable but hardwoods that take 100 years to mature are considered non-renewable. Pollution can too affect renewability as polluted water sources are unusable.
Discuss the impact of extraction from a political and economic point of view.
Governments need to balance the economic benefits and political impact (including social aspects) of resource extraction.
What are the strategies of waste mitigation?
Re-use
Reuse of the same product in the same or a different context. This can include bottles, bags, and clothes. If the product is not damaged, it can be reused a number of times.
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Repair
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The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing product. Planned, obsolescence usually causes products that should be repaired easily to fall into disrepair quicker.
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Re-engineer
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Redesign components or products to improve their characteristics or performance. This can be to improve characteristics such as speed or energy consumption. Retro-styling is a version of this.
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Recondition
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Rebuilding a product so that it is in an “as new” condition. Generally used in context of car engines where they are repaired, cleaned or have parts replaced. Restoration is similar to this.
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Recycle
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Using the material from obsolete products to create other products. These materials are typically separated, broken down, and reformed into new materials or products.
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Designing out waste - Design for materials/process/assembly
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Dfm, designers select appropriate materials with the aim of reducing toxic substances, hazardous waste, polluting emissions and the quantity of materials required.
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Dfp, the amount of energy consumed, num of production processes, waste generated and emissions produced is minimised.
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Dfa, analyses components and sub-assemblies with the goal of reducing cots through reduction in the number of parts and maximising the efficiency of the assembly process.
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Dematerialisation
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Improves product efficiency by saving, reusing or recycling materials and products. It may mean smaller, lighter products and packaging, or transition of physical products into virtual, e.g. emails instead of letters.
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Life-cycle assessment
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Assesses the environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a products life from cradle to grave.
- Raw material extraction
- Manufacture
- Distribution
- Use
- Repair and maintenance
- Disposal or recycling.
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Circular economy
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The use of waste as a resource within a closed loop system. It is an economic model in which resources remain in use for as long as possible, from which maximum value is extracted while in use. Then products and materials are recovered and regenerated at the end of the product life cycle.
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WEEE recovery
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Waste electrical and electronic equipment recovery addresses the issue of recycling waste electronics by improving the collection, treatment, and recycling of these materials at their end of life. Many devices contain, scarce, valuable, and hazardous resources.
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Energy recovery
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WtE or EfW is energy production that generates electricity through the treatment of non recyclable waste. Though the systems tend to be large and complex making use of methane, methanol, ethanol and synthetic fuels.
What is embodied energy?
Embodied energy is the total energy consumed in production, from collecting raw materials to distribution.
Discuss distributing energy on national and international scales.
On a national scale, countries usually make use of pylon networks, in the UK known as the national grid which transport electricity around the country from locations of energy production, to locations of energy use.
What is local combined heat and power?
CHP is a technology that uses a single fuel source to produce both heat and electricity. The systems have reduced costs thanks to the combination of heat and energy production into one system, and reduced emissions due to less energy loss. In particular contexts, heat generated by a factory is distributed back to the local community to heat homes in the winter.
What are systems for individual energy generation?
Small scale generation of heat and electricity power by individuals as an alternative to the national grid.
Benefits
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Supplement to grid-power system.
Lower environmental impact.
Typically use renewable energy.
Can be scaled to demands of user.
No dependency on grid reliability.
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Considerations
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High initial cost.
May require owner’s maintenance.
What are carbon emissions? How are they measured?
Designers and manufacturers need to ccount for the sources of carbon - Quantification, This is oftern reffered to as a products carbon footprint.
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Measuring
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Record carbon emissions,
discover how much is being produced,
discover who/where is is produced,
track your carbon footprint.
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Reducing
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Human intervention in the reduction of carbon emissions,
Provide sinks that can absorb carbon emissions,
Mitigate carbon emissions from the source.
Discuss batteries, capacitors, and capacities focusing on their cost, efficiency, environmental impact, and reliability.
Capacitors store and release energy rapidly, offering high reliability and long life but with limited energy storage capacity, making them unsuitable for long-term energy needs. Capacitors generally have lower environmental impacts but are less energy-efficient than batteries.
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Capacities refer to the amount of energy storage and output a device can provide. Batteries have high energy capacities, but at a higher environmental cost, whereas capacitors have lower capacities but longer lifespans and lower environmental impacts.
Why may manufacturers implement clean technology?
Social drivers
Public awareness: of environmental issues leading consumers to prioritise sustainable products.
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Corporate social responsibility: for the environment.
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Health concerns: of public health creating social pressure for cleanliness.
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Political drivers
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Regulation and compliance: to environmental laws and regulations.
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Incentives, subsidies and taxing: to encourage use of sustainable technology.
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Global agreements and goals: like the Paris agreement.
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Economic drivers
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Cost saving: by lowering energy and resource consumption.
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Market demand: for green products and accessing a growing market.
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Innovation and efficiency: of clean technology which improves productivity and reduces material waste.
What is clean technology? What role does legislation play?
International legislation and targets are developed for reducing pollution and waste. Sometimes agreements are made at an international or continental level to create targets for reducing pollution and waste.
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These targets are agreed upon at summits and meetings.
What are end-of-pipe technologies?
Whatever technology is applied, it is more effective to minimise the waste stream before they are generated.
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Examples include ponds, spray scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators and cyclones.
