energy

Question 1

how does the agricultural industry use energy?

Answer 1

-making fertiliser/pesticides
-fossil fuels used to large machinery
-pumping of water for irrigation
-electricity for lighting and refrigeration

Question 2

how does the fishing industry use energy?

Answer 2

-fossil fuels needed to power boats
-manufacturing of fishing equipment

Question 3

how does the transportation industry use energy?

Answer 3

-transportation to power vehicles
-machinery to make the vehicles
-infrastructure around making road links

Question 4

how does the mining industry use energy?

Answer 4

-to blast the overburden and create the mine site
-extraction of the minerals

Question 5

what is a primary fuel?

Answer 5

-a natural source which can be used without conversion

Question 6

what is a secondary fuel?

Answer 6

-a fuel made from a primary fuel e.g. electricity

Question 7

what are the different factors that affect per capita energy consumption?

Answer 7

-relative cost of energy
-affluence
-type of energy
-climate
-social and environmental awareness

Question 8

properties of coal

Answer 8

-non renewable -easy to store
-high energy density -chemical energy store
-depletable -high abundance
-low intermittency -local constraints
-combusted to release heat

Question 9

how is coal extracted

Answer 9

-seismic surveys
-magnetometry
-IR spectroscopy

Question 10

coal technologies

Answer 10

-coal gasification- process that converts coal that is too deep underground to mine into a gas, called syngas (contains methane), through controlled oxidation reaction, creates synthetic gas, no energy wasted
-coal liquification- turns coal into liquid fuels & chemical feedstocks
-smokeless coal- no smog or carbon particles, heat raw coal to burn un useful masses, still releases co2

Question 11

properties of oil

Answer 11

-non renewable -easy to store
-high energy density -chemical energy store
-depletable -high abundance
-low intermittency -local constraints
-fractional distillation needed

Question 12

how is oil extracted

Answer 12

-seismic surveys
-gravimetry
-fracking
-viscous, so won’t flow easily along pipes
-trapped in impermeable rocks

Question 13

oil technologies

Answer 13

-territory oil recovery- makes oil more runny, add steam
-directional drilling- specialist drills horizontal and vertical
-remote operation vehicles- prevent damaging environmental effects

Question 14

formation of natural gas

Answer 14

forms between 100-2000ºc

Question 15

properties of natural gas

Answer 15

-non renewable
-more difficult to store
-high energy density
-used mainly in homes

Question 16

recovery of natural gas

Answer 16

-primary, secondary, tertiary
-fracking (inc. permeability of rocks to extract gas)

Question 17

environmental impacts of natural gas

Answer 17

-fracking- habitat destruction, water pollution, tremors
-methane hydrate- potential new source of gas, difficult extraction methods may disrupt marine habitats

Question 18

new technologies of coal, oil & natural gas

Answer 18

-coal: coal gasification & liquefaction. smokeless coal production
-oil: tertiary recovery using steam, solvents, bacteria. directional drilling, ROV inspections.
-natural gas: fracking, methane hydrate extraction techniques. enhanced gas recovery

Question 19

environmental concerns

Answer 19

-coal: GHG, smoke, ash waste in landfills
-oil: oil spills, CO2 emissions, sulfur & nitrogen oxides causing acid rain
-natural gas: fracking pollution, gas emissions, methane hydrate extraction risks

Question 20

nuclear fission

Answer 20

-splitting of large atomic nuclei, releasing heat energy
-commercially utilised form of nuclear power today

Question 21

nuclear fusion

Answer 21

-joining of small atomic nuclei, to release energy
-still in experimental stage & not viable for commercial use
-more environmentally friendly

Question 22

process and mechanism of nuclear fission

Answer 22

-splitting of unstable isotopes releases substancial amounts of heat
-this heat typically boils water to produce steam, which drives turbines connected to generators, producing electricity
-can deliver consistent energy output

Question 23

advantages of nuclear power

Answer 23

-high energy density: small amount of uranium can generate energy equivalent to large amounts of fossil fuels
-no GHG emissions: doesnt release GHG
-predictable output: provide stable and controlled power generation

Question 24

disadvantages of nuclear power

Answer 24

-high initial costs: building & maintenance requires significant financial investment, advanced tech & skilled labour
-public concerns: safety concerns
-radioactive waste: fission produces waste with long half lives
-environmental impact of mining: pollution

Question 25

advanced technologies in nuclear fission

Answer 25

-breeder reactors: generate more fissile material by converting fertile fuels into fissile fuels, inc fuel efficiency & reduce waste
-molten salt coolants: absorb more heat, enhancing reactor efficiency
-polymer adsorption: polymers in seawater allows uranium extraction from low grade sources to supplement uranium supplies
-coal ash & phosphate mining: explore alt sources of uranium, not cost effective

Question 26

emerging approaches to nuclear fusion

Answer 26

-toroidal reactors: contain a lithium blanket helps produce tritium, critical fuel for fusion
-laser fusion: lasers to fuse tiny frozen hydrogen spheres, may allow fusion reactions without building large reactors
-fusion conditions: like extremely high temps, magnetic containment, a vacuum, plasma states, making it challenging technology to develop for practical appliances