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Environmental Studies A2 > Energy - Chapter 10 > Flashcards

Energy - Chapter 10 Flashcards

1
Q

Aesthetics

A

The issue of the appearance of things. E.g. the intrusion of power stations, wind farms and pylons on the landscape.

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2
Q

Barrage

A

A dam built across an estuary to generate tidal power.

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3
Q

Coppiced Woodland

A

Woodland where the trees are cut to ground level every 3 to 15 years. The regrowing branches can be used as a biofuel.

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4
Q

Energy Density

A

The amount of energy in a particular mass of fuel or that can be harnessed by a particular mass of equipment

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5
Q

Intermittent

A

A process or resource that is not constantly available.

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6
Q

Non-renewable Resource

A

A resource that is renewed so slowly that the amount available for use is effectively finite.

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7
Q

Finite Resource

A

A resource where the amount is fixed.

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8
Q

Fissile Fuel

A

A fuel where the nuclei of the atoms can be split by neutron bombardment, releasing large amounts of energy.

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9
Q

Fuel Cell

A

An electrochemical device that produces electricity from the chemical reaction between two substances, usually hydrogen or an alcohol and oxygen.

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10
Q

Half-life

A

The time it takes for half the original material to be lost.

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11
Q

Heliostat

A

A device that tracks the sun so the angle of incident sunlight stays the same.

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12
Q

Viscous

A

A material that does not flow quickly.

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13
Q

Isotopes

A

A variety of an element where the number of neutrons is different.

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14
Q

Kinetic Energy

A

The energy of movement.

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15
Q

Parabolic Reflector

A

A mirror system that reflects incoming light onto a single point.

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16
Q

Peak Shaving

A

The process of storing surplus energy to satisfy later demand peaks.

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17
Q

Photothermal

A

A system that converts light into heat.

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18
Q

Photovolatic / Photoelectric

A

A system that converts light into electricity.

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19
Q

Potential Gravitational Energy

A

The energy of raised position.

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20
Q

Vitrification

A

Nuclear waste that is dried, powdered waste that is mixed with molten glass.

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21
Q

What factors cause the differences in per capita energy consumption in different countries?

A
  • Affluence.
  • Relative cost of energy.
  • Level of industry.
  • Type of energy.
  • Social and environmental awareness.
  • Climate.
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22
Q

Difference between direct and indirect uses of energy consumption?

A
  • Direct, energy used in people private lives, E.g. heating, lighting, cooking etc.
  • Indirect, energy used by commerce and industry to provide goods and services.
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23
Q

What are the main areas of energy consumption?

A
  • Agriculture and fisheries.
  • Industry.
  • Transport systems.
  • Domestic energy use.
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24
Q

What are the factors that are taken into account when choosing a energy source?

A
  • Non/Renewable.
  • Energy density.
  • Intermittency.
  • Reliability.
  • Ease of storage.
  • Available resource.
  • Geographical and locational factors.
  • Level of technological development.
  • Environmental impact.
  • Trade issues.
  • Economic issues.
  • Applicability to particular uses.
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25
Q

What conditions are needed to form fossil fuels?

A
  • High temperatures.
  • High pressures.
  • Anaerobic conditions.
26
Q

What features of the formation of fossil fuels will make exploitation difficult?

A
  • Formation process is very slow.
  • Deep burial makes extraction more difficult.
  • Young oils are too viscous to flow.
  • Young coal has a low energy density.
  • Many deposits are very thin and widely dispersed.
27
Q

What are the disadvantages of open-cast mining and deep mining?

A

Open-cast, all rock above has to be removed which will have an environmental impact and will only be used where coal is relatively close to the surface.
Deep, is labour intensive and cannot remove huge quantities of coal so is relatively expensive.

28
Q

What is the difference between Nuclear fission and fusion?

A

Fission - splitting the nuclei of fissile fuels that have large atoms.
Fusion - joining the nuclei of small atoms.

29
Q

What factors have limited the growth of nuclear power?

A
  • Technology is very complex so it’s difficult to use in less advanced societies.
  • Very expensive due to the complex technology.
  • Strong public opposition in some countries.
  • Uncertainty over the long-term disposal of radioactive waste.
  • Uncertainty over the total cost.
30
Q

What advantages do non-renewable energy resources have?

A
  • They have a high energy density.

- The technology to exploit these fuels have already been developed.

31
Q

What are the disadvantages of non-renewable energy resources?

A
  • They’re a finite resource.
  • They have a huge environmental impact.
  • They can cause political and international trade problems as well as economic issues.
32
Q

What are the disadvantages of renewable energy sources?

A
  • They’re intermittent.
  • They’re not very reliable.
  • They have low energy densities.
  • It’s not always in a form that’s appropriate for our needs.
  • They have geographical constraints.
  • Low level of technological development.
  • Economic issues.
33
Q

What are the advantages of renewable energy?

A

-Have a low environmental impact.

34
Q

What are the 2 types of system that can harness the suns energy?

A

Photothermal - Sunlight can be used to heat buildings and water.
Photovoltaic - Sunlight absorbed by the surface layer of the photovoltaic cell displaces electrons that can be used to drive electrical appliances.

35
Q

What is the difference between a Heliostat and a Parabolic reflector?

A
  • Heliostat, a device that tracks the suns angle of incident so it always stays the same (optimum).
  • Parabolic reflector
36
Q

What drives hydroelectric power and what energy is it the conversion of?

A

Water cycle is driven by the sun as water is warmed, evaporated and rises. As it cools and condenses, the falling rain converts potential gravitational energy to kinetic energy.

37
Q

What range of factors need to be considered in finding a suitable site for a HEP station?

A
  • Reliable large volume water supply.
  • Impermeable rock to prevent water soaking into the ground.
  • Suitable topography so a relatively small dam can hold back a lot of water in the valley basin behind.
  • No serious land-use conflicts.
  • Close to the consumers/electricity grid.
38
Q

Locational factors for a wind farm?

A

The windiest areas are usually uplands, open plains, coasts or shallow seas. On general, the higher latitudes are windiest.

39
Q

Factors that produce larger waves?

A
  • Areas with strong winds.
  • Winds that blow continually.
  • Constant wind direction.
  • Long distance /’fetch’ of sea for the waves to build up..
40
Q

Examples of biofuels?

A
  • Crop wastes can be burned to heat buildings.

- The production of methane can be burned for generating electricity.

41
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of biofuels?

A

Advantages - they can be stored until they’re needed, they can be used to make liquid fuels, they’re carbon neutral.
Disadvantages - Large areas of farmland will be needed so crop production competes with fuel production, energy density is generally lower.

42
Q

What are the 2 non-solar renewable energy resources?

A
  • Geothermal power (from the decay of naturally occurring isotopes in the mantle).
  • Tidal power (from the gravitational pull of the moon).
43
Q

Advantages and disadvantages of tidal power?

A
  • Advantages, The time periods of moving water when electricity generation possible can be predicted, Power output of a large tidal barrage would be large compared to other renewable energy schemes.
  • Disadvantages, The intermittent periods of generation make it difficult to meet consumer demands, few suiyable sites for barrages, barrages have large environmental impacts.
44
Q

What is the most widely used secondary fuel?

A

Electricity.

45
Q

What are the 3 forms of energy that electricity can be produced from?

A
  • Kinetic energy.
  • Light energy (Photovolatic cells).
  • Chemical energy.
46
Q

Advantages and disadvantages of using electricity?

A
  • Advantages, it causes no pollution at point of use, easily converted to other forms, easy to transport along conducting cables.
  • Disadvantages, low efficiency from primary fuel, no large-scale methods of storing electricity, original method of generation may cause pollution.
47
Q

What may cause there to be surplus energy avaliable?

A
  • Base-load power stations may be generating at night when it’s not needed but it’s uneconomic to turn them off.
  • A reduction in demand after meals etc.
48
Q

What happens to surplus energy if not used?

A

It would be lost as heat in the National Grid.

49
Q

How can surplue electricity be used at a HEP power station?

A

It can be used to pump water back uphill, thus storing the energy as gravitational potential energy. The energy can then be converted back to Kinetic energy when there is sudden increase in demand for electricity.

50
Q

What are the main activities associated with energy exploitation that have an impact on the environment?

A
  • Fuel extraction.
  • Site development and operation.
  • Material transport.
  • Waste disposal.
51
Q

Environmental impacts of fossil fuels?

A
  • Combustion causes atmospheric pollution.
  • Mining can cause habitat damage.
  • Oil spills.
  • Construction of oil and pipelines can cause habitat damage.
  • Noise & Dust pollution from mining.
52
Q

Environmental impacts of Nuclear power?

A
  • Radioactive wastes from fuel manufacture.
  • Waste fuel after use in the reactor.
  • Anything that has become contaminated by contact with fuel (E.g. protective clothing).
  • Materials that have been exposed to neutrons from the chain reaction (E.g. fuel rod cases).
53
Q

Environmental impacts of solar power?

A

Very little environmental impact during use. The main impact comes from the extraction and processing of the materials in construction. Usually no habitat damage as most are placed on buildings.

54
Q

Environmental impacts of hydro electric power?

A

Main impacts caused by construction damage and habitat change.
-Extraction of the sand, gravel etc.
-Transport and construction of access road.
-Habitat loss during the flooding of the reservoir.
It also divides the river in two sections,restricting fish movement, turbidity is decreased, steady flow rates are not suitable for some organisms.

55
Q

Environmental impacts of wind power?

A
  • Aesthetics problems.
  • ‘Noise problems’.
  • Electromagnetic field can interfere with nerby radio equipment.
  • Rotating blades can kill birds.
  • Sudden change in air pressure can kill bats.
56
Q

Environmental impacts of tidal power?

A
  • Materials used would require quarrying and transport.
  • Sedimentation wold be increased in areas of reduced flow.
  • Pollutants carried in may build up behind barrage.
  • Reduced turbidity.
57
Q

Environmental impacts of grid cables?

A

The best places to generate electricity are rarely where they’re needed so overhead cables are needed. These can cause visual problems and can kill birds.

58
Q

How does double glazing reduce heat loss?

A

It prevents a convection current forming.

59
Q

Ways to conserve energy in transport?

A
  • Bulk transport.
  • Passenger transport.
  • Vehicle design.
  • Air resistance.
  • Regenerative braking.
  • Vehicle weight.
  • Wheel design.
  • Fuel combustion efficiency.
60
Q

Ways to conserve energy in industry?

A
  • Heat recovery.
  • Insulation.
  • High volume storage.
  • Combined heat and power.
  • Recycling.

Environmental Studies A2 (8 decks)

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