ENERGY GENERATION Flashcards
How is energy generated from turbines and generators
- fossil fuels are burned to create heat, and this heat heats the water.
- the water turns into steam and it rotates the turbine
- the turbine is linked to a generator and produces electricity
what are fossil fuels
finite resources produced from ancient bio mass (plants and animals)
they are non renewable and are in limited supply
examples of fossil fuels
natural gas, coal, oil
advantage of fossil fuels
- cheap
- reliable source of energy
disadvantages of fossil fuels
- contains high amounts of carbon and when burned releases Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and soot, which contributes to global warming
- non renewable and unsustainable, will eventually run out
- accidents such as oil spills contribute to pollution and environmental contamination
how do nuclear power plants generate energy
fission: splitting of uranium in a nuclear reactor
advantages of nuclear power
- clean
-efficient - doesn’t contribute to global warming
disadvantages of nuclear power
-waste material is radioactive and dangerous to life
- disastrous and super damaging effect if there is an accident
similarities between wind energy and fossil fuel energy
- fossil fuels are burnt to heat water and the resulting steam turns the turbines which turn generators
- wind turns the turbines directly and the turbines turn generators to generate energy
what kind of energy to wind turbines convert
kinetic to electrical
how to wind turbines generate electricity
wind causes the blades to turn, and it turns the whole turbine.
the turbines turn the generator and produces electricity
what is shale gas
natural gas trapped in the earth’s crust
what is tidal power and how does it produce electricity
converts energy from tides into power.
the movement of water turbines underwater turbines which drive the generators that produce electricity
advantages of tidal power
a constant, predictable and renewable energy resource that is clean
disadvantages of tidal power
expensive to set up and maintain
what do solar panels do
solar panels absorb light which is converted into electricity
advantages of solar energy
renewable
clean power
no greenhouse gases or harmful waste products produced
can be used in places with a lot of sunlight and generate a lot of electricity
disadvantages of solar energy
less energy would be produced in winter months when daylight hours are shorter and the sky is much darker, compared to summer months where daylight hours are longer
advantages of hydroelectric energy
it is renewable
reliable
does not pollute
can be regulated according to demand
disadvantages of hydroelectric energy
cost and environmental pollution of dam construction is very high
local environment is affected by flooding of a valley, impacting surrounding water flow
this turn affects natural irrigation and ecosystems
disadvantages of batteries
-they contain toxic chemicals and are dangerous if they aren’t disposed of correctly
- if they end up in a landfill, chemicals can contaminate ground, causing soil or water pollution
