Energy Resources Flashcards
What are the three different types of resources we use for energy?
Renewable, Nonrenewable, and Sustainable resources.
Define renewable resources.
Resources that are regenerated by nature as fast or faster than they are used.
Define nonrenewable resources.
Resources that are used faster than they can be replenished by nature.
Define sustainable resources.
Resources that are used in a way that allows them to be used without running out for future generations.
What are the most common energy resources?
Conventional energy resources, which include fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
What is the percentage usage of oil as an energy resource?
34.6%
What is the percentage usage of coal as an energy resource?
28.8%
What is the percentage usage of gas as an energy resource?
22.1%
What is the percentage usage of renewable energy resources?
12.9%
How does energy resource usage differ between developed and developing countries?
The more developed a country becomes, the more their reliance on energy increases.
What factors influence the type of energy source used?
Availability, price, and government regulations.
What is the Federal Power Act of 1920?
It allowed the development of a regulatory framework for energy.
What does the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversee?
Natural gas, oil, electricity markets, sales of natural gas and electricity, and hydroelectric plant licensing.
What is nuclear energy?
Energy released by nuclear fission or fusion.
Define fossil fuels.
Energy resources produced from the partial decay of ancient organic matter.
What is the process of energy extraction from fossil fuels?
Combustion, where the material is burned to generate heat, which turns water into steam to turn a turbine.
What are the four classes of coal based on energy and sulfur content?
- Anthracite (highest grade) * Bituminous coal * Subbituminous coal * Lignite (lowest grade)
What is strip mining?
A process where each layer is stripped off to reach the resources.
What is the Reclamation Act of 1970?
It required mined land to be restored to support its original use.
What is the Clean Air Act of 1963?
Established a program in the US Public Health Service to monitor and control air pollution.
What are the main components of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle?
Processes involved in producing fuel for nuclear reactors and disposing of radioactive waste.
What is radioactive decay?
The emission of energetic particles or rays from unstable atomic nuclei.
Define half-life.
The amount of time it takes for exactly half of the radioisotope atoms to decay into stable daughter elements.
What is biomass?
Energy created by burning organic material.
What are the two types of solar systems?
- Passive solar systems * Active solar energy systems
What is the primary method of extracting natural gas?
Conventional gas fields and continuous gas resources.
What is fracking?
A method of extracting natural gas by fracturing rock.
What is the significance of the Three Mile Island incident?
A meltdown that resulted in no human casualties but significant financial loss.
What are the environmental impacts of extracting fossil fuels?
Land use changes, water pollution, air pollutants, ecosystem destruction.
What are methane hydrates?
White, ice-like compounds made up of methane molecules.
What are the pros of nuclear energy?
- Less immediate environmental impact * Carbon-free source of electricity
What are the cons of nuclear energy?
- Generates radioactive waste * Requires fossil fuels for many steps * Expensive
What does MOX fuel consist of?
A combination of uranium and plutonium oxides.
What is the purpose of the Yucca Mountain site?
To store high-level radioactive waste.
What are the main gases found in natural gas?
- Methane * Propane * Butane
What is the role of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)?
Establish regulations for nuclear power industries and protect the public from nuclear radiation.
What is active solar energy?
Requires mechanical power to circulate air and water from solar collectors to storage to usage points.
What are some concerns associated with solar farms?
Where to install solar farms and high costs.
How is hydroelectric energy created?
By flowing water over and spinning a turbine.
What historical use of rivers for energy dates back to the Roman Empire?
Waterwheels converting water power into mechanical energy.
How does a hydroelectric dam generate electricity?
By blocking the stream and allowing water to pass through a turbine.
What percentage of electricity in the US is produced by hydroelectric power?
10%.
What is pump storage in hydroelectric systems?
A mechanism to store energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir during low demand.
What is a major environmental concern of hydroelectric power?
Impact on fish migration patterns and ecosystems.
What is a new method being tested in hydroelectricity?
Placing a turbine in the middle of a river without building a dam.
What are the challenges of ocean turbines?
High setup costs and potential performance issues due to saltwater.
What is geothermal energy?
Heat from the earth used to heat buildings and create electricity.
How is geothermal energy harnessed?
Using hydrothermal convection that circulates steam/hot water to transfer heat.
What is a concern regarding geothermal energy sustainability?
The water carrying heat may run out.
What is low density geothermal power?
Heat from the sun warming soil/water/rocks transmitted into the ground.
What are the environmental impacts of geothermal energy extraction?
Thermal pollution, gas emissions, and land disturbance.
What is a hydrogen fuel cell?
Combines hydrogen and oxygen to form water and release energy.
What process occurs at the anodes in a hydrogen fuel cell?
Electrolysis separates hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons.
How does the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells compare to gasoline?
More efficient than gasoline.
What is a drawback of hydrogen fuel cells?
Hydrogen is highly flammable and must be stored under cold and high pressure.
What is the cheapest alternative energy source?
Wind energy.
What is the average wind speed for optimal wind farms?
About 11 mph.
What is a potential environmental concern of wind energy?
Birds may fly into the blades.
What does the first law of thermodynamics state?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change form.
Define potential energy.
Stored up energy.
Define kinetic energy.
Energy in motion.
What does the second law of thermodynamics imply about machines?
No machine is 100 percent efficient; some energy is always lost as heat.
What is energy efficiency?
Amount of energy output from a given input.
What does the first law of efficiency measure?
The amount of energy delivered to meet need.
What does conservation mean in the context of energy?
Using less energy or needing less high-quality energy.
What is cogeneration?
Processes designed to capture and use wasted heat energy.
List some ways to improve energy efficiency.
- Improve building designs
- Use passive solar potential
- Utilize energy-efficient machinery
- Promote fuel-efficient and hybrid cars.
