Energy Resources and Fossil Fuels Flashcards
energy transformation in geothermal powerplants
earth’s internal heat - mechanical energy of steam - mechanical energy of turbine - electricity (generator) - power up/down and distribution
what does transformers do?
powers up/down energy
advantage of geothermal powerplants
Reliable and consistent
Base load electricity
natural gas that is produced along with crude oil, and typically separated from the oil at the wellhead.
associated gas
advantage of hydroelectric powerplants
- Highest efficiency
- Dam can be used for flood control and water filtration
A nonrenewable fossil fuel that is combusted and used to generate electricity.
- a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons.
- classified as a nonrenewable energy source because it takes millions of years to form.
- contains the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampy forests.
- it is mined
Coal
disadvantage of hydroelectric powerplants
- Dam damages ecosystem
- High maintenance cost
- Specific location
- Poor or excessive water supply
What kind of compounds are fossil fuels
carbon-rich organic compounds
a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. is colorless and odorless, so odorizers such as mercaptan, which smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, are commonly added to natural gas supplies for safety so that leaks can be readily detected.
fossil fuel and non-renewable resource that is formed when layers of organic matter (primarily marine microorganisms[3]) decompose under anaerobic conditions and are subjected to intense heat and pressure underground over millions of years.[4]
- formation similar to oil
natural gas
one of the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy, which uses the natural flow of moving water to generate electricity.
hydropower/hydroelectric energy
what does a generator do?
convert mechanical energy to electrical energy
Examples of Renewable Energy
solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass/biofuel
types of natural gas
Dry gas - methane
Wet gas - methane with ethane and butane
energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
Renewable Energy
advantage
- Infinite
- Constantly available and abundant
- More environment friendly
disadvantage
- Specific location and requires a huge land area
- Less efficient
- expensive
a nonrenewable fossil fuel. It is formed when heat and pressure compressed the remains of prehistoric plants, animals, and aquatic life under the bed of the sea or lakes for millions of years, thus becoming fossil fuel. It is drilled and pumped from giant underground pockets, or oil wells, and processed through a system called distillation.
- mixtures of hydrocarbons that formed from the remains of animals and plants (diatoms) that lived millions of years ago in a marine environment before the existence of dinosaurs
oil
a process through which bacteria break down organic matter—such as animal manure, wastewater biosolids, and food wastes—in the absence of oxygen
anaerobic decomposition
which among the fossil fuels is volatile
natural gas
uses of natural gas
Electricity, household industrial heating, fuel for vehicles
renewable energy where heat is derived within the sub-surface of the earth. Water and/or steam carry this to the Earth’s surface
geothermal energy
What is the only renewable source that is not powered by the sun?
geothermal energy
energy that comes from sources that will run out or will not be replenished in our lifetimes—or even in many, many lifetimes. and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
Non-renewable Energy
advantage
- High-efficiency level
- Easily transportable
- Provides more energy
disadvantage
- Finite supply (about 2-3 decades left)
- Political disputes (central Asia/middle east)
- High levels of pollution
- Adverse impacts on the environment
origin of oil/petroleum
Marine organisms; anaerobic decomposition; heat and pressure
renewable energy by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity.
wind energy (eolic)
What are examples of fossil fuel
Coal, Oil, Natural Gas
types of coal
Lignite - sub-bituminous - bituminous - anthracite (least carbon to most carbon, more pressure/metamorphism)
origin of coal
plants, (during) carboniferous period, coalification
renewable energy that comes from radiation from the Sun capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity.
solar energy
Fossil Fuel Powered Steam Turbine Electricity Generation
Fossil Fuels -Combustion Chamber (burning, exhausts gases to pollution control) - steam boiler (pumps excess water to steam condenser to cool it) - steam valve (for speed control) - steam turbine - synchronous generator - power
uses of coal
Burned for electricity, converted to gas
which among the fossil fuels is the most environment-friendly
natural gas
is produced from uranium, a nonrenewable energy source whose atoms are split (through a process called nuclear fission) to create heat and, eventually, electricity. (through hot water, steam, and turbines)
nuclear energy
What are the two types of energy sources?
Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy
in geothermal & fossil fuel powerplants, are all the electricity produced transported to homes, etc?
no, some energy goes to the cooling tower/steam condenser to cool the water
origin of natural gas
Marine organisms; anaerobic decomposition; heat and pressure, longer period
disadvantage of geothermal powerplants
High cost and maintenance
Possible instability of location (due to volcanism)
Release of gases
the process of the chemical transformation from vegetation into coal
is caused by temperature and pressure inherent to burial and is enhanced by geologic time and tectonism.
coalification
world’s leading renewable energy source
hydroelectricity (83% of renewable power)
energy transformation in hydroelectric powerplants
potential energy of water - kinetic energy of water - mechanical energy of turbine - electricity (generator) - power up/down and distribution
renewable energy that is generated or produced by living or once-living organisms.
biomass energy
Energy with the most consumption in the world
Fossil fuels, particularly Petroleum (Oil) (33.89%)
(and the nuclear energy, hydropower, and so on)
uses of oil
Petroleum products, electricity, plastic
heat source of geothermal powerplants
magma chambers
types of oil
Petroleum, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt
Examples of Non-renewable energy
Coal, Oil, Gas, Nuclear
