Energy Sources Flashcards
What are the non renewable energy resources
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
Nuclear fuels
What are the two nuclear fuels
Uranium
Plotonium
Will renewable energy resources run out
No
What are the renewable energy resources
Wind Waves Tides Hydroelectric Solar Geothermal Food Biofuels
What can energy sources do when they are burned
Drive turbines in power stations
What are the four basic features of a power station
Fossil fuels is burned to convert its stored chemical energy into heat energy.
The heat energy is used to heat water to produce steam
The steam turns a turbine converting heat energy into kinetic energy
The turbine is connected to a generator which transfers kinetic energy into electrical energy
Nuclear reactors are just like…
Fancy boilers
Will non renewable energy resources run out?
Yes
What does wind power involve
Lots of windmills
Does each wind turbine have its own generator
Yes
What does electricity generated directly from the wind do
Turn the blades which turn the generator
Is there pollution from wind turbines
No
What are the cons of wind turbines
They spoil the view
Very noisy
No power when wind stops
Initial costs are quite high
What are the pros of wind power
Renewable source
No fuel costs
Minimal running costs
No permanent damage
How do solar cells generate electricity
Directly from the sun
What are the pros of solar panels
No pollution
Very reliable energy resource
Fee of running them is nil
What are the cons of solar panels
Only work during daytime
Not practical or too expensive to connect to the national grid
Can only be used on small homes
What does hydroelectric power usually require
The flooding of a valley by building a big dam
What are the cons of hydroelectric power
Loss of habitat
Unsightly
Can dry up
Problem with reliability as can dry up
What are the pros of hydroelectric power
No pollution
No fuel
Minimal running costs
What does pumped storage do
Give extra supply just when needed
Do power stations leave boilers on all night
Yes
How does pumped storage work
Night time electricity is used to pump water up to a high reservoir
What is good about pumped storage
It can be released quickly during periods of high demand
Is pumped storage a way of generating power
No it is a way of storing it
How do wave powered turbines work
As waves come into the shore they provide an up and down motion which can be used to drive a generator
What are the cons of wave powered turbines
Spoils the view Hazards for boats Initial costs are high Can't be used to provide energy on a large scale Fairly unreliable
What are the pros of wave power
No pollution
No fuel costs
Minimal running costs
Good on an island
What are tidal barrages
Big dams built across river estuaries with turbines in them
What happens in tidal barrages when the tide comes in
It fills up the estuary to a height of several meters and this drives the turbines at controlled speed
What is the source of energy for tidal barrages
Gravity
Sun
Moon
What are the pros of tidal barrages
No pollution Pretty reliable Excellent at storing energy No fuel Minimal costs running
What are the cons of tidal barrages
Prevent access for boats
Spoil view
Alter habitat
Initial costs are high
What is geothermal energy
Heat from underground
Where is geothermal energy only possible
In volcanic areas where hot rocks are quite near the surface
How does geothermal energy work
Steam and hot water rise to the surface are used to drive the generator
What are the pros of geothermal energy
Free energy
No environmental problems
Can heat buildings directly
What are the cons of geothermal energy
There aren’t many suitable. Locations
Cost is often high
What are biofuels made from
Plants
Waste
Are biofuels a renewable energy resource
Yes
What are biofuels quite similar to
Fossil fuels
What are the 3 fossil fuels
Coal
Oil
Gas
What is the problem with the 3 fossil fuels
CO2 is released
What does burning coal and oil release
Sulphur dioxide
What are the cons of biofuels
Large areas of the Forrest are cleared
CO2 and methane emissions
What is carbon captures aim
To reduce the amount of CO2 building up in the atmosphere
How does carbon capture work
Collecting the CO2 from the power stations before it can be released
How is electricity distributed
Via the national grid
Where does the national grid take energy from
Power stations to homes and industry
What do you need to transmit Huge amounts of power
High voltage or high current
Is it cheaper to boost the voltage current really high and keep the current really low
Yes
What does it require to transmit power
Transformers
Big pylons with huge insulators
What are the transformers job
To step up the voltage at one end for efficient transmission and bring it back to safe levels
What are the ways to move around electrical energy
By cables
