GE 100 Exam Three (Chapters 20-22) Flashcards
coal benefaction
a process in which coal is cleaned by being crushed, screened, and suspended in a liquid, where the solid impurities settle out
continuous mining techniques
recovery in which mining machines allow the roof to cave in after the machine has removed all of the coal and “backs away” from the seam
conventional fossil fuels
coal, oil, and natural gas that supply nearly all of the energy provided by fossil fuels due to their low cost
crude oil
a mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in the liquid phase in natural underground reservoirs and remains liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface separating facilities; occurs in many varieties, distinguished by specific gravity, density concentrations of other hydrocarbons, volatility, heating value, and sulfur content. May contain significant amounts of natural gas; motor gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and petrochemicals derived from this
discoveries
a broad term that includes locations of new finds of resources
extraction efficiency
the fraction of the resource removed from its location in the environment
kerogen
an insoluble organic material that is the main precursor of crude oil and natural gas
mountaintop removal
a coal recovery practice in which vegetation and soil are removed from a mountaintop, explosives are used to separate coal from the rocks, and the rocks are subsequently dumped into a nearby valley
oil refinery
an industrial installation that breaks and separates the long-chain carbon molecules of crude oil into groups of shorter-chain molecules known as refined petroleum products
oil shale
an unconventional fossil fuel in which kerogen is trapped in sedimentary rock
operable capacity
the maximum rate of oil production that can be sustained during the following six months
overburden
soil and rock above a coal seam or other mineral source
porosity
a measurement of space between soil particles that can hold water or oil
primary recovery
oil that is pushed to the surface by the pressure gradient in the field
proved reserves
volumes of crude oil that geological and engineering information shows, beyond reasonable doubt, to be recoverable in the future from a reservoir under existing economic and operating conditions
Q infinity
the total quantity of oil that will be discovered and produced
refined petroleum products
carbon molecules derived from crude oil
reserves to production (R:P)
the quantity of oil in proved reserves relative to the current rate of oil production
revisions
changes (either positive or negative) to proved reserves that are generated by new information other than an increase in acreage
room and pillar
a coal extraction technique that leaves pillars of coal to prevent the ceiling from collapsing
seam
a naturally occurring layer of coal usually thick enough to be mined for profit
secondary recovery
the injection of water into an oil field to push additional quantities of oil toward the producing well and up to the surface
sedimentation
the burial of organic material by particles
surface mining techniques
coal recovery techniques that remove the soil and rock above coal seams, thereby exposing the seams
tertiary methods
injection of heat or materials that reduce the viscosity or surface tension of crude oil, which makes it flow more easily toward the surface
unconventional fossil fuels
fossil fuels, such as oil shales and tar sands, that may eventually replace conventional fossil fuels
underground mining techniques
coal recovery techniques in which shafts are drilled to the seam to give miners access
wildcatting
drilling wells into formations not previously known to contain oil or natural gas
yield per effort
the ratio of resource obtained relative to the effort used to obtain it
breeder reactor
a nuclear reactor that manufactures more fissionable isotopes than it consumes
containment
the control of a nuclear fission reaction so that harmful radiation is not released to the environment
control rods
devices in the core of a reactor that absorb neutrons and are used to control the rate of fission and to stop the chain reaction
conversion
the step in the nuclear fuel cycle in which solid uranium oxide (U3O8) is converted into the gas uranium hexafluoride (UF6)
decommissioning
the process of closing down and removing a nuclear reactor after its useful life has come to an end
enrichment
the physical process of increasing the concentration of the uranium-235 isotope relative to the predominant uranium-238 isotope in natural uranium
exploration
the search for and identification of new deposits of a natural resource
fabrication
the process through which fissionable material is configured into precisely shaped fuel or target elements and made ready for use in a nuclear reactor
fertile
an atom or a collection of atoms that can produce fissile atoms under neutron irradiation. Fertile atoms or collections of atoms generally themselves do not undergo induced fission
fissile
any nucleus capable of undergoing fission by neutrons
fission
the splitting of a nucleus into at least two other nuclei and the release of a relatively large amount of energy
fuel assemblies
bundles of hollow metal rods containing uranium oxide pellets; used to fuel a nuclear reactor
fuel rods
a long, slender tube that holds fuel (fissionable material) for nuclear reactor use
fusion
the nuclear reaction whereby the nuclei of light isotopes, like hydrogen, are joined (fused) to form heavier elements, releasing large amounts of energy
geologic disposal
the long-term storage of nuclear waste in geologic formations in Earth’s crust
interim storage
providing safe and secure storage in the near term to support continuing operations in the interim period until long-term storage or disposition actions are implemented
levelized cost
an estimate of total electricity cost including payback of initial investment and operating costs; also the price a plant must sell electricity at in order to break even
milling
taking uranium ore extracted from Earth’s crust and chemically processing it to prepare uranium concentrate (U3O8) sometimes called uranium octaoxide or “yellowcake”
mining
the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from Earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam
moderators
components of nuclear reactors that slow neutrons, thereby increasing their chances of being absorbed by fissile material; natural water, heavy water, and nuclear-grade graphite are the most common
nuclear proliferation and diversion
the spread from nation to nation of nuclear technology, including nuclear power plants but especially nuclear weapons
permanent waste disposal
the storage of nuclear waste in a form and location for a very long time
pressurizer
a high-strength tank containing steam and water used to control the pressure of the reactor coolant in the primary loop in a nuclear power plant
Price Anderson Act
a US law that indemnifies all nonmilitary nuclear facilities constructed in the US against liability claims arising from nuclear incidents while still ensuring compensation for the general public
primary coolant
coolant in a nuclear power plant that first comes in contact with the core
reactor core
the core of a nuclear reactor, consisting of the fuel, moderator (in the case of thermal reactors), and coolant
reactor vessel
a cylindrical steel vessel in a nuclear power plant that contains the core, control rods, coolant, and structures that support the core
reprocessing
the treatment of spent (irradiated) reactor fuel to separate plutonium from uranium and other fission products
secondary coolant
the part of the cooling system that absorbs heat from the primary coolant
spent nuclear fuel
fuel rods that no longer contain enough fissionable uranium to be efficiently used to produce power
turbine generator
a rotary engine driven by the pressure of water, air, or steam against the curved vanes of a wheel to transform heat, chemical energy, or water pressure into mechanical energy
vitrification
a method of immobilizing nuclear waste that produces a glasslike solid that permanently captures the radioactive materials
agricultural residues
a potential source of biomass energy consisting of plant parts remaining in a field after the harvest of a crop, including stalks, stems, leaves, roots, and weeds
biochemicals
chemicals produced by, or derived from, living organisms
biodiesel
a less polluting fuel for most diesel internal combustion and turbine engines produced from a range of biomass-derived feed-stocks including oilseeds, waste vegetable oils, cooking oil, animal fats, and trap grease
bioenergy
energy derived from biological sources
biofuels
fuels made from cellulosic biomass resources, such as ethanol, biodiesel, and methanol
biomass
the mass of a species or group of species
biomass feedstocks
the sources for bioengergy and biofuels, including forest and agricultural biomass, as well as the organic portions of municipal solid wastes
biopower
electricity generated from the combustion of biological sources
end use efficiency
the efficiency with which energy is converted to useful work or heat at the point of end use
energy crops
a plant grown to make biofuels, such as bioethanol, or combusted for its energy content to generate electricity or heat
energy density
the amount of energy stored per unit weight, volume, or space
energy end use
a set of devices, products, and systems that use energy for the same or similar purposes; examples include transportation, cooking, lighting, heating, and refrigeration
ethanol
a chemical formed by fermentation or synthesis used as a raw material in a wide range of industrial and chemical processes; an alternative automotive fuel that is usually blended with gasoline to form gasohol
flash steam power plants
the most common type of geothermal power plant in which steam, once it has been separated from the water, is piped to a powerhouse where it is used to drive a steam turbine, which in turn generates electricity
forestry residues
forms of biomass (bark, branches) left over from the harvesting of timber that are potential sources of energy
fuel cell
an electrochemical engine (no moving parts) that converts the chemical energy of a fuel, such as hydrogen and an oxidant, such as oxygen, directly to electricity
geothermal direct use
the use of geothermal energy for a variety of applications including space heating, agriculture, aquaculture, recreation, medical (balneology), and industrial use (process heating)
geothermal fields
an accumulation of geothermal energy that can be developed for human use
geothermal heat pump
a heat pump that uses Earth as a heat source and heat sink
hydropower
the production of electricity by the action of moving water falling on a turbine generator
ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
electricity genration by making use of the temperature difference (as much as 20C or 68F, in the tropics) between the top and bottom layers of the ocean to convert a fluid vapor, which in turn powers a turbine generator
photovoltaic effect
the generation of an electrical current in a circuit containing a photosensitive device when the device is illuminated by visible or nonvisible light
power density
the rate of doing work per unit area or volume
primary mill residues
biomass produced from the processing of timber (such as at sawmills) that is a potential source of energy
pumped storage plant
a plant that usually generates electric energy during peak load periods by using water previously pumped into an elevated storage reservoir during off-peak periods when excess generating capacity is available to do so. When additional generating capacity is needed, the water can be released from the reservoir through a conduit to turbine generators located in a power plant at a lower level
pyrolysis
decomposition of a chemical by extreme heat
solar constant
the amount of solar radiation that reaches the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere: 1.97 calories per square cm per minute
solar insolation
a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time; commonly expressed as average irradiance in watts per square meter or kilowatt-hours per square meter per day
solar thermal system
a system that uses radiation from the sun to produce heat energy
tidal energy
electricity generated by capture of the energy contained in moving water masses due to tides
wind energy
energy derived from the kinetic energy of the wind
wind farm
a collection of wind turbines all in the same location, used for the generation of electricity
