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Environmental Science 100 > GE 100 Exam Three (Chapters 20-22) > Flashcards

GE 100 Exam Three (Chapters 20-22) Flashcards

1
Q

coal benefaction

A

a process in which coal is cleaned by being crushed, screened, and suspended in a liquid, where the solid impurities settle out

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2
Q

continuous mining techniques

A

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

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3
Q

conventional fossil fuels

A

coal, oil, and natural gas that supply nearly all of the energy provided by fossil fuels due to their low cost

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4
Q

crude oil

A

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

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5
Q

discoveries

A

a broad term that includes locations of new finds of resources

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6
Q

extraction efficiency

A

the fraction of the resource removed from its location in the environment

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7
Q

kerogen

A

an insoluble organic material that is the main precursor of crude oil and natural gas

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8
Q

mountaintop removal

A

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

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9
Q

oil refinery

A

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

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10
Q

oil shale

A

an unconventional fossil fuel in which kerogen is trapped in sedimentary rock

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11
Q

operable capacity

A

the maximum rate of oil production that can be sustained during the following six months

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12
Q

overburden

A

soil and rock above a coal seam or other mineral source

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13
Q

porosity

A

a measurement of space between soil particles that can hold water or oil

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14
Q

primary recovery

A

oil that is pushed to the surface by the pressure gradient in the field

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15
Q

proved reserves

A

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

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16
Q

Q infinity

A

the total quantity of oil that will be discovered and produced

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17
Q

refined petroleum products

A

carbon molecules derived from crude oil

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18
Q

reserves to production (R:P)

A

the quantity of oil in proved reserves relative to the current rate of oil production

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19
Q

revisions

A

changes (either positive or negative) to proved reserves that are generated by new information other than an increase in acreage

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20
Q

room and pillar

A

a coal extraction technique that leaves pillars of coal to prevent the ceiling from collapsing

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21
Q

seam

A

a naturally occurring layer of coal usually thick enough to be mined for profit

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22
Q

secondary recovery

A

the injection of water into an oil field to push additional quantities of oil toward the producing well and up to the surface

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23
Q

sedimentation

A

the burial of organic material by particles

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24
Q

surface mining techniques

A

coal recovery techniques that remove the soil and rock above coal seams, thereby exposing the seams

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25
Q

tertiary methods

A

injection of heat or materials that reduce the viscosity or surface tension of crude oil, which makes it flow more easily toward the surface

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26
Q

unconventional fossil fuels

A

fossil fuels, such as oil shales and tar sands, that may eventually replace conventional fossil fuels

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27
Q

underground mining techniques

A

coal recovery techniques in which shafts are drilled to the seam to give miners access

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28
Q

wildcatting

A

drilling wells into formations not previously known to contain oil or natural gas

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29
Q

yield per effort

A

the ratio of resource obtained relative to the effort used to obtain it

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30
Q

breeder reactor

A

a nuclear reactor that manufactures more fissionable isotopes than it consumes

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31
Q

containment

A

the control of a nuclear fission reaction so that harmful radiation is not released to the environment

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32
Q

control rods

A

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

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33
Q

conversion

A

the step in the nuclear fuel cycle in which solid uranium oxide (U3O8) is converted into the gas uranium hexafluoride (UF6)

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34
Q

decommissioning

A

the process of closing down and removing a nuclear reactor after its useful life has come to an end

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35
Q

enrichment

A

the physical process of increasing the concentration of the uranium-235 isotope relative to the predominant uranium-238 isotope in natural uranium

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36
Q

exploration

A

the search for and identification of new deposits of a natural resource

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37
Q

fabrication

A

the process through which fissionable material is configured into precisely shaped fuel or target elements and made ready for use in a nuclear reactor

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38
Q

fertile

A

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

39
Q

fissile

A

any nucleus capable of undergoing fission by neutrons

40
Q

fission

A

the splitting of a nucleus into at least two other nuclei and the release of a relatively large amount of energy

41
Q

fuel assemblies

A

bundles of hollow metal rods containing uranium oxide pellets; used to fuel a nuclear reactor

42
Q

fuel rods

A

a long, slender tube that holds fuel (fissionable material) for nuclear reactor use

43
Q

fusion

A

the nuclear reaction whereby the nuclei of light isotopes, like hydrogen, are joined (fused) to form heavier elements, releasing large amounts of energy

44
Q

geologic disposal

A

the long-term storage of nuclear waste in geologic formations in Earth’s crust

45
Q

interim storage

A

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

46
Q

levelized cost

A

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

47
Q

milling

A

taking uranium ore extracted from Earth’s crust and chemically processing it to prepare uranium concentrate (U3O8) sometimes called uranium octaoxide or “yellowcake”

48
Q

mining

A

the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from Earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam

49
Q

moderators

A

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

50
Q

nuclear proliferation and diversion

A

the spread from nation to nation of nuclear technology, including nuclear power plants but especially nuclear weapons

51
Q

permanent waste disposal

A

the storage of nuclear waste in a form and location for a very long time

52
Q

pressurizer

A

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

53
Q

Price Anderson Act

A

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

54
Q

primary coolant

A

coolant in a nuclear power plant that first comes in contact with the core

55
Q

reactor core

A

the core of a nuclear reactor, consisting of the fuel, moderator (in the case of thermal reactors), and coolant

56
Q

reactor vessel

A

a cylindrical steel vessel in a nuclear power plant that contains the core, control rods, coolant, and structures that support the core

57
Q

reprocessing

A

the treatment of spent (irradiated) reactor fuel to separate plutonium from uranium and other fission products

58
Q

secondary coolant

A

the part of the cooling system that absorbs heat from the primary coolant

59
Q

spent nuclear fuel

A

fuel rods that no longer contain enough fissionable uranium to be efficiently used to produce power

60
Q

turbine generator

A

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

61
Q

vitrification

A

a method of immobilizing nuclear waste that produces a glasslike solid that permanently captures the radioactive materials

62
Q

agricultural residues

A

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

63
Q

biochemicals

A

chemicals produced by, or derived from, living organisms

64
Q

biodiesel

A

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

65
Q

bioenergy

A

energy derived from biological sources

66
Q

biofuels

A

fuels made from cellulosic biomass resources, such as ethanol, biodiesel, and methanol

67
Q

biomass

A

the mass of a species or group of species

68
Q

biomass feedstocks

A

the sources for bioengergy and biofuels, including forest and agricultural biomass, as well as the organic portions of municipal solid wastes

69
Q

biopower

A

electricity generated from the combustion of biological sources

70
Q

end use efficiency

A

the efficiency with which energy is converted to useful work or heat at the point of end use

71
Q

energy crops

A

a plant grown to make biofuels, such as bioethanol, or combusted for its energy content to generate electricity or heat

72
Q

energy density

A

the amount of energy stored per unit weight, volume, or space

73
Q

energy end use

A

a set of devices, products, and systems that use energy for the same or similar purposes; examples include transportation, cooking, lighting, heating, and refrigeration

74
Q

ethanol

A

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

75
Q

flash steam power plants

A

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

76
Q

forestry residues

A

forms of biomass (bark, branches) left over from the harvesting of timber that are potential sources of energy

77
Q

fuel cell

A

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

78
Q

geothermal direct use

A

the use of geothermal energy for a variety of applications including space heating, agriculture, aquaculture, recreation, medical (balneology), and industrial use (process heating)

79
Q

geothermal fields

A

an accumulation of geothermal energy that can be developed for human use

80
Q

geothermal heat pump

A

a heat pump that uses Earth as a heat source and heat sink

81
Q

hydropower

A

the production of electricity by the action of moving water falling on a turbine generator

82
Q

ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

A

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

83
Q

photovoltaic effect

A

the generation of an electrical current in a circuit containing a photosensitive device when the device is illuminated by visible or nonvisible light

84
Q

power density

A

the rate of doing work per unit area or volume

85
Q

primary mill residues

A

biomass produced from the processing of timber (such as at sawmills) that is a potential source of energy

86
Q

pumped storage plant

A

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

87
Q

pyrolysis

A

decomposition of a chemical by extreme heat

88
Q

solar constant

A

the amount of solar radiation that reaches the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere: 1.97 calories per square cm per minute

89
Q

solar insolation

A

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

90
Q

solar thermal system

A

a system that uses radiation from the sun to produce heat energy

91
Q

tidal energy

A

electricity generated by capture of the energy contained in moving water masses due to tides

92
Q

wind energy

A

energy derived from the kinetic energy of the wind

93
Q

wind farm

A

a collection of wind turbines all in the same location, used for the generation of electricity

Environmental Science 100 (3 decks)

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