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AP Environmental > Non-renewable Energy Sources > Flashcards

Non-renewable Energy Sources Flashcards

1
Q

Which gas comprises most of natural gas?

A

Methane

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2
Q

What are three types of coal are used for fuel?

A

Lignite, bituminous and anthracite

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3
Q

What is the definition of a non-renewable resource?

A

Nonrenewable energy sources are those that exist in a fixed amount and involve energy transformation that cannot be easily replaced

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4
Q

How is energy from fossil fuels used?

A
  • Burn the fossil fuels to generate heat
  • Turns water into steam
  • Steam turns a turbine, generating electricity
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5
Q

What is the combustion of fossil fuels a chemical reaction of?

A
  • Between the fuel and oxygen that yields carbon dioxide and water and releases energy
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6
Q

What does natural gas originate from and how does it form?

A

Natural Gas originates from the remains of plants and animals that have built up over time in the earth’s layers; these remains then form into coal, oil, or natural gas through the pressure and heat beneath the earth

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7
Q

How are drill sites for natural gas determined?

A
  • Geologists who study the surface of the earth generally start by locating structures that are likely to contain deposits of natural gas
  • Seismic waves and sometimes explosives are then used to indicate a site’s potential for drilling natural gas
  • A test well is then drilled to determine the quality and quantity of the natural gas source for a profitable operation at the site
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8
Q

How is natural gas processed and what are potential environmental consequences of the extraction process?

A
  • Natural gas is extracted from the earth where it is then separated and refined
  • Impurities such as sulfur dioxide, mercury, and other particulates are easily removed due to natural gas being a gas
  • During this process, odorants are added to natural gas, which gives it a “rotten egg” smell (produces mostly methane CH4, a greenhouse gas)
  • Odor is also a flammable gas, and too much in the air due to a leak leads to air pollution
  • Can contaminate groundwater, destroy habitats and cause earthquakes during extraction
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9
Q

How is natural gas distributed and what are its uses?

A
  • From there, it is compressed for transportation and use, and sold to companies for homes and commercial or public use for vehicles such as buses
  • Natural gas is also used as an electricity source
  • Primary use - Adding oxygen using oxidation (burning): Creates CO2, H2O, and heat, heat source for boilers, burners, and kilns, used for water heaters and stoves in homes
  • Electricity: Used in power plants to turn turbines
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10
Q

Pros of Natural Gas

A
  • Easy to store
  • Many uses (heating, ovens, stoves, electricity, and more)
  • Much more environmentally friendly than coal or other alternative fuel sources (do not release as much SO2, mercury, & particulates compared to coal and oil)
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11
Q

List the three types of coal in order from least amount of carbon to greatest.

A
  • Lignite
  • Bituminous
  • Anthracite
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12
Q

Key Characteristics of Lignite (Moisture Content, Heating Value, Durability, Use)

A
  • Contains the lowest amount of Carbon (25%-35%)
  • Lower heating value than bituminous coal
  • Can crumble very easily and has a high moisture content
  • Primarily used to generate electricity.
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13
Q

Key Characteristics of Bituminous Coal (Purpose)

A
  • Commonly used to generate electricity
  • Also utilized in the iron and steel industry
  • Most commonly used kind of coal
  • Highest contributor to sulfur
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14
Q

Key Characteristics of Anthracite (Usage and Value)

A
  • High heat value, so commonly used in the metal industry and industrial settings
  • longest to form and uncommon so most expensive
  • Highest carbon content
  • the lowest amount of sulfur
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15
Q

Which coal type is found most abundantly in the United States? Which is the least abundant?

A
  • Most abundant: Bituminous Coal

- Least abundant: Anthracite Coal

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16
Q

Cons of Natural Gas

A
  • Significant environmental impacts/concerns with the extraction and transportation of natural gas
  • Natural gas emissions contribute to global warming
  • Toxic and explosive (leaks can be dangerous)
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17
Q

Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) Process

A

Fracking Process

  1. A well is created
  2. Pipe is inserted into the ground
  3. Fracking fluid is put into the pipe
  4. Gas flows out
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18
Q

What are the environmental consequences of fracking?

A
  • The well can contaminate groundwater and destroy habitats
  • If the pipe is not made properly it can contaminate groundwater
  • Fracking fluid contains Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are highly explosive
  • Natural gas can leak out of well
  • Fracking can cause earthquakes
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19
Q

Where are the world’s largest natural gas reserves?

A

Russia, United States, Parts of Africa and South America

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20
Q

What are the uses of natural gas?

A
  • Products: Used to Make Acetic Acid - the primary ingredient in plastics, Ammonia - the primary ingredient in fertilizer
  • Primary use - Adding oxygen using oxidation (burning), becomes heat source for boilers, burners, and kilns, used in water heaters and stoves in homes
  • Electricity: Used in power plants to turn turbines
  • Transportation: Liquid fuel, burned and used for mass fueling of buses and taxis
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21
Q

How is coal formed? Where does the energy stored inside coal come from?

A
  • Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock mainly composed of carbon and hydrocarbons
  • Coal contains the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampy forests
  • Coal begins in the bottom of swamps, covered by sediments of plants. When dug out, it is simply heated and used for energy
22
Q

How is coal used for energy?

A
  • When dug out of the ground, it is placed in heaps for any amount of time until it is needed for energy
  • To generate energy, coal is burned and the heat formed from combustion used to turn water into steam, and the steam pushes a wind turbine, generating electricity
23
Q

How is coal mined and transported?

A

Coal is mined with large machines, through both surface and subsurface mining techniques

  • Surface mining, which is less than 200 feet underground, uses machines to remove the topsoil and rock to open up to coal seams. Most coal production is surface mining since it’s less expensive
  • Subsurface mining is when you have to mine for coal more than 200 feet below the surface. The miners use large machines to dig out the coal above the surface
  • Coal is transported primarily through trains but also rides on conveyors and trucks
24
Q

Benefits of Coal

A
  • Cheap, allows for many people to have access to an energy source when they can’t afford anything else (important for developing nations)
  • abundant and available: coal is in abundance and easy to mine, transport, store, and convert into energy
  • Energy-dense
25
Q

Negative Impacts of Coal

A
  • Coal-fired power plants are responsible for about 20% of global carbon emissions per year and are the largest source of human-produced greenhouse gases
  • Burning coal makes heat, which causes emissions that can be detrimental to the environment. The nitrogen that is emitted becomes nitrogen oxide, which causes things like smog, as well as things like sulfur which leads to acid rain, all of which hurt human beings.
  • In coal, there are heavy metals and toxins that also are not healthy for living organisms
  • Coal is non-renewable
26
Q

What is nuclear power? How is it different from other sources of non-renewable energy and why is it still considered environmentally hazardous?

A
  • Nuclear power is a nonrenewable energy source
  • It is used at a higher rate than replenished
  • But, it does not pollute the air or emits greenhouse gases which makes it different from other nonrenewable energy sources; however, it releases thermal pollution and hazardous solid waste
27
Q

How does radioactivity occur?

A
  • When the nucleus of a radioactive isotope loses energy by emitting radiation
28
Q

How is nuclear power generated? What harm does Uranium-235 pose?

A
  • Nuclear power is generated through fission, where atoms of Uranium-235, which are stored in fuel rods, are split into smaller parts after being struck by a neutron
  • Nuclear fissions releases a large amount of heat, which is used to generate steam, which powers a turbine and generates electricity
    • Nuclear power is generated by using Uranium-235 pellets, which are very dense and remain radioactive for a long time, leading to problems regarding the disposal of nuclear waste
29
Q

Where are fuel rods placed in a nuclear power plant? What does Uranium-235 turn into and how does the cycle generate heat? What is the purpose of control rods?

A

Fuel rods used to contain uranium - then put into reactor core:
- Surrounded by control rods
- Control rods made of cadmium, hafnium, or boron
- Powered by nuclear fission
Neutrons bombard uranium-235
- Turns briefly into unstable uranium-236 and breaks down further
- Neutrons released - bombard new uranium-235 atoms
Fission produces heat
- Heats water - turns to steam
- Steam drives turbine
Too much Fission = Nuclear Meltdown
- Control rods are used to stop this
- Absorbs neutrons
- Adjusted to control power output

30
Q

What areas of the world produce the most nuclear power?

A

America, China, France

31
Q

What is the process by which uranium is extracted and refined?

A
  • When uranium is near the surface, miners dig the rock out of open pits. If the uranium is underground, miners use underground mines and tunnels to reach it.
  • After mining, the ore is crushed in a mill, where water is added to produce ore particles and other materials.
  • Water injected with oxygen (or an alkali, acid, or other oxidizing solution) is circulated through the uranium ore, extracting the uranium
  • The uranium solution is then pumped to the reactor
32
Q

What is the risk of nuclear waste? How does nuclear waste need to be disposed to preserve the health of humans and the environment?

A

Nuclear Waste

  • Nuclear fuel that doesn’t power a reactor still contains a large amount of energy, heat, and radioactivity. Since it is still so radioactive, it can’t be disposed of like regular trash.
  • It first must be cooled in pools for several years, stored for decades at reactor sites in large metal and concrete containers. If not properly disposed of, this waste can have severe risks for human health and the environment.
33
Q

What is the risk of nuclear proliferation?

A

Nuclear proliferation is the spread of weapons made with nuclear power.

  • Following World War II and the first use of atomic bombs, the United Nations collaborated to create a treaty that would prevent proliferation. As of today, four countries have refused to sign this treaty (India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea), all of which are believed to have access to nuclear weapons.
  • Nuclear weapons have directly led to the start of numerous wars and continue to threaten the safety of humanity worldwide
  • These weapons can be extremely destructive and the progression of nuclear advancements will only lead to more of this weaponry
34
Q

What is the risk of nuclear accidents?

A
  • Chernobyl is the most notable and potentially most fatal example of what can go wrong if an accident occurs at a nuclear power facility. At Chernobyl, the core melted due to a poorly designed and maintained nuclear reactor, the facility caught fire, and the radiation contained within the reactor was released all across eastern Europe. The accident led to around 4000 premature deaths and continues to be a prime example of nuclear power tragedies.
  • Other tragedies include Three Mile Island and Fukushima
35
Q

What are the benefits of nuclear power in terms of environmental effects (compared to other non-renewable sources) and economics?

A
  • High energy density and no carbon emissions
  • Nuclear power is far less deadly per kilowatt-hour than any other source (fossil fuels) (depending on how you count deaths from falls or material transport, it’s safer than wind and solar too)
  • Additionally, nuclear power creates far more jobs than other forms of power
  • Relatively low operation costs
36
Q

What are the three kinds of design that prevent a nuclear meltdown?

A

pebble bed, LFTR, fusion

37
Q

Globally, where are the most oil reserves found?

A
  • Middle East
  • South America (Brazil and Venezula)
  • United States
  • Russia
  • Asia (China)
  • Africa (Nigeria)
38
Q

How is crude oil formed?

A
  • formed from algae and zooplankton remains that have settled to the bottom of shallow oceans
  • remains are compressed under sediment which occurs slowly where oil becomes nonrenewable
    Oil is also:
  • found in sandstone/limestone
  • made directly from decomposed organic material such as plants and animals
39
Q

What are the three types of technologies that are used to convert oil into electricity?

A
  • Conventional steam: this is when oil is burned to heat water to create steam to generate electricity
  • Combined Cycle Technology: oil is burned under pressure to produce hot exhaust gases, which then spins a turbine in order to generate electricity
  • Combustion Turbine: Oil is first combusted in a combustion turbine, then using the heated exhaust gasses to generate electricity
40
Q

What substance is crude oil extracted from and what are the components of the soil? How can oil be extracted?

A
  • Crude oil is received from tar sands, which are a combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen
  • Oil extraction can be pumped directly from the reservoir
41
Q

Environmental Effects of Crude Oil

A
  • Oil is used in cars as gasoline. When cars burn gasoline, it releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere
  • Large factories burn oil for power to motorize machines; they also release a significant amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere
  • Disturbing the ozone layer, and causing heat to rise
    Oil spills in bodies of water damage marine life
  • The components of oil stick to animals and damage their quality of life
  • Oil extraction can disturb land and aquatic ecosystems
  • Oil is a flammable liquid: Oil spills in ocean or lakes result in fires on top of the bodies of water
42
Q

What oil conservation legislation has been put in place?

A
  • The Oil and Gas Conservation Law is in effect in Pennsylvania. It prohibits the waste of both oil and gas. It also prevents drilling more wells than necessary
  • The Oil Pollution Act establishes requirements for prevention of, preparedness for, and response to oil discharges at specific non-transportation-related facilities
43
Q

Advantages of Crude OIl

A
  • Large supply
  • High net energy gain
  • Can be refined to produce different types of fuel
  • Easily transported
44
Q

Disadvantages of Crude Oil

A
  • Reserves are offshore making it hard to extract
  • High CO2 production
  • Potential for large, widespread environmental damage, if spilled
  • Rate of use will use up reserves in the near future
45
Q

How do we reduce our use of crude oil?

A
  • Electric cars use less fuel and are overall more efficient than regular vehicles. They use an internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor that gets its energy from batteries
  • Set limits on how much you drive. Carpool and walk as much as possible to limit your greenhouse gas emission
46
Q

Peat

A

partially decomposed organic material that can be burned for fuel

47
Q

Cogeneration occurs when:

A

a fuel source is used to generate both useful heat & electricity

48
Q

How can be peat used for energy? Where can peat be found?

A
  • can be burned for fuel
  • a precursor to coal
  • found under topsoil in some areas
  • if under heat & pressure, it will eventually turn into coal (used for heating & cooking
49
Q

How does the mining of coal lead to acidic deposition?

A

Sulfuric emissions mix with water vapor and cause acid deposition

50
Q

What are the dangers and costs of transporting natural gas?

A
  • Making sure that pipes are secure and maintaining infrastructure takes a lot of energy
  • Gasses take up a lot of space and require larger trucks, costs more $ and emits more carbon

AP Environmental (50 decks)

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