Nonrenewable Energy Flashcards
Net Energy Yield
Amount of high-quality energy available from a resource minus the high-quality energy needed to make the energy
Cogeneration
When the heat produced from electricity generation is used to provide heat (air and hot water) to a building
CHP (Combined Heat and Power) systems
Close to 90% efficient (much better than coal/NG alone)
Fossil Fuels
Combustible deposits in the Earth’s crust [composed of the remnants (fossils) of prehistoric organisms that existed millions of years ago]
Fossil Fuel Formation
300 million years ago, climate was mild, vast swamps covered much of the land, dead plant material decayed slowly in the swamp environment
Coal
A solid fuel formed primarily from the remains of trees, ferns, and other plant materials
Big Reserves of Coal
US, Russia, China, Australia
Big Users of Coal
China, US, Japan, South Africa
Coal Cons
- contains impurities
- releases impurities (sulfur oxide – acid rain)
- trace metals
- combustion leads to increased levels air pollutants
- ash is left behind [can leak into ground/surface waters]
- high amounts of carbon released into the atmosphere
- habitat destruction
Coal Pros
- energy dense
- plentiful
- easy to exploit
- needs little refining
- inexpensive
- easy to handle
Coal: Ash deposit accident
2008, Knoxville TN, 4.1 billion liters of ash and water, 3 houses destroyed
Known coal deposits could last ________________
100 - 150 years
Scrubbers
Desulfurization systems: remove 98-99% of sulfur from power plant’s exhaust
Expensive
Sludge by product must be disposed of
Nationwide cap
of SO2 and nitrogen oxide emissions makes making coal a little better
Synfuels
A liquid or gaseous fuel that is synthesized from coal and other naturally occurring sources [substitute for oil or natural gas]
