P3 Flashcards
3 areas of energy demand
electricity
transportation
heat
renewable
non-renewable energy sources
solar + wind + hydro energy
non-renewable = oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy
how are fossil fuels made ?
whats the type of energy stored in them ?
buried combustible geologic deposits of organic materials, formed from decayed plants and animals
the type of energy stored = chemical energy
uses of fossil fuels
to produce energy
Coal, crude oil, and natural gas are all considered fossil fuels
advantages
disadvantages of fossil fuels
advantages = cheap , reliable as there is alot of it
disadvantages = non-renewable , dangerous ,
water pollution + oil spills
coal power station
Coal-fired plants produce electricity by burning coal in a boiler to produce steam
how are fossil fuels contributing to global warming
When fossil fuels are burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the air. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere
what is carbon capture and storage
trapping carbon dioxide and storing it in such a way that it is unable to affect the atmosphere.
acid rain ?
rainfall made so acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm,
2 examples of nuclear fuels :
uranium and plutonium.
explain how nuclear fuels release heat energy
nuclear fuel undergoes a controlled chain reaction in the reactor to produce heat - nuclear energy is converted to heat energy
how do nuclear power stations work
Nuclear power plants heat water to produce steam. The steam is used to spin large turbines that generate electricity.
a similarity between fossil fuel and nuclear power stations
they both produce steam to drive a turbine-generator
advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power
A = Produces no polluting gases , low fuel costs , Low fuel quantity reduces mining and transportation effects on environment.
D = Waste is radioactive and safe disposal is very difficult and expensive, Local thermal pollution from wastewater affects marine life , Large-scale accidents can be catastrophic.
safe nuclear disposal waste
storage of used fuel to be placed under water for atleast 5yrs
biofuels ?
3 examples :
fuels produced directly or indirectly from organic material
ethanol , biodiesel and bio gas
uses of biofuels
transportation
heat
electronics
cooking
advantages
disadvantages of biofuels
A = Less carbon emissions , Renewable source , reduces the use of fossil fuels
D = uses a lot of land - needs alot of labour , cant be used in cars with modifying the cars
how is wind power used to produce electricity
wind turbines
advantages
disadvantages of wind power
A = Renewable & clean source of energy Intermittent
Low operating costs Noise and visual pollution
Efficient use of land space
D = Intermittent
Noise and visual pollution
Some adverse environmental impact
how is electricity generated from hydroelectric power stations
hydroelectric power is generated using flowing water to spin a turbine which turns a shaft that’s connected to an electric generator.
advantages and
disadvantages of hydroelectric power
A = renewable , low emission , reliable
D = expensive , bad for environment , limited reserves
what is a pump storage power station ?
type of hydroelectric energy storage used by electric power systems for load balancing. The method stores energy in the form of gravitational potential energy of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation.
how is electricity generated from wave power
As the wind passes over the surface of the oceans, a portion of the winds kinetic energy is transferred to the water below, generating waves. … The kinetic energy of the wave turns a turbine attached to a generator, which produces electricity.
advantages
disadvantages of wave energy
A = environmentally friendly, reliable, reduces the use of others
D = ugly, only useful to those near the water, distrubs the ecosystems
how is electricity generated from tidal power
created using the movement of our tides and oceans, where the intensity of the water from the rise and fall of tides is a form of kinetic energy. Tidal power surrounds gravitational hydropower, which uses the movement of water to push a turbine to generate electricity.
advantages
disadvantages of tidal power
A = renewable so environmentally friendly , reliable, they last a long time , generate alot
D = expensive , are bad for the close environment around , not constant
2 methods of power from the sun
heat and light
how do solar cells produce electricity
made up of two layers of silicon that are treated to let electricity flow through them when exposed to sunlight.
advantages
disadvantages for solar cells
A = renewable energy, reduces electricity bills, low maintenance cost
D = expensive to start , weather dependant, space consuming
solar water panels produce electricity ?
solar water heaters work the same as solar panels but produce heat
advantages and
disadvantages of solar water panels
A = savings on heating bills, low maintenance, environmentally friendly
D = expensive to install, dependant on climate, only heats water
wheres geothermal power from
the heat that comes from the sub-surface of the earth.
how does geothermal power work
use steam to produce electricity. The steam comes from reservoirs of hot water found a few miles or more below the earth’s surface. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity.
advantages and
disadvantages of geothermal power
A = environmentally friendly, renewable, stable, no fuel required
D = location specific, expensive, gases are released during digging
how has the use of energy changed over the past 50 yrs
rapid decline in the use of coal and fuels
2 main functions of the national grid
transmission and distribution of electricity and gas.
diagram of national gird system
power station - step up transformer - pylons - step down transformers - to mains supplies(houses factories ect)
explain how the national grid reduces energy losses when transporting electricity ?
, a step-up transformer is used to increase the voltage and reduce the current. … Less current means less energy is lost through heating the wire.
uses of
pylons
and cables
Pylons are used to support electrical cables that transmit high-voltage electricity from where it’s generated
current and voltage at the pylons
high voltage
low current at the pylons
advantages and
disadvantages for overhead and underground cables
A = look better, reduced electric and magnetic fields,lesser transmission lost,
D = expensive, difficult to find and repair, underground damage easily
whats the base load energy demand
The baseload on a grid is the minimum level of demand on an electrical grid over a span of time, for example, one week
what is start up time
The amount of time it takes for the power station to go from being off and not producing anything, to able to produce electricity.
