P3 Flashcards
What is a biofuel?
A fuel taken from living or recently living organisms. Animal waste is an example. Biofuel disel use waste vegetable oil and plants. It is renewable and carbon-neutral.
What is nuclear fuel?
It takes energy from atoms. The fuel in a nuclear power station is uranium or plutonium. The fuel is sealed in cans in the core of the reactor.the nucleus of the uranium atom is unstable and can split in two. Energy is transferred from the nucleus when this happens. Because there are many atoms, it becomes very hot. The energy from the core is transerred by a dluid called the coolant. Thecoolant is very hotwhen it leaves the core. It flows through a pipe to the heat exchanger then back ro the core.. theenergy transferred by the coolant is used to turn the water into steam in the heat exchanger. The steamdrives the turbines that turn the electricity generators.
What is wind power?
When a turbineis an electricity generator at the top of a narrow tower. The wind drives the blades. This turns a generator. Unreliabke because of wind unreliability.
What is wave power?
A wave generator uses waves to make a floating generator move up and down. This motion turns the generator so it generates electricity. Cable between the generator and the shoreline delivers electricity to the grid system. Cables can ruin coastline and tidal flow patterns may change affecting habitats. Disturb
What is hydroelectric power?
Rainwater is col;lected in a reservoir or water pumped storage scheme flows downhill. The water drives turbines that turn electricity generators at the bottom of the hill.
What is tidal power?
A tidal power station traps water from each high tide behind a barrage through turbines. These drive generators. In some coastal areas cables underwater used to connct to National gride
Why is the Severn estuary promising for tidal power in britain?
Because the estuary rapidly becomes narrower as you move up river away from the open sea.So it funnels the incoming tide and makes it higher.
How does a solar power tower work?
it uses thousands of flat mirrors to reflect sunlight on to a big water tank at the top of a tower. The mirrirs on the ground surround the base of the tower, the water in the tank turns to steam which is piped down to ground level,m wher5 it turns electricity generators. The mirrors are controlled by computrers so they track the sun.
what is geothermal energy?
It comes from energy released by radioactive sustances deep within the earth. This energy heats the surrounding rock. Geothermal power station ares built in volcanic areas or where there are hot rocks deep below the surface. Water is pumped down theree and steam is produced. THIS DRIVES electricity turbines at ground kevel. Ground source heat is heat flow underground which is somnetimes used to heat water in underground pipes and this is then pumped around buildings.
Advantages of nuclear power
No greenhopuse gases
Much more energy transferred
Disadvatages of nuclear powert
Used fuel rods contain radioactive waste, has to be stored saftleu for centuries
Expolosion of nuclear reactive could release radioactive materiasl over a widse area
Advantages of renewable energy sources
Won’t run out
Don’t produce greenhouse gases or acid rain
Don’t create radioactive waste products
Can be used in remote areas where connection to the Ntional Gruid is uneconomical
Disadvantages of renewabkle energy sources
Noy able to meet world demand yet Create unewanted noise (wind turbines) Tidal barrages affect habitats Hydroelectric schenes need large reservoirs of water, habitats often flooded to crreate dams Solatr cells need to cover large areas
Some unreliable or not available all the time
How to reduce energy requirement in hpme
Low-energy light bul bs abd inmproved insulsation
