P3-Energy Resources Flashcards
Where does most of our energy come from?
From burning fossil fuels
What are the fossil fuels?
Coal, oil and gas
How does a fossil fuel power station work?
You burn the fuel in a furnace which heats the water in a boiler. This produces steam. The steam turns a turbine which turns an electricity generator which generates electricity. The energy is fed into a transformer and is then transmitted to the National Grid. After the steam passes through the turbine, it gets cooled down in a cooling tower and then is then recycled back into the boiler.
How does a nuclear power station work?
Control rods with uranium or plutonium pellets inside the reactor vessel generate heat through nuclear fission, warming the water which the rods are submerged in. This heats up water in a separate system- the steam generator, producing steam that drives a turbine connected to a generator, generating electricity. The electricity is fed into a transformer and transmitted to the National Grid. The steam is then condensed back to water in the condenser and cycled back to the steam generator.
What are biofuels?
fuels made from living organisms, or a by-product of the waste they produce.
How are biofuels carbon neutral?
The carbon released when they are burnt is balanced by the carbon they absorbed as they grew
What does carbon neutral mean?
having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon
How is bio-ethanol made?
Fermantation which is the process of using yeast to convert sugars into ethanol
What are the advantages of bio-ethanol? (give 2)
-it is quite cheap
-cars can be adapted to run on a mixture of ethanol and petrol
-it is carbon neutral
-it is renewable
What are the disadvantages of bio-ethanol? (give 1)
-alot of farm land is used up to grow the crops
-it is not as energy-dense as gasoline
How is bio-diesel made?
From vegetable oils or animal fats
What are the advantages of biodiesel? (give 2)
-it is carbon neutral
-it is renewable
-it is less toxic than regular diesel
What are the disadvantages of biodiesel? (give 1)
-we cannot create enough biodiesel to replace regular diesel
-it is expensive
How is biogas made?
It is made when microorganisms digest waste which produces a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide
What are the advantages of biogas? (give 2)
-waste is readily cheap and available
-it is carbon neutral
-it is renewable
What are the disadvantages of biogas? (give 1)
-biogas production slows in cool weather
-it relies on a consistent supply of organic waste
What is fermentation?
The process of using yeast to change sugar into ethanol
Name 4 food crops which are used for making biofuels.
Sugarcane, rapeseed, soya, corn
What fuel do nuclear power stations use?
Usually uranium or plutonium
What are the advantages of nuclear energy? (give 2)
-it is fuel efficient
-it doesn’t produce any co2
-it creates a lot of jobs
What are the disadvantages of nuclear energy? (give 1)
-accidents can be catastrophic
-it is hard to store nuclear waste as it remains radioactive and dangerous for thousands of years
What are the advantages of fossil fuels? (give 2)
-it is cheap
-it is abundant
-they are reliable
What are the disadvantages of fossil fuels? (give 1)
-they are nonrenewable
-they release large amounts of CO2
How do wind turbines work?
The wind turns the blades which turns a turbine which drives a generator which generates electricity
What are the advantages of wind power? (give 2)
-it is low maintenance after installation
-low operating cost
-renewable
-a small breeze and push the blades
What are the disadvantages of wind power? (give 1)
-Noise and visual pollution
-it relies on the weather
-long transmission lines are needed
-land could be used for agriculture
How does wave power work?
A wave generator uses the motion from the waves to make a generator move up and down which generates electricity
What are the advantages of wave power? (give 2)
-renewable
-no pollution
-free energy resource
-low maintenance cost
What are the disadvantages of wave power? (give 1)
-high cost of setup
-weather dependent
-can distrupt sea life
How does tidal power work?
Tides drive a turbine which spins a generator to generate electricity
What are the advantages of tidal power? (give 2)
-low maintenance cost
-renewable
-Predictable energy generation
What are the disadvantages of tidal power? (give 1)
-high cost of setup
-can disrupt sea life
-a limited number of suitable locations
How does hydroelectric power work?
Water is collected in a reservoir. The gates open and water travels though the pipes. The water drives a turbine and the turbine spins a generator to generate electricity
What are the advantages of hydroelectric power? (give 2)
-it can store energy
-it is renewable
-reduces the risk of flooding
What are the disadvantages of hydroelectric power? (give 1)
-expensive upfront cost
-the lake could of been a tourist attraction
-it destroys habitats
What is the energy store when the water is in the reservoir?
gravitational potential
How do solar panels work?
When the solar cells are exposed to light, they absorb the energy from it and they convert it into electricity
What are the advantages of solar panels? (give 2)
-low running costs
-renewable
-doesn’t emit CO2
What are the disadvantages of solar panels? (give 1)
-high upfront costs
-unreliable: dependent on the weather
-no way to increase supply in times of peak demand
How is geothermal power made?
From thermal energy generated from radioactive decay and stored in the earth’s crust
How is geothermal power used for heat?
You pump water down into the ground, allow it to warm up and then pumping it up again to heat our homes
How is geothermal power used for electricity?
We leave the water in the ground for so long that the water turns into steam. When the steam rises, the steam drives turbines which spins generators to make electricity.
What are the advantages of geothermal power? (give 2)
-doesn’t produce co2
-renewable
-low maintenance
What are the disadvantages of solar panels? (give 1)
-they rely on the weather
-expensive upfront cost
-they only convert less than 10% of the solar energy into electricity
How do solar heating panels work?
The panel captures sunlight to directly heat water or air through tubes
Give 2 pros and 2 cons of solar heating panels
Pros:
-renewable
-lowers bills by reducing heating costs
Cons:
-high upfront cost
-weather dependant
How do solar towers work?
Mirrors controlled by a computer reflect the sun’s light at a tower with water to generate steam. This steam turns a turbine which spins a generator to generate electricity.
How do solar towers store electricity?
The sunlight also heats up salt to high temperatures and it can be used to generate electricity in times of demand
What are the mirrors for solar towers called?
Heliostats
Give 2 pros and 2 cons of solar towers
Pros:
-renewable
-can store energy
Cons:
-high upfront cost
-weather dependent
What are the non renewable fuels? (Name 4)
-oil
-gas
-coal
-nuclear
What are the renewable fuels? (Name 7)
Biofuel
Wind
Hydroelectrical
Geothermal
Tidal
Solar
Wave
What power station has the shortest start up time?
gas
What power station has the longest start up time?
nuclear
When might power stations with short start up times be used?
In high demand
When might power stations with long start up times be used?
To create the baseline
How can the variable demand be met? (Give 2 points)
-use high start up time resources to create the baseline and short start up resources in high demand
-store energy using reservoirs and molten salt
-promoting energy-efficient practices
What activities require large energy transfers?
-transportation
-cooking
-heating
Give a problem with burning gas
It produces particulates which contribute to global dimming and can cause lung damage
Give a problem with burning oil
It produces sulphur dioxide which causes acid rain
Give a problem with burning coal
It emits carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming
How can you prevent carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere?
By using carbon capture storage technology
What are renewable energy resouces?
Energy resources which has fuel that is always being replenished so it won’t run out
What are nonrenewable energy resources?
Energy resources which has fuel that cannot be replenished at the same rate that it is used so it will eventually run out
