P3: Energy resources Flashcards
how do coal, gas or oil fired power stations work
they heat water and produce steam. the steam drives a turbine that turns an electrical generator.
what is a biofuel
any fuel taken from living or recently living organisms
why is biofuel so good?
-renewable
-carbon-neutral
where does nuclear fuel take energy from
atoms
examples of nuclear fuels
uranium or plutonium
how does a nuclear power station work
-the uranium nucleus is unstable and split into two
-energy is transferred from the nucleus.
-It gets very hot due to the amount of uranium atoms.
-energy of core is transferred by coolant that is pumped through the core.
-coolant flows through pipe to a heat exchanger, then back to reactor core.
-energy transferred used to turn water into steam in the heat generator. this drives turbines and makes power
what is renewable energy
sources of the energy are made faster than they are used/infinite source.
why is wind power unreliable
when there is no wind, no electricity is produced
how does a wave generator work
uses the waves to make a floating generator move up and down. this turns the generator. cable transfers electricty
cons of wave power
need to withstand storms, don’t produce constant supply. spoil areas of coastline. affect marine habitats.
how does tidal power work
traps water from high tide behind a barrage and releases it through turbines.
cons of tidal
high initial costs, limited suitable locations
pros of solar
cost nothing to run
useful where there are small amount of electricity needed, or in remote areas.
cons of solar
expensive to buy
lots needed to be useful
sun is not always shining
how does a solar panel work
heats water that flows through it, turned into steam that turns a turbine
whats a solar panel tower
uses thousands of flat mirrors to reflect sunlight on to a big water tank.
where does geothermal energy come from
energy released from radioactive substances deep within the Earth.
geothermal power stations:
water gets pumped down to the rocks to make steam. steam turns turbines.
difference between a solar cell panel and a solar heating cell
-solar cell panel uses sunlight to directly make electricity
-solar heating panel uses sunlight to heat water
what harmful gases can fossil fuels produce
-carbon dioxide
-sulfur dioxide
pros nuclear power
-no greenhouse gases
-more energy transferred per kilogram
cons nuclear power
-used fuel rods contain radioactive waste that needs to be stored
-can be explosive
what kind of technology can we buy to reduce the need for power stations
improved home insulation, lower energy light bulbs
