Energy From Fossil Fuels

1. Energy sources and uses

History of energy sources

Muscle power

-humans

-domestic animals

-water and wind power

1700

Steam engine powered by

firewood

1800 - 1940

Coal is the dominant fuel

Late 1800

Internal combustion

engine

Oil well drilling

Refinement of crude oil into gasoline and

other liquid fuels

1951

Crude oil dominant energy

source

Global primary energy supply

Oil35%

Natural gas21,2%Hydro

2,2%

Com-bustible re-new-ables and

waste10,9%

Other0,5%

Coal23,3%

Energy consumption in the United States

Types of energy sources1. Primary:

Oil Natural gas Coal Nuclear power Water power Wood and other

2. Secondary Electric power

Electrical power production Generators

Electrical power production

•Turbogenerators

Primary source of energy

Electrical power production Hydroturbogenerator

Fluctuation on demand

The base load represents the constant supply of power

As demand rises during the day, additional plants can be turned on and off

A deficiency in available power will prompt a brownout or blackout

Electric = clean energy?

Using electricity creates no pollution

Electricity must be generated from other sources: coal,

hydropower, nuclear energy or alternative energy resources

The thermal production of electricity has an efficiency of

only 30%

Energy loss occurs as electricity is transmitted and distributed to end users by connecting wires.

Matching sources to uses

2. Exploiting crude oil

How are fossil fuels formed? Anaerobic

conditions

Accumulation of sediment

Exposure to pressure and heat

How are supplies estimated?Educated Guess Based on Geologic FormationKnowledge of where fossil fuels have been found in the past• Estimated reserves

Exploratory drilling• Further drilling is conducted to determine the extent and

depth of the oil field• Estimation of how much oil can be economically obtained

from the field

Proven reserves• Estimates range from P05 to P90 being P90 more reliable

Production• Withdrawal of oil or gas from the field

Production Primary recovery: 25%

Secondary and tertiary recovery: 50% to 60% Involves manipulating pressure in the oil reservoir

by injecting brine, steam or other substances.

Economics determine the extent to which reserves are exploited

An increase in the price makes more reserves available

3. Oil, the most important fossil fuel in American Economy?

Declining U.S. Reserves and Increasing Importation

1. M. King Hubbert Proposed that oil exploitation

would follow a bell-shaped curve Predicted that U.S. production

would peak between 1965 and 1970

2. The Oil Crisis of the 1970s Low prices on the Middle Eastern

countries = increasing dependence

OPEC formed a cartel and agreed to restrain production to get higher prices

OPEC embargo to countries that gave support to Israel

3. U.S. adjustment to higher prices

Increase domestic production of crude oil

Exploratory drilling Alaska pipeline Fiedls were reopened

Decrease consumption Standards for automobile fuel

efficiency Insulation in buildings and

appliances efficiency Development of alternative

energy sources was begun To protect against other OPEC

boycott Strategic oil reserve was

created

4. The recovery Consumption declined Production increased OPEC was unable to restrain

its own production.

5. Victims of success Exploration in the US Conservation efforts Tax incentives and other

subsidies The need for conservation and

development of alternative ways of transportation.

Problems of growing U.S. dependency on foreign oil

1. Costs of Purchase The price paid at the

pump is the same whether the oil is produced here or abroad.

2. Risk of Supply Disruptions The Middle East is politically

unstable Military cost of oil

3. Resource Limitations Diminished domestic

reserves

Ways to become independent

Increase fuel efficiency of transportation system

Use of other fossil fuel resources available

Develop alternatives to fossil fuels

4. Other fossil fuels

Natural Gas Substantial reserves Most is used for space heating and cooking Increasingly employed to generate electrical power. Limitations:

Environmental cost of pipelines Can be explosive

Benefit: Produces virtually no hydrocarbons or sulfur oxides

(carbon dioxide and water) Alternative uses:

Gas-run cars Synthetic oil

Coal Large reserves (about 250 billion tons) 51% of electricity comes from coal fired power

plants. Obtained by surface mining or underground mining Limitations:

Mining can be hazardous Substantial environmental impacts

Fires CO2 emissions Strip mining destroys the ecology of the region

Alternative uses Clean coal technology program Synfuels: liquid or gas fuels from coal

Oil shales and oil sands

Oil shale Oil sand

A fine sedimentary rock containing a mixture of solid, wax-like hydrocarbons called kerogen.

Can be refined into gasoline and other petroleum products

Very little productivity makes it expensive

Extraction involves substantial environmental impacts

Sedimentary material containing bitumen, an extremely viscous tarlike hydrocarbon.

Can be refined Cost competitive

compared to today’s oils prices.

Extraction involves substantial environmental impacts

5. Fossil fuels and energy security

The Union of Concerned Scientists report:

Energy security: Solutions to protect America’s power supply and reduce oil dependence.

• Security threats

• Supply-side policies

• Demand-side policies

• Development of non-fossil-fuel energy resources.

Security threats

• Middle east

Oil dependence

• Nuclear power plants• Hydropower dams• Oil and gas pipelines• Refineries• Tankers• Electrical grid

Energy infrastructure:

• Melting of polar ice caps• Rise of sea level• Shifts in precipitation patterns• Extreme storms, droughts and heat waves• Ecosystem instability• Disruptions in agriculture

Global climate change

Energy supply-side policies

Oil and natural gas consumption are outpacing U.S. production

The National Energy Policy Report/ Cheney report (2001) recommends ways to meet the rising demands:

• Opening the ANWR and offshore locations to oil and gas exploration and production

• Adding new coal fired electric power plants• Providing tax incentives to encourage energy production from fossil

fuels and nuclear fuels• Establish new electrical transmission lines• Construction of natural gas pipeline to bring Alaskan natural gas• Support for the efforts of other countries to develop their oil and gas

resources and pipelines• Government regulation of federal agencies issuing regulations that

could affect energy supplies.

Energy demand-side policies

Conservation• CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy): raising the

CAFÉ from 27,5 mpg to 40 mpg by 2012 • CHPs (Combined Heat and Power / cogeneration)

CHPs

Energy demand-side policies

Conservation• CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy): raising the

CAFÉ from 27,5 mpg to 40 mpg by 2012 • CHPs (Combined Heat and Power / cogeneration):

efficiency of 80%• Derregulation: requires the utilities to maintain

distribution services (transmission lines, telephone poles, etc), but to divest themselves of their power-generating facilities.

• Appliances: conservation measures such as energy standards for refrigerators and freezers

• Seeing the light: new building codes include improved insulation, double pane windows, use of fluorescent lights

• Internet: online shopping, working from home, less catalogs, less space

Development of non-fossil-fuel energy sourcesTwo major pathways in developing non-fossil-fuel energy alternatives:• Nuclear power• Promoting renewable energy applications

Sources: http://electron9.phys.utk.edu/phys136d/modul

es/m8/devices.htm http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/coo

ling-tower.html http://www.businessinsider.com/exxon-doublin

g-down-on-natural-gas-2010-3 http://www.metrolic.com/nuclear-energy-feare

d-coal-energy-ignored-167961/ http://apesnature.homestead.com/lectures.ht

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