World Energy Sources and Fossil Fuel Power

Production

By, Sawyer Olson, Alex Ayling, Diego BaumannHour 1

Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy

● Renewable energy replenishes over time

● Non renewable energy has a finite amount of resources

Renewable Sources

● Solar

● Wind

● Geothermal

● Biomass

● Hydro

● Tide

● Wave

Solar Energy

Advantages● Free Energy

● Produces no pollution

● Low cost

Disadvantages● Not very efficient

● Initial cost of equipment used to harness solar energy

● Only useful when the sun is out

Radiant energy that is emitted by the sun

Wind Energy

Advantages● Environmentally friendly

● Takes up less space than the average power station

● Free source of energy

Disadvantages● Unreliable in many

areas due to varying wind strengths

● Produces a lot less energy than an average fossil fuel station

Conversion of wind gusts into usable electricity

Geothermal Energy

Advantages● Clean and sustainable

● Very Efficient

● Low running costs

Disadvantages● High initial cost

● Hard to find appropriate building locations

Heat from the Earth used to produce geothermal power and provide electricity

Biomass Energy

Advantages● Very Clean● Less waste than landfills● Produces oxygen and uses

up carbon dioxide

Disadvantages● More expensive than other

sources● Takes up a lot of space● Not always good for the

environment (atmospheric pollutants)

Fuel from plant material and animal waste used to produce electricity

Hydro Energy

Advantages● Can be produced at a

constant rate

● Free energy

● No pollution

Disadvantages● Impacts water quality

● High cost of construction

Energy produced by moving water, typically through dams

Tide Energy

Advantages● Inexhaustible

● No pollution

● Doesn't depend on weather

Disadvantages● Expensive initial cost

● Changes coastline and floods the estuaries

● Produces power for 10 hours of the day

Power produced by the surges in the ocean when the tide rises and falls

Wave Energy

Advantages● Huge amounts of power

● Waves are almost constantly in motion (constant power)

● No pollution

Disadvantages● Very high cost

● Requires regular maintenance

Energy produced from the ocean's surface (with electric generators)

Non-renewable Sources

● Coal

● Natural Gas

● Oil

● Nuclear

Coal

Advantages● Readily Available

● Cheap

● supplies will last longer than other fossil fuels

Disadvantages● When burnt, releases

pollutants/ causes acid rain

● Mining destroys land/dangerous for workers

● Limited amount

Fossilized remains of plants/animals burnt to produce electricity

Natural Gas

Advantages

● Ready Made

● Cheap

● Cleaner than Coal/Oil

Gas trapped between earth, harvested through Hydraulic Fracturing. Used for heating/cooking

Disadvantages● Pollutes the air

● Limited supply

● Hydraulic Fracturing contaminates water

Oil

Advantages

● Ready made

● Cheap

● High energy density

Carbon liquid made from fossilized plants, pipes sunk down to pump oil

Disadvantages● Pollutes the air

● Limited supply

● Reserves located in politically unstable countries

● Hard to find new sources

Nuclear Energy

Advantages● Small amount produces a lot of

energy

● Raw materials last long time

● No atmospheric pollutants

● low operating cost

Disadvantages● Reactors expensive to construct

● Creates dangerous waste that lasts for hundreds of years

● Accidents can be catastrophic

● Material supply is finite

Atoms split to create steam that spins turbine/ generates electricity

Energy Density

● Energy Density: Amount of energy per unit of volume

● Units: Megajoules per kilogram, Joules per gallon

● Example: crude oil has an energy density of 41.9 MJ/Kg

Energy Density of Fuel

Coal: 32.5 MJ/1Kg

Ethanol: 26.8 MJ/1Kg

Crude Oil: 41.9 MJ/1Kg

Diesel: 45.8 MJ/1Kg

Natural Gas: 55.6 MJ/1Kg

Natural Uranium: 576,000 MJ/1Kg

Reactor Grade Uranium: 3,700,000 MJ/1Kg

Influence of Energy Density

● High energy density= efficiency

● Fossil fuels have high energy density

● Most renewable sources have low energy densities

● 1 gallon gas can charge an Ipod once a day for 20 years

Historical usage of fossil fuels.

Historically, Coal has always been a cheap, reliable, easily available heating material.Before steam engines, People relied on water mill to grind flour and other such tasks. It would all change in 1859.

Geographically Used.

As man's need for power grew the way he would gain this power would change. Soon these techniques would be passed on to the next group and so on. Eventually people would pass these skills and more civilizations would find a need for power as well.

Timeline 1.

● 1600s: The development of Coal Coke in England. This new form of energy would be vital in the industrial revolution.

● 1700s: Coal begins to replace the use of other energies sources.

● 1748: The first commercial coal production in US began in Richmond, Virginia.

● 1830: Coal becomes the primary fuel in trains in the US, replacing wood.

Timeline 2.

● 1830s: Ethanol mixture becomes popular lamp fuel replacing whale oil.

● 1870: John D. Rockefeller creates Standard Oil and developed petroleum as a major Energy Source in the US.

● 1901: The birth of the modern oil industry. The discovery of Texas' large Spindletop Oil Field.

● 6/08/1906: The Free Alcohol act is enacted. Congress wants that gasoline be replace by ethanol.

Timeline 3

● 1908: The Ford Model-T, enters Mass Production. With this many new households were now more dependent on fuels.

● 1930s: Alcohol fuel production promoted to fight against the Great Depression.

● 1950: Petroleum becomes the most used fuel in America.

How is it transported/stored?

● Transportation varies in four forms:○ Truck○ Train○ Ships○ Pipeline

● Pipeline is the most efficient and economic mode of transportation as it is less likely to spill fuel

Fossil Fuels are stored in:● Underground caverns

● Large tanks on land

● Underground mines (for coal)

Advantages and Disadvantages of fossil fuel transportation and storage

Advantages:● Companies make more

money

● Energy isn't wasted and can be used for later

● Easy to transport if liquified

Disadvantages:● Have to burn fossil fuels

to transport them

● Transporting and storage may leak fuels

Energy Density and Power Stations

● Power stations can't store electricity

● Amount fossil fuels used can be adjusted, solar/wind can't

● Fossil fuels high energy density= more flexibility

Environmental Problems: Oil

● Recovery/transportation can cause spills, drastically impacting ecosystems

● When burnt releases greenhouse gases/ causes acid rain

● Groundwater pollution

Environmental Problems: Natural Gas

● Harvested through hydraulic fracturing which uses tremendous amount of water

● Pollutes groundwater with toxic chemicals

● Cleaner than oil/coal, still pollutes air when burnt

Environmental Problems: Coal

● Mining destroys natural habitat

● Underground fires pose threat to surface

● When burnt, releases greenhouse gases/ toxic substances

Fuel Efficiency.

The second law of thermodynamics states that any closed-loop cycle can only convert a fraction of the heat produced during combustion into mechanical work.● Coal Power Plants: 33% average.● Gas Power Plants: 60%

Sankey Diagram

● Maintains energy before put through station

● Energy is degraded when it turns to heat

● Tiny amount lost in transmission/ running the power station

● Only 1/3 original energy is used

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http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/geothermal-energy

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http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01335/tidal.htm

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