Non-Renewable Energy

1. Non-Renewable Energy Chapter 17

4. Fossil fuels • Formed from the remains of once living organisms. • Stored energy from sun by photosynthesis in organic matter, hydrocarbons. • Sediment buries organic matter. Time/pressure/chemical composition without O2. • Sources of energy – • Primary – renewable, nonrenewable – F.F. • Secondary - electricity • Formation of coal – animation

5. Pro’s & Con’s of Fossil Fuels • 4 main uses of Energy • Transportation • Manufacturing • Heating/cooling • Electricity • Developed/ developing countries • Problem with fossil fuels; • Limited resources • Environmental consequences

6. Electricity • Secondary energy source • Most convenient form of energy to use. • Used world wide in any application. • Advantages • Transported across large areas inexpensively. • Readily available • Disadvantages • Other energy sources used to produce it • Difficult to store • Aging infrastructure

8. Coal • Formed from plant remains • Worlds most abundant and cheapest FF. • Provides ¼ of worlds energy • ½ of US electricity • Industrial revolution

9. Types of Coal (rank) • Peat • Lignite brown coal • Bituminous • Anthracite hard coal • 60% or less Carbon, Decayed organic matter • high sulfur and low carbon 50-70%, • high carbon70-87% high sulfur, electricity & coke-steel • More than 87% carbon, makes steel

11. Coal mining • Most of the world’s fossil-fuel reserves are made up of coal. • Coal is relatively inexpensive and it needs little refining after being mined. • Asia and North America are particularly rich in coal deposits. N.A. = ¼ of worlds supply • Over half the electricity generated in the United States comes from coal-fired power plants. • World uses 5 Billion metric tons yearly, reserves could last at least 200 years. • Sulfur is found in all grades of coal, major source of pollution when burned, acid rain.

12. 3 main Grades of Coal • Anthracite – hard coal – high carbon (100%) low sulfur – high grade coal – home heating coal • Bituminous – mid grade – high carbon (85%) high sulfur – make electricity and coke for steel industry, Mainly in U.S. • Lignite – brown coal – high sulfur and low carbon (50%) – used by electric power plants - aka soft coal

15. 2 basic ways to mine coal • Surface – removal of minerals and metals in the Earth’s surface. • Inexpensive and safer • Destroys: topography, habitat, environment • Strip mines • Mountain top • Open pit • Quarry • SMCRA – act 1977

16. Sub surface • Digging shafts (vert/hor) and tunnels • Heavy man labor • Mechanized labor

17. Oil - petroleum • Formed from microscopic animals and algae oceans/seas. • Uses; transportation, heat/cool, petrochemicals - Plastics, fertilizers, clothing and chemicals • Middle East rich Russia, Nigeria Venezuela, U.S.

18. Oil is trapped in faults, folds and salt domes, rock layers – limestone & sandstone

19. crude oil • Petroleum - Liquid hydrocarbons • Petrochemicals found in oil used to make products; Plastics, fertilizers, feed stock and chemicals

20. Disadvantages of oil • Transporting of oil; ocean tankers, RR tankers, Trans Alaska pipeline, pollution • Oil spills from tanker ships are another potential environmental problem of oil use. • Double hull tankers are now used. • More oil pollution comes from everyday sources, like leaking cars, throwing away of oil products, runoff.

21. Environmental problems? • Trans Alaska Pipeline • Built – 1974 – 1977 • Prudhoe bay – Valdez • 800 miles • Exxon Valdez • Deep water horizon-2010 • Gulf of Mexico • 4.9 million barrels • 5000 below sea level

22. Crude oil 55 gallon barrel of Oil • Petroleum - Liquid hydrocarbons • Petrochemicals found in oil used to make products; Plastics, fertilizers, feed stock and chemicals • Breakdown • Fuel • Paraffins • Lubricants • Asphaltics

23. Pollution and Human Health • Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which contributes to global climate change. • When coal and oil burn; mercury, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released, which contribute to smog and acid deposition. • Oil spills, equipment ruptures, and oil in runoff pollute waterways, oceans, and coastal areas.

24. Natural gas • 20% of worlds natural resources • Colorless, odorless, tasteless & combustible • Stored for use as a fuel. • Mix of hydrocarbon gases; Methane gas CH4 (mercaptan), • Clean burning, low emissions • Current reserves, 100 million metric tons, last approx. 100 years • “NEW” Technology – Hydraulic Fracturing - FRACKING

25. Hydraulic Fracturing - FRACKING • Extraction of Natural gas from shale formations. • Horizontal / vertical drilling • Injection of pressurized fluids • Leads to: • Seismic activity • Contaminated water • Pollution • Human health – carcinogens, benzene • Fracking – 60 minutes • Fracking

26. Nuclear Energy/ Power

27. Nuclear power • Splits an atomic nucleus into two smaller nuclei • Splitting of U-235 = NUCLEAR FISSION = large amounts of energy (heat & radiation). • Used worldwide • 20% of US electricity

28. Containment vessel • U-238 – nuclear weapons • U-235 – electricity

29. Benefits and Costs of Nuclear Power

30. Reactors 1 Operational Proposed high level nuclear waste storage site 2 Decommissioned

31. World map of nuclear power plants

32. Chernobyl • Worst nuclear disaster • 1986 – Ukraine • 30 people died, 4000 • Radiation sickness • Poor reactor design

33. Three Mile Island • Pennsylvania, 1979 • Worst US disaster • partial meltdown reactor

34. Fukushima Daiichi • Japan – 2011 • Cause: earthquake – tsunami • Meltdown of reactor

35. Wolf creek nuclear power plant • Burlington, Ks – Coffey county • Began operations 1985 • 1.2 megawatts of electricity • 800,000 homes

36. Nuclear energy • FYI - In the 1950s and 1960s, nuclear power plants were seen as the power source of the future because the fuel they use is clean and plentiful. • FYI - In the 1970s and 1980s, however, many planned nuclear power plants were cancelled and others under construction were abandoned. • Seen as cheap alternative to fossil fuels. • Today, nuclear power accounts for 17% of the world’s electricity, 20% of U.S. • 430 nuclear power plants around the world in 31 countries. 104 in U.S. • The heat released during nuclear reactions is used to generate electricity in the same way that power plants burn fossil fuels to generate electricity.

37. Future of nuclear power 150,000,000° Celsius • Nuclear fusion • Combining of two elements (deuterium, tritium) to form helium • Produce large amounts of energy, less radioactive waste • Difficult to control the process, 4th state of matter - plasma • Same process occurs in stars