Energy Notes – APESblogs.glnd.k12.va.us/kbratton/files/2013/09/Energy-Notes-–-APES.pdf · Energy Notes – APES Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source, which is composed

Energy Notes – APES

Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source, which is composed of heat contained within the earth’s surface. This energy is captured in three possible designs of machinery, called Dry Steam, Flash Steam, and the Binary Cycle. When captured in the Dry Steam variation, the steam must come directly out of the ground in steam form, not as hot water, and turn the turbine. This is the most direct form of harvesting geothermal energy from the earth. Secondly there is the Flash steam option, which takes very hot water to turn the turbine, if the water is not hot enough, a heat exchanger must be used, such as in the Binary cycle design. As shown in the diagrams, the heat is turned into energy from heating up water that turns a turbine, powers a generator, and creates electricity. There are certain “Hot Spots” in the earth that are located on newly forming volcanoes. These locations are spots in the earth’s crust that are much hotter than others. These locations include Indonesia and the Ring of Fire. Twenty-four countries in the world are currently using geothermal energy, and these power plants combined produce 8,900 megawatts, which is enough to power 12 million US homes for a year. The largest geothermal plant in the world is called the Geysers, and is located north of San Francisco, California. In fact, the United States has more geothermal capacity than any other country, with over 3,000 megawatts in eight states, and California with 80% of the United State’s geothermal capacity There are certain advantages and disadvantages of geothermal energy. The advantages of geothermal energy are that it is clean, green energy. It does not pollute the atmosphere and we will not run out of it for a very long time. It is also a large source of energy, where we can create millions of megawatts to power homes off of purely earth’s heat. Some disadvantages are the expense of drilling the power plants and building them, and also that the pipes into the earth are destabilizing the earth and could potentially cause earthquakes if not done to speck. We buy and sell this energy source as Megawatts. These Megawatts are the equivalent of one million kilowatts. ten thousand kilowatts is enough to power an American home for a year, so a megawatt is enough to power one thousand homes for a year. Geothermal energy is considered renewable, and nonrenewable, strictly speaking. It is renewable because it will never run out in our lifetimes, and there is so much energy in the earth we will practically never run out of it. However, it is also non-renewable because we cannot grow or make new energy to replace it, because it will simply replace itself through processes like radioactive decay and magma friction. A hotspot in the crust may “run out” per say, but in a few short years it will renew itself and be ready for new energy to be harvested. Essentially, geothermal energy is renewable. -Game website teaching geothermal energy- http://www.eia.gov/kids/

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/tribalenergy/guide/costs_geothermal_energy.html https://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/index.html http://www.nuclearpowerprocon.org/pop/geothermal.html http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/how-geothermal-energy-works.html http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/pdfs/geothermal_energy.pdf

BIOMASS

Hydroelectric and Hybrid Cars - Environmental Advantages

• Lack of pollution caused by carbon dioxide emissions • The emissions are less and the gas mileage is more. As it conserves energy it also

runs cleaner which benefits the environment. • The battery recharges when you hit the brakes. • Less dependent on fossil fuels; a hybrid engine means that it is running on fewer

fuels, meaning there are fewer emissions and less dependent on foreign oil, which could lower fuel prices.

• Oil products of standard cars release more pollution into the air, increasing lung diseases and cancer. This pollution also is carried into the atmosphere, which could possibly transfer into acid rain, which is creates numerous problems for planted crops and nature itself. So using hybrid/electric cars humanity does us, as well as nature, a favor.

Disadvantages • These cars need to get their electricity from somewhere and that is when the

disadvantages appear. In the process of recharging electric cars, most of the needed electricity is produced by coal plants, creating more pollution than the average “standard” car.

• Hybrid and electric cars also take more energy to produce. • There are toxic elements inside the battery, leading to possible toxic emissions.

Buying and Selling • Average market price of around 23,000 to 38,000 • Luxury hybrid cars can amount to as much as 400,000 • Require little maintenance • Hybrid batteries are much more expensive than standard car batteries. • A hybrid doesn’t have any more and possibly less maintenance cost than a

conventional car. Renewable or non- renewable

• The Lithium used in an electric car is a non-renewable resource. GRAPH! http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/24/1226140/-Electric-car-sales-ramping-faster-than-hybrids#

This graph represents the volume of sales between hybrids and plug- in electric cars.

*  Hybrid  cars  are  intended  to  achieve  better  fuel  economy  *  This  machine  runs  on  ICE  and  electric  propulsion  system.  • To  store  hybrid  cars  energy  we  use  batteries  and  fuel  tanks.  • Convert  into  energy-­‐  parallel  hybrids  fuel  tank  supplies  gasoline  to  the  

engine  and  a  set  of  batteries  that  supplies  power  to  the  electric  motor.  • The  kind  of  people  who  would  want  to  own  a  hybrid  is  “tree  huggers”  or  

scientist  who  believe  in  using  electricity  and  less  gas  as  possible.  Eco  system  friendly  people  would  also  be  typical  buyers  of  this  product.  

• Toyota  and  Prius  companies  and  stores  sell  hybrid  cars  and  are  never  not  excited  to  sell  them  because  Toyota  also  believe  in  being  nature  friendly.  

Hydroelectricity

What is hydroelectricity? Hydroelectricity or hydroelectric power is the electricity obtained by harnessing the power of water flowing down from a high level. It is a timeless and renewable resource. http://www.expert-eyes.org/deepak/hydro.html How do we store it? The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. But hydroelectric power doesn't necessarily require a large dam. Some hydroelectric power plants just use a small canal to channel the river water through a turbine. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/hydropower How do we convert it to energy? The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. But hydroelectric power doesn't necessarily require a large dam. Some hydroelectric power plants just use a small canal to channel the river water through a turbine. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/hydropower Who uses this source and why? The United States leads the world in hydroelectric dams, mostly due to its high level of technology and plentiful supply of rivers. Canada, Brazil, and China also produce a large amount of hydroelectricity. Africa and Southeast Asia are not able to produce much hydroelectricity, likely due to a lack of money and technology. http://earth.rice.edu/mtpe/geo/geosphere/hot/energyfuture/hydroelectricity.html Where do we get it from? The United States leads the world in hydroelectric dams, mostly due to its high level of technology and plentiful supply of rivers. http://earth.rice.edu/mtpe/geo/geosphere/hot/energyfuture/hydroelectricity.html Countries or regions where we get this source and if so what are they? The United States leads the world in hydroelectric dams, mostly due to its high level of technology and plentiful supply of rivers. – We don’t get it from anywhere else.

How it affects air? Hydropower's air emissions are negligible because no fuels are burned. However, if a large amount of vegetation is growing along the riverbed when a dam is built, it can decay in the lake that is created, causing the buildup and release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. How it affects water? Hydropower often requires the use of dams, which can greatly affect the flow of rivers, altering ecosystems and affecting the wildlife and people who depend on those waters. How it affects organisms? Often, water at the bottom of the lake created by a dam is inhospitable to fish because it is much colder and oxygen-poor compared with water at the top. When this colder, oxygen-poor water is released into the river, it can kill fish living downstream that are accustomed to warmer, oxygen-rich water. How does it affect soil? The construction of hydropower plants can alter sizable portions of land when dams are constructed and lakes are created, flooding land that may have once served as wildlife habitat, farmland, and scenic retreats. Hydroelectric dams can cause erosion along the riverbed upstream and downstream, which can further disturb wildlife ecosystems and fish populations. http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/hydro.html Is it renewable? Hydropower is a renewable resource. The water that is used to power the turbines is not lost in the process. It can be reused over and over again to produce electricity. Also, water on the earth is continually replenished by rain and snow. Thus there will be no dearth of water on earth. Nuclear power http://world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Power-Reactors/Nuclear-Power-Reactors/#.UinjZ77D_mI Nuclear power is produced by controlling the energy released by splitting atoms of particular elements inside a reactor. There are different types of reactors such as the research reactors, naval reactors, and reactors which are used purely to create heat to produce steam and thus generate electricity. In research reactors, scientists are actually using the neutrons produced in the core to make power. For naval reactors, the steam that is produced is directed to turbines to create propulsion for ships. No matter the end purpose, though, all nuclear reactors are used to harness heat from fission in water or gas in order to create steam to drive turbines which in turn produce electricity.http://library.thinkquest.org/17940/texts/nuclear_waste_storage/nuclear_waste_storage.html The energy is not stored; instead it immediately disperses through the electric lines to provide power. What is stored, however, is the nuclear waste, typically used fuel rods. Temporary storage of the extremely radioactive spent fuel rods includes removal from the reactor core. At this point the rods are very hot and must be cooled down in a temporary storage pool which is filled not with water, but with boric acid, which will absorb some of the radioactivity from the nuclei inside the fuel rods. The rods are only supposed to be kept in the pools for six months but due to lack of a permanent storage facility, they can remain there for years. The problem faced by this is filling the pools with too many rods. If the fuel rods are kept too close together, they can become critically unstable and unleash a nuclear chain reaction. As a superfluous precautionary measure, neutron

absorbing materials are spread among the spent fuel rods. The need for a permanent disposal facility is becoming increasingly desperate as the storage pools fill with the radioactive spent rods. Nuclear power is converted to energy by fission of atoms of particular elements such as Uranium-235, Plutonium-239, and Uranium-233. The fission of the atoms produces heat, typically in the water or gas surrounding the main reactor chamber, producing steam to power turbines. The most common use is on submarines and naval ships. They house reactors to provide fuel for propulsion. Nuclear reactors are not as common on the mainland because they are opposed by many environmentalists because of possible dangers of meltdowns and worker exposure to radioactive elements. Thirty countries use nuclear power but only France, Belgium, and Slovakia use nuclear power as a primary energy source. Nuclear energy does not pollute the air. The only thing nuclear plants emit into the air is steam. However, nuclear power does pollute the earth by producing by-products of nuclear radioactive waste, of which there is no safe way to dispose of it. This waste can leak into the soil and water and poison the environment. Kilowatts, energy bills, etc http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-T-Z/Appendices/Nuclear-Power-in-the-USA-Appendix-2-Power-Plant-Purchases/#.UjHSwr7D_mI technically renewable but limited

Solar Energy Notes What is it? -Radiant energy emitted by the sun -Also known as solar power How do we store it? -When the sun shines, we can store the electricity generated by solar cells or steam-driven turbines by using batteries -We can also capture the sun’s heat -CPS systems can absorb sunlight and then change it into heat. Who uses it? -A lot of people use this source because it is very environmentally friendly -Some people have solar panels at their house to harvest solar energy Where do we get it from? -SUN! Countries or regions where we get this source and if so what are they? -SUN! Environmental advantages -Solar power doesn’t emit any fumes -It also doesn’t have any way that it could “leak” into the environment How do we buy it and sell it? -You can buy solar panels to harvest your own energy Renewable or non-renewable? -Renewable, it is essentially the most important source of renewable energy.

What is coal?

• Coal is a fossil fuel formed from the decomposition of organic materials that have been formed for millions of years.  

• Coal is considered a nonrenewable resource because it cannot be replenished during a human life time.  

Converting coal to electricity: • Generating electricity from coal start with mining it, then

transporting it to power plants, and then burning the coal in power plants.  

• Coal is extracted from the surface or underground mines. The coal is often cleaned or washed to remove impurities before it is transported to a power plant.  

• At the power plant, coal is commonly burned in a boiler to produce steam. The steam is run through a turbine to generate electricity.  

Advantages of coal: • Inexpensive compared to other energy sources because you

don’t have to import it into the United States. It is found in West Virginia mostly.

• Can lower overall amount of greenhouse gases through liquification or gasification

• Reduces dependence on foreign oil Environmental Disadvantages of coal:

• When coal is burned, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury compounds are released, which are bad for the environment.

• Coal mining mars the land. • Liquification, gasification require large amounts of water.

• Pollutants build up in the water used in the power plant boiler and cooling system, which is usually discharged in a lake or river. Pollutants in the water can harm fish and plants.

• Air pollution can be detrimental to any person, animals, and plant.

• Acid mine runoff • Mine tailings • Erosion • NONRENEWABLE

Where is coal stored? • Coal is stored in coal reserves. • Coal reserves are available in almost every country worldwide,

with recoverable reserves in around 70 countries. • The biggest reserves are in the USA, Russia, China and India

What countries contain the most coal? • North America • USSR • China • Asia and Oceans • India • Coal is found in the United States primarily in West Virginia, also

in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. How is coal bought and sold? Units?

• Coal is measured in short tons. One short ton is equal to 2,000 pounds.

• The US contains 986 coal mines and makes around 1 million in coal yearly.

• Coal can be traded and is usually done so oversees using ships and then sent to markets to be sold/bought.

Google Images.

• What is Natural Gas? o naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture of mainly methane o also contains a small percent of gases such as carbon dioxide,

nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide • How to store natural gas?

o Natural gas can be stored for an indefinate amount of time o When the gas reaches its destination its not always needed right

away so it gets stored in underground containers • How does Natural Gas get converted to energy?

o from the holding tanks the gas is moved through a fan to mix it with air

o when mixed the air is egnited o the heat from the flames reaches and turns the turbines

• Where do we get natural gas from

o Natural Gas is hidden underground it was formed from decomposed dead plants and animals compressed within the earth and forms over thousands of years

o the deposits of gas and within layers of shale and clay o to get to the gas we have to use horizontal or vertical drilling o We then pump fluids or water into the wellbore with enough

pressure to create small microscopic fractors, or fissures, in the rock formation to increase recovery.

o It is this fracture through which natural gas moves into the wellbore and then up to the surface.

• Countries or regions of source o Russia 29% o Algeria 13% o Norway 17% o European Union 37% o Nigeria 1% o Qatar 1%

o Other states 2% • Enviromental advantages and disadvantages

o pros: Widely available o burns more clean the coal and oil o can be combined with other gases o cons: cost is high o still has emissions o piplines effect ecosystem

• How do we buy and sell Natural Gas o Producers sold to pipelines, who sold to local distribution

companies and other large amount natural gas users. o Local distribution companies sold the natural gas purchased from

the pipelines to retail end users (including commercial and residential customers.)

• Nonrenewable o Natural gas forms over millions of years it can not be regenerated

in our lifetime

tp://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/storage.asp http://www.chk.com/naturalgas/pages/basics.aspx What are OCEAN WAVES AND TIDAL energy?

● The Energy of Ocean waves and Tides ○ The energy of ocean tides is the result of the tide generating forces.

Part of it can be lost due to the dissipation resulting from the tidal friction forces and also by the power interchange between the Earth and its atmosphere. The energy may change from the kinetic to the potential form and vice versa in the course of tidal motions. Because the tidal motions have wave nature, wave energy transfer may take place within seas and oceans.

● Ocean wave energy is captured directly from surface waves or from pressure fluctuations below the surface.

○ Waves are caused by the wind blowing over the surface of the ocean. In many areas of the world, the wind blows with enough consistency and force to provide continuous waves along the shoreline.Ocean waves contain tremendous energy potential. Wave power devices extract energy from the surface motion of ocean waves or from pressure fluctuations below the surface.

● How do we store it? ○ Tidal and Wave technologies have been designed to be

installed in the nearshore, offshore, and far offshore locations. While wave energy technologies are intended to be installed at or near the water's surface, there can be major differences in their technical concept and design. For

example, they may differ in their orientation to the waves or in the manner in which they convert energy from the waves.Turbines and Generators store the collected energy.

● How do we convert it to energy ○ A wave energy converter may be placed in the ocean in

various possible situations and locations. It may be floating or submerged completely in the sea offshore or it may be located on the shore or on the sea bed in relatively shallow water. A converter on the sea bed may be completely submerged, it may extend above the sea surface, or it may be a converter system placed on an offshore platform. Apart from wave-powered navigation buoys, however, most of the prototypes have been placed at or near the shore

○ The visual impact of a wave energy conversion facility depends on the type of device as well as its distance from shore. In general, a floating buoy system or an offshore platform placed many kilometers from land is not likely to have much visual impact (nor will a submerged system). Onshore facilities and offshore platforms in shallow water could, however, change the visual landscape from one of natural scenery to industrial

○ The incidence of wave power at deep ocean sites is three to eight times the wave power at adjacent coastal sites. The cost, however, of electricity transmission from deep ocean sites is prohibitively high. Wave power densities in California's coastal waters are sufficient to produce between seven and 17 megawatts (MW) per mile of coastline

● Who use this source the most? ○ The UK, USA, and Portugal; Alongside Canada, South

Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Mexico are among the few countries expressing support for ocean energy development.

● Where do we get it from? ○ We store the the kinetic energy and pressure from the ocean.

● Countries or regions we get it from ○ This energy can be produced by any country that is near a

source of water that can develop enough pressure and waves to store a sufficient amount of energy to be used by that country.

● Environmental Advantages and Disadvantages

○ Advantages: Decreases need for nuclear power. ○ Disadvantages: Changing tidal flows by damming a bay or

estuary could, however, result in negative impacts on aquatic and shoreline ecosystems, as well as navigation and recreation.

● How do we buy and sell it? ○ You can’t buy it or sell it directly, you to harvest the energy

and store first. ● Is it Renewable or not?

○ Its renewable because the energy is produced by the motion of the waves and tides.

WIND ENERGY

Wind Energy is exactly what it is. Its wind transformed into energy. Obviously the wind is renewable since it’s all around us. The wind is not stored due to the fact that we don’t need to since it is always there. The way we convert the energy is pretty simple; Wind turbines, like windmills, are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet or more aboveground, they can take advantage of the faster and less turbulent wind. Turbines catch the wind's energy with their propeller-like blades. Usually, two or three blades are mounted on a shaft to form a rotor. The top countries that use wind energy are:

1. The United States: Wind turbine efficiency is great in the U.S., as more equipment is set up in various places across the nation. This benefits the population immensely and can free the country from its dependence on foreign oil, which pollutes the environment. The U.S. is using wind power generation more than ever before.

2. India: Currently about 5 percent of India’s energy is being supplied by wind power generation. However, this percentage goes up every year. In the future, it is projected that India could actually surpass bigger and more developed nations that also use alternative energy sources.

3. Germany: When it comes to green energy in general, Germany is a top country. As for wind turbine efficiency, it is also doing really well, considering that over 10 percent of the nation’s energy is supplied by wind power generation.

4. France: France is also on top of the list when it comes to green energy, because it uses various sources, including ocean power. Wind turbine efficiency is also this country’s strong point, although not as strong as Germany’s – France currently generates one percent of its energy from wind power.

5. Spain: More than 11 percent of this country’s energy comes from wind power generation. Spain has always been inclined towards environmental protection, and the widespread use of wind turbine technology reaffirms the nation’s commitment to green energy.

6. The United Kingdom : There is a significant number of wind turbines currently being used in the U.K. There are many areas across the country, which

consistently have high levels of wind all year long. This makes wind turbine efficiency very high, especially if the equipment is set up in the correct locations. Annually, 1-2 percent of energy is provided by wind power generation in the U.K.

7. China: China is not considered environmentally friendly, but this is quickly changing. There is an increasing number of wind turbines being installed across the country to efficiently provide energy to its abundant population. Because of the high population, it is very important for China to be developing alternative energy methods, and wind power generation is one they are very efficient with.

8. Denmark: This is one of the most efficient countries when it comes to alternative energy. About 20 percent of the country’s energy is provided by wind power generation. Therefore, Denmark does not suffer from problems like smog and pollution.

9. Italy: Apart from being a beautiful place to live or visit, Italy is environmentally friendly as well. Wind turbine efficiency is great here, and it provides some the electricity for businesses and homes, while keeping the landscape beautiful and undamaged.

10. Portugal: Although this is a small country, it has a great impact with its alternative energy use, including wind energy. Over 11 percent of the nation’s electricity comes from wind power generation, which is used very efficiently here. Since the wind is wind and has been here for millions of years it has no affect on water, soil, or organisms in a bad way. However, it does have the usual affect on things like erosion, temperature, affects growth form of plants, evaporation, and convection. The picture below is a map of the states as you can see. It gives the states that use wind energy and the capacity at which they produce.

This graph is the wind energy capacity of the world.

http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_installed_capacity.asp http://www.bio.miami.edu/ecosummer/lectures/lec03_climate.html http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/wind-power