Notes nonrenewable energy

Nonrenewable EnergyNonrenewable Energy
Chapters 15Chapters 15
Living in the EnvironmentLiving in the Environment, 11, 11thth
Edition, MillerEdition, Miller
Advanced Placement Environmental Science
La Canada High School
Dr. E

1. Energy Resources1. Energy Resources
2. Oil
3. Natural Gas
4. Coal
5. Nuclear Energy
www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

Energy SourcesEnergy Sources
Modern society requires large quantities of energy that
are generated from the earth’s natural resources.
Primary Energy Resources: The fossil fuels(oil, gas,
and coal), nuclear energy, falling water, geothermal, and
solar energy.
Secondary Energy Resources: Those sources which
are derived from primary resources such as electricity,
fuels from coal, (synthetic natural gas and synthetic
gasoline), as well as alcohol fuels.

TO MAKE ELECTRICITY
Heat is needed to-
Boil the water to-
Make the steam to-
Turn the turbine to-
Generate the electrical energy
WE CALL ELECTRICITY!

ThermodynamicsThermodynamics
The laws of thermodynamics tell us two
things about converting heat energy from
steam to work:
1)1) The conversion of heat to work cannot be 100
% efficient because a portion of the heat is
wasted.
2)2) The efficiency of converting heat to work
increases as the heat temperature increases.

Energy Units and UseEnergy Units and Use
Btu (British thermal unit) - amount of energy
required to raise the temperature of 1 lb of water
by 1 ºF.
cal (calorie) - the amount of energy required to
raise the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 ºC.
Commonly, kilocalorie (kcal) is used.
1 Btu = 252 cal = 0.252 kcal
1 Btu = 1055 J (joule) = 1.055 kJ
1 cal = 4.184 J

Two other units that are often seen are theTwo other units that are often seen are the
horsepower and the watt. These are not units ofhorsepower and the watt. These are not units of
energy, but are units of power.energy, but are units of power.
1 watt (W) = 3.412 Btu / hour1 watt (W) = 3.412 Btu / hour
1 horsepower (hp) = 746 W1 horsepower (hp) = 746 W
Watt-hour - Another unit of energy used only toWatt-hour - Another unit of energy used only to
describe electrical energy. Usually we usedescribe electrical energy. Usually we use
kilowatt-hour (kW-h) since it is larger.kilowatt-hour (kW-h) since it is larger.
Energy Units and UseEnergy Units and Use

Evaluating Energy ResourcesEvaluating Energy Resources
U.S. has 4.6% of world population; uses
24% of the world’s energy;
84% from nonrenewable fossil fuels (oil, coal,
& natural gas);
7% from nuclear power;
9% from renewable sources (hydropower,
geothermal, solar, biomass).

Changes in U.S. Energy UseChanges in U.S. Energy Use
www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.pptwww.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

Energy resources removed from the
earth’s crust include: oil, natural gas,
coal, and uranium

Fossil FuelsFossil Fuels
Fossil fuels originated from the decay of living
organisms millions of years ago, and account for
about 80% of the energy generated in the U.S.
The fossil fuels used in energy generation are:
Natural gas, which is 70 - 80% methane (CH4)
Liquid hydrocarbons obtained from the distillation of
petroleum
Coal - a solid mixture of large molecules with a H/C
ratio of about 1

Problems with Fossil FuelsProblems with Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources
At projected consumption rates, natural gas
and petroleum will be depleted before the end
of the 21st century
Impurities in fossil fuels are a major source
of pollution
Burning fossil fuels produce large amounts
of CO2, which contributes to global warming

Petroleum products
Refined components of crude oil are used to
manufacture many of the material goods we use
every day.

1. Energy Resources
2. Oil2. Oil
3. Natural Gas
4. Coal
5. Nuclear Energy

OilOil
Deposits of crude oil often are trapped within
the earth's crust and can be extracted by drilling
a well
Fossil fuel, produced by the decomposition of
deeply buried organic matter from plants &
animals
Crude oil: complex liquid mixture of
hydrocarbons, with small amounts of S, O, N
impurities

Sources of OilSources of Oil
•Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) -- 13 countries have 67% world
reserves:
• Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, United Arab Emirates, & Venezuela
•Other important producers:
Alaska, Siberia, & Mexico.

Oil in U.S.Oil in U.S.
•2.3% of world
reserves
•uses nearly 30%
of world reserves
•65% for
transportation
•increasing
dependence on
imports.

Low oil prices have stimulated economic growth, they
have discouraged / prevented improvements in energy
efficiency and alternative technologies favoring
renewable resources.

• Burning any fossil fuel releases carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere and thus promotes global warming.
• Comparison of CO2 emitted by fossil fuels and nuclear
power.

Refining crude oil
Crude oil from the ground is a messy mix of
hundreds of hydrocarbons.
It is put through a refining process to segregate
different components.
• Small-chain hydrocarbons boil at cooler temperatures
in a distillation column, isolating lighter weight oils
(e.g., butane).
• Long-chain hydrocarbons boil at hot temperatures,
isolating heavier oils (e.g., lubricating oils).

1. Energy Resources
2. Oil
3. Natural Gas3. Natural Gas
4. Coal
5. Nuclear Energy

Natural Gas - Fossil FuelNatural Gas - Fossil Fuel
• Mixture
•50–90% Methane (CH4)
•Ethane (C2H6)
•Propane (C3H8)
•Butane (C4H10)
•Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)

Sources of Natural GasSources of Natural Gas
•Russia & Kazakhstan - almost 40% of
world's supply.
•Iran (15%), Qatar (5%), Saudi Arabia
(4%), Algeria (4%), United States (3%),
Nigeria (3%), Venezuela (3%);
•90–95% of natural gas in U.S. domestic
(~411,000 km = 255,000 miles of
pipeline).

Natural GasNatural Gas
Experts predict increased use of natural gas during
this century

Natural GasNatural Gas
When a natural gas field is tapped, propane and
butane are liquefied and removed as liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG)
The rest of the gas (mostly methane) is dried,
cleaned, and pumped into pressurized pipelines
for distribution
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) can be shipped in
refrigerated tanker ships

1. Energy Resources
2. Oil
3. Natural Gas
4. Coal4. Coal
5. Nuclear Energy

Coal
Coal: compressed under high pressure to form
dense carbon structures
First used 3,000 years ago
Powered the industrial revolution in England, then
in other countries
Today is surpassed by oil, but is still the most
abundant fossil fuel
Provides 1/4 of the world’s commercial energy

How coal is formed
Several types of coal exist, depending on the
amount of heat and pressure that overlying
sediments have exerted.

Ranks of CoalRanks of Coal
Lignite: A brownish-black coal of low quality (i.e.,
low heat content per unit) with high inherent moisture
and volatile matter. Energy content is lower 4000
BTU/lb.
Subbituminous: Black lignite, is dull black and
generally contains 20 to 30 percent moisture Energy
content is 8,300 BTU/lb.
Bituminous: most common coal is dense and black
(often with well-defined bands of bright and dull
material). Its moisture content usually is less than 20
percent. Energy content about 10,500 Btu / lb.
Anthracite :A hard, black lustrous coal, often referred
to as hard coal, containing a high percentage of fixed
carbon and a low percentage of volatile matter.
Energy content of about 14,000 Btu/lb.
www.uvawise.edu/philosophy/Hist%20295/ Powerpoint%5CCoal.ppt

PEATPEAT
LIGNITELIGNITE
garnero101.asu.edu/glg101/Lectures/L37.pptgarnero101.asu.edu/glg101/Lectures/L37.ppt

BITUMINOUSBITUMINOUS
ANTHRACITEANTHRACITE
garnero101.asu.edu/glg101/Lectures/L37.pptgarnero101.asu.edu/glg101/Lectures/L37.ppt

Main Coal DepositsMain Coal Deposits
BituminousBituminous
AnthraciteAnthracite
SubbituminousSubbituminous
LigniteLignite

Advantages and DisadvantagesAdvantages and Disadvantages
Pros
•Most abundant fossil fuel
•Major U.S. reserves
•300 yrs. at current consumption rates
•High net energy yield
Cons
•Dirtiest fuel, highest carbon dioxide
•Major environmental degradation
•Major threat to health © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP

Mountaintop Removal
Machinery
removes the tops
of mountains to
expose coal.
The resulting
waste rock and
dirt are dumped
into the streams
and valleys
below.
Figure 15-14Figure 15-14

Environmental impacts
Mountaintop removal is every bit as drastic as it
sounds.
This type
of coal
mining
causes
massive
erosion,
runoff, and
habitat
destruction.

garnero101.asu.edu/glg101/Lectures/L37.ppt

Sulfur in CoalSulfur in Coal
When coal is burned, sulfur is released
primarily as sulfur dioxide (SO2 - serious
pollutant)
Coal Cleaning - Methods of removing sulfur
from coal include cleaning, solvent refining,
gasification, and liquefaction Scrubbers are
used to trap SO2 when coal is burned
Two chief forms of sulfur is inorganic (FeS2 or
CaSO4) and organic (Sulfur bound to Carbon)

Acid MineAcid Mine
DrainageDrainage
The impact of mine
drainage on a
lake after
receiving effluent
from an
abandoned
tailings
impoundment for
over 50 years

Relatively fresh tailings in anRelatively fresh tailings in an
impoundment.impoundment.
The same tailings impoundmentThe same tailings impoundment
after 7 years of sulfideafter 7 years of sulfide
oxidation. The white spots inoxidation. The white spots in
Figures A and B are gulls.Figures A and B are gulls.
http://www.earth.uwaterloo.ca/services/whaton/s06_amd.html

Mine effluent
discharging from
the bottom of a
waste rock pile

Shoreline of a
pond receiving
AMD showing
massive
accumulation of
iron hydroxides
on the pond
bottom

Compounds and particulate matter resulting from
combustion of coal, oil, and gas:
Cause air pollution
(from power plants, vehicle exhaust, etc.)
Drive climate change
(from carbon dioxide emissions)
Throw the carbon cycle out of balance
(transferring carbon stored underground to
atmospheric carbon dioxide)

Water pollution also results from fossil fuel use:
Acid deposition (from sulfur pollutants emitted in
power plant combustion)
Runoff from non-point sources (cars, homes)
Oil spills (not just large spills from tankers;
mostly small spills from nonpoint sources)

Coal mining has impacts:
• Habitat destruction from strip mining
• Erosion from strip mining
• Chemical runoff from strip mining through acid
drainage
• Human health risks for workers from subsurface
mining

Political, social, and economic
impacts
The degree of dependence that our modern
economies have on fossil fuels is risky.
This puts all our eggs in one basket.
Nations that supply oil can call the shots.
Nations that need oil are dependent on suppliers.

1. Energy Resources
2. Oil
3. Natural Gas
4. Coal
5. Nuclear Energy5. Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy
Nuclear energy = energy that holds together
protons and neutrons within the nucleus of an
atom
We harness this energy by converting it to thermal
energy, which can then be used to generate
electricity.
Each conversion process involves transforming
isotopes of one element into isotopes of other
elements by the addition or loss of neutrons.

Nuclear energy: Fission
Nuclear fission = energy is released by splitting
apart uranium nuclei by bombarding them with
neutrons

Nuclear energy
Comes from the
radioactive element
uranium
The nuclear fuel cycle
enriches forms of
uranium to make it into
usable fuel.
Electricity is generated
by controlling fission in
nuclear reactors.

Nuclear reactor
In a reactor, fission boils steam to turn a turbine and
generate electricity

Controlled Nuclear Fission ReactionControlled Nuclear Fission Reaction
cstl-cst.semo.edu/bornstein/BS105/ Energy%20Use%20-
%203.ppt

Nuclear energy
Uranium is used for nuclear power because it is
radioactive.
Radioisotopes emit subatomic particles and high-
energy radiation as they decay.
Each radioisotope decays at a rate determined by
that isotope’s half-life, the amount of time it takes
for one-half of the atoms to give off radiation and
decay.

The time needed for one-half of the nuclei in a
radioisotope to decay and emit their radiation to
form a different isotope
Half-time emitted
Uranium 235 710 million yrs alpha, gamma
Plutonium 239 24.000 yrs alpha, gamma
During operation, nuclear power plants
produce radioactive wastes, including some
that remain dangerous for tens of thousands
of years
Half-LifeHalf-Life

Diagram of Radioactive Decay
cstl-cst.semo.edu/bornstein/BS105/ Energy%20Use%20-%203.ppt

• Genetic damages: from mutations
that alter genes
• Genetic defects can become
apparent in the next generation
• Somatic damages: to tissue, such as
burns, miscarriages & cancers
Effects of RadiationEffects of Radiation

1. Low-level radiation (Gives of low amount of
radiation)
• Sources: nuclear power plants, hospitals &
universities
• 1940 – 1970 most was dumped into the ocean
• Today deposit into landfills
2. High-level radiation (Gives of large amount of
radiation)
• Fuel rods from nuclear power plants
• Half-time of Plutonium 239 is 24000 years
• No agreement about a safe method of storage
Radioactive WasteRadioactive Waste

Nuclear waste disposal
Nuclear waste must be disposed where it will not

Nuclear waste is stored at 125 sites in 39 states.

Radioactive WasteRadioactive Waste
1. Bury it deep underground.
• Problems: i.e. earthquake, groundwater…
2. Shoot it into space or into the sun.
• Problems: costs, accident would affect large area.
3. Bury it under the Antarctic ice sheet.
• Problems: long-term stability of ice is not known,
global warming
4. Most likely plan for the US
• Bury it into Yucca Mountain in desert of Nevada
• Cost of over $ 50 billion
• 160 miles from Las Vegas
• Transportation across the country via train & truck

At Yucca Mountain, all nuclear waste in the U.S.
would be buried in a network of tunnels deep
underground.

Yucca Mountain
www.geology.fau.edu/course_info/fall02/ EVR3019/Nuclear_Waste.ppt

Nuclear troubles
Although nuclear power is clean, lacking the
pollutants of fossil fuels, it has drawbacks:
• Its waste is dangerously radioactive.
• Consequences of accidents can be catastrophic.
439 nuclear plants remain operating today in the
world.

Three Mile IslandThree Mile Island
•March 29, 1979, a reactor near Harrisburg, PA lost
coolant water because of mechanical and human
errors and suffered a partial meltdown
•50,000 people evacuated & another 50,000 fled area
•Unknown amounts of radioactive materials released
•Partial cleanup & damages cost $1.2 billion
•Released radiation increased cancer rates.

Nuclear accidents
The Three Mile Island accident caused a partial
meltdown.

ChernobylChernobyl
•April 26, 1986, reactor explosion (Ukraine) flung
radioactive debris into atmosphere
•Health ministry reported 3,576 deaths
•Green Peace estimates 32,000 deaths
•About 400,000 people were forced to leave their
homes
•~160,000 sq km (62,00 sq mi) contaminated
•> Half million people exposed to dangerous levels of
radioactivity
•Cost of incident > $358 billion

Nuclear accidents
The 1986 Chernobyl explosion caused the world’s
most severe nuclear power plant accident.

Nuclear accidents
Fallout from Chernobyl was deposited across
Europe.

Human Health Hazards
Radioactivity is dangerous to humans because the
particles emitted damage DNA sequences and
ultimately interrupt cell processes.
Radiation poisoning
Damage to gametes
Cancers
Tissue damage

Nuclear EnergyNuclear Energy
Nuclear plants must be decommissioned after
15-40 years
New reactor designs are still proposed
Experimental breeder nuclear fission reactors
have proven too costly to build and operate
Attempts to produce electricity by nuclear
fusion have been unsuccessful

Phasing Out Nuclear PowerPhasing Out Nuclear Power
•Multi-billion-$$ construction costs
•High operation costs
•Frequent malfunctions
•False assurances and cover–ups
•Overproduction of energy in some areas
•Poor management
•Lack of public acceptance

Notes nonrenewable energy

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