APES Unit 6 Vocab

fossil fuel

nonrenewable energy source derived from biological material that has fossilized (fossilization occurs in anaerobic regions)

coal, oil, and natural gas

nuclear fuel

fuel used in nuclear reactors to sustain nuclear chain reactions (usually Uranium-235 or Plutonium-239)

turbine

device that converts the kinetic energy of a moving fluid (e.g. water, steam, or wind) into mechanical energy

as the blades rotate, a generator is used to produce electricity

capacity factor

the fraction of time a power plant operates in a year

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measures a power plant's actual generation compared to the maximum amount it could generate in a given period without any interruption

cogeneration

when the same fuel source is used to generate both electricity and heat simultaneously (promotes energy efficiency)

tar sands

mixture of clay, sand, water, and bitumen (a thicker version of oil) used to produce petroleum products & gasoline

nuclear fission

process where atoms of Uranium-235 are split after being struck by a neutron

these atoms are constantly being split, releasing heat that is turned into energy (this causes a chain reaction that only control rods can stop)

fuel rod

tubes that contain uranium pellets (the fuel) in nuclear reactors

control rod

inserted between fuel rods to absorb excess neutrons and prevents meltdowns and fires (hence “control”)

energy conservation

practice of reducing energy consumption in order to minimize waste and promote sustainability

involves using energy more efficiently and making conscious choices to reduce unnecessary energy use

energy efficiency

using less energy to accomplish the same tasks or achieve the same level of comfort

involves optimizing technology and practices to minimize wasted energy

tiered rate system

billing system where customers pay higher rates as electricity use increases, encouraging energy conservation

passive solar design

designs that optimize the sun’s rays for heat and/or light

e.g. south-facing windows, dark roofs, solar ovens

carbon neutral

achieving a balance between the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the amount removed/offset (basically, no net carbon is added into atmosphere)

biodiesel

renewable, diesel-equivalent fuel made from biological sources (e.g. veg oil, animal fats)

can be used in diesel engines

photovoltaic/solar cell

cells that convert light energy from the sun into electricity

geothermal energy

expensive type of renewable energy that is generated by harnessing the heat from the Earth's core (generates elec. & provides heating + cooling!)

process: (1) hot water is pumped from a well under high pressure, (2) water reaches the top and is covered into steam, (3) steam spins a turbine, (4) steam is cooled and sent back down into the Earth as water, (5) repeat!

electrolysis

process where electric current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen

used to obtain hydrogen for fuel cells

hydroelectricity

the generation of electricity using the force of moving water (i.e. kinetic energy)

carbon credits

permits that allow owners to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gasses

cap & trade system

system where permits limit the amount of greenhouse gas emissions a person can emit (cap) and companies can buy or sell permits (trade) to emit more gasses or make some money

market-based approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions