Unit 06 - 02 Nonrenewable Energy

Oil Shale

sedimentary rock mixed with hydrocarbons

Methane Hydrate

methane trapped in ice

What methods are used to extract fossil fuels

Strip mining

Subsurface mining

Mountaintop removal mining

Hydraulic fracturing

What is coal primarily used for

Generating electricity

How is coal used to generate electricity

Pulverised, then burning fuel boils the water, then steam spins turbine

What is oil mainly used for

Transportation and manufacturing

Refining

hydrocarbon molecules in oil are separated by heating into different classes of pertroleum products

How does refining work

Crude oil passes through a boiler, then as the components boil they pass through a distillation column, then components cool and condense

External cost

cost borne by someone not involved in an economic transaction. Medical expenses, environmental cleanup, quality of life, tax subsidies. Provides jobs, income, tax revenue

Nuclear energy

energy that holds protons and neutrons together

What is nonrenewable energy

Energy sources that have a finite amount and involve energy transformations that cannot be easily replaced. Like coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear

Net energy

the difference between the energy returned minus the energy invested in extracting the energy

Energy Returned on Investment (EROI)

Energy returned/ Energy invested

Coal

hard blackish substance

Oil

sludge like mixture of hydrocarbons

Oil Sands (tar sands)

oil mixed with sand and clay

Natural Gas

mostly methane (CH4)

Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking)

pump chemically treated water into a well, fracturing the rock to release the fossil fuel

What is natural gas mainly used for

heating and electricity generation

Clean coal

technology to remove carbon and polluntants

How does clean coal work?

Coal is pulverized to burn more completely. It is washed to remove contaminants and coal ash is removed or stored in impoundments.

How do oil sands increase water pollution

Polluted wastewater stored in reservoirs, deforestation to access the oil sands

Nuclear reactor

facility within a nuclear power plant; fuel rods of radiaoctive uranium 235 are used to generate electricity.

Is nuclear power clean than fossil fuels

Yes

What are the downsides of nuclear energy

Accident or sabotage could lead to the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere, water released from the cooling tower raises the temp of nearby bodies of water

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