apes unit 6

energy

capacity to do work

potential energy

energy at rest, stored energy

kinetic energy

energy in motion

radiant energy

only form of energy that can travel through empty space

convection

transfer of heat by the movement of the heated matter

conduction

transfer of heat through matter from particle to particle

energy quality

the characteristics of an energy source that determine how easily it can be converted into useful work or another form of energy

Energy Units

joule (J), calorie (cal), British thermal unit (BTU), and kilowatt hour (KWh), which is a measure of watts * time

Power Units

watt (W) and horsepower (hp)

First Law of Thermodynamics

energy can neither be created nor destroyed

Second Law of Thermodynamics

states that when energy is transformed, some of it is lost as heat, and energy transformations increase the randomness of a system

combustion

burning, chemical reaction between fuel and oxygen that yields carbon dioxide and water and releases energy

Fossil Fuels

formed from the fossilized remains of once living organisms. Over time this organic matter was exposed to intense heat and pressure. Eventually, these forces broke down the organic molecules into oil, coal, and natural gas

seams

long continous deposits where coal is found, represent areas where large amounts of plant remains were buried and eventually transformed into coal

exploratory wells

test wells drilled to find and assess oil and gas resources

proven reserve

an estimate of the amount of fuel that can be obtained from an area

crude oil

when oil is pumped up fresh from a reserve

anthracite

almost pure carbon

bituminous

second purest coal

subbituminous

third purest coal

lignite

least purest coal

underground mining

involves sinking shafts to reach underground deposits, networks of tunnnels are dug out or blasted

subsidence

massive slumping

strip mining

Involves the removal of the Earth’s surface, all the way down to the level of the coal seam; coal is then removed, and the part of the Earth that is removed is topped with soil

overburden

earth that was removed

Coal Power Process

coal put in boiler, coil burned in the firebox of boiler, heat causes water in boiler to turn into stream, streams travels thru pipes, turns turbines to generate electricity, and is cooled in towers before returning to the boiler as water, power grid sends electricity, transformer converts energy into high-voltage electricity

scrubbers

contain alkaline substances that precipitate out much of the sulfur dioxide

fly ash

the fine particulate matter collected from the exhaust stack or chimney of a furnace or other combustion device

boiler residue

byproducts or waste materials that result from the boiler water treatment process

LNG

liquefied natural gas

fracking/hydraulic fracturing

process by which natural gas and oil are extracted from rock that lies deep underground, can cause groundwater contamination & release of VOCS, associated w earthquakes

Hubbert peak

the idea that because oil production is a non-renewable resource, global crude oil production will eventually peak and then go into terminal decline following a roughly bell-shaped curve

fission

a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of an atom is struck by a nuetron and then splits two, smaller lighter nuclei, released lot of heat —> generates steam -→ powers turbine n generates electricity

Breeder reactors

generate new fissionable material faster than they consume such material

radioactive

unstable nuclei which emit energy over time as particles or photons

half-life

the time it takes for half of given radioactive sample to decgrade on avg

nuclear fusion

the process of fusing two nuclei

Boiling Water Reactors

reactors use the heat of the reactor core to boil into steam. This stream is piped directly to the turbines. The steam spins the turbines, which generate the electricity. The water is cooled back to a liquid (by a heat exchanger), then pumped back to the core to be turned into steam again. This reactor uses two water circulation systems; one system makes stream and carries it to the turbine and the other cools the water from the core so it can be turned back into steam

Pressurized Water Reactors

a type of nuclear reactor that uses ordinary water under high pressure to act as both a coolant and moderator, preventing the water from boiling even at high temperatures

fuel rods

A long, slender, zirconium metal tube containing pellets of fissionable material, which provide fuel for nuclear reactorssuch as uranium or plutonium. These rods are arranged in a reactor core to sustain a nuclear chain reaction.

biomass

includes wood, charcoal, and animal waste products

peat

partially decomposed organic material harvested from a type of wetlands called peatlands

Biomass Power Process

sun, carbon dioxide, water —> photosynthesis —> organic matter burned, energy produced

gasohol

gasoline extender made from a mixture of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol

hydroelectric power

works via the systematic placement of river dams that spin turbines to produce electricity

Hydroelectric Power Process

dam creates reservoir —> water pressure spins turbines that cause generator to produce energy —> water returns to river —> transformer converts energy into high voltage electricity —> power grid sends electricity

fish ladders

structures that allow fish to navigate around barriers like dams, facilitating their migration and spawning.

solar energy

energy from Sun

passive solar energy collection

use of building materials, building placement, and design to passively collect solar energy that can be used to keep building warm or cool

active collection

use of devices like solar panels that collect, focus, transport, or store solar energy

photovoltaic cells

electronic devices that directly convert light into electricity through the photovoltaic effect

Solar Energy Process

Sunlight —> sunlight captured in photovoltaic cells as DC power —> inverter converts DC power into AC power —> power grid sends electricity