non-renewable energy

Energy

The ability of a system to do work. 

Work

A system has done this if it has exerted a force on another system over some distance. When this happens, energy is transferred from one system to another.

Kinetic Energy

Energy that refers to energy associated with motion. Eg., a rock rolling down a hill, a cyclist riding a bicycle

Potential Energy

Energy that is possessed by an object or system due to its position in space relative to another object or system and forces between the two. Eg., water stored behind a dam.

Chemical Energy

A potential energy that describes the potential of a chemical substance to undergo a chemical reaction and transform other chemical substances

Fossil Fuels

Energy sources with high hydrocarbon content found in the Earth’s crust that formed in the geologic past and can be burned to release their energy

Fossil Fuels

Formed from prehistoric plants and animals. When these ancient living organisms died they were quickly buried and subjected to immense pressure from overlying earth materials.

During the millions of years that passed. these dead plants and animals slowly decomposed in anaerobic conditions and their chemical energy became concentrated.

Anaerobic

Very low to no oxygen.

1. Natural Gas

2. Oil

3. Coal

3 main types of fossil fuels

Oil and Natural Gas

Were created from organisms that lived in water and were buried under ocean or river sediments.

Natural Gas

In most areas, oil (thick liquid) formed first. But, in hot regions underground, the transformation process continued until oil turned into natural gas

Caprocks

Rock formations dense enough to prevent oil and natural gas from seeping completely to the Earth’s surface. Under these rocks is where most oil and natural gas are retrieved today.

Coal

Fossil fuel that formed from the remains of trees, ferns. and other plants that lived 300-400 million years ago

Sulfur

When coal is burned this element is released into the atmosphere as an air pollutant.

Primary Energy Consumption

Utilization of fossil fuels without converting them to another form of energy

Primary Energy Consumption

Type of Fossil Fuel consumption used for transportation, heating, and cooking, or generating electricity.

Secondary Energy Consumption

Transforming fossil fuel energy into electricity.

Coal

Combustible black/brownish-black sedimentary rock with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons

1. Anthracite

2. Bituminous

3. Subbituminous

4. Lignite

4 main types of coal ranked from highest to lowest

Strip/Surface Mining

Uses large machines to remove the soil and layers of rock known as overburden to expose coal seams

Strip/Surface Mining

Coal mining used when the coal is less than 200 feet underground

Mountaintop Removal

A form of surface mining where tops of mountains are blasted with dynamite and removed to access coal seams. After mining, the blasted area can be re-covered with topsoil.

Underground Mining/Deep Mining

Used when the coal is several hundred feet below the surface. 

Underground Mining/Deep Mining

Miners use machines that dig out coal. Once mined, the coal goes to a preparation plant located near the mining site where it is cleaned and processed.

Heating Value

Amount of energy that can be obtained from a unit of coal

Surface/Strip Mining

Removing soils, rocks, and other material to access shallow deposits of coal and therefore leaving permanent scars on the landscape

Mountaintop Removal

Most extreme form of strip/surface mining

Methane Gas

One of the largest environmental impacts of underground mining

1. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

2. Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)

3. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Gases emitted from burning coal

Ash (Fly Ash and Bottom Ash)

Residue created when coal is burned at power plants. It is required by the law that they must be captured by pollution control devices.

Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP)/Black Lung Disease

A condition common to coal workers as a result of long exposure to coal dust.

Coal

Largest source of mercury. Mercury concentrations in the air are of low concern but when it enters water, either directly or through deposition from the air, it becomes into methylmercury a highly toxic chemical

Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act

Regulations that requires industries to reduce pollutants released into the air and water

Petroleum Oil

Currently the most widely used fossil fuel and accounts for about 1/3 of global energy consumption

Oil

Mainly used for transportation and manufacturing plastics and other synthetic compounds

Crude Oil

Unprocessed oil that varies in appearance depending on its composition. Usually black or dark brown.

Crude Oil

In reservoirs it is usually found in association with natural gas

Hydrocarbons

Contains a lot of energy and many of the things derived from crude oil like gasoline, diesel fuel, and paraffin wax.

Oil

Mainly obtained by drilling either on land (onshore) or in the ocean (offshore)

Crude Oil

Not generally useful in industrial applications and must first be separated into different useable products at a refinery.

1. Separation

2. Conversion

3. Treatment

3 basic steps performed to process crude oil

Separation

In this step of processing crude oil, various products (hydrocarbons) are separated to different components (fractions), by taking advantage of the differences in boiling temperature of the fractions.

Lightest components = lowest boiling temperature

heaviest - highest boiling temperature

Fractional Distilation

Process where you take advantage of the differences in boiling temperature of components/fractions

Conversion

In processing crude oil, this is the step where chemicals are processed in which some of the fractions are transformed into other products.

Ex. Turning diesel fuel into gasoline

Cracking

Breaking larger hydrocarbon chains into smaller ones

Unification

Combining smaller chains into larger ones

Alteration

Rearranging molecules to create desired products.

Treatment

Done to the fractions to remove impurities such as sulfur, nitrogen, and water

Hydraulic Fracturing(Fracking)

Oil well development process that involves injecting water, sand, and chemicals under high pressure into a bedrock formation via the well.

Hydraulic Fracturing(Fracking)

This process is intended to create new fractures in the rock as well as increase the size, extent, and connectivity of existing fractures.

Hydraulic Fracturing(Fracking)

Commonly done on low-permeability rocks like tight sandstone, shale, and coal beds

Fracking Fluid Flowback

Fluid pumped out of the well and separated from oil and gas

Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)

Compressed natural gas

Wet Natural Gas

Natural gas withdrawn from a well that contains liquid hydrocarbons and nonhydrocarbon gases

Digesters

Machines that turns organic material (plants, animal wastes, etc.) into natural gas through anaerobic decomposition.

Natural gas produced by digesters is considered renewable source of bioenergy

Nuclear Energy

Energy in the nucleus of an atom

Nuclear Energy

Energy released when the forces that hold protons and neutrons together are broken.

Nuclear Fission

Nucleus is split in two to form smaller atoms

Uranium

A naturally occurring radioactive element that decays into daughter isotopes, releasing radiation energy in the process

1. U-238

2. U-235

3. U-234

3 naturally occurring isotopes of uranium

U-235

Preferred uranium isotope for nuclear fuel

Milling

Refining uranium ore into uranium concentrate

Yellowcake

Concentrated uranium powder

Mill Tailings

Waste stream from refining uranium to concentrated uranium

Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR)

The most common type of reactors in a Nuclear Power Plant. In which water is pumped through the reactor core and heated by the fission process.