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Sources of biomass
forestry crops and residues, agricultural crops and residues, sewage, industrial residues, animal residues, and municipal solid waste
coal formation
pressure from overlying rock and sediment layers compact peat into coal over time
order of energy density and quality
(L) lignite > bituminous > anthracite (M)
anthracite
the most valuable form of coal (highest quality)
natural gas
decaying remains of plants and animals (mostly marine life) are buried under layers of rock and converted by pressure into oil (petroleum) and natural gas over time
what is natural gas mainly made of and found?
Mostly made of methane (CH4) and found on top of trapped oil (petroleum) deposits
“Cleanest’ fossil fuel
natural gas (produces the fewest air pollutants and least CO2 when burned)
crude oil
decaying organic matter trapped under rock layers is compressed into oil over time
how is crude oil extracted
drilling a well through the overlying rock layers to reach the underground deposit and then pumping liquid oil out under pressure
where can crude oil also be found
from tar sands (combo of clay, sand, water, and bitumen)
bitumen
thick, sticky, semi-solid form of petroleum (not liquid)
tar sand
extremely energy and water intensive; lots of water needed to be heated to create steam that’s piped down into the tar sand to melt the bitumen into liquid that can flow up a pipe, lots more water used to separate oil from impurities (sand, clay) at the refinery
fractional distillation
components in a chemical mixture are separated into different parts (called fractions) according to their different boiling points
fossil fuel combustion
reaction between oxygen and fossil fuels that releases energy as heat and produces CO2 and H20 as products
hydroCARBONS
burned to release energy and the carbon stored in them reacts with O2 in the air to form CO2
number 1 source of electricity production globally
coal, followed by natural gas
typical generating plants
resource is mined, refined, and transported
resource combusted in boiler'/furnace
kinetic energy transferred to liquid water > steam
steam spins turbine
turbine generator produces electricity
environmental consequences of coal
habitat destruction, produces pollutants and releases CO2 (GHG > Global warming) (PM, toxic ash, SOx and NOx)
Cogeneration
when heat produced from electricity generation is used to provide heat (air and hot water) to a building
CHP (Combined heat and power) systems
are close to 90% efficient (much better than coal/NG alone)
oil/petroleum extraction
drilling a well through the overlying rock layers to reach the underground deposit and then pumping liquid oil under pressure
environmental consequences of tar sands
habitat destruction, ground or nearby surface water depletion
environmental consequences of crude oil/petroleum
possibility of spill (either from tanker ships or pipelines breaking), habitat loss or fragmentation when land is cleared for roads, drilling equipment, pipelines
environmental consequences of fracking
possibility of well leaking and contaminating groundwater with fracking fluid, depletion of ground or surface waters nearby (as they’re drawn from for fracking fluid), habitat loss, CH4 methane (GHG) releas
