Energy Resources and Sustainable Development Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering fossil fuels, nuclear energy processes and storage, and various renewable energy sources including hydro, wind, geothermal, and solar.

Nonrenewable resources

Energy sources like coal, natural gas, and petroleum that form so slowly they cannot be renewed during a human time scale.

Renewable resources

Energy sources with an essentially unlimited supply, such as water, wind, and solar, that are not depleted when used by people.

Nuclear fission

A process occurring when a neutron slams into a larger atom, forcing it to split into two smaller atoms and releasing heat and energy.

Ceramic pellets

Fuel fabricated from uranium ore where one small pellet produces the same amount of energy as $256 ext{ gallons}$ of petroleum.

Spent fuel rods

Highly radioactive rods that are no longer efficient and must be stored safely in heavy water pools or cement casks for decades.

Yucca Mountain

A proposed underground repository in Nevada for nuclear waste that was halted due to geological concerns like rock fractures, an active volcano, and 32 earthquake fault lines.

Nuclear fusion

An alternative process that fuses hydrogen atoms to create helium, currently a work in progress because scientists cannot yet manage it on a sustained basis.

Penstock

A channel or pipe in a hydroelectric power plant that speeds up water flow to provide more force to spin a turbine.

Run of river system

A hydroelectric method where the natural movement of water in a river, rather than a drop or dam, is used to generate electricity.

Wind turbine

A device that uses blades to collect kinetic energy from the wind to turn an electric generator.

Geothermal energy

Heat from the Earth, derived from the Greek words 'geo' (Earth) and 'thermae' (heat).

Inner core

The center of the Earth made of solid iron, measuring about $150 ext{ miles}$ in diameter with temperatures reaching $11,000 ext{ degrees Fahrenheit}$.

Rim of Fire

An area in the Pacific known for concentrated geothermal resources where countries like the Philippines and Indonesia harness energy.

Passive solar systems

Systems that capture solar energy without special devices, such as using south-facing windows or dark surfaces to absorb and release heat.

Photovoltaic cells

Also known as solar panels, these devices directly convert light from the sun into electricity.

Indirect active solar

A system using parabolic troughs to focus sun rays on a tube of synthetic oil, which is then used to create steam for electricity.

Energy efficiency

Often called 'the first fuel,' it is the measure of how effectively energy is converted into useful output by reducing energy waste.

Intermittency

A challenge associated with wind and solar power where energy is not produced continuously, necessitating solutions like battery storage.