Unit Six: Energy Resources and Consumption

fossil fuel

A fuel derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago

nonrenewable energy resource

An energy source with a finite supply, primarily the fossil fuels and nuclear fuels

nuclear fuel

Fuel derived from radioactive materials that give off energy

commericial energy source

An energy source that is bought and sold (mainly coal oil and natural gas)

subsistence energy source

An energy source gathered by individuals for their own immediate needs(straw, sticks and animal dung)

EROEI (energy return on energy investment)

how much energy we get out of an energy source for every unit of energy expended on its production. (energy obtained from the fuel)/(energy invested to obtain the fuel).

energy carrier

something that can move and deliver energy in a convenient, usable form to end users

turbine

A device with blades that can be turned by water, wind, steam, or exhaust gas from combustion that turns a generator in an electricity-producing plant

electrical grid

A network of interconnected transmission lines that joins power plants together and links them with end users of electricity

combined cycle capacity

a power plant that uses both exhaust gases and steam turbines to generate electricity

capacity

in reference to an electricity-generating plant, the maximum electrical output

cogeneration

The use of a single fuel to generate electricity and to produce heat

combined heat and power

cogeneration

coal

Solid fuel formed primarily from the remains of trees, ferns, and other plant materials preserved 280 million to 360 million years ago

petroleum

A fossil fuel that occurs in underground deposits, composed of a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, water, and sulfur

crude oil

Liquid petroleum removed from the ground

oil sands

Slow-flowing, viscous deposits of bitumen mixed with sand, water, and clay

Bitumen

A degraded petroleum that forms when petroleum migrates to the surface of Earth and is modified by bacteria.

CTL(coal to liquid)

The process of converting solid coal into liquid fuel

energy intensity

The energy use per unit of gross domestic product

Hubbert curve

A bell-shaped curve representing oil use and projecting both when world oil production will reach a maximum and when we will run out of oil

peak oil

The point at which half the total known oil supply is used up

fission

A nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy

fuel rod

A cylindrical tube that encloses nuclear fuel within a nuclear reactor

control rod

A cylindrical device inserted between the fuel rods in a nuclear reactor to absorb excess neutrons and slow or stop the fission reaction

radioactive waste

Nuclear fuel that can no longer produce enough heat to be useful in a power plant but continues to emit radioactivity

Nuclear fusion

a nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy.

Energy conservation

the practice of finding ways to use less energy or to use energy more efficiently

peak demand

The greatest quantity of energy used at any one time

passive solar design

Construction designed to take advantage of solar radiation without active technology

thermal mass

A property of a building material that allows it to maintain heat or cold

renewable

In energy management, an energy source that is either potentially renewable or nondepletable

Biomass

total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

biofuel

Liquid fuel created from processed or refined biomass

modern carbon

Carbon in biomass that was recently in the atmosphere

fossil carbon

Carbon in fossil fuels

carbon neutral

an activity that does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations

net removal

The process of removing more than is replaced by growth, typically used when referring to carbon

ethanol

Alcohol made by converting starches and sugars from plant material into alcohol and CO2.

biodiesel

A diesel substitute produced by extracting and chemically altering oil from plants

flex-fuel vehicle

A vehicle that runs on either gasoline or a gasoline/ethanol mixture

hydroelectricity

electricity generated by the kinetic energy of moving water

tidal energy

Energy that comes from the movement of water driven by the gravitational pull of the Moon.

active solar energy

energy captured from sunlight with advanced technologies

photovoltaic solar cell

A system of capturing energy from sunlight and converting it directly into electricity

wind energy

Energy generated from the kinetic energy of moving air

geothermal energy

Energy from steam or hot water produced from hot or molten underground rocks.

wind turbine

A turbine that converts wind energy into electricity

fuel cell

a cell producing an electric current directly from a chemical reaction.

ground source heat pump

A technology that transfers heat from the ground to a building

electrolysis

A process by which an electric current breaks chemical bonds.