Solid waste apes quiz

Whats a vertical well

a well drilled deep in the earth

at a certain depth of verticle well what does the drill do

it may turn horizontally to follow a layer of shale or other rock containing oil or gas

What are casings

steel pipes inserted into the drilled hole

where is cement used and why

cement is pumped around the casing to seal the well, protect groundwater, and stabilize the hole

what does a perforating gun do

it’s lowered into the well and it fires charges to create small holes in the casing and the rock which connects the well to the oil and gas in the rock

whats hydraulic fracking

high pressure fluid (mostly, waster, with sand and chemicals) is injected int the well as well, the pressure fractures the rock, creating cracks or fissures

how is propping up the fissures done

the sand in the fluid holds the cracks open, this allows oil or gas to flow freely into the well

whast flowback called

pressure is reduced and fluid returns to the surface for treatment and disposal

what happens inf flowback and production

• Pressure is reduced, and fluid returns (called flowback) to the surface for treatment and disposal.
  
  

• Oil or natural gas begins to flow out through the well and is collected for processing.
  
  

• The well is monitored to check flow rates, pressure, and environmental impacts over time.

what happens in site resotration

• Once the well stops being productive, it's plugged with cement.
  
  

• The site is restored as much as possible to its original condition.

what the order that fracking happens

drilling the well, well casing and cementing, perforating the well, hydraulic fracturing, propping open the fractures, flowback and production, flowback and the fractures, well completion and monitoring

natural gas is how much percent methane

80-95% methane (CH4)

how much percent of natural gas is ethane propane and butane

5-20%

is natural gas lighter than oil

it is ligther than oil and lies above the oil

whats natural gas’s largest use

electricity usage and industry, used to produce nitrogen fertilizer, cooking, heating, clothes dryers, and water heaters

how is natural gas transported

by pipeline

can you use natural gas in cars

no

whats used in place of natural gas

liquified petroleum gas (LPG): less energy dense, used in place of natural gas. can be trasnported

advatages of natural gas

few impurities when burned, ½ homes in th eus use natural gas for heating, emits only 60% as much co2 as coal

disadvanatges of natural gas

emits methane ( a green house gas worse than co2), methane escapes when harvesting natural gas, when extracted have to droll and open rock through hydraluic fracturing or fracking, fracking is drilling with water, sand, and chemicals, needs large quanities of water and it releases chemicals that must be disposed

fracking def

drilling with water, sand, and chemicals, need large quanities of water and it releases chemicals that must be disposed

how is fission used in a nuclear reactor

• steam turns a turbine that turns a generator that generated electrciity

• nuclear power uses a radioactive isotope, uranium 235(235 U) as a fuel source

fission is what

nuclear reaction in which a neutron strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus which splits into two or more parts.

• this releases addition neutrons and energy in the form of heat and propagates a chain reaction

• uranium 235 is used

• a neutron colliding with 235 U splits the uranium into smaller atoms barium and kyrpton and results into 3 neutrons in motion (kinetic energy)

• by products include radioactive waste that remains hazardous form of many half lives

The nucelus has what in it

protons and neutrons

uranium 235 has how many protons, neutrosn, and electrons

92 protons, 143 neutrons, 92 electrons 1. Atomic Number of Uranium = 92

• Protons = 92

2. Mass Number = 235

• That’s what the “235” in U-235 means.

• Neutrons = 235 − 92 = 143

3. Electrons

• If U-235 is a neutral atom:
  Electrons = 92

• If it's ionized (e.g., U⁶⁺): subtract the charge from the electron count.

fuel rods def

where the uranium goes. found in the core or the center of the reactor

Fission how it works

heat produced nuclear fission i sused to heat water which circulates in a loop, this turns a turbine which turns a generator.

this turns a turbine, which turns a generator

water slows down the neutrons so they can trigger the next reaction

control rods absorb excess neutrons, slowing or stopping the fission reaction

control rods are inserted routinely to prevent the fuel rofs from becoming too hot and meltin down which can cause a fire and a nuclear accident

uranium needs to be mined

mining uses fossil fuels and leaves mine tailings

explain the workings of a nuclear power plant

Main Elements:

1. Diagram (bottom left):

   • It shows how a nuclear power plant works:

     • Uranium fuel in the reactor core heats water via nuclear fission.

     • Steam is created, which turns a turbine.

     • The turbine powers a generator, producing electricity.

     • Steam is cooled back into water in a condenser and recirculated.

     • The containment structure (concrete, steel, and capsule) protects from radiation leaks.

2. Handwritten Notes (right side):

   • “Clean source once uranium is mined”: This means nuclear power doesn’t emit greenhouse gases like CO₂ during electricity generation.

   • “No CO₂, NOₓ, SOₓ, Methane”: These are common pollutants from fossil fuels. Nuclear power avoids them.

   • “But radioactive waste is a huge problem but different than air pollution”: While it doesn’t pollute the air, it creates long-lived radioactive waste that is hard to store safely.

advantages of nuclear power

NO in air pollution, 20% in the us (104) nuclear power plants), more in other countries, higher energy density, ample supply, offers independence from imported oil

disadvantages of nuclear power

accidents: 1979 Three Mile Island, PA

• A cooling water valve had been closed the previous day.

• lead to a lack of cooling around the core

• partial meltdown

• radioactive components were released

• people were evacuated lots of anxiety and fear

• no documented increase in adverse health issues

chernobyl, ukraine 1986

• occurred during a test of the plant

• cooling system and control rods were removed

• resulted in a fire and explosion that damaged the plant beyond use

• 31 died and many more later due to radiation exposure

• radiation was blown across much of Europe where it contaminated grass hence milk and beef

• resulted in increased cases of cancer (thyroid) and addition deaths

radioactive waste

• no longer useful material but still emits radioactivity

• must be stored in special, highly secure locations

High level waste: old fuel rods

low level: rags, tools and protective clothing

uranium mine tailings: residue left over after the uranium is mined and enriched

all regulated by the government

Uranium has a half life of 704 million years

radiation can be measured with a variety of units

beccquerel (Bq): the rate at which a sample decays

1Bq: 1 atom per second

Curie: 37 billion decays per second

power plants are currently required to store spent fuel rods at the plant itself

spent fuel rods remain a threat to human health form 10 or more half-lives

it can’t be burned, shot into space, dumped or buried

has to be far away from humans, and secure from terrorists

also cannot leak into the soil or groundwater

half life def

Half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decay into something else.

Radioactive materials don't stay dangerous forever. Over time, their atoms break down, turning into more stable elements. The rate at which this happens is measured using half-life.