APES - key terms unit 6

active solar energy

energy captured from sunlight with advanced technologies

passive solar energy

uses the solar energy that naturally falls on a building to heat it directly

biomass

the total mass of living matter in a specific area

biomass example

agricultural crops and residues, animal waste, sewage

biofuel

Liquid fuel created from processed or refined biomass

biofuel example

ethanol, biodiesal, biogas

bitumen

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

chernobyl

Workers disconnected cooling system and removed control rods which led to an explosion, blowing radiation across much of europe contamination crops and milk from cows (which led to cancer cases) on April 26, 1986 in Ukraine.

cogeneration (condensed heat and power)

the use of a fuel to generate electricity and produce heat

control rod

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

fuel rod

A cylindrical tube that encloses nuclear fuel within a nuclear reactor

crude oil

Liquid petroleum removed from the ground

petroleum

liquid fossil fuel; oil

dam

barrier that runs across a river or stream to control the flow of water

electric grid

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

fission

A nuclear reaction in which a neutron strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus, which then splits into two or more parts, releasing additional neutrons and energy in the form of heat

fossil fuels

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

fracking

A method of oil and gas extraction that uses high-pressure fluids to force open cracks in rocks deep underground

Fukushima

Earthquake and tsunami hit damaging nuclear plants leading to radioactive gases being released on March 11, 2011 in japan

Geothermal energy

Heat energy that comes from the natural radioactive decay of elements deep within Earth

half-life

the time it takes one half of an original radioactive parent to decay

hydrogen fuel cell

an electrical-chemical device that converts fuel into electrical current

natural gas

fossil fuel in gaseous state composed of methane

nonrenewable resource

energy resource with finite supply, primarily the fossil fuels and nuclear fuels

nonrenewable resource examples

coal, oil, natural gas

oil shale

slow-flowing, vicious deposits of bitumen mixed with sand, water, and clay

tar sands

rock or sand layers that contain oil

photovoltaic cells

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

radioactivity

spontaneous emission of radiation

renewable resource

an energy source that can be easily reproduced or replaced by nature

renewable resource examples

biomass, solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal

siltation

The accumulation of sediments, primarily silt, on the bottom of a reservoir.

thermal pollution

Nonchemical water pollution that occurs when human activities cause a substantial change in the temperature of water

three mile island

cooling valve was still closed, leading to an unknown amount of radiation being released into enviroment on March 28, 1979 in Pennsylvania.

three types of coal

lignite, bituminous, anthracite

turbine

a device that can be turned by wind, steam, or water to produce power

generator

A machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy

wind turbine

A turbine that converts wind energy into electricity