Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Nonrenewable energy sources include fossil fuels and nuclear fuels.
Fossil Fuel: Fuel from biological material fossilized over millions of years.
Nonrenewable Energy Resource: Finite energy source like fossil and nuclear fuels.
Nuclear Fuel: Fuel from radioactive materials.
Worldwide energy consumption:
- Oil, coal, peat, and natural gas are major sources.
Commercial energy source: Energy bought and sold.
Subsistence energy source: Energy gathered for personal use.
Energy efficiency:
- EROEI = Energy\ obtained\ from\ fuel ÷ Energy\ invested\ to\ obtain\ fuel
- Higher EROEI values indicate greater efficiency.
Energy carrier: Transports energy in usable form.
Thermal power plants convert fuel's potential energy into electricity using turbines and generators.
Turbine: A device turned by water, steam, or wind to produce power.
Electrical grid: Network connecting power plants and end users.
Combined cycle: Power plant using exhaust gases and steam turbines.
Capacity: Maximum electrical output of a power plant.
Capacity factor: Fraction of time a power plant operates.
Cogeneration: Using fuel for electricity and heat, enhancing efficiency.

Coal: Solid fuel from plant remains.
- Types: lignite, bituminous, anthracite.
Petroleum: Liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, water, and sulfur.
- Crude oil: Liquid petroleum extracted from the ground.
Natural Gas: Contains methane, ethane, propane, and butane.
Oil sands: Viscous deposits of bitumen, sand, water, and clay.
Bitumen: Degraded petroleum modified by bacteria.
CTL (coal to liquid): Converting coal to liquid fuel.
Energy intensity: Energy use per unit of GDP.

Coal:
- Advantages: Abundant, inexpensive, easy to mine and transport.
- Disadvantages: Impurities, air pollution, ash, carbon emissions.
Petroleum:
- Advantages: Easy to transport, energy-dense, cleaner than coal.
- Disadvantages: Carbon dioxide emissions, leaks, marine pollution.
Natural Gas:
- Advantages: Fewer impurities, less carbon dioxide than coal.
- Disadvantages: Methane emissions, groundwater contamination.

Fission: Splitting an atomic nucleus to release energy.
Fuel rod: Encloses nuclear fuel in a reactor.
Control rod: Regulates fission by absorbing neutrons.
Radioactive waste: Nuclear fuel that is no longer useful but still emits radioactivity.
Becquerel (Bq): Measures radioactive decay rate (1 decay/second).
Curie: Radiation measurement unit (37 billion decays/second).
High-level radioactive waste: Used fuel rods.
Low-level radioactive waste: Contaminated items from plant maintenance.
Uranium mine tailings: Residue from uranium mining.
Fusion Combining lighter nuclei to form heavier nuclei.