Here is a detailed compilation of terms and definitions, organized by section, for use as flashcards. The information is drawn from the provided sources and our conversation history:
Energy: The capacity to do work. The basic unit of energy is the joule (J).
Power: The rate at which energy is used. Power = Energy / time. The unit for power is the watt.
Net energy: Amount of energy available from a resource minus the amount of energy needed to make it available. It is a key factor in evaluating the long-term usefulness of any energy resource.
Net energy ratio: Also called energy returned on investment, it is the energy obtained per unit energy used to obtain it.
Net energy yield: Amount of high-quality energy available from a resource minus the high-quality energy needed to make the energy available.
Energy efficiency: How much useful work we get from each unit of energy.
Energy conservation: Reducing or eliminating unnecessary energy waste.
First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy can be converted from one form to another, but none is lost.
Second Law of Thermodynamics: In any energy conversion, some energy is converted into lower quality energy (usually heat) and is unable to perform useful work.
Rebound effect: When increased efficiency leads to increased consumption.
Conventional crude oil: Abundant, has a medium net energy yield, causes air and water pollution, and releases CO2 into the atmosphere.
Crude oil (petroleum): Contains combustible hydrocarbons.
Peak production: Time after which production from a well declines.
Petrochemicals: Byproducts of crude oil refining.
Proven oil reserves: Available deposits.
Shale oil: Oil that is integrated within bodies of shale rock, as opposed to being trapped between layers of rock.
Kerogen: A component of shale oil that can be distilled.
Oil sands (tar sands): Another source of heavy oil that contains bitumen, with extensive deposits in Canada.
Bitumen: A component of oil sands.
Natural gas: Mostly methane, with smaller amounts of propane, butane, and hydrogen sulfide.
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG): Stored in pressurized tanks for use in rural areas.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG): Can be transported across oceans but has a low net energy yield.
Fracking: Hydraulic fracturing; pumping water, sand, and chemicals into cracks to extract oil and natural gas.
Horizontal drilling: A drilling technology used to access oil and natural gas trapped between compressed layers of shale rock formations.
Coal: Solid fossil fuel formed from remains of land plants.
Peat: Partially decayed plant matter in swamps and bogs; low heat content; not a coal.
Lignite: Brown coal with low heat content and low sulfur content, with limited supplies in most areas.
Bituminous: Soft coal, extensively used as a fuel because of its high heat content and large supplies, but normally has a high sulfur content.
Anthracite: Hard coal with high heat content and low sulfur content, but limited supplies.
Synfuels: Synthetic natural gas (SNG) by coal gasification or methanol or synthetic gasoline by coal liquefaction.
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