AP Environmental Science
Chapter 19: Non-renewable Fuels
Name______________________________________
Date___________
Chapter 19 Vocabulary
Case Study: Clean Coal ~ Answer these questions
1. Describe IGCC and its importance: Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). Power plants
could generate electricity while capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide and other
pollutants.
2. Where is this currently taking place? Polk Power Plant in Tampa, Florida (approximately 1 year)
3. Is the coal actually being burned? How is the energy being generated.
No, it is not being burned. The coal is converted into a gas and the gas is burned in a turbine. Coal is
ground into a fine powder and mixed w/water to create a slurry. Slurry is pumped at high pressure
into a gasification chamber, where it mixes w/96% pure oxygen and heated to 1370 degreesC
(2500oF). Coal reacts w/O2 and breaks down into a variety of gases, mostly hydrogen and carbon
dioxide. Gases are cooled separately and converted into managed forms. From the turbine are fed
After purification, the synthetic hydrogen gas (syngas) is pumped to the combustion chamber, which
spins a large magnet to produce electricity. Superheated gases from the turbine are fed into a steam
generator that drives another turbine to produce more electrical energy. Combining these two
turbines makes an IGCC about 15% more efficient than a normal coal-fed powerplant.
4. How are the contaminants such as sulfur dioxide, ash and mercury which are generated from the
coal technology reduced/eliminated?
Sulfur dioxide, ash and mercury that normally go up in smoke in a normal coal-burning powerplant
are captured and sold to make the IGCC’s cleaner & economical. Sulfur is marketed as fertilizer, ash
and slag are sold to cement companies. Mercury removal is an important component of this system.
All slurry water is recycled to the gasifier; there is no waste water and very little solid waste.
5. State the advantages of this technology: Clean coal technology, less contaminated water,
recycling of materials such as mercury, slag, ash and sulfur. It is 15% more efficient than a normal
coal-fired powerplant.
6. State the disadvantages of this technology: Costs more to build an IGCC powerplant (by 15-20%
more) than a conventional coal-fired powerplant, digging the coal from strip or underground mines
has high environmental ramifications.
Chapter 19-1
Work
Joules
Energy
Fossil Fuels
Watt
--megawatt
--gigawatt
Power
Kilowatt
Kilo Watt Hour
Chapter 19-2
Natural Gas
Fracking
Proven Reserves
Coal / Clean Coal
Known Reserves
Chapter 19-3
Carbon Sequestration
Tar Sands
Oil Shale
OPEC
Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge (ANWR)
Chapter 19-4
Nuclear fusion
Chain reaction
Control rods
Liquified Natural Gas
Pressurized water
reactors (PWR)
Black Lung Disease
Sulfur Oxide *
Nitrous Oxide*
Methane Hydrate
Nuclear Power
Megawatts
Breeder reactors
High-level repository
Three Mile Island
Carbon Dioxide*
Coal
Methane*
Oil
Mercury*
Chapter 19.1 Energy Resources and Uses:
Nuclear reactor
Fuel assembly
Nuclear fission
Chernobyl
1. Name the current list of fossil fuels:
2. How has our energy consumption changed worldwide? Explain.
3. How much energy do you consume in one year?
4. Using Figure 19.5, which types of energy make up our consumption in the US? Now compare this
to energy use by sector and state which sectors determine our energy consumption.
5. Which country is the single largest source of oil for the United States?
6. The largest share (roughly one-third) of the energy used in the U.S. is consumed by industry. State
the types of industry which contribute to this:
7. Describe how much energy is used to bring the fuels to market?
19-2 Coal-Fill in the chart from the reading
1.Origination & Formation of Coal
2. Where are most of the
deposits of coal located?
3. Concerns of underground
mines?
4. State the pollutants created by
coal.
5. State the major use of coal
6. Health effects on living
organisms.
7. Coal is the largest single source
of greenhouse gases and acid
rain. How many metric tons of
pollutants are released each
year?
a. SO2: ________________________________
8. State which pollutants of
coal be minimized prior to
burning?
b. NOx: ________________________________
c. Hydrocarbons: _____________
d. CO: _______________________
8. Check out how coal is used to produce electricity at the Duke Energy site:
http://www.duke-energy.com/about-energy/generating-electricity/coal-fired-how.asp
Record the steps below:
Coal Production
Step
1.
Process
2.
3.
4.
9. Compare and contrast the effects of carbon sequestration:
What is carbon sequestration?
Advantages of using carbon sequestration
Disadvantages of using carbon sequestration
Carbon capture / carbon sequestration: Is it a sustainable way of life? Explain.
19.3 Oil
1.Origination & Formation of Oil
2. Where are most of the
deposits of oil located?
3. How is the oil removed from its
land or sea deposits?
4. State the pollutants created
by oil.
5. State the major use of oil.
6. Negative effects of using oil.
10. Which country is the largest supplier of proven-in-place oils? How many barrels are
estimated?
11. What does OPEC stand for? What is their mission in the energy world? Which countries
are part of OPEC and why?
12. Oil Drilling in ANWR. Why is this a controversial topic whether or not to drill for oil in ANWR?
Read and take notes on this controversial topic.
13. Internet: Find an article about oil spill such as the Amoco Cadiz, the Exxon Valdez and
record what occurred, where and the effects on the environment.
14. What environmental problems occur from mining and extracting shale oil?
19.4 Natural Gas
1. How does natural gas rank
in comparison to other fossil
fuels?
2. What makes up natural
gas?
3. State the benefits of using
natural gas as a resource?
4. What is the status of our
natural gas resources?
5. Where are natural gas
deposits found?
6. State the world’s proven
reserves. Which countries are
involved?
15-20. Fracking: Please read the NY Times article found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/opinion/global/the-facts-on-fracking.html?_r=0
And answer the following questions:
15. What is fracking and its importance?
16/17.
Advantages of Fracking
Negative Effects on the Environment