ENERGY EXERCISE [HIEP TON] October 28, 2015
FRACKING (2 points each)
1. What is fracking?
Access the natural gas deep in the Earth from the rock.
2. What problems can fracking fluids that are injected into the ground cause?
Toxic chemicals such as lead, formaldehyde, benzene, methanol…
It generally cause contamination which is extremely effecting not only human’s
health but also the environment
3. What problems can fracking fluids that come out of the ground cause?
Those fluids:
- Coming back up the ground will be either dumped into the river causing
contamination for both river flow and air or collected by waste truck.
- Staying underground will be even more toxic overtime and then join the
underground water line that later transfer to river or human water sources.
4. What problems can methane gas emission cause?
Beside being a dramatic factor involving in Global Warming, those methane gas
cause problem relating respiratory, nervous system, and disease such as cancer.
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ENERGY EXERCISE [HIEP TON] October 28, 2015
ENERGY GENERAL (2 points each)
5. Why are fossil fuels our most prevalent energy source today?
Those renewable energy systems have not yet widely installed. And fossil fuels
have been used for a long time, its progress and process are perfectly on going on
a strong foundation.
6. How are fossil fuels formed?
Plants and animals died and sink into the deeper layer of the Earth. Using the
pressure from the Earth inner layer, the energy overleft that are in the dead
plants or animals concentrated into fossil through the enough condition of
carbon, time, depth of layer and pressure.
7. Why are fossil fuels considered non-renewable?
The fossile fuels formed over a few hundred million years and human using them
over a few hundred years. Once we burn them for energy, it takes a very long
time to generate. In fact, it is not re-generate-able since the Earth no longer has
the condition it used to have.
8. Why are renewable fuels considered renewable?
If the energy source can be regenerated, then it is considered as renewable
9. List 5 forms of renewable energy.
- Wind Power
- Tidal Power
- Solar Power
- Water Power
- Nuclear Power
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ENERGY EXERCISE [HIEP TON] October 28, 2015
BIOFUELS (3 points each)
10. What is an advantage of biofuel production over other forms of renewable
energy?
Cost Benefit, easy to source, renewable, involving in greenhouse gases reduction,
and it is protentially is the best way to solve the waste problem; yet, also earning
energy out of those waste.
11. What is an advantage of second generation cellulosic ethanol over cornstarch ethanol? (2 points)
The sources are easier to access as it does not need to be exactly corn-starch. It
can be wood, grasses, or any inedible part plants
12. What is a disadvantage of biofuel production?
It requires many many many spaces to grow plants, as well as many other sources
to grow those plants such as water and soil. Furthermore, initially, in order to
converting those tough plants, there are chemicals used to soft them off before
the process can actually start. Those chemicals are from other sources as well as
possibly cause pollution.
13. How can Biotech help to make biofuel production more efficient?
The process of producing biofuel production is still being improved. The greatest
deal is that the factory does not need a lot of workers. The workers monthly
payment are a very big impact on producing the biofuel. Instead, those man’s jobs
are supplant by machines and technologies. As mention, there were
approximately 1,500 measurement devices being used to monitor the process.
14. What did you learn from the speaker on biofuels?
Biofuel is a great field that requires people with great passion. All the speakers
have a very huge knowledge on Biology and Chemistry field.
15. What did you learn about the education of the biofuel experts?
To be honest, they seemed like they love education. I totally super respect that.
However, they really have no target of any specific impactive project besides
hired from the company. I might be wrong. But I am sure that their education
effort and passion really inspired me.
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ENERGY EXERCISE [HIEP TON] October 28, 2015
SOLAR (3 points each)
16. What is an advantage of solar over other forms of renewable energy?
It requires not a lot of space to generate a huge amount of energy. The materials
last very long and requires very minimum maintenance. It is a very long lasting
type of renewable energy because the main source is the Sunlight.
17. Why is solar not used more?
The fossil fuel field is still currently dominant the energy power market in many
different ways. It takes a long time for people to realize the reason fossil fuel
should not be dramatically used and start to look for better energy power
sources. That realization process takes time based on their level of education and
knowledge as well as care about the environment. Furthermore, the solar energy
is not consistent sicne the main source is the sun. Daily activities must consume
energy everyday, yet, the sky is not fully shinny everyday.
18. How can engineering help to make solar panels more efficient?
The engineering designs such panels material that can get the sunlight and
convert it more efficient. Furthermore, The sun tracking system help the panels
facing the sun for absorption.
19. What did you learn from the speaker on solar energy?
Solar energy is extremely potential. This field is a new generation of bringing
human to a new stage of technologies where we can use energy without making
an dramatic effect onto our planet Earth.
20. What did you learn about the education of the solar expert?
He really knows what he is doing. He targets what he wants and reach out his best
for it. His gestrure really shows his sharp way of thinking and actions that lead to
succession. In short, I would say he is my role model that I would like to become
in the future.
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