World Energy Sources and
Fossil Fuel Power Production
Ben Tracy
Lea Bart
Will Plunkett
Avi Gori
Energy Density
amount of energy stored per unit volume
Energy Density Affects Choice of Fuel
The higher the energy density, the more of it can be stored in a
small volume, so many people choose these types of fuels
because they are easier to transport in great quantities.
The denser an object is, the more energy that it
creates. Fusion and fission have the highest energy densities.
Renewable vs. Nonrenewable
Renewable energy is energy that comes from sources such
as sunlight, waves, geothermal, and wind, which are
replenished naturally
Nonrenewable energy is energy that comes from sources
that cannot be produced, grown, or replenished, such as
fossil fuels
Sankey Diagram
Historical and Geographical
Reasons for Widespread Use
of Fossil Fuels
History of Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuel history began nearly three hundred years ago
People relied on manual labor by human or animals
Wood and animal fat were common types of fuels
Fossil fuel use began to increase in the late 1700s
Introduction of the steam engine
Faster shipping by railroad and sea
Coal-powered machines replaced manual labor
Mechanized industries once driven by manual labor (e.g., textiles)
Steam technology was advancing rapidly
Steam-powered cars replaced carriages in London
Oil use began to increase steadily
Oil and natural gas could be transported through pipes (connecting the
globe)
Early versions of oil-driven combustion engines produced
As coal use continued, oil and natural gas came to dominate fossil
fuels
Reliance on animals and manual labor would be replaced by
combustion engines and then by engines with electricity
Dependence on fossil fuels grew until they came to form the base of
human society
Efficiency of Power Stations
Average efficiency of
world's power plants: 27%
Average efficiency of coal
power stations: 31%
Weighted average
efficiencies
Coal: 35%
Natural gas: 45%
Oil-fired power
generation: 38%
Coal Formation
Coal
Pros
- one of most abundant fossil fuels (300 year supply for U.S.)
- inexpensive when compared to other fossil fuels or
alternative energy sources:
Cost effieciency of coal vs. natural gas and oil
Coal - $1.20
Oil - $4.45
Natural gas - $4.30
- many different uses: electricity, chemicals, cement, paper,
ceramics, metal products
- produces useful byproducts: methanol and ethylene
- can be stored safely
- efforts have been made to make coal production more
energy-efficient.
www.teachcoal.org
Coal
Cons:
- emits harmful waste including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
oxide, and arsenic acid
- producing "clean coal" may be too costly or impossible
- burning coal produces acid rain
- coal mining can scar landscape and disturb/kill wildlife
www.odec.ca
Oil
Types of Oil:
- Crude: mixture of liquid hydrocarbons, naturally
occurring in Earth's crust
- Shale: sedimentary rock containing solid hydrocarbons
Crude Oil
Pros
- Many uses: gases for cooking and heating, gasoline,
kerosene, diesel, lubricating oil, tar, asphalt
- Convenient energy source, especially for automobiles
- Easy to transport and able to be stored
Oil Shale
Pros
- produces
"kerogen", a product
richer in energy
- areal density: oil
shale reserves are
dense: 1 million
barrels per acre (i.e.,
smaller
environmental impact
and footprint)
Cons of Oil (crude and shale)
- Nonrenewable energy
- Releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
into air
- Releases sulfuric acid into air, causing acid rain
- Transportation hazards
- Locating new reserves is costly process with no
guarantees
Natural Gas
Pros
- Produces 70% less carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels.
- Burns cleaner and produces less byproducts
- Leaves no residual ash like coal
- High heating value: 24,000 Btu per pound
- Multipurpose fuel: heats and cools, runs house
appliances, cooks food (stove and oven)
Natural Gas
Cons
- Considered nonrenewable resource
- Highly inflammable substance, needs to be managed
carefully
- Colorless, odorless, tasteless - hard to detect potentially
dangerous leaks
- Maintaining natural gas pipelines can be costly
Natural Gas Transportation
1. Underground reservoir
2. Wellhead
3. Interstate pipelines
4. Compressor station
5. Underground storage
6. Gate station
7. Local network of pipes
Transportation and Storage of Fossil
Fuels
15 countries make up 84% of the extraction process of natural
gases. These countries need a way to deliver the fuel they find
to the rest of the world, so clearly the transportation and
storage of fossil fuels is needed. There are many issues with
the current system though. Luckily new technology can stop
these errors from happening.
Issues with Transportation and Storage
of Fossil Fuels
Safety Issues
Risk of explosion from spilling liquid fuel, release of
gases/aeresols, or combustion of solid fuels.
Unpredictable mix of fuels with sources in air, or careless
handling cause explosions. Can be unpredictable and
dangerous.
Electrically low conducting material can cause an
explosion.
Environmental Issues
Fuel spills cause environmental damage.
Economic Issues
Too expensive sometimes to ship fuel.
Environmental problems with
fossil fuels
- Nonrenewability
- Wilderness destruction:
a) Oil spills, e.g. British Petroleum oil spill
b) Coal mining problems. "strip mining" leaves land barren
and "mountain top removal" blasts apart whole mountains
to get access to coal
c) Toxic materials used in extraction process end up in
streams and lakes
- Air pollution:
a) Increased greenhouse gas emission, leading to climate
change
b) Carbon monoxide - emitted by automobiles
c) Nitrogen oxides - chemical that causes smog
d) Sulfur oxides - component in acid rain
Nuclear Energy
Pros
No carbon dioxide produced
High energy density
Low manufacturing costs
Reduced fossil fuel dependency
Cons
Accidents in nuclear reactors
Waste products last for
millennia
Wind Energy
Pros
Takes up minimal ground space
No pollution
Cons
Aesthetics
Land availability
Inconsistency
Disruption to wildlife
Most cost-effective in
areas with strong winds,
but these areas are far
from urban areas
Hydroelectric Power
Pros
Dams last a long time
No greenhouse gas emission
Recreation areas around dams
Cons
Damaging to fish populations
Floods surrounding areas
Much effort and expensive to set up
Peat
Also known as turf, peat comes from partially
decayed vegetation or organic soil.
Types of Peat:
1. Sod – Chunks of peat cut by
hand
2. Milled – Granulated by
machines
3. Briquettes – Small bricks,
highly compressed
Peat
Pros
Peat has many properties and can be used for many things.
Some examples: Energy source for household fuel, World
Energy source with special burning properties, Soil
Improvement Material, softening tap water, and a packing
material.
Reduces ash problems from burning of normal wood fuels.
Makes certain countries less dependent on imported
energy.
Cheap, since extraction process is simple.
Cons
Damage to environment and biotype by draining peatlands
and cutting away peat; Hurts animals and other lifeforms
only found in peatlands.
Slow growth of peat means only produced on small scale.
Peat fires known to cause large scale damage.
Geothermal Energy
Heat is produced constantly by the magma under Earth's
crust. This heat is produced from the decay of radioactive
materials like uranium and potassium. The use of this
heat as energy is called geothermal energy.
The heat found within the first 10,000 meters of Earth
surface has an energy 50,000 times greater than that of
all the natural gas and oil in the world.
Forty geothermal energy plants account for 5% of the
energy in the State of California.
Geothermal Energy
Pros
Geothermal energy is an amazing natural energy.
Process: Drill a hole in the Earth, pump cold water in, and
end up with extremely hot water that can be used as steam
to drive a generator.
No pollution
Geothermal power plants are cheap and take up little space.
No fuel used with cheap running cost.
The plant itself can generate power for the water pumps.
Sustainable and clean.
Geothermal Energy
Cons
Since heat is extracted from deep within the Earth, it is hard
to find a good building location for a power plant.
The best "hot spots" for finding geothermal energy are by
volcanoes along fault lines, by which it is dangerous to build
plants.
Other good spots are in mountains or near the poles, but
harsh climates make plants hard to sustain.
Areas of Earth that produce steam will stop producing it
randomly for large periods of time.
Harmful gases from within the Earth can escape while
harvesting geothermal energy.
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
70 percent of the Earth is covered with the oceans. They are a
great natural resource that can also supply energy. The solar
heat that they absorb is equal to the energy found in 250 billion
barrels of oil. When less than 0.1 percent of this is converted into electricity it creates 20 times
the energy that we use during any day in the U.S.
Ocean thermal energy conversion is a form of energy production that converts radiation/solar power from
the sun into electric power. Since the different layers of water in the ocean are at different temperatures
they can work together to produce power, as long as high and low levels vary in temperature by 20°C.
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Pros
Oceans are large renewable resource that can create lots
of energy.
Nutrients found in deep ocean water to help organisms.
It can be used any day of the year, and any time of day.
Does not emit greenhouse gases. Completely natural.
Cons
Expensive to build and maintain power plants.
Organic organisms can get stuck in the pipes and cause
the system to break down.
Power plants built in tropical locations, so hurricanes and
tropical storms many times destroy them.
Solar Energy
Produced from solar radiation that is capable of producing heat
or electricity and causing chemical reactions.
Means of Production
1. Direct
a) Thermal energy
b) Electrical energy
2. Indirect
a) Wind
b) Biomass
c) Hydroelectric
d) Ocean
Solar Energy
Pros
Most abundant permanent energy resource on earth
Able to meet the world's present and future energy
requirements
No emitted pollution
Harnessable in remote areas with no connection to national
grid
Cons
Relatively expensive
Weather dependent
Used only in daytime
Tidal Energy
Any form of renewable energy wherein tidal action in the
oceans is converted into electrical power
Means of Production
1. Tidal barrage power systems
- Take advantage of
differences in tides
2. Tidal stream power systems
- Take advantage of ocean
currents to drive turbines
Tidal Energy
Pros
Large usage potential
Minimal pollution
Produces more energy than fossil
fuels
Cons
Disruption to estuarine and oceanic
ecosystems
Silt accumulation in rivers
High costs of production
Current inconsistency
Few studies of tidal energy resources
Unavailability
Aesthetics
Wave Energy
Electric energy generated by harnessing the motion of waves
Means of Production
1. Floating turbine platforms
2. Exploiting the changes in air pressure
- Occurring in wave-capture chambers facing the sea
Wave Energy
Pros
Can produce up to 10% of global electricity production
No pollution
Almost competitive with fossil fuel generators
Wave Energy
Cons
Detrimental environmental
influence
Occupation of coastline
Intermittency and variability
Aesthetics
Bibliography
http://www.energy-consumers-edge.com/tidal_energy_use.html
http://www.britannica.com.proxy.elm4you.org/EBchecked/topic/595132/tidal-power
www.worldenergy.org
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http://www.britannica.com.proxy.elm4you.org/EBchecked/topic/645063/wind-power
http://www.tsl.uu.se/uhdsg/Popular/Peat.pdf
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