Chapter 12 Nonrenewable Energy Resources All Energy Use

Chapter 12 Nonrenewable Energy Resources

All Energy Use Has Consequences • Oil : ▫ ▫ Jan 1969 1989 2005 April 2010 • Coal: ▫ April 2010 - coal mine ▫ Coal miners develop black lung disease and other respiratory ailments • Natural Gas: ▫ Considered to be the “clean” fossil fuel ▫ Extraction difficult • So what’s the problem?

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill April 20, 2010 • Aka: BP oil spill • Oil flowed unabated for 89 days • Cause: explosion on platform • Methane gas explosion • Problem? • July 15, 2010: the leak was stopped • Estimated 206 million gallons of crude oil released

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill • September 19, 2010: the relief well process was successfully completed • November 2010: 4, 200 square miles of the Gulf were re-closed to shrimping after tar balls found in shrimpers' nets • January 2011: oil spill commissioner reported that problems still exist • February 2011 : researchers found tar on the bottom of the seafloor did not seem to be degrading • July 9, 2011: roughly 491 miles of coastline in LA, MS, AL and FL remained contaminated • September 2011: U. S. government published its final investigative report on the accident. • January 2015: BP Plc will face a maximum fine of $13. 7 billion under the Clean Water Act for its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, several billion less than feared, after a judge found on Thursday the size of the spill was smaller than the U. S. government claimed.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill • Extensive damage to: • Techniques to remove oil/protect beaches, wetlands, estuaries:

http: //ecopolitology. org/2010/06/08/cutaway-of-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-response-graphic/

Initial Estimates January 2015 Legislation Estimate ~465, 700

Worst Oil Spills in History, as of Nov 2010

An interesting animation • http: //www. nrdc. org/e nergy/gulfspill/belows urface. asp

Back to your textbook…

Nonrenewable Energy • Nonrenewable energy resources – 2 categories: ▫ Fossil fuels ( Combustion - burn the fuels ▫ Nuclear fuels • Units of energy ▫ J – joule EJ (exajoule) = 1 x 109 gigajoules ▫ Quad – not used in US ▫ Btu – British thermal unit )

Worldwide Patterns of Energy Use • Each country uses energy at different rates • Uses different energy resources • 2008 – R image

Energy Use • Energy not distributed equally around world • WHY? • Terminology ▫ Commercial energy sources ▫ Subsistence energy sources

Patterns of Energy Use in US • Many changes since 1850 s • Main energy sources (in order) – oil, coal, natural gas • Energy use varies regionally and seasonally

Process of Energy Use • Energy efficiency, includes: • Many opportunities for energy loss reduces energy efficiency • EROEI (energy return on energy investment) EROEI = Energy obtained from fuel Energy invested to get fuel

Efficiency and Transportation • ~30% of energy in US is used for transportation • Transportation – movement of people and goods • Transportation efficiency – does not take into account…

Electricity Generation • Primary source of energy – coal, oil, natural gas • Secondary source of energy – electricity

Energy Efficiency • Most coal burning power plants are about 35% efficient • Combined cycle natural gasfired power plant ▫ ~60% efficient • Capacity – maximum electrical output • Capacity factor – the fraction of the time a plant can operate in a year

Cogeneration • Using a fuel to generate electricity and to produce heat ▫ Aka – combined heat and power • Improves the efficiency to as high as 90%

Fossil fuels provide most of the world’s energy… • Fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas • Come from deposits of organic matter formed 50 -350 million years ago • In anaerobic environment • Are carbon sinks

Coal • A solid fuel formed primarily from the remains of trees, ferns, and other plant materials • Four types of coal ranked from lesser to greater age, exposure to pressure, and energy content: • • Lignite – softest coal Subbituminous coal Bituminous coal – most common type Anthracite – highest grade of coal • Peat – precursor to coal • Composed of partly decomposed organic matter • Largest coal reserves – United States, Russia, China, and India.

Coal

Advantages and Disadvantages of Coal Advantages Disadvantages

Petroleum • Mixture of hydrocarbons, water, and sulfur ▫ Remains of ocean-dwelling phytoplankton ▫ Crude oil – liquid petroleum removed from ground • US uses petroleum more than any other fuel for: ▫ Gasoline – about ½ of the petroleum we use ▫ Raw materials for… • Most petroleum – Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United States, Iran, China, Canada, and Mexico

Petroleum

Advantages and Disadvantages of Petroleum Advantages Disadvantages

Natural Gas • Natural gas- exists as a component of petroleum in the ground as well as in gaseous deposits separate from petroleum ▫ From phytoplankton ▫ Contains 80 to 95 percent methane and 5 to 20 percent ethane, propane, and butane • Uses in US: • Compressed natural gas – fuel for vehicles • Liquefied petroleum gas – in lieu of natural gas, portable barbecue grills and heaters

Advantages and Disadvantages Natural Gas Advantages Disadvantages

Other Fossil Fuels: Oil Sands • Not readily available • Oil sands- slow-flowing, viscous deposits of bitumen mixed with sand, water, and clay • Bitumen (tar or pitch)- • Benefits- extends petroleum supply • Negative environmental impacts

Other Fossil Fuels: Liquefied Coal • CTL – coal-to-liquid • Converts soil coal to liquid fuel • Technology has been around for decades • Benefits: • Downsides:

Fossil fuels are a finite resource • Energy intensity – energy use per unit of gross domestic product • Energy used more efficiently but • More people • More energy used

The Hubbert Curve • Hubbert curve- a graph that shows the point at which world oil production would reach a maximum and the point at which we would run out of oil • Peak oil – point at which ½ of total known oil supply is used up • *1969 – Hubbert predicted 80% of world’s oil would be used up in ~60 years

The Future of Fossil Fuel Use • How long will our fossil fuels last? - If current global use continues, we will run out of: • Conventional oil • Natural gas • Coal supplies • Some factors influencing use of fossil fuels:

Nuclear Energy Fuel. Uranium… Another conventional, nonrenewable fuel that does not significantly add to greenhouse gases in atmosphere.

Nuclear Energy • Fission- a nuclear reaction in which a neutron strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus, which then splits into two or more parts • Chain reaction • Releases heat • Fuel – U-235 common • Byproducts – radioactive waste

Nuclear Reactors

Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy Advantages Disadvantages

Fukushima, Japan • 6 reactors affected • Loss of power = reactors overheated • Full meltdown of 3 reactors • Attempt to use seawater ruined reactors • Other concerns: • Total radioactivity released was ~1/10 of Chernobyl • Most at risk – workers • Recommendations for infants?

Since… • Pale grass blue butterflies • 2 months after (sample 144) • ~12% of butterflies affected • 6 months after (sample 258) • ~28% of butterflies affected • http: //worldnews. nbcnews. com/_news/2012/08/14 /13274288 -study-japan-nuclear-disaster-causedmutated-butterflies? lite

Radioactive Waste • Radioactive waste – nuclear fuel that can no longer produce enough heat to be useful in a power plant but continues to emit radioactivity • 3 types: • High-level radioactive waste • Low-level radioactive waste • Uranium mine tailings

Radioactive Waste Measuring Radiation • Units: • Becquerel (Bq) • 1 Bq = the decay of one atom per second • Curie • 1 curie =37 billion decays per second

Radioactive Wastes • Spent fuel rods remain threat for 10 or more ½ lives long term storage is important • All spent fuel rods must be stored at the plant • Long term solution to waste • Possibilities • • • Standards for LTS: • So what was thought up… Yucca Mountain burial

Radioactive Waste Yucca Mountain, NV • 1978 – started looking at location • Lots of protest/ controversy • 2006 –considered safe storage location • Few years later cancelled

Stuff to add from old textbook: Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants • Licensed to operate for 40 years • Several have received 20 -year extensions • Power plants cannot be abandoned when they are shut down • Three solutions • Storage • Entombment • Decommissioning (dismantling)

Fusion • Nuclear fusion- occurs when lighter nuclei are forced together to produce heavier nuclei • Heat is released • Most promising reaction • Promising, unlimited source of energy in the future • Input – hydrogen • Problem – creating fusion requires reactor can heat material to 10 x the temperature of the Sun’s core • Promising technique

Look at Table 12. 2 in your book!