Energy Week 3

the heat energy that is produced by natural processes inside the Earth; it can be taken from hot springs, reservoirs of hot water deep below the ground, or by breaking open the rock itself

An electrical-chemical device that converts fuel, such as hydrogen, into an electrical current

The application of an electric current to water molecules to split them into hydrogen and oxygen

Energy generated from the kinetic energy of moving air

A turbine that converts the kinetic energy of moving air into electricity

a unit of measure for an electric current; the amount of current that flows in a circuit at an electromotive force of one volt and at a resistance of one ohm; abbreviated as amp

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed

air pollution control device that power plants use to remove particulate matter and gases from their emissions

Don’t place wind farms in migration routes

Pro: safest, cleanest, and BEST energy source with no carbon emissions. Cons: expensive, and energy is needed to create hydrogen gas

This is when people want the benefits but none of the risks, such as with the development of nuclear power plants.

Methane can escape during extraction, natural gas can contaminate groundwater during the extraction process or transportation process from leaks in the pipes

USA, Russia, China, and India

Efficiency = energy out / energy in

• Fuel is fed into a boiler, in which it is burned to release thermal energy. • Water is piped into the boiler and heated, turning it into steam. • The steam travels at high pressure through a steam line. • The high pressure steam turns a turbine, which spins a shaft. • Inside the generator, the shaft spins a ring of magnets inside coils of copper wire. This creates an electricfield, producing electricity. • Electricity is sent to a switchyard, where a transformer increases the voltage,

Fossil fuel plants burn coal, natural gas, or petroleum. These plants use the chemical energy in fossil fuels to superheat water into steam, which drives a steam generator. Fossil fuel plants are sometimes called thermal power plants because they use heat to generate electricity.

Nuclear plants generate electricity much as fossil fuel plants do, except that the furnace is a reactor and the fuel is uranium. In a nuclear plant, a reactor splits uranium atoms into smaller elements, producing a great amount of heat in the process. The heat is used to superheat water into high-pressure steam, which drives a turbine generator.

Wind plants or wind farms use the kinetic energy in moving air to generate electricity. Wind turbines are installed in areas of unobstructed, consistent winds over 5 miles per hour. Turbine blades move in the wind and spin a generator to generate electricity. Wind farms are best sited for highest output on coastlines, in open plains, at higher elevations, and in deep water.

Energy conservation includes any behavior that results in the use of less energy

Energy efficiency involves the use of technology that requires less energy to perform the same function.

As energy is transformed, some is lost to heat energy

An activity that does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations

The use of a fuel to both generate electricity and deliver heat to a building or industrial processes

Amount of energy it takes to heat 1 pound of water 1oF. 1 Btu = 1,055 J