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Natural resources
found within the environment.
Ubiquitous resources
- resources can be found everywhere such as sunlight
and air
Inexhaustible resources
- will not run out in foreseeable future
- Examples are: solar radiation, geothermal energy, and
Biotic
resources
1. Solar energy
collected
and converted by photovoltaic cells known as solar c
2. Hydroelectric power - The kinetic energy in the falling and flowing of water i
streams is used to produce electricity
OTEC facilities
4. Wind energy
Wind - simply air in motion
- caused by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the sun.
- the Earth's surface is made of very different types of land and water,
it absorbs the sun's heat at different rates.
Coriolis force
-force created by the rotation of the Earth
- it deflects air to the right (east) in the
Northern Hemisphere
- the effect is the northeast trade wind
- at the lower hemisphere, the effect is
called the southwest trade wind
Wind power- energy created and stored using the kinetic energy that comes
naturally from the wind
- the process of capturing that wind energy and converting it to
electrical power that can be used in households across the nation.
- wind power is captured using a wind electric turbine
Wind Turbines
- With an average of 14 34 miles per hour, a small turbine can generate
10-1000kilowatt of electricity
- approximately 2.5% of electric consumption is generated by wind power
-Competitive price - the overall cost per unit of energy produced is similar
to the cost for new coal and natural gas installations
- the fastest growing source of renewable energy today
The worlds largest turbine which is in operation as of 2011 has an output of
340 MW (built by Siemens Power Generation).
Biomass
- renewable energy from plants and animals
- an organic plant material that can be burned directly as fuel or converted
to gaseous or liquid biofuels through chemical processes such as distillation,
pyrolysis, and esterifications
- a renewable energy source because we can always grow more trees and
crops, and waste will always exist.
- examples of biomass fuels are wood, crops, manure, and some garbage.
- when burned, the chemical energy in
biomass is released as heat
- to produce steam for making
electricity, or to provide heat
to industries and homes
Combustion
- wood waste or garbage can be burned to produce steam for making electricity,
or to provide heat to industries and homes
- the rapid oxidation of the feedstock producing energy. The energy is used to
heat a boiler. High pressured steam is is produced to rotate a turbine which
powers a generator.
- Exothermic reaction: Organic material + O2 CO2 + H2O + heat
Aerobic composting
- similar to anaerobic digestion with
the key difference being the presence
of oxygen
- the presence of oxygen means than
different bacteria are employed
- aerobic composting produces gases
which can be captured and utilised for
energy
- raw organic materials (such as crop
residues, animal wastes, food garbage,
some municipal wastes and some
industrial wastes) enhance their suitability
as fertilizers after composting.
Fermentation
- a biological process in which enzymes produced by microorganisms catalyze
chemical reactions
- these microorganisms digest sugars to produce the energy and chemicals
they need for survival while giving off by-products such as carbon dioxide,
organic acids, hydrogen, ethanol, and other products, which are then collected
and utilized for energy production
Biofuels - include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass,
liquid fuels, and biogases
Examples: biomass wood, paper, sawdust, etc
liquid fuels bioethanol derived from fermentation
- biodiesel derived from transesterification of fats
biogases - methane derived from anaerobic decomposition of biomass
Bioethanol - the most widely used alternative automotive fuel in the world,
- but pure ethanol (or bioethanol) can not be used for spark-ignition
engines due to its low vapour pressure and high latent heat of
vaporization which make cold start problematic
- blends used to increase functionality of bioethanol
E5G to E26G (5-26% ethanol, 95-74% gasoline)
E85G (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline)
E15D (15% ethanol, 85% diesel)
E95D (95% ethanol, 5% water, with ignition improver)
- worldwide, most bioethanol is produced from sugar cane, molasses
and corn, but other starchy materials such as wheat, barley and rye are
also suitable
- a feedstock of around 3 tons of grains is needed for the production of
1 ton of ethanol.
Peat - the precursor of coal. It is formed by the action of bacteria on plant debris.
Coke carbonized coal
- the carbon content is increased by changing the hydrocarbons to carbon
and removing the moisture content of coal.
- CnH2n+2 + O2 C + H2O
1. Lignite
Types of Coal
2. Subbituminous
3. Bituminous
-Most abundant form of coal.
-Intermediate
in
rank
between
subbituminous coal and anthracite.
-The carbon content of around 60%80%.
-Calorific values of 24 to 35
megajoules per kg (10,500-15,000
BTUAnthracite
per pound)
4.
-The most highly metamorphosed
and highest in rank of coal.
-It contains fixed carbon of about 86%98% on a dry, ash-free basis.
-Has
calorific
values
near
35
megajoules per kilogram
-Anthracite is the least plentiful form
of coal.
Natural Gas
fuel of the future
found deep underground, or extracted through driven wells.
formed beneath the earths surface by the decomposition of
organic matter
85-90% methane, with varying amounts of ethane,
propane, butane, and other hydrocarbon compounds.
In its natural state, the gas is colorless, odorless, and lighter
than air.
Extraction
Natural gas is formed along with oil fields and coal beds
It can also be obtained from coal through coal gasification.
Natural gas is often referred to as the cleanest alternative
burning fossil fuel. It can be used in the form of compressed
natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Advantages
Is more environment friendly than oil or coal. For same amount
of heat, natural gas emit 30% less carbon dioxide than burning
oil and 45% less carbon dioxide than burning coal.
Due to clean burning process, doesnt produce ashes after
energy release.
Is cheap (less expensive than gasoline) therefore, very cost
effective.
Can be safely stored and burned.
Disadvantages
Is highly volatile (highly flammable) and can be dangerous.
Is colorless, odorless and tasteless.
The most common cause of carbon monoxide deaths.
Constructing and managing such pipelines cost a lot.
nonrenewable energy resource. Its availability is finite. Critics
also point that their extraction leaves out large craters within
the earth.
Environmental Concerns
Nuclear reactions
- reactions involving the nuclei of atoms
- these reactions occur with a simultaneous release of heat and radiations
- nuclear reactions maybe naturally occuring or induced
Types of radiations
Nuclear power
- an energy which is produced with the use of a controlled nuclear reaction
Nuclear power plant a thermal energy source in which heat is generated from
nuclear reactors
- as of Jan. 2013, there is a total of 439 nuclear power
reactors world wide.