Energy: Conservation and Transfer
Our Home:
Earth provides us with all types of resources that fuel and build our way of living. Some took million of years to form, and exist only in finite amounts. Someday, we will run out of these resources. Others are renewable, and are in continuous abundance. Below are a variety of resources that we use everyday, from growing food to building cities.
Earth provides us with all types of resources that fuel and build our way of living. Some took million of years to form, and exist only in finite amounts. Someday, we will run out of these resources. Others are renewable, and are in continuous abundance. Below are a variety of resources that we use everyday, from growing food to building cities.
Nonrenewable Energy Resources:
Nonrenewable resources are the sources of energy that cannot be replenished easily, or even at all. They are mostly fossil fuels, and we are depleting them much faster than they take to form. Non-renewable resources only exists in certain amounts, which means that one day they will disappear. Many of these resources come from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals, hence the name “fossil fuels”!
Nonrenewable resources are the sources of energy that cannot be replenished easily, or even at all. They are mostly fossil fuels, and we are depleting them much faster than they take to form. Non-renewable resources only exists in certain amounts, which means that one day they will disappear. Many of these resources come from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals, hence the name “fossil fuels”!
Petroleum/Crude Oil:
Petroleum is a naturally occurring liquid found deep in the Earth, formed from the organic matter of animals and plants millions of years ago. Petroleum is held inside the rock formation, similar to how a sponge holds water. The most versatile of the fossil fuels, petroleum has a variety of uses. Using a process known as distillation, petroleum is separated into various components. It is used to: fuel automobiles, make asphalt, waxes, asphalt, and fuels such as kerosene. More information can be found in the video to the right: Pros: Very abundant, and not very costly. Cons: Eventually our sources will run out, and we will no longer be able to use petroleum as a means of an energy source. |
|
Coal: This fossil fuel is also made of organic material, but it had been compressed and heated to form rock. .For centuries, coal has been used as a source of heat and fuel in people’s homes. Today, more than 40% of worldwide electricity is produced from coal. Pros: It’s cheap and abundant. It’s also easy to store and use. Cons: Causes environmental problems like CO2 emissions. |
Natural gas:
Natural gas is mostly composed up of methane, and is lighter than air. It is formed in a similar way to coal and petroleum, existing in pockets in porous rock. More information can be found in the video to the right: Pros: Cleanest burning out of all the fossil fuels Cons: Damages from fracking. expensive |
|
Renewable energy resources:
Unlike non-renewable resources, renewable resources are abundant, clean, and easy to replace. The demand for these resources grows as the availability of nonrenewable resources continues to diminish. Below are some of the main sources of energy:
Unlike non-renewable resources, renewable resources are abundant, clean, and easy to replace. The demand for these resources grows as the availability of nonrenewable resources continues to diminish. Below are some of the main sources of energy:
Wind:
A turbine is used to convert wind energy into electricity. Most of the machines that convert wind to electrical energy are Horizontal Axis Turbines. These turbines have 2-3 blades, known as the rotor. They have a shaft that processes the turning of the rotor, a drive-train that has a gearbox (increases speed of shaft) and a generator (generates electricity). The faster and stronger the wind, the faster the fan blades rotate. In the United States, wind turbines make up about 4% of energy production, and this number is expected to grow as more people invest. Pros: As long as there is wind available, it can always be converted for our electrical uses. There are no fossil fuel emissions. Installing wind turbines can provide jobs to regulate them. Cons: There is no constant stream of wind, so this energy source may not be reliable. The installation of these wind turbines can be extremely expensive, so it could take dozens of years for the energy-saving profit to equal to the amount the turbines cost. Installing tons of wind turbines can be an eyesore to those who live nearby, and not to mention a loud irritance to inhabitants living nearby. It also requires the clearing of vast tracts of land, which could cause erosion. Most good wind-sites are located in very remote areas, which are very far from where they are needed, such as cities. |
Water:
The most common way to harness water for electrical uses is to use a dam on a river to store water.in a reservoir. Water from the reservoir flows through a turbine which spins and in turn, activates a generator that produces electricity. An example is the Hoover Dam, located on the Colorado between the states of Nevada and Arizona. Pros: This method does not release fossil fuel emissions and the resources are easily attainable and abundant. Many jobs could be provided for the construction of the dams and turbines, as well as for maintenance. Cons: The construction could be very costly, and it would take a long time before the money saved from this method outpaces the cost to build it. There are also environmental concerns with the drastic changes in water levels on both sides on the dam. |
Above: Hoover Dam as it is today
|
Geothermal:
The Earth contains a large amount of heat in its core, and many countries are using geothermal energy for both electricity and heating. In Iceland and other countries, there are many hot spots. There are multiple ways in which the Earth’s heat can be harnessed for our uses. For heating, heat pumps can be used, which consists of a heat pump, an air system, and a heat exchanger. During the winter, the pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and moves it to an indoor air delivery system. However during the summer, the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air system to the heat exchanger. Another way is to tap directly into hot water to heat buildings or industrial processes. Electricity can also be generated by using hot water or steam in reservoirs to power a generator.
Pros: This method does not cause a lot of pollution and is renewable. Jobs can be provided for construction as well as for maintenance.
Cons: Using geothermal energy can require a very specific location in order to be efficient. Though it is considered to be renewable, the reservoirs must be maintained for it to stay that way. In the most extreme cases, geothermal energy can cause earthquakes.
The Earth contains a large amount of heat in its core, and many countries are using geothermal energy for both electricity and heating. In Iceland and other countries, there are many hot spots. There are multiple ways in which the Earth’s heat can be harnessed for our uses. For heating, heat pumps can be used, which consists of a heat pump, an air system, and a heat exchanger. During the winter, the pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and moves it to an indoor air delivery system. However during the summer, the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air system to the heat exchanger. Another way is to tap directly into hot water to heat buildings or industrial processes. Electricity can also be generated by using hot water or steam in reservoirs to power a generator.
Pros: This method does not cause a lot of pollution and is renewable. Jobs can be provided for construction as well as for maintenance.
Cons: Using geothermal energy can require a very specific location in order to be efficient. Though it is considered to be renewable, the reservoirs must be maintained for it to stay that way. In the most extreme cases, geothermal energy can cause earthquakes.
Above: Launch of a rocket using hydrogen fuel
|
Hydrogen:
A promising fuel, hydrogen is an alternative to many fossil fuels. However, hydrogen does not naturally occur in nature, and is difficult to store and transport in liquid form. Hydrogen is mainly used by NASA to launch space shuttles. The method used to generate electricity is through hydrogen fuel cells. Fuel cells directly convert the chemical energy in hydrogen to electricity, with pure water and heat as the only byproducts. Fuel cells can power almost any devices that normally use batteries and can also power transportation such as vehicles, trucks, buses, and marine vessels. Pros: Since water and heat or the only byproducts, the usage of hydrogen fuel cells would be a very clean alternative. It is sustainable and more powerful than fossil fuels, which then makes it more fuel-efficient. Cons: Because the main way to acquire hydrogen is to separate it from water, using hydrogen fuel cells can be extremely expensive. Hydrogen is very light compared to oil and coal (which can be pushed through pipes or be transported in pipes, respectively), so the transportation of the gas is extremely difficult, making it not time and cost efficient. If vehicles were to run on hydrogen, we would need to have more hydrogen fuel stations, which can be costly to build |
Solar:
The sun provides energy for all life and drives every cycle on Earth. Solar energy is by far the most abundant and clean of all the energy resources. There are two types of solar energy: active and passive.
Cons: It’s incredibly expensive to build, and the source can be blocked.It can be affected by time, season, and location.
Cons: Not as efficient as active solar energy. Benefit comes from the architecture of the building, so it can be a hassle to change the layout of a place. Not extremely reliable, as problems can arise when the sun is blocked, whether it’s the buildings or just a neighbor’s home. |
Above: These solar panels are concerting sunlight energy into electricity, another example of active solar energy
Above: An example of passive solar energy
|
References:
http://www.offthegridnews.com/grid-threats/how-to-convert-your-home-to-passive-solar/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/wind-power2.htm
http://www.windustry.org/pros_cons_wind_energy
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/hydropower/tech.html
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/geothermal-energy/tech.html
http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/
http://energyinformative.org/geothermal-energy-pros-and-cons/
http://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=29
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-hydrogen-energy.php
http://energy4me.org/all-about-energy/what-is-energy/energy-sources/petroleum/
Images
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/corporate/photo/features/2015/energy-lightning.jpg
http://www.cmegroup.com/trading/energy/images/monthly-coal-report-459x293.jpg
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/wind-power-horizontal.gif
http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2015/09/iStock_000023343169_Large-E.jpeg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Rs6n0baLQ6w/maxresdefault.jpg
http://theearthproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Geothermal-Energy-for-Sustainable-Homes.jpg
https://www.cuutio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2012/08/rocket-launch.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Photovoltaik_Dachanlage_Hannover_-_Schwarze_Heide_-_1_MW.jpg/280px-Photovoltaik_Dachanlage_Hannover_-_Schwarze_Heide_-_1_MW.jpg
http://sanjuanupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/passive-solar-house.jpg
http://www.offthegridnews.com/grid-threats/how-to-convert-your-home-to-passive-solar/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/wind-power2.htm
http://www.windustry.org/pros_cons_wind_energy
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/hydropower/tech.html
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/geothermal-energy/tech.html
http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/
http://energyinformative.org/geothermal-energy-pros-and-cons/
http://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=29
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-hydrogen-energy.php
http://energy4me.org/all-about-energy/what-is-energy/energy-sources/petroleum/
Images
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/corporate/photo/features/2015/energy-lightning.jpg
http://www.cmegroup.com/trading/energy/images/monthly-coal-report-459x293.jpg
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/wind-power-horizontal.gif
http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2015/09/iStock_000023343169_Large-E.jpeg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Rs6n0baLQ6w/maxresdefault.jpg
http://theearthproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Geothermal-Energy-for-Sustainable-Homes.jpg
https://www.cuutio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2012/08/rocket-launch.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Photovoltaik_Dachanlage_Hannover_-_Schwarze_Heide_-_1_MW.jpg/280px-Photovoltaik_Dachanlage_Hannover_-_Schwarze_Heide_-_1_MW.jpg
http://sanjuanupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/passive-solar-house.jpg