Energy Alternatives

1
Energy Alternatives

• Environmental Science 2

2
Synthetic Fuels

• Coal is still widely abundant, but does not burn
  very clean, thus is not used as much.
• Synthetic fuels are derivatives of coal
• Coal can be changed into
• High-Btu which can be substituted for natural gas
• Medium-Btu which can be used on utility boilers,
  industrial fuel, electric power and chemical feed
  stocks
• Low-Btu can be used for electrical power
  generation

3
Synthetic Fuels

• In order to turn coal into a gas or liquid large
  amounts of water and high temperatures are needed
• This causes some environmental issues because the
  water used needs to be treated before it can be
  released into the environment and energy is
  needed to raise temperatures to the necessary
  level
• This creates the question of is it worth it?

4
Oil Shale

• Oil shale is a type of sedimentary rock
  containing kerogen
• When heated kerogen turns into a synthetic crude
  oil
• Large amounts of oil shale can be found in the
  Rocky Mountains
• One ton of oil shale can yield as much as 140
  gallons of oil

5
Oil Shale

• An advantage to oil shale is since it is a fossil
  fuel major changes to infrastructure is not
  needed
• However, heat is needed to break the oil shale
  down, which requires energy
• Also, the mining process is very damaging to the
  environment

6
Tar Sands

• Tar sands are deposits of rock or sediment
  containing oil or tar like substance called
  bitumen
• When heated the tar sands turn to a substance
  similar to asphalt
• The sand can be removed leaving the tar behind to
  be processed

7
Tar Sands

• Like oil shale it is a fossil fuel, thus easily
  used
• But, also like oil shale heat is needed to
  process the tar sand and it is damaging to the
  environment
• The question also is it worth it?

8
Geothermal Energy

• This uses heat from the earth to create
  electricity
• Steam escapes through a vent in the Earth and
  turns a turbine creating an electric current
• This is currently used as a supplement to coal
  power plants
• Disadvantages include limited to regions where
  there is geothermal activity

9
Tidal/Ocean Waves/Hydro Energy

• Utilizes stored energy from a dam (river or
  reservoir)
• When the water is released it flows over a
  turbine and activates a generator creating
  electricity
• Disadvantages include Limited to areas of water
  sources and ecological damages including
  downstream rivers are deprived of nutrient-rich
  silt because of dams, flooding around the
  reservoir, decrease in water flow inhibit fish to
  move up stream

10
Passive Solar

• Passive solar is the simplest way to use the
  suns energy
• Ideas include
• Facing homes towards the south to use the sun to
  heat the home
• Drapes that can be heated by the sun to warm the
  home at night

11
Active Solar

• This type of solar energy uses the sun directly
• Using the sun to warm water in a hot water heater
  (before being heated)
• Using the sun to heat a pool as opposed to using
  electricity

12
Wind Power

• Uses wind turbines to generate electricity
• A large number of wind turbines creates a wind
  plant or wind farm
• The blades on the wind turbine are turned by the
  force of wind to rotate a turbine to produce
  electricity

13
Wind Power

• Disadvantages to wind energy
• At first cost was higher than traditional methods
  of energy production however, now the cost is
  comparable to traditional methods
• Not effective for areas of the U.S. with little
  wind
• Wind is an unreliable source of energy
• Wind farms are more expensive to build than coal
  operated plants

14
Fuels from the Sun

• Wood
• Energy from Trash pulling out flammable material
  to burn
• Biofuels any use of living organic matter as the
  source for energy (trees, crops, seaweed or algae)