Environmental Science

1
Environmental Science

• Chapter 11
• Notes 2

2
Review

• Nonrenewable resources
• Renewable Resources
• Fossil Fuels
• The energy of fossil fuels is most commonly
  turned into electricity
• A fuels suitability (5 Things)
• Availability, Cost, Energy content, Safety, By
  products
• In the US the main use of energy is for creating
  electricity
• Electricity/ Electric Generator

3
Energy Basics

• Where do we get electricity?
• Power Plants
• Fossil Fuel Power Plants
• Nuclear Power Plants
• Power Plants create electricity and that
  electricity is carried though a distribution grid
• When an electrical pole goes down, why does it
  affect more than one home?

4
Fossil Fuel Power Plants

• 1. Fossil Fuels are burned
• They contain much energy that is released in the
  form of heat (this is a chemical reaction)
• 2. The heat turns water into steam
• 3. The steam is directed at the blades of a
  turbine, causing them to spin
• 4. The turbine is connected to a generator, the
  coils of the generator are moved through a
  magnetic field, creating electricity, which is
  sent out to the distribution grid

5
Fossil Fuel Power Plants
6
Nuclear Power Plants
7
Nuclear Power Plants

• 1. Nuclear Reactor runs fission reactions
• They contain much energy that is released in the
  form of heat (this is a nuclear reaction)
• 2. The heat turns water into steam
• 3. The steam is directed at the blades of a
  turbine, causing them to spin
• 4. The turbine is connected to a generator, the
  coils of the generator are moved through a
  magnetic field, creating electricity, which is
  sent out to the distribution grid

8
Nuclear Power Plants