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Energy is an abstract concept invented by physical scientists in the nineteenth century to describe quantitatively a wide variety of natural phenomena.
While there are many forms and sources of energy, the scientific use of the word is often limited to a simple declaration: "Energy is the ability to do work."
A
16 MJ/kg
B
49 MJ/kg
Energy cost
$ 4.3/GJ
$ 24/GJ
$ 33/GJ
Which form of energy would you use to power your car? What if A=Wood, B=Gasoline and C=Electric?
World total annual consumption of all forms of primary energy increased more than ten-fold during the twentieth century. Primary energy: Energy embodied in natural resources prior to undergoing human-made conversions or transformation.
Example: Solar, wind, fossil, nuclear, geothermal, tidal, wave and biomass.
Global demand for energy continues to grow. In 2007 alone, global energy consumption grew by 2.4%, and analysts predict a further 50% increase from 2005 to 2030!
This plot shows only marketed primary energythat is, commercially traded energy in its crudest form, such as coal, crude oil, or electricity from solar panels, wind turbines, or dams. Biomass (e.g. wood, peat) is not fully represented, since it is often collected for use by individuals rather than traded commercially.
Current scenario:
-Petroleum is the world's number one source of energy, with oil accounting for more than 1/3 of total energy consumed. -Coal is second, providing about 1/4 of the world's energy, and has been the fastest growing energy source for the past five years.
-This is despite global investment in renewable energy: In 2007, there was a 30% increase in spending on construction of renewable energy facilities, for a total of $71 billion.
- Nevertheless, renewable energy currently provide less than 10% of the world's energy, and subsidies for renewable energy in comparison to those for conventional energy sources.
It is of interest to know which are the main users of energy in the United States
The most undesirable gas emitted is whose progressively increasing concentration in the atmosphere (from 270 ppm in the late 1800s to 365 ppm at present) constitute a worrisome problem.
- Increased frequency of climatic extremes: (a) Floor or drought (b) Serious destruction to agriculture and natural ecosystems. The thickness of the north polar ice has decrease by 40% and in the first year of the current millennium, a summertime hole appeared in the polar ice
Not only are oil and other fossil fuels non-renewable, they contribute to another of the world's scary problems: climate change. Fossil fuel combustion accounts for 62% of the global warming potential of all anthropogenic greenhouse gases.
Since increase concentrations of CO2 can lead to global warming, some people have proposed increasing the emission of SO2 to stabilize the temperature because the cooling effect of this gas.
Ignoring the vegetation killing acid rain that would result, this proposal is equivalent to balancing a listing boat by piling stones on the other side.
CO2 sequestration
Methods for reducing carbon dioxide emission are under intense investigation.
All these methods have two stages: i)carbon dioxide capture ii)carbon dioxide disposal or sequestration.
How to solve the energy crisis? The transition from fossil fuel dependency probably won't be easy. But data suggest that it is indeed possible. Even with existing technologies, renewable energy sources have the potential to exceed current global energy demands.
Renewable energy projects can also bring economic benefits to many regional areas, as most projects are located away from large urban centres and suburbs of the capital cities. These economic benefits may be from the increased use of local services as well as tourism.
-All formed of carbon and hydrogen, some with little oxygen, plus sulfur, mercury and other minerals, and non combustible.
-Most require some form of processing: sulfur removal, grinding and washing, oil refining and gas desulfurization. -Example:
(1)Natural gas (2)Oil (3)Coal (4)Oil shale
Natural Gases
- It's
a mixture of hydrocarbons.
- Mostly methane, CH4, ethane, C2H6, some propane, C3H8, and little butane, C4H8 with fraction of higher hydrocarbons, may contain sulfur, oxygen, CO2 at small quantities. Two different kinds of gas:
Advantages &Disadvantages
Benefits of natural gas: (1) Inexpensive, (2) Clean burning, (3) Available and good substitute for oil (reduces dependence for oil) (4) Easy to distribute and store (5) Cleanest fossil fuel to use, 80% efficient. Disadvantages of using natural gas: (1) Environmental problems due to the release of CO2 (Greenhouse effect) (2) Difficult to obtain (3) Health risk (4) Unhealthy burning process
fossil-fuel inputs to the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. (2) Natural gases have many important uses like space heating, water heating, as fuel for boilers, transportation, and as chemical feedstock.
The problem with gathering natural gas is that there is no direct channel for the gas to flow.
The natural gas is usually located lowpermeable area. So when obtaining it can be done by using explosives or water injections. A large force is needed to stimulate gas flow.
Coal
-Coal is carbon + hydrogen (CHm, m<1) + sulfur (up to 10 % by weight) + nitrogen +ash (non combustible). -Example: lignite, bituminous. -Some sulfur can be washed away before combistion, but mostly is scrubbed from combustion products using limestone. -In fluidized bed combustors, pulverized coal is mixed with limestone and burned at lower temperature in blowing air.
-In gasification, rich burning in oxygen and water forms syngas (CO+H2), desulfurization before combustion or gas separation.
Types of Coal
Based on the amount of carbon the coal contains: -Heat, pressure and time -Lignite- youngest type. High water content, low heating values -Subituminous- low sulfur content, low mining cost -Bituminous- most plentiful, high sulfur content -Anthracite- high heating value, limited supplies
Oil
-Made up of many organic compounds + hydrogen + nitrogen +sulfur
-Sweet or sour depends on the amount of sulfur. CHm, 1<m<2. -Light oil is generally composed of three hydrocarbon families: (a) saturated hydrocarbons: paraffins (or normal alkanes), CnH2n+2, with gas : n=1-4, liquid: n=5-15, and solid: n>15. (b) unsaturated hydrocarbons, or aromatics, like benzene, C6H6, toluene, C7H8 and nephthalene, C10H8. (c) Resin and asphaltenes, heavier hydrocarbons rich in nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and vanadium. -Refining: Distillation (separation of lighter components), catalytic cracking (heating) and reforming (with steam or hydrogen). - Products are typically refinery gas, LPG, gasoline, diesels, heating and lube oils.
Libya
China
30
24
-Emissions have increased roughly 2% in past several decades. -Contains harmful substances like toluene, benzene, ethylic, benzene, and polycyclic aromatic carbohydrates, some of which cause cancer. -There are also constructive problems, such as electrical cables, pipelines through natural areas, roads, and other infrastructures: (a) Oil pollution around rigs and from spills, etc are harmful to the surrounding environment, for both human and animal habitats.
-(b) Tar and Tar Sand: A mixture of sand and bitumen (coal-like) and can be reformed into oil components.