Post on 25-Dec-2015
Nonrenewable Energy ResourcesNonrenewable Energy Resources
Key ConceptsKey Concepts
Available energy alternatives Available energy alternatives
Oil resources Oil resources
Natural gas resources Natural gas resources
Coal resources Coal resources
Nuclear fission and fusion Nuclear fission and fusion
Evaluating Energy ResourcesEvaluating Energy Resources
Renewable energy Renewable energy
Non-renewable energy Non-renewable energy
Future availability Future availability
Net energy yield Net energy yield
Costs Costs
Environmental effects Environmental effects
Important Nonrenewable Energy SourcesImportant Nonrenewable Energy Sources
North American Energy ResourcesNorth American Energy Resources
Active drilling sites
TEXAS
LOUISIANA
MISSISSIPPI
ALABAMA GEORGIA
FLORIDA
GULF OF MEXICO
Oil
pr i
ce p
er b
arre
l70
60
40
30
20
1950 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
50
2010
(1997 dollars)
10
19600
Oil
(mill
ion
bar
rels
pe r
da y
)
30
25
15
10
5
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
20
2020
0
History Projections
Consumption
Domestic supply
Net imports
Oil
(m
illi
on
bar
rels
per
day
)120
100
60
40
20
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
80
20200
History Projections
Developed
Total
Developing
OilOil
Petroleum (crude oil)Petroleum (crude oil)
RecoveryRecovery
Petrochemicals Petrochemicals
Refining Refining
TransportingTransporting
Conventional Oil: AdvantagesConventional Oil: Advantages
Relatively low cost Relatively low cost
High net energy yield High net energy yield
Efficient distribution system Efficient distribution system
Conventional Oil: DisadvantagesConventional Oil: Disadvantages
Running out Running out
Low prices encourage waste Low prices encourage waste
Air pollution and Greenhouse gases Air pollution and Greenhouse gases
Water pollution Water pollution
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Controversy: Trade-offsArctic National Wildlife Refuge Controversy: Trade-offs
Would create jobs Would create jobs
Oil resources are uncertain Oil resources are uncertain
Uncertain environmental impacts Uncertain environmental impacts
Drilling controversies Drilling controversies
Could increase U.S oil andnatural gas supplies
Could reduce oil importsslightly
Would bring jobs and oilrevenue to Alaska
May lower oil prices slightly
Oil companies havedeveloped Alaskan Oil fields withoutsignificant harm
New drilling techniqueswill leave little environ-mental impact
Trade-OffsDrilling for Oil and Natural Gas
In Alaska’s ArcticNational Wildlife Refuge
Only 19% of finding oil equal to what U.S. consumes in 7-24 months
Too little potential oil to significantlyreduce oil imports
Costs too high and potential oil supply toolittle to lower energy prices
Studies show considerable oil spills andother environmental damage fromAlaskan oil fields
Potential degradation of refuge notworth the risk
Unnecessary if improved slant drillingallows oil to be drilled fromoutside the refuge
Advantages Disadvantages
Oil Shale and Tar SandsOil Shale and Tar Sands
Oil shale Oil shale
Kerogen Kerogen
Tar sand Tar sand
Bitumen Bitumen
Advantages Disadvantages
Moderate cost (oil sand)
Large potential supplies, especially oil sandsin Canada
High cost (oil shale)
Low net energy yield
Large amount of water needed for processing
Severe land disruption from surface mining
Water pollution from mining residues
Air pollution when burned
CO2 emissionswhen burned
Easily transported within and between countries
Efficient distributionsystem in place
Trade-OffsHeavy Oils from
Oil Shale and Oil Sand
Technology is well developed
Natural GasNatural Gas
50-90% methane 50-90% methane
Conventional gas Conventional gas
Unconventional gas Unconventional gas
Methane hydrate Methane hydrate
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
Approximate 200 year supply Approximate 200 year supply
Good fuel for fuel cells and gas turbines
Low land use
Easily transported by pipeline
Moderate environmental impact
Lower CO2 emissions thanother fossil fuels
Less air pollution than other fossil fuels
Low cost (with huge subsidies)
High net energy yield
Ample supplies (125 years)
Sometimes burned off andwasted at wells because of lowprice
Shipped across ocean as highlyexplosive LNG
Methane (a greenhouse gas) can leak from pipelines
Releases CO2 when burned
Nonrenewable resource
Difficult to transfer from one countryto another
Requires pipelines
Advantages
Trade-OffsConventional Natural Gas
Disadvantages
CoalCoal
Stages of coal formation Stages of coal formation
Primarily strip-mined Primarily strip-mined
Used mostly for generating electricity Used mostly for generating electricity
Enough coal for about 1000 years Enough coal for about 1000 years
High environmental impact High environmental impact
Coal gasification and liquefaction Coal gasification and liquefaction
Coal Formation and TypesCoal Formation and Types
Low cost (with huge subsidies)
High net energy yield
Ample supplies(225–900 years)
Releases radioactive particles and mercury into air
High CO2 emissions when burned
Severe threat to human health
High land use (including mining)
Severe land disturbance, air pollution, and water pollution
Very high environmental impact
Mining and combustiontechnology well-developed
Air pollution can be reduced with improvedtechnology (but addsto cost)
Advantages
Trade-Offs
Coal
Disadvantages
Moderate cost (with large government subsidies)
Vehicle fuel
Large potential supply
High water use
Increased surface mining of coal
High environmental impact
Requires mining 50% more coal
Higher cost than coal
Low to moderate net energy yield
Lower air pollution when burned than coal
Advantages
Trade-Offs
Synthetic Fuels
Disadvantages
High CO2 emissions when burned
Nuclear EnergyNuclear Energy
Fission reactors
Fission reactors
Uranium-235 Uranium-235
Potentially dangerous
Potentially dangerous
Radioactive wastes
Radioactive wastes
Types of RadiationTypes of Radiation
Alpha ParticlesBeta ParticlesGamma Rays
Alpha ParticlesAlpha Particles
Occurs in atoms with Z > 83Helium nucleusLarge, slow moving and not very penetrating.
Easy to shield againstEmission lowers atomic mass by 4 and atomic number by 2
Beta ParticlesBeta Particles
Occurs in atoms with too high a proton/neutron ration
High energy electron from the nucleusSmall and fast, more dangerousDaughter atom is same mass but higher
atomic number than the parent atom
Gamma RaysGamma Rays
Emitted when nuclei stabilizeExtremely high energy photons that travel
at the speed of lightExposure is very dangerousEmission results is a more stable state for
the same atom
Locations of U.S. Nuclear Power PlantsLocations of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants
Operational
DecommissionedYucca Mountain high-levelnuclear waste storage site
1
1
Salem Generating Plant, Lower Alloways Creek, NJ
Decommissioning of reactor
Reactor
Fuel assemblies
Enrichment UF6
Conversion of U3 O8 to UF6
Fuel fabrication
(conversion of enrichedUF6 to UO2 and fabricationof fuel assemblies)
Uranium 235 asUF6 Plutonium-239as PuO2
Low level radiationwith long half-life
Spent fuelreprocessing
Temporary storageof spent fuel assemblies
underwater or in dry casks
Geologic disposal of moderateand high-level radioactive wastes
Open fuel cycle today
Prospective “closed” end of fuel cycle
Nuclear Fuel cycle
Low risk of accidents because of multiple safety systems (except in 35 poorly designed and run reactors in former Soviet Unionand Eastern Europe)
Moderate land use
Moderate land disruption and water pollution(without accidents)
Emits 1/6 as much CO2 as coal
Low environmentalimpact (without accidents)
Large fuel supply
Spreads knowledge andtechnology for building nuclear weapons
No widely acceptable solution for long-term storage of radioactive wastes and decommissioning worn-out plants
Catastrophic accidents can happen (Chernobyl)
High environmental impact (with major accidents)
Low net energy yield
High cost (even with large subsidies)
Subject to terrorist attacks
Advantages
Trade-Offs
Conventional Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Disadvantages
Serious Nuclear AccidentsSerious Nuclear Accidents
Three Mile Island (1979)
Chernobyl (1986)
Three Mile Island (1979)
Chernobyl (1986)
Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania
Chernobyl Reactor After Accident
Radiation Plume From Chernobyl Nuclear Accident - 26 Apr 86
Dealing with Nuclear WasteDealing with Nuclear Waste
High- and low-level wastesHigh- and low-level wastesTerrorist threatsTerrorist threatsUnderground burialUnderground burialDisposal in spaceDisposal in spaceBurial in ice sheetsBurial in ice sheetsDumping into subduction zonesDumping into subduction zonesBurial in ocean mudBurial in ocean mudConversion into harmless materialsConversion into harmless materials
Yucca Mountain ControversyYucca Mountain Controversy
Wastes stored and guarded in one place
Possible long-term groundwater contamination
Security and safety concerns during waste transport to the site
Nuclear power plantsYucca MountainRailroadsHighways
Permanent Underground Disposal of Nuclear WastesPermanent Underground Disposal of Nuclear Wastes
Storage Containers
Fuel rod
Primary canister
Overpackcontainersealed
Underground
Buried and capped
Ground Level
Unloaded from train
Lowered down shaft
Personnel elevatorAir shaft
Nuclear waste shaft
Yucca Mountain, Nevada
Cinder Cone Volcanoes
Nuclear AlternativesNuclear Alternatives
Breeder nuclear fission reactorsBreeder nuclear fission reactors
Nuclear fusionNuclear fusion
New reactor designsNew reactor designs