Energy Production
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Transcript of Energy Production
Energy ProductionEnergy Production
Mr. HanzSPH 3U1
November 25, 2009
Fossil FuelsFossil Fuels
- Oil
- Gasoline
- Natural Gas
- Coal
CoalCoal
What do you know about coal (Pros/Cons as an energy source) ?
CoalCoalPros
◦Large domestic reserves
◦Extremely cheap (initial cost)
◦Can ramp up energy production quickly to meet peak demand
CoalCoalCons
◦Extremely dirty
◦Large emitter of CO2 and NOx emissions
◦Environmentally damaging Acid rain
Coal/Fossil Fuel Energy Coal/Fossil Fuel Energy ProductionProduction
How exactly do we produce energy from coal (and fossil fuels in general)?
Oil and GasOil and Gas
Oil and GasOil and GasPros
◦Cleaner than coal
◦Affordable for the time being
◦Infrastructure already in place
Oil and GasOil and GasCons
◦Oil and Gasoline are largely imported Socio-Political Consequences (terrorism, etc)
◦Prices fluctuate greatly
◦Large contributors of greenhouse emissions
◦Production reaching a peak?
Peak Oil?Peak Oil?For any geographic region, oil production will follow a bell-shaped curve
- M.K Hubbert
HydroelectricHydroelectric
HydroelectricHydroelectricRenewable energy source
Produces no greenhouse gas emissions
Canada has vast, untapped hydroelectric resources
How Hydroelectricity works
HydroelectricHydroelectricIn most cases, must flood large
swaths of land, destroying ecosystems and displacing large amounts of people
Three Gorges Dam – P.R Three Gorges Dam – P.R ChinaChina$39 Billion U.S (180 billion yuan)
2.35km wide!
22,500 MW Energy Production
1.2 million people displaced - 10x the population of Kingston
Nuclear PowerNuclear Power
Nuclear PowerNuclear PowerUtilizes uranium as a fuel source
◦Can be either enriched or un-enriched, depending on reactor type
◦ Canada, along with Australia have the largest reserves of uranium in the world!
◦Three Nuclear generating stations in Ontario alone – Bruce, Pickering and Darlington
How does it work?How does it work?Fission
◦Controlled chain reaction involving collision between a neutron and uranium atom (Link)
Nuclear Power in OntarioNuclear Power in Ontario
Issues?Issues?Uranium is non-renewable
(especially without reprocessing)
Spent Fuel Storage◦Some fission byproducts are highly
radioactive for thousands of years
Accidents ◦Radioactive contamination◦Meltdown
Past AccidentsPast AccidentsThree Mile Island (Pennsylvania,
1979)
Chernobyl (Ukrainian SSR, USSR, 1986)
RenewablesRenewables
RenewablesRenewablesWind
Solar
Geothermal
Tidal
WindWind
Resource intensive – iron and other raw materials
Intermittent energy production – require a storage medium
SolarSolar
Sun radiates 10,000x more energy onto the earth than we use every day
The most common cost effective cells are only 8% efficient, however this is improving with every year
Size of Cells and thus amount of material used in their production and their cost is also decreasing with every year
GeothermalGeothermalObtains heat from the Earth
Heat used to generate electricity
Or used directly to heat houses
BiofuelBiofuel
◦ 1st Generation From food sources: vegetable oil, sugar cane, corn
(ethanol) Energy vs. Food
Ethanol – EROEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) = ~1.34 (34%)
◦ 2nd Generation Cellulose – byproduct of agricultural production:
switch grass, plant stock (LINK)
The Future?The Future?
Tidal
Hydrogen
Fusion
Global Energy Consumption Global Energy Consumption TrendsTrends
Energy Consumption Per Energy Consumption Per CapitaCapita
Why do you think Canada’s energy consumption per capita is so high,even when compared to other western nations (Germany, France, etc)?
Do you find any of these values/figures unexpected?