Energy

Dr. Md. Sirajul Islam

Energy History
Burning wood was the earliest human energy

resource.
Muscle power provided by domestic animals has
been important since dawn of agriculture 10,000
years ago.
Wind and water power have been around almost as
long.
Switch to coal power in 1800s due to diminishing
wood supplies & invention of steam engine.
Switch to oil in 1900s because easier to ship,
store, & burn.

Energy types
Non-renewable : Oil, Gas, Coal, Nuclear power
Renewable : solar, Hydropower, Biomass, Wind,
Tidal, etc.
Concern regarding Energy
Most of the global energy uses are dependent on
non-renewable sources, especially fossil fuel - which
supposed to be end up soon.
Demand for energy is increasing day by day
because of industrialization and population growth.
Most of these fossil fuel sources are highly polluting
and produce Green House Gases (GHG)
Alternate Energy Sources
Energy sources other than fossil fuel

Worldwide Commercial Energy Production

COAL
Fossilized plant material preserved by burial in
sediments and compacted and condensed by
geological forces into carbon-rich fuel.
Most laid down during Carboniferous period
(286 million to 360 million years ago).

Carbon Cycle

ENV 107:Environemental Science Dr. Akm Saiful Islam

Coal
Resources and Reserves
- World coal deposits are ten times greater than
conventional oil and gas resources combined.
- If all of this coal could be extracted, under
current consumption rates this could last
several thousand years.
- Proven-in-place reserves will last about 200
years.

Problems with Coal

Mining
Between 1870 and 1950, more than 30,000 coal miners
died of accidents and injuries in Pennsylvania alone.
Several thousands have died of respiratory
diseases. (black lung disease)
Strip mining often makes the land unfit for
other uses; reclamation efforts often superficial.
Land subsidence might occur
water pollution

Problems with Coal

Air Pollution
Burning releases radioactivity and toxic
metals into the atmosphere.
Burning releases sulfur oxides and
nitrogen oxides - acid rain
Burning releases carbon dioxide - global
warming

OIL
Petroleum is formed very similar to coal Mostly
marine organic material buried in sediment and
subjected to high pressure and temperature.
Oil Pool usually composed of individual droplets
or thin film permeating spaces in porous
sandstone or limestone.
Proven reserves used at current consumption rate
estimated to last 45 years.

Unconventional Oil Resources

Oil Shales and Tar Sands
Estimates of total oil supply usually do not
reflect large potential from unconventional oil sources:
- shale oil Fine grained sedimentary rock rich in
solid organic materials, named as Kerogen. Kerogen
can be liquidified and extracted.
- tar sand bituminous semi-solid sand.

Could potentially double total reserve, but currently

expensive and environmentally damaging to extract.

NATURAL GAS

Worlds third largest commercial fuel.

- Produces half as much CO2 as equivalent amount
of coal.
- Most rapidly growing energy source because its
convenient, cheap, & clean.
- Difficult to ship long distances, and to store in large
quantities.
Usually Oil and gas stay together.
Current reserves represent roughly 60 year supply at
present usage rates.

Unconventional Gas Sources

Methane hydrate - Small individual molecules of natural
gas trapped in a crystalline matrix of frozen water.
- Deposits in arctic permafrost & beneath deep ocean
sediments.
- Thought to hold 10,000 gigatons of carbon, or twice
as much as combined amount of all traditional fossil
fuels combined.
- Difficult to extract, store, and ship. Also presents risk
of released methane gas - global warming

Nuclear power: How Do Nuclear Reactors Work

Most commonly used fuel is U235, a naturally occurring
radioactive isotope of uranium.
When struck by neutrons, radioactive uranium (usually unstable
and like to take a neutron) atoms undergo nuclear fission,
releasing energy and more neutrons.
Nuclear fission is a process in in which the nucleus of an
atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei as fission products,
and usually some by-product particles. The by-products
include free neutrons, photons usually in the form gamma
rays, and other nuclear fragments such as beta particles and
alpha particles. Fission of heavy elements is an exothermic
reaction and can release substantial amounts of useful energy
both as gamma rays and as kinetic energy of the fragments.
Reaction is moderated in a power plant by neutron absorbing
solution and by control rods composed of neutron-absorbing
material & inserted into spaces between fuel assemblies.
- Water or other coolant is circulated between the fuel rods to
remove excess heat.

 Problems with nuclear energy

- nuclear waste
- accident
However, still considered as one of the most
promising sources of energy to compensate those
diminishing source of fossil fuel sources. Advanced
technology can minimize the problems.
Public opinion has fluctuated over the years. When
Chernobyl exploded in 1985, less than one-third of
Americans favored nuclear power.
- Now, half of all Americans support nuclear-energy.
Currently, 103 nuclear reactors produce about 20%
of all electricity consumed in the US.

Solar energy
High temperature solar energy - uses parabolic
mirrors (curved reflective surfaces that collect light
and focus it onto a concentrated point) to heat an
absorptive medium to very high temperatures.

Photovoltaic cells capture solar energy and

convert it directly to electrical current by separating
electrons from parent atoms and accelerating them
across a one-way electrostatic barrier.

Solar energy to heat houses and water

Solar energy for generating high temperature heat and electricity

Biomass
Includes energy from burning wood, branches,
leaves, starchy roots, and other plant and animal
materials.
Estimated to be 15-20 times all commercial
energy sources.
Problems include production of ash, soot,
hazardous gases, and CO2
About 40% of world population depends on
firewood and charcoal as their primary energy
source. Of these, three-quarters do not have an
adequate supply.

Dung
Where other fuel is in short supply, people often
dry and burn animal dung.
Not returning animal dung to land as fertilizer
reduces crop production and food supplies.
When burned in open fires, 90% of potential heat
and most of the nutrients are lost.
Risk of being exposed to bacteria & other disease
causing organisms.

Other Energy from Biomass : Biogas

Produced by anaerobic decomposition of
organic material (livestock manure,
municipal garbage, sewage, etc.)
Burning methane is very clean & efficient ,
and left-over sludge from bacterial
digestion is a nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Alcohol from biomass byproduct of
anaerobic fermentation; burns more
cleanly than gasoline.

ENERGY FROM EARTHS FORCES

Hydropower
Falling water used as an energy source
since ancient times. Now accounts for about
25% of electrical generation
Problems associated with large dams. Lowhead hydropower, run-of-the-river flow, &
micro-hydro
generators
may
offer
solutions.

Hydropower

Wind Energy
Estimated wind power could produce fifty
times current nuclear generation.
Wind farms are large concentrations of
windmills in open plains, on mountain ridges,
or at sea. (By 2030 Denmark plans to
generate of nations power this way.)
Problems
Windmills kill birds
Large need large area
Windmills may degrade areas scenic
resources

Wind energy

Geothermal Energy
High-pressure, high-temperature steam fields
exist below the earths surface.
Recently, geothermal energy has been used in
electric power production, industrial processing,
space heating, etc.
Have long life span, no mining needs, and little
waste disposal.
Potential danger of noxious gases and noise
problems from steam valves. Few places on
Earth have easy access to this energy.

Tidal and Wave Energy

Ocean tides and waves contain enormous amounts
of energy that can be harnessed.
Tidal Station - Tide flows through turbines, creating
electricity.
- Requires a high tide / low-tide differential of several
meters.
- Main worries are saltwater flooding behind the dam
and heavy siltation. Stormy coasts with strongest
waves are often far from major population centers.
- Storms can damage equipment. Tidal periods seldom
coincide with peak energy need.