Energy Sources Activity- Fossil Fuels
1. Is the Energy Source classified as a non renewable, renewable or inexhaustible source?
Fossil Fuels are non renewable resources.
2. How is the energy source made usable? Fossil Fuels are made usable in several different ways. Oil is first extracted from the Earth, and then are refined. When it is burned, a chemical reaction occurs that produces energy that can then be utilized. Coal is mined and then burned, which heats up water, which produces steam that spin a turbine to power a generator which creates electricity (see picture). Natural gas also uses the previous method to create electricity.
3. What are the infrastructure requirements for utilizing this source? Fossil Fuels require a lot of infrastructure to be used. Oil needs drills and pipes to be extracted and refineries to be refined. Coal requires mines, various transportation, and power plants. Natural gas requires a multitude of compressors, pipelines, and storage facilities.
4. What emerging technologies will make this energy source safer, more usable, more efficient, cleaner... etc? Creating more efficient power generations will create cleaner coal, which exists in supercritical coal plants. Chemical looping reactors can also be used for most fossil fuels, and can create energy nearly free of emissions, because of a process that traps nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide in a cycle where they will be reused instead of released where they create acid rain and smog.
Resources
https://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/cub_/lessons/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_lesson04.xml
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/HowFossilFuelsWork.php
http://www.eesi.org/topics/fossil-fuels/description
http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=coal_home-basics
http://www.worldcoal.org/coal-energy-access/coal-and-clean-energy/
http://energy.gov/articles/potential-path-emissions-free-fossil-energy
http://naturalgas.org/overview/uses-electrical/
Fossil Fuels are non renewable resources.
2. How is the energy source made usable? Fossil Fuels are made usable in several different ways. Oil is first extracted from the Earth, and then are refined. When it is burned, a chemical reaction occurs that produces energy that can then be utilized. Coal is mined and then burned, which heats up water, which produces steam that spin a turbine to power a generator which creates electricity (see picture). Natural gas also uses the previous method to create electricity.
3. What are the infrastructure requirements for utilizing this source? Fossil Fuels require a lot of infrastructure to be used. Oil needs drills and pipes to be extracted and refineries to be refined. Coal requires mines, various transportation, and power plants. Natural gas requires a multitude of compressors, pipelines, and storage facilities.
4. What emerging technologies will make this energy source safer, more usable, more efficient, cleaner... etc? Creating more efficient power generations will create cleaner coal, which exists in supercritical coal plants. Chemical looping reactors can also be used for most fossil fuels, and can create energy nearly free of emissions, because of a process that traps nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide in a cycle where they will be reused instead of released where they create acid rain and smog.
Resources
https://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/cub_/lessons/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_lesson04.xml
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/HowFossilFuelsWork.php
http://www.eesi.org/topics/fossil-fuels/description
http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=coal_home-basics
http://www.worldcoal.org/coal-energy-access/coal-and-clean-energy/
http://energy.gov/articles/potential-path-emissions-free-fossil-energy
http://naturalgas.org/overview/uses-electrical/