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GOH Test 4
GOH Final
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Primary use of Coal | Power Generation |
| US power coming from coal | 50% |
| Coal Carbon Dioxide Emmision | 83% of total power related CO2 emmisions, 34% of TOTAL US CO2 emmisions |
| Where are the largest coal reserves located? | Russia, Australia (coal exporter), China and India |
| What is coal in laymans terms? | Complex mixture of organic substances derived from burial and maturation of land plants in swampy environments. |
| Coal | complex mixture of organic chemical substances containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in chemical combination together with small ammts of nitrogen and sulfer. |
| The organic part of coal | Originated as remains of LAND PLANTS; associated with various amounts moisture and minerals |
| Why is coal nonrenewable? | It takes millions of years to create. Energy in coal comes from energy stored in plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. |
| Coal is formed by | Heat and pressure over millions of years |
| Why in the substratum do layers of coal alternate with layers of day or sandstone? | In maritime areas, sudden subsiding of a basin results in the inflow of seawater that decimates the forest. Afterwards, the forest will grow back, renewing the cycle. |
| Coal formation process (detailed) | 1)Plant material deposited in sedimentary basins close to a sea, lake or marsh.2)material covered by sand/mud(sheltering it from air & rotting).3)basin sinks slowly under weight of sediment & plant material.4)increasing temp.&press. slowly transform PM |
| Chemical formation of coal after deposition. | Cellulose in wood-> Humic Acid (product of incomplete decomposition)-->Bitumes-->Elementary Carbon |
| Coals of EXCELLENT quality can be found dating from the _____ _____ | Tertiary Period (brought into early maturity by heating effect of colliding techtonic plates.) |
| Types of coal from the Tertiary Period (2) | Paleocene & Miocene |
| Paleocene Coal location and approx. age. | From Colombia and Venusuela (65-55 million year ago) |
| Recent Deposits | 10,000 years old or less, Rich in Fiberous debris, Consist of Peat:(Don't contain any elementary carbon due to inadaquate burial) |
| Peat | accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter. Peat forms in wetlands or peatlands, Earliest Stage in Formation of Coal, Can still be used as fuel for heating,often from moss & grass |
| Carboniferous Period | "Coal-Bearing"; most favorable period for coal creation (360-290 million yr. ago) |
| After Carboniferous Period, smaller ammounts of coal were formed in the ______ and _______ periods. | Permian (290-250 million yr. ago) & Secondary Period (mesozoic era--250-65 million yr. ago.) |
| Tertiary Period | <65 million yr. ago; less evolved, contain lignite deposits (bitumens & residual lignite) but significantly less carbon content. |
| 4 classifications of coal | Lignite (brown coal), Sub-bituminous, Bituminous & Anthracite |
| Lignite Coal | "Brown Coal";geologically young, lowest Carbon content (25-35%), Heat Value btwn. 4,000&8300 BTUs per pound, mainly used for electrical power generation. |
| Where is most lignite mined? | Texas ( but large reserves exist in Montana, North Dakota & Gulf Coast States) |
| Sub-Bituminous Coal | 35-45% Carbon, 8300-13000 BTU per pound, generally has LOWER sulfur content than other coals (clean burning), Located in 6 western states & Alaska |
| Bituminous Coal | Most plentiful form of coal in US, 45-86% Carbon, 10500-15500 BTU per pound, primary uses are electricity generation and making coke for steel industry, Mostly in Eastern & mid continental US |
| Anthracite Coal | 86-98% carbon content, heat vaule is nearly 15000 BTU per pound, mostly used for heating homes, mostly found in Pennsylvania |
| Macerals | Organic Particals in coal |
| Liptinite Macerals | Rich in Hydrogen, derived from resins, pollens, spores and cuticles **Primary source of COAL TARS from which synthetic oil can be produced** |
| Vitrinite Macerals | "Gellified" Wood, Bark and Roots. Lower Hydrogen content than Liptinite. |
| Inertinite | Oxidized products of Liptinite and Vitrinite. Highest Carbon Content (Includes Fossil Charcoal) |
| Coal Transition Proccess | Peat-->Lignite-->Sub-Bituminous-->Bitimunious-->Anthracite (Reflects increasing maturity through exposure to age, heat and burial pressure.) |
| With increasing Coal rank comes increasing _____ and decreasing ______ content. | Carbon, Water |
| Heat Value of Coal Ranks is determined by _____ ______. | Carbon Content |
| Highest Heat Value is achieved by ______ ______ | Bituminous Coal |
| Organic Particles in Coal | Macerals; Maceral Content affects coal value. |
| Major Coal Basins in the US | Appalacian coals (bituminous and anthracite),Midwestern coals (bituminous),Gulf Coast coals (lignites) & western coals (sub-bituminous and lignites) |
| 2 Types of Coal Mining | Surface & Underground |
| Surface Mining | 67% US, 87% Australia; Near Surface Coal Seams only, Overburden broken up by explosives, Removed by draglines/shovels & deposited @ older mines, Exposed Coal is drilled and mined in strips, holes filled w/ overburden. |
| Underground Mining | 60% global, 33% only US; Room & Pillar and Longwall Mining |
| Room & Pillar Underground Mining | Pillars of coal left to support roof of room (up to 40% recovery) (Also retreat mining->Roof allowed to collapse). |
| Longwall Underground Mining | 75% recovery, More expensive than room & pillar; Mechanical Shears strip coal seam, self-advancing hydraulic supports (as shears advance, roof collapses) |
| Most common coal mining in US & most common in world. | US-->Surface (Pit) Mining, World--> Underground |
| Environmental Issues with Coal Mining | Acid Mine Drainage, Disturbance of Land Surface (Substinance) |
| Acid Mine Drainage | Large ammt. of Metal Sulfides are exposed to water @ ground surface, Sulfides react w/ water to produce sulfuric acid, Acid decreases PH in surface/ ground water, Acid H20 dissolves more metals-> Acid water w/ high metal content. |
| Waste Coal | Low Heat Value (BTU) discards of mining, source of ground & surface water pollution |
| Run of Mine Coal | (ROM) As Mined |
| Coal from mine to end use | ROM-->Benefication ("coal washing"-->Sizing (Crusing & Sieving to appropriate size)--> Increase heat value (remove rock & noncombustable ash via flotation meathods)-->Remove undesirable minerals (Sulfides)--> Disposal of Waste Coal |
| Pulverized Coal Combusiton | For electricity generation; Air-Coal Powder-Fluid burned @ 1400 deg. C to produce heat to spin turbines. (~90% current plants) |
| Waste Products of Burning Coals | Particulate Matter (ash), Sulfur (caught by scrubbers) Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Dioxides, Flue Gases, other materials (i.e. metals, arsenic, etc.) |
| Less Carbon Dioxide | More efficient use of coal to generate electricity |
| Integrated gassification combined cycle | (IGCC); Coal is reaced with Water & Oxygen to make cleaner burning "syngas" of hydrogen and carbon monoxide |
| Coal to Liquid Fuels | (CTL) Synthetic Petroleum Liquids for various uses including fuel for transportation. Coal is turned to syngas and Hydrogen is added to create synfuel. |
| Underground Coal Gassification | Used where coal seams cannot easily be mined. Hole is drilled & steam and O2 is pumped into coal seam and react w/ coal to create syngas that can be burned directly. |
| Pyrolysis | Heat coal in closed container to decompose and drive off volitale compounds (Low Yield & NOT economically viable. |
| Direct Coal Liquification | Liquid Yields up to 70% of Dry Coal Weight. Active in China, Demonstrated in US |
| Indirect Coal Liquification | Breakdown coal by gassification, clean syngas(remove sulfer), React w/ hydrogen over catylst to produce liquid |
| Barriers to Coal Liquification Development | Environmental Concerns surrounding increased coal mining, Increased CO2 emmisions (80% more than gas/ crude oil), |
| Carbon Sequestration | Trapping Carbon Dioxide from Coal Powerplants & Synfuel Generation |
| How is power produced from coal? | It is burned to spin turbines |
| Slag | Bottom Ash deposited when coal is burned (deposited in landfills) |
| Fly Ash | Caught by scrubber from coal smoke (deposited in landfills) |
| Future of Coal | Estimated peak coal production estimates range from 2030 to 2060. |
| Commercial Nuclear Fission | Fission of uranium-235 to produce heat to produce steam that is used to drive turbines for electrical power generation. (Pressurized water reactors.) |
| US and World Nuclear Power Generation | US-->20%, World-->16% |
| Uranium Rarity | more abundant than gold, silver or mercury but still relatively rare. (Ores run about 0.10 to 1% uranium) |
| Uranium formation and Common occurance | formed by oxidation of dissolved uranium in the groundwater – the ores occur in sandstones (sedimentary deposits) |
| World Uranium Production Mostly occurs in (2) | Australia, Canada; little currently from the US (most is imported). |
| Uranium Mining Techniques | Open Pit, underground mining, and in-situ leaching (dissolve uranium from sandstone and pump it to the surface for extraction). |
| In-Situ Uranium Leaching | (ISL)/(ISR); Pumping weak acids/alkalines (dependant on calcium concentration) through injection well on one side of deposit & up through recovery wells on the other side of deposit, Very Cost effective but dependant on Porosity of deposits. |
| Uranium Milling | @ Conventional Mines uranium put through mill (crushed-<,=20mm),ground in water to create 'slurry',slurry leached w/sulfuric acid to dissolve uranium oxides, Remaining Ore (Tailings)separated from Uranium Rich Solution,Filtered,Ion Exchanged& Dried |
| Product of Conventional Uranium Milling | Yellow Cake Uranium; 99% pure Uranium Oxide (U3O8)->80% pure uranium |
| Production of Reactor Fuel From Yellow Cake | U-235 is increased from .7% to 3-4% purity & approx. 85% U-238 is removed via gaseous diffusion and high-speed centrifuges ("Enrichment"). Finished Product packed into fuel rods. |
| Depleted Uranium | Bi-Product of Enrichment; mostly U-238 that has been 'depleted' of its U-235 |
| How much fuel is in a reactor core and how long will it last? | 100 tons; about 6 years |
| Spent Reactor Fuel | 98% uranium (mostly U-238); <1% U-235; 1% plutonium (<80% PU-239 (weapons grade)**Spent Fuel is more Radioactive than original*** |
| Disposal of Spent Reactor Fuel (3) | Store on Site, Store in Permanent Waste Facility (ex: Yucca Mountain), Reprocess & Enrich --> Re-Use as fuel in Reactors |
| Low-Level Radioactive Waste | Not High-Level & Not Transuranic; Relatively Low Radioactivity and Short Half-Life, Often disposed of by Shallow Burial |
| High Level Radioactive Waste | Very radioactive (gamma emitters) require heavy sheilding and remote handling. (Yucca Mountain) |
| Vitrification | Storage of High-Level Radioactive Waste in Glass (slows down its ability to escape) |
| Most Uranium Deposits Formed By | Concentration of Uranium from igneous rocks through weathering or deposition by ground water @ unconformities or in non-marine sandstones where chemical cond. of groundwater precipitates U as an Oxide |
| Most spent Uranium is | Stored on Site |
| Current Yellow Cake Shortage | Has driven up prices;current projections are that production of yellowcake may never match the projected demands. (Peak estimated btwn. 2020 to 2040. |
| Geothermal Power | Use natural heat of the earth to generate electricity or for district heating. |
| Restrictions of Geothermal | Restricted to areas of high heat flow/steep geothermal gradients (geothermal reservoirs in volcanic areas) to obtain natural steam for electrical power generation. |
| Geothermal Power Generation Techniques (3) | direct dry steam, flash steam systems, and binary cycle plans, depending on temperature. |
| Geothermal Prominance in US today | 1%>; unlikely to increase much in the future. |
| District Heating | uses the naturally hot warm to heat water and building directly; could be more widespread than geothermal power generation. |
| Where in US can geothermal heat pumps be used? | ANYWHERE |
| Applications of Geothermal Energy | Electrical Power Generation (steam driven turbines, Direct Heat (Residences and Businesses heated via circulation of naturally hot groundwater), Heat Pumps (Use natural earth temp. to assist in heating/cooling buildings. |
| Direct Dry Steam Geothermal Power | Uses only steam from the geothermal reservoir |
| Direct Steam Geothermal Power | Uses both steam and hot water from geothermal reservoir |
| Flash Steam Geothermal Power | Hot water 'flashes' to steam when brought to the surface from geothermal reservoir |
| Bianary System Geothermal Power | Hot water in geothermal reservoir is used in a heat exchanger to produce steam |
| Problems with Geothermal Power Generation | Only possible in high heat flow areas, decrease of steam & water flow over time (b/c of cold water injection), Low porosity/Permeability, high concentrations of dissolved solids, release of gases (Sulfer, CO2), Seismic Risk (small earthquakes) |
| Hydroelectric Energy | Largest renewable energy resource in use today. Has attained near maximum use in the US but other areas (ex: china) it is becoming increasingly prominant |
| Hydroelectric Energy Production | Water pressure (height of water column) drives the turbine directly to generate electricity. |
| Types of Hydroelectric Projects | Storage projects (large dams), run-of-river projects (low dams); and pumped storage projects (recycle the water). |
| Which Type of Hydro Plant will likely become more common in the future? | Small Hydro (plants of <30-40MW) |
| Large Hydroelectric Plants | Massive Energy Production Potential (1000-2000 MW) |
| Wind Energy | use is increasing rapidly; best areas are just offshore where winds are more persistent at the correct speeds (>6 meters/second, 50 meters up). |
| Large Wind Turbines | produce about 1.5 MW each, so farms must be used to generate sufficient energy to justify transmission lines and other infrastructure. Largest Texas wind farms produce from 100 to 700 MW. |
| Wave Energy | large amounts of 24-hour energy available for capture using the up-and-down or back-and-forth motion of the waves, but still not widely used. |
| Tidal Energy | large up and down and lateral water movements b/c of the gravitation force of the moon acting on the oceans. 12/24 hr. cycles; tidal height varies greatly from coast to coast.Power gen. possible by making dams that constrict tidal flow to drive turbines |
| Wave Motion | Circular motion includes both up & down and back & forth components |
| Head | vertical distance btwn. the upstream and low stream water levels. The greater the head, the greater the power and ammt. of electricity that can be generated. |
| Hydroelectric Storage Projects | Impound water behind a dam to form a reservoir; water is used to generate electricity |
| Run-Of-Water Hydroelectric | Low dam used to create head; Power generation dependant on flow of river |
| Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric | During Off-Peak hours power is used to pump water from lower to higher reservoir; Water from upper reservoir is used during peak hours to generate power. |
| Environmental Impacts of Hydroelectric Power Generation | Disrupts natural flow in streams/rivers, impedes natural sediment flow(->Deposition in Reservoir&Increased erosion below reservoir),Alters natural habitat/water quality(temp./O2 content),inhibits fish migration |
| 1 MW is enough to supply ____ people with power | 1000 |
| Small Hydro | Up to 10 MW |
| Micro Hydro | Up to 100 KW |
| Pico Hydro | Under 5 KW |
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