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APES Ch. 12 Vocab
Nonrenewable Energy Resources - AP Environmental Science, Chapter 12
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Fossil fuels | Nonrenewable resources that are derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago |
| Nuclear fuels | Nonrenewable resources that are derived from radioactive materials that give off energy |
| Commercial energy sources | Energy sources that are bought and sold, such as coal, oil, and natural gas |
| Subsistence energy sources | Energy sources that are gathered by individuals for their own immediate need, such as wood, charcoal, and animal waste (much more commonly used, especially in the developing world and rural areas) |
| Energy carrier | Something that can move and deliver energy in a convenient, usable form to end users (ex: electricity because it is a secondary source of energy, meaning we obtain it from the conversion of a primary source) |
| Turbine | A large device resembling a fan or jet engine used in electricity generation - converts kinetic energy from steam to electricity by turning a generator |
| Electrical grid | A network of interconnected transmission lines that transport electricity, connect power plants, and distributes energy to consumers |
| Combined cycle | A natural gas-fired plant that has two turbines and generators - one is turned by the combustion itself, and the other is turned by boiled water |
| Capacity factor | The amount of time a plant actually operates in a year - most thermal power plants have a capacity factor of 0.9 or greater; power plants using some form of renewable energy may have a capacity of only about 0.25 |
| Cogeneration | The use of a fuel to generate electricity and produce heat, AKA combined heat and power (ex: using steam to turn a turbine before using it to heat a building) |
| Coal | A solid fuel formed primarily from the remains of trees, ferns, and other plant materials that were preserved 280 to 360 million years ago (ideal of stationary combustion engines) |
| Petroleum | A fluid mixture of hydrocarbons, water, and sulfur that occurs in underground deposits (ideal for mobile combustion engines) |
| Crude oil | Liquid petroleum removed from the ground, can be refined into tar, asphalt, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, etc. |
| Natural gas | Exists as a component of petroleum and as gaseous deposits separate from petroleum, 80 to 95% methane, generally extracted in association with petroleum |
| Oil sands | Slow-flowing, viscous deposits of bitumen mixed with sand, water, or clay |
| Bitumen | AKA tar or pitch, a degraded type of petroleum that forms when a petroleum deposit is not capped with nonporpous rock - the petroleum migrates toward the surface, where bacteria metabolize some of the hydrocarbons while others evaporate |
| CTL | Coal-to-liquid - the technology to convert solid coal into liquid fuel. The EPA estimates the total greenhouse gas emissions from liquefied coal are more than twice those of conventionally-produced oil. |
| Energy intensity | Energy use per unit of GDP, has been steadily decreasing (we're using energy more efficiency, but there are more of us, so our overall energy use is still increasing) |
| Hubbert curve | Projects a point at which world oil production would reach a maximum and the point at which we would run out of oil - created in 1969 |
| Peak oil | The point at which half the oil supply has been used up - the Hubbert curve predicts use will begin to decline at this point. Some experts say we have reached peak oil; others say we will very soon. |
| Fission | A nuclear reaction in which a neutron strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus, which then splits into two or more parts |
| Fuel rods | Cylindrical tubes that contain nuclear fuel (uranium pellets) |
| Control rods | Cylindrical devices that can be inserted between fuel rods to absorb excess neutrons, slowing or stopping the fission reaction |
| Radioactive waste | Radioactivity that a power plant continues to emit after it can produce enough heat to be useful |
| Nuclear fusion | Occurs when lighter nuclei are forced together to produce heavier nuclei, powers the sun + other stars - seemingly unlimited + produces relatively small amounts of radioactive waste, but creating it on Earth would require temps 10x the core of the sun |
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emilyjane1221
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