Exam 4 Flashcards
(95 cards)
1
Q
electrical power
A
the amount of work done by an electric current over given time
2
Q
energy carrier
A
transfers energy from primary energy source to point of use
3
Q
cons of solar power
A
- not continuously available
- incineration of birds
- solar panels include cadmium, mercury, lead
4
Q
LOCA
A
- Loss of Cooling Accident
- sudden loss of cooling water from around the reactor
- could lead to meltdown
5
Q
fuel elements/rods
A
rods filled with enriched urainium dioxide pellets and arranged in a geometric pattern necessary for fission
6
Q
condenser
A
converts turbine exhaust steam into water
7
Q
conservation reserve
A
an imaginary source of energy that results from policies promoting greater efficiency of energy use, resulting in a reduced energy requirement
8
Q
active safety
A
relies on operator-controlled action, external power, electric signals, etc.
9
Q
natural gas advantages
A
cleanest form of stored energy
10
Q
meltdown
A
uncontrolled decay that releases enough heat energy to melt materials in the core (can also cause steam explosion)
11
Q
ocean thermal-energy conversion
A
use the different temperatures of the surface and deep water to harness energy
12
Q
radioactive wastes
A
- direct products of fission (high-level)
- materials in reactor converted to unstable isotopes (low-level)
13
Q
Energy Policy Act of 2005
A
- signed by George W. Bush
- tax credit
- insurance for regulatory delays
- federal loans
- funds for Next Gen plants
14
Q
oil shale
A
fine sedimentary rock containing a mixture of solid, waxlike hydrocarbons: kerogen
15
Q
radioisotopes
A
- direct products of fission
- generally unstable
- become stable by ejecting subatomic particles, high-energy radiation, or both
16
Q
supply-side policies
A
increase available fossil fuels
17
Q
two ways to control fusion reaction
A
- laser beams
- Tokamak: magnetic field
both use more energy than they produce
18
Q
enhanced recovery
A
injecting carbon dioxide which breaks up oil droplets and enables them to flow again
19
Q
recent demand-side policies
A
- increasing vehicle mileage standards
- increasing energy efficiency of lighting, appliances, buildings
- encouraging industries to use combined heat and power (CHP) tech
- promoting greater use of non-fossil fuel sources
20
Q
Second Law of Thermodynamics
A
in every energy transformation, some usable energy is lost to the system
21
Q
gasohol
A
10% ethanol and 90% gas
22
Q
enrichment
A
changing U238 to U235 (technically difficult, which is why some countries haven’t figured it out)
23
Q
chain reaction
A
radioactive decay releases a neutron, which may split another element, which releases a neutron, which may split another element, etc…
24
Q
Atomic Energy Commission, now Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
A
agency in the US Dept of Energy
sets and envorces safety standards
25
fission
splitting uranium-235 into two smaller atoms
26
balance-of-trade deficit
a deficit in money flow resulting from purchasing more from other countries than is sold to other countries
27
embrittlement
metal in the reactor vessel becoming brittle from neutron bombardment
28
corporate average fuel economy (CAFE)
fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles
29
solar generation of electricity
* PV cells
* tower
* updraft tower
* concentration (trough, power)
30
primary energy source
can be used in the form in which they are found in nature (sun, geothermal, coal, wood, nuclear)
31
mass number
sum of the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom
32
U235
* unstable isotope of uranium
* will undergo fission easily
33
primary energy use categories
1. transportation
2. industrial processes
3. commercial and residential use (heating, coooling, lighting, appliances)
4. generation of electrical power
34
natural gas disadvantages
storage and transporation more difficult
35
electricity advantages and disadvantages
* advantage: clean at point of use
* disadvantage:
* dirty at point of generation
* conversion losses
* storage
* transmission
* doesn't address transportation needs significantly
36
Global
* 437 reactors operating
* 69 under construction
* 13.5% world electricity
37
Energy Independence and Security Act
* 2007
* EI
* addressed demand-side
38
moderator
slows down the neutrons that produce fission so that they are traveling at the right speed to trigger another fission
39
integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant
coal mixed with water and oxygen, heated under pressure to produce a synthetic gas (syngas) then burned in gas turbine. CO2 waste concentrated then injected into oil wells to help production
40
fuel cells
devices in which hydrogen or some other fuel is chemically combined with oxygento produce electrical potential rather than burning
41
corrosion
chemicals in water corrode pipes, causing them to crack
42
oil disadvantages
* environmental impact at every step
* security
* economic threat
43
electrolyzer
in a solar receptor that is designed to produce fuel from water using solar energy
44
45
ethyl alcohol
* ethanol
* produced by fermentation and distillation
* usually more expensive than gas
46
passive safety
* engineering devices and structures that make it impossible to fail
* depends on simple gravity, resistance to high temps, etc
47
hurdles of solar use
* collection
* conversion
* storage
* cost
48
coal advantages
* cheapest
* convenient
49
opposition
* distrust of tech
* safety and trust issues
* high construction cost and short operational lifetimes
* mistakes too dangerous
* targets for terrorists
* disposal
50
oil sand
sedimentary material containing bitumen, an extremely viscous, tar-like hydrocarbon
51
Energy Policy Act
* intended to establish energy policy for years to come
* PA
* 2005
* recommendations from Bush administration
* increase energy supply, other initiatives
52
electrolysis
use of electrical energy to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, resulting in hydrogen and oxygen gas
53
low-level waste
* indirect products of fission (reactor materials)
* hospital and industry waste
54
demand-side provisions
1. raising CAFE
2. requiring increase in efficient lightbulbs
3. ecouraging Energy Star appliences
4. tax credits for energy efficient building improvements
5. promoting hybrid and hydrogen fuel vehicles
6. encouraging waste-energy recovery
55
Carter Doctrine
1980 - Carter stated that the US would use military force if necessary to ensure our access to Persian Gulf Oil
56
biodiesel
made from veggie oil and diesel
57
proved reserves
fairly accurate estimate after exploratory drilling
58
U238
isotope of uranium
will NOT readily undergo fission
93% of all uranium found in nature
59
fission products
* lighter atoms
* nuetrons
* energy
60
turbine
sophisticated paddle wheel
61
supply-side provisions
* RFS for ethanol and biodiesel
* funding for research and development
* tax credits for electricity generated by alt energy
* tax credits for investment in alt energy
62
fusion reactors
* hydrogen abundant
* helium inert, nonpolluting, nonradioactive gas
* now can only use d-t reaction (deutrerium, tritium which is radioactive)
63
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
* 2009
* supply and demand policies
* lowering dependence on foreign oil
* security
* solving climate change
64
First Law of Thermodynamics
energy is never created or destroyed, only converted
65
undiscovered resources
educated guess about where oil/natural gas may be located and how much
66
recent supply-side policies
* exploring and developing domestic sources
* increasing use of coal
* removing environmental and legal obstacles
* providing access to remote sources of natural gas
67
geothermal heat pump
a system that involves loops of buried pipes filled with antifreeze or refrigerant, circulated by a pump and air handler to move air through a building
68
hydrogen economy
an economy in which hydrogen is the major energy carrier
69
E = mc2
* Energy = mass x speed of light squared
* mass of the product is less than the mass of the starting material and the lost mass is converted to energy
70
secondary recovery
injecting brine or steam (up to 50%)
71
smart grid
self-healing, able to monitor problems in real time, react, isolate trouble areas to prevent cascading black and brown-outs
72
History of Nuclear Power -- WWII -\> present
1. 1950s - research, development, promotion of plants and weapons
2. 1960s - building plants
3. 1975 - 53 plants, 9% of nations electricty, 170 in planning or construction
4. After 1975 - no new construction (protests, no possible evaculation, poor safety records, etc)
5. 2014 - 100 reactors (not projected 2000), 20% US power
73
tidal barage
dam with turbines built across mouth of a bay to harness tidal energy
74
oil advantages
* cheap
* convenient
75
76
electric generator
Coil of wire that rotates in a magnetic field, or remains stationary while magnetic field is rotated around it. Converts mechanical energy to electrical.
77
demand-side policies
lower the use of fuels through efficiency or alternative energy sources
78
biomass energy
* derived from photosynthesis
* firewood, waste, methane, ethyl alcohol, biodiesel
79
primary recovery
conventional pumping (up to 25%)
80
turbogenerator
combined turbine and generator
81
sources of energy that depend on the sun
* hydropower
* wind power
* biomass
* solar (obviously)
82
power tower
array of sun-tracking mirrors that focues sunlight onto a receiver tower, transfers heat to salt liquid, which flows to heat exchanger that drives a turbine, or to storage
83
fussion
fusing hydrogen into helium (occurs on the sun)
84
renewable fuel standard
* (RFS)
* minimum volume of renewable fuel in gas
85
production / recovery
extraction of materials from Earth
86
isotopes
forms of elements based on different numbers of neutrons (but same original number of protons and electrons)
87
equivalent to an energy source with the greatest potential for creating new energy supplies and the least number of environmental costs
conservation
88
thermal pollution
waste heat energy discharged into natural waterways
89
solar constant
the radiant energy from the sun reaching the top of the atmosphere at 1,366 watts per square meter
90
control rods
filled with neutron-absorbing material and inserted between the fuel ros to control the chain reaction by withdrawing and inserting rods as necessary
get HOT
91
coal disadvantages
greatest impact of all fossil fuels
92
geothermal energy
uses naturally heated water to drive turbogenerators
93
peak oil
the highest point in the curve of oil and gas production
94
energy
the capacity to do work (heat, light, electricity, motion, chemical bonds in compounds like fuel)
95
photovoltaic cell
* PV
* solar cell
* 2 thin semicoductor layers separated by junction layer of atoms exchanging electrons
