SA.2 Energy Generation & Storage Flashcards
How do turbines & generators usually work
Fossil fuels burned, creating heat, boiling water, causing steam which rotates turbines, generating electricity
Fossil fuels uses
Natural gas - heating & cooking
Coal - burned to create energy
Oil - plastics or fuel
Fossil fuels adv
Cheap & reliable source of energy
Fossil fuels disadv
Contains high amounts of carbon - contributs to gw
Non-renewable, unsustainable
Accidents sa oil spills –> leading to pollution
Shale gas
Natural gas trapped in shale rock underground. Extracted by Hydraulic fracking - sending high pressure mixture of water, sand & chemicals into rock, causing them to fracture, releasing the gas out of well
Nuclear power (+adv, disadv)
Fission - splitting of uranium atoms in nuclear reactor
Adv: nuc power clean & efficient. Runs coninuously generating larg-scale power
Disadv: waste mat is radioactive, dangerous to life
Wind power (+adv, disadv)
Kinetic energy from wind turns blades on rotor. This is connected to a generator, creating electricity
Adv: cost effective. No pollution. Renewable
Disadv: unreliable as relies on wind. Ruins landscapes
Tidal power (+adv, disadv)
Movement of water from tides turns underwater turbines, driving generators that convert energy into electricity. Tidal barrages utilise difference between low/high tides. Tidal stream power utilitses fast flowing currents around coast
Adv: constant, reliable, no pollution
Disadv: expensive, high maintenance
Solar power (+adv, disadv)
Solar panels absorb light into photovoltaic cells, converts into electricity
Adv: renewable, no gg’s
Disadv: low energy generation in winter when daylight shorter (unreliable)
Biomass energy
Produced from organic matter (plants, animal waste). Energy extracted by burning or anaerobic digestion which creates biogas & biofertiliser
Adv: renewable. Plentiful supply.
Disadv: risk or deforestation. CO2 emissions
HEP
Captures energy of falling water. Turbine converts this k energy into mechanical energy, turned into electricity by generator. Dams used
Adv: renewable. No pollution. Regulated according to demand
Disadv: cost of construction of dam very high. Flooding
Kinetic pumped storage systems
Used to efficiently manage a supply of k energy & rapidly top up National Grid in times of high demand. HEP holds water in upper reservoir - at time of high elec demand, dam is opened & water released to drive turbines. At low demands, water pumped back up into upper reservoir, ready to be released
Batteries
Batteries contain electro-chemicals that react w eachother to produce voltage
Disadv: batteries contain toxic chemicals, if end up in landfill can contaminate ground & pollute water
Alkane batteries
Have high energy capacity & long shelf life.
Holds 1.5V per cell
Rechargeable batteries
Can be charged many times using energy from mains electricity
Hold 1.2V per cell
