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FOSSIL FUELS. Contents

Outline

3 I. Introduction (Fossil Fuel Energy) 4 II. Types of Fossil Fuels 6 Coal 6 Oil 7 Natural Gas 8 III. Conclusion 9

Bibliography

http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/story/story-html/chapter05.html http://webhome.idirect.com/~bobita/Cretaceous/Uses_Of_Fossils/index.htm http://science.cc.uwf.edu/SH/Curr/fossil.fuel.htm http://www.education.leeds.ac.uk/~edu/technology/ebp97/leec/coal.htm http://www.education.leeds.ac.uk/~edu/technology/ebp97/leec/gas.htm
Other References
Underwood, Shelly and Gary Energy - How Australia Works Published in Victoria, 1995, by Cardigan Street Publishers. Twist, Clint Facts on Fossil Fuels Published in Great Britain, 1990, by Gloucester Press. Healey, Kaye Energy Resources - Nuclear and Fossil Fuels Published in NSW, 1995, by Spinney Press. Allen, John E Energy Resources for a Changing World Published in Great Britain, 1992, by Cambridge University Press. Andres, R.J., G. Marland, I. Fung, and E. Matthews. A 1°x1° distribution of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption and cement manufacture, 1950-1990. Published in United States, 1996. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 10, 419-429.

Body

I. Introduction FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY Imagine that millions of years ago, earth was covered with tropical trees and swamps, which are ideal conditions for forming fossil fuels. All were formed many millions of years ago during the time of the dinosaurs therefore the name fossil fuels. When plants and dinosaurs and other ancient creatures died, they decomposed and became buried, layer upon layer under the ground. It took millions of years to form these layers into a hard, black colored rock-like substance called coal, a thick liquid called oil or petroleum, and natural gas. Fossil fuels can be found under the earth in many locations around the country. Each of the fossil fuels is extracted out of the ground differently. Fossil are found in earth, rock, and clay. This process forms part of the carbon cycle. Fossil fuels are mined by people for use as an energy source. Fossil fuel energy is stored energy which is given off when the fuel is burned. Most energy given off by fossil fuel energy is sometimes released in the form of heat. Their are three types of fossil fuel coal, oil and natural gas. 90% of the energy we use in this country comes from fossil fuels. Aside from the environmental impacts of exploration and extraction of fossil fuels, their use causes such things as smog, acid rain, and contributes to global warming. Furthermore, the world's supply of fossil fuels is not limitless. Coal, oil, and natural gas heat our homes, power our cars, generate electricity, and basically run America's industries. As we begin to rely on these sources more and more, their abundance becomes less and less. What is important to realise is that these fuels are in very short supply, with coal expected to last for up to 150 years, oil for 50 years and gas for 25 years. Industrialized countries such as the United States rely heavily on the burning of non-renewable fuels in order to provide energy. Non- renewable supplies are like life-saving once they are gone they can never be replaced so are the opposite to renewable energy sources. Burning of such fuels can cause air pollution problems. Tracking Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fossil Fuel Burning The largest single source of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is the burning of fossil fuel (coal, oil and gas), which currently accounts for ~80% of the annual emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Nitrogen is also a byproduct of fossil fuel use. Finding new reserves often means exploring and tapping such environmentally sensitive areas such as the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. This becomes extremely costly, and some argue, draws attention as well as funds away from finding alternative sources. The alternatives are, mostly, the renewables. Although conservation and nuclear energy are also thought of as fossil fuel substitutes, it is sun power, wind power, and water power that gets support from the environmentally conscious. Hydroelectricity accounts for nearly 4% of the U.S. energy, with solar and wind power making up less then 1%. Wind farms in the United Kingdom have met with some success, and people who support these options maintain that most renewables are now capable of producing energy at rates which are competative with other sources. Their implementation is quick and relatively easy, and as the technology is used it will be refined to become even more efficient. Best of all, renewable resources produce no air or water pollution. Although very few actually argue against the development of these options, many people simply don't believe that the sun, wind, and rain can produce enough energy to meet our needs. The unreliability of the sun and the wind make for these options to be met with skepticism. Plus, there is the issue of the amount of land needed to make solar or wind power a reality. Currently, the technology just isn't advanced enough to make these options viable on a large scale without covering a plot of land the size of some states. Of course hydroelectricity has been around, and been doing well for quite awhile. However, environmentalists are now beginning to notice the effects damming up rivers seems to have on the immediate surroundings. The fish population, as well as plants and wildlife are all impacted when man steps in and alters the natural state. II. Types of Fossil Fuels COAL is a fossil fuel that is found under the ground in solid form. Coal is mined and transported by truck, barge or train. It is taken to a place where it will be stored or burned. Coal is the fossilzed remains of plants, this occured on land. The example below shows how coal is gradually formed over millions of years and forms part of the carbon cycle, showing why it is a non-renewable resource rather than a renewable one. Oil and gas are formed in a very simliar way but rather than on land this occurs in the sea. OIL is another fossil fuel that is found under the ground and in the sea in a liquid form. Oil is collected by drilling in a deep well into the ground and then pumping it out. It is transported by pipe lines or oil tankers to a place where it will be stored or burned. Oil can also be converted into gasoline. Both oil and gasoline are burned in automobiles. Oil and gas however are formed in the sea, underneath rocks, which means that drilling rigs have to be set up to allow this supply to be got at. An example of how oil and natural gas is formed is show. One such supply is the North Sea, and some oil fields are often on land. The petroleum or crude oil must be changed or refined into other products before it can be used. Oil Refineries are where oil is refined and stored in large tanks until it is sent to various places to be used. Oil is also made into many different products -- fertilizers for farms, the clothes you wear, the toothbrush you use, the plastic bottle that holds your milk, the plastic pen that you write with. They all came from oil. There are thousands of other products that come from oil. Almost all plastic comes originally from oil. Can you think of some things made from oil? At oil refineries, crude oil is split into various types of products by heating the thick black oil. The products include gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, home heating oil, oil for ships and oil to burn in power plants to make electricity. NATURAL GAS is also a fossil fuel that is a mixture of gases found under the ground. Natural gas is collected and transported almost the way oil is. Natural gas burns in home furnaces and ranges. Natural gas is lighter than air. Natural gas is mostly made up of a gas called methane. Methane is a simple chemical compound that is made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms. It's chemical formula is CH4. This gas is highly flammable. Natural gas is usually found near petroleum underground. The natural gas is pumped from below ground and sent in large pipelines like the ones to the right. Natural gas usually has no odor and you can't see it. Before it is sent to the pipelines and storage tanks, it is mixed with a chemical that gives a strong odor. The odor smells almost like rotten eggs. The odor makes it easy to smell if there is a leak. From the storage tanks natural gas is sent through underground pipes to your home to cook your food and heat your house. Natural gas is also sent to factories and to power plants to make electricity. III. Conclusion In the long-term, the development of the energy supply system should be directed towards a maximum replacement of fossil fuels by other renewable energy sources. It will however certainly take several decades to transform the present systems for the generation of electricity, heat and power. In the intermediate period fossil fuels will supply most of the energy needed in society. For environmental reasons it is necessary that the energy conversion from these fossil sources is both efficient and clean. This is the starting point for research and development in the field of fossil fuels (natural gas and coal) and for studying the environmental aspects of the use of these fuels. The research ranges from the development of new materials for energy conversion plants to studies of fossil fuel based energy systems. Fast Facts About Fossil Fuels: · The United States uses about 17 million barrels of oil every day. · Petroleum accounts for nearly 40% of our country's energy. · Coal is used to produce almost 60% of our nations electrical power, and accounts for 22% of our overall energy consumption. · Natural gas, a third form of fossil fuel, accounts for roughly 23% of The United States energy usage. · It takes the equivalent of 7 gallons of gasoline per day for every man woman and child to keep this country running at its current pace. · The U.S. is home to 5% of the world's population, yet consumes 26% of the world's energy. RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES Imagine what life would be like without electricity? At present most electricity is produced using non-renewable resources like coal but this cannot continue forever. · The common characteristic of renewable energy resources is that they are never going to run out. · Compared with non-renewable resources, renewable energy is difficult to use and more expensive at present. · Not only could renewable resources solve future energy needs but they could also help to reduce environmental problems. Oil Refinary. Oil is an example of a non-renewable resource. It is obtained from oil fields and is transported to oil refinaries where it is turned into various oil products. The useage of oil can lead to various forms of water and air pollution, but their useage can be reduced through increased dependence on renewable resources. 1. Stuart Taylor FOSSIL FUELS / ENERGY CRISIS Children nowadays take energy for granted. Could you image having to come home from school and to chop wood for dinner or to keep warm? If you have you know how monotonous and boring the experience is. In my report I will be discussing the most important discovery, known to man, fossil fuels , and changing them into energy. Some people may disagree with my last statement saying that fossil fuel are terrible and have destroyed our environment. In my report I will give you an analysis of both points of view. I will also suggest some things we as a community can do to cut down the pollution from these fuels. COAL You may be asking yourself, where does coal come from? Coal is the remains of dead plants and animals becoming fossilized and over millions of years they decompose and through great pressure and high temperature these fossils change to coal. Coal makes up approximately 28% of the worlds total energy needs, and is consumed at an alarming rate with nearly 1 million tons of black coal burnt in Australia in one day, and is worth about $5 billion annually just to Australia. But coal is unrenewable an it is predicted the worlds coal reserves would be gone within the next 40-50 years. Coal is one of the most important discoveries know to man, as I mentioned before. Coal basically started the industrial revolution, in which created the whole way of life as we know it now. Light in our homes, refrigerators to keep our food fresh and ovens to cook our food are all came indirectly from the discovery of coal. Shaft mining for Black Coal, in Newcastle, NSW. OIL Oil is formed a lot like coal except coal is found on land and oil is mainly found in the ocean. Oil forms from dead plant and animal life drifting to the bottom of the ocean and it there is covered with sand and sediment material. Over thousands of years due to high temperature and pressure these fossils form oil. Oil is mainly used in developed western countries such as Australia, Canada, USA and some European Countries, who mainly use oil for energy and fuel for automobiles. Oil is a precious commodity and it is very expensive. It is believed that the worlds oil reserves will run out within the next 40-50 years. Oil is so valuable that is was the main reason why the Gulf War began. As it is so expensive underdeveloped countries can sometimes not afford it even though they desperately need it for transport, which stops their countries growth. Oil ships can carry up to 500 000 tons of oil. So as you can image if one of these ships started to leak it would have a serious detrimental effect on the environment. Oil spills can cover a massive area. For example in 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil spill Alaska covered 13.5kms by 6.5kms. It took a long time for this region to recover. To prevent oil spills, I feel oil companies must be so accurate that every part of the tanker is leak proof. There should also have a clean up crew ready if there is a oil spill. A clean up patrol, after a large oil spill in the Pacific Ocean ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL PROBLEMS When oil and coal is burnt they emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, that have a negative effect on the environment, like sulfur dioxide. Carbon dioxide traps in the sunlight as it only lets light in, it does not allow it to leave the atmosphere which causes temperatures to rise. If temperatures are too hot it is terrible for children and elderly people who find it hard to cope with hot conditions. To stop the green house effect we must find alternative transport. Did you know that for every liter of petrol used 3 kilograms of carbon dioxide is released into the air. If you multiply that that by the average amount of petrol a car uses in a lifetime and multiply that by the number of cars that have been on the streets you have a lot of Carbon dioxide in the air. Coal and Oil also let off sulfur dioxide which mixes with the moisture and clouds in the air and forms sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid is know as acid rain as when it falls it causes forests, vegetation and crops to die, which upsets the equilibrium of many ecosystems. Acid rain occurs in Australia but is not as bad as in Europe where some of he most beautiful forests in the world are dying as a result of acid rain. With these effects in mind and the fact that fossil fuels are predicted to run out within the next 40-50 years it is essential that we find alternative and renewable energy sources. I will now give you some information about the three main renewable resources which may be the answer to our energy crisis. When the iron industry ran out of iron ore in the area the only resource Scranton had was coal, and the robber borons exploited it to the hilt. Ford Motor Company at one time wanted to bring an auto manfactuing plant to Scranton, and was stopped by the local businesses who feared it would cut out their source of cheap labor. The huge surealistic buildings are called Coal Breakers... and that was their purpose. They broke down the large sized pieces of coal into various sizes needed for commerce. They ravaged the land as they ravaged the people. Though the area is beautiful with all of its many lakes and mountains, some of the remains of the effects of the strip mining still dot the landscape. The Anthracite Strike of 1902 was one of the great events in American Natural Gas Hydrate on the Sea Floor Oil-Stained Gas Hydrate Natural Sea-Surface Oil Slick Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacteria Found at Seep Sites Piston Core Deployment Submersible Turtle with Offshore Drilling Platform in Background Triterpane hydrocarbon biomarkers in Gulf of Mexico seeps Return to Cover Page The photovoltaic effect occurs when sunlight energizes electrons in a semiconductor material and causes them to flow through a circuit, creating electric current. The basic building block of the solar electric system is the photovoltaic cell. Traditionally the PV cell has been manufactured from pure single crystal or semi-crystaline silicon. The silicon is processed to enhance the ability of the electrons to break free and flow. Strips of conductive metal alloys, such as copper, are deposited on the cell to act as a circuit. As the electrons are excited by the sun, the resulting current is collected by the circuit and transmitted. BASIC SYSTEM DESCRIPTION PV power generation systems are made up of interconnected components, each with a different function. A major strength of PV systems is modularity. As your needs grow, individual components can be replaced or added to increase capacity. COMPONENTS: · Solar ARRAY: consists of one or more PV modules which convert sunlight and daylight into electricity. The modules are connected in parallel and series to provide the voltage and current as is appropriate for the application. The array is usually mounted on a metal structure or roof and tilted to face the sun. · Charge CONTROLLER: The main function is to maintain the batteries at the proper level of charge and to protect them from overcharging. Many optional features are also available. · Battery BANK: The battery bank contains one or more deep cycle batteries, connected in series and/or parallel depending on the application voltage and current needed. The batteries store the power produced by the solar array for when it is needed. · Inverter: An inverter is required when you want to power AC devices. It converts the DC power produced by the solar array and batteries to AC power. · AC loads: These are the appliances you want to run with the power. AC loads are typical household appliances. · DC loads: DC loads are appliances designed for DC power such as RV and automotive equipment. DC loads make more efficient use of the power than AC loads and therefore may be a better choice for use with home energy systems. · Other components: Circuit breakers for safety, meters, wiring, switches and controls. · Click here for more info on Declaring energy independence with Trace inverters. New Small Turbines Hydro means water. Hydro-electric means making electricity from water power. Hydroelectric power uses the kinetic energy of moving water to make electricity. Dams can be built to stop the flow of a river. Water behind a dam often forms a reservoir. Dams are also built across larger rivers but no reservoir is made. The river is simply sent through a hydroelectric power plant. The water flows through a pipe called a penstock and pushes against blades in a turbine, causing them to turn. The turbine is similar to the kind used in a power plant that we learned about in Chapter 3. But instead of using steam to turn the turbine, water is used. The turbine spins a generator to produce electricity. The electricity can then go to your home, to your school, to factories and businesses. Hydro power today can be found in the mountainous areas of California where there are reservoirs and along major rivers.

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