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Energy and its transformations - Coggle Diagram
Energy and its transformations
Energy sources
Household uses
the operating of electrical appliances, heating systems, hot water systems, heat for cooking and for means of transport
Industrial uses
the operating of factories and companies construction, agriculture
Energy sources are natural resources from which we obtain different forms of energy that can be transformed for a specific use
By origin
Primary
Obtained directly from nature
Examples: crude oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy and renewable energies
Secondary
Resulting from transformation of primary resources
Examples: electricity, some petroleum derivatives
By use in each country
Conventional
Most commonly used in industrialised countries
Example: energy that comes from fossil fuels
Non-conventional
Alternative energy resources
In early stages of their technological developement
Solar and wind power belong to this group
By avaiability in nature and capacity for regeneration
Renewable
Abundant and inexhaustible
Non-renewable
May or may not be abundant
Depleted when we use them up
Cannot be renewed in a short period of time
By enviromental impact
Clean or non-polluting
Don't generate by-products that pollute the enviroment
Low enviromental impact
Pollutants
Sources that have negative effects on the enviroment, for example, they might generate by-products that severaly pollute the enviroment
Electricity
Easily transformed
Transoported long distances
Electric power plants
Facilities where energy is transformed into electricity
How an electric power plant works
Turbine-alternator system
The turbine converts mechanical enegy into the rotating movement os a shaft
An alternator has a fixed part, called a stator, and a moving part,
called a rotor, connected to the turbine shaft
Transport and distribution of electrical energy
Electricity cannot be stored, it must be transported to
consumption centres. This transport involves several processes:
Increasing the voltage to 220 000 V or 400 000 V to prevent signifcant energy loss, due to the Joule effect
Transporting it by high voltage cables attached to towers
Distribution to homes, offices, industnes and public facilties During this stage, the voltage is reduced to 230-400 V.
Decreasing the voltage at the electricity substations to 3-30 kV
Conventional electric power plants
Nuclear power plants
This type of plant includes a nuclear fission reactor that produces the
pressurised steam needed to move the turbine rotor.
Uranium is the main fuel used.
Their main advantage is the high return on their energy production
Fossil fuel thermal power plants
Water is heated in a boiler by the heat
generated from the combustion of a fossil fuel,
Combined cycle power plant
Electricity ts generated as a result of two combined cycles, a cycle that uses air and gas, and a conventional thermal cycle During the first cycle, a gas turbine is used that includes a compressor. A gas turbine is used that includes a compressor. Air is mixed with the gas and is burnt, which generates electncity in the turbine-alternator system. The combustion gases are transported to a boiler, where they transfer their energy to the water during the second cycle
Hydroelectric power plants
Uses the potential energy provided by the
height of the stored water in a dam, converting it mto kinetic energy.
This energy moves the blades of the turbine
Pump-driven hydraulic power plants
Water descends into a reservoir located at a lower
height, then pumped to a higher reservoir to reuse it
Gravity-driven hydraulic power plants
Water used follows the course of a river and will not be reused
Non-conventional electric power plants
The main disadvantage of these power plants is that they generate much less energy, since they use diffuse energy sources
The ir advantages are that they contaminate much less than
conventional power plants, they use renewable sources and they reduce the energy dependence of petroleum and natural gas.
Wind power plants and wind farms
Solar power plants
Photo-thermal power plant
The heat generated by solar radiation produces steam that is used to move the rotor in the generator.
Photovoltaic power plant
In these power plants, solar radiation is transformed directly into electncity by panels of photovoltaic cells.
Geothermal power plants
These plants use the heat found at deep levels in the earth. This heat may reach the surface in the form of steam, gases or hot water.
Biomass thermal power plants
Biomass consists of all organic compounds that are produced through natural processes. They may come from the following sources.
Specific crops, such as sunflowers and cougar beet.
Waste from agri-food industries.
Forestry and agricultural waste.
Ocean power plants
These power plants use the energy from the seas and the oceans. The concept is to use three types of energy from the sea.
The mechanical energy from the waves.
The energy from the ocean's thermal gradient.
The mechanical energy from the tides
These power plants use the kinetic energy of the wind to move the blades of a rotor at the top of a tower, this is referred to as the
wind turbine.
Wind farms are a clean form of generating electricity.
Enviromental impact
Enviromental impact assessment
It's mandatory to carry out an enviromental impact assessment to find out what changes it would provoke in the enviroment
An environmental study must also assess both the economic and social consequences of the project in the area, to decide whether or not to go ahead with the plan.
Enviromental impacts
Electricity generation
Nuclear thermal power plants are accompanied by the risk of
nuclear accidents and the problem of nuclear waste, some of which remain dangerous for thousands of years
Large hydroelectric power plants require water reservoirs covering large areas, which protoundly change the natural cycle of rivers, flood large land areas and destroy ecosystems, in addition to increasing the risk of accidents.
Conventional thermal power plants can cause numerous problems and environmental hazards.
They emit sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide that cause acid
rain, which is very harmful to the environment
The water used in the cooling system is returned to ihe environment while it's sull warm, which affects both animal and plant life
They emit large amounts of CO2 which increases rthe greenhouse effect.
They produce air pollution — suspended particles, CO, heavy
metal molecules and so on.
Final energy use
The fuels we use in vehicles and heating systems emit gases and
particles similar to those generated by convenuonal thermal power plants. When we turn on an electric appliance, we' re consuming energy that
has already caused several environmental problems during its extraction, generation and transportation.
Fuel transport
Oil is transported by means of oil pipelines and oil tankers. Oil pipehnes can suffer accidents caused by nature or human error,
which result in uncontrolled spills.
Extraction of natural resources
The exploitation of fossil fuels and nuclear power means the depletion of resources, which makes it necessary to find new ones
Waste treatment
To reduce the waste generated by thermal power plants, as well as their effects, several measures can be taken
Use coal with a low sulphur content, to reduce acid ram.
Maintain and increase the size of large forested areas, since they absorb carbon dioxide.
Install special filters on the pipes at the power plant to capture some of the gas pollutants
Waste from nuclear power plants is stored in drums with thick sides that do not let the nuclear radiation escape. These are then stored in ocean trenches and underground.
Some solutions
Efficiency
Energy efficiency policies increase efficiency of everyday appliances and devices
Noticeably reduce the energy we consume
Energy diversification
Use of renewable energy sources
is fundamental
Objective is to produce a large
part of our electricity through alternative power plants
Energy savings
Essential to reduce the consumption of all forms of energy — without seriously affecting quality of life
Adoption of more environmentally
friendly habits