Fichas
Non renewables
Fichas del conjunto (11)
- 1Finite resourcesThe processes that produce fossil fuels are too slow to replace what has been used by humans.
Uranium is not being formed. Although none of these will be totally used up, exploitable deposits
may be depleted. - 2Energy Densitymeasured as the amount of energy released from a given mass of fuel or
equipment.
high energy density of fossil fuels means a small amount of fuel releases a large amount of
energy, so the amount of fuel that has to be carried or stored is low and it is easier to produce
high temperatures. It also makes it possible to transport large amounts of energy without needing
to use a lot of energy
Uranium and plutonium have very high energy densities so reactors do not need continual
refueling and they can be used where the delivery of bulky fuels may be difficult
By comparison, renewable energy resources have low energy densities. - 3Available ResourcesThe quantity of fossil fuels that exist is very large. Uranium is abundant but usually at very low
concentrations
Improvements in technology have continually increased the amounts that can be
found and extracted.
eg remote sensing exploration, mechanization of coal mining, drainage water pumping, deep
drilling, coal gasification, secondary and tertiary oil recovery
It is still very difficult to exploit some deposits.
eg those that are deep, fragmented, thin, under deep water or ice. - 4Level of technological developmentNew technologies developed that could only use fossil fuels.
eg petrol and diesel vehicle engines, steel furnaces, jet engines, gas lighting
To replace fossil fuels may require the development of new technologies to use the energy in
addition to those needed to harness it.
The complexity of nuclear power has hindered its economic viability.
eg plutonium fast breeder reactors, nuclear fusion, the safe decommissioning of reactors and
waste storage - 5Environmental impactFossil fuel use can cause a lot of habitat damage during extraction and pollution during use.
eg coal mining, oil spills, emissions of CO2, SO2, NOx
Many of these problems can be solved or minimized.
eg spoil restoration, better oil tanker design, flue-gas desulfurisation - 6Political and international trade problemsShortages in supplies or the need to import fuel when there are insufficient local supplies can
cause tension between countries. Control of resources that are in great demand can be used by
countries as a negotiating tool in discussions about other issues.
eg oil from the Middle East, natural gas from Russia - 7Economic issuesrelatively high cost of fossil fuels during their early development was not a major problem
As the most accessible fossil fuel deposits become depleted prices are likely to rise. Prices may
also rise if the financial costs of environmental damage are included or if environmental taxes
increase. - 8Deep mininginvolves extracts less non-coal material than open-cast mining but it is relatively
labour intensive - 9open cast miningcan use large machinery but cannot access deeper coal. It also affects a larger
area of land and causes more problems of noise, dust and visual impact - 10Primary oil recoverythe extraction of crude oil that is forced to the surface by the natural
pressure of water beneath the oil or natural gas above or dissolved in it. - 11Oil extraction difficulties x5very deep below the surface, friction increases, pumping fluids becomes more difficult
beneath water, very viscous, in impermeable rock, too small to be profitable
Información
- Descripción
- A level (unit 3 ) Environmental studies Fichas sobre Non renewables, creado por spoopy Gonzalez el 23/04/2018.
- Creado por
- spoopy Gonzalez
- Visitas
- 1
- Valoración