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Non-renewable Energy Source. Non-renewable Sources. Non-renewable energy source: An energy source that either cannot be renewed, or that takes millions of years to renew naturally. Thermal Generation Using Fossil Fuels
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Non-renewable Sources Non-renewable energy source: • An energy source that either cannot be renewed, or that takes millions of years to renew naturally.
Thermal Generation Using Fossil Fuels • Thermal generation is a method for generating electricity in which water is heated to produce steam, which spins a turbine connected to a generator.
A common way to heat water is by burning fossil fuels. • Burning coal, oil, and natural gas currently provides more than half of the world’s supply of electrical energy. • Fossil fuels are non-renewable as they are formed from the remains of microbes, plants, and animals that lived millions of years ago.
Thermal Generation Using Nuclear Energy: • Nuclear power plants use materials such as uranium as fuel. • The nucleus of a uranium atom stores a large quantity of nuclear energy. • When these atoms break apart, the atoms’ nuclear energy is transformed into thermal energy. • A small pellet of uranium – produces about as much energy as burning 570 L of oil.
In nuclear power plants, long metallic tubes are filled with pellets of uranium. • The tubes are placed in a nuclear reactor. • The energy released produces stream that turns a turbine in a generator.
Radioactive waste from a nuclear reactor is stored underwater for more than 10 years. • Then it is stored in a dry storage behind concrete 1 m thick. • After another 60 years, the canisters can be moved to long-term storage, but it is still unsafe. • It will remain unsafe for tens of thousands of years!
