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Energy Production

Energy Production. Mr. Hanz SPH 3U1 November 25, 2009. Fossil Fuels. - Oil Gasoline Natural Gas Coal. Coal. What do you know about coal (Pros/Cons as an energy source) ?. Coal. Pros Large domestic reserves Extremely cheap (initial cost)

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Energy Production

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  1. Energy Production Mr. Hanz SPH 3U1 November 25, 2009

  2. Fossil Fuels • - Oil • Gasoline • Natural Gas • Coal

  3. Coal What do you know about coal (Pros/Cons as an energy source) ?

  4. Coal • Pros • Large domestic reserves • Extremely cheap (initial cost) • Can ramp up energy production quickly to meet peak demand

  5. Coal • Cons • Extremely dirty • Large emitter of CO2 and NOx emissions • Environmentally damaging • Acid rain

  6. Coal/Fossil Fuel Energy Production • How exactly do we produce energy from coal (and fossil fuels in general)?

  7. Oil and Gas

  8. Oil and Gas • Pros • Cleaner than coal • Affordable for the time being • Infrastructure already in place

  9. Oil and Gas • Cons • Oil and Gasoline are largely imported • Socio-Political Consequences (terrorism, etc) • Prices fluctuate greatly • Large contributors of greenhouse emissions • Production reaching a peak?

  10. Peak Oil? • For any geographic region, oil production will follow a bell-shaped curve • M.K Hubbert

  11. Hydroelectric

  12. Hydroelectric • Renewable energy source • Produces no greenhouse gas emissions • Canada has vast, untapped hydroelectric resources • How Hydroelectricity works

  13. Hydroelectric • In most cases, must flood large swaths of land, destroying ecosystems and displacing large amounts of people

  14. Three Gorges Dam – P.R China • $39 Billion U.S (180 billion yuan) • 2.35km wide! • 22,500 MW Energy Production • 1.2 million people displaced - 10x the population of Kingston

  15. Nuclear Power

  16. Nuclear Power • Utilizes uranium as a fuel source • Can be either enriched or un-enriched, depending on reactor type • Canada, along with Australia have the largest reserves of uranium in the world! • Three Nuclear generating stations in Ontario alone – Bruce, Pickering and Darlington

  17. How does it work? • Fission • Controlled chain reaction involving collision between a neutron and uranium atom (Link)

  18. Nuclear Power in Ontario

  19. Issues? • Uranium is non-renewable (especially without reprocessing) • Spent Fuel Storage • Some fission byproducts are highly radioactive for thousands of years • Accidents • Radioactive contamination • Meltdown

  20. Past Accidents • Three Mile Island (Pennsylvania, 1979) • Chernobyl (Ukrainian SSR, USSR, 1986)

  21. Renewables

  22. Renewables • Wind • Solar • Geothermal • Tidal

  23. Wind • Resource intensive – iron and other raw materials • Intermittent energy production – require a storage medium

  24. Solar • Sun radiates 10,000x more energy onto the earth than we use every day • The most common cost effective cells are only 8% efficient, however this is improving with every year • Size of Cells and thus amount of material used in their production and their cost is also decreasing with every year

  25. Geothermal • Obtains heat from the Earth • Heat used to generate electricity • Or used directly to heat houses

  26. Biofuel • 1st Generation • From food sources: vegetable oil, sugar cane, corn (ethanol) • Energy vs. Food • Ethanol – EROEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) = ~1.34 (34%) • 2nd Generation • Cellulose – byproduct of agricultural production: • switch grass, plant stock (LINK)

  27. The Future? • Tidal • Hydrogen • Fusion

  28. Global Energy Consumption Trends

  29. Energy Consumption Per Capita Why do you think Canada’s energy consumption per capita is so high, even when compared to other western nations (Germany, France, etc)? Do you find any of these values/figures unexpected?

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