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Everything You Need to Know About Fossil Fuels. *and how to give a good energy presentation. How Fossil Fuels Work. Fossil fuels are burned to produce heat Produces CO 2 and water Greenhouse gas, plant food Also produces C, CO , NO x , SO x Toxic, acid rain, smog
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Everything You Need to Know About Fossil Fuels *and how to give a good energy presentation
How Fossil Fuels Work • Fossil fuels are burned to produce heat • Produces CO2 and water • Greenhouse gas, plant food • Also produces C, CO, NOx , SOx • Toxic, acid rain, smog • Catalytic converters limit this
How Fossil Fuels Work • Coal: C(s) + O2 CO2 + H2O + 25.6 kJ/g • Nat’l gas: CH4(g) + O2 CO2 + H2O + 55.5 kJ/g • Gasoline: C8H18(l)+ O2 CO2 + H2O + 45.6 kJ/g • Propane: C3H8(l/g)+ O2 CO2 + H2O + 50.4 kJ/g • Source: Encyclopedia of Earth
How Fossil Fuels Work • Power plants • Heat boils water to make steam • Steam spins turbine/generator • Same as in nuclear power plant • Vehicles • Fuel burns in cylinder • Produces hot gas, which expands • LNG has promise
Availability* • 82% of total US energy consumption • 68% of US electricity production • 42% coal, 25% nat’l gas, 1% petroleum** • 95.5% of energy in Transportation • Need electric cars to avoid • *Source: Institute for Energy Research • **Source: US Energy Information Administration
Capacity • We could provide 100% • We have in the past
Cost of Electricity • Coal • Total: 10 cents/kW-hr • Fuel: 3 cents/kW-hr • Natural Gas • Total: 7 cents/kW-hr • Fuel: 5 cents/kW-hr • Source: Institute for Energy Research
Renewability • Fossil fuels are not renewable • Coal: 150-400 yr • US has 27% of world supply • Russia (18%) and Canada (13%) • Source: Institute for Energy Research, Wikipedia • Oil: 45-150 yr • Physics/ucsd.edu, wikipedia • Nat’l Gas: 60-170 yr • Wikipedia
Independence • In 2011, 45 percent of US was imported • Canada • Mexico • Saudi Arabia • Venezuela • Nigeria. • Source: Energy Information Administration • Domestic supplies could increase with technology • Fracking, shale oil, oil sands
Environmental Impact • Emissions • CO2 (last IPCC says 99% cause of AGW) • NOx, SOx • Particulate • Heavy metal • VOC’s • Oil spills • Drilling , transportation, refining • Mining issues
New Technologies • Fracking may increase our NG supply tremendously • Environmental concerns • New domestic sources of petroleum • Shale oil • Tar sands
Quote of the Day • “The stone age didn’t end for lack of stone … • … and the oil age will end long before the world runs out of oil.” 70’s Saudi oil minister
Opinion • No choice soon enough • Economics a big pos. • But we’re rich enough to move on • Environmental impact big neg. • Develop alt energy for job growth • Energy independence undervalued • Petroleum is undervalued as chemical source
References • (1) Encyclopedia of Earth • http://www.eoearth.org/article/Heat_of_combustion?topic=49557 • (2) Institute for Energy Research • http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/energy-overview/fossil-fuels/ • (3) US Energy Information Administration • http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3