key words 9

• activation products


  Atomic nuclei that become radioactive because they have absorbed neutrons that change them into less stable nuclei that emit ionising radiation.
• aerodynamics


  the study of airflow over surfaces
• barrage


  a dam built across an estuary to generate tidal power
• compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)


  an early design of low-energy light
• combined heat and power station (CHP)


  A power station that has a high overall energy efficiency

  -> heat energy from the condenser cooling water is harnessed and used
• concentrating solar power


  method of increasing the intensity of solar energy by using a parabolic array of mirrors to reflect light into a smaller area
• directional drilling


  drilling of wells for oil or gas that are not vertical
• embodied energy


  the amount of energy that was used to make and install an item
• energy density


  amount of energy in a particular mass of fuel
• fuel cell 


  an electrochemical device that produces electricity from the chemical reaction between two substances (usually hydrogen or an alcohol) and oxygen.
• grays


  a unit of energy absorbed from ionising radiation
• Horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) 


  wind turbines where the blades rotate around a generator that has a horizontal axis of rotation
• hydraulic fracturing


  a method using high pressure fluids to open cracks in fine-grained shales to allow trapped oil and gas to flow so it can be extracted
• hydroelectric power (HEP)


  method of generating electricity using the downhill flow of water to turn turbines and generators
• hydrodynamics


  study of the flow of water
• hydrogen economy


  the proposal that hydrogen produced by electrolysing water could be used as the main fuel to meet a country's energy demands
• incineration


  the breakdown of a waste by burning it
• in-stream turbines


  tidal turbines that are rotated by marine currents but without having a barrage to focus the water flow
• kinetic energy recovery system (KERS)


  a method of slowing a vehicle by using the kinetic energy of the vehicle to turn a flywheel or charge batteries

  -> The stored energy is used for acceleration which reduces the amount of fuel that needs to be used.
• laser fusion


  a developmental nuclear fusion technique that uses a laser beam to cause fusion in beads of frozen hydrogen
• limecrete


  an alternative to concrete that has a much lower embodied energy as it uses calcium hydroxide rather than cement
• methane hydrate


  a solid compound of methane trapped in ice crystals
• nuclear fission


  nuclear power that involves the splitting of the nuclei of large atoms

  ->uranium 235 + plutonium 239
• nuclear fusion


  nuclear power that involves the joining of the nuclei of small atoms

  -> hydrogen 2 + 3
• oil shales


  fine sedimentary rock that contains kerogen
• pantograph


  the electricity pick up on the roof of a locomotive that allows the use of electricity from overhead cables
• peak shaving


  process of storing surplus energy to satisfy later peaks in demand
• photothermal


  a system that converts light into heat
• photovoltaic


  system that light into electricity
• plutonium reactors


  nuclear fission reactors that use plutonium as the fissile fuel
• power to gas systems (P2G)


  a method of using surplus electricity which would be wasted to produce methane gas
• primary oil recovery


  extraction of crude oil where oil is forced to the surface by pressure of water beneath the oil
• pumped storage


  an energy storage system where surplus electricity is used to pump water from a lower reservoir to a high one
• rammed earth


  wall construction method where materials are compacted because no cement is used

  ->clay, soil, straw
• secondary fuel


  an energy soil that is produced by the conversion of a primary fuel
• smart motorways


  method of relieving traffic congestion which allows driving on the hard shoulder and reducing speed limits during periods of heavy traffic flows
• tar sands


  very viscous crude oil found in sand
• tertiary oil recovery


  the extraction of crude oil where the viscosity of the oil is reduced

  -> e.g injection of steam or solvents
• thermal mass


  a measure of the ability of a material or structure to absorb and store heat
• thorium reactor

  reactor that uses thoruim 2332 as a fertile fuel