5.3

• Fossil fuels


  Fuels created from the remains of dead plants and animals
• Generating electrical energy from fossil fuels

  1. Combustion in power plant

  2. Heat water to steam

  3. Steam drives generator

  4. Steam liquefied in cooling tower
• Electrical energy calculation with fossil fuels

  • Energy supplied = Consumption x Heat of combustion heat of combustion is the amount of energy released per kg or cubic meter
• Nuclear power plants


  Use nuclear energy stored in uranium rods to heat water and drive turbines
• Nuclear power plants


  • Energy released per kg of uranium is much higher than fossil fuels
  • Approximately 7.6 million kWh of electrical energy can be generated per kg of uranium
• Renewable energy sources


  Energy sources that will not run out, because they can be replenished
• Renewable energy sources


  • Solar energy
  • Geothermal energy
  • Wind energy
  • Reservoirs
  • Tides and waves
  • Biomass
• Solar energy


  Can be used to convert sunlight into electricity and heat water
• Geothermal energy


  Heat from the earth is stored and can be used to heat houses
• Wind energy


  Wind spins a large propeller which a turbine converts into electrical energy
• Reservoirs


  Store water which can be drained via turbines to convert the kinetic energy into electricity
• Tides and waves


  The rising and falling of water makes floating buoys move, which is converted into electrical energy
• Biomass


  Energy from the combustion of biological or organic material such as wood waste, sewage sludge, organic waste, vegetable oils and fats, manure, and specially grown crops
• Biomass has become an important concept because it can be used to generate electrical energy in a renewable way