EKC 377 Renewable and Alternative Energies

Lecture 1: Introduction to Energy Sources

Derek Chan/Lee Keat Teong

School of Chemical Engineering

Energy is an abstract concept invented by physical scientists in the nineteenth century to describe quantitatively a wide variety of natural phenomena.
While there are many forms and sources of energy, the scientific use of the word is often limited to a simple declaration: "Energy is the ability to do work."

Different form of energy

The engineering concept of diverse form of energy : (a) Thermal energy (heat) (b) Chemical energy (in fuels or batteries) (c) Kinetic energy (in moving substances) (d) Electrical energy & others (potential) (e) Nuclear energy

See the example below:

Energy form
Heat of combustion

A
16 MJ/kg

B
49 MJ/kg

Energy cost

$ 4.3/GJ

$ 24/GJ

$ 33/GJ

Which form of energy would you use to power your car? What if A=Wood, B=Gasoline and C=Electric?

Energy and Utility

The conclusion we can make from previous example: When we buy energy, we are willing to pay a premium for energy that is more convenient form that is for energy that has a higher utility Utility is of course, relative. For example: Fireplace in living room: Wood has higher utility than gasoline Drive a car: Gasoline has higher utility than electricity (at the moment) Small vehicle: liquid fuels have higher utility than gaseous

The Energy Utilization Rate

The energy utilization rate throughout the ages can only be estimated in a rough manner. In early times, human were totally non-technological. The used energy only as food, probably at a rate somewhat below the modern average of 2000 kcalories per day or equivalent to 100W With the start of industrial revolution at the beginning of the 19th century, the growth accelerated dramatically and has now reached a worrisome level.

The Energy Utilization Rate

A rough plot of the historical increase in the per capita energy utilization rate

Industrialization for most countries

Technological innovation more efficient use of energy Population explosion account for 1.4 % annual increase in energy demand

World total annual consumption of all forms of primary energy increased more than ten-fold during the twentieth century. Primary energy: Energy embodied in natural resources prior to undergoing human-made conversions or transformation.
Example: Solar, wind, fossil, nuclear, geothermal, tidal, wave and biomass.

Global demand for energy continues to grow. In 2007 alone, global energy consumption grew by 2.4%, and analysts predict a further 50% increase from 2005 to 2030!

This plot shows only marketed primary energythat is, commercially traded energy in its crudest form, such as coal, crude oil, or electricity from solar panels, wind turbines, or dams. Biomass (e.g. wood, peat) is not fully represented, since it is often collected for use by individuals rather than traded commercially.

Current scenario:
-Petroleum is the world's number one source of energy, with oil accounting for more than 1/3 of total energy consumed. -Coal is second, providing about 1/4 of the world's energy, and has been the fastest growing energy source for the past five years.

-This is despite global investment in renewable energy: In 2007, there was a 30% increase in spending on construction of renewable energy facilities, for a total of $71 billion.
- Nevertheless, renewable energy currently provide less than 10% of the world's energy, and subsidies for renewable energy in comparison to those for conventional energy sources.

It is of interest to know which are the main users of energy in the United States

When Fossil Fuels will LAST?

At present the energy used is at least 85% of fossil origin Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy Predicting how much petroleum and coal is left is tricky. Estimated for how much is left vary from 40-200 years of higher. So, what is the problem?

The Ecology Question

Most of the easily accessible sources of oil and gas have been already tapped What is left is getting progressively more expensive to extract Thus one part of the problem is 1)Economical 2)Political most of the fuel used by developed nation is imported 3)Ecological most inexpensive, most convenient but pollutes the environment (CO2 emission)

The most undesirable gas emitted is whose progressively increasing concentration in the atmosphere (from 270 ppm in the late 1800s to 365 ppm at present) constitute a worrisome problem.

Global Warming: CLIMATE CHANGE

-Emission of green house gases from industrial and transportation sector.
- Green house gases (GHG), e.g. CO2 and CH4. - Acting like a panes of greenhouse, allowing solar radiation to enter but -inhibiting the outflow of infrared radiation. - Heat is not release back to atmosphere and resulted to surface temperature increase.

- Increased frequency of climatic extremes: (a) Floor or drought (b) Serious destruction to agriculture and natural ecosystems. The thickness of the north polar ice has decrease by 40% and in the first year of the current millennium, a summertime hole appeared in the polar ice

Not only are oil and other fossil fuels non-renewable, they contribute to another of the world's scary problems: climate change. Fossil fuel combustion accounts for 62% of the global warming potential of all anthropogenic greenhouse gases.

The different side of global warming

Since increase concentrations of CO2 can lead to global warming, some people have proposed increasing the emmission of SO2 to stabilize the temperature because the cooling effect of this gas. Ignoring the vegetation killing acid rain that would result, this proposal is equivalent to balancing a listing boat by piling stones on the other side.

Since increase concentrations of CO2 can lead to global warming, some people have proposed increasing the emission of SO2 to stabilize the temperature because the cooling effect of this gas.
Ignoring the vegetation killing acid rain that would result, this proposal is equivalent to balancing a listing boat by piling stones on the other side.

CO2 emission reduction

This can, in principle, be accomplished by reducing emissions or by disposing of carbon dioxide in such away as to avoid its release into the air. Emissions can be reduced by diminishing overall energy consumption (an utopian solution), by 1)employing alternative energy sources 2)by increasing the efficiency of energy use 3)switching to fuels that yield more energy per unit amount of carbon emitted.

CO2 sequestration
Methods for reducing carbon dioxide emission are under intense investigation.

All these methods have two stages: i)carbon dioxide capture ii)carbon dioxide disposal or sequestration.

Renewable Energy: WHAT?

Renewable energy: -Energy obtained from natural and persistent flows of energy occurring in the immediate environment. Non-renewable energy: -Energy obtained from static stores of energy that remain underground unless released by human interaction.

Renewable Energy: (1)Solar (2)Wind (3)Biomass (4)Geothermal (5)Wave energy (6)Hydropower

How to solve the energy crisis? The transition from fossil fuel dependency probably won't be easy. But data suggest that it is indeed possible. Even with existing technologies, renewable energy sources have the potential to exceed current global energy demands.

Advantages of Renewable Energy

One major advantage with the use of renewable energy is that as it is renewable it is therefore sustainable and so will never run out.
Renewable energy facilities generally require less maintenance than traditional generators. Their fuel being derived from natural and available resources reduces the costs of operation. Even more importantly, renewable energy produces little or no waste products such as carbon dioxide or other chemical pollutants, so has minimal impact on the environment.

Renewable energy projects can also bring economic benefits to many regional areas, as most projects are located away from large urban centres and suburbs of the capital cities. These economic benefits may be from the increased use of local services as well as tourism.

Disadvantages of Renewable Energy

One disadvantage with renewable energy is that it is difficult to generate the quantities of energy that are as large as those produced by traditional fossil fuel generators. Another disadvantage of renewable energy sources is the unreliability of supply. Renewable energy often relies on the weather for its source of power. Hydro generators need rain to fill dams to supply flowing water. Wind turbines need wind to turn the blades, and solar collectors need clear skies and sunshine to collect heat and make electricity. When these resources are unavailable so is the capacity to make energy from them. This can be unpredictable and inconsistent. The current cost of renewable energy technology is also far in excess of traditional fossil fuel generation. This is because it is a new technology and as such has extremely large capital cost

Why arent we using more Renewable Energy?

(1) Government policies
(2) Lack of funds

(3) Capacity building

(4) Capital intensive (5) Transfer of technologies

Sustainable Energy Technology Characteristics

-Non-depletable on a short time scale -Low impacts on natural resources- land, water etc. -Accessible and well distributed- available close to demand. -Emissions free- no NOx, SOx, CO2, particulates, etc. -Scalable- from 1kW to 1000MW -Robust- simple, reliable, durable and safe to operate.

-Flexible- applications for electricity and heat.

-Competitive economically .

Traditional Energy Sources: Fossil Fuel Types

-Formed due to the fossilization of organic matter, under ground.

-All formed of carbon and hydrogen, some with little oxygen, plus sulfur, mercury and other minerals, and non combustible.
-Most require some form of processing: sulfur removal, grinding and washing, oil refining and gas desulfurization. -Example:
(1)Natural gas (2)Oil (3)Coal (4)Oil shale

Natural Gases
- It's

a mixture of hydrocarbons.

- Mostly methane, CH4, ethane, C2H6, some propane, C3H8, and little butane, C4H8 with fraction of higher hydrocarbons, may contain sulfur, oxygen, CO2 at small quantities. Two different kinds of gas:

(1)Non-associated gas- gas that is found alone in the reservoir.

(2) Associated gas- gas found in the same reservoir as oil.

Advantages &Disadvantages
Benefits of natural gas: (1) Inexpensive, (2) Clean burning, (3) Available and good substitute for oil (reduces dependence for oil) (4) Easy to distribute and store (5) Cleanest fossil fuel to use, 80% efficient. Disadvantages of using natural gas: (1) Environmental problems due to the release of CO2 (Greenhouse effect) (2) Difficult to obtain (3) Health risk (4) Unhealthy burning process

How important is natural gas?

(1) Natural gases account for more than 50% of the direct

fossil-fuel inputs to the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. (2) Natural gases have many important uses like space heating, water heating, as fuel for boilers, transportation, and as chemical feedstock.

How natural gas obtained ?

Most natural gas is trapped within coal beds inside the reservoir.

The problem with gathering natural gas is that there is no direct channel for the gas to flow.
The natural gas is usually located lowpermeable area. So when obtaining it can be done by using explosives or water injections. A large force is needed to stimulate gas flow.

Coal
-Coal is carbon + hydrogen (CHm, m<1) + sulfur (up to 10 % by weight) + nitrogen +ash (non combustible). -Example: lignite, bituminous. -Some sulfur can be washed away before combistion, but mostly is scrubbed from combustion products using limestone. -In fluidized bed combustors, pulverized coal is mixed with limestone and burned at lower temperature in blowing air.

-In gasification, rich burning in oxygen and water forms syngas (CO+H2), desulfurization before combustion or gas separation.

Types of Coal
Based on the amount of carbon the coal contains: -Heat, pressure and time -Lignite- youngest type. High water content, low heating values -Subituminous- low sulfur content, low mining cost -Bituminous- most plentiful, high sulfur content -Anthracite- high heating value, limited supplies

Coal Consumption trends

Percent contribution to total energy consumption declined from 40% to 18% WHY?? Market changes- Railroads were beginning to use diesel and electric. Industrial and residential use decreased.

How coal obtained ?

Strip Mining
Earth and rock above coal seam (the overburden) is removed. The exposed coal is broken up, hauled away. (Ideally) the overburden is replaced.

Negative impact of using Coal

-High levels of erosion from strip mines -Depletion of usable land for agriculture or other natural purposes -Leaching of acids and other harmful chemical from both extraction and purification -Emissions from large equipment used in extraction and transportation -Human casualties- mine cave in, black lung

Oil
-Made up of many organic compounds + hydrogen + nitrogen +sulfur
-Sweet or sour depends on the amount of sulfur. CHm, 1<m<2. -Light oil is generally composed of three hydrocarbon families: (a) saturated hydrocarbons: paraffins (or normal alkanes), CnH2n+2, with gas : n=1-4, liquid: n=5-15, and solid: n>15. (b) unsaturated hydrocarbons, or aromatics, like benzene, C6H6, toluene, C7H8 and nephthalene, C10H8. (c) Resin and asphaltenes, heavier hydrocarbons rich in nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and vanadium. -Refining: Distillation (separation of lighter components), catalytic cracking (heating) and reforming (with steam or hydrogen). - Products are typically refinery gas, LPG, gasoline, diesels, heating and lube oils.

Future supply of oil

Country Saudi Arabia Iraq United Arab Emirates Kuwait Iran Venezuela Russia Mexico Reserves (Billions of Barrels) 262 112 98 96 93 72 49 40 Country United States Nigeria Norway Algeria United Kingdom Indonesia Canada India Egypt Qatar Reserves (Billions of Barrels) 21 17 10 9 5 5 5 4 4 4

Libya
China

30
24

Negative impact of using oil

- Releases CO2, sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, and heavy metals
CO2 leads to the greenhouse effect

-Emissions have increased roughly 2% in past several decades. -Contains harmful substances like toluene, benzene, ethylic, benzene, and polycyclic aromatic carbohydrates, some of which cause cancer. -There are also constructive problems, such as electrical cables, pipelines through natural areas, roads, and other infrastructures: (a) Oil pollution around rigs and from spills, etc are harmful to the surrounding environment, for both human and animal habitats.

(b) Oil transportation poses threats and environmental risks as well.

Non-Conventional Heavy Oil

-Required intensive processing -(a) Oil Shale: Impermeable hard rock containing (organic, non petroleum) kerogen (pre-oil), which pyrolyzes into oil + (organic, petroleum) and bitumen that liquefies with heating.

-(b) Tar and Tar Sand: A mixture of sand and bitumen (coal-like) and can be reformed into oil components.

-(c) Peat: Duff material in forests and woodland