FRACKING:

A slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracking refers to the procedure of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them further open. Fracking has resulted in many oil and gas wells attaining a state of economic viability, due to the level of extraction that can be reached.

 

Non-renewable energy: (nuclear energy)

Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus of an atom. Atoms are tiny particles that make up every object in the universe. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold atoms together.Power generated from nuclear reaction is similar to that of fossil fuels because they all use heat to turn blades to generate power.A nuclear power plant uses uranium as fuel. Uranium pallets are combined into large fuel assemblies and placed in a reactor core.Uranium was first discovered by a German Scientist called Martin Klaproth in 1789. The chamber in which the fission takes place is called a Reactor. In this reactor, uranium fuel is assembled in such a way that a controlled fission chain reaction can be achieved. CO2 emissions from nuclear fuel is very low, even lower than hydro-power. Nuclear power plants are very expensive to build. It also produces very dangerous waste in the form of radio-active waste, even though the amount of waste is small. These are usually disposed of very deep underground where geological conditions are stable and far from human or environmental exposure.

In 2011, a tsunami struck Japan and caused problems with its nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Radioactive materials are very dangerous to humans and the environment.

There are laws that check that countries with unclear plants comply with safety rules and also do not misuse their plants for developing nuclear weapons.

Non-renewable energy: (propane)
Propane is an energy-rich gas. Its chemical formula is C3H8.

It is one of the liquefied petroleum gases that are found mixed with natural gas and oil. Propane and other liquefied gases, including ethane and butane. The amount of propane produced from natural gas and from oil is roughly equal. LPG provides a convenient means of powering heating, cooking and other processes, regardless of where your home is located.

Non-renewable energy: (natural gas)
Natural Gas is colorless, shapeless, and odorless in its pure form. Unlike other fossil fuels, natural gas is clean burning and emits lower levels of potentially harmful byproducts into the air.While natural gas is formed primarily of methane, it can also include ethane, propane, butane and pentane. It is one of the gases that are formed by the same formation of fossil fuels. The main ingredient in natural gas is methane, a gas composed of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Natural gas comes in two main types:
The first and conventional type is found in permeable sandstone reservoirs. The second, unconventional types are found in other places such as in coal deposits or shale rock formations In recent time, shale gas has become very popular in the USA and is mainly drilled by a process called Hydraulic Fracturing . It is popular because its carbon emission is about half that of coal, and is seen as environmentally friendlier. The USA is known to be the world’s largest producer of shale gas.The spinning causes some metal coils and magnets in a generator to produce electrical current, that is connected to a transformer and further supplied to homes.

Non-renewable energy: (crude oil)


Crude oil is usually found in underground areas called reservoirs. It is liquid in nature and yellowish black in colour. They are composed mainly of hydrocarbons and organic compounds. They are usually discovered by oil prospecting scientists.

Sometimes, petroleum and crude oil are used to mean the same thing, but petroleum itself is a broad range of petroleum products including crude oil itself. Crude oil can exists either deep down in the earth's surface or deep below the ocean beds. Oil drills mounted in the oceans are known as offshore dillsIn oil drilling, a structure called 'derrick' is built with pipes going down to the reservoir and bringing the oil to the surface.The process of generating electricity from crude oil is very similar to that of thermal coal, which we saw in the previous page.

Below is a summary of the process that turns crude oil into electricity:

1. Energy stepThis steam is used to spin a turbine very fast by pushing against metal blades.
2. Energy stepThe blades turn a generator containing wires and magnets and magnetic field produces electricity. 
3. Energy stepThe electricity flows to a transformer, which changes it to very high voltage electricity. The transformer also regulates the amount of electricity that is produced and supplied.
4. Energy stepElectricity is sent to homes, factories and other places in the world.

But Crude Oil can be used for other things too:

A great chunk of all the total crude oil in the world is processed as gasoline, which we use for our cars.

Non renewable energy:(coal)

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons.

Coal is made of the remains of ancient trees and plants that grew in great swampy jungles in warm, moist climates hundreds of millions of years ago. Coal is ranked very high if it has undergone a longer carbonization period. An example is Anthracite. Coal that has not undergone too much carbonization is ranked low, and an example is Peat.

Let us take a look at the diagram below:

1. Coal is milled to a fine powder, allowing it to burn more quickly. It is blown into the combustion chamber of a boiler where it is burnt at high temperature.

2. The hot gases and heat energy produced converts water in tubes lining the boiler into steam.

3. The high-pressure steam is passed into a turbine containing thousands of propeller-like blades. The steam pushes these blades causing the turbine shaft to rotate at high speed. The steam is condensed and returned to the boiling chamber where it is heated again.

4. The shaft rotation engages the wire coils and magnets in a generator connected to it. This charged magnetic field produces electricity

5. Electricity is sent to the switchboard where it is regulated and sent via on-land cables to homes.

Non renewable energy:

A non-renewable resource is a resource that does not renew itself at a sufficient rate for sustainable economic extraction in meaningful human time-framesThe original organic material, with the aid of heat and pressure, becomes a fuel such as oil or gas. Earth minerals and metal ores, fossil fuels nuclear fuels, and groundwater in certain aquifers are all non-renewable resources.

In contrast, resources such as timber and wind are considered renewable resources, largely because their localized replenishment can occur within timeframes meaningful to humans.