GEO-113:ENVIRONMENTALGEOLOGY

ENERGYRESOURCESII:ALTERNATIVESOURCES
LECTURENOTES
Becauseoflimitedfossilfuelresources,increaseddemand,andenvironmentalimpactsalternativeand
renewablesourcesofenergyareneeded.

SomePossibilities(amongothers):
NuclearFission
NuclearFusion
SolarEnergy
WindEnergy
HydroPower
TidalEnergy
WaveEnergy
OceanicHeat
BiogasandBiomass
10.GeothermalPower
11.HydrogenFuelCels

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Problemwithmanyoftheseisthattheyarenottransportable utilizedinlargeelectricalpowergeneration
stations.Alhaveprosandcons.Nosingleright answer,onlychoices.Whichone(s)weuseandtowhat
extentdependsonfuturetechnologicaladvances,economicconsiderations,andsocietalpriorities.
I.NuclearFission

U:(92protons+143neutrons)splitstoformsmalerfragments
formsacontroledchainreactionreleasesenergy,someofitintheformofheat-generatessteam
-turnsaturbinetogenerateelectricity.A
verycomplexandexpensivematch,buttheyproducenoairpolution.
Problems:
1.Reactorsafety meltdownifcoolingdisrupted(ChinaSyndrome) explosionsfromhydrogen
gasproducedduringnuclearfissionspreadsradiation(likeChernobyl) however,sofarnuclear
powerplants(particularlyintheU.S.andEurope)aremuchsaferthancoal-firedplants.Thehealth
impactsofgeneratingelectricityarehundredsoftimesgreaterforcoalthanfornuclear.
2.Nuclearwasterepository stilhavenoplacetostoreradioactivematerialspermanently
everythingstoredonsiteinlargepoolsofwaterorlargesealedcontainers needtostorehighlevel
wastes(liketoxicplutonium)fortensofthousandsofyearsisolatedfromtheenvironment howdo
wedothis?YuccaMountain:Nationalhigh-levelwasterepository bilionsofdolarstodevelopand
wilbefiledwithin20yearsofopening(ifiteverdoes).
3.Politicalissues noonewantsnuclearpowerplantsnearthem(NIMBY)safetyandterorism
concerns.NonewnuclearpowerplantsarebeingbuiltintheU.S.Olderonesarebeingshutdown.By

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about2050therewilbefewifanyleftinthiscountry.

II.NuclearFusion
2

H(deuterium)orH(tritium)fusetogethertomake Henucleus createsahugeamountofenergy,

especialyheat usedtomakeelectricity.
Virtualyunlimitedresource(hydrogenfromwateristhefuel) fusionproductsarenothighlyradioactive.
Unfortunatelydonothavethetechnologyyetwhereenergycreatedgreaterthanenergyconsumed,norcan
wesustainreactionforanymeaningfullengthoftime maybetensorevenhundredsofyearsbefore
technologicalyfeasible.Ultimatelymaybecomeaveryimportantenergyresource,butnotanytimesoon.In
themeantime,whatdowedotogetustothatpoint?
III.SolarEnergy
Clean,unlimitedsourceofenergy,litleornopolutionofanykindproduced.Whydontweusemoreofit?
Threetypesofsolarenergy:
1.Passive:heatairorthermalmass(water,concrete,stone,etc)inbuilding-nomechanicaldeviceused
inthegenerationoftheenergy-anexcelentmethodforspaceheating.Cancombinewithappropriate
buildingdesigntomaximizeheatinginwinterandcoolinginsummer.
2.Active:Heatedmedium(air,water,brine,etc.)arepumpedmechanicalytowheretheyareneededgoodforspaceandwaterheating.
3.Photovoltaic:Solarcelsconvertsunlightintoelectricity usualymadeofsilicon-basedmaterial
notveryeficient,typicalyaround20percentatbest(butimproving)
needawholeroofcovered
withphotovoltaiccelstogenerateenoughelectricity(about1500wats)torunatypicalhome.Can
alsobeusedinspace
largesolarsatelitesinorbitproduceelectricitythatissentdowntoearthas
microwavesandthenconvertedbacktoelectricity.
Problems:
1.Adispersedresource oftenneedlargecolectionareas,resultinalargeenvironmentalimpact
oftenneedstobeconcentrated alsosomeareaswherecloudsblockthesun sundoesntshine
atnight requiresotherenergyproductionand/orenergystorage(batery)systems.
2.Technologycanbeexpensive maycost2to3timesasmuchasproducingenergybyothermeans
however,costsaredropping.
IV.WindEnergy
Realyjustsecond-handsolarenergy(unequalheatingproduceshighandlowpressureareas,creatingairflow
orwind)-utilizedfor2000ormoreyears(windmils).Producesnoairpolutionandisrenewable.
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Presentlythefastestgrowingsourceofenergyglobaly maydoublewithin10years stilasmalportion

ofourenergyproductionmix(1-2percent).
Problems:
1.Stilslightlymoreexpensivethanproducingenergybyfossilfuels.
2.Winddoesntblowfastenoughoroftenenougheverywhere.However,maybeveryusefulin
specificlocalities(GreatPlains,hiltops)
3.Dispersed needlargearaysofwindturbines(windfarms).Startingtobuildtheseinremoteand
agriculturalareas.
4.Manycomplaintsaboutvisualpolutionandimpactonmigratingbirds.
5.Issueofenergystorageoralternativeproductionmethodswhenthewindiscalm(sameissueassolar).

V.HydroPower
Builddamsalongstreamstocreatereservoirs.Alowwatertoflowthroughdam spinaturbine spina
generator produceelectricity.Producesnopolutionandistotalyrenewable.Canalsousedamand
reservoirforfloodcontrol,waterresource,andrecreation.Seemslikeawin-win-winsituation.
Problems:
1.Veryexpensivetobuild.Takeyearstocomplete.
2.Multipleusesarenotalwayscompatiblewitheachother.Onemaywantthereservoirtobeful(water
resource,powergeneration),whileanothermaywantittobebelowcapacity(floodcontrol).Which
usehasahigherpriority?
3.Destroynaturalhabitatsandspeciesbythefloodingofthestreamvaley,oftenfortensoreven
hundredsofmilesupstream.Townsandcitieshavetobeabandonedorrelocated.
4.Hindersorevenstopsfishmigrations.SalmonindustryintheNorthwestU.S.hasbeennearly
destroyedbythemanydamsalongtheregionsrivers.
5.Sedimentistrappedbehindthedam.Siltsupreservoirandpreventssedimentfromreachingthe
ocean,starvingcoastalbeachesandincreasingshorelineerosion.Bigproblemalongwestcoastofthe
U.S.
Canalsoproducelesseramountsofelectricitywithoutbuildingadamandjustusingtheenergyofafast
flowingstreamtoturntheturbine.Createsmuchfewerenvironmentalimpactsthanatypicaldam.
VI.OceanEnergy
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Theworldsoceansarehugereservoirsofthermalandkinetic(motion)energy.Canbeutilizedinanumber
ofdiferentwaystoproduceelectricalenergy.Alaretotalyrenewableandproducednopolution.
1)TidalPower:Diferenceinelevationbetweenhighandlowtidescausescurentstoflow.Canutilize
curentstoturnaturbineandgeneratortoproduceelectricityonboththeincomingandoutgoingtides.
Needatleast2-3feetofdiferencebetweenhighandlowtides onlyarelativelyfewplacesinthe
worldwerethisoccurs.Problemsalsowithhabitatdestruction.Maybeapplicableinspecificlocalities.
2) WaveEnergy:Usetheenergyoflargewavestocreateelectricity.Needwavesofatleast5-10feetin
height.Doesnthappeneverywhereoralthetime.Maybeusefulinparticularplaceswhereother
energysourcesarenotavailableorpracticable.
3) OceanicHeat:Utilizethelargediferenceintemperatureforshalow(85)andverydeep(35)

watersintropicalareas.Coldwatercondensesasubstanceinaclosedloop,suchasammonia,intoa
liquid,andthewarmwaterturnsitintoagas(likewatertosteam).Thiscanthenbeusedtoturnaturbine
andgeneratorandproduceelectricity.Workableinonlyafewplaces,suchasHawai,whereapilotplant
isinoperation.
VII.BiomassandBiogas
Alsoknowasun-fossilizedfuels.Variouswaysofderivingenergyfromorganicmaterials:
1)WoodBurning:Oneoftheoriginalsourcesofenergyforhumans stilusedextensivelyinthethird
world.Largeamountsofwoodburningcancreatehugeenvironmentalproblems,includingairpolution
anddesertification.
2)AgriculturalyProducedFuels:includesalcoholfromgrainsandmethanefromanimalwaste(dungcan
alsobeburned)-canbeusedasfuelsthemselvesorasadditives(gasohol).Cangrow
ourfuelsas
needed takesawayfromfoodproduction.
3)BurnGarbage:Insteadofputinggarbageinlandfils,burnthecombustibleportionofit(organicaly
derivedlikepaperandfoodwaste).
Alofthesemethodsarerenewableonahumantimescale,buthaveonemajordrawbackincommon
burningthemproducescarbondioxide agreenhousegas.Shouldbetryingtoreduceitsemissions,not
increaseit.
VIII.GeothermalPower
Concentrateandextractheatfromtheearthsuppercrust usewaterastheheatextractionmedium
eithernaturalorwaterpumpeddowntobeheatedbyhotrocks.Worksbestinareaswithhighheatflow
tendtoregionsofpresentvolcanicand/orhydrothermalactivity associatedwithhotspotsorplate
boundaries.
Twodistincttypesofgeothermalenergy:1)Hotwater(<100degreesC
nosteam)useddirectlyforspace
heatingasinIceland,and2)Waterand/orsteam>100degreesC
converttosteam(ifnotalready)
use
toturnaturbineandgeneratortoproduceelectricity 40placesworldwide.
users.rider.edu/~husch/geo113altenergynotes.html

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Geothermalpowerplantsareeconomicalycompetitivewithotherwaystomakeelectricityandarelargely
(butnotentirely)polutionfree.
Problems
1.Extractedwaterandsteamareoftencorosiveandrichindissolvedelements mayclogordestroy
pipesandmakesdisposalaproblem.
2.Limitedtime(perhapsnomorethan30-50years)beforeageothermalareacoolsdown-notrealy
renewableonahumanscale wilhavetostopuseandalowrockstobereheated(100s1000syears)orfindanewgeothermalfield.
3.Limitednumberofsuitablesites.Andremember,plateboundarieshavemanygeologicalhazards do
youwanttobuildamulti-biliondolargeothermalplantinanareawithvolcanoesandearthquakes?
IX.HydrogenFuelCels
Watercanbebrokendownintooxygenandhydrogenbypassingacurentthroughit(electrolysis).The
oppositecanalsooccur combinehydrogenandoxygentoproduceelectricityandwater(theonlything
emited).Getoxygenfromtheairandhydrogenfromliquidhydrogenorahydrogen-richfuel,suchasalcohol
ormethane.Thisisthebasisforalfuelcels.Havebeenaroundfordecades areusedontheSpace Shutle.

Canalsobeusedasabatery.Othersourcesofenergyareusedtomakeelectricity,whichisusedtosplit
waterintooxygenandhydrogen.Canberecombinedtomakeelectricitywhenoriginalsourceofenergyis
unavailableorinappropriate.
Canmakefuelscelsforhomeuse,foryourcar,andforpersonalelectronicdevices(CDplayerandcel
phone).Technologyisimprovingandcostsarecomingdown.However,wilhavetocreateahydrogen
distributionsystemsimilartowhatwehavenowforgasolineandnaturalgas wilnothappenuntilthereisa
demand wilnothaveademanduntilhydrogeniseasytoget achickenandeggsituation.
TheFuture
Howwewilmakeenergyinthefutureishardtopredict,butitwilbediferent.Perhapsavarietyofways
wilbeutilized,dependingonlocationandwhatisthemostappropriatesourceforthatlocation.Mayalso
changefromacentralizedsystemofproducingenergytoapoint-of-usesystem.Yourtown,neighborhood,or
evenyouasanindividualmaybecomeyourownpowergeneratingcompany.

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