UH 390 Quiz #1 March 7, 2012 Answer the following multiple-choice questions 1.

Which of the following is not a heat engine a) Coal fired power plant b) hydroelectric plant c) car engine d) nuclear power plant 2. The EROI of corn ethanol is about a) 100 b) 50 c) 10 d) 1 3. Which of the following types of coal has the lowest heating value a) anthracite b) sub-bituminous c) lignite d) bituminous 4. The efficiency of a commercially available photovoltaic solar cell is about a) 1% b) 15% c) 50% d) 80% 5. Which of the following is not used to make ethanol a) switchgrass b) miscanthra c) grease d) corn 6. What percentage of the US corn crop is converted to ethanol a) 80% b) 60% c) 40% d) 20% 7. Which of the following does not strictly speaking, contain crude oil a) tar sands b) shale oil c) oil shale 8. What percentage of nuclear energy is used to produce electricity in the US, approximately a) 100% b)80% c) 60% d)50% 9. In the US currently most of the hydrogen is produced from a) electrolysis b) coal c) natural gas d) methanol 10. The majority of grid power is a) single phase alternating current b) three phase alternating current c) direct current

The following are True or False Questions 11. About half of the electricity in the US is produced from the combustion of coal. 12. U-238 is the form of uranium that participates in the fission reaction in nuclear reactors. 13. Only renewable energy technologies receive federal subsidies. 14. Water is used to moderate the nuclear chain reaction in US reactors. 15. Wind generators produce grid compatible AC power. 16. The EROI of tar sands is about 100. 17. A typical coal fired power plant has an efficiency of about 33%. 18. US oil production peaked around 1970. 19. A gallon of ethanol has the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline. 20. There are now several commercial cellulosic ethanol plants operating in the US. The following are short answer questions. 21. What is an EROI. Say what the letters stand for. Give the equation and discuss in a few sentences how it is used.

22. What is meant by the hidden costs of energy and what are they?

23. What is a well to wheel efficiency and how is it used?

24. What are the relative EROIs of solar photovoltaics, wind, hydro, current conventional oil fields, and corn-based bioethanol. You dont need to know the exact numbers just how they rank.

25. Explain the difference between a carbon tax system and a cap and trade system.