Sources of energy • Heats coming from this – where we tap in for

geothermal energy
Hydroelectric Energy
Uses of Geothermal Energy
Hydropower plants capture the energy of falling water
to generate electricity. A turbine converts the • Residential Heating
kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy.
• Space Heating
Then a generator converts the mechanical energy from
the turbine into electrical energy. • Spas
Hydroelectric plants types • Industry
• Run-of-the-river • Desalination
• Impoundment • Drying Food
Advantages of Hydropower • And mostly ELECTRICITY
• Fuel is free Advantages of Geothermal Power
• Flexible – on energy demands • Local – you don’t need to buy your source
• Low CO2 emissions • Relatively low cost
• Useful for other purposes for water • Useful minerals can be extracted
Wind Power • Online 90-100% of the time
Wind turbines operate on a simple principle. • Very little air pollution
The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like
blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the • Doesn’t require much land – just the land for
main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity. generators (400sqm can produce 1GW for 30 years)

Bernoulli Principle - Difference in air pressure will cause
an object to move in the direction of lower air pressure
Solar Power
When light energy strikes the solar cell, electrons are
knocked loose from the atoms in the semiconductor
material. If electrical conductors are attached to the
positive and negative sides, forming an electrical circuit,
the electrons can be captured in the form of an electric
current -- that is, electricity.
Geothermal Energy
Water or working fluid is heated (or used directly in
case of geothermal dry steam power plants), and then
sent through a steam turbine where the thermal energy
(heat) is converted to electricity with a generator
through a phenomenon called electromagnetic
induction
Disadvantages of Geothermal Power
• Fluids can be very corrosive and mineral rich, can
corrode pipes and clogged the pipes with mineral
deposits
• Cost are highly variable – depending on the depth of
the well. Exploration cost can be very high. Drilling is
expensive.
• Pumping takes a lot of energy
• High Initial Capital Cost
• Contamination of soil is possible. Eg. H2S
• Risk of explosion - operates at very high pressure
Biggest Drawback
• There are only few places where geothermal energy is
efficient.

Radioactive Isotopes • K-40 • Th-232 • U-235 • U-238 Nuclear Power

• If it were not from this isotopes, earth would be very Nuclear energy originates from the splitting of uranium
cold, circling around atoms – a process called fission. This generates heat to
produce steam, which is used by a turbine generator to • Increase exposure may alter the repair process of
generate electricity. Because nuclear power plants human body – Uncontrolled growth of new cells
do not burn fuel, they do not produce greenhouse gas (cancer) – Higher mutation rate during cell reproduction
emissions. – Usually done in a statistical basis

Isotopes – Atoms that have the same number of

protons, but differing amounts of neutrons

Splitting a U-235 Isotope

– Addition of a neutron

– Splitting into two nuclei

– Release of 2.4n

– Radiation of ~3x10-11J

Fissile - Isotope that split when hit by a thermal neutron

• Thermal Neutron – Neutron at an ambient

temperature

• E.g.: - U-235, U-233, Pu-241, Pu-239

Fertile Isotope – Can be converted into fissile isotopes

through “breeding”

• Breeding – bombardment of Fertile Isotope with a fast

neutron.

Positives of Nuclear Power

– No greenhouse gases

– Doesn’t Contribute to Global Warming

– No toxic air pollution

Human Exposure to Radiation

• Common exposure - 1 rems

• Cross country – 5 rems

• 50 rems – feel nauseous within hours

• 75 rems – lose all your hair within weeks

• 100 rems – bleed internally

• 400 rems – death within two months

• 2000 rems – death in hours

Low level or long term exposure

• Cancer

• Birth defects