Castillo, Zepheus M.

BSME 4-1

Assignment Number 1

Alternative Energy Sources

1. What are two products of burning fossil fuels?

Fossil fuels are used to generate electricity in homes, large power plants, and engines,

(Abas et al., 2015). Hydrocarbon atoms are broken when the compounds are burned in the presence

of oxygen, and the stored energy is transferred to heat energy, resulting in the production of carbon

dioxide and water, (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, 2006).

2. Why is water vapor considered to be a greenhouse gas?

The most common greenhouse gas on the world is water vapor. Researchers have used

NASA satellite data to assess the heat-trapping impact of water vapor, demonstrating the gas's

relevance as a crucial component of climate change, (Dunbar, 2008). A study conducted by Dessler

(2009) showed that water vapor's heat-amplification effect is powerful enough to double global

warming induced by rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. According to the American

Chemical Society, the greatest important contributor to the greenhouse effect on Earth is water

vapor. It is considered to be responsible for about sixty percent (60%) of the warming effect on

average. The temperature of the Earth, on the other hand, is determined by temperature rather than

water vapor. The temperature of the surrounding environment determines the maximum quantity

of water vapor that the atmosphere can retain.

3. Compare the positive and negative environmental impacts of solar and wind energy.

According to Boucher (2019), the following are the advantages of solar energy.

• It is the world's most abundant resource, and it holds a lot of potential for enabling us

to meet our growing energy demands.

• It doesn't release any hazardous gases into the atmosphere.

• Small-scale solar panels may be placed almost anywhere.

• Solar panels require relatively minimal maintenance if placed correctly.

However, the downside of solar energy includes:

• The amount of solar energy that reaches the earth's surface is affected by the time

of day, season, weather patterns, and geographical location.

• The amount of solar energy that reaches the earth's surface is affected by the time

of day, season, weather patterns, and geographical location.

• Energy storage technologies are currently expensive and undeveloped.

• PV cell materials can be rare, costly, and possibly hazardous to the environment.

The US Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy enumerated the benefits and

challenges of wind energy. Its advantages include:

• Utility-scale wind on land is one of the most cost-effective electricity sources accessible

today.

• Wind energy does not contaminate the air in the same way as power plants that burn

fossil fuels do.

• Wind energy is a renewable form of energy and is sustainable.

The disadvantages of wind energy are:

• Wind turbines have the potential to harm local animals.

 • Turbines can cause noise and visual smell pollution in the environment.

• Wind energy production may not be the most cost-effective use of land.

4. What are geothermal heat pumps?

According to the US Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, geothermal heat

pumps, also known as ground-source heat pumps, are a high-efficiency renewable energy

technology that is gaining popularity in both residential and commercial structures. Space heating

and cooling, as well as water heating, are all done with geothermal heat pumps. Instead of utilizing

fossil fuels to create heat, ground source heat pumps have the advantage of concentrating natural

heat.

5. What is the purpose of a barrage dam?

Brandt et al. (2017) defined barrage dams as barriers that are used in river control and irrigation

projects where a large number of gates are needed to control the flow. There are no arches in this

situation; instead, the buttresses are gravity-based and must sustain the additional weight of the

gates when they are closed. If necessary, barrages will be constructed to increase the water level

at the intake sufficiently to extract the required flow. Barrages are frequently fitted with control

gates to keep upstream water levels as low as possible during heavy flows and floods. To maintain

the proper water level, these can be automated. Compensatory flow requirements must also be met

by such discharge systems, (Brandt et al., 2017).

6. What are two ways to obtain energy from tides?

U.S. Energy Information Administration explained tidal energy methods which are now

employed to generate electricity. A barrage, which is comparable to a dam, is one form of the

tidal energy system. The barrier is built over a tidal basin formed by an inlet of an ocean bay or

lagoon. The barrage's sluice gates regulate water levels and flow rates, allowing the tidal basin to
fill during high tides and discharge via an electricity-generating system during the ebb tide. A two-

way tidal power system uses both the incoming and departing tides to create electricity. Another

type of tidal energy system is the tidal turbine. In the same way, as wind turbines have blades that

spin a rotor to power a generator, tidal turbines have blades that turn a rotor to power a generator.

They can be put where there is a high tidal flow on the seafloor. Tidal turbines must be stronger

and heavier than wind turbines due to the fact that water is 800 times denser than air. Tidal turbines

are more expensive to build than wind turbines, but with the same size blades, they can collect

more energy.

7. Summarize the important benefits and negative impacts of large dams.

Dams are essential for making the most efficient use of water resources. They started

building dams years before modern hydrological and hydromechanics understanding was

accessible. Tahmiscioğlu et al. (2007) identified the principal basic benefits from water sources. It

includes flood control, land improvement benefits, electricity generation, and irrigation benefits.

These benefits are in exchange for the several effects on some aspects. Unfortunately, dams

aggravate the effects of climate change. They emit greenhouse gases, deplete carbon sinks in

wetlands and seas, starve ecosystems of nutrients, ruin habitats, raise sea levels, squander water,

and displace low-income populations, (Lee, 2018).

References:

Abas, N., Kalair, A., & Khan, N. (2015). Review of fossil fuels and future energy technologies.

Futures, 69, 31-4

American Chemical Society. (n.d.). It's water vapor, not the CO2. American Chemical Society.

Retrieved October 22, 2021, from

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/climatescience/climatesciencenarratives/its-water-

vapor-not-the-co2.html.

Boucher, L. (2019, August 16). What are the pros and cons of solar and wind energy? Population

Education. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://populationeducation.org/what-are-

pros-and-cons-solar-and-wind-energy/.

Brandt, M. J., Johnson, K. M., Elphinston, A. J., & Ratnayaka, D. D. (2017). Dams and

Reservoirs. Twort’s Water Supply, 159–204. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-100025-0.00005-3

Brandt, M. J., Johnson, K. M., Elphinston, A. J., & Ratnayaka, D. D. (2017). Intakes. Twort’s

Water Supply, 205–233. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-100025-0.00006-5

Lee, D. (2018, March 15). Protect the environment/right of nature. Earth Law Center | The

Solution to Toughest Environmental Challenges. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from

https://www.earthlawcenter.org/blog-entries/2017/12/dams-climate-change-bad-news.

Tahmiscioğlu, M. S., Anul, N., Ekmekçi, F., & Durmuş, N. (2007, March). Positive and negative

impacts of dams on the environment. In International Congress on River Basin

Management (pp. 759-769).

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. (2006). Hydrocarbons. UCAR Center for

Science Education. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from

https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/air-quality/hydrocarbons.
U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2021, September 23). U.S. Energy Information

Administration - EIA - independent statistics and analysis. Tidal power. Retrieved October

22, 2021, from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/tidal-power.php.

US Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. (n.d.). Advantages and challenges of wind

energy. Energy.gov. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from

https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy.

US Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. (n.d.). Geothermal heat pumps. Energy.gov.

Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geothermal-

heat-pumps.

Dessler, A. E., & Sherwood, S. C. (2009). A matter of humidity. Science, 323(5917), 1020-1021.

Dunbar, B. (2008, November 17). Water vapor confirmed as major player in climate change.

NASA. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from

https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/vapor_warming.html.