Name : Muhammad Badar Ashraf

ID : F2019019039
Section : B

Assignment: 1

Impact of thermal energy solutions on environment

and sustainable development

Thermal Energy:
Energy that is produced when a rise in temperature causes the atoms and
molecules to move faster and then collide with each other. The energy that comes from the
temperature of heated substance is called thermal energy. It is also called heat energy.
A thermal energy is produced by the molecules and the atoms of a matter that moves to and
fro all the time. These particles move to and fro each and every time. When the temperature is
increased, the motion of these particles moving to and fro also increases.
Usage of Thermal Energy in our daily life :

In our daily life, we can see that the usage of thermal energy is
increasing as it is used in domestic as well as manufacturing purposes. The productive usage of
thermal energy includes cooking, drying, heating, smoking, baking, water heating, cooling and
manufacturing.
Thermal energy is a part and parcel of one’s life. Heat is important to all the aspects of life,
especially for the plants and mammals. The life of plant relies on heat to survive.

Thermal energy is also used to produce electricity. We have thermal power plants, which
converts thermal energy into electricity, so that we can enjoy Air conditioning in summer. We
have Geo-thermal energy, which also can convert heat energy into electricity.
Thermal energy is also used in generation of power in automobiles. Without it, we are not able
to start or run our automobiles. It is also used in generation of electricity which has a wide
range of household use such as cooking, ironing, washing clothes. It is also used in recycling of
plastic materials. It has a wide range of use in bakeries.
Impacts of Thermal Energy in our Atmosphere :
There are lots of ways from which we are getting thermal energy
for our daily domestic and manufacturing purposes. But these are harming us. As society
advances, many pollutants are entering in our atmosphere. Many of these pollutants come
from manufacturing and power generating industries. Here we can discuss few of impacts of
thermal energy here.
Thermal Power Plants :
Thermal energy is a major source to produce electricity In many countries
large number of Thermal power plants are working for the production of electricity A thermal
power plant is a power station that converts heat energy into electrical energy. There are
different methods for this purpose.

• We are using fossil fuels in these power plants, which heats up water into steam. The
steam moves through turbine, which generates the electricity and then condensed and
recycled back to its starting point.
• In this way, thermal power plants give out lot of gases that are harmful to our
Environment. It is also called thermal pollution. These power plants pumps out a lot of
gases and ash in the by-product of fossil fuels, and hence are damaging our atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is one of main gas that is released from the burning of the fossil fuels
and is known to be a greenhouse gas and a contributor of the global warming. Thermal
power plants are one of main contributors to the increased carbon dioxide level
throughout the world.
• Sulfur dioxide is another gas that is released from the power plants. It is technically not
a greenhouse gas but it has indirect effects to the atmosphere because it can affect the
scattering of incoming of sunlight, formation of clouds and precipitation patterns. Sulfur
dioxide forms sulphuric acid in the atmosphere. I t can cause an acid rain which harms
each and everything like plants, trees, marble of buildings, wildlife and impact various
ecosystems. Thermal power plants are also the largest emitters of the sulfur dioxide
worldwide.
• Nitrogen oxides are another set of gases released to the atmosphere by thermal power
plants. Unlike nitrous oxides, nitrogen oxides are known to present visibility and
respiratory issues. They can also combine with the other atmospheric gases and
moisture to form acid rain and smog. Thermal power plants are also biggest contributor
to the global nitrogen oxide level.
• Another big pollutant to the atmosphere is ash. Ash often contains harmful particles, as
well as heavy metals. It can have many effects such as it can get into water and soil
wherever it falls, and then change the pH of the water and soil and cause it acidic. Due
to this, the soil loses its fertility and it is unusable for agricultural purposes. It also
affects the water and the water became undrinkable. It can also cause visibility issues.
 • These ashes are also a major cause of smog. We can see smog now days in many cities
around the world. It is also increasing frequently. It can cause lung problems and
respiratory problems. This problem is significantly worse over in Asia.
• Thermal pollution is also one of the biggest issues over the local environment. When the
water from power plants is discharged, it reaches into rivers and sea. Usually, the
temperature of the water which is discharged from the power plants is higher than the
natural water. So in turn, it had a negative impact on ecosystem.
• Geothermal power plants also have a negative impact on water quality as well as
consumption. Hot water pumped from the underground reservoirs also contains
amount of sulfur, salt and other minerals. These minerals harm the water living things
and cause them to death due to these minerals.
• The amount of minerals is decreasing under the earth due to the high usage of these
minerals. A high amount of these minerals such as coal is used for generating electricity.

Sustainable Development:
Every thing has a by-product. Here, we are going to discuss that
how we can control the thermal energy usage and can use the by-products to gain the same
results.
➢ Solar energy is also used to produce electricity. Now days, people prefers solar energy
instead of others to produce electricity. The big reason is that it is free from pollution. It
can neither harm animals nor humans. In this process, heat energy of sun in converted
into electrical energy with the help of solar panels.
➢ Wind energy is also used to produce electricity. It is done by the wind turbines. Huge
and high wind turbines are placed in open areas to produce electricity. These turbines
move with the power of wind and then generate electricity with the help of motors
which are behind the turbines.
➢ The wastage of thermal power stations should not be allowed to through in rivers and
see. In fact, a parallel way should be adopt in which the a wastage should be through in
a deep digging area away from population area and then after that, covered it so that it
 cannot produce any acidity to harm plants or animals. For this purpose, a steel tank is
used.
➢ There is another way that, different filters should be designed for the wastage of power
plants so that they can separate materials and other things from wastage that are
harmful for living things, and then these things should be recycle or buried deep down
under the earth.
➢ We should convert our households from thermal energy to electrical energy. Such as,
for cooking purposes, for ironing and for other purposes. Electric ovens and stoves are
also invented. We know very well that electric heaters are also in use in the developed
areas such as in Europe.
➢ In developed countries, tidal power is also used by converting energy from the tides into
electrical energy using different methods. It is not widely used yet, but it has a potential
to produce electricity without any pollution and without giving any input. Electricity
generation from marine technologies also increased.
With the help of these suggestions we are able to control Air pollution which is very
harmful for our Atmosphere and we can get cheapest electricity with the help of Thermal
Energy