Physics 1.4
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- Created by: Charlotteloyer
- Created on: 10-04-17 16:38
Fossil Fuels
- Formed from the remains of living organisms
- Main fossil fuels: gas, oil and coal
- Non-renewable
- Generating Electricity
- There is chemical energy in fossil fuels which are burnt
- The chemical energy transfers to heat energy which is used to boil water
- This produces steam which contains kinetic energy which is used to turn a turbine
- The turbine is connected to a generator which transfers kinetic energy into electrical energy
- Start-up time
- How long it takes for a power station to produce electricity
- Gas has the shortest start-up time, followed by oil and coal
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels
- Advantages
- Relatively cheap
- Produce a lot of electricity
- Reliable energy
- Disadvantages
- Non-renewable
- Releases carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change
- Coal can release sulphur dioxide which leads to acid rain
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Carbon Capture
- New technology and is advancing rapidly
- Carbon dioxide is capured before being released into the air
- It is pumped underground and stored
- Old oil and gas fields could be used to trap carbon dioxide
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Biofuels
- Comes from plants, which we can get energy out of, eg wood
- Generating Electricity
- Trees convert light energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis
- When the wood is burnt, the chemical energy transfers into heat energy
- The heat energy is used to boil water, which produces steam
- The kinetic energy in high pressure steam is used to turn a turbine
- The turnine is conntected to a generator which transfers kinetic energy into electrical energy
- Advantages
- Renewable
- Carbon neutral
- Reliable
- Disadvantages
- Destructive to habitats
- Land could be used to grow crops
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Hydroelectric Power
- Uses moving water - usually the flooding of a valley by building a big dam
- Generating Electricity
- Gravitational potential energy of water behind the dam transfers into kinetic energy and it flows out of the dam
- The moving water passes through a turbine so there is then kinetic energy
- The turbine is connected to an electrical generator so there is electrical energy
- Advantages
- Renewable
- Short start-up time
- No carbon dioxide produced
- Reliable
- Disadvantages
- Expesive to build dams
- Destructive to wildlife habitats
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Wave Power
- Generating Electricity
- Kinetic energy of waves forces air up and down the column
- This drives the turbine connected to the generator, electrical energy is produced
- Advantages
- Renewable
- Doesn't produce carbon dioxide
- Disadvantages
- Not reliable
- Noisy - affects wildlife
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Tidal Power
- Creating a tidal barrage across an estuary
- During high tide the barrage is open, allowing water to fill the estuary
- At low tide, the water is allowed to flow through the turbines, generating electricity
- Advantages
- Renewable
- Reliable - two high tides a day
- No carbon dioxide produced
- Could be used as a bridge
- Disadvantages
- Expensive
- Destructive to wildlife habitats
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Wind Power
- Generating Electricity
- Blades are made to turn by the wind
- Kinetic energy of wind is transfered to the kinetic energy of the blade
- Blades are connected to a turbine which is connected to a generator which generates electricity
- Advantages
- Renewable
- No carbon dioxide produced
- Could generate a lot of electricity in the UK
- Disadvantages
- Unreliable - backup power stations needed
- Noisy
- Unsightly
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Solar Power
- Generating Electricity
- Solar cells convert light energy into electrical energy
- Advantages
- Renewable
- No carbon dioxide produced
- Disadvantages
- Unreliable - if conditions are cloudly or at night
- Backup power stations needed
- Expensive
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Geothermal Power
- Useful in volcanic areas eg Iceland
- Generating Electricity
- Steam and hot water rise to the surface and are used to drive a turbine connected to a generator and generate electricity
- Kinetic energy of steam is transfered into kinetic energy of the turbine then electrical energy in the generator
- Advantages
- Renewable
- No carbon dioxide produced
- Remaining hot water can provide heat for homes
- Disadvantages
- Can only be used in certain places
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Nuclear Power
- Generating Electricity
- Nuclear reactors contain fuel rods of uranium or plutonium
- The uranium/plutonium undergo nuclear fission releasing heat energy
- The heat energy is used to convert water into steam
- The kinetic energy of the steam is used to drive a turbine which is connected to a generator and generates electricity
- Advantages
- No carbon dioxide produced
- Reliable
- Disadvantages
- Not renewable
- Very dangerous radioactive waste
- Expensive to build and decomission a nuclear power station
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Matching Electricity Supply
- When a powerstation is switches on, it takes time before any electricity is generated - startup time
- Pumped-Stroage
- During periods of low-demand (night), spare electricity is used to pump water into the top reservoir
- During periods of high-demand, the water flows downhill through turbines connected to generators
- We have to put in more electricity at night than we get out during the day
- It is a way to store energy
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The National Grid
- The National Grid consists of a system of transformers and high-voltage cables
- Energy is always lost in the power cables. The bigger the distance between the power station and the homes the greater the energy loss
- Energy loss can be reduced by buidng power stations near to homes
- Transformers
- Electricity passes through a step-up transformer, which increases the voltage to several hundred thousand volts
- Less energy is lost in the power cables at high voltages than at low voltages
- The electricity passes through step-down transformers which reduce the voltage to several hundred volts
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Overhead Transmission Cables
- Overhead Powerlines
- Advantages
- Cheap to install and repair
- Easy to access for maintainance
- Do not need to be electrically insulated
- Heat produced is releases into air
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- Visual pollution
- Can be damaged by poor weather
- Dangerous to low-flying aircraft/helicopters
- Higher risk of electrical shock
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Underground Transmission Cables
- Underground Power Lines
- Advantages
- No visual pollution
- Not a danger to aircraft
- Less affected by poor weather
- Disadvantages
- Expensive to install
- Difficult and expensive to access and repair
- Heat cannot escape so needs to be cooled
- Land cannot be used along the pathway of the cable
- Cable needs electrical insulation
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