AQA P1.4 Generating electricity

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  • Created by: Rchilds
  • Created on: 15-05-17 21:56
When comparing methods of generating electricity, what should you consider?
(1) start up times (2) economic factors (cost to build, run, cost of fuel, cost to decommission), (3) environmental factors (4) availability and if it's renewable (5) social and political factors (6) reliability (do you know exactly when it will work
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When considering supply and demand, how can energy companies address this?
Increase supply or reduce demand, store energy using pumped storage systems e.g. reservoirs that can be released when demand is high
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How do fossil fuel and biofuel power stations work?
heat energy is released from chemical energy in the fuel when burnt, this heats water into steam which turns a turbine (kinetic energy). The turbine turns a generator (into electrical energy), this is transmitted through the national grid to houses.
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How do nuclear power stations work?
Same as fossil fuel, except you DO NOT burn nuclear fuel e.g. urnaium, instead it undergoes a NUCLEAR reaction that releases nuclear energy as heat in a nuclear reactor. Otherwise the same.
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What is the nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor/power station called?
Nuclear fission
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What are two nuclear fuels used in nuclear power stations?
Uranium and plutonium
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What does renewable and non-renewable mean?
renewable = the source of the energy will not run out (usually it's the sun). non-renewable= source of the energy will run out (fossil fuels and nuclear fuels)
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What are the 3 fossil fuels?
coal oil and gas
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Why is gas the best of the 3 fossil fuels to use?
Shortest start up time, least particulates and impurities (e.g. sulfur) so least effect on the environment
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What are the advantages of fossil fuel power stations?
Gas has a short start up time, reliable, available 24hrs a day, infrastructure already in place (roads and building needed), lots of energy compared to renewables
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What are the disadvantages of fossil fuel power stations?
non-renewable, particulate released are harmful to health, greenhouse gases released contributing to global warming, sulfur dioxide released which causes acid rain
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How can you make burning fossil fuels have less of an effect on the environment?
Plant more trees to absorb the carbon dioxide, use carbon capture technology, remove sulphur before burning fuels
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What are the advantages of nuclear power stations?
large amount of energy produced compared to amount of fuel so very cost effective, no carbon dioxide produced so doesn't contribute to global warming, specialist jobs required (better pay), reliable and available 24hrs a day
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What are the disadvantages of nuclear power stations?
non-renwable, nuclear waste is radioactive and can cause cancer - expensive to store and transport safely, expensive to build and very expensive to decommission, risk of nuclear disaster, low public opinion so difficult to find locations
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What are the advantages of biomass powerstations?
renewable, reliable, available 24hrs a day, plants used absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis when growing, they then release this when they are burnt but overall are CARBON NEUTRAL so doesn't contribute to global warming
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What are the disadvantages of biomass powerstations?
The land used to grow crops could be used to grow food instead, fuels do not burn very cleanly (lots of particulates)
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What is global warming?
The rise in the Earth average temperature (dramatically over the last 100 years). Green house gases e.g. carbon dioxide, prevent the sun's heat energy being reflected off the earth and escaping into space (traps the heat) so the average temp rises
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How does a wind turbine work?
wind is used to spin a turbine (kinetic energy) which turns a generator (into electrical energy)
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What are the advantages of wind turbines ?
renewable, no green houses gases, cheap to build, no fuel costs
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What are the disadvantages of wind turbines ?
unreliable (needs to be windy), noise and visual pollution, low power output so a whole farm is usually needed
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How does wave power work?
Wave push trapped air through a turbine to spin it (kinetic energy) which turns a generator (into electrical energy)
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What are the advantages of wave power?
renewable, power output good if wavy, no green house gases, no fuel costs
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What are the disadvantages of wave power?
Difficult to find locations (must be wavey e.g. by cliffs), can be unreliable, destroys habitats and looks ugly
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How does tidal power work?
The tide comes in and out twice a day. As the tide comes in, water levels rise, these can be blocked or allowed to flow through a turbine which spins a generator (tidal are gravitational potential energy (moon's gravity) into kinetic into electrical)
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What are the advantages of tidal power?
renewable, power output reasonable, no green house gases, no fuel costs, reliable as we know exactly when the tides will be
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What are the advantages of tidal power?
Difficult to find locations (must be across a river estuary with a good tidal range), only avaliable twice a day, destroys habitats and looks ugly
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How does hydroelectric dams/power work? (a favorite of the examiners)
Water is collected from rain, high up in a reservoir (gravitational potential energy), when needed the gates of the dam are opened and the water flows through turning a turbine (kinetic energy) which turns a generator (electrical energy).
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Advantages of hydroelectric power
renewable, lots of power output, no fuel costs, no greenhouse gases, very reliable, available on demand, can be used a pumped storage (when demand is low, extra energy/electricicty can be used to pump water into the reservoir -store the energy as GPE
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Disadvantages of hydroelectric power
extremely expensive to build, can only be build in mountainous areas, reserviour often flood areas destroying habitats, decaying leaves can collect in the reservoir turning it acidic, affects fish, can limit water to surrounding villages
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How do solar cells work?
solar cells take the suns light energy and converts it into electrical energy (note: this is different to a solar PANEL which takes heat energy and uses it to heat water)
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Advantages of solar power
renewable, no greenhouse gases, no fuel costs
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Disadvantages of solar power
low power output unless in a sunny climate, unreliable (must be sunny), only works during the daytime, look ugly
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How does a geothermal power station work?
In some volcanic areas hot water and steam rise to the surface (heat is from nuclear reaction in the earth core). steam is tapped and used to drive turbines. Turbine turns a generator. nuclear energy - heat energy - kinetic energy - electrical energy
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Advantages of geothermal?
renewable, no greenhouse gases, cheap to run, good power output, no fuel costs, reliable and can be used 24hrs a day
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Disadvantages of geothermal?
Can only be build in certain locations (near hot rocks), expensive to build (although cheap to run), destroys habitats, remote so road need to also be built
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What is the national grid?
A system of tranformers and cables that transfer electricity from power stations to homes
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What are the main components of the national grid?
power station that produces the energy - step up transformer that increases the voltage - pylons and electrical cables - step down transformer to reduce the voltage - factories - another step down transformer that reduces the voltage to 230V - houses
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Why does the national grid use step up transformers at the start?
Increasing the voltage, decreases the current. Smaller currents means the cables don't heat up as much so less energy is wasted as heat, this makes the national grid more EFFICIENT
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Why are step down transformers needed at the end of the national grid?
To reduce the voltage to safe levels for people in houses to use
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of underground cables in the national grid?
https://getrevising.co.uk/grids/underground-cables-in-the-national-grid
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of overhead cables in the national grid?
https://getrevising.co.uk/grids/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-overhead-cables
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

When considering supply and demand, how can energy companies address this?

Back

Increase supply or reduce demand, store energy using pumped storage systems e.g. reservoirs that can be released when demand is high

Card 3

Front

How do fossil fuel and biofuel power stations work?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

How do nuclear power stations work?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is the nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor/power station called?

Back

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