The main sources of energy in the service of man
Fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are essential and extremely useful for economic development. However, all these types of fuel have their drawbacks. Coal is inefficient. Oil exists in limited reserves.
The gas, although easy to move from place to place, can be dangerous if it leaks. Incorporating coal, gas, oil and other fuels into electricity generation is a way to make them much more versatile and useful.
Electrical energy is usually obtained at power plants by burning fuel. About 40 percent of electricity in Russia is produced from coal. Inside the power plant, coal is burned in a huge furnace to release energy in the form of heat.
The heat is used to boil water and produce steam, which in turn turns a screw-like mechanism called a turbine. The turbines are connected to a generator that produces electricity.
The great thing about electricity is that this form of energy is universal. Almost any type of fuel can be converted into electricity.
Afterwards, the electricity received in the power plant is easily transmitted from one place to another by overhead or underground cable lines. Inside the home, factory and office, electricity is again converted into other forms of energy using a wide range of technology. If you have an electric oven or toaster, it converts the electricity supplied from the power plant back into thermal energy for cooking food.
The lamps in your home convert electrical energy into light. According to the Russian Ministry of Energy, global electricity consumption will grow by 71 percent between 2003 and 2030. About 80 percent of the energy we use today comes from fossil fuels, but this cannot continue. Fossil fuels will run out sooner or later.
Fortunately, we have alternatives to the main sources of energy. We can make electricity from wind energy, or solar panels.
We can burn garbage to produce heat that will drive the power plant. We can grow so-called "energy crops" (biomass) to burn in our power plants instead of fossil fuels.
And we can harness the vast reserves of heat trapped inside the Earth, known as geothermal energy. Together, these energy sources are known as renewable energy sources because they will last forever (or at least as long as the Sun shines) without running out.
If we could cover just one percent of the Sahara Desert with solar panels (an area slightly smaller than the United States of America), we could make more than enough electricity for our entire planet. We also need to be smarter in how we use energy. This is called energy efficiency (energy saving).
Today, most electricity comes from distant power plants and is transmitted through cable lines. When transmitting electricity from one place to another, approximately two-thirds of the energy is lost. In other words, if you burn three tons of coal at a power plant, you spend two tons delivering electricity to consumers. This is why buildings in the future will need to be made with their own connection to the electricity grid, for example solar panels or small wind turbines on the roofs.
The consistent development of renewable energy sources and technologies will mean a decrease in the share of centralized large-scale energy. For society, this will mean independence from large energy companies, as well as increased reliability of electricity supply.
The general conclusion is obvious. Scientific and technological progress, the emergence of new technologies and materials are constantly increasing the role of renewable energy sources, which are already replacing traditional, main energy sources to a significant extent. Public opinion“shifts” towards “distributed energy”, where renewable energy sources will take the main place.
All this leads to a deeper study and use of non-traditional renewable energy sources. The main advantage of renewable energy sources is their inexhaustibility and environmental friendliness. Their use does not change the energy balance of the planet.
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Or in its depths. For example, in many it is weak developed countries they burn wood for heating and lighting homes, while in developed countries they burn various fossil fuel sources to generate electricity -,. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources. Their reserves cannot be restored. Scientists are now studying the possibilities of using inexhaustible energy sources.
Fossil fuels
Coal and gas are non-renewable energy sources that were formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that lived on Earth millions of years ago (more details in the article ““). These fuels are extracted from the earth and burned to produce electricity. However, the use of fossil fuels poses serious problems. At current rates of consumption, known reserves of oil and gas will be exhausted within the next 50 years. Coal reserves will last for 250 years. When these types of fuel are burned, gases are formed, under the influence of which a greenhouse effect occurs and acid rain occurs.
Renewable Energy
As the population grows (see article ““), people require more and more energy, and many countries are switching to the use of renewable energy sources - solar, wind, etc. The idea of using them is widely popular, since they are environmentally friendly sources, the use of which does not harm the environment.
Hydroelectric power stations
Water energy has been used for many centuries. Water turned water wheels, which were used for various purposes. Nowadays, huge dams and reservoirs are built and the water is used to generate electricity. The flow of the river turns the wheels of the turbines, converting the energy of the water into electricity. The turbine is connected to a generator, which produces electricity.
The earth receives a huge amount. Modern technology allows scientists to develop new methods of using solar energy. The world's largest solar power plant was built in the California desert. It fully meets the energy needs of 2,000 homes. Mirrors reflect the sun's rays, directing them into the central water boiler. The water boils in it and turns into steam, which rotates a turbine connected to an electric generator.
Wind energy has been used by humans for thousands of years. The wind inflated the sails and turned the mills. To use wind energy, a wide variety of devices have been created to generate electricity and for other purposes. The wind rotates the blades of a windmill, which drive a turbine shaft connected to an electric generator.
Atomic energy is thermal energy released during the decay of the smallest particles of matter. The main fuel for producing atomic energy is - contained in the earth's crust. Many people consider nuclear energy to be the energy of the future, but its practical application poses a number of serious problems. Nuclear power plants do not emit toxic gases, but they can create a lot of problems because the fuel is radioactive. It emits radiation that kills everything. If radiation enters the soil or water, it has catastrophic consequences.
Accidents of nuclear reactors and releases of radioactive substances into the atmosphere pose a great danger. The accident at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl (Ukraine), which occurred in 1986, resulted in the death of many people and the contamination of a vast area. Radioactive waste has threatened all life for thousands of years. Usually they are buried at the bottom of the sea, but there are also frequent cases of waste being buried deep underground.
Other renewable energy sources
In the future, people will be able to use many different natural sources of energy. For example, in volcanic areas, technology is being developed to use geothermal energy (heat from the earth's interior). Another source of energy is biogas produced by rotting waste. It can be used for heating homes and heating water. Tidal power plants have already been created. Dams are often built across river mouths (estuaries). Special turbines, driven by the ebb and flow of the tides, generate electricity.
How to make a Savonia rotor:
The Savonia rotor is a mechanism used by farmers in Asia and Africa to supply water for irrigation. To make your own rotor, you will need some thumbtacks, a large plastic bottle, a cap, two gaskets, a 1m long, 5mm thick rod and two metal rings.
How to do it:
1. To make the blades, cut the top off the bottle and cut it in half lengthwise.
2. Using thumbtacks, attach the bottle halves to the cap. Be careful when handling buttons.
3. Glue the gaskets to the lid and insert the rod into it.
4. Screw the rings to the wooden base and place your rotor in the wind. Insert the rod into the rings and check the rotation of the rotor. Having chosen the optimal position for the half of the bottle, glue them to the cap with strong water-repellent glue.
As a child, I loved to dream. In my dreams, I went on exciting interplanetary journeys throughout the solar system. As I grew up, I left those dreams far behind. However, my interest in the unknown has not faded. He pushed me to expand my horizons and read various books and articles about space. I will be happy to share some of this information with you.
Comparison of planets in the solar system
There are nine planets in total.
Mercury differs from other planets in its enormous temperature range. A special feature is also the very fast movement in orbit. There is no atmosphere.
Venus rotates in the opposite direction compared to most planets. Its dimensions, as well as its composition and structure are close to those of Earth. However, the temperature and pressure on its surface are several times higher than those on Earth.
Our home is Earth. Its distinctive features:
- strong magnetic field;
- high gravity;
- presence of the hydrosphere;
- presence of life;
- high density;
- the presence of a relatively large satellite.
Mars has extremely low pressure and a large range of temperatures.
The next four planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. They can be conditionally classified as another group - giant planets. They consist of gases, in the center of which there is a liquid core. They have a strong magnetic field and rotate at very high speeds. Their distinctive feature is the presence of rings and an abundance of satellites. They are separated from the terrestrial planets by a ridge of asteroids.
And the most recent and distant mini-planet Pluto, which modern astronomers cross out from the list of planets.
Sources of energy on Earth
All processes occurring on the Earth's surface are fueled by several energy sources.
The main and most important source of energy for all processes on our planet, of course, is solar energy.
I believe that its importance simply cannot be overestimated. What does solar energy give us? Light, warmth, life support for all living things. Speaking about energy sources, we should not forget about wind and water energy.
travelask.ru
The main source is energy - Great Encyclopedia of Oil and Gas, article, page 1
The main source is energy
Page 1
The main sources of energy used by humans.
The main source of energy used by autotrophs is the Sun. Figuratively speaking, autotrophs are the breadwinners of the biosphere: they not only feed themselves, but also feed (with their bodies) others. That's why they are called producers. The biomass created by them is called primary.
The main sources of energy in oil refineries are heat, steam and electricity. To obtain all types of energy, up to 6% of refined oil is consumed, and half of this amount is burned at thermal power plants, and the other half in tube furnaces of technological installations. In this regard, one of the most important problems in oil and gas processing is increasing the technical and economic efficiency of all technological processes.
The main source of energy for all processes occurring in the biosphere is solar radiation. The atmosphere surrounding the Earth weakly absorbs short-wave radiation from the Sun, which mainly reaches the Earth's surface. Some solar radiation is absorbed and scattered by the atmosphere. The absorption of incident solar radiation is due to the presence of ozone, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and aerosols in the atmosphere.
The main source of energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is glucose. In cells, glucose, with the help of enzyme systems, first undergoes oxygen-free splitting into two molecules of lactic acid CH3CH (OH) COOH. The energy released during the breakdown of one glucose molecule during glycolysis is accumulated in two newly formed ATP molecules. As needed, ATP is hydrolyzed into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and phosphoric acid, releasing about 10 kcal of thermal energy. Lactic acid undergoes further oxygen decomposition in successive redox reactions to carbon dioxide and hydrogen, which, in turn, is oxidized by atmospheric oxygen to water. The energy released in this case is spent on the regeneration of ATP, that is, on the addition of the third phosphoric acid residue to ADP. As a result of the complete breakdown of two molecules of lactic acid, energy is released sufficient for the synthesis of 36 ATP molecules from ADP.
The main source of energy on Earth is the Sun.
The main sources of energy consumed by industry are fossil fuels and their products, water energy, biomass and nuclear fuel. Wind, solar, tidal, and geothermal energy are used to a much lesser extent. World reserves of main types of fuel are estimated at 1 28 - 1013 tons of fuel, including fossil coals 1 12 - 1013 tons, oil 7 4 - 111 tons and natural gas 6 3 - 111 tons of fuel.
The main source of energy (heat) in the nitriding process is the nitriding reaction, which provides up to 96% of the total energy input. The electricity supplied when heating the furnace is only 2 - 3% of the total energy input.
The main source of energy reaching the Earth is the Sun. Solar radiation is formed as a result of intense interaction with matter in the upper layers of the Sun and is in equilibrium with it. Electromagnetic radiation from the Sun can be characterized by two temperatures - energy, which is determined by the Stefan-Boltzmann law, and spectral, determined from Wien's law. For equilibrium radiation these temperatures are equal. An indicator of radiation disequilibrium can be the difference between energy and spectral temperatures. As we move away from the surface of the Sun, the energy temperature drops, but the spectral temperature remains unchanged. Thus, the disequilibrium of radiation increases with distance from the Sun. Therefore, with increasing distance from the Sun, more favorable conditions are created for self-organization processes that occur under nonequilibrium conditions. On the other hand, the complexity of the formed systems depends on temperature. As the distance from the Sun increases, the temperature drops, so there is a certain optimal distance at which systems of maximum complexity can form. The level of self-organization of the system is determined by the degree of deviation from the equilibrium state and the level of complexity. In the solar system, the most optimal combination of these parameters is observed at distances corresponding to the Earth’s orbit. Thus, in the Solar System, the highest level of self-organization can be achieved on Earth.
The main sources of energy in the formations are the pressure of marginal water, bottom water, gas and the gas cap; pressure of dissolved gas in oil at the moment of gas release from solution; gravity; elasticity of the formation and the oil, water and gas saturating it. These forces can manifest themselves separately or together.
The main sources of energy in the formations are the pressure of marginal water, bottom water, gas cap gas, the pressure of dissolved gas in oil at the moment of gas release from solution, gravity, the elasticity of the formation and the oil, water and gas saturating it. These forces can manifest themselves separately or together. Thus, the energy resources of an oil-bearing formation are characterized by the pressure existing in it. The higher the pressure, the greater, other things being equal, the energy reserves and the more fully the oil deposit can be used.
The main source of energy in industry, agriculture and other sectors of the national economy is fuel. Depending on the physical condition fuel is divided into solid, liquid and gaseous.
The main sources of energy for humanity were the muscular power of people and draft animals, and wood and dung of domestic animals were used to heat homes and prepare food. However, the share of wood and charcoal was large, and the muscular power of humans and animals was still used.
Pages: 1 2 3 4
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Sources of energy on Earth. Movement. Heat
Sources of energy on Earth
Not all energy sources are equal. Some are of only fundamental interest, while others are associated with the existence of civilization. Some sources are practically inexhaustible, others will come to an end in the coming centuries, or even decades.
For several billion years now, the main guardian of our planetary system, the Sun, has been sending its life-giving rays to the Earth. This source of energy can safely be called inexhaustible. Each square meter of the earth's surface receives energy of average power about 1.5 kW from the Sun; per year this will amount to about 10 million kilocalories of energy - this amount of heat is provided by hundreds of kilograms of coal. How much heat does the entire globe receive from the Sun? Calculating the area of the Earth and taking into account the uneven illumination of the earth's surface by the sun's rays, we get about 1014 kW. This is 100 thousand times more energy that all factories, factories, power plants, automobile and aircraft engines receive from all energy sources on Earth, in short - 100 thousand times more energy power consumed by the entire population of the globe (about a billion kilowatts).
However, despite many projects, solar energy is used very little. Indeed, our calculation yielded a huge figure, but this amount of energy reaches all places on the earth’s surface: on the slopes of inaccessible mountains, and on the surface of the oceans, which occupies most of the earth’s surface, and on the sands of deserted deserts.
In addition, the amount of energy per small area is not at all so large. But it is hardly advisable to create energy receivers extending over square kilometers. Finally, it is obvious that converting solar energy into heat makes sense in areas where there are many sunny days.
Interest in the direct use of solar energy has increased somewhat recently due to the emerging opportunities to directly convert solar energy into electrical energy. This opportunity is naturally very attractive. However, so far it has been implemented to a very small extent.
Relatively recently, a solar energy accumulator was discovered above our heads - in the upper layers of the atmosphere. It turned out that oxygen at an altitude of 150–200 km above the earth’s surface, due to the action of solar radiation, is in a dissociated state: its molecules are broken into atoms. When these atoms combined into oxygen molecules, 118 kcal/mol of energy could be released. What is the total reserve of this energy? In a layer 50 km thick at the indicated altitude, 1013 kcal are stored - as much as is released during the complete combustion of several million tons of coal. In the USSR, this amount of coal is mined in a few days. Although the energy of oxygen dissociated at high altitudes is continuously renewed, here we are again faced with the problem of low concentration: a device for the practical use of this energy is not so easy to come up with.
Let's return to the discussion of energy sources. The air masses of the earth's atmosphere are in continuous movement. Cyclones, storms, constantly blowing trade winds, light breezes - the diverse manifestations of the energy of air flows. Wind energy has been used to propel sailing ships and in windmills since ancient times. The total average annual power of air flows for the entire Earth is no less than 100 billion kW.
However, let's not place high hopes on wind as an energy source. Not only is this source incorrect - wind calms caused so much misfortune and disappointment in the age of sailing ships - but it has the same disadvantage as solar energy: the amount of energy released per unit area is relatively small; The blades of a wind turbine, if created to produce energy on a factory scale, would have to reach practically impossible sizes. An equally significant drawback is the variability of wind strength. Therefore, wind energy, or, as it is poetically called, blue coal, is used only in small engines - “windmills”. When there is wind, they provide electricity to agricultural machines and illuminate houses. If excess energy is generated, it is stored in batteries (the so-called energy storage devices). This surplus can be used during quiet times. Of course, you cannot rely on a windmill - it can only play the role of an auxiliary engine.
A free source of energy is also moving water - the tidal wave of the oceans, continuously advancing on land, and streams of river water flowing to the seas and oceans.
The power of all the rivers of the globe is measured in billions of kilowatts, but only about 40 million kW are used, i.e. so far about 1%. The potential power of the rivers of the USSR reaches 400 million kW, and about 20 million kW of this is used so far.
If we were deprived of coal, oil and other energy sources and switched only to white coal - the energy of rivers, then full use of this energy (assuming that all possible hydroelectric power stations were built on all the rivers of the globe) it would be necessary to reduce the energy consumption on the globe. Energy consumption on the globe currently exceeds a billion kilowatts - hydropower alone would be enough for humanity already.
Well, what about the tidal wave? Its energy is very significant, although about ten times less than the energy of rivers. Alas, this energy has so far been used only to a very small extent: the pulsating nature of the tides makes it difficult to use. However, Soviet and French engineers found practical ways to overcome this difficulty. Now the tidal power plant provides guaranteed power during peak demand hours. In France, an experimental Saint-Malo TPP has been built and is already operating, and in the USSR a station is being built in Kislaya Guba in the Murmansk region. This latter will serve as experience for the construction of the designed powerful tidal power plants in the Lumbovsky and Mezensky bays of the White Sea. In France, by 1965, a tidal station with a capacity of 240 thousand kW will be launched.
Water in the oceans at great depths has a temperature that differs from the temperature of the surface layers by 10–20°. This means that it is possible to build a heat engine, the heater of which in the middle latitudes would be upper layer water, and a deep refrigerator. The efficiency of such a machine will be 1–2%. But this, of course, is also a very unconcentrated source of energy.
The sun, air and water are free sources of energy*16. Free in the sense that the use of their energy does not entail a decrease in any earthly values. The operation of wind turbines does not reduce the amount of air on the globe, the operation of hydroelectric power stations does not reduce the depth of rivers, and the operation of solar machines does not use the reserves of earthly substances.
In this sense, the energy sources described so far have a great advantage over fuels. The fuel is burned. The use of the energy of coal, oil, wood is the irreversible destruction of earthly values. It would be very tempting to implement a photochemical engine, i.e. obtain energy through the mechanism of photosynthesis, which ensures the accumulation of fuel energy. The green leaf of any plant is a plant that, from molecules of water and carbon dioxide, thanks to the energy of sunlight, produces organic substances with a large supply of energy in the molecules. This process in plants has a low efficiency (~1%), but the energy stored annually by plants is 2·1015 kWh, i.e. hundreds of times higher than the annual energy production of all power plants in the world. The mechanism of photosynthesis has not yet been fully understood, but there is no doubt that in the future it will be possible not only to carry out photosynthesis in artificial conditions, but also increase its efficiency. However, in this area, man cannot yet compete with nature and is forced to use its gifts by burning wood, oil, and coal.
What are the fuel reserves on the globe? To regular fuel, i.e. those that burn from the presence of fire include coal and oil. Their reserves on the globe are extremely small. With modern oil consumption, its proven reserves will come to an end by the beginning of the next millennium. There are slightly more coal reserves. The amount of coal on Earth is expressed at ten thousand billion tons. A kilogram of coal produces 7000 kcal of heat when burned. Thus, the total energy reserves of coal are measured at about 1020 kcal. This is thousands of times more than annual energy consumption.
The energy reserve for a thousand years must be recognized as very small. A thousand years is a long time only compared to the duration of a human life, and human life- an insignificant moment compared to the life of the globe and the time of existence of the civilized world. In addition, per capita energy consumption is continuously increasing. Therefore, if fuel reserves were reduced to oil and coal, then the state of affairs on Earth with energy reserves should be considered catastrophic.
In the early forties of our century, the practical possibility of using a completely new type of fuel, called nuclear, was proven. We have significant reserves of nuclear fuel.
This is not the place to dwell on the structure of the atom and its core - the atomic nucleus, or on how internal energy can be extracted from atomic nuclei. The release of nuclear energy can only be carried out on a significant scale at so-called nuclear power plants. Nuclear power is released in the form of heat, which is used in exactly the same way as in coal-fired power plants.
Currently, we can release energy in industrial quantities from two elements - uranium and thorium. The peculiarity of nuclear fuel, which is its main advantage, is its exceptional concentration of energy. A kilogram of nuclear fuel produces 2.5 million times more energy than a kilogram of coal. Therefore, despite the relatively low prevalence of these elements, their reserves on the globe in energy terms are quite significant. Approximate calculations show that nuclear fuel reserves are significantly greater than coal reserves. However, adding uranium and thorium to fuel does not solve the fundamental problem of liberating humanity from energy hunger - the reserves of minerals in the earth's crust are limited.
But now it is possible to indicate a truly limitless source of energy. We are talking about so-called thermonuclear reactions. They are possible only at ultra-high temperatures of about twenty million degrees. This temperature has so far only been achieved during atomic explosions.
Now researchers are faced with the task of obtaining high temperatures non-explosively, and the first attempts to reach temperatures of a million degrees were successful.
If physicists are able to work with the necessary high temperatures in tens of millions of degrees, obtained non-explosively, then a controlled reaction of fusion of hydrogen atomic nuclei (it is called thermonuclear) will become possible. This reaction will release enormous energy per kilogram of fuel. In order to now provide humanity with energy for one year, it is enough to release thermonuclear energy by processing tens of millions of tons of water.
There is so much thermonuclear energy stored in the world's oceans that it will be enough to cover all the energy needs of humanity for a time exceeding the age of the solar system. This is truly a limitless source of energy.
Next chapter >
fis.wikireading.ru
Internal and external sources of energy of the Earth
Processes occur both inside the Earth and on its surface that determine the formation of relief.
Each region on Earth, on land and on the ocean floor, has its own tectonic regime, which determines the development of the relief. The endogenous factor in the formation of relief includes tectonic, seismic and volcanic phenomena. To a depth of 400 - 700 km, particularly large faults, earthquake hypocenters, and magma chambers with which volcanic processes are associated can be traced. At these depths, transitions of matter from a solid to a plastic and even liquid state (and vice versa), heating and melting of it as a result of radioactive decay, gravitational and chemical differentiation of substances occur.
Endogenous processes (from the Greek endon - inside and genes - born) can be both active and long-lasting, for example, in volcanic belts, and impulsive. External processes, called exogenous (from the Greek exo - outside and genes - born), occur on the surface of the lithosphere due to the influence of solar energy, gravity, physico-chemical changes rocks and precipitation, the movement of substances from the bowels of the Earth in vertical and horizontal directions. The accumulation of sediments at the bottom of seas and oceans and the movement of loose material on land are also the result of exogenous processes.
Main source of energy external forces planets are solar energy. About 60% of it is spent on exogenous processes, the rest returns to extraterrestrial space. Solar energy is absorbed by the World Ocean. This determines high degree the mobility of its waters: currents, vortices, etc. But the land also receives a significant share of energy, which is not only consumed, but also goes to the accumulation, compaction and transformation of sediments and minerals. A considerable part of it is preserved in the Earth's biosphere. In addition to solar energy, the energy of cosmic bodies falling to the Earth - meteorites - is used to create relief forms. It is easy to see that endogenous and exogenous processes have common sources of energy: solar radiation, planetary rotation and physical and chemical transformations of matter. However, exogenous processes are more closely related to geographical and, above all, landscape and climatic conditions. Each landscape belt is characterized by its own exogenous processes. It has been established that the main factor in the distribution and properties of exogenous processes is the direct relationship between heat and moisture. This is the energetic basis of many geographical processes on the Earth's surface, including the processes of relief formation. The distribution of heat and moisture on the surface of the planet has never been constant. This depended on the angle of inclination of the planet’s rotation axis, which varied from 15 - 20° to 30 - 40°. Now this angle is about 27°.
Scientists look at the problem of the origin and development of the relief of land and the bottom of the seas differently. Some believe that the oceans arose simultaneously with the appearance of the planet. However, they are constantly reducing their area as the continents grow. Others believe that the oceans arose when the primary continents broke and drifted, when the space between them began to fill with water. Still others suggest that oceans arose on the site of once-existing continents as a result of the “oceanization” of the Earth.
geographyofrussia.com
Energy sources
Basically, we extract the energy used in everyday life and industry on the surface of the Earth or in its depths. For example, in many underdeveloped countries, wood is burned for heating and lighting homes, while in developed countries, various fossil fuel sources - coal, oil and gas - are burned to generate electricity. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources. Their reserves cannot be restored. Scientists are now studying the possibilities of using inexhaustible energy sources.
Fossil fuels
Coal, oil and gas are non-renewable energy sources that were formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that lived on Earth millions of years ago (for more details, see the article “Ancient Life Forms”). These fuels are extracted from the earth and burned to produce electricity. However, the use of fossil fuels poses serious problems. At current rates of consumption, known reserves of oil and gas will be exhausted within the next 50 years. Coal reserves will last for 250 years. When these types of fuel are burned, gases are formed, under the influence of which a greenhouse effect occurs and acid rain occurs.
Renewable Energy
As the population grows (see the article "Population of the Earth"), people require more and more energy, and many countries are moving to the use of renewable energy sources - solar, wind and water. The idea of using them is widely popular, since they are environmentally friendly sources, the use of which does not harm the environment.
Hydroelectric power stations
Water energy has been used for many centuries. Water turned water wheels, which were used for various purposes. Nowadays, huge dams and reservoirs are built and the water is used to generate electricity. The flow of the river turns the wheels of the turbines, converting the energy of the water into electricity. The turbine is connected to a generator, which produces electricity.
Solar energy
The earth receives enormous amounts of solar energy. Modern technology allows scientists to develop new methods of using solar energy. The world's largest solar power plant was built in the California desert. It fully meets the energy needs of 2,000 homes. Mirrors reflect the sun's rays, directing them into the central water boiler. The water boils in it and turns into steam, which rotates a turbine connected to an electric generator.
Wind energy
Wind energy has been used by humans for thousands of years. The wind inflated the sails and turned the mills. To use wind energy, a wide variety of devices have been created to generate electricity and for other purposes. The wind rotates the blades of a windmill, which drive a turbine shaft connected to an electric generator.
Atomic Energy
Atomic energy is thermal energy released during the decay of the smallest particles of matter - atoms. The main fuel for producing nuclear energy is uranium, an element found in the earth's crust. Many people consider nuclear energy to be the energy of the future, but its practical application poses a number of serious problems. Nuclear power plants do not emit toxic gases, but they can create a lot of problems because the fuel is radioactive. It emits radiation that kills all living organisms. If radiation enters the soil or atmosphere, it has catastrophic consequences.
Accidents of nuclear reactors and releases of radioactive substances into the atmosphere pose a great danger. The accident at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl (Ukraine), which occurred in 1986, resulted in the death of many people and the contamination of a vast area. Radioactive waste has threatened all life for thousands of years. Usually they are buried at the bottom of the sea, but there are also frequent cases of waste being buried deep underground.
Other renewable energy sources
In the future, people will be able to use many different natural sources of energy. For example, in volcanic areas, technology is being developed to use geothermal energy (heat from the earth's interior). Another source of energy is biogas produced by rotting waste. It can be used for heating homes and heating water. Tidal power plants have already been created. Dams are often built across river mouths (estuaries). Special turbines, driven by the ebb and flow of the tides, generate electricity.
How to make a Savonia rotor:
The Savonia rotor is a mechanism used by farmers in Asia and Africa to supply water for irrigation. To make your own rotor, you will need some thumbtacks, a large plastic bottle, a cap, two gaskets, a 1m long, 5mm thick rod and two metal rings.
How to do it:
1. To make the blades, cut the top off the bottle and cut it in half lengthwise.
2. Using thumbtacks, attach the bottle halves to the cap. Be careful when handling buttons.
3. Glue the gaskets to the lid and insert the rod into it.
4. Screw the rings to the wooden base and place your rotor in the wind. Insert the rod into the rings and check the rotation of the rotor. Having chosen the optimal position for the half of the bottle, glue them to the cap with strong water-repellent glue.
www.polnaja-jenciklopedija.ru
Compare the Earth with other planets in the solar system. What is the main source of energy for processes,
occurring on the surface of the Earth?
- Track
- Flag violation!
Answers and explanations
+ − × • ÷ ± = ≡ ≠ ~ ≈ ≃ < ≤ ≤ > ≥ ∝ ∑ ∞ √ { } ⟨ ⟩ ¼ ½ ¾ ƒ ′ ″ ∂ ∫ ∬ Δ ∇
Geometry
° ∠ ∡ ∟ ⦜ ⊿ ○ △ □ ▱ ◊ ∥ ∦ ⊥ ≅
¬ ∧ ∨ ∀ ∃ ◻ ◊ ⊢ ⊨ ∴
Sets
∅ ∈ ∉ ⊆ ⊈ ⊂ ⊄ ⊇ ⊉ ⊃ ⊅ ∩ ∪ ∖ ⊖ ⊕ ⊗ ⊙
Superscripts and subscripts
Subscripts
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koreniz.ru
Chapter 3. The sun is the main source of energy for the Earth's surface. Energy and life
Chapter 3. The sun is the main source of energy for the Earth's surface
O sun, you are the belly and beauty of nature,
The source of eternity and the image of the deity!
The earth lives by you, the air lives, the waters live,
The soul of times and matter!
A. P. Sumarokov
From large number possible sources energy available to our planet, the first place should undoubtedly be given to the solar flow, which maintains the necessary temperature conditions of the Earth (so that we do not evaporate, overheating, or freeze, overcooling).
The cult of the Sun was developed among most peoples inhabiting the Earth, and it is not without reason that the flow of solar energy forms the basis of all energy flows on our planet (Fig. 3).
A solar radiation flux of approximately 1000 kcal/(cm2·year) (or about 2 kcal/(cm2·min)) is supplied to the outer boundary of the troposphere. Due to the spherical shape of the Earth, a quarter of the troposphere receives an average of about 250 kcal/(cm2 year) per unit surface of the outer boundary of the troposphere. A third of this flow is reflected, and, therefore, the Earth absorbs 167 kcal/(cm2·year). Of these, 59 kcal/(cm2 year) is absorbed by the atmosphere, and absorption by the earth's surface accounts for 108 kcal/(cm2 year). This energy is "recycled" different ways. In the form of long-wave infrared radiation, 36 kcal/(cm2·year) leaves the Earth's surface.
Rice. 3. Enlarged diagram of the Earth’s energy balance
(energy balance components, kcal/(cm2 year)) [Budyko, 1984].
Thanks to the greenhouse effect, the Earth's surface receives about 72 kcal/(cm2 year) of radiation energy, part of which - 60 kcal/ (cm2 year) - goes to water evaporation (lower circle in Fig. 3), and part - 12 kcal/ ( cm2·year) - returns to the atmosphere through turbulent air flows.
The main transmitter of heat between space and the Earth - the atmosphere - receives “its” 60 kcal / (cm2 year) from the Earth due to the condensation of water vapor (upper circle in Fig. 3), the mentioned 12 kcal / (cm2 year) - due to turbulization and directly from solar radiation - 59 kcal/(cm2 year). Result: income is 131 kcal/(cm2 year). And accordingly, the heat consumption through effective radiation is the same value - 131 units. Together with the resulting 36 kcal/(cm2·year) of long-wave radiation from the earth's litter, we obtain a total consumption of 167 kcal/(cm2·year), exactly equal to the energy input with the flow of solar radiation.
Thus, on our planet there is a “life support system” with a certain temperature range. The average annual temperature is 14.25°C, while in the Northern Hemisphere the average temperature is 15.2°C, and in the Southern Hemisphere - only 13.3°C due to the high reflectivity of the ice shell of Antarctica.
Of the 72 kcal absorbed by each square centimeter of the earth's surface per year, the ocean “takes” almost twice as much as the land - 90 and 50 kcal, respectively. This is explained by the high heat capacity of water and its mobility. The oceanosphere is a powerful accumulator of solar heat; it accumulates 21 times more than the amount of heat that comes from the Sun to the entire surface of the Earth per year (7.6 × 1023 kcal compared to a flow of 3.65 × 1020 kcal/year). Therefore, its interaction with the atmosphere determines the weather on the globe. Heat absorbed in the tropics is transported by currents to high latitudes, softening the climate of temperate and polar regions. The Gulf Stream alone carries 22 times more heat than all the land's rivers.
In general, the hydrosphere works under the influence of pumping solar energy like a giant heat engine. You can even estimate its coefficient useful action. The “pure” energy of movement, movement of air and water masses, i.e. that part that can do the work we need, turns out to be very small: for the atmosphere (with an average wind speed slightly exceeding 10 m/s at the Earth’s surface) - only 1.6% of the absorbed solar heat, and for the oceanosphere (with an average current speed throughout the entire water column equal to 3.2 cm/s) - even a couple of orders of magnitude lower. Of course, one of the most serious energy costs is the energy spent on the physical cycle of water, primarily on evaporation. It can also be estimated from the data already given. About 55% is the energy consumption that reaches the earth's surface for evaporation.
In the atmosphere and hydrosphere, a complex interweaving of cycles that differ in space and time of existence determines the instantaneous state - the weather at any point on the Earth and the climate in each zone. Climate is the result of averaging the past weather of each day at each point. Without touching on the very controversial but pressing issue of weather forecasting, we only emphasize that the very concept of climate was introduced by scientists of Ancient Greece. The word is of Greek origin (klima) and means “slope”. That is, even at that time the Greeks were well aware that the climate of the area depended on the average inclination of the sun's rays to the surface of the Earth. Well done, ancient Greeks! They had the most correct idea about the original source of the movement.
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bio.wikireading.ru
For the existence and development of human society are necessary. The decisive role in the development of world energy belongs to energy resources, to clarifying the question of what geological and explored reserves of various energy sources and, in particular, oil and gas, humanity has, what energy potential of our planet.
According to the degree of durability, energy sources are divided into renewable and non-renewable. Renewable or inexhaustible energy sources include: solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy, hydropower, geothermal energy.
Non-renewable energy sources: nuclear energy and caustobiolite energy. Caustobiolites are combustible minerals (causto - combustible, bios - organic, lithos - stone). These include coal, oil, natural hydrocarbon gases, shale, and peat.
World energy sources: solar energy
Every day the Earth receives 1.5⋅10*22 J solar energy. About 30% of the sun's rays are reflected by clouds and the earth's surface, but most penetrate through the atmosphere. By warming the atmosphere, oceans and land, the sun's heat causes winds, rain, snowfall and ocean currents.
However, all the energy is re-radiated into cold space, keeping the earth's surface in thermal equilibrium.
A small part of solar energy is accumulated in lakes and rivers, while the other part is accumulated in living plants and animals. Solar energy has properties that are not found in any other source: it is renewable, environmentally friendly, controllable, and is thousands of times larger than all the energy that is currently used.
Solar energy is used to heat greenhouses and houses; it is accumulated in solar panels, which convert solar radiation into electricity; solar panels or photocells are used on spaceships to provide astronauts with electricity when working in outer space. The disadvantage of this energy is that the sun's rays are scattered by the earth's surface and a large surface is required to collect sunlight.
Wind energy
Approximately 46% of incoming solar energy is absorbed by the ocean, land and atmosphere. This energy drives winds, waves and ocean currents, warms the seas and produces weather fluctuations. Grade wind energy on a global scale - about 10 * 15 W, however, most of the energy is concentrated in winds blowing at sky-high altitudes and, therefore, is not available for use on the land surface. Steady surface winds have a power of about 10*12 W and can be used by wind turbines and in sea transportation.
IN last years Wind energy production in the world is increasing annually by 28%. It is expected that by 2020 this energy will account for up to 10% of the world's electricity.
In 2005, a law of the Republic of Azerbaijan was adopted on the use of solar and wind energy, which are sufficient in the country.
Energy of ebbs and flows
Tides are the result of the gravitational attraction of the Moon and the Sun, and the influence of the Moon is much greater. The strength of the tides is an expression of the force of the planet's rotation. The height of the tides is not the same everywhere.
It rarely exceeds one meter at great depths in the ocean, and over the continental shelf it can reach up to 20 meters. The power of tides is estimated at 0.85⋅10*20 J. In France (Rance River) and Russia (Kislaya Guba), stations are already generating electricity from tidal waves. There are many problems in the disposal of ebb and flow tides. For efficient work stations require a tidal wave height of more than 5 m and the presence of bays blocked by light dams - estuaries. But almost everywhere, coastal tides have a height of about 2 m, and only about 30 places on Earth meet these requirements. The most important of them are: two adjacent bays - Fundy (Canada) and Passamuquoddy (USA); the French coast along the English Channel, where the Rance station has been successfully operating for many years, the Irish Sea, the estuaries of the rivers of England, the White Sea (Russia) and the Kimberley coast (Australia). Tidal energy could be quite important in the future because it is one of the few energy systems that operates without serious damage to the environment.
Hydropower
Approximately 23% of solar radiation is spent on the evaporation of water, which then falls in the form of rain and snow.
Water energy is a renewable resource. The power of water was harnessed in primitive ways for thousands of years before the twentieth century, when large-scale damming of rivers began to produce electricity. Of all renewable energy resources The power of water is used most intensively. But the unfavorable circumstance is that dams have a finite and, most likely, short term life. A moving stream of water carries a load of fine clay particles in suspension; once the flow is blocked and the water speed drops, this material is deposited, and the reservoir can be completely filled with them in 50-200 years.
The greatest untapped potential of this energy can be used where there are large reserves of water energy.
Geothermal energy
When diving 1 km deep into the earth, the temperature increases from 15 to 75 C. In the earth's core, the temperature probably exceeds 5000 C. On average, 6.3⋅10*6 J of energy comes from the interior to the surface. In addition, geothermal energy is associated with the decay of radioactive elements such as U
238, U 235, Th 232, K 40, which are distributed in dispersed form everywhere in the depths. At the same time, underground water is heated and comes to the surface in the form of steam and hot water (geysers). Geothermal hot water is used in Iceland, Japan, Italy, Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, America and New Zealand to heat houses, swimming pools, and greenhouses. But they are still of little importance compared to the production of electricity.
Atomic Energy
Nuclear energy can be obtained through two processes. The first is the fusion or synthesis of light elements such as hydrogen and lithium, which produces heavier elements. These are processes that occur in the Sun and in a hydrogen bomb, but they are difficult to control; perhaps in the future the synthesis of such elements may become the main source of energy. The second process is the fission (decay) of heavy elements such as uranium and thorium. This is the process that takes place in an atomic bomb. Because this reaction can be controlled, the fission of heavy elements is already used to generate electricity in nuclear power plants. Only uranium-235 has a natural ability to decay, which makes up only 0.7% of the total number of natural uranium atoms. The uranium-235 chain reaction was first carried out by Professor Enrico Fermi on December 2, 1942, in one of the most important experiments in Earth's history. The cost of isolating uranium-235 atoms is high. However, the decay of one atom of uranium-235 releases 3.2⋅10*11 J of energy.
Since 1 g of uranium-235 atom contains about 2.56⋅10-21 atoms, the decay of 1 g of uranium produces about 8.19⋅10*10 J, which is equivalent to the energy obtained from the combustion of 2.7 tons of coal. Currently, about 300 nuclear power plants operate on uranium-235. The United States ranks first in the use of nuclear energy (about 50%), followed by Europe (30%) and Japan (12%). When using nuclear energy, there is an acute problem of safety, as well as the problem of disposal of radioactive waste.
Fossil fuels
Currently, three types of fossil fuels are used: coal, oil and natural gas. They account for about 90% of the world's energy. Coal. World reserves of all types of coal are estimated at 13,800 billion tons, and additional potential resources at 6,650 billion tons. The distribution geography is as follows: approximately 43% of the world’s coals are located in Russia, 29% in North America, 14.5% in Asian countries, mainly in China, and 5.5% in Europe. The rest of the world accounts for 8%.
Although coal is not the leading fuel worldwide, it is still dominant in some countries, and it is possible that future difficulties in the supply of oil and gas will lead to increased use of coal. There are many difficulties when using coal. It contains from 0.2% to 7% sulfur, present mainly in the form of pyrite FeS2, ferrous sulfate FeSO4⋅7H2O, gypsum CaSO4⋅2H2O and some organic compounds.
When coal burns, it releases oxidized sulfur, which is released into the atmosphere causing acid rain and smog. Another problem is coal mining itself. Underground mining methods are difficult and even dangerous. Open-pit mining is more efficient and less dangerous, but it causes disruption of the surface layer over a large area. IN modern world Oil and natural hydrocarbon gases are mainly used as energy sources.
The world around us has a truly inexhaustible source of various types of energy. Some of them are not yet fully used at the present time - the energy of the Sun, the energy of interaction between the Earth and the Moon, the energy of thermonuclear fusion, the heat energy of the Earth.
Energy now plays a decisive role in the development of human civilization. There is a close relationship between energy consumption and output volume. Energy is of great importance in the life of mankind. The level of its development reflects the level of development of the productive forces of society, the possibilities of scientific and technological progress and the standard of living of the population.
Energetic resources– these are material objects in which energy is concentrated, suitable for practical use by humans. Energetic resources – energy carriers that are currently used or can be usefully used in the future.
Energy is the universal basis of natural phenomena, the basis of culture and all human activity. In the same time under energy(Greek - action, activity) refers to the quantitative assessment of various forms of motion of matter, which can transform into one another.
Depending on the level of manifestation, one can distinguish the energy of the macrocosm - gravitational, the energy of interaction of bodies - mechanical, the energy of molecular interactions - thermal, the energy of atomic interactions - chemical, the energy of radiation - electromagnetic, the energy contained in the nuclei of atoms - nuclear.
Fuel and energy resources used by humanity: oil, natural gas, coal, wood, nuclear fuel, etc.
2. Traditional and alternative energy sources
Energy directly extracted from nature(energy of fuel, water, wind, thermal energy of the Earth, nuclear), and which can be converted into electrical, thermal, mechanical, chemical is called primary.
Rice.1 Primary Energy Classification
When classifying primary energy, they distinguish traditional And non-traditional types of energy. Traditional types of energy include those that have been widely used by humans for many years. Non-traditional types of energy include those types that began to be used relatively recently. Traditional types of primary energy include: organic fuel (coal, oil, etc.), river hydropower and nuclear fuel (uranium, thorium, etc.). The energy received by a person after the conversion of primary energy in special installations - stations, called secondary (electric energy, steam energy, hot water, etc.). The only way to overcome the energy crisis is the large-scale use of non-traditional resources. renewable energy sources. Wind energy - This is the receipt of mechanical energy from the wind and its subsequent conversion into electrical energy. There are wind engines with a vertical and horizontal axis of rotation. Wind energy can be successfully used at wind speeds of 5 m/s or more. The downside is the noise. Solar energy – obtaining energy from the Sun. Photoelectric generators for direct conversion of solar radiation energy, assembled from a large number of series and parallel connected elements, are called Sol poor batteries . Bioenergy – This is energy based on the use of biofuels. It includes the use of plant waste, the artificial cultivation of biomass (algae, fast-growing trees) and the production of biogas.
