BRR 325 Study Guide - Summer 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Natural Gas, Fossil Fuel, Solar Energy
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
BRR 325
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
08/21/2018
Module 1
A Brief History of Energy
Lecture 01: Energy Basics
o The search for food has been the only energy expense of humans, until advancements in
hunting and agricultural techniques provided extra energy for other activities.
o Today, our daily energy use is two orders of magnitude greater than the amount our ancestors
used 100 years ago.
o Per capita food consumption has not changed that much. Energy is used on transportation and
manufacturing.
o Energy can be extracted from primary energy sources: These forms of energy that are present
in nature without any human transformation. Fossil fuels, wind, and hydropower are just
some examples of primary energy sources.
o From these primary sources, we extract energy and put it in a transportable carrier form,
typically as a liquid, solid, or gas.
o Electricity is another form of energy carrier that can be transmitted over long distances.
o These energy carriers are converted into useful forms and are used to provide energy services.
o A primary energy source is different from an energy carrier, or a conversion technology, or a
type of energy service.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Wind Energy
o Sailing boats (Egypt, 5000 BC)
o Pumping water, grain grinding (Persia, 500-900 BC)
o Windmill tech spread to Europe (1,000 AD)
o Wind turbines power utilities during WWII (1940s)
o Development since 1970s
o Wind energy was primarily used for its mechanical capabilities until the late 1800s.
Geothermal Energy
o Hot springs: thermal heat was exploited long before geothermal heat gained industrial
relevance.
o Industrial use of geothermal heat (Pisa, Italy, late 18th century)
o First geothermal power plant (Italy, 1904): advancements in underground drilling and
electricity generation systems.
o First ground-source geothermal heat pump installed in the US in Portland 1946.
Solar Energy
o Ant-burning (7th century BC)
o Lighting torches (3rd century BC)
o Archimedes defends Syracuse (212 BC)
o Bathhouse with south-facing window (1-4 century AD)
o Anasazi dwellings (1200s)
o Solar cooking device (1767) with parabolic solar concentrators.
o Photovoltaic effect discovered (1839). French physicist Edmund Becquerel discovered the PV
effect. Advancements in semiconductor technologies which enabled development of tech that
converts solar energy to electricity.
o Solar energy is used in agriculture and residential heating.
o Development of optics. Potential of solar energy for heat and power generation.
Energy for Transportation
o Wind, geothermal, and solar energy are not widely used in transportation.
o There are challenges to energy storage.
o Transportation fuels have a high energy density due to space and cost constraints. Fuel with
high energy density (energy per unit weight/volume)
o Land transportation before coal and diesel was primarily done using draft animals.
o Safe to use, low in price
o Environmentally friendly
o Home heating also requires energy carriers like natural gas.
Dense energy
o Biological materials such as forest residue and crop residue -biomass- are widely available
combustion fuels. Combustion of biomass into charcoal or wood pellets increases the energy
density of the fuel and enables cleaner combustion.
o To reduce the carbon footprint: concept of converting biomass into liquid biofuels. Concept is
still in the commercial implementation stage. <- topic for midterm Converts chemical energy
to thermal and radiation energy.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Energy is used on transportation and manufacturing: energy can be extracted from primary energy sources: these forms of energy that are present in nature without any human transformation. Solar energy: ant-burning (7th century bc, lighting torches (3rd century bc, archimedes defends syracuse (212 bc, bathhouse with south-facing window (1-4 century ad, anasazi dwellings (1200s, solar cooking device (1767) with parabolic solar concentrators, photovoltaic effect discovered (1839). French physicist edmund becquerel discovered the pv effect. Advancements in semiconductor technologies which enabled development of tech that converts solar energy to electricity: solar energy is used in agriculture and residential heating, development of optics. Potential of solar energy for heat and power generation. Energy for transportation: wind, geothermal, and solar energy are not widely used in transportation, there are challenges to energy storage, transportation fuels have a high energy density due to space and cost constraints.
