EDEXCEL IGCSE PHYSICS 4-4 Energy Resources and Electricity Generation

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EDEXCEL IGCSE PHYSICS 4-4Energy Resources and
Electricity Generation
THIS POWERPOINT IS NOT DUE FOR COMPLETION UNTIL
JULY 2012

• Edexcel IGCSE Physics pages 150 to 159

December 4th 2010
Content applying to Triple Science only is shown
in red type on the next slide and is indicated on
subsequent slides by TRIPLE ONLY
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Edexcel IGCSE Specification

• Section 4 Energy resources and energy transfer
• d) Energy resources and electricity generation
• understand the energy transfers involved in
  generating electricity using
• wind
• water
• geothermal resources
• solar heating systems
• solar cells
• fossil fuels
• nuclear power
• describe the advantages and disadvantages of
  methods of large-scale electricity production
  from various renewable and non-renewable
  resources.

Red type Triple Science Only
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Thermal power stations

• A thermal power station generates electricity by
  using the heat produced by the burning a fossil
  fuel such as coal, gas, oil or by the fission of
  uranium.
• Over 90 of our electricity is produced by these
  type of power stations.

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Thermal power station block diagram

• BOILER
• Fuel is burnt to turn water into high pressure
  steam.
• TURBINE
• High pressure steam turns a turbine (like a
  windmill)
• GENERATOR
• The turbine rotates the coils of a generator to
  produce electricity.

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Coal-fired power station
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A nuclear reactor
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Comparison of uranium and fossil fuels
uranium coal, gas, oil



Energy released per kg of fuel
1 000 000 kWh
100 kWh
radioactive waste that needs to be stored for
many years
non-radioactive waste
Waste
Greenhouse gases
Yes, mostly carbon dioxide
None
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Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps
below Most of our electricity is produced by
__________ power stations. These use the _______
produced by burning _____ or the fission of
__________ to generate electricity. The heat
produced is used to change ________ into high
pressure steam. This steam is used to turn a
_________ which in turn _________ an electrical
generator. Over _______ of our electricity is
generated by using thermal power stations.
thermal
fuels
heat
uranium
water
turbine
rotates
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WORD SELECTION
fuels
uranium
rotates
heat
90
turbine
water
thermal
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Simulations

• Power Station Animation - eChalk
• Generator - Fendt
• Nuclear Fission - Powerpoint presentation by
  Richard Miller of 5SJW (2005)
• Nuclear Fission - Powerpoint presentation that
  includes a link to the 'mousetrap' demonstration
• Nuclear Physics - PhET - Start a chain reaction,
  or introduce non-radioactive isotopes to prevent
  one. Watch alpha particles escape from a Polonium
  nucleus, causing radioactive alpha decay. Control
  energy production in a nuclear reactor!
• Chain reaction demonstration using mousetraps -
  University of Michigan

• BBC Bitesize Revision
• Introduction Page on AQA Generating Electricity
• Test Bite on Generating Electricity
• BBC Bitesize Revision
• Fossil Fuels
• Nuclear Fuels
• Comparing Sources - includes short and long term
  costs
• Test Bite on Generating Electricity

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Renewable energy sources

• A renewable energy resource is one that will not
  run out.
• Renewable energy sources do not produce
  radioactive waste, greenhouse gases or acid rain.
• Examples include wind, hydroelectric, wave,
  tidal, solar and geothermal.
• Fossil fuels such as coal. gas and oil as well as
  uranium are non-renewable energy sources.

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Wind power

• Wind is used to drive a turbine directly which
  rotates an electrical generator.

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Wind power versus thermal power stations

• ADVANTAGES
• Renewable energy source
• No greenhouse gases
• No acid rain
• No radioactive waste
• Inexpensive to build
• Short start up time

• DISADVANTAGES
• Unreliable needs wind!
• Best used in places where they will often be
  regarded as unsightly
• Many turbines are needed to produce the same
  energy of a small thermal power station
• Noise
• Danger to wildlife

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Wave power

• Waves can be used to drive an electrical
  generator.

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Wave power versus thermal power stations

• ADVANTAGES
• Renewable
• No greenhouse gases
• No acid rain
• No radioactive waste
• No land needed
• Short start up time

• DISADVANTAGES
• Unreliable
• Can only be used in areas with suitable waves
• Prone to storm damage
• Many needed to produce the same energy of a small
  thermal power station
• Danger to shipping

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Hydroelectric power

• Falling water is used to drive a turbine directly
  which rotates an electrical generator.

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Hydroelectric power station
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Hydroelectric power versus thermal power stations

• ADVANTAGES
• Renewable
• Can produce as much energy as a thermal power
  station
• No greenhouse gases
• No acid rain
• No radioactive waste
• Short start up time

• DISADVANTAGES
• Can only be used in mountainous areas
• A large amount of land needs to be flooded
• Expensive to build

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Tidal power

• Moving water caused by the tides is used to drive
  a turbine directly which rotates an electrical
  generator.

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Tidal power station
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Tidal power versus thermal power stations

• ADVANTAGES
• Renewable
• No greenhouse gases
• No acid rain
• No radioactive waste
• Short start up time

• DISADVANTAGES
• Very limited locations
• Wildlife affected
• Expensive to build

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Simulations

• Wind Energy
• Wave, Tidal HEP

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Solar power (cells)

• Electricity can be produced directly from the
  Suns radiation using solar cells.

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Solar power (panels)

• Solar panels are used to heat water saving
  electricity or gas use.

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Solar power versus thermal power stations

• ADVANTAGES
• Renewable
• No greenhouse gases
• No acid rain
• No radioactive waste
• Short start up time

• DISADVANTAGES
• Unreliable in the UK! sunshine is needed for
  solar cells
• Can only be used during the day
• Only 10 of solar energy is converted into
  electricity by solar cells
• Many cells needed to produce the same energy of a
  small thermal power station

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Geothermal energy

• In some volcanic areas hot water and steam rise
  to the surface. The steam can be tapped and used
  to drive turbines. This is known as geothermal
  energy.

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Geothermal versus thermal power stations

• ADVANTAGES
• Renewable
• No greenhouse gases
• No acid rain
• No radioactive waste
• Short start up time

• DISADVANTAGES
• Very limited locations
• Expensive to build

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Electricity generation pie-chart
Most of our electricity is generated by burning
fossil fuels (74 according to the pie chart
opposite) Nearly 20 is nuclear Less than 5 is
currently generated using renewable sources.
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Problems with fossil fuels
Burning coal, gas and oil produces carbon
dioxide. This is a greenhouse gas which causes
global warming. Fossil fuel burning can also
produce sulfur dioxide gas. This can dissolve in
water and produce acid rain which causes damage
to forests and buildings. Modern power stations
remove most sulfur dioxide producing compounds
before burning. Fossil fuels are not renewable.
They are running out. Estimates vary between 50
to 200 years to when we will need to find
alternative sources of energy.
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Problems with nuclear power stations
Nuclear fuel (uranium) does not produce
greenhouse gases and it generates 10000 times
more energy per kilogram than fossil
fuels. However Nuclear waste is radioactive and
may have to be stored safely for thousands of
years. Although safe in normal operation,
accidents can release radioactive material over a
large area. The area around Chernobyl in Ukraine
has been closed off since 1986.
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Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps
below Renewable energy sources will not _____
out and they do not cause __________ gases, acid
rain or radioactive waste. However, most of our
___________ is produced using non-renewable
sources such as ______ fuels (coal, gas and oil)
and _________. These are highly concentrated and
________ energy sources. In the near future we
hope to use more renewable sources such as wind,
wave and _______ power. This will help us to
conserve the remaining _______________ energy
sources.
run
greenhouse
electricity
fossil
reliable
uranium
tidal
non-renewable
WORD SELECTION
electricity
non-renewable
fossil
uranium
reliable
greenhouse
run
tidal
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Energy Resources and Electricity Generation
Notes questions from pages 150 to 159

1. Answer the questions on page 159.
2. Verify that you can do all of the items listed in
   the end of chapter checklist on page 159.

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Online Simulations