Some Basic Concepts of Energy

1. Some Basic Conceptsof Energy Prepared for FYF 101J - Alternative Energy Kenneth M. Klemow, Ph.D. Wilkes University

2. Overview of topics • Basic energy concepts • Historic phases of energy production and supply • Terminology pertaining to energy

3. Basic energy concepts

4. What is energy? • Ability to do work • Physicists distinguish between kinetic and potential energy • Energy comes in different forms • Radiation • Mechanical energy • Chemical energy • Atomic energy • Electromagnetic energy • Electrical energy • Heat energy

5. How do we measure energy? • Force: Newton (N = kg x m / s²) • Energy: Joule (J = N x m) • Power: Watt (J / s) www.sommarskog.se

6. Is a Joule a lot or a little? • The energy released when an apple falls one meter to the ground. • The energy released as heat by a person at rest, every hundredth of a second. • # one hundredth of the energy a person can receive by drinking a drop of beer.

7. Some conversion factors • 1 calorie = 4.187 J • 1 BTU = 1054 J • 1 kilowatt hour = 3.60 x 106 J • 1 barrel oil equivalent = 6.119 x 109 J • 1 ton wood equivalent = 9.83 x 109 J • 1 ton coal equivalent = 29.31 x 109 J • 1 ton oil equivalent = 41.87 x 109 J • 1 quad (PBtu) = 1.055 x 1018 J • 1 horsepower = 735.49 W

8. Laws of Thermodyamics • First law: Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, can only be converted (conservation of energy) • Second law: No energy conversion is perfect; always get some loss as heat.

9. Energy and power • Power = energy / time • 1 watt - 1 Joule / second • Energy = power x time www.belmont.k12.ca.us

10. Energy Carbon reduction CO2 C6H12O6 H2O Carbon oxidation Energy Why is living matter a source of energy?

11. Energy needs • Biblical times • Move people and their possessions • Agriculture and food processing • Build cities • Produce clothing • Simple chemical transformations (e.g. metallurgy) • Heating www.uncp.edu

12. Where did this energy come from? • Animate sources • Humans • Animals • Low head hydropower • Biomass (woody tissue) www.uncp.edu

13. mhslibrary.org/ Energy needs • Industrial revolution times • Mechanized food production / consumption • Centralized heating • Transportation • Lighting • Textile manufacturing • More complex chemical processes (e.g., glass manufacturing)

14. mhslibrary.org/ Where did this energy come from? • Animate sources (mainly animals) • Low head hydropower • Biomass (woody tissue) • Coal • Petroleum • Low capacity wind

15. content.answers.com Why we need energy • Modern • Transportation (personal vehicles, commercial vehicles, aviation) • Automated production of goods • Transport of goods • Centralized heating and air conditioning • Lighting • Highly complex chemical processes

16. content.answers.com Where does this energy come from? • Coal • Petroleum • Natural gas • Nuclear fission • High and low head hydropower • Biomass (woody and herbaceous tissue) • Animate sources (mainly animals) • Low capacity and industrial wind • Geothermal • Solar collection

17. Terminology pertaining to modern energy • Renewable vs nonrenewable • Traditional vs new energy • Commercialized vs non-commercialized • Centralized vs distributed generation • On-grid vs off-grid

18. Stages of energy flowfrom http://www.fao.org/docrep/u2246e/u2246e02.htm • Primary energy is the energy as it is available in the natural environment, i.e. the primary source of energy. • Secondary energy is the energy ready for transport or transmission. • Final energy is the energy which the consumer buys or receives. • Useful energy is the energy which is an input in an end-use application.

19. Stages of energy flowfrom http://www.fao.org/docrep/u2246e/u2246e02.htm