Fossil fuels

  • Fossil fuels are the product of millions of years of photosynthesis stored and processed under heat and pressure
  • Most fuel is found in rocks from about 50-450 million years ago

Review

  • Energy basics
  • Estimation techniques
  • Laws of thermodynamics
  • Carbon, photosynthesis, and combustion

Simplified Photosynthesis and combustion

Photosynthesis

  • CO2 + H2O + Sunlight (Radiation Energy) \to CXHYOZ + O2

Combustion

  • CXHY + O2 \to CO2 + H2O + Heat Energy

Note that these reactions reverse each other.

The atomic mass of carbon is 12 AMU. The atomic mass of oxygen is 16 AMU. So the mass of a carbon dioxide molecule is 12 + 16 x 2 = 44. This leads to our proportion or conversion factor that says 12 kg of carbon becomes 44 kg of carbon dioxide.

Real combustion

  • The atmosphere is not purely oxygen, it also has nitrogen and other elements
  • Fossil fuels are not pure carbon and hydrogen, they contain impurities like sulfur and mercury
  • When all these chemicals participate in combustion, they produce sulfur oxides (SOX), nitrous oxides (NOX), and other chemicals
  • These chemicals are the cause of acid rain and other environmental effects

Green House Gases

Carbon dioxide, the gas resulting from combustion, is the main component of global warming.

Steam Electricity Generation

  • Combustion: Chemical energy to heat energy
  • Evaporation and Expansion: heat energy to gas kinetic energy (“boiling water”)
  • Turbine: gas kinetic energy to rotational kinetic turbine energy
  • Generator: kinetic turbine energy to electricity

Internal Combustion Engines

  • Combustion: Gasoline and Oxygen
  • Expansion: Combustion gasses expand
  • Linear Kinetic Energy: pushes on piston
  • Rotational Kinetic Energy: piston pushes on crankshaft

Energy Density

The energy released per mass or volume of fossil fuels is given by the energy density.

Fossil Fuels

  • where do we get them
  • how do we use them
  • why are they useful
  • how are they harmful
  • fossil fuel etymology latin fodere dig fossilis dug up

Types of Fossil Fuels

  • Coal
  • Petroleum
  • Natural Gas

Impacts of a Global Fossil Fuel Network

  • Fossil fuels are being extracted, processed, and used all over the world
  • Who bears the burden of the consequences?
  • Who benefits from their use?
  • Where are these consequences located?

Origin of Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuel Molecules

Petroleum prices

Certain prices are indexed and recorded

Bloomberg Energy

Petroleum use

EIA

Natural gas prices currently low

Source: EIA

EIA Henry Hub Price

Pollution effects

  • Carbon dioxide climate
  • Particulates
  • Acid rain

Fossil Fuel Accidents

  • Exxon Valdez 1989 Prince William Sound, Alaska
  • Deepwater Horizon explosion 2010
  • Sago Mine 2006 disaster

Reserves / Resources

  • Resources:
  • Proven reserves: lowest cost and lowest uncertainty

Refining

  • Lighter molecules rise to the top of distillation towers