Internet – Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Power

 

Name __________________________________

 

First in your book read back over pgs 74-80 "Energy sources for today"

 

Do not continue until you have done the reading.  Ok it’s alright to continue but do not sign below until you have read it.

 

 

                                                                                                                ___________________________________

 

URL  www.ems.psu.edu/~radovic/fossil_fuels.html

 

1.       90% of the US energy supply comes from what 3 sources?

 

 

 

2.       Diagram – What % came from domestic oil?                        From nuclear power?

 

 

 

3.       Diagram -  Transportation uses up what %?

 

 

 

4.       What is the relationship between oil, coal and natural gas?  One gallon of oil is equivalent to about

 

________________ lb. of coal and about ____________ cubic feet of natural gas.

 

5.       1/4th of an inch by ½ of an inch of a pellet of uranium is equivalent to how much in relation to coal and oil?

 

 

 

 

6.       In 1994 (when this was written) what was the cost differences between natural gas, coal and petroleum?

 

 

 

 

 

7.       What is deceiving about the price of petroleum?

 

 

 

 

Go back up to the top and click on coal in the first sentence.

8.       What is coal?

 

 

 

9.       Typical bituminous coal is made up of what % of elements?

 

 

 

 

10.    Why is the heating value of “low rank” coals low?

 

 

 

 

11.    What is the problem of “high rank” coals?

 

 

 

 

 

Click on identified coal resources in the US.

12.    How much total coal does AZ have?

 

 

13.  In relation to the other listed states how does this compare?  

 

 

 

                What state listed has the least?

 

 

 

Click on Back.  Click on Back again.  Click on oil in the first sentence.

14.    What is petroleum?

 

 

 

 

15.    What % of petroleum is carbon?

 

 

 

16.  How much does a typical oil well in the US produce?   One in Saudi Arabia?

 

 

 

17.    How does the US rate in relation to the countries listed?

 

 

 

18.    About what % has the middle east left of oil reserves (in relation to what it has already produced) see the chart on billion of barrels

 

 

 

19.    What 5 states in the US have oil?

 

 

 

 

Which 2 states have the most?

 

 

 

20.    In what year did we begin to use more oil than we produced?

 

 

 

21.    In 1998 what 2 large oil companies merged?

 

Click on Back and then click on natural gas

22.    What is good about natural gas?

 

 

 

 

23.    What part of the world has the greatest reserve of natural gas?

 

 

 

 

24.    If the current consumption trend continues how long will the US still have natural gas?

 

 

 

25.    What does this author imply about the cost of natural gas today?

 

 

 

 

 

Go to www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/nuclear-faq.html.   (notice it is www- not www.)  Stanford was one of the 1st universities to be using the net and they have a "special address".

 

26.    Nuclear power has _____________________ times more power than carbon based coal.

 

 

27.    Scroll down to #4.  How many nuclear power plants are in the US?  What % of electricity do they provide?

 

 

 

 

 

Go to www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction/

On the right side click on FAQ

28.    The basic fuel of a nuclear reactor is what?

 

 

 

 

 

29.    Where does this fuel come from?

 

 

 

 

30.    How is the heat released in the splitting of the atom used in the plant?

 

 

 

 

31.    Scroll down to the 6th question.  What is the policy in the US for recycling fuel?

 

 

 

 

32.    Scroll all the way down to the question on How significant was the decision by this country to not go the recycling route? .  Read this and then the next question and answer and write out why recycling makes the issue of waste so much worse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

33.    Click on back and then on the left click on Chernobyl - What really happened.  What can happen to a RBMK reactor that loses coolant.

 

 

 

 

 

34.    The accident was a result of a fatal combination of ____________________ and _________________.

 

35.    Read through the next paragraphs and write a short description of what happened to bring about the meltdown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/eternity/vitri1.html

 

36.    Background – Hanford is a site in the state of Washington that has the most radioactive waste that we as a nation are trying to figure out what to do with.  The BNFL stands for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.  BNFL proposes to use the process of vitrification to contain the waste, what is vitrification? (in the yellow section – background - click on read)

 

 

 

 

 

 

37.    How big are the steel containers?

 

 

 

 

38.    Click on steps 1-4.  In the process what is the ratio of waste to glass?

 

 

 

 

39.    Click on next illustration.  How is the lid closed?

 

 

 

 

 

40.    Click on next illustration.  How many canisters can be kept in the store and for how long?

 

 

 

 

 

 

41.  Click on Back to the beginning and then click on the right on “Read” under “The Plan”.  Scroll all the way down to the bottom and write out what are still 3 problems (“bedeviling problems”) even if this process is used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of now in the US no facility exists for this.

Go to URL www.ocrwm.doe.gov/  This web site is about the storage facility planned for nuclear waste.

 

Go to Yucca Mountain Repository on the left and click on About the Project (on the left). 

 

  1. What happened on July 9th, 2002?

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Click on Back in the browser window and at the right under Quick facts read and answer the following:

 

a.       How far from Las Vegas is it?

 

 

 

b.        How high up is it and what is the climate?

 

 

 

c.        On the left click on “Why was Yucca Mountain chosen”.  Give 2 points listed for why they chose Yucca Mountain.

 

 

 

Go to http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/info_library/newsroom/photos/photos_natlmap.shtml. 

d.       This map shows you where in the U.S. waste is stored.  How many storage sites does Arizona have?

 

 

e.        Name one state that does not have any?

 

 

Go to http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/info_library/newsroom/photos/photos_maps.shtml#skiptop. 

f.        Click on the 4th picture down. What Air force Range is Yucca Mountain near?  Close this map now.

 

 

 

 

 

49.  Scroll down to the bottom and click on graphics.  Now scroll down and click on Aerial View of Yucca Mountain  and click on this picture to enlarge it.  You can see the entrance in the bottom left. No question here just a view. 

 

 

 

 

 

Well there you are I hope you have enjoyed our little tour of Yucca Mountain.  I am sure you are going to hear about it more in your lifetime.