Fundamentals of Energy: From Fossil Fuels to Nuclear Reactions

Understanding Energy and Its Sources

What Is Energy?

Energy is the ability to perform work. Heat transfer is the process of energy spreading to an object. It occurs through several mechanisms:

• Convection: The circulation of fluids or gases.
• Radiation: The propagation of heat in the form of waves.

Forms of Energy

• Chemical Energy: Stored in the bonds of atoms.
• Electrical Energy: The energy that provides electricity.
• Nuclear Energy: The energy that holds particles together in an atom's nucleus.
• Radiant Energy: Carried by electromagnetic waves.
• Sound Energy: The energy produced by the displacement of waves.
• Kinetic Energy: The energy of motion.

Primary Energy Sources

Energy sources are natural resources from which we can obtain energy to produce heat, light, and power. Fuels are substances that combine with oxygen in a process called combustion.

Fossil Fuels: Coal

The calorific value of a fuel is the energy released during combustion per unit of mass.

Types of Coal

• Peat: Contains about 60% carbon and has high humidity. It is found in bogs.
• Lignite: A geologically recent form of coal with a low calorific value and easier extraction.
• Bituminous Coal: Has a high carbon content and a high calorific value. It is used to produce coke.
• Anthracite: The coal with the highest calorific value, containing over 95% carbon, but its extraction is difficult.

Coal Extraction Methods

• Subterranean Mining: Involves digging vertical shafts to reach the coal vein and then opening horizontal galleries.
• Coal Gasification: An agent is introduced into the vein to gasify the coal, allowing the exploitation of deposits that are difficult to extract.

Fossil Fuels: Petroleum (Oil)

Petroleum is a mixture of hydrocarbons in variable proportions, which also contains small amounts of sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Oil Refining Processes

• Fractional Distillation: Crude oil is heated to evaporate it and then cooled gradually to separate components at different temperatures.
• Cracking: The process of breaking heavy hydrocarbons into lighter, more useful ones.
• Polymerization: The opposite of cracking, where light molecules are combined to form heavier ones.
• Reforming: A catalyst, such as platinum, is used to improve the characteristics of crude oil products.

Fossil Fuels: Natural Gas

Natural gas is primarily composed of methane (often around 70%), mixed with other gases like butane and propane. It can be transported through pipelines or by tankers as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which is converted back to a gaseous state at its destination.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is the energy contained within the nucleus of an atom, linked to processes like natural radioactivity (spontaneous nuclear transformation).

Nuclear Reactions

• Fusion: The process of joining two nuclei of light elements to form a heavier one.
• Fission: The process of breaking the nucleus of a heavy atom, typically by bombarding it with a neutron.