ASSESSMENT TASK 7

Research and discuss the following items:

1. Lord Kelvin calculated the age of the Earth assuming it is a hot body cooling in a vacuum
from a molten mass. Was he correct in the assumption, and if not, why not?

- Lord Kelvin's assumptions about the calculated age of the Earth are incorrect; the
simultaneous discovery of radioactivity by radiometric dating of exhibits reveals that Sir Kelvin
had significantly underestimated the age of the Earth. It was radioactivity that revealed why it is
incorrect is a heat source that invalidates Kelvin's assessment.

2. Where would you look on the Earth for most geothermal activity?

- The most active geothermal activity is usually found along with the enormous tectonic
plate limits where most volcanoes are found. One of the most dynamic geothermal areas on the
planet is the Ring of Fire, which encompasses the Pacific Ocean.

3. Temperature increases with depth of a borehole; how does the rate of increase with
depth indicate the type of geothermal region?

- Earth heats up significantly as it approaches the core. The geothermal gradient is the
sum of the Earth's temperature rising at depth. By and large, the temperature ascends around 25
° C for each kilometer in depth.

4. Describe at least two mechanisms for heat to leave a geothermal resource

- Two mechanisms for heat to leave a geothermal resource: conduction and convection.
Convection heat stream is the heat flow and has an auxiliary commitment of conduction.
Convective motion is created by the brightness created by the temperature gradient of the
gravitational field.

5. Describe circumstances for geothermal water to ‘flash’ into steam.

- Geothermal water flash into steam, bringing down the pressure and creating steam. At
the point when the steam cools, it gathers into water, which is infused into the ground and reused.

6. What types of engine can operate from geothermal energy? Explain how they function

- Dry steam power plants are sourced from underground steam stores. Steam is provided
straightforwardly from the underground well to the force plant, where it is provided to the turbine
generator unit. The capacity of the flash steam power plant is to return remaining water and dense
steam to the supply, making it a maintainable asset. Binary power plants utilize the hotness of
heated water to bubble working media, which are normally low-bubbling natural mixtures. The
functional medium disappears in the heat exchanger and is used to rotate the turbine.

7. Give two reasons for the re-injection of effluent fluids back into geothermal
reservoirs and two reasons for not doing so.
 - Two reason for the re-injection of effluent fluids first is for further developed resource
recovery and second for water waste removal. And for the reason not to do so (a) contamination
of groundwater springs and (b) Danger the environment and change the temperature of place.
8. From the point of view of a grid operator, compare electricity generation from
geothermal sources with that from solar sources.

- From the point of view of a grid operator, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from
the force area by producing power from environmentally friendly power sources rather than
petroleum products and environmental change Useful for battling. Sustainable power sources are
desirable over petroleum derivative generators as far as emanations, yet the administration of
these force plants is overseen on the grounds that power creation from environmentally friendly
power sources relies upon fluctuating normal resources.

9. Heat emerges from a ground-source heat pump; where does it come from?

- It originates from the heat stored on the earth. Sometimes this heat source can be the
sun (which warms the surface and leads the underlying soil), or it can emerge out of geothermal
energy.
10. A heat pump is reversed to become an air cooler; is its coefficient of performance
unchanged? Explain your answer.

- COP does not change due to heat pump is on the contrary side of the air cooler. From
Qh> Qc, we can see that the coefficient of performance of the air conditioning is lower than that
of the heat pump.
11. Name three main systems used for distributing energy to consumers.

- Radial
- Loop
- Network

12. What is an electricity grid and why are such grids so widely used?

- A complex system designed to power customers from power generation to their daily
needs. From small local designs to thousands of kilometers, these systems now connect millions
of homes and businesses.

13. Explain why ‘matching supply to demand’ is a challenge for electricity suppliers (a)
generally; (b) when wind power is a major proportion of the supply mix.

- The Electricity supply needs to coordinate with request. However, demand shifts over
the direction of a day. When demand is high, suppliers need to generate more electrical energy.
Also, when demand is low, we need to reduce production. The suppliers need to keep away from
undersupply and oversupply. Dealing with the good and bad times of power generation is not
easy. Suppliers generate electricity utilizing distinctive energy resources. Demand for power
changes. It can shift over during the day, week or a year. Individuals use a ton of electricity toward
the beginning of the day and evening. Suppliers can produce greater electricity when demand is
high. Also, when demand drops, they can reduce production again. However, producing greater
electricity frequently implies utilizing more fossils products.
 The cost has dropped by, and the system's emissions per kilowatt hour are now the
same as the cost of fossil fuel technology. This is especially true if the electricity generated from
fossil fuels is subject to emissions. The volatility of wind power does not meet most demands,
so occasional large-scale electricity from these sources and occasional zero. Electricity poses a
major problem in maintaining reliability Economics of the entire system. The new focus is on
system costs associated with achieving a reliable supply to fulfill demand.
14. What is energy micro-generation?

- Micro-generation is a term commonly used to describe a sort of generator that uses

energy from renewable sources to power consumers in homes, businesses, Contingent upon a
client's area and government laws around there. Systems of various sizes may or may not fall
under the micro-generator classification, depending on the location of the user and the laws
applicable in the area.

15. In what circumstances can energy storage be beneficial?

- Save Money
- Improve Reliability & Resilience
- Integrate Diverse Resources
- Reduce Environmental Impacts
16. Name six technologies used commercially for storing energy.

- Pumped hydro

- Thermal energy storage

- Lithium-ion Batteries
- Compressed Air Energy Storage
- Pumped-Storage Hydropower
- Lead-acid Batteries
17. What is a ‘smart grid’ and how might it enable reduced costs for both producers and
consumers of electricity?

- A smart grid is an electricity network / power grid that allows the flow of power and data
to and from each other, and smart metering is often considered the initial step. The smart grid,
became known more decade ago prior to the fundamental in the digital change of the power
sector.

18. Outline what is meant by a ‘hydrogen economy’ and explain how it might relate to
renewable energy.

- Hydrogen economy is an economy that depends on hydrogen as the commercial fuel to

provide a significant portion of the country's energy and services. In spite of the fact that hydrogen
energy is sustainable and has insignificant ecological effect, other non-renewable sources like
coal, oil and natural gas are expected to isolate it from oxygen. While the reason behind changing
to hydrogen is to dispose of using fossil fuels, but it is still necessary to make hydrogen fuel.

19. What factors limit (a) the lifetime; and (b) the mass of lead-acid batteries?

A. - Overcharging
- Undercharging
- Local Galvanic Action
- Loss of Active Material
- Excessive Rate of Charge or Discharge
- Electrolytic Action
- Entrance of Impurities
- Low Water Level
B. - Impact of Charging and Discharging Rate on Capacity
- Temperature
- Age and history of battery
20. Outline the advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles for (a). The user; (b) the
public; and (c) the role of renewable energy

A. The user

- Advantage -Disadvantage
• Lower ongoing costs • Few charging stations
• Reduce carbon footprint • Long charge time
• Low maintenance needs • Limited driving range
• High-quality performance • High upfront costs
• More Convenient • Battery replacement expense

B. The public

- Advantage -Disadvantage
• Eco-friendly • Not Suitable for Cities, Facing
• More stable on the road in case of a Shortage of Power
collision. • Some Governments Do Not Provide
• Reduced Noise Pollution Money Saving Initiatives to
Encourage You to Buy an Electric Car
• Harder to find a charging station
• Silent and can lead to accidents in
some cases
• Short Driving Range and Speed

C. The role of renewable energy

- Advantage -Disadvantage
• Less Strain on the Environment • Batteries of almost all electric cars are
• Electricity Is Renewable, Unlike required to be changed every 3-10
Gasoline years.
• Reduce fuel costs • Acute power shortages are not
suitable for electric cars
• Not 100% emission-free

REFERENCES:

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