(O Level Pak Studies Paper 2) Power Resources Summary Slides

 Fossil fuels: carbon-based fuels, formed over
millions of years ago from the decay of living

matter.
 Coal: formed from plants. Oil and natural gas:
formed from sea creatures.
 Formation of coal: Huge forests grew millions of
years ago covering most of the Earth. The
vegetation died and formed peat. The peat was
compressed between layers of sediments to form
lignite (low-grade coal).
 Further compression formed coal.
 Small animals and plants die and fall to the bottom of the sea. Their
remains are covered by sediments.As the sediments start forming layers,
they start to change into sandstone as the temperature and pressure
increase. The heat and pressure turn the remains into crude oil and
natural gas.
 The rock above the oil and gas is impervious (non-porous).So, they get
trapped underneath it.
Uranium, a radioactive element, releases huge
amounts of energy when nuclear fission (splitting of
the atom) occurs.
 This energy is used to heat the water, produce steam, and rotate the turbines.
 Uranium fuel loaded into the reactor. In the heart of the reactor (the core), atoms split apart
and release heat energy, producing neutrons and splitting other atoms in a chain reaction.
 Control rods are made of materials capable of absorbing neutrons. Control rods can be raised
or lowered into the reactor to slow down or speed up the chain reaction. In case of emergency,
the control rods will be dropped down by gravity to stop the nuclear reaction.
 In the first cooling circuit, water is pumped through the reactor to collect the heat energy
produced in the nuclear reaction..
 Inside the heat exchanger (the steam generator in PWR), the water from the reactor gives up
its energy to cooler water flowing in another closed circuit, turning it into steam. As the two
circuits of water are unconnected, water in the first circuit, even if contaminated with
radioactivity, is safely contained in the first cooling circuit.
 The steam from the heat exchanger (the steam generator in PWR) is piped to drive a turbine.
 The turbine turns an electricity generator which generates electricity.
 The electricity is transmitted to consumers such as households, shops, offices and factories via
power grid.
• Cold water is pumped under pressure into a layer of hot rocks.
• The rocks heat the water. The hot water returns to the
surface under pressure and heats the second supply of
water using a heat exchanger.
•
 The steam produced in the second supply moves the turbine, generating electricity.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1. It is a renewable source of energy. 1. The maintenance cost is high.

2. It provides a constant supply and 2. There is threat to power
is relatively pollution free. stations from volcanic
eruptions and earthquakes.
3. It offers sustainable energy and
the running cost is low. 3. It causes the surrounding land
to sink.
4. The plants are long lasting, safe
and reliable. 4. Some power stations extract
poisonous gases from the earth
5. Provides employment core like hydrogen sulphide.
opportunities.
5. It is not environment friendly.
• Wind turbines have shafts (blades) that
rotate due to wind. Gearbox maximises the
rotation of the shaft. As the turbine rotates,
the generator produces electricity.
• Note: Brakes slow down or stop the rotor in

very windy conditions, preventing damage to
the blade.
Solar Power:
Rectangular, solar panels are made up of many solar

cells which convert the light energy from the sun into
electrical energy.
They can be placed on the roofs of houses and other
buildings. Large arrays of solar panels can be sited on
the ground, for example, in deserts. Solar panels
should face south in order to collect as much of the
sun’s energy as possible. Other solar power systems
use the sun to heat water and the steam is then used to
turn a turbine.
 Uses a dam on a river to
store water in a reservoir.
Water is released from the
reservoir that flows
through the turbine,
rotating it.
 The turbine then activates
a generator that generates
electricity.
Tidal power:
• Uses the natural rise and fall in the

level of water in an area.
• When the levels drop, water is held
back by a tidal barrage (a small dam
that releases water back through a
turbine).
• Turbine power the generator and it
generates the electricity.
The biomass is delivered to the plant
where storage piles. Biomass can
undergo various preprocessing steps
including size reduction, separation, and
drying before being fed to the
combustor/boiler. In the combustor,
biomass oxidation occurs under excess
air. The exothermic reaction heats the
combustion gases, which generate steam
via heat exchangers to power a the
turbine that power the electric generator
to generate electricity.

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 Fossil fuels: carbon-based fuels, formed over

millions of years ago from the decay of living

1. It is a renewable source of energy. 1. The maintenance cost is high.

• Note: Brakes slow down or stop the rotor in

Rectangular, solar panels are made up of many solar

• Uses the natural rise and fall in the

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