Fossil fuel energy systems

When one considers the early 2000 s, it can be expected that about one half of the thermal energy will be supplied by natural gas, and the rest by petroleum fuels (fuel oil and residual oil) and coal. Coal is assumed to be the main energy source for electricity generation, gasoline for surface transportation, and jet fuel for air transportation. This is of course a simplified version of the fossil fuel energy system, but it is close enough to the present patterns of energy consumption, and can be used as the basis for comparisons. 

Development of other non-fossil fuel energy sources, such as geothermal, solar, wind and ocean thermal systems will undoubtedly broaden the scope of application for electrolytic hydrogen — perhaps not because they represent a source of low cost electrical power, but because it represents the most attractive means for providing a transportable fuel from these renewable resources. 

Mass efficiency3 System energy efficiency6 System energy use (MJprim/kg FEout) Net energy ratio" c System fossil fuel energy use (MJprim/kg FEout) 6... 

Vision 21 Fossil fuel options for the future committee on R D opportunities for advanced fossil-fueled energy complexes, Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, National Research Council, Washington, DC, 2000. 

Engineers play a central role as designers, bnilders, and operators in energy systems. As they extend their expertise in electrical, mechanical and chemical fields from fossil fuel-based systems to RE systems, sustainability has become one of the key criteria engineers ostensibly apply in their work. The question is, how may engineering cultures and practices affect the realization of sustainability and SJ via technological systans Nowadays, economic and environmental sustainability as expressed in concepts like eco-effkiency (World Business Council for Sustainable Development 2000) or natural capitalism (Hawken et al. 1999) have been the dominant policy narratives. 

The metal is a source of nuclear power. There is probably more energy available for use from thorium in the minerals of the earth s crust than from both uranium and fossil fuels. Any sizable demand from thorium as a nuclear fuel is still several years in the future. Work has been done in developing thorium cycle converter-reactor systems. Several prototypes, including the HTGR (high-temperature gas-cooled reactor) and MSRE (molten salt converter reactor experiment), have operated. While the HTGR reactors are efficient, they are not expected to become important commercially for many years because of certain operating difficulties. 

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