Fracking for Dummies
Natural gas hydraulic fracturing (it’s a mouthful I know) is a technique used to extract natural gas from shale rock. Water is pumped into a well at a high pressure creating fractures in rock formation. With the water are other materials like sand which are added to keep the fractures open during the process so more oil or gas can be extracted.
The Good
It has been projected that 42 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas is sourced from hydrofracking. This number is almost equivalent to the amount of conventional gas found in the United States in the past one-and-a-half centuries. It’s also approximately 65 times the US consumption rate which is what makes it seem the ideal source of energy until we are able to find renewable energy resources. The 50 billion barrels which have been discovered through this method has the potential to produce 3 million barrels of oil a day by the year 2020. With it our dependency on foreign oil imports would significantly decrease in the coming years.
Precautions have been put in place in the event of blowout or methane gas leaks. Old pipelines have been updated and alarms which warm of these leaks have been installed.
The Bad (supposedly)
Despite the benefits of natural gas hydraulic fracturing, many remain opposed to it. This is because of the environmental risks that fracking poses. The first of these is water use and wastage. Water is the planet’s most valuable resource and it supplies of it are decreasing all over the world. With fracking, about 20 million liters of water is pressurized into each well along with sand and more that help keep it open. But worst of all is the amount of chemicals used in the process. There are about “200,000 liters of acids, biocides, scale inhibitors, friction reducers and surfactants” combined in with the water. In fact, of the 2 million liters used, only 1 – 2% is used to extract shale gas. That means that millions of liters of water are being wasted; this does not make for a sustainable replacement of conventional oil.
Furthermore, of the natural gases contained in shale rock, methane gas is number one. As you may or may not know, methane is the second most important greenhouse gas. Some researchers have found that in twenty years shale gas has contributed to the greenhouse effect more than both coal and oil. Blowouts, spills, and improper disposal can lead to contamination of drinking water as has happened in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania citizens complained of contaminated water from municipal supply and it was confirmed that toxic methane was found in the fresh water supply from the wells near drilling sites.
BUT supporters of the method argue that their opponents base much of their hesitations on fear not science. Their arguments are based on “what-ifs” not on evidence or instances of bad things happening as a result of fracking. In the Pennsylvania case above, data about the contamination has not been made available for outside evaluation. This casts shade on the truth about the situation.
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Bibliography
Howarth, Robert W., Anthony Ingraffea, and Terry Engelder. “Natural gas: Should fracking stop?.” Nature 477, no. 7364 (September 15, 2011): 271-275. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 7, 2012).
Hutchinson, Cliff. “Hydraulic fracturing: An environmentally safe method.” Fort Worth Business Press 21, no. 4 (February 2, 2009): 13. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed October 7, 2012).
“Hydraulic Fracturing Overview: Growth of the Process and Safe Drinking Water Concerns.” Congressional Digest 91, no. 3 (March 2012): 71. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed October 7, 2012).
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Howarth, Robert W., Anthony Ingraffea, and Terry Engelder.. “Fracking for Fuel.” Diagram. Nature 477, no. 7364 (2011): 272. Academic Search Complete (accessed October 7, 2012)
Today was Lego Mindstorm Experiment numero dos (that’s #2 for all you non-Spanish speakers). We were to use the Lego Mindstorm motor to control a pulley to lift weights. Doing so we would explore:
- Force and energy: Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion
- The law of conservation of energy – energy can’t be
created or destroyed only transferred or transformed.
- Velocity and Acceleration
- Power – measures the time rate at which work is done
However do to some technical difficulties with the Labview program, our experiment was limited to testing force, mass, and acceleration. Here is the main equation used in the experiment:
Force = mass x acceleration
F=ma
A few of things to know before getting into the nitty gritty of the experiment:
- Force (F) is measured in Newtons (N)
- Mass was converted from grams (g) to kilograms (kg)
- Meters (m) was converted from inches (in)
We ended up conducting twoexperiments – one in which we made force constant and the other in which we made mass constant.
Experiment 1
As previously stated, force remained constant at 10 N for all trials.
The Labview program runs the motor works the pulley to lift the weight. We plugged the number 10 (constant force) into the program so the motor would “know” to lift the weight with that amount of force for each trial.
Because acceleration is dependent on the change in velocity or the change in distance over time, we wanted to see how acceleration changes at different levels of mass. So we altered the weight five times to calculate those differences. This is what our numbers looked like in the end:
Force (N) Mass (kg) A (m/s^2)
10 0.05 200
10 0.1 100
10 0.15 66.66
10 0.2 50
10 0.25 40
I know, you’re looking at this, scratching your head without a clue as to what any of this means. But don’t worry, I’m here to explain it to you.
As I already told you, acceleration is a change in velocity over time. This is to say that acceleration is calculated by diving velocity by time or better yet, diving meters per second by second which is the same as dividing distance (meters) by time twice (seconds squared). The end equation is this:
Acceleration = meters / seconds squared
A=m/s²
In the above chart you can see that acceleration is greater when mass is lesser. This is due to a simple fact – the lesser the mass, the greater an object can travel in a shorter amount of time and vice versa.
Still don’t get it? I’ll use a real world example for you.
You have a golf ball, a baseball, and a bowling ball. If you are a pitcher throwing at a constant force for each throw, what do you think will happen when you try to throw each ball? The golf ball will have the greatest acceleration because you will throw in the farthest in the shortest amount of time since it has the least amount of mass. The bowling ball will have the least acceleration because its great mass will cause you to throw it the shortest distance in the longest amount of time. And finally the baseball will have the middle acceleration. Its mass is greater than the golf ball but less than the bowling ball so you will throw it somewhere between each; it will go the median distance in the median amount of time.
So going back to Lego Mindstorm and the chart, when mass of the weight was smallest at 0.05 kg, acceleration was greatest at 200 N. And as mass increased, acceleration decreased.
Experiment 2
In our second experiment mass was kept constant at 0.25 kg at five different levels of force. The same concept introduced in Experiment 1 applies to this one. again acceleration is the change in velocity over time so our goal was to see how different levels of force, intead of mass, affected acceleration. Here’s a chart of our results:
Force (N) Mass (kg) A (m/s^2)
10 0.25 40
20 0.25 80
40 0.25 160
80 0.25 320
120 0.25 480
Alright, either your scalp is really itchy or you’re once again confused. I’ll use the baseball example from earlier to break it down for you.
Now you have a single baseball that has a mass that doesn’t change. You’re a pitcher warming up for a game. You’re a little rusty so the first time you throw it you do so with a small amount of force and the ball takes a while to go practically nowhere. You build your confidence with each throw. Now when you throw it you use more force and the baseball goes much farther much quicker. You’re excited but the game’s about to start and you only have time for one last pitch. You give it your all, using all the force you have. In what seems like a split second the ball goes flying – it’s going, going, gone. You’re ready to win.
This example shows how added force on a given object increases its acceleration. Take another look at the chart. You can see that at the constant mass the greater the force, the greater the force the grater the acceleration. At a force of 10, acceleration is a measly 40 but at a force of 120, acceleration is a whopping 480.
Hopefully you all learned a lot about force, mass, and acceleration through this experiment and how each can be found in everyday life. Maybe now you’ll recognize it and the next time your favorite pitcher is throwing with an injured rotator cuff, you’ll know what might be in store for your team.
Thanks for reading!
Though government intervention is often scorned by the public, their controversial regulations for increased fuel efficiency and gas mileage has proven to be beneficial and lauded by (some) consumers and environmentalists alike. Back in 2007, the Bush administration set new, higher requirements that the automobile industry had to meet with the vehicles. And two years later in 2009, the Obama administration took the raised standards one step further: by 2025 American automakers must increase their gas mileage efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for models sold from 2017-2025.
There are five main benefits that have come from the standard changes to gas mileage requirements:
- Fuel-economy and carbon-pollution standards for 2012 to 2016 model cars are creating jobs and improving car sales
- Fuel-economy and carbon-pollution standards for 2017 to 2025 model cars will multiple automobile fuel economy by 2 and decrease oil use by 2 million barrels per day.
- The Recovery Act invested $2.4 billion in 2009 in fuel-efficient vehicle research and development to foster job growth and increase international competitiveness.
- Government loans gave automakers the finances they needed to convert factories to the production of fuel-efficient vehicles.
- The “Cash for Clunkers” program increased vehicle efficiency and helped save the auto industry
Now a few more miles per gallon might not seem all that significant but it is. Just a five mile improvement saves a driver $525 per year (if said driver drives 15,000 miles per year) with gas at $3.50 a gallon. If that price were to go up to $4 a gallon, this driver would save $600 every year!
In terms of oil dependency and environmental health, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has estimated that over the lifetime of new vehicles sold between 2017 and 2025, the savings on oil to be approximately 4 billion barrels of oil and in 2030 about 3.1 million barrels of oil per day and savings on pollution to be 2 billion metric tons of carbon pollution, a 10% reduction.
This is due to the many improvements to technology that automakers and researchers have been developing. This includes advanced powertrains and transmissions, lighter parts, and even fix-a-flat canisters instead of the old jack and spare which will also save weight.
Different companies have taken different measures of using these technologies to improve their vehicles’ fuel efficiency. Ford has the EcoBoost engine which is equipped with direct fuel-injection technology that provides up to 20 percent better fuel economy. The new Nissan Altima has a four-cylinder engine that generates 182 horsepower, compared to the 175 horsepower on the lower-mileage engine it’s replacing. Chrysler has added forward gears to its transmissions slowing the engines to consume less fuel. And Toyota continues to develop hybrid-model vehicles.
Many of the improvements are already apparent. In just the first three months of 2012, U.S. gasoline consumption reduced to 124,000 barrels of oil per day compared to a year ago. The credit for this goes to better gas mileage which went up by 1.1 per gallon over that year.
Besides the sky-high costs for the technology, there is one major drawback to gas mileage efficiency. The easiest and most cost-efficient way to improve fuel-economy is to decrease the weight of cars, a tactic that all of these automakers have utilized. This is done by replacing steel parts with plastic ones. And even though lighter cars get much better gas mileage than heavier cars do, it comes at the cost of vehicle safety. Plastic absorbs less impact on collision than does steel, leaving drivers and passengers at greater risk of serious injury or death during an accident. And because automakers have been mandated to make the switch, less steel-parted cars will be available to consumers.
With this in mind, fuel-efficiency may not be an even trade-off for the life of a loved one or yourself. But that is up to the law, automakers, and most importantly consumes to decide. the safety of the consumer must always remain at the forefront of debate on this issue. If there is a way to balance the two, it will be a win-win for everyone.
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References
Newman , Rick . “Tough Government Gas Mileage Rules Good for Drivers, Auto Industry.” U.S.News & World Report.
Weiss, Daniel, and Jackie Weidman. “5 Ways the Obama Administration Revived the Auto Industry by Reducing Oil Use.” Center for American Progress.
Heberling, Michael. “Government-Mandated Fuel-Efficiency Standards.” The Freeman Ideas on Liberty. 56. no. 7 (2006). http://www.thefreemanonline.org/features/government-mandated-fuel-efficiency-standards/ (accessed October 4, 2012).
America’s Aging Energy Grid
The U.S. electric grid is a complex network of independently owned and operated power plants and transmission lines. Built in the late 19th century, our energy grid is aging and becoming less and less efficient and cost effective. Combined with a rise in domestic electricity consumption, experts in the field have been forced to critically examine the status and health of the nation’s electrical systems.
The grid of electric power lines has evolved into three large interconnected systems that move electricity around the country. Electrical systems have been expanded and interlinked. Close supervision of the workings within the three power grids (Eastern Interconnection, Western Interconnection, and Texas Interconnection) is needed to keep them linked together. The systems now includes more than 3,200 electric distribution utilities, 10,000 generating units, tens of thousands of miles of transmission and distribution lines, and millions of customers.
But the issues of the grid are many and hard to solve. Four significant challenges to improving the power grid infrastructure are:
- Siting new transmission lines (and obtaining approval of the new route and needed land) when there is local opposition to construction
- Determining an equitable approach for recovering the construction costs of a transmission line being built within one State when the new line provides economic and system operation benefits to out-of-State customers
- Ensuring that the network of long-distance transmission lines reaches renewable sites where high-quality renewable resources are located, which are often distant from areas where demand for electricity is concentrated.
- Addressing the uncertainty in Federal regulatory procedures regarding who is responsible for paying for new transmission lines; this uncertainty affects the private sector’s ability to raise money to build them.
The Smart Grid
Before even getting into what it is let’s break down the name. The “grid” in Smart Grid references the electric grid which is a network that delivers electricity to us through transmission lines, substations, and transformers, among other things. And you tap into the grid lots of times a day like when your switch on a light.
Now for the “smart.” Our current electric grid is near its capacity and we need a new and improved version that is able to handle the onslaught of technological advancement. In this new grid, the controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment that make it up will work with the electrical grip for a digital response.
Why the Change?
There’s a lot of advantages that come with the introduction of Smart Grid:
- More efficient transmission of electricity
- Quicker restoration of electricity after power disturbances
- Reduced operations and management costs for utilities, and ultimately lower power costs for consumers
- Reduced peak demand, which will also help lower electricity rates
- Increased integration of large-scale renewable energy systems
- Better integration of customer-owner power generation systems, including renewable energy systems
- Improved security
Here is a real world example of Smart Grid’s benefits:
It’s winter time and there’s a major blackout in the city and in addition to hundreds of homes it’s affecting banks, street and traffic lights, and security technology. Many homes have heating that runs on electricity so they are not only left in the dark but in the cold. The dangers that could arise from a situation like this one are numerous and among them accidents and criminal activity,
But with Smart Grid, our electric power system will be better prepared to address emergencies such as severe storms, earthquakes, large solar flares, and terrorist attacks. Because of its two-way interactive capacity, the Smart Grid will allow for automatic rerouting when equipment fails or outages occur. This will decrease outages as well as their effects.
Here’s how it would work:
In the event of a power outage, Smart Grid technology will have the capacity to detect and isolate outages, preventing widespread blackouts. It can also ensure that electricity is up and running again quickly and will be able to produce power when it is not available from utilities through consumer-owned generators. Therefore, it would be possible for a community to keep its health center, police department, traffic lights, phone system, and grocery store operating during emergencies.
Consumer Participation and Control
The Smart Grid is better for consumers too. It makes information about energy use more accessible. You will no longer have to wait for your monthly statement to know how much electricity you use. It will allow you to see how much electricity you use, when you use it, and its cost. This, along with real-time pricing, will allow consumers to save money by using less power when electricity is most expensive. The Smart Grid can save money consumers money by helping them manage their electricity use and choose the best times to purchase electricity.
For much more interesting information about the U.S. energy grid and Smart Grid, check out NPR for their enlightening series Power Hungry: Reinventing The U.S. Electric Grid or visit the Electric Power Research Institute’s website (http://my.epri.com/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=210&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true) for a meaningful look into the future of electricity. Click the links to visit the sites.
References
U.S. Department of Energy, “SmartGrid.gov.” Last modified 2012.
Parks, Noreen. 2009. “Energy efficiency and the smart grid.” Environmental Science & Technology 43, no. 9: 2999-3000. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.
NPR, “Visualizing The U.S. Electric Grid.” Last modified 2009.
U.S. Energy Information Admisistration, “Energy in Brief : What is the electric power grid, and what are some challenges it faces?.”
