The advantages and disadvantage of nuclear power plants and those that burn fossil fuels?

Answer 1

The diesel engine is also known as a compression ignition engine to distinguish it from gasoline or spark ignition. Thermodynamically the diesel engine cycle is more efficient than gasoline (Otto cycle) because efficiency increases with compression ratio. Gasoline would ignite at compression ratios over 10 because of the heat generated during compression of the air and gasoline vapor. Diesel fuel is injected into the cylinder at much higher pressures than allowable in gasoline engines.

Diesel power plants are efficient but the fuel is to expensive. Coal and natural gas are much cheaper fuels.

Diesel fuel is more stable than gasoline (does not form a sludge easily like gasoline does) and therefore the engine and fuel can be left on standby for long periods. This makes diesel a good choice for emergency back up such as in fire protection systems and standby generators.

Small scale diesel generators have lower capital cost than a boiler and steam turbine, which would be orders of magnitude larger in size. Also, steam power plants need a staff of operators.

Answer 2

Fossil fuels include coal, oil and gas, they are formed out of organic matter (carbon) deposited and decomposed under the earth's surface millions of years ago.

Some of the advantages of fossil fuels are-

• Easily combustible, and produces high energy upon combustion helping in locomotion and in the generation of electricity and various other forms of energy;
• Coal burning alone accounts for more than 50% of the electricity in the USA electric grid
• Widely and easily distributed all over the world;
• Comparatively inexpensive due to large reserves and easy accessibility
• Good availability
• Inexpensive
• Very large amounts of electricity can be generated in one place using coal, fairly cheaply.
• Gas-fired power stations are very efficient.
• A fossil-fueled power station can be built almost anywhere, so long as you can get large quantities of fuel to it. Didcot power station, in Oxfordshire, UK, has a dedicated rail link to supply the coal.
• Fossil Fuels are long lasting and we still have many deposits of fuel that will last at least another 300 years

Coal, compared to other petrochemicals, is readily available in the United states and in many other parts of the world. Being a solid, it transports easily and spills rarely if ever cause notable environmental events. Coal mining was the central economic core for the Appalachian and Ozark states and others, and thus provided most of the core jobs in these regions. Since sharp declines in coal usage and therefore mining, these areas have fallen into economic depressions and unemployment has skyrocketed, while population is in decline in many regions throughout the state.

I think the advantage is that it's easier to convert into energy and some of the other sources of energy like wind or hydroelectric or nuclear are harder to convert, and nuclear can be dangerous, and wind and hydroelectric can take up a lot of space. We also already have it, like people can get coal out of the ground and burn it, or put the oil into cars, but with wind you need to get the windmill things that generate the energy, and for nuclear you need to pretty much blow stuff up, and hydroelectric needs a lot of flowing water.

Some disadvantages of fossil fuel are that-

• They are Nonrenewable (in the sense that once used it is no longer available) and take millions of years to form.
• burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide: the gas that causes global warming.
• mining of such fuels leads to irreversible damage to the adjoining environment; (narrow shafts for oil, caverns for coal)
• Some speculate that it might run out this century
• Prices for fossil fuels are rising.
• Mining coal is a very dangerous job to do and it involves deforrestation
• Power stations, which make/use coal, need lots of fuel. they reguarly get this supply through truck or train, to operate/generate electricity. This means that they also need a large area for the reservation of coal.
• The using of natural gases causes horrible smells, especially during transportation.
• Crude oil is very hazardous. It causes environmental pollution
• They release a poisonous gas called carbon monoxide, this gas is very toxic for humans and animals.

From an ecological standpoint - very bad. Fossil fuels like oil and coal produce lots of greenhouse gases. Coal is one of the most polluting fuels used today. For countries that have much of it it may be considered good because it is a source of fuel, but in general it's a very dirty and polluting fuel. Bad for the environment as the burning of it releases carbon dioxide from it (as it contains a lot of carbon), which is a major greenhouse gas and leads to more global warming.

Answer 3

Advantages of Fossil Fuels

• A major advantage of fossil fuels is their capacity to generate huge amounts of electricity in just a single location.

• Fossil fuels are very easy to find.

• When coal is used in power plants, they are very cost effective. Coal is also in abundant supply.

• Transporting oil and gas to the power stations can be made through the use of pipes making it an easy task.

• Power plants that utilize gas are very efficient.

• Power stations that make use of fossil fuel can be constructed in almost any location. This is possible as long as large quantities of fuel can be easily brought to the power plants.

Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels

• Pollution is a major disadvantage of fossil fuels. This is because they give off carbon dioxide when burned thereby causing a greenhouse effect. This is also the main contributory factor to the global warming experienced by the earth today.

• Coal also produces carbon dioxide when burned compared to burning oil or gas. Additionally, it gives off sulphur dioxide, a kind of gas that creates acid rain.

• Environmentally, the mining of coal results in the destruction of wide areas of land. Mining this fossil fuel is also difficult and may endanger the lives of miners. Coal mining is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

• Power stations that utilize coal need large amounts of fuel. In other words, they not only need truckloads but trainloads of coal on a regular basis to continue operating and generating electricity. This only means that coal-fired power plants should have reserves of coal in a large area near the plant?s location.

• Use of natural gas can cause unpleasant odors and some problems especially with transportation.

• Use of crude oil causes pollution and poses environmental hazards such as oil spills when oil tankers, for instance, experience leaks or drown deep under the sea. Crude oil contains toxic chemicals which cause air pollutants when combusted.

Answer 4

Nuclear power requires less fuel to produce the same amount of energy, so there is much less mining and less effect on the environment from the mining (that also means less mining jobs, so it is a double edge sword).

Nuclear power does not release green house gases into the environment, however it has its own nuclear waste to deal with. But a 1,000 MW nuclear plant will produce about 20 tons of waste a year, while a 1,000 MW coal power plant will produce about 5,330,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Both plants have the ability to run 24/7.

Nuclear power in the US has a much better safety record then those of fossil fuels. There is not been a single US citizen death from nuclear power plants.

Nuclear also has a much better environment record when compared to fossil fuels, even though it is not as clean as other alternative energies (like solar or wind), but it still does better then fossil fuels.

Fossil fuel is believed to be safer, in that if a major incident occurs, nuclear has the potential to do far more damage then oil and coal. However, with incidents like the Deep Water Horizon, Valdez, and other spills that did billions of damages over many states, this image does not appear to hold much water.

Answer 5

you dont have to buy a more expensive source