Fossil Fuels
Anderson, P. (2015, December 7). Fossil fuels [Video File]. Bozeman Science
FactPack: Hydrocarbons
TWIG. (n.d.). FactPack: Hydrocarbons [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www-twig-world-com.db.plcscotch.wa.edu.au/film/factpack-hydrocarbons-1378/
NB: Video requires Google Chrome or Safari to view.
Leaded and Unleaded Petrol
TWIG. (n.d.). Leaded and Unleaded Petrol [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www-twig-world-com.db.plcscotch.wa.edu.au/film/leaded-and-unleaded-petrol-1376/
NB: Video requires Google Chrome or Safari to view.
Oil and Gas
Oil and Gas Exploration and Production
- APPEA. (2016). Oil and gas explained. Retrieved from http://www.appea.com.au/oil-gas-explained/
This website outlines the oil and gas industry, including production techniques and benefits.
Refining Process
- BBC Bitesize. (2014). Making crude oil useful. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway_pre_2011/ carbon_chem /4_crude_oil1.shtmlCrude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons. These are separated into useful products, such as fuels, using a process called fractional distillation.
- Australian Institute of Petroleum. (2014). Refining of petroleum. Retrieved from http://www.aip.com.au/industry/fact_refine.htm
Petroleum is a complex mixture of organic liquids called crude oil and natural gas, which occurs naturally in the ground and was formed millions of years ago. Crude oil varies from oilfield to oilfield in colour and composition, from a pale yellow low viscosity liquid to heavy black 'treacle' consistencies. - Chenier, P. (2016). Petroleum. Retrieved from http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ny-Pi/Petroleum.htmlPetroleum is a naturally occurring complex mixture made up predominantly of carbon and hydrogen compounds, but also frequently containing significant amounts of nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen together with smaller amounts of nickel, vanadium, and other elements.
Coal
- Minerals Council of Australia. (2016). Coal industry. Retrieved from http://www.minerals.org.au/resources/coalThis website outlines the coal industry, including the low emissions coal technology and Asia's shift to modern coal power.
- Minerals Council of Australia. (2016). Coal hard facts. Retrieved from http://www.minerals.org.au/file_upload/files/publications/Coal_Hard_Facts _2nd_Edition_FINAL.pdfThis report outlines the facts of the coal industry.
Hybrid Energy
- CSIRO. (2016, September 8). New hybrid energy centre transforming low-emission technologies. Retrieved from http://www.csiro.au/en/News/News-releases/2016/New-hybrid-energy-centre-transforming-low-emission-technologiesConfigurations of Hybrid Energy include renewable or non-renewable energy sources, electrical and chemical energy storage and fuel cells, often connected via a smart grid.
South Australia Blackout
- Ben, P. (2017, April 7). Governments' renewable energy push to blame for crisis. Australian Financial Review. p. 4.The energy sector is in disarray because of government failure, not market failure, former Productivity Commission chairman Gary Banks says.
- South Australia blackout: Tony Wood on how the grid went down. (2016, September 28). Lateline (ABC),Lateline's Emma Alberici reports on the South Australian blackout. No other state generates as much of its power from renewable sources as South Australia does. Tonight the Energy Minister, Josh Frydenberg, said that heavy reliance on mostly wind power raises questions for the stability of the system.
Chemistry: Fuel
"The world’s reserves of fossil fuels (e.g., oil, natural gas, and coal) will eventually be exhausted, some as soon as the 21st century, and new chemical processes and materials will provide a crucial alternative energy source." (Britannica, 2016).
Vanadium vs Lithium
- Australian Vanadium Limited. (2016, November 24). A developing vanadium producer. Retrieved from http://australianvanadium.com.au/Australian vanadium is an emerging vanadium producer focused on the Gabanintha deposit in Western Australia.
The Company’s mission is to increase shareholder wealth through the discovery of economic mineral deposits and the development of profitable mining operations. - Chemistry Explained. (2016). Vanadium. Retrieved from http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/T-Z/Vanadium.html#ixzz4S28guw7mVanadium is a transition metal that lies toward the middle of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to one another. Groups 4 through 12 are the transition metals.
- AustralianLithium.com. (2016). Australian Lithium. Retrieved from http://www.australian-lithium.com/Global lithium resources are estimated to be 39 million metric tons (MT)
Lithium is mined from three types of deposits: brines, pegmatites and sedimentary rocks. Continental brines and pegmatites (or hard-rock ore) are the main sources for commercial lithium production. - Chemistry Explained. (2016). Lithium. Retrieved from http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/L-P/Lithium.html#ixzz4S7kxOSXeLithium is the first member of the alkali metal family. The alkali metals are the elements that make up Group 1 (IA) of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to one another. The alkali metals include sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and rancium. Lithium is also the least dense of all metals. It has a density about half that of water.
Batteries
- Zoski, C. (2016). New Battery Technology. Retrieved from http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ne-Nu/New-Battery-Technology.htmlThe need for better batteries is a recurring theme in the effort to reduce energy consumption and in the effort to make electricity increasingly portable. As the world depends more and more on portable devices and turns to electric vehicles to reduce pollution, it becomes important that lightweight, long-lived batteries be developed. Additional desirable features of batteries include safety, dependability, environmental friendliness, and cost. This article considers battery technology currently used in transportation, including in electric vehicles and spacecraft.
- Stock, A., Stock. P, & Sahajwalla, V. (2015). Powerful potential: battery storage for renewable energy and electric cars. Climate Council of Australia.Batteries are usually made up of a number of electrochemical cells. Each cell uses chemical reactions to store energy, and convert this energy into electricity for use later on when needed. The chemical reaction in a cell usually involves two different types of metals or compounds reacting together and releasing electrons. These electrons create electricity as they move from one electrode in the cell to the other, for example, along a wire. By linking individual cells together, higher voltages, larger currents and greater electrical energy storage can be achieved. Rechargeable batteries use electricity provided from outside to reverse the chemical reactions and so store energy (Alarco and Talbot 2015).
Renewable Industries
- Government of Western Australia: ARENA. (n.d.). Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Retrieved from https://arena.gov.au/The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), work to accelerate Australia’s shift to an affordable and reliable renewable energy future. This is done by funding projects and sharing knowledge that drives innovation and commercialisation of renewable energy technologies. This website lists current renewable projects underway in Australia.
- Poliakoff, M., & Licence, P. (2007). Sustainable technology: Green chemistry. Nature, 450(7171), 810-812. doi:10.1038/450810aThe article presents questions and answers related to green chemistry including the causes of chemical manufacturing unsustainability, the replacement of organic solvents with water, and the role of chemical engineering in green chemical processes.
Biofuels
- Rinkesh, (2016). What are biofuels? Retrieved from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-biofuels.php#abh_postsFuels that have been extracted from plants and crops are known as biofuels. Of these, the most commonly extracted and used one is Bioethanol or simply Ethanol and Biodiesel. It is blended with gasoline and can be used as an alternative fuel for your car. Plant based fuels comes form renewable source, can be grown anywhere and have lower carbon emissions as compared to fossil fuels. Biofuels not only help a struggling economy by providing jobs but also helps in reducing greenhouse gases up to much extent by emitting less pollution.
Electrochemistry
Anderson, P. (2013, September 29). Electrochemistry [Video File]. Bozeman Science