Chapter 21 Qs & As

Engineering The Future: Science, Technology, and the Design Process

Question
1)Why are there so few geothermal
power plants in the United States?

Answer
The US does not have many geothermal sites
because it is not economically efficient.
1)

Question
According to Ron, what are some of the
benefits of geothermal power plants?
2)

Answer
Geothermal is one of the cleanest fuels
and there is practically an unlimited
amount of it.
2)

Question
Whats the basic difference between
fossil fuel- burning
3)

Answer
There are no waste gases produced by
geothermal and it has no negative effects on
the environment.
3)

Question
4) What is convection?

Answer
Convection is the transfer of heat and
energy through matter due to the
difference of heat.
4)

Question
5) Why is convection critical to the
function of a steam turbine?

Answer
Convection transfers energy from the
earth to areas of low energy.
5)

Question
6) Why are geothermal power plants
usually more efficient than fossil fuelburning power plants?

Answer
Geothermal gets energy from the earth
and it doesn't produce any products so
there is not a lot of energy lost due to
heat.
6)

Question
7) Ron mentions that geothermal energy is
renewable energy source. What other
renewable energy sources have you learned
about in this book?

Answer
7)

Biodiesel,Methanol, and solar.

Question
8) Imagine that you have been asked to design
your own power plants with an unlimited budget.
Use your imagination to brainstorm some other
ways you could make a turbine spin to generate
electricity without burning a fossil fuel.

Answer
I would make a turbine spin due to the
change in the tides. They have already
used this technique in the Bay of Fundi
where the change is extreme.
8)