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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Natural Gas Joint Scientific Statement
CHEMICALLY, WHAT IS NATURAL GAS? KEAGAN FELKER 3
DESCRIBE SHALE FORMATIONS AND COAL BED METHANE FORMATIONS AND HOW THE NATURAL GAS IS
CONTAINED WITH THESE FORMATIONS. JAKE PINKNEY 3
How much natural gas is known to be stored in these formations in the United States? In the World?
How much of our energy needs could this natural gas meet?
EXPLAIN THE BASIC PROCESS OF THE EXTRACTION OF NATURAL GAS FROM SHALE FORMATIONS INCLUDING THE
USE OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING AND HORIZONTAL DRILLING (FRACKING). ANTHONY PAPPAS 4-6
What is the goal of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling?
What chemicals and tools are used in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling?
What steps are involved in the process of natural gas extraction from shale formations via hydraulic
fracturing and horizontal drilling?
What safety equipment and practices are employed to safeguard humans and the environment during
natural gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling?
What is the final state of the land once the drilling and natural gas extraction has been completed?
EXPLAIN HOW NATURAL GAS IS EXTRACTED FROM COAL BED METHANE FORMATIONS KEAGAN FELKER 7-9
WHAT ARE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES TO NATURAL GAS EXTRACTION THROUGH HORIZONTAL
DRILLING AND HYDRAULIC FRACTURING? JUSTIN CARLSON 9
How is groundwater affected by natural gas extraction through horizontal drilling and hydraulic
fracturing?
How is surface water affected by natural gas extraction through horizontal drilling and hydraulic
fracturing?
How are local ecosystems affected by natural gas extraction through horizontal drilling and hydraulic
fracturing?
How is air quality affected by the natural gas extraction process?
How is the local geology affected by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing? Is there an increased risk
of seismic events in areas where horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are practiced?
DESCRIBE THE DESIGN OF A NATURAL GAS POWER PLANT. YOUR DESCRIPTION SHOULD AT LEAST INCLUDE
TURBINES (GAS AND STEAM), HEAT EXCHANGER, GENERATOR, COMPRESSOR, AND COOLANT SYSTEMS. JUSTIN
CARLSON 9
DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF COMBUSTION OF NATURAL GAS. THAYER STOWERS 10-11
What are the products, reactants, energy, released in a balanced chemical equation?
How much of the reactants are necessary to produce a kilowatt-hour of electrical energy?
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How much of the products are made per kilowatt?
Demonstrate that mass is conserved in this process.
Demonstrate that energy is conserved in the process.
DESCRIBE THE SCIENCE INVOLVED IN GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW IT RELATES TO EMISSIONS FROM
NATURAL GAS POWER PLANTS. ANDIE PASCHAL 11-13
What is the greenhouse effect and how is it related to global climate change?
What are greenhouse gases and what about their structure makes them greenhouse gases?
How has the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere changed over time?
What are some predictions of global climate change?
How is the combustion of fossil fuels related to global climate change?
How do the emissions of natural gas combustion compare to that of coal and of nuclear?
WHAT ARE THE BEST ESTIMATES FOR THE PURELY FINANCIAL COST OF NATURAL GAS GENERATED ELECTRICITY?
WHAT ARE LEVELIZED COST PER KWH? THAYER STOWERS 11-12
What are fuel cost annually or per kWh?
Construction costs for a new plant?
Operating and maintenance costs?
What units of measure are used to quantify natural gas?
DESCRIBE THE DESIGN OF A NATURAL GAS POWER PLANT. YOUR DESCRIPTION SHOULD AT LEAST INCLUDE
TURBINES (GAS AND STEAM), HEAT EXCHANGER, GENERATOR, COMPRESSOR AND COOLANT SYSTEMS-JAKE
PINKNEY 14-15






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Keagan Felker
Question:
Chemically, what is natural gas? Your answer should include a classification as an element,
compound or mixture, the appropriate chemical formula(s) and percentages if relevant.
Answer:
Natural gas is a mixture that is mainly comprised of methane (CH4). Methane is a scentless and
colorless gas. Natural gas is made up of ~95% methane (CH4), ~3% ethane (C2H6), ~.2% propane
(C3H8), ~1% nitrogen (N), ~.5% carbon dioxide (CO2), and the rest is comprised of traces of other
hydrocarbons.
Source:
"Union Gas." Chemical Composition of Natural Gas -. Union Gas Limited, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 29
Apr. 2014.

Jake Pinkney
Question:
Describe shale formations and coal bed methane formations and how the natural gas is
contained with these formations.
How much natural gas is known to be stored in these formations in the United States? In
the World? How much of our energy needs could this natural gas meet?
Answer:
Shale gas is natural gas that can be found trapped within shale formations. A shale formation is
a group of fine grain sedimentary rock that can be rich with petroleum or natural gas
dependent on the permeability of the sedimentary rock, which is usually very low so that the
gas can flow within the rock. Shale gas comes from plants, animals, and small organisms that
died a long time ago. Over time these dead species went deeper and deeper into the earths
core, eventually getting to a point where they are being compressed by the earth but also is
being heated because of how close to the core it got. Shale gas has become a very important
source of natural gas, in 2000 shale gas provided 1% of the United States gas industry, by 2010
shale gas took over 20% of the U.S.s gas production and consumption. Specialists predict that
by 2035 around 45% of the U.S. will rely on shale gas.

Coal bed methane is a form of natural gas that is extracted from coal beds. Methane is
absorbed by coal; the process at which the coal holds and obtains the methane is called
absorption. Absorption would consist of methane that is in a near liquid form, it then lines the
pores in each piece of coal. We collect the coal bed methane in deep underground mines which
methane can be a serious safety risk in. Coal bed methane contains little but heavy
hydrocarbons like butane or propane with no extra gas condensates, and a very small amount
of carbon dioxide is also emitted. The United States has recently utilized CBM as a very
important source of energy.
Sources:
Shale Gas-
"Information On:." Find Out! (What Is Shale Gas?): SHIP. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
"FOCUS ON SHALE GAS." Shale Gas.
N.p., n.d. Web.
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"What Is Shale Gas?" What Is Shale Gas?
N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Coal Bed Methane-
"Frequently Asked Questions Coal Bed Methane."
N.p., 2003. Web.
"Coal Bed Methane."
CGG. N.p., n.d. Web.

Anthony Pappas
Question:
Explain the basic process of the extraction of natural gas from the shale formation including the
use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling (fracking).
Answer:
In hydraulic fracturing; water, sand and some chemicals is blasted into rock layers at high
pressure. This creates fractures in the rock from the sustained amount of stress that is placed in
the drill hole. The cracks and fractures in the rock release trapped natural gas to make its way
up to the wells that were made for collection.

In horizontal drilling, as opposed to hydraulic fracturing where multiple wells are drilled
vertically into the shale formations, a single well drills vertically but then curves until it is
horizontal in the rock formations where the natural gas is. It then blasts charged underground
to break open the rock and create fissures. Once this has been done, then the fluid comes in
under high pressure and breaks the rock open even more. The fluid gets pulled out and the drill
comes down once again. It drills more and the process is repeated extending out in any
direction in the shale formations.
Sources:
"RIGZONE - How Does Directional Drilling Work?" RIGZONE - How Does Directional Drilling
Work? N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"What Is Hydraulic Fracturing?" What Is Fracking. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Natural Gas and Electricity." RWE. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Fracking." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.
"Hydraulic Fracturing and Horizontal Drilling." Extraction and Drilling:: About Natural Gas. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Wallace, Charles H. "Look into Process of Natural Gas Extraction." Personal interview. 25 Apr.
2014.

Anthony Pappas
Question:
What is the goal of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling?
Answer:
The goal of both drilling and fracking are essentially the same. The goal is to get as much
natural gas out of the hole as possible. Fracking uses high pressure to fill up the ground with
high pressure liquid to break the ground up. The liquid then comes flooding out of the holes of
wells that were built and drilled for collection of the gas and the main well. Directional drilling
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uses the same principal, but drills vertically only in the beginning, then curves until it is
horizontal in the shale formation. It still pumps a bunch of liquid into the hole, but the gas then
goes up the same pipe to the surface.
Source:
Wallace, Charles H. "Look into Process of Natural Gas Extraction." Personal interview. 25 Apr.
2014.

Anthony Pappas
Question:
What chemicals and tools are used in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling?
Answer:
The main ingredients used during hydraulic fracturing is water and sand. Mixed into the slue of
water and sand are chemicals like hydrochloric acid, biocides, guar gum, emulsions breakers
and emulsifiers. Guar gum is used to thicken the fracking fluid, as well as add more resistance
to freezing to the liquid. The biocide is used to kill or render inert any living material in the rock.
This can be algae or plants of sorts. The demulsifiers or emulsion breakers are used to separate
the oil or gas from the frac fluid. Contrarily, the emulsifiers are used to mix usually non-mixable
substances within the fracking fluid. The consistency of the fluid can vary from very viscous to
thin liquid. There are many different bases as well, from gel bases to foam to liquid. There has
to be large tank to store the massive amount of water and fracking liquids. Large and very
powerful compressors and pump truck used to provide the high pressure for the fracking.
Dozens of truck are needed to haul all the compressor equipment, as well as stuff to create
drills and trucks to carry the fracking fluid. Beyond that are devices used to add all the
ingredients to the fracking liquid. After the fracturing of the rock has been done, a proppant like
sand or even sometimes polymers are used to hold the cracks open. Men, machinery and
materials of all sorts are used to transport, mix and blast the fracking liquids down the hole.
Sources:
"Fracturing Fluid." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"Emulsions." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Biocide." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Guar Gum." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Wallace, Charles H. "Look into Process of Natural Gas Extraction." Personal interview. 25 Apr.
2014.

Anthony Pappas
Question:
What steps are involved in the process of natural gas extraction from shale formations via
hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling?
Answer:
First, the target or area in which the company wants to drill. This can be done using pilot holes
to see if the area is rich with oil-rich shale. An on-site geologist monitors the core samples that
come out for oil. Once the site has been marked and is ready for extraction of the gas, then the
rig starts to drill. The initial hole is cased with cement to keep it from leaching the gas and
fracking fluid into the ground.
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Sources:
"RIGZONE - How Does Directional Drilling Work?" RIGZONE - How Does Directional Drilling
Work? N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"What Is Hydraulic Fracturing?" What Is Fracking. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Natural Gas and Electricity." RWE. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Fracking." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.
"Hydraulic Fracturing and Horizontal Drilling." Extraction and Drilling:: About Natural Gas. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Wallace, Charles H. "Look into Process of Natural Gas Extraction." Personal interview. 25 Apr.
2014.

Anthony Pappas
Question:
What safety equipment and practices are employed to safeguard humans and the environment
during natural gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling?
Answer:
All personnel on site are required to wear personal protective gear like flame retardant clothing
and hard hats and steel-toed boots. The area is lined with impermeable membranes so that the
chemicals and waste are not spilled or leak into the ground. The frac tanks cant leak, and the
inside of the hole is lined contained with concrete. A frac tank is a large, usually metal, tank that
holds all the fracking fluid. These tanks can hold the fluid before it goes into the hole and after
it comes back up. After the product or natural gas comes out of the ground, it goes through
high pressure treated equipment to make sure that it doesnt leak.
Source:
Wallace, Charles H. "Look into Process of Natural Gas Extraction." Personal interview. 25 Apr.
2014.

Anthony Pappas
Question:
What is the final state of the land once the drilling and natural gas extraction has been
completed?
Answer:
What the state of the land after a well or several wells drills on it is entirely dependent on the
circumstances of the environment and the actual people/ company that is doing the work.
Obviously, for rural and inaccessible drill locations, roads are going to have to be bulldozed or
constructed to reach them. As for the drill site, a large area will be leveled and effectively
cleared to make way for all the equipment and assets that will need to utilize open space. The
litter or destruction to the environment is all dependent on how the corporation and its
employees conduct themselves. Often, the drilling rigs are on parcels of farming land and
therefore leave little footprint behind for the farm can utilize the land after the rig is gone.
Sources:
Wallace, Charles H. "Look into Process of Natural Gas Extraction." Personal interview. 25 Apr.
2014.
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Keagan Felker
Question:
Explain how natural gas is extracted from coal bed methane formations.
Answer:
Natural gas is extracted from coal bed methane formations by drilling a hole into the coal
seam that is ~100-1,500 meters (330-4,920 ft) below ground. How deep the hole is drilled
depending on how far below ground the seam or bed is. The hole is steel-encased - like a
pipe. There is pressure within the coal seam and as it decreases, due to either natural
processes, or by the water thats being pumped into and from the coalbeds. Then both the
natural gas and the discharged water escape to the surface through the pipe or tubing. After
both surface, the natural gas goes to a compressor station as well as gas pipelines. The water
that came to the surface along with the gas will be either repurposed and put into isolated
formations, put into nearby streams, used as irrigation water, or put into evaporation ponds.
The elements the water contains are usually dissolved solids such as sodium bicarbonate
(NaHCO3) and chloride (Cl). This is never certain, but these are typically the elements that are in
the water depending on the formation and geology.
Source:
"Coalbed Methane." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.

Justin Carlson
Question:
What are local environmental consequences to natural gas through horizontal drilling and
hydraulic fracturing?
How is groundwater affected by natural gas extraction through horizontal drilling and
hydraulic fracturing?
How is surface water affected by natural gas extraction through horizontal drilling and
hydraulic fracturing?
How are local ecosystems affected by natural gas extraction through horizontal drilling
and hydraulic fracturing?
How is air quality affected by the natural gas extraction process?
How is the local geology affected by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing? Is there
an increased risk of seismic events in areas where horizontal drilling and hydraulic
fracturing are practiced?
Answer:
Natural Gas reserves or basins are found deep below ground water reserves if present in the
local ecosystem. Groundwater can be affected due to methane mixing in with the water. This
can lead to explosion for the methane makes the water very flammable. In freshwater systems
pollution due to natural gas has been found in some regions around the country. This can be
caused through human error where an operator of a horizontal drill rig uses poor casing
techniques or when cement quality is poor. Casing is where a well is plugged during the drilling
process, every benchmark they hit they poor cement down the hole to prevent hydrocarbons to
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flow back up the line and to prevent the wells from closing up and having to drill a new one.
Chemical contamination is usually present in various freshwater systems due to poor operation
of drill rigs and human error. These freshwater sources around these natural gas extraction
sites are often found stressed and depleted due to usage of large amounts of water. Migration
of groundwater to the surface may cause the migration of chemicals and methane to follow.
The effects of fracking in groundwater are also present in surface water in local and foreign
ecosystems. This water pollution has been found and has harmed citizens due to poor
extraction technique and methods within the lower 48 states; this is why many Americans are
finding hydraulic fracturing to be an unprogressive practice.

Plugs are used to protect from chemicals and methane releasing into groundwater but
occasionally some of these pollutants get through the barrier of a plug and can affect the local
ecosystems. Real life applications have showed the harm to aquatic life in fracking and have
killed fish in the past. Due to unsafe drinking water, animals in the local ecosystem could be
affected yet accounts of this couldnt be found.

The extraction of natural gas has similar effects on air quality as it does to water quality. The air
in local ecosystem is often affected by fracking due to volatile emissions, carbon dioxide
emissions and the emissions of other greenhouse gases. Volatile emissions are organic
compounds like benzene and formaldehyde, both of which are exposed to the air and local
ecosystem. Methane is released into the air through fracking and horizontal drilling.

Carbon Dioxide is the greenhouse gas that many focus on when talking about greenhouse
gases, yet it isnt the most harmful gas contributing to global warming. When methane is
released into the atmosphere it has an effect 20 times that of carbon dioxide and can hold
much greater amounts of radiation within the atmosphere. Methane is a fugitive emission
which means it has a high short term effect on global warming and the amount of radiation
being trapped within the atmosphere. Fugitive emissions could be easily mitigated with three
common ways that many countries and states have already adopted. Using low bleed valves
and pneumatic controls instead of high bleed would regulate the amount of methane that is
literally bleeding into the environment from compression and processing stations. If states
monitored and regulated the amount of fugitive emissions allowed per year it would cut
emission drastically, take California and its carbon dioxide industrial regulations for example
and how they are down to 1990 carbon dioxide emissions. If regulations were forced upon
these energy companies then they would have to adopt green completions where they couldnt
vent methane from wells into the atmosphere.

Besides the effects of pollution in groundwater, surface and the depletion of aquifers in cases
of fracking, a geological risk of seismic events has been found. Earthquakes are 8 times more
likely in areas of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. When waste water comes up from
a drill well, they inject it into deep wells to dispose of it and to keep chemicals and methane out
of our environment. When these deep wells are filled with water it tends to help move fault
lines. Fault lines often get stuck and therefore dont move due to high amounts of friction.
When you place thousands of gallons of water down into an area where it wasnt before it
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allows these fault lines to move and slip. This water acts as lubrication so to say and therefore
allows these fault lines to move due to loss of friction and increases the risk of seismic events
within an area.

Justin Carlson
Question:
Describe the design of a natural gas power plant. Your description should at least include
turbines (gas and steam), heat exchanger, generator, compressor, and coolant systems.
Answer:
Natural gas power plants run off combustion engines and a system of turbines with a very
efficient way of using hydrocarbons. There are two types of power plants, simple cycle and
combined cycle. Basically there are three main sections of a simple cycle gas turbine power
plant. A gas turbine is very similar to a jet engine and operates at extremely high temperatures
which allows it to be very efficient for with increased heat comes increased efficiency. First the
gas hits a compressor where the compressor extracts and pressurizes air. The air and natural
gas hits the combustion chamber where they produce heat and a high pressure gas to spin the
turbine. The turbine is a very intricate device. It contains an alternating set of blades in which
the combustion gas spins. The combustion gas expands throughout the turbine and allows
these blades to spin. When these blades spin they carry out two tasks. They turbines power the
compressor which sends air to the combustion chamber and then they power a generator
which produces electricity which is then sent out onto a grid and to wherever the electricity is
needed. The combustion gas is then sent through an exhaust valve and into the atmosphere.
A combined cycle power plant is more complex than a simple cycle power plant, yet remains
fairly simple.

A combined cycle power plant adds a steam turbine to the design of the simple cycle power
plant. To complete this task it connects the exhaust valve to a steam generator. This steam
generator is very similar to the ones used within a nuclear power plant. The generator runs off
of a natural convection boiler where the water is turned into steam through exhaust heat and
then travels to the steam turbine. The steam turbine is similar to that of a combustion gas
turbine where the compressed steam expands throughout the turbine and forces the turbine to
spin which then creates additional power for the generator. Once the steam passes through the
turbine it condenses and then travels to a cooling tower. Once the water has cooled enough it
finishes the cycle back within the steam generator.
Sources:
"Catskill Mountainkeeper." Catskill Mountainkeeper. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"CPS Energy Works for You." How Is Electricity Made from Natural Gas? N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr.
2014.
"EPA." Hydraulic Fracturing. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
"Fracking Boom Spews Toxic Air Emissions on Texas Residents." Climate Science Watch. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"Fracking: Economic Boom or Environmental Danger?" Politics & Policy. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr.
2014.
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Henry, Dallas. "How Fracking Disposal Wells Are Causing Earthquakes in Dallas-Fort Worth."
Texas RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"Hydraulic Fracturing." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
"Risky Gas Drilling Threatens Health, Water Supplies." Natural Gas Drilling: Impacts of Fracking
on Health, Water. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
"What Goes In & Out of Hydraulic Fracking." Dangers of Fracking. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Thayer Stowers
Natural Gas:
Natural gas found in shale formations and coal bed methane formations is a cheap, clean and
abundant source of energy that be a cornerstone of our energy portfolio for the next several
decades.
Question:
Describe the process of combustion of natural gas.
What are the products, reactants, energy, released in a balanced chemical equation?
How much of the reactants are necessary to produce a kilowatt-hour of electrical
energy?
How much of the products are made per kilowatt?
Demonstrate that mass is conserved in this process.
Demonstrate that energy is conserved in the process.
Answer:
The combustion of natural gas is an exothermic chemical reaction where natural gas and
oxygen react. When they react, they produce heat and chemical byproducts. When natural gas
burns, the byproducts that are created are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and water. The
reactants of natural gas combustion consist of one mole of methane (CH4), and two moles of
Oxygen Gas (O2). The product of natural gas is 85% methane. The products, reactants, energy,
released in a balanced chemical equation are CH4+2O2-CO2+2H2O. Natural gas combustion is a
clean process if it is controlled and harnessed in the right way.

Natural gas is one of the biggest combustion fuels in the United States. It is used to generate
electricity. It consists of methane, ethane, propane, butane, and inserts, nitrogen, carbon
dioxide, and helium. There are three types of boilers used for natural gas combustion. Water
tube, fire tube, and cast iron.

Water lube boilers pass water through heat transfer tubes while the outside of the tube is
heated by the combustion gasses and through radiant heat transfer. It is designed for providing
large amounts of process steam, providing hot water for space heating and to generate high
temperature and pressure steam for creating electricity.

Fire tube boilers are made for hot combustion gases to flow through the tubes where the water
is heated to circulate the outside of the tubes. The fire tube boilers are used for space heating
systems, industrial process steam, and portable power boilers. The cast iron boilers have hot
gases that are containing the inside of the tubes and the water being heated circulates the
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outside of the tubes. These boilers are used to produce low pressure steam or hot water and
are used in small commercial applications.

The amount of reactants that are necessary to produce one kilowatt-hour of electrical energy is
equal to 3.41 cubic feet of natural gas. The amount of products that are made per kilowatt-hour
are equal to 143.04 grams of H2O and 174.71 grams of CO2.
The energy that is conserved from natural gas happens when methane and oxygen break apart.
When the bonds break apart in the reaction, the products reform into new compounds and
emit an equal amount of energy used to break the reactants apart.
Sources:
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." How Much
Coal, Natural Gas, or Petroleum Is Used to Generate a Kilowatthour of Electricity? N.p., n.d.
Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
http://www.epa.gov/ttnchie1/ap42/ch01/final/c01s04.pdf
McMahon, Mary, and O. Wallace. WiseGeek. Conjecture, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014
"Convert Kilowatt-hours to Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas." Kilowatt-hours to Cubic Feet Of Natural
Gas. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.

Andie Paschal
Question:
Describe the science involved in global climate change and how it relates to emissions from
natural gas power plants.
What is the greenhouse effect and how is it related to global climate change?
What are greenhouse gases and what about their structure makes them greenhouse
gases?
How has the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere changed over time?
What are some predictions of global climate change?
How is the combustion of fossil fuels related to global climate change?
How do the emissions of natural gas combustion compare to that of coal and of nuclear?
Answer:
Global warming has recently become a major concern for our society, and many fear the future
consequences of rising surface temperatures. If temperatures continue to rise at the rate they
currently are, there could be serious consequences. Unfortunately, the impacts of global
warming have already taken effect. Snow accumulation has decreased by 60% since the early
1950s, which has in return caused severe droughts throughout several states such as Colorado,
Arizona, Oregon, Montana, and Kansas (Global Warming Basics). Global warming has also
affected coral reefs. Warmer water temperatures are causing coral reefs to be more susceptible
to diseases, while rising sea levels make it difficult for coral reefs to receive the amount of
sunlight they need to flourish.

As scientists continue to learn more about global warming, they fear melting glaciers and
shorter winters will cause water shortages throughout the American west. Flooding will also
occur in areas such as the gulf of Mexico due to rising sea levels, and warmer water
temperatures will cause hurricanes to be more powerful.
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Global warming is becoming a problem, and it will continue to be one until the amount of
greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere is reduced. Greenhouse gases are
compounds in the atmosphere that can absorb infrared radiation. The electrons in greenhouse
gases repel each other, which causes greenhouse gases to take the shape of tetrahedrons.
However, not all greenhouse gases take on this shape. When infrared radiation is absorbed by
greenhouse gases, vibration levels within the molecules increase. When the molecules vibrate,
they emit the absorbed infrared radiation, which is then absorbed by other atoms. According to
the Environmental Protection Agency, compounds such as water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide are considered the most significant greenhouse gases (Lallanilla).
As the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere continues to increase, it affects the
greenhouse effect. During the greenhouse effect, radiation from the sun is beneficial. According
to NASA, 30% of the radiation is reflected back into space by reflective surfaces such as ice and
clouds, while oceans, the land, and the atmosphere absorb the other 70% (Lallanilla). As earths
surface absorbs radiation from the sun, it releases heat back into the atmosphere in the form of
IR (infrared radiation). However, as heat is released back into the atmosphere, greenhouse
gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, absorb the IR radiation, which traps the heat in
our atmosphere. This cycle of heat is known as the greenhouse effect. As the amount of
greenhouse gases emitted into our atmosphere continues to increase, the amount of heat
being trapped does as well, which in return causes global temperatures to increase. This
increase in temperature is what we call global warming.

The greenhouse effect is a natural process, and is beneficial for our existence. However, as our
energy demands increase, the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into our atmosphere
does as well. There is more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere than there has ever been in the
last 800,000 years ("11 Facts About Global Warming"). Over 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide is
produced yearly by the United States alone, 40% coming from power plants ("11 Facts About
Global Warming").

As our energy demands continue to grow, the United States has started to consider using
natural gas as a source of energy. According to the Energy Information Administration, they
expect natural gas to account for 46% of our growing energy demands (How It's Used -
America's Natural Gas Alliance).

Natural gas, also known as fossil fuels, is a mixture of flammable gases such as methane,
butane, and propane. Natural gas is formed as the remains of ancient plants and animals decay
under intense heat and pressure. The pressure and heat causes the carbon atoms in the
remains to break down, forming natural gas in deposits below earths surface.

Natural gas is extracted from deposits, purified, and sent to power plants to generate electricity
and turn turbines. When natural gas combusts, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide are
produced. During the transportation process, methane is also released into the atmosphere.

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The combustion of natural gas creates greenhouse gases, however, the amount of greenhouse
gases produced by the combustion of natural gas is significantly less than the amount of
greenhouse gases produced by the burning of coal. Natural gas produces half as much carbon
dioxide and less than a third as much nitrogen oxides (Natural Gas). However, compared to the
emissions produced from nuclear energy, natural gas produces significantly more greenhouse
emissions (Greenhouse Gas Emissions Avoided through Use of Nuclear Energy).
Sources:
Cunningham, Matt. "What Is Natural Gas?" HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 29 Aug. 2012.
Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"Global Warming Basics." What Is Global Warming. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"Global Warming Is Very Real." Rolling Stone. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
"The Greenhouse Gases." The Greenhouse Gases. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Greenhouse Gas Emissions Avoided through Use of Nuclear Energy." Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Avoided through Use of Nuclear Generation. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"How It's Used - America's Natural Gas Alliance." ANGA. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"Lallanilla, Marc. "What Are Greenhouse Gases?" LiveScience. TechMediaNetwork, 27 June
2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
"Natural Gas." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
"11 Facts About Global Warming." DoSomething.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Thayer Stowers
Question:
What are the best estimates for the purely financial cost of natural gas generated electricity?
What are levelized cost per kWh?
What are fuel cost annually or per kWh?
Construction costs for a new plant?
Operating and maintenance costs?
What units of measure are used to quantify natural gas?
Answer:
The purely financial costs of natural gas have varied between 3 and 4 dollars in 2013. The price
of Natural gas has a range between $4.28/MMBtu and $4.67/MMBtu. An MMBtu is one
millionth of British thermal unit which also includes the additional cost involved to generate
electricity. But in March 2014, the price of natural gas ranged between $5.60/MMBtu and
$6.30/MMBtu.
The levelized costs per KWH of natural gas is equal to $14.30/kWh with a total system levelized
cost of energy at 66.30/kWh. The total fuel costs per kWh is $33.76.
The construction costs for a new natural gas power plant would be $933.77. The advanced CC
including the CCS would be $2,133.57, the advanced CT with the conventional CT would be
$1,689.29, and the Fuel cells would be $7,151.00. The operating and maintenance costs all
together would range from $7.04/kW-yr. and $31.79kW-yr.
The units of natural gas is measured in British Thermal Unit while the quantities of natural gas is
measured in Cubic feet. 1 cubic foot (cf) = 1,027 Btu, 100 cubic feet (1 ccf) = 1 therm
(approximate), 1,000 cubic feet (1 Mcf) = 1,027,000 Btu (1 MMBtu), 1,000 cubic feet (1 Mcf) =
1 dekatherm (10 therms), 1 million (1,000,000) cubic feet (1 Mmcf) = 1,027,000,000 Btu, 1
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billion (1,000,000,000 cubic feet (1 bcf) = 1.027 trillion Btu, and 1 trillion (1,000,000,000,000)
cubic feet (1Tcf) = 1.027 quadrillion Btu.
Sources:
Combined Cycle. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
" How to Measure Natural Gas ." How to Measure Natural Gas. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." Short-Term
Energy Outlook. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/capitalcost/pdf/updated_capcost.pdf
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." U.S.
Energy Information Administration (EIA). N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014

Jake Pinkney
Question:
Describe the design of a natural gas power plant. Your description should at least include
turbines (gas and steam), heat exchanger, generator, compressor and coolant systems.
Answer:
First and foremost
1
the natural gas must first be transported through a gas line which is
immediately
2
pumped into a gas turbine where it is
3
mixed with air while being burned. By
burning the natural gas you convert the gases energy from chemical energy to heat energy. The
heat makes the combustion gas expand inside of the turbine resulting in high pressure
eventually. The pressure will eventually build up to the point that the gas flowing through the
turbine will stay at a constant high pressure, thus spinning at a constant rate. The turbines
convert the heat energy into mechanical energy, in this case the energy is put into a generator
and then either put straight back into the turbine or to
4
power an electromagnet field that
converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy.

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After the combustion gas is pressurized passed the turbine it remains hot and is transported in
pipes
5
to the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The HRSG is used to heat water up to the
point where it becomes steam before
6
it exits the exhaust stack.
(Below is an illustration of a HRSG, the water would be moving)

7
The exhaust stack was built so tall so that the waste from the leftover gas will be broken down
before it touches the ground.
The steam is expanding while it is stuck in pipes because of how hot it is, once the steam
escapes the pipes into
8
high pressure steam jets. Similar to the turbine the energy produced
from these jets is
9
rerouted through the jets and the extra goes through an electromagnetic
field to become electrical energy. Once the steam passes through the second turbine it is met
with cold water so that the steam condenses back into water, which is pumped back to the heat
recovery steam generator.
10
If the power plant is located near a substantial body of water than
that is where they will extract there water from.
11
The power that was created is then put
through a transformer to convert to high voltage.
12
High voltages is transported through large
power lines, to cities and households where another transformer will reduce the voltage to an
ethical level.
Sources:
Natural Gas Power Plant-
"Graphics - NEED-MEDIA." Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant Diagram. N.p., n.d. Web.
30 Apr. 2014.
"Heat Recovery Steam Generator." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Mar. 2014. Web. 30
Apr. 2014.
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." Natural
Gas. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
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