Question

Whenever we use any type of high-quality energy, it is always degraded into lower-quality energy, mostly heat that ends up in the environment. This means that we cannot recycle high-quality energy. Is this statement correct? In what ways our energy production processes are systematically inefficient? Give specific examples to support your answers.

Answer 1

When ever we use high quality energy, it is usually degraded into lower quality energy. In most cases it ends up in the form of heat that is liberated out in the environment. So, it is not possible to recycle high quality energy. Is this statement true?

Now the important question here is that is it possible to recycle high quality energy? This in simple words also means that is there any way in which we can convert or recycle lower grade energy back into high quality energy? The fact is that there is no such way in which low quality energy can be recycled back to form high quality energy, once it has been used up

You have to keep in mind that this topic is related to the laws of thermodynamics. As per the first law, it is stated that energy can never be completely used up as it only changes it forms. In simple terms, it is also true that we shall never actually run out of energy.

The moment we use any form of energy, it simply changes from one form to another. In most cases, it changes into heat and is lost into the surrounding environment.

Now when we look into the Thermodynamics second law, it states that high quality energy can easily be used up by us. But as per the same law, it is not possible for us to reuse back the high quality energy, once it has been used up. So all forms of high quality energy can only be used once.

This is supported by example that we can eat food once and derive energy form it only once this energy that our body gets from the food, will be used to perform all its regular tasks. Even car can burn gasoline once to produce power. Same gasoline cannot be reused back again, as it has already been used once. The fuel when burnt is lost into the environment in the form of smoke from the vehicle through the exhaust pipe and in driving the vehicle.

So the moment we use high quality energy, some work has been done. After the work is done, the energy is lost. There is no way in which we can retain that lost energy back. So high quality energy can only be used once to get the work done.

So the statement is completely true.

In what ways our energy production processes are systematically inefficient?

Now here when speaking of the efficiency of the energy production processes, we have to keep in mind that there is always energy wastage. As per the laws, energy is always changed from one form to another. But during the process of energy change, there is always energy wastage.

When energy changes its form some amount of energy is lost into the surrounding environment. This loss in energy can be in the form of heat, light, or sound or any other form.

The moment you supply electricity to the fan, it rotates to circulate air. But when rotating, the fan also gets overheated. So this means that its efficiency is not equal to hundred percent. Practically the efficiency is never equal to hundred percent as input energy is never equal to the output energy.

So when one form of energy is being used to produce other form of energy, then little amount of energy is lost. This is why we state that energy producing processes are inefficient because energy input is never equal to energy output.

There are a few ways that we can make use of to help reduce this energy wastage. But under no circumstances, can we say that no part of energy will be wasted when it changes from one form to another.

The moment you light up a bulb, it gives out light. This light can be termed as output energy. The bulb also gets heated and this heat can be termed as energy wastage. In most cases, energy wastage is usually in the form of heat.