Msc Energy Systems

The Greenhouse Effect

If it were not for greenhouse gases trapping heat in the
atmosphere, the Earth would be a very cold place. Greenhouse
gases keep the Earth warm through a process, known as the
greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from
a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a temperature
above what it would be in the absence of its atmosphere. If a
planet's atmosphere contains radiatively active gases (i.e.
greenhouse gases) the atmosphere radiates energy in all directions.
Part of this radiation is directed towards the surface, warming it.
The sun emits huge amounts of electromagnetic radiation on
the wavelength of infrared, visible and ultraviolet area. The ozone
layer absorbs the most of the ultraviolet radiation. So, some visible
and infrared thermal radiation reach the surface of earth. The earth
emits this radiation and some of the infrared radiation is absorbed
by greenhouse gases(CO2,CH4,NOX,O3,CFCC,H2O) in the atmosphere.
In this way the lower layer of atmosphere is warmer than the
upper and the temperature is on the appropriate level. If there were
no these protective gases the temperature on this lower layer
would be 35 0C lower.
One of the most important greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide
( CO2) and it is responsible 50 % for the global warming. The
emissions of carbon dioxide are due to combusting coal, oil, gas and
other activities such as cement production and tropical
deforestation. This production of CO2 cant be offset by
photosynthesis because of forests disaster. Methane (CH4) is 18%
responsible for the global warming but 21 times more active than
CO2, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS) 14-16%, Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) 6%
and ozone (O3) is about 12 %. The CFCS are nontoxic compounds,
they dont react with the water, they are not flammable and in the
lower layers of atmosphere are unreactive. But in the upper layers,
the ultraviolet radiation brakes them producing Chlorine Radicals
(Cl) which react with ozone (O3) and they destroy it. This is very
important because these layers of ozone absorb a lot amount of
ultraviolet radiation.
The Global Warming Potential (GWP) was developed to allow
comparisons of the global warming impacts of different gases.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), by definition, has a GWP of 1 regardless of

Msc Energy Systems

the time period used, because it is the gas being used as the
reference. Below are listed data of GWP for each gas:

GWP time horizon

GWP values and lifetimes from 2013 IPCC AR5
p714
(with climate-carbon feedbacks)[7]

Lifetime
(years)

20

100

years

years

Methane

12.4

86

34

HFC-134a (hydrofluorocarbon)

13.4

3790

1550

CFC-11 (chlorofluorocarbon)

45.0

7020

5350

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

121.0

268

298

Carbon tetrafluoride (CF4)

50000

4950

7350

Source: wikipedia
During the last century, due to the increasing consumption
levels of fossil fuels, the amounts of greenhouse gases have
increased as well, especially CO2. As a result the Earth temperature
has increased causing climate phenomenon. Some of the impacts
are mentioned below:

Decrease of water supplies

Abnormal changes of air temperature
Very high temperatures in the summer season
Intrusion of marine water the coastal horizon
Population movement
Rising sea level
Heat waves
Storms
Rain in dry areas

What can we do:

Msc Energy Systems

Enrichment of the upper layer of the sea with

ingredients that will help the growth of algae, which in
turn will absorb CO2 from the atmosphere
Maintenance of Internal Combustion Engines
Use of Renewable Energy and mild form of energy
Use of Catalytic Converters
Extend Nuclear Capacity
Independence of fossil fuels
Reduce consumption drastically
Develop renewable energy sources