Topic 1.1: Introduction to Man and Energy - Insight into Chemical Engineering

Energy & Man Connection:

Any physical activity in this world whether by human beings or by nature is caused due to flow of energy in one form or the other. Energy is one of the basic needs of human beings.

Energy is required to do any kind of work.
Man has been using energy at an increasing pace for his sustenance and well-being ever since he came to the earth.
Energy is the key input in the economic and industrial growth of a country.

Long back, humans evolved with time as per Charles Darwin’s theory. As mankind grew up, energy needs also changed. The history of mankind has always been characterized by the search for new sources of energy: to ensure survival first and then to improve the standard of living.

Now, we use energy in all our activities. So, Man and energy are inseparable.

Discovery of Fire:

In the early stone age, a fire was discovered. Humans have learned to control fire and to make it at will.

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The Discovery of fire has played a major role in transforming human life.
People have started using fire in cooking and keeping themselves warm against cold weather conditions.
Also, it was incorporated into rituals. Afterward, it became an important part of human life.

Therefore, the discovery of fire and the controlled use of fire was one of mankind’s first great innovations.

Use of Manpower as Energy:

Primitive man depended on manual work.

In the beginning, manpower was used in making buildings and other kinds of work.
Since his work output was limited, his energy requirements were met through food intake.

Then, he started using animal power to supplement manual energy to enhance his work output.
The manpower was often supplied by slaves and beasts of burden.

Use of Watermill & Windmill as Energy:

Gradually, he learned to harness energy from wind and falling water to further enhance his work output.

Humans started exploiting the energy of wind and water.
These mills were revolutionary inventions.

They have been used for milling, metal shaping, agriculture, etc.

Use of Steam as Energy:

Much later in 1785, the invention of the steam engine by James Watt of Scotland brought the industrial revolution.

From the technological viewpoint, it was a big step that heat, through the production of steam, could be transformed into mechanical energy.
It was the beginning of the mechanical age or the age of machines.

Use of Coal as Fuel:

Early fuels were primarily wood, straw, and dried dung. Towards the end of the 19th century, with the development of the industrial civilization, the need for energy was met with the intensive use of coal.

Coal is one of the most important primary fossil fuels.

Use of Oil & natural gas as Fuel:

During the first decades of the 20th century, great oil fields were discovered in the Middle East.

Oil and natural gas are trapped under layers of rock that prevent them from flowing easily to the surface.
Natural gas proved to be good fuel for domestic use such as cooking and heating due to its smaller environmental impact.
During the Gulf War, prices of oil increased due to the 1973 oil crisis. This has led to the further development of alternative energy sources.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) was established in 1974 in the wake of an oil crisis.

Use of Nuclear Energy:

At the beginning of the 1970s, some countries started to develop nuclear energy as an alternative energy source.

In a nuclear fusion reaction, two or more nuclei combine to form a single different heavier nuclei.

In nuclear fission, the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more nuclei.

It was mainly used to produce electricity.

Other Alternative Energy Sources:

We started looking for alternative energy sources some of them are as follows: geothermal energy, solar energy, fuel cell, wind power, and the energy obtained from waste or from biomass.

Thus, with the progress of human civilization energy consumption is also accelerating. Energy is one of the most important factors for economic growth and human development.

The availability of fossil fuels is limited.
These resources are depleting with time due to their excessive use.

Therefore, new sources (reliable, affordable, clean & green) will need to be exploited to meet the growing demand for energy.