Coal Fired Power Plants By: Shawn Houser Environmental Science High School Continue

Cleaning Device Click on part you would like to view CLICK HERE TO REVIEW Generator Transformer Condenser CONVERSION OF ENERGY IN COAL FIRED PLANTS CLICK HERE

Coal -Formed from decaying organic material called peat which is being pressurized over long periods of time. -86% of all coal use is for electricity -There are 3 types of coal 1. Lignite (soft coal) 2. Bituminous (soft coal) 3.Anthracite (hard coal) this is the purest form -Why use coal? -It is cheap and abundant in the U.S. (25% of all known coal reserves are found here) - When burned it gives off a lot of heat Previous

Boiler (furnace) -Once coal is crushed up, it will then be placed into a furnace to be burned -The purpose of a boiler (furnace) is to turn water into steam to move a turbine -Burning coal in the furnace releases harmful gases such as SO 2 (sulfur dioxide) and CO 2 (carbon dioxide) which travel up and out of the smokestack - To improve emissions, cleaning devices are used to capture particulate matter steam water Sulfur dioxide Coal Previous

Sulfur dioxide Waste Previous Cleaning Devices -The one pictured is called a particulate scrubber -Air flows upward through a limestone/water mist -The harmful sulfur dioxide particulates get trapped in the limestone water mist and then fall down as waste -Without these scrubber units there would be more smog, deposition on buildings (black streaks), and degradation of paint/textiles -Particulates from coal fired power plants can also cause health problems in the lungs -Lung cancer, bronchitis, emphysema

Turbine Boiler (furnace) Previous Turbine -Consists of multiple angled metal blades -The pressure from the steam spins blades -As the turbine blades spin this moves parts in the generator to produce electricity

Previous Generator -Consists of copper wires and magnets -copper wires are used because they are a good conductor -Copper wires are spun around a magnetic field in order to produce electricity. -Without the turbine spinning, the copper wires would not be circling the magnetic field, so that is why we need the steam

Transformer -Converts high voltage to low voltage - voltage: pressure needed to move electrons - The generator produces such a high amount of voltage but the transformer can bring those voltage levels down in order to safely use electricity in our homes Previous

Condenser -Cools steam so it can turn back to water - This water then gets pumped through boiler again -The steam gets cooled off by coming into contact with cooler water from a near by water source. - Lakes, rivers Previous

Coal (Chemical Energy) Fire (Heat Energy) Steam ( Heat Energy) Spinning Turbine ( Kinetic Energy) Generator ( electrical Energy) Kinetic Energy: Energy of motion Previous

What is the purpose of a turbine? A. Convert water to steam B. Filter out harmful particulates C. To spin in order to move copper wires around magnets inside of a generator D. To reduce the amount of voltage being sent to your home

TRY AGAIN! A Boiler (furnace) is used to convert water into steam. Previous

TRY AGAIN! A particulate scrubber is used to filter out harmful emissions such as sulfur dioxide. Previous

TRY AGAIN! A transformer is what reduces the voltage to acceptable levels for your home. Previous

CORRECT!! The purpose of a turbine is to spin. A turbine spins because of steam, and while it spins it moves copper around magnets to produce electricity inside generator. Return to title Page