Energy from Fossil Fuels Fuel-a substance that provides a form of energy (such as heat, light, electricity or motion) as the result of a chemical change. Fuel is burned, releasing thermal energy. This energy is used to boil water and make steam. The mechanical energy of the moving steam turns the blades of a turbine. The turbine turns the shaft of the generator, producing an electric current

The three fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas. Fossil Fuels are energy rich substances formed from the remains of once living things (plants and animals). They were converted into coal, oil and natural gas by heat and pressure from inside the earth. This process took hundreds of millions of years (even before dinosaurs!). Why isn't there just ONE type of Fossil Fuel? The type of fossil fuel formed depended on: the type of animal and plant debris, how long the material was buried, and what the temperature and pressure was.

Video Clip: How Fossil Fuels are Formed

More about Fossil Fuels Hydrocarbons-energy rich chemical compounds that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms. These compounds release energy when they are combusted, or burned. Reserves-known deposits of fossil fuels that can be obtained using current technology. Coal-a solid fossil fuel formed from plant remains Oil (petroleum)-a thick, black liquid fossil fuel formed from the remains of animals, algae,and protists that lived in water millions of years ago.

Refinery-a factory where crude oil is separated into fuels and other products by heating. Petrochemicals-compounds that are made from oil. Natural Gas-a mixture of methane and other gases that form from the remains of animals,algae, and protists that lived in water millions of years ago

How does the Coal Factory Work ? I n a coal-fired steam station—much like a nuclear station—water is turned into steam, which in turn drives turbine generators to produce electricity. Here’s how the process works. 1. Heat is created Before the coal is burned, it is pulverized to the fineness of talcum powder. It is then mixed with hot air and blown into the firebox of the boiler. Burning in suspension, the coal/air mixture provides the most complete combustion and maximum heat possible. 2. Water turns to steam Highly purified water, pumped through pipes inside the boiler, is turned into steam by the heat. The steam reaches temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and pressures up to 3,500 pounds per square inch, and is piped to the turbine. 3. Steam turns the turbine The enormous pressure of the steam pushing against a series of giant turbine blades turns the turbine shaft. The turbine shaft is connected to the shaft of the generator, where magnets spin within wire coils to produce electricity. 4. Steam turns back into water After doing its work in the turbine, the steam is drawn into a condenser, a large chamber in the basement of the power plant. In this important step, millions of gallons of cool water from a nearby source (such as a river or lake) are pumped through a network of tubes running through the condenser. The cool water in the tubes converts the steam back into water that can be used over and over again in the plant. The cooling water is returned to its source without any contamination, and the steam water is returned to the boiler to repeat the cycle.

COAL FACTORY

Video Clip: Coal Factory at Work

Renewable or NonRenewable? Natural Resource-anything in the environment that is used by people. Nonrenewable Resources-natural resources that are not replaced as they are used. *Fossil Fuels take hundreds of millions of years so fossil fuels are considered a Nonrenewable Resource.