Coal Power

What is Coal?  A fossil fuel made from prehistoric organisms that died and decayed  A readily combustible black rock.  Composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons.  It is the most abundant fossil fuel found in the US.  Nonrenewable resource, as are all fossil fuels

The Formation of Coal  Coal is found underground in layers called seams.  It is formed from tree and plant remains from millions of years ago.  They decayed and sank into the ground, and were pressed under layers of rock and other minerals.  Under heat and pressure, it turned into coal.

History of Coal  No one is sure when coal was discovered but there are some records saying that the Chinese found and burned black rocks for warmth  When wood was short they dug the earth and found the rocks to burn

History of Coal  Coal has been used worldwide as a for centuries.  Coal has been used worldwide as a fuel for centuries.  Around 1842, coal became the main energy source for the Industrial Revolution, the expanding railway system of countries being a prime user to power steam engines.

History of Coal  Oil and its associated fuels began to be used as alternative from the late 1800s onward.  By the late 20th century coal was for the most part replaced in domestic as well as industrial and transportation usage by oil, natural gas or electricity produced from oil, gas, nuclear or renewable energy sources.

History of Coal  Britain developed the main techniques of underground coal mining from the late 18 th century onward.  Since 1890, coal mining has also been a political and social issue. Coal miners' labor and trade unions became powerful in many countries in the 20th century, and often the miners were leaders of the Left or Socialist movements (as in Britain, Poland, Germany, Canada and the US).

History of Coal in the US  First mining of coal in the US was 50 tons dug in  Today we produce over one billion tons per year.  At one time or another, coal has been produced in nearly all of the 38 States with coal deposits.  Historically, this production played an important role in the development of these States as well as in the Nation's growth and westward expansion.

History of Coal in the US  In the past, coal had a variety of uses. Gas for gas lights was originally made from coal in most cities. In fact in Britain this so-called illuminating gas was made from coal until the 1950's.  Large amounts of coal were once consumed for domestic heating, railroad fuel and for stationery steam engines.  Coal was once a very important source of heat for smelting iron ore for the iron and steel industry, and still is to some degree.

History of Coal in the US  Today, due to competition from other fuels and other sources of energy, coal is used mostly to generate electricity.  Concern over environmental quality has led to greater use of low sulfur coal in power plants. This adversely affected production in states with mostly high sulfur coal, but rejuvenated the industry in some states with low sulfur coal.

Coal has many uses…  Coal is used to make insecticides, fungicides, mothballs, batteries, and medicines.  It is also used in baking powder, charcoal briquettes, perfumes, TNT explosives, and some sugar substitutes

Classification of Coal As geological processes apply pressure to dead matter over time, under suitable conditions, it is transformed successively into:  Peat, considered to be a precursor of coal. It has industrial importance as a fuel in some countries, for example, Ireland and Finland. Peat  Lignite, also referred to as brown coal, is the lowest rank of coal and used almost exclusively as fuel for steam-electric power generation. Lignite  Sub-bituminous coal, whose properties range from those of lignite to those of bituminous coal and are used primarily as fuel for steam-electric power generation. Sub-bituminous coal Sub-bituminous coal  Bituminous coal, a dense coal, usually black, sometimes dark brown, often with well-defined bands of bright and dull material, used primarily as fuel in steam-electric power generation, also used for heat and power applications in manufacturing and to make coke for smelting iron ore. Bituminous coal Bituminous coal  Anthracite, the highest rank; a harder, glossy, black coal used primarily for residential and commercial space heating. Anthracite  Graphite, technically the highest rank, but difficult to ignite and is not so commonly used as fuel: it is mostly used in pencils and, when powdered, as a lubricant. Graphite

Coal mining  In order to get coal, miners have to mine coal from certain locations  The first coal mine opened in 1830 by Pinkerton and Company  It was a dangerous job because there was always the danger of cave-ins, suffocation, and lung cancer

Since 1970, environmental issues have been increasingly important:  Particulate emissions  CO 2 emissions  Trace element emissions (mercury, arsenic)  Acid rain from sulfur and nitrogen emissions  Solid waste from coal production  Destruction of land  Health of the miners

The Future for Coal  Global reserves are expected to last centuries.  The US has a supply of coal that will last about 250 years. It will last 65 years if usage increases 2% every year It will last 65 years if usage increases 2% every year  New technologies have made many improvements in the air quality around coal fired generation plants.

Future of Coal Fired Generation  Coal is the cheapest, most abundant source of energy for electricity in the world, generating more than 40 percent of all electricity globally.  In the United States, that number is almost 50 percent.  By 2030, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that coal will increase to 55 percent of the U.S. electricity generation, 45 percent globally

Coal Fired Electricity Generation

Hydroelectricity

Nuclear Fission Reactor

Wind Generation Renewable-useful in windy areas-cheap and reliable Noisy-interferes with migrating birds-”ugly”

Photovoltaic Generation Renewable-useful in sunny areas – minimal cost after initial set up – lasts for years “Ugly”- expensive to set up

Solar Energy for Space and Water Heating