Electric power generation coal fueled

Electric Power Generation. Coal is the primary fuel for thermal electric power generation. Since 1940 the quantity of bituminous coal consumed by electric utilities has grown substantially in each successive decade, and this growth is expected to continue for many years. Coal consumed by electric utilities increased from about 536 x 10 t in 1981 to 689 x 10 t in 1989 (2). The reasons for increased coal demand include availability, relative stability of decreasing coal prices, and lack of problems with spent fuel disposal as experienced in nuclear power plants (see Nuclearreactors). 

In the U.S. a major usage of fuels is for electric power generation Q). Fuel oil is used to generate about 15% of the nation s electricity ( 1). However, it is possible with present technology along with new developments in coal combustion to reduce reliance on petroleum-based fuels by replacing them with coal. This would make more oil available to other areas such as the production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. 

Figure 11.3 shows the electric power generation by fuel type in the U.S. Notice that -50% of electricity is produced from coal in the U.S. As natural gas prices increase, more power generation will rely on coal. To deal with the environmental issues of today s coal power plants, more IGCC plants with or without C02 capture could be built in the U.S. in the foreseeable future. 

Key words Electric Power Generation/Coal Slurry Electrolysis/Hydrogen/Fuel Cells... 

Other Regions. In AustraUa, Victoria has the largest reserves, although smaller ones occur in southern AustraUa, western AustraUa, Tasmania, and Queensland (28). The main deposit consists of many thick seams in about 500 km of the Latrobe Valley. The YaHourn coal field provides most of the fuel. The top coal seam is 65 m thick and is covered with 13 m of overburden. Most of this coal is used for electric power generation. It is very moist (55—72%), but has less than 5% ash. The lignitic coal found in South AustraUa is, for the most part, too deep for economic recovery. However, some of the better deposits are mined for power generation. 

Combustion. Most of the mined coal is burned to produce steam for electric power generation (qv). The calorific value determines the amount of steam that can be generated. However, the design and operation of a boiler requires consideration of a number of other properties (see Furnaces, FUEL-FIRED). 

With an estimated 400 years of coal available for future power generation, coal-powered steam turbines are expected to continue to dominate global electricity fuel markets. 

Present theories of the origin of acid rain indicate that we can limit acid rain by reducing sulfur dioxide emissions and moving to low-sulfur fuels but, only about 20% of the world s petroleum reserves are low in sulfur. Switching U.S. midwestern power plants to low-sulfur coal could cause economic problems since much of the coal from the Midwest and Appalachia has a high sulfur content. Most of the electric power generated in the Midwest uses high-sulfur coal and it would cost tens of billions of dollars to scrub the sulfur out of coal. 

The steam electric power generation industry is defined as those establishments primarily engaged in the steam generation of electrical energy for distribution and sale. Those establishments produce electricity primarily from a process utilizing fossil-type fuel (coal, oil, or gas) or nuclear fuel in conjunction with a thermal cycle employing the steam-water system as the thermodynamic medium. The industry does not include steam electric power plants in industrial, commercial, or other facilities. The industry in the United States falls under two Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes SIC 4911 and SIC 4931. 

Considering additional functionalities in an aromatic ring allows for conclusions with implications for coal chemistry. Coal is a vital fossil fuel about 50% of the United States is dependent on coal for electric power generation, and its use accounts for 90% of Ohio s electrical power. Current clean-coal engineering efforts are underway to maximize coal s energy potential while minimizing harmful environmental emissions (i.e., Hg, SO, NO, and C02). ... 

Bituminous coal is 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, with substantial quantities also used for heat and power applications in manufacturing and to make coke. The moisture content of bituminous coal is usually less than 20% by weight. The heat content of bituminous coal ranges from 21 to 30 million Btu/ton on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis. 

Historically, interest in coal technology has been cyclic, depending primarily on the price of petroleum. Coal dominated the U.S. energy picture until the discovery of petroleum. Each subsequent threat to oil supplies spurred a renewed interest in coal, which rapidly faded as major new oil discoveries increased the supply of oil and lowered its price. The threat to oil supplies in 1973 produced the historic response, generating increased interest in converting coal to more convenient, cleaner fuels. Coal use for electric power generation has increased, but the economic conversion of coal to clean transportation fuels still stands as one of the key technical challenges of our time. 

Fuel for electric power generation accounts for about 20 percent of marketed natural gas production. This market segment is extremely price-sensitive and competes directly with fuel oil and coal. Given the current environmental emphasis on reduction of air pollutants, the use of cleaner-burning natural gas is expected to increase significantly in the foreseeable future. 

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