Energy sources coal conversion

Energy sources and conversion— biomass, batteries, fuel celts and fuel cell technology, hydrogen as a fuel, liquid and gaseous fuels from coal, oil shale, tar sands, nuclear fission and fusion, lithium lor thermonuclear reactors, insulating materials, and solar energy. 

Coal may become more imported both as an energy source and as the source of organic chemicals in this century (Demirbas and Giillu, 1998). Coal science is an applied disciphne, using methods of science and engineering for research into genesis, characterization, conversion and utilization of coal and related solid fuels (Demirbas, 1999). 

Eastern coal conversion development may come to be favored because of market proximity, water availability, and coal sources which, because of their high sulfur content, are currently unuse-able and, hence, largely decoupled from other energy prices. Proximity reduces transport costs and allows an increased use of low and medium Btu syngas processes. Reactivity and swelling problems may be overcome by technology. 

For all of these reasons, there is increased attention on coal conversion as a means of using our abundance of coal to supplement and replace other energy sources. 

Methane is the simplest, most abundant, and geographically most widely distributed hydrocarbon. It therefore receives constantly increasing attention as an alternate energy source to coal and petroleum from both the world fuels industry and from the science and engineering community to broaden its utility and enhance its transportability by energy-efficient conversion to liquid hydrocarbons and functional chemical raw materials. 

SCHLEICHER, R.W., LEWIS, A.CJR., Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Heat Source for Coal Conversion, (TCM, Oarai, 1992), High Temperature Applications of Nuclear Energy, Report IAEA-TECDOC-761, International Atomic Energy Agency, enna (1994) 69-75. 

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