Fossil fuels definition

Physical Properties. Physical properties of waste as fuels are defined in accordance with the specific materials under consideration. The greatest degree of definition exists for wood and related biofuels. The least degree of definition exists for MSW, related RDF products, and the broad array of ha2ardous wastes. Table 3 compares the physical property data of some representative combustible wastes with the traditional fossil fuel bituminous coal. The soHd organic wastes typically have specific gravities or bulk densities much lower than those associated with coal and lignite. 

Prior to the discovery of plentihil suppHes of natural gas, and depending on the definition of the resources (1), there were plans to accommodate any shortfalls in gas supply from soHd fossil fuels and from gaseous resources by the conversion of hydrocarbon (petroleum) Hquids to lower molecular weight gaseous products. 

The assessment and quantification of the remaining reserves and resources of fossil fuels is a very complex and broad field, characterised by a lack of internationally harmonised definitions and standards, great data uncertainties and discrepancies and, consequently, the potential danger of data abuse for political purposes. Within the scope of this publication, only an overview of the range of the currently available estimates of fossil resources is provided and the focus is rather on the general discussion of potential sources of uncertainty, than on a detailed assessment of the different methodological and statistical approaches and discrepancies at country or even field level. 

Nowhere is the effect of anthropogenic stress felt more than in the development of natural resources of the Earth. Natural resources are varied in nature and often require definition. Eor example, in relation to mineral resources, for which there is also descriptive nomenclature (ASTM C294), the terms related to the available quantities of the resource must be defined. In this instance, the term resource refers to the total amount of the mineral that has been estimated to be available ultimately. The term reserves refers to well-identified resources that can profitably be extracted and utilized by means of existing technology. In many countries, fossil fuel resources are often classified as a subgroup of the total mineral resources. 

Figure 13.4b emphasizes the finite nature and strong irreversibility of an economic system. The stock of energy and resources will eventually run out and so will the absorptive capacity of the environment for waste. An obvious extension of Figure 13.4b, therefore, is the one represented by Figure 13.4c. Just like in nature, waste has to be recycled. In nature, there is no real waste. Every form of waste is a resource for a living system. This living system is very small and called a microbe. Microbes make sure that all matter recycles in nature. Man needs to assume this humble but valuable and important role of microbes in the economic system and make sure that the material cycles get closed. Therefore, energy (or rather work) is required. But obviously this work should not be supplied from a nonrenewable source, like fossil fuels, but rather from a renewable source like the sun. Figure 13.4c therefore seems to be characteristic for a sustainable economic system and agrees remarkably with the definition of sustainability from biological systems A...

Fossil fuel, like oil, coal, and gas, which takes care of more than 90% of industry s energy needs, is not renewable on this time scale, at least if we adhere to the definition that a fuel is not renewable when its consumption rate exceeds its production rate. With fossil fuel so prominent in our industrial society, let us make a thermodynamic analysis of a fossil-fueled power station. 

In order to make a transition to a sustainable society, initially, fossil fuels will play an important role. Fossil fuels will be expended in building the first fully sustainable chemical and energy plants (as per the definitions in this book). In the short term, hybrid technologies may be popular, which mark the transition from the "fossil period" to the "solar period," which could be the final sustainable society. Undoubtedly, natural gas will become important in the short term. 

However, despite all the stress around the development of new alternatives to fossil fuels, the world is not at all running out of oil. In fact, and in parallel to the sustainability dilemma, we are confronted with the challenge of economic definitions and harmonization of concepts given the uncertainty that surrounds the definition of remaining reserves , reinforced by the lack of data to support better estimations. Consequently, as observed by Mitchell et al. (2001) there is a definitional problem since remaining reserves means the quantity of in-place resources that can be recovered economically, and this is far from a consensus around the world. 

At the beginning, the book includes definitions, technical overview and economic evaluation of conventional fossil fuel and Renewable Energy-based autonomous power systems, which are currently in operation all over the world. The most common autonomous power systems configurations are being described and all technical, financial and environmental problems associated with such systems are also presented. 

The storage of methane as hydrates offers a potentially vast natural gas resource. As to the question of how much hydrate there is right now, there is no definitive answer. However, the worldwide amount of carbon bound in gas hydrates has been estimated to total twice the amount of carbon to be found in all known fossil fuels originally on Earth. Additionally, conventional gas resources appear to be trapped beneath methane hydrate layers in ocean sediments.22... 

---