Chapter 15Nonrenewable Energy:Coal

Objective:Evaluate the use of coal as an energy resource.

Fig. 16-2, p. 357Oil and natural gasFloating oil drilling platformOil storageCoalContour strip miningOil drilling platform on legsGeothermal energyHot water storageOil wellPipelineGeothermal power plantGas wellValvesMined coalPumpArea strip miningDrilling towerPipelineImpervious rockUnderground coal mineNatural gasWaterOilWater is heated and brought up as dry steam or wet steamWaterCoal seamHot rockWater penetrates down through the rockMagma

COALBuried remains of ancient land plants.Types

Waste heatCoal bunkerTurbineCooling tower transfers waste heat to atmosphereGeneratorCooling loopStackPulverizing millCondenserFilterBoilerToxic ash disposalCoal as an energy resource

ReservesCoal reserves in the United States, Russia, and China could last hundreds to over a thousand years.U.S.-27%; Russia-17%; China-13%2005, China + U.S. = 53% global coal consumption.

Trade - OffsAbundantNot versatileGinormus environmental impact (mining)CO2, S, N, and Hg

Clean CoalDec. 2008, TNCoal sludge retention pond burst

Coal SynfuelNatural gas (SNG or syngas) and liquid.CleanerCosts are highAdded CO2

Forgive us our synsCO2 not regulatedCostsU.S. unlikely

How Would You Vote?Should coal use be phased out over the next 20 years?a. No. Coal is an abundant energy source and we should continue to develop clean ways to use it.b. Yes. Mining and combusting coal create serious environmental impacts.

Objective:Evaluate the use of coal as an energy resource.

Figure 16.2Natural capital: important nonrenewable energy resources that can be removed from the earths crust are coal, oil, natural gas, and some forms of geothermal energy. Nonrenewable uranium ore is also extracted from the earths crust and processed to increase its concentration of uranium-235, which can serve as a fuel in nuclear reactors to produce electricity.Figure 16.13Science: Coal-burning power plant. Heat produced by burning pulverized coal in a furnace boils water to produce steam that spins a turbine to produce electricity. The steam is cooled, condensed, and returned to the furnace for reuse. A large cooling tower transfers waste heat to the troposphere. The largest coal-burning power plant in the United States in Indiana burns 23 metric tons (25 tons) of coal per minute or three 100-car trainloads of coal per day and produces 50% more electric power than the Hoover Dam. QUESTION: Is there a coal-burning power plant near where you live or go to school?