Posts Tagged ‘carbon’
Posted in Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. When burned, it produces emissions that contribute to global warming, create acid rain and pollute water. With all of the hoopla surrounding nuclear energy, hydropower and biofuels, you might be forgiven for thinking that grimy coal is finally on its way out.
But coal is no sooty remnant of the Industrial Revolution — it generates half of the electricity in the United States and will likely continue to do so as long as it’s cheap and plentiful [source: Energy Information Administration]. Clean coal technology seeks to reduce harsh environmental effects by using multiple technologies to clean coal and contain its emissions.
Coal is a fossil fuel composed primarily of carbons and hydrocarbons. Its ingredients help make plastics, tar and fertilizers. A coal derivative, a solidified carbon called coke, melts iron ore and reduces it to create steel. But most coal — 92 percent of the U.S. supply — goes into power production [source: Energy Information Administration]. Electric companies and businesses with power plants burn coal to make the steam that turns turbines and generates electricity. Read the rest of this entry »
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The world has taken a step closer to “clean coal,” thanks to new technology that actually uses CO2 to make power generation more efficient.
The research by scientists at Columbia University means that millions of tons of CO2 could be prevented from entering the atmosphere and instead used to turn coal, biomass and municipal waste into cleaner fuel.
This remarkable double hit is based on a well-established process called “gasification” that is already used to clean “dirty” fuels by heating them with steam and turning them into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, known as syngas. In turn, that is then burned in power stations or used to create transport fuels.
But until now this process has demanded very large amounts of energy and water, and produced substantial CO2 emissions. Read the rest of this entry »
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Turning coal into gasoline-like fuel has several advantages. It would use America’s vast coal reserves. It would reduce the nation’s thirst for foreign oil and help dampen spikes in energy prices. There’s just one problem: It is not “climate friendly” – at least, not yet.
Coal-to-liquids (CTL) fuels could end up emitting nearly double the carbon dioxide that the equivalent amount of gasoline does, mostly because of the way it’s manufactured. The CTL industry says new technology will fix the problem. But because such technology is not yet developed, it’s unclear whether CTL fuels would be competitive without state and federal subsidies, even competing against high-priced diesel, jet fuel, or gasoline, analysts say.
That’s where politicians come in. The National Mining Association has ramped up Capitol Hill lobbying, creating a new coalition and website, futurecoalfuels.org. Many in Washington are warming to the idea. CTL bills in the House of Representatives and the Senate have received strong backing. Read the rest of this entry »
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The gas we use in our houses for heating and cooking may consist of gas manufactured from coal, natural gas, or a mixture of both. It may contain gas made from oil, too. There are several methods of manufacturing gas from coal. True coal gas, or coke-oven gas, is made by heating coal in an airtight oven. In this process called carbonization the coal changes into coke and gives off gas, together with ammonia, tar, and other impurities. Coolers and scrubbers remove impurities.
The coke produced in the ovens is used to make another kind of gas, called water gas, or blue gas. This is made by passing superheated (very hot) steam over white-hot coke. Carbureted water gas is blue gas which has been enriched by gases obtained by cracking, or breaking down oil by heating.
A further way of making gas from coal is called the Lurgi process. In this method, low-grade coal is heated very slowly under pressure. A mixture of steam and oxygen passing through the hot coal converts it into gas.
Each manufactured gas contains several inflammable gases. Coke-oven gas contains hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. Water gas contains only carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Oil gas enriches water gas by adding methane and other hydrocarbons which have a high heat value. The Lurgi process also produces hydrocarbons.
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