COAL+-+Claire

Coal is a type of sedimentary rock that can be used to produce electricity most commonly in its pulverized form. The coal powder being flammable is combusted in a large industrial furnace underlying a boiler. The carbon in the coal and the oxygen and the air produce carbon dioxide and heat. The heat created in the combustion converts the water to steam in the boiler under high pressure and temperature, which can then turn generators by being blown through turbines at high pressure; and generating electricity. The steam is then cooled and condensed to be pumped back into the boiler to repeat the process. An average coal power plant has a capacity of 500 MW. For this power plant to effectively produce electricity continuously, it will require around 2 million tons of coal annually. The oxygen needed for the coal to fully combust in the furnace, amounts to 1.6 million cubic meters and hour.

An example of an active power plant is the castle gate power plant in Utah. This power plants electricity is far lower than then world average with a capacity of only 190MW. It uses the very same basic furnaces and boilers described above. The table below gives an idea of the environmental effects your average coal power plant will have:-


 * Toxic release inventory (in [|pounds] ) [|[2]] from the Carbon Plant for 2002. [|[3]]  **||~ Pollutants released into: ||~ Air ||~ Water ([|Price River] ) ||~ Land ||~ Total on-site releases ||
 * [|Barium] compounds || 1,100 || 110 || 110,000 || 111,210 ||
 * [|Lead] compounds || 114.1 || 0 || 4,240.8 || 4,354.9 ||
 * [|Mercury] compounds || 41.9 || 0 || 14.5 || 56.4 ||
 * [|Hydrochloric acid] || 220,000 ||  ||   || 220,000 ||
 * [|Hydrogen fluoride] || 74,000 ||  ||   || 74,000 ||
 * ~ TOTAL ||~ 300,000 ||~ 110 ||~ 110,000 ||~ 410,000 ||

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_Power_Plant
There multiple different energy transfers in coal power plant. We start with raw, solid coal fuel. The chemical reaction of combustion leads to heat transfer from the hot combustion gases to the water boiler through radiation and convection. The turbines that are spun to turn the electrical generators with mechanical energy and finally will create potential electrical energy currents that produce some heat and are cooled by hydrogen and water.

On an a closer look at the environmental damage caused by using coal as a fuel, coal produces a full 54% of all electricity and is the one largest air polluter worldwide. It burning creates smog, soot and acid rain leading to both global warming and damage to the nature on earth. The ash, sludge, waste heat and other toxic waste chemicals lead to further environmental and health problems. Even supplying the fuel to the power plants is costing the planet through mining, transportation as well as storage. Lastly, they power plants take up a large amount of space and need billions of gallons of water to produce the steam and harm and contaminate wildlife. Being a fossil fuel, coal is a non-renewable resource and the mining and quarrying leaves ugly gashes in our wildlife.