COAL

Definition

Coal is a combustible fossil fuel sedimentary rock composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons.

Sedimentary rock

A rock that is formed by sedimentation of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution. Particles that form a sedimentary rock by accumulating are called sediment

Over time, layers of dead plants were covered by layers of water and dirt, trapping the energy of the dead plants. The heat and pressure from the top layers turned the plant remains into coal.

Coal Energy

The energy in coal comes from the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.

Advantages of Coal

Easily combustible, produces high energy upon combustion helping in locomotion and in the generation of electricity and various other forms of energy. Widely and easily distributed all over the world.

Advantages of Coal

Comparatively inexpensive due to large reserves and easy accessibility Very large amounts of electricity can be generated in one place using coal, fairly cheaply. Good availability

It is relatively easy to transport. The oil and gas transportation needs to setup highpressure pipelines and back them with necessary security cover. Most of the coal mining regions are well connected to the industrial belts by a rail network, which is again the one of the cheapest mode of transportation available.

Inexpensive energy source, Various attributes such as abundant availability, easy transportation, easy processing etc make it one of the most inexpensive source of energy in the world.

Disadvantages of Coal

it is Nonrenewable and fast depleting. One of the biggest disadvantage of coal is air pollution. Numerous harmful gases, including carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ash, are released. In fact, it tends to emit twice as much CO2 than the other fossil fuels. Coal storage cost is high especially if required to have enough stock for few years to assure power production availability.

Coal power puts the lives of the people who dig the coal in danger, and it gives them poor lung quality.

Coal-fired power plants emit mercury, selenium, and arsenic which are harmful to
human health and the environment

A coal plant generates about 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year, this is one of the main causes of global warming. A single coal plant creates 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain that damages forests, lakes, and buildings.

Types of Coal

Coal is a complex resource and can vary in composition even within the same deposit. Generally, there are five different types or ranking levels of coal, each with differences in energy output as a result of increased pressurization, heat, and time.

Types of Coal

Peat Lignite Sub bituminous coal Bituminous coal Anthracite

Peat

It is initial stage of Coal formation. A soft brown mass of compressed, partially decomposed vegetation that forms in a water-saturated environment and has a carbon content of . Dried peat can be burned as fuel

Lignite

Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is brownish-black in color. It has a carbon contents of around 25-35%, a high inherent moisture content sometimes as high as 66%, and an ash content ranging from 6% to 19%. It is considered an immature coal that is still soft.

The energy content of lignite ranges from 10 to 20 MJ/kg on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis. Lignite has a high content of volatile matter which makes it easier to convert into gas and liquid petroleum products than higher ranking coals.

It is used for generating electricity. Its high moisture content and susceptibility to spontaneous combustion can cause problems in transportation and storage.

Sub bituminous coal

This is a dull black coal with a higher heating value than lignite, and is used principally for electricity and space heating. It has 35-45 percent carbon contents.

The heat content of sub-bituminous coals range from 19,306 to 26,749 kJ/kg. used primarily as fuel for steam-electric power generation.

Bituminous coal

Bituminous Coal or Black Coal is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than anthracite coal. The carbon content of bituminous coal is around 60-80%; the rest is composed of water, air, hydrogen, and sulfur.

The heat content of bituminous coal ranges from (24 to 35 MJ/kg) on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis. Bituminous coal is used primarily to generate electricity and make coke for the steel industry.

Anthracite

Also known as "hard coal" that was formed from bituminous coal under increased. It is very hard and shiny. This type of coal is the most compact and therefore, has the highest energy content of the five levels of coal. It is used for space heating and generating electricity.

Anthracite is coal has the highest carbon contents, between 86 and 98 percent The heat content of anthracite ranges from 26 to 33 MJ/kg on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis.

Physical Properties of Coal

Moister Contents Volatile Matter Ash Fixed Carbon Heating Value

Moisture Contents

Moisture is an important property of coal. Moisture is basically water contents inside the coal. %ge of moisture in coal is (0.5 10%) Reduces heating value of fuel

Types of Moisture

Moisture may occur in following possible forms within coal: Surface moisture: water held on the surface of coal particles. Hydroscopic moisture: water held by capillary action within the microfracture of the coal Decomposition moisture: water held within the coal's decomposed organic compounds

Volatile matter

Volatile matter in coal refers to the components of coal, except for moisture, which are liberated at high temperature in the absence of air. This is usually a mixture of short and long chain hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and some sulfur.

Volatile matter

Examples of volatile matters are the methane, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, incombustible gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen found in coal. The percentage of volatile matter is usually 25-35% Importance: High volatile matter content indicates easy ignition of fuel.

Ash

Ash is an impurity that will not burn. Typical range is 5% to 40% The ash content is important in the design of the furnace, combustion volume, pollution control equipment and ash handling systems of a furnace.

Fixed Carbon

Fixed carbon is the solid fuel left in the furnace after volatile matter is distilled off. It consists mostly of carbon but also contains some hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur and nitrogen not driven off with the gases. Fixed carbon gives a rough estimate of the heating value of coal.

Fixed Carbon

Fixed carbon = 100 (moisture + volatile matter + ash)

Importance: Fixed carbon acts as heat generator during burning

Heating Value

The heating value or calorific value of a substance, usually a fuel is the amount of heat released during the combustion of a specified amount of it. The heat of combustion for fuels is expressed as the HHV and LHV,

Higher Heating Value

Amount of heat released when a unit amount of fuel at a given initial temperature (usually 20 C or 25 C) is completely combusted at stoichiometric conditions and constant pressure with the combustion products being cooled to the initial temperature and any water vapor produced being condensed.

Condensing any water vapor produced during determination of the HHV means that the HHV includes the heat of vaporization

Stoichiometric combustion means that the combustion products do not contain any oxygen (i.e., there was no excess of combustion air during the combustion).

lower heating value

lower heating value is determined by subtracting the heat of vaporization of the water vapor from the higher heating value. This treats any H2O formed as a vapor. The energy required to vaporize the water therefore is not realized as heat.

Expressions of heating values

As Received (AR): Indicates the the fuel heating value was measured with all inherent moisture and ash forming minerals present. Moisture Free (MF) or Dry: Indicates that the fuel heating value was measured after the fuel has been dried of all inherent moisture but still retained its ash forming minerals. Moisture and Ash Free (MAF) or Dry and Ash Free (DAF): Indicates that the fuel heating value has been measured in the absence of both inherent moisture and ash forming minerals.