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Coal Notes

Coal Notes. What is Coal?. Formed from decomposed vegetation, which is turned into solid brittle rock when it is compressed over a long period of time. 5-10 ft of decomposed material makes about 1 ft of coal The most abundant fossil fuel

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Coal Notes

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  1. Coal Notes

  2. What is Coal? • Formed from decomposed vegetation, which is turned into solid brittle rock when it is compressed over a long period of time. • 5-10 ft of decomposed material makes about 1 ft of coal • The most abundant fossil fuel • Less than half the price per million BTU than oil and natural gas.

  3. Coal Fast Facts • 1 lb. of coal can power 10-100 watt light bulbs for an hour • Should last for about 250 years at the current rate of use • Use decreased during the 40’s and 50’s because oil and gas were easier to use • Use has been increasing since the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973

  4. Oil Embargo- 1973-74 News Cast

  5. Coal Fast Facts Con’t • It is now used mainly for the generation of electricity • In 1997 it was responsible for 31% of the nation’s energy consumption • Mostly transported by train or barge • China is the major producer and the U.S. is second

  6. Take out your notes… Try to draw a diagram of what a coal powerplant looks like…

  7. How Coal Generates Electricity Coal Factory Animation

  8. Problems with Coal

  9. Problems with Coal… • Contains sulfur causing air pollution when burned. • Makes acid rain! • High amounts of air pollution (CO2 and SO2) are given off by coal power plants. • Causes more air pollution when burned than any other fossil fuel

  10. In your books (pg 436) describe each of the following… Peat Lignite Subbituminous Bituminous Anthracite Coke (on back of notes sheet)

  11. Coal Mining • Underground mining: • dangerous, collapsed mines, fires, gas explosions, and black lung (lungs are coated in coal dust) • Strip Mining - the overlying layer of rock is stripped to get to the coal from the surface. • this is cheaper, safer, and yields 3x’s more coal than underground mining

  12. Centrailia and an Explosion Centralia Video Mine Explosion Video

  13. Problems with Strip Mining • Less than one-half of the mines have been reclaimed… • restored to their natural state • Acid Mine Drainage is when water reacts with mineral in the open mine forming highly acidic water pollution the environment killing aquatic organisms and waterfowl

  14. Solutions to Coal Use • Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires that mined land be restored to its primary use (forest, field, etc.) • Clean Air Act of 1990 forces companies to reduce the emissions (release) of SO2 and NO2 when burning coal • More coal in this country is coming from the mid-west instead of the east because it contains less sulfur • New technologies are being invented to reduce air pollutants from coal (scrubber - sprays the gas with lime or calcium water binding the SO2, causing it to settle out – expensive process to install) • ***Using natural gas is cleaner because it releases one-half the CO2 and SO2 of coal

  15. Reclamation

  16. Synthetic Fuels • Fuels produced by chemically changing fossil fuels like coal. They are cleaner burning • In your books, pg 446, find the notes for… • Liquid Coal • Coal Gas • Oil Shale

  17. Fracking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pCvdOg0Cec&feature=fvst

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