INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY SYSTEMS (ELE 210 ) Lecture 03 (Nonrenewable Energy)

INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY SYSTEMS (ELE 210 ) Lecture 03 (Nonrenewable Energy)

COAL, PETROLEUM, AND GAS Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered nonrenewable because they can not be replenished in a short period of time. These are called fossil fuels.

HOW IS COAL MADE???

TYPES OF COAL Coal is classified into four main types, or ranks: anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite. The ranking depends on the types and amounts of carbon the coal contains and on the amount of heat energy the coal can produce. The rank of a coal deposit is determined by the amount of pressure and heat that acted on the plants over time.

TYPES OF COAL Anthracite contains 86% 97% carbon, and generally has the highest heating value of all ranks of coal. Anthracite accounted for less than 1% of the coal mined in the United States in 2015. All of the anthracite mines in the United States are in northeastern Pennsylvania. Anthracite is mainly used by the metals industry.

TYPES OF COAL Bituminous coal contains 45% 86% carbon. Bituminous coal in the United States is between 100 and 300 million years old. Bituminous coal is the most abundant rank of coal found in the United States, and it accounted for 45% of total U.S. coal production in 2015. Bituminous coal is used to generate electricity and is an important fuel and raw material for making iron and steel. West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Indiana were the five main bituminous coalproducing states in 2015, accounting for 73% of total bituminous production.

TYPES OF COAL Subbituminous coal typically contains 35% 45% carbon, and it has a lower heating value than bituminous coal. Most subbituminous coal in the United States is at least 100 million years old. About 47% of total U.S. coal production in 2015 was subbituminous and nearly 90% was produced in Wyoming.

TYPES OF COAL Lignite contains 25% 35% carbon and has the lowest energy content of all coal ranks. Lignite coal deposits tend to be relatively young and were not subjected to extreme heat or pressure. Lignite is crumbly and has high moisture content, which contributes to its low heating value. Lignite accounted for 8% of total U.S. coal production in 2015. About 90% of total lignite production is mined in Texas and North Dakota in 2015, where it is mostly used to generate electricity. A facility in North Dakota also converts lignite to synthetic natural gas and pipes it to natural gas consumers in the eastern United States.

COAL: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Coal is a nonrenewable resource. Coal is cheap to mine and will be available for 225 more years at today s rate of use. Mining can destroy land and pollute the air. Burning coal gives off carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and mercury. The use of coal contributes to acid rain levels; mercury kills fish and the animals that eat them. Scientists are working on removing some harmful parts of coal.

HOW ARE OIL AND GAS MADE???

OIL: EXPLANATION AND USAGES Oil, much like coal, is a liquid found deep underground that is made of decomposed organic matter. Oil is the most used source of energy in the U.S.; it accounts for almost 40% of the nation s energy. It can be refined into gasoline, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas (like propane), diesel, and jet fuels. Oil is mostly burned for transportation or home heating, but some is used as fuel in electricity-generating plants.

OIL: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Burning oil produces much air pollution, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, carbon dioxide, methane, mercury, and volatile organic compounds. Oil-fired steam plants use significant amounts of water to generate electricity. Oil wastes are toxic and hazardous. Drilling produces air pollutants, toxic waste, and destroys huge habitats. Refineries pollute the air, water, and land. Oil transportation accidents can kill thousands of birds, fish, plants, wildlife, etc.

WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COAL AND OIL/GAS?

HMMMM... If nonrenewable resources are resources that cannot be re-made at a scale comparable to its consumption, what are renewable resources?

RENEWABLE RESOURCES Renewable resources are natural resources that can be replenished in a short period of time. Solar Geothermal Wind Biomass Water

SOLAR Energy from the sun. Why is energy from the sun renewable?

GEOTHERMAL Energy from Earth s heat. Why is energy from the heat of the Earth renewable?

WIND Energy from the wind. Why is energy from the wind renewable?

BIOMASS Energy from burning organic or living matter. Why is energy from biomass renewable?

WATER OR HYDROELECTRIC Energy from the flow of water. Why is energy of flowing water renewable?

SUMMARY What are the differences between nonrenewable and renewable resources?