Coal
Coal is a rock formed from the decomposition
of plant life. It is primarily composed of
carbon, with many other trace elements, Coal's
high energy density and extensive reserves
found in nature make it useful as a fuel for
electricity generation in coal-fired power
plants, and in some places, heating. 21
Coal is considered low-cost in that to build a
coal fired power plant, extract coal from the
ground and to burn it does not cost a company
as much as other fuel processes (because of the
externalities that it ignores). Coal is also
plentiful; there is a large reserve globally. This,
has lead to the people burning a lot of coal for
centuries, which we continue to do today.
Coal formation began several hundred million
years ago (check out chronozoom) under
environmental conditions vastly different than Figure 1. A lump of anthracite, the highest grade of coal.
the ones present today. Acidic waters slowed
the decay of organic matter and allowed this
dead organic matter, mainly plankton, to accumulate in layers. The old material was then pushed deep into the
ground while being covered with sediment and eventually formed into a crumbly brown material referred to as
peat.|3) This peat contains some of the energy that was generated by photosynthesis when the plants were alive.{4]
Geological processes buried this peat further, the high pressures and temperatures caused material to lose much of
its hydrogen and oxygen atoms, resulting in a carbon rich material referred to as coal, Major types of coal include
anthracite, lignite, sub-bituminous and bituminous coal.*] The type of coal is a function of where it is formed and
how far evolved itis, anthracite and bituminous coal are the most developed types of coal and are therefore almost
entirely composed of carbon,
Coal History
Coal has been used as an energy source for nearly 2000 years. For example, coal was widely used for home heating
in early 17th century England. But the Industrial Revolution dramatically increased the demand for coal.
Specifically, James Watt's improvements to the steam engine made coal useful for doing work. By the 1830's coal
mining was a booming industry in the eastern United States with coal supplied for industry and steam locomotives
‘on newly developed rail roads.!* In 2010 coal accounted for 9.2% of Canada's primary energy production. Coal in
the modem world is the most widely used and abundant fossil fuel. Coal exhibits a 109 year reserve to production
ratio (as of 2012).(61 The total amount of coal reserves is approximately 10! tonnes, the United States is home to
the largest individual coal reserves.(6)
Energy Content
The ultimate energy source of coal is the sun because the energy stored within dead plant matter is what yields
coal.4] Coal is burned in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. This increased temperature allows a chemical
reaction between the fuel (carbon in the coal) and the oxygen in the atmosphere to occur which forms Carbon
dioxide (CO). Since coal also contains hydrogen atoms the combustion will form some water vapour as a product,
(110). The production of CO» is leading to climate change, however it is the production of CO, that makes coal
such a useful fuel. CO2 represents the lowest possible energy state of a carbon atom in Earth's oxygen containing
atmosphere, therefore the transition from the fuel (carbon in coal) and atmospheric oxygen into CO allows for the
maximal amount of energy to be extracted from the fuel. The energy content of coal varies along with its maturity
(older is better), as seen in the table below anthracite has the highest energy content of all the coal types.
Type of coal Energy content (MJ/Kg)!*)
Anthracite —_31.38-36.261
Bituminous _ 25.569 - 34.867
Sub-bituminous 19.293 - 30.218Lignite 12.784 - 19.293
Coal mining
main article
= Strip mining: This method allows for the extraction of 60% of the worlds coal in the present time. A thin
upper layer of rock (usually just a few 10's of meters) is removed to expose coal reservoirs 50-100 meters
thick, These reservoirs of coal are referred to as coal seams. One of the world’s largest coal seams is in
Wyoming, in the Powder River Basin.
+ Mountain top mining: This method is used in the Appalachian mountains of the eastern United States, The
top 1000 or so feet of a coal containing mountain is removed via explosives to expose coal reservoirs 50-100
meters thick. Once the coal is extracted the excess rubble is deposited in nearby valleys,
Coal mining presents serious health risks to the miners directly involved. These risks include black Iung and coal
worker's pneumoconiosis disease, which are caused by long term exposure to coal dust. Aside from human health
effects, coal mining presents serious consequences for the environment. The burial of streams, alterations to natural
water flows, water pollution, additional erosion, and acid run-offs to surface waters are just some of the potential
effects. In 1977 the United States Surface mining control and reclamation act was put into action, it mandates that
strip mined land must be returned to it's original biotic productivity.
Emissions
main article
Like all fossil fucls, coal emits carbon dioxide when it is burned. In fact, coal is responsible for more historical
emissions of carbon dioxide than any other fuel. Additionally, most coal also contains large amounts of other
elements, like sulfur, mercury, and sometimes lithium.!7] Burning coal also causes the formation of both NOx and
SOx.
Interactive Graph for coal use
References
1. Wikimedia Commons. (May 13, 2015). Anthracite Coal [Online]. Available:
http://commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File:Anthracite_Coal JPG
2. RH. Affolter, J.R. Hatch, (June 29, 2015). Geologic Overview [Online]. Available:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1625d/Chapter_C.pdf
3. Stephen Marshak. (June 29, 2015). Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 3rd ed. New York, NY, U.S.A:W.W. Norton &
‘Company, 2008
4. J. Kraushaar, R. Ristinen, (June 29, 2015).Energy and the Environment, 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ, U.S.A.: John
Wiley & Sons, 2006.
5, Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences. (June 29, 2015). Four Billion Years and Counting: Canada's
Geological Heritage, Ist ed. Toronto, ON, Canada.: Nimbus Publishing, 2014
6. G.Boyle, B.Everett, S.Peake, J.Ramage. (June 29, 2015). Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a
Sustainable Future, 2nd Ed. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012
7. Pollock, E. N.," Trace Impurities in Coal by Wet Chemical Methods," Advances in Chemistry, vol. 141, pp.
92-96, Sep. 1, 1975.
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Authors and Editors
Jordan Hanania, Braden Heffernan, James Jenden, Chau Le, Kailyn Stenhouse, Jasdeep Toor, Jason Donev