Fossil Fuel Power ProductionKaitlyn Loop, Kristina Cana, and Tiffany MaIB Physics22 April 2015

Definition

Fossil fuels: underground deposits of organic material that over millions of years have decomposed into a combustible fuel with high energy density

Types of Fossil Fuels

Coal: formed from dead plants

Oil and Natural Gas: formed from deceased marine organisms

History

Industrial Revolution in Western Europe

large-scale manufacturing

industry

factories required

energy to run

as factories grew, rate of

energy consumption

increased

turned to fossil fuels for use in

trains, factories, and

agriculture

cities began to grow around sources of fossil fuels

caused economic and

population growth

Energy Density of Fossil Fuels Types of Fossil Fuels Energy Density By

Mass (MJ/kg)

Coal, anthracite 31.4

Diesel 45.3

Gasoline, automotive 45.8

Gasoline, aviation 43.1

Kerosene 46.3

Oil, crude(petroleum) 41.9

Oil, heating 42.5

From the diagram above we can see that the world's energy consumption is heavily depended upon oil, coal and gas which are all fossil fuels. Over the last 40 years the consumption of fossil fuels has been continuously increasing. Between 1980 and 2004, the worldwide annual growth rate was 2%.

Demands of Power StationsFossil-fuel Power PlantA fossil-fuel power plant is a power plant that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum (oil) to produce electricity.The main systems are the steam cycle and the gas turbine cycle.

Coal-fired Power PlantA typical (500 megawatt) coal plant burns 1.4 million tons of coal each year. There are about 600 U.S. coal plants. Coal supplies about 28% of our electricity.

Oil-fired Power PlantEach year, 120,000 tons of crude oil are burned by a oil plant to generate 100 MW of electricity. Gas-Oil Fired Steam Boilers

The world has more than

2000 fossil fuel power plants. Annually, the

world consumes more than

4,500,000,000 ton of coal and

85,000,000 barrels of oil

per day.

Advantages and Disadvantages Associated with the Transportation and Storage of Fossil Fuels

OIL

Advantages Disadvantages

Maritime Transportation

● The majority of oil transported by maritime means reaches their destination. 2000 to 2004, according to the accident statistics of ITOPF (International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation) almost 99.99998% of oil transported arrived at its destination without any problem

● greater flexibility

● Possibilities of oil spills and discharging of polluting products such as the residue from tank and bilge cleaning

Land Transportation

● Normally there are no serious oil spillages. In fact, as soon as the pipeline is damaged by accident or sabotage, pumping is stopped and pollution remains limited.

● Oil is always corrosive to a greater or lesser extent, because it contains acidic gases. The pipes deteriorate from the inside and if they are not changed in time, they finish by leaking. This problem exists for example in certain areas in Siberia.

Storage in Tanks (Petroleum storage tanks/ oil depots)

● Usually situated close to oil refineries or in locations where marine tankers containing products can discharge their cargo.

COAL

Advantages Disadvantages

Railroads

● relatively trouble-free operation with minimum maintenance,● the large-volume shipments that are possible● the high mechanical efficiencies that are obtained with low rolling resistances

● Roadbed and track requirements and large fixed investment in railcars make rail transport capital-intensive

On-highway trucks

● can negotiate more severe grades and curves ● roads can be resurfaced or constructed more readily and with far lower capital

investments than can railways

Barges

● transport of coal on barges is highly cost-efficient. ● Waterways are usually circuitous, resulting in slow delivery times

Conveyors

● Conveyors can traverse difficult terrain with greater ease than trucks or rail systems, and they can also be extended easily and have the advantage of continuous transport.

● Conveyors with wide belts and high operating speeds can have enormous capacities, varying from 2,000 to 5,000 tons per hour.

Coal Storage

● Taller and wider stockpiles reduce the land area required to store a set tonnage of coal

● Larger coal stockpiles have a reduced rate of heat lost, leading to a higher risk of spontaneous combustion

NATURAL GAS

Advantages Disadvantages

Gas Pipelines

● Transportation by gas pipelines are less costly ● the construction of gas pipelines is technically impossible or too expensive, for example to bring Nigerian gas to Europe

Storage through Depleted Gas Reservoir

● relatively close to gas markets and to transportation infrastructure (pipelines and distribution systems)

Storage through Salt Formation

● Salt caverns allow very little of the injected natural gas to escape from storage unless specifically extracted.

● walls of a salt cavern are strong and impervious to gas over the lifespan of the storage facility

● cannot hold the large volumes of gas necessary to meet base load storage requirements

● costly when measured on dollars per thousand cubic feet of working gas

Storage through Aquifer Reservoir

● Geological and physical characteristics of aquifer formation are not known ahead of time so a significant investment has to go into investigating and evaluating the aquifer’s suitability for natural gas storage.

● If the aquifer is suitable, all of the associated infrastructure must be developed from scratch

Efficiency of Power Stations Fuelled by Different Fossil Fuels

● Efficiency is determined by fuel type, the load factor, and employed technology

● Natural gas power stations are the most efficient o Convert approximately ½ of the chemical energy

in gas to electricity

Environmental Problems Associated with the Recovery of Fossil fuels and their use in Power Stations

Problems with fossil fuels in plant stations: ● Pollution ● Release of carbon monoxide is poisonous

Problems with retrieval of fossil fuels: ● Environmental impacts ● Pollute the air and water ● Spills

Environmental Problems Associated with the Recovery of Fossil fuels and their use in Power Stations

Cons of underground mines● More dangerous and more expensive ● Particulate matter has to be pumped to the

surface ● Cave-ins in discontinued mines have

caused hazards to land and surface structures above the mines

Cons of strip mines ● Sulfur deposits form acid ● Topsoil is removed ● Water erosion

Coal can be obtained through underground mines or strip mines

Cons of crude oil and natural gas● Expensive compared to coal mining

o Geographical miningo Geochemical surveys o Drill prospecting o Offshore engineering

● Oil blowouts

Environmental Problems Associated with the Recovery of Fossil fuels and their use in Power Stations

Activity: Oil Seeps● Oil Seeps: natural oozing of oil and gasoline through cracks in the land● Petroleum and natural gas rise through the water● People used to believe that oil and gas purified the air● In Santa Barbara it is estimated that 130-150 barrels of oil seep to the

surface a day● Tents are built to capture the seeps, but still haven’t solved the problem

completely