Energy Kids - Coal. File Scrub 1 ::::: EE ... coal_home-basics Coal Basics Coal takes millions of years to create Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons.
It is the most abundant fossil fuel produced in the United States. Coal is a nonrenewable energy source because it takes millions of years to create. For millions of years, a layer of dead plants at the bottom of the swamps was covered by layers of water and dirt, trapping the energy of the dead plants. Types of coal Coal is classified into four main types, or ranks (anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite), depending on the amounts and types of carbon it contains and on the amount of heat energy it can produce. Anthracite contains 86-97% carbon, and generally has a heating value slightly higher than bituminous coal. Coal reserves, coal exploration. It has been estimated that there are over 861 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves worldwide.
This means that there is enough coal to last us around 112 years at current rates of production. In contrast, proven oil and gas reserves are equivalent to around 46 and 54 years at current production levels. Coal reserves are available in almost every country worldwide, with recoverable reserves in around 70 countries. The biggest reserves are in the USA, Russia, China and India. After centuries of mineral exploration, the location, size and characteristics of most countries' coal resources are quite well known. Definitions Over recent years there has been a fall in the reserves to production (RP) ratio, which has prompted questions over whether we have reached 'peak coal'. Exploration activity is typically carried out by mining companies with short planning horizons rather than state-funded geological surveys. Energy and kids. How we get coal Mining the Coal Coal miners use giant machines to remove coal from the ground.
They use two methods: surface or underground mining. Many U.S. coal beds are very near the ground's surface, and about two-thirds of coal production comes from surface mines. Modern mining methods allow us to easily reach most of our coal reserves. Due to growth in surface mining and improved mining technology, the amount of coal produced by one miner in one hour has more than tripled since 1978. Fossil Fuels » Explore More: The Future of Energy. Fossil fuels are energy resources that come from the remains of plants and animals.
These remains are millions of years old. There are three fossil fuels: petroleum oil, natural gas, and coal. Fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas, provide the energy that powers our lifestyles and our economy. Fossil fuels power everything from the planes in the sky to the cars on the road. They heat our homes and light up the night. Uses Providing Electricity One of the main uses of fossil fuels it to generate electricity. Fueling Transportation. Explore More - Energy - Feature - Clean Coal.
Coal, like other fossil fuels, powers our economy and our lifestyle.
Coal is cheap and abundant, which means its power is too. The downside of coal use is the environmental impact. Like other fossil fuels, coal is blamed for emissions that contribute to global warming and for producing acid rain. A major benefit of coal is that the United States has extensive deposits, which means we don’t have to rely on imports from foreign sources. In order to keep this "local" resource in the energy mix for the future, the government began looking for ways to overcome coal’s environmental problems. Technologies in use that resulted from the original program: In 2001, the Bush Administration proposed the Clean Coal Power Initiative as part of its overall Energy Policy.
Fossil Fuels. Fossil fuels: Energy from fossilised organic materials Custom Search How it works: Coal is crushed to a fine dust and burnt.
Oil and gas can be burnt directly. The main bit to remember: More: More details on 'clean coal technology' from BBC News web site... Other fossil fuels are being investigated, such as bituminous sands and oil shale. As far as we know, there is still a lot of oil in the ground. Find out more at www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/canada.html Disadvantages.