Fossil fuels
-
Upload
steffany-anne-lim -
Category
Documents
-
view
1.223 -
download
0
Transcript of Fossil fuels
Fossil FuelsCoal and Crude Oil
CoalMade up of carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, nitrogen and sulfurConsidered as a dirty form of
fossil fuelCan be extracted by shaft
mining(underground), or open pit mining(ground level)
Combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock
Hilt’s LawHilt’s Law is a geological term
that states that, in a small area, the deeper the coal, the higher its rank (grade). The law holds true if the thermal gradient is entirely vertical, but metamorphism may cause lateral changes of rank, irrespective of depth.
TypesPeatLigniteSub-bituminous coalBituminous coalAnthraciteGraphite
Advantages and Disadvantages of Coal
AdvantagesEasily combustible, and burns in
low temperaturesWidely and easily distributed all
over the worldComparatively inexpensive to
buy on the open marketGood availability for much of the
world (coal is found in many more places than other fossil fuels)
AdvantagesMost coal is easy to mine –
making it the least expensive fossil fuel to obtain
A fossil-fuelled power station can be built almost anywhere
DisadvantagesLowest energy density of any
fossil fuelHigh coal transportation costs
due to the bulk of coalCoal dust is an extreme explosion
hazardBurning fossil fuels releases
carbon dioxideIt leaves behind harmful by-
products upon combustion
DisadvantagesMining coal leads to irreversible
damage to the adjoining environment
Prices for al fossil fuels are risingBurning of coal releases oxides of
sulfur and other volatile substances to the atmosphere.◦This can affect our health and miners
are exposed to hazardous chemicals that may cause black lung disease.
Crude OilA.k.a. PetroleumNatural occurring flammable liquidProduct of the remains of marine
plants and animals that lived million years ago
Highly complex mixture of hydrocarbon compounds and minor amounts of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur
Recovered usually using oil drilling
Advantages and Disadvantages of Petroleum
AdvantagesCan withstand high heats without
breakdown making it useful as lubricants
Highly compact portable source of energy used for most forms of mechanical transportation
Production of oil has much less impact and a smaller carbon footprint on earth than coal from strip mining
AdvantagesCertain components make
excellent solvents for paintOther components make
excellent compact source of portable cooking fuel
DisadvantagesMuch of the remaining oil in the
world is in politically unstable areas including Africa, Middle East, Russia, and parts of Southeast Asia.
Easily vaporizable components of oil can contribute to smog.
Drilling for oil is getting more difficult and expensive because we are now drilling as deep or deeper than 20,000 feet to find new reserves.
Disadvantages Oil does contain some cancer
causing compounds, benzene is one of those
Our consumption of oil is increasing at the same time our production is falling. The world is currently consuming 83 million barrels of oil per day. We aren't producing that much
Products derived from Crude Oil
Asphalt(a residue)
Lubricating oilParaffin waxDiesel fuelKeroseneGasolineGas
NylonStockingsEnamel paintDetergentPlasticsSynthetic
rubberPhotographic
film
Bad NewsCoal will eventually run out and
can’t be recycledWe are running out of petroleum.
Estimates vary from 50 to 150 years before we run out of oil. ◦This is impossible to predict, but
most major oil companies have been failing to discover new reserves equal to the amount of oil they are producing for the last few years.
QUESTIONS
1. What is coal made out of?2-3. Give the two ways of mining coal4. Give one advantage of coal5. Give one disadvantage of coal6. What is Petroleum also known as?7. How can you usually recover Petroleum?8-9. Give two advantages of Petroleum10. Give one disadvantage of Petroleum
ANSWERS
1. Made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur
2. shaft mining(underground)3. open pit mining(ground level)4. Answer5. Answer6. Crude Oil7. Oil Drilling8-9. Answer10. Answer
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrol
eum
Advantages - CoalEasily combustible, and burns in
low temperaturesWidely and easily distributed all
over the worldComparatively inexpensive to
buy on the open marketGood availability for much of the
world (coal is found in many more places than other fossil fuels)
AdvantagesMost coal is easy to mine –
making it the least expensive fossil fuel to obtain
A fossil-fuelled power station can be built almost anywhere
BACK
Disadvantages - CoalLowest energy density of any
fossil fuelHigh coal transportation costs
due to the bulk of coalCoal dust is an extreme explosion
hazardBurning fossil fuels releases
carbon dioxideIt leaves behind harmful by-
products upon combustion
DisadvantagesMining coal leads to irreversible
damage to the adjoining environment
Prices for al fossil fuels are risingBurning of coal releases oxides of
sulfur and other volatile substances to the atmosphere.◦This can affect our health and miners
are exposed to hazardous chemicals that may cause black lung disease.BACK
Advantages - PetroleumCan withstand high heats without
breakdown making it useful as lubricants
Highly compact portable source of energy used for most forms of mechanical transportation
Production of oil has much less impact and a smaller carbon footprint on earth than coal from strip mining
AdvantagesCertain components make
excellent solvents for paintOther components make
excellent compact source of portable cooking fuel
BACK
Disadvantages - PetroleumMuch of the remaining oil in the
world is in politically unstable areas including Africa, Middle East, Russia, and parts of Southeast Asia.
Easily vaporizable components of oil can contribute to smog.
Drilling for oil is getting more difficult and expensive because we are now drilling as deep or deeper than 20,000 feet to find new reserves.
Disadvantages Oil does contain some cancer
causing compounds, benzene is one of those
Our consumption of oil is increasing at the same time our production is falling. The world is currently consuming 83 million barrels of oil per day. We aren't producing that much
BACK