2.

6 CONVENTIONAL ENERGY RESOURCES

The invention of steam engine in 1780 brought about
Industrial Revolution in Britain. In 1799, Volta invented the
battery, the first source of electric current. In 1820, Michael
Faraday demonstrated a devicedynamo, for production of
electricity using dynamo (electro-magnetic induction).
Electricity generation using heat of steam marked the beginning
of thermal power production in the middle of 19th century.
The demands on energy are increasing with progress in
human civilization. The quality of life or standard of living
is linked with the quantum of energy consumption. In USA,
46 Environment and Ecology
per capita energy consumption is 200 million British Thermal
Units, BTU (1 BTU = energy required to raise the
temperature of 1 lb. of water by 1F), 125 million BTU in
UK, 50 million BTU in Japan and only 5 million BTU in
India. But generally much of the energy (about 60 per cent)
is wasted. Maximum wastage is observed in power plants and
vehicles.
The conventional energy resources are fossil fuel (coal,
petroleum and diesel), wood, natural gas, hydroelectricity
and nuclear energy. The energy, as consumed by man, is: 33
per cent from petroleum and diesel, 27 per cent from coal
and 5 per cent from nuclear fuels.
2.6.1 Coal
Coal is substantially more abundant than oil or gas, the
total reservoir being 71012 metric tonnes, which is
equivalent to 51022 calories. This is 1000 times more than
the total global energy consumption from all fuels. The stock
of coal is likely to last several centuries.
The natural defect of coal is that it is a dirty fuel to burn.
On combustion, it emits sulphur dioxide which is an offensive
gas, forms sulphuric acid in air and causes acid rain in faraway
places. Thus, it poses environmental hazards (see acid
rain in previous chapter). Excavation of coal from mines is
followed by soil subsidence (depression) which endangers the
residential areas above the coal mines. Moreover, flyash arising
from combustion of coal is a nuisance as solid waste which
brings about environmental problems. Also being a solid, coal
is less convenient to handle than petroleum or natural gas.
In order to overcome these problems, the developed
countries use less polluting forms of coal by transforming it
into gaseous, liquid or low sulphur, low-ash solid fuel. In a
typical case, high-grade ash-free coal is produced as solventrefined
coal (SRC) by suspending pulverized coal in a solvent
and treating with 2 per cent of its weight of hydrogen at a
pressure of 1000 pounds per sq. inch and 450C.
Energy 47
The product is a semi-solid, m.p. 170C having a calorific
value of 16,000 BTU per pound. This compares well with
the best-grade anthracite coal.
2.6.2 Thermal Power
Electricity is generated by combustion of coal in a furnace.
This heat is utilised to produce steam at high temperature
and pressure. The latter is then used to run a steam turbine
which is linked with the generator producing electricity.
Thermal power stations are operated on the above