Coal

Question 1

When did coal become a major energy source?

Answer 1

Industrial Revolution

Question 2

Coal and the world’s energy needs

Answer 2

2 source of world energy, #1 source of electricity

Question 3

Coal and US energy needs

Answer 3

3 energy source, #1 electricity source in US

Question 4

Trends in US coal production

Answer 4

Was mostly in east, now it’s increasingly from West

Question 5

How is coal formed?

Answer 5

woody peaty plant material

time, heat, pressure

Question 6

What are the four types of coal?

Answer 6

Lignite, subbituminous, bituminous, anthracite

Question 7

Rank the types of coal and state their uses

Answer 7

Anthracite–for heating (14000btu/lb)
Bituminous–electricity, coke (11-15000btu/lb)
subbituminous–electricity (8-10000btu/lb)
lignite–electricity (5-7500 btu/lb)

Question 8

Most abundant coal?

Answer 8

bituminous

Question 9

Coal reserves

Answer 9

US, Russia, china

Question 10

Coal production

Answer 10

China by far, then US & europe

Question 11

Coal exporters

Answer 11

Australia, indonesia

Question 12

Coal importers

Answer 12

Japan, China, South Korea

Question 13

US Coal reserves

Answer 13

Montana, Wyoming, PA, IL, WV

Question 14

US Coal production

Answer 14

Wyoming, WV, KY

Question 15

How is coal mined (surface/under split)?

Answer 15

US: 70% surface, 30% underground
World: 40% surface, 60% underground

Question 16

Surface Mining (US location, % Recovery, 3)

Answer 16

Typical of western US
75-90% recovery
Open pit, strip, mountaintop removal

Question 17

Underground mining (US location, % Recovery, 2)

Answer 17

Typical of Eastern US
30-75% recovery
Room and pillar, longwall methods

Question 18

Open Pit Mining

Answer 18

surface mine of large, terraced pits; drilling and blasting rock and then removing it

Question 19

Strip Mining

Answer 19

Surface mining where really large machinery removes overburden in strips, gaining access to seam

Question 20

Mountaintop removal mining

Answer 20

Surface mining characteristic of Appalachia;

blasting mountain to access seam–totally changes topography

Question 21

Room and pillar mining

Answer 21

Underground; continuous miners carve rooms from the seam, leaving walls and pillars for structural support

Question 22

Longwall mining

Answer 22

Underground; continuous miners work back and forth along a wall of the seam; mine collapses behind machines

Question 23

US Coal transportation

Answer 23

Mostly by rail (some truck, river)

Question 24

US end use for coal

Answer 24

Electricity

Question 25

Where in the US is coal mostly used?

Answer 25

Central and southern US

Question 26

Coal coke

Answer 26

essential for iron and steel production

Question 27

Mining environmental impacts

Answer 27

underground: subsurface subsidence, subterranean fires, methane release
Surface: erosion, landslides, acid runoff, groundwater contam, deforestation, habitats

Question 28

Coal combustion environmental impacts

Answer 28

Air: SOx, NOx, CO2, PM, heavy metals
water: cooling water use–thermal pollution
Waste: ash w/heavy metals

Question 29

Coal & Climate change

Answer 29

43% of world and 35% of US CO2 emissions from combustion
highest carbon content per unit energy of any fossil fuel
mining accounts for 11% of US methane emissions

Question 30

Ash reuse

Answer 30

Can be used for concrete, embankments, wallboard, etc

Question 31

Mitigating Environmental issues from coal

Answer 31

land reclamation, emission controls, ash disposal standards, CWA, retrofits

while plants have techniques to reduce SOx, NOx, etc, they can’t really figure out what to do for CO2 reduction.