February 2007
Monthly Archive
Solar Power Commercial Market Applications
Posted by Energy Business Reports on 14 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Power
The sun has produced energy for billions of years. Solar energy is the solar radiation that reaches the earth. This energy can be converted directly or indirectly into other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity. It is used for heating water for domestic use, space heating of buildings, drying agricultural products, and generating electrical energy.
energy reports solar energy solar industry solar powerU.S. Mining Industry-Regulations, Projects and Participants
Posted by Energy Business Reports on 14 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Miscellaneous
The United States produces a wide variety of commodities from gold to coal. It has a land area of over 9.6 million square kilometers, 19,924 kilometers of coastline, and a population of over 298 million people. Continue Reading »
coal industry energy reports mining industryCellulose Ethanol Market Potential
Posted by Energy Business Reports on 08 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Oil & Gas
The last few decades have seen rapid growth in the consumption of the fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. Production, on the other hand, has not increased to match the rise in consumption, primarily due to limited availability of these resources. Continue Reading »
alternative energy cellulose ethanol energy industry energy reports ethanol fuelCoal liquefaction offers environmental benefits, cost savings, and energy security
Posted by Energy Business Reports on 05 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Renewables
Through liquefaction or coal-to-liquids technology (CTL), a process of converting solid coal into liquid fuels and/or chemicals, coal can be made into liquid fuel such as gasoline or diesel and used as a substitute for petroleumproducts. According to a new report on CTL technology from Energy Business Reports, coal-based fuels can be used directly in today’s vehicles, with no need for modification.
What’s more, road trials of coal-based fuels have shown that significant air quality improvements can be achieved through the reduction of tailpipe emissions. Some studies suggest particulate emissions may be up to 75% less than with traditional diesel, and oxides of nitrogen may be reduced by up to 60%. Improved engine designs, such as direct injection, will offer yet greater efficiencies. That’s good news for global warming, and good news for President Bush’s aggressive fuel use reduction plan.
Although coal itself is a low efficiency fuel and a notorious polluter, advanced gasification technologies can convert over 95 percent of coal [tag]fuel[/tag into a combustible gas, commonly called syngas. Syngas consists mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen and can be used like natural gas to efficiently generate electricity through an integrated gas turbine/steam turbine combined cycle. Syngas is also a basic feedstock for manufacturing a range of chemicals and synthetic fuels, such as hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, dimethyl ether, and Fischer-Tropsch gasoline and diesel, which can substitute for oil.
Coal liquefaction is a well-developed technology, and given the large coal reserves in the U.S., coal-based fuels could rapidly replace other sources of transportation fuel to meet future needs. Coal typically contains about 5% hydrogen, while distillable liquid fuels typically contain 14% hydrogen. The hydrogen deficit can be made up in two different ways. In the direct route, hydrogen is forced into the coal under high pressure and temperature often in the presence of a catalyst. In the indirect route, coal is gasified with oxygen and steam to produce a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide that is then passed over a catalyst to form hydrocarbons.
With approximately 20% of global coal reserves, the U.S. has more than a 250-year supply at current consumption levels and more coal then any other country in the world.
Despite the fact that coal is abundant and affordable in the U.S., public policies have discouraged its use because of concern about emissions from burning coal that contribute to localized air pollution problems as well as global warming. But the process of coal liquefaction is a clean and efficient one, and there are no harmful gases released into the atmosphere.
Other positive impacts of using coal-based liquid fuels include long-term environmental advantages ranging from the reclamation of decades-old coal waste piles and the mining of secondary coal sources, to possible ways to reduce hazardous emissions in coal combustion. In addition to mitigating climate change and air pollution, CTL technology may also positively influence America’s dependence on foreign energy sources, energy security, and high petroleum prices.
The Energy Business report on coal-to-liquids technology looks in detail at the various technologies and methodologies for liquefying coal, the economics of CTL development, key players in the global market, the advantages and disadvantages of liquid coal, and the market outlook for CTL as a fuel source. The report also details 14 case studies of CTL implementations. See Details: http://www.energybusinessreports.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=1137
coal gasification energy reports global warming greenhouse gas petroleum renewable energy