How to Convert Coal to Energy
The process by which the energy trapped in coal is converted into energy we can use is nothing new, but requires a great deal of technology. Simply burning coal releases energy in the form of heat, but the use of coal for direct heating is no longer common given the air quality problems burning it creates. The creation of electricity from the burning of coal requires a boiler and dynamo to generate electric energy. This is not a project to try at home, but we'll explain the basic process.
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Things You'll Need
- Coal
- Coal pulverizer
- Generator
- Turbines
- Conveyor belts
- Electric cable
- Burner
- Boiler
- Water
Instructions
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1
Pulverize the coal and aerate it for optimal burning using the coal pulverizer. Power plants use specialized rotating pulverizers that output coal ready to burn.
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2
Feed the coal (via a conveyor belt in large plant operations) into a special coal burner that has a boiler to heat the water to create steam. The burners are contained, high intensity heat sources that are constructed of strongly reinforced metal to withstand the heat pressure.
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3
Capture the escaping steam from the boiler and channel it into a stearm turbine connected to a generator. The turbine is a mechanism with flanges that spins when the steam hits the flanges. The steam will force the turbine to rotate.
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4
Create the electricity with the generator. The generator consists of an electromagnet surrounding the charged wires. The wires are attached to the turbine, and thus spin with the turbine. As the wires spin through the magnetic field created by the electromagent, electricity is produced.
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5
Return the steam to the boiler via the condenser for reuse.
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Tips & Warnings
A special type of coal called "canal coal" can be used in a fireplace or wood stove to provide heat for a home, but it is very dangerous because it burns so much hotter than wood. Also, a "coal grate" must be used rather than a wood grate, as it has smaller holes. Wood burns from the top, but canal coal needs air underneath, so the grate must be set six inches higher off the bottom of the fireplace to allow air flow. Only place a few chunks of canal coal at a time in the firepace to keep the extreme heat manageable. Stoke the coals occasionally to shake off ashes.
Never put more than a few small pieces of canal coal in a fireplace at the same time. Once this coal gets burning, it produces an incredible amout of heat compared to burning wood, and a fire can quickly get out of hand.
References
- Photo Credit winter coal image by Rick Smith from Fotolia.com
