importance of fossil fuels

Importance[edit]

A petrochemical refinery inGrangemouth, Scotland, UK

See also: Fossil fuel power plant

Fossil fuels are of great importance because they can be burned (oxidized to carbon dioxide and water), producing significant amounts of energy per unit weight. The use of coal as a fuel predates recorded history. Coal was used to run furnaces for the melting of metal ore. Semi-solid hydrocarbons from seeps were also burned in ancient times,^[12] but these materials were mostly used for waterproofing andembalming.^[13]

Commercial exploitation of petroleum, largely as a replacement for oils from animal sources (notably whale oil), for use in oil lamps began in the 19th century.^[14]

Natural gas, once flared-off as an unneeded byproduct of petroleum production, is now considered a very valuable resource.^[15] Natural gas deposits are also the main source of the element helium.

Heavy crude oil, which is much more viscous than conventional crude oil, and tar sands, where bitumen is found mixed with sand and clay, are becoming more important as sources of fossil fuel.^[16] Oil shale and similar materials are sedimentaryrocks containing kerogen, a complex mixture of high-molecular weight organic compounds, which yield synthetic crude oil when heated (pyrolyzed). These materials have yet to be exploited commercially.^[17] These fuels can be employed in internal combustion engines, fossil fuel power stations and other uses.

Prior to the latter half of the 18th century, windmills and watermills provided the energy needed for industry such as millingflour, sawing wood or pumping water, and burning wood or peat provided domestic heat. The widescale use of fossil fuels, coal at first and petroleum later, to fire steam engines enabled the Industrial Revolution. At the same time, gas lights using natural gas or coal gas were coming into wide use. The invention of the internal combustion engine and its use inautomobiles and trucks greatly increased the demand for gasoline and diesel oil, both made from fossil fuels. Other forms of transportation, railways and aircraft, also required fossil fuels. The other major use for fossil fuels is in generating electricityand as feedstock for the petrochemical industry. Tar, a leftover of petroleum extraction, is used in construction of roads.

Below are 25 Interesting Facts About Fossil Fuels
Fact 1: All fossils fuels are the result of plant decomposition that happened millions of years ago – under water. The most recent discovery of an untapped oil field was discovered in Alaska. The ice is thought to have covered a sea that existed millions of years ago.

Fact 2: Fossil fuels include coal, natural gas and oil. The current statistics show that globally, fossil fuels provide for over 85% of all the energy we consume.

Fact 3: Prospecting for oil requires measuring the type of rock that is beneath the Earth’s surface. Scientist drill to remove a core sample, and then examine the strata levels to determine if there is evidence of the plant decomposition needed to have created the crude oil.

Fact 4: Crude oil is found in underground areas called reservoirs that can be turned into products such as gasoline and electricity.

Fact 5: Coal is a combustible rock that is black in color. It runs in veins through the rock beneath the surface of the Earth. Coal mines allow miners to go underground to remove the veins from the rock itself.

Fact 6: Natural gas is a form of methane. It gets trapped in pockets where plant decomposition has occurred. It can be underground, but it can also be above ground if the organic compounds in the water source of are the right type. New experiments are working to discover how to harvest methane from the waste products of animals such as cows.

Fact 7: Fossil fuels are not a renewable resource even though we have not located all of the reserves there are in the world. They take millions of years to produce. It is estimated that given our current trend in consumption, and the predictive discovery of new sources of fossil fuels, that the world will run out of them within 100 to 200 years.

Fact 8: Fossil fuels, when burned, can be used to generate electricity or power vehicles.

Fact 9: Fossil fuels cannot be produced by humans and must first be burned to be used as electricity.

Fact 10: Natural gas is transported to houses using underground pipelines that connect directly to natural gas source.


Fact 11: Fossil fuels are such a common source of energy in our world because they are so easy to convert into energy. All of them are based in hydrocarbons, which only have to be burned to release their energy.

Fact 12: Americans use about 18 millions barrels of oil everyday.



Fact 13: It takes almost 26 tons of raw petroleum to produce 1 liter of gas. It takes almost 800 pounds of coal to power a light bulb 24/7 for an entire year. It would take the natural process of decomposition of materials 422 years to replace what we currently consume in a year in fossil fuels.

Fact 14: Today, fossil fuels supply more than 90% of the world’s energy.

Fact 15: When fossil fuels are burnt, they release toxic gases into the atmosphere and can cause air pollution and serious health problems.

Fact 16: Mining and processing fossil fuels is also very cheap to do compared to the cost of converting them to energy. This is one reason that it is hard to make renewable energy sources successful, all of them require a heavy investment to even get the raw materials to turn into energy we can use.

Fact 17: Coal is only as good as the amount of carbon in it. The best coal, Anthracite, is 95% carbon. It also took 300 million years to produce it. If nothing changes about the rate of coal consumption there is enough to last over a thousand years. However, if the rate of consumption rises even 5%, there is less than hundred years supply.

Fact 18: Fossil fuels are responsible for majority of environmental issues like global warming, acid rain, air pollution, water pollution that we are dealing with today. Their production and consumption is one of the biggest contributors to pollution in the world.

Fact 19: As compared to non-renewable sources of energy, renewable sources of energy are neat, clean and do not pollute the environment.

Fact 20: Fossil fuels are made up of hydrocarbons which store energy in the form of atomic bonds. To release energy, you just need to burn them.

Fact 21: The burning of natural gas releases less carbon dioxide than other than other fossil fuels per energy unit.

Fact 22: Fossil fuels get their energy from the sun. Plants that turned into fossil fuels used photosynthesis to capture energy from the sun.

Fact 23: Natural gas is tasteless and cannot be detected. Therefore, a chemical called mercaptan is added so that leaks are easily detected.

Fact 24: Texas, Alaska and California are top 3 oil producing states in US.

Fact 25: Drilling for oil in sea can disturb marine life, specially when there is oil spill. Leaking storage tanks can create toxic fumes and pollute groundwater.

Good work children. Focus more on the type of fuel used in various regions and reason behind it

Coal formation

M.         

Burning fossil fuel causes.......

Burning fossil fuels, especially coal, is a dirty process. Incomplete combustion of coal and oil produces particulate matter. Heavier particulates produce an annoying dirty grit, and lighter particulates can be inhaled deeply and become a health hazard. In addition to the desired combustion of organic molecules, impurities such as sulfur also burn and produce potentially dangerous oxides. Since the air is made of 80% nitrogen, nitrogen is combusted along with the fuel at high temperatures, releasing nitrous oxides. Since fossil fuels are composed mainly of carbon by weight, all fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide when burned. In the atmosphere, the sulfur and nitrous oxides produce sulfuric acid and nitric acid, respectively, which can lead to acid rain. The carbon dioxide helps trap heat in the atmosphere — contributing to the potential warming of the earth. In this lecture-discussion we will examine major local, regional, and global environmental effects of burning fossil fuels. These are respectively particulates, smog and acid rain, and global warming. The importance of particulates has long been acknowledged, and major particlulate emissions control measures have been launched in many countries. Evidence for acid rain is readily available, and the effects from impact on forests and lakes to crumbling ancient Greek structures have confirmed its presence, but its overall environmental/economic importance remains a matter of controversy. It is now widely accepted that human activities have contributed to a noticeable average global warming trend in the twentieth century. However, there are differential impacts of this global trend on regional climate, agriculture, storm damage, and other effects in different parts of the world. This complicates both the assessment of global effects of atmospheric emissions and international negotiations over requisite changes in fossil fuel use.

Calorific value of fuels

Solid and liquid fuels	Gross calorific value/ MJ kg−1
AlcoholsEthanol	30
Methanol	23
Coal and coal productsAnthracite (4% water)	36
Coal tar fuels	36–41
General purpose coal (5–10% water)	32–42
High-volatile coking coals (4% water)	35
Low temperature coke (15% water)	26
Medium-volatile coking coal (1% water)	37
Steam coal (1% water)	36
Peat Peat (20% water)	16
Petroleum and petroleum productsDiesel fuel	46
Gas oil	46
Heavy fuel oil	43
Kerosine	47
Light distillate	48
Light fuel oil	44
Medium fuel oil	43
Petrol	44.8–46.9
WoodWood (15% water)	16

Gaseous fuels at 15 °C, 101.325 kPa, dry	Gross calorific value/MJ m− 3
Coal gas coke oven (debenzolized)	20
Coal gas continuous vertical retort (steaming)	18
Coal gas low temperature	34
Commercial butane	118
Commercial propane	94
North Sea gas natural	39
Producer gas coal	6
Producer gas coke	5
Water gas carburetted	19
Water gas blue	11

coal combustion and acid rain