The History of Coal - Research Paper Example

?I. Introduction Although perceived as difficult to obtain and been the cause of hundreds of deaths In the last 500 years, coal is still a valuable resource in today’s economy. In the following pages, I will discuss several things in reference to coal. I will cover a history of coal itself, as well as the how, wherefore and why of its existence. I will also cover the different types of coal, how we get it and how and why we use it. There are many benefits to the usage of coal worldwide, and herein will discover some of those benefits. II. History The history of coal is extensive, dating back to 1575 when Sir George Bruce of Scotland opened the very first coal mine to obtain coal from a moat pit beneath the sea on the Firth of Forth (Undiscovered Scotland, 2011). The reason for the gathering of coal was primarily for household uses, namely heat. It was later discovered that it played an important role with its heating capabilities in smelting, alloy production and the generation of electricity. Sir George Bruce created a loading island where he sank a shaft connected to two others for drainage purposes and ventilation. This form of technology was extraordinary in coal mining during medieval times, often considered an industrial wonder of the time. In the 17th century many advances in the techniques used for mining were discovered, including test boring and drainage of the collieries, to allow the coal to be brought to the surface easier and more safely. Definition Merriam-Webster (2011) defines coal as “a piece of glowing carbon or charred wood”. This is a curious definition, as most would think of coal as simply a dirty, black rock that creates heat and is great for summer barbecues. The fact that it is defined as “glowing” and “charred wood” leave the mind to wonder how was coal formed then? If it is already “charred wood”, why would we use it? It’s already been burned up, so what use can it be? The answer lies in the reason and process through which coal was formed. How coal was formed The formation of coal began around 300 million years ago, while most of the earth was covered by swamps, giant ferns and different mosses. Layer after layer of these plants died and subsequently were compressed and covered with new soil. As these new layers of soil covered the dead plants, the lack of air stopped the decomposition processes of the plants. This created peat, and throughout the years with heat and extensive pressure, it forced out oxygen and hydrogen, leaving carbon-rich deposits known as coal. As the carbon content of the coal increases, its compression is increased and the moisture content drops further. Thusly, there are four types of coal that form in subsequent order, each with its own grading scale, known as a “rank” (Speight, 2005). (stovesonline.co.uk) III. Four Categories of Coal The four categories of coal are lignite, subbituminous, bituminous and anthracite. Each one has its own ranking, based on the degree of which the original plant materials have been turned into carbon. These ranks are also used an estimation of how old the coal is. In general, the older the coal, the higher the carbon content. Lignite coal is the youngest of the four, and is most often used in the generation of electric power. It is a brownish black color and has a high moisture and sulphur content. It is more similar to soil than rocks and has a tendency to fragment when exposed to the elements. Subbituminous coal is often referred to as black lignite, although its moisture content is lower. It is also used for the generation of electricity, but also used for heating. Bituminous coal is a soft coal. iIt is dense and black with stripes of vibrant and dull materials. This is the most commonly found and used type of coal, for coke (a residue of coal used in the steel industry), electricity, and heating as well. The last of the four, anthracite coal, is the hardest, oldest and best of the four types. It is black, glossy and very hard like a rock. It has the lowest sulphur content and the highest carbon content. This is the most sought after type of coal, as it is the most valuable in terms of its lasting capabilities when burned (Speight, 2005). Although the primary use of coal is to generate electricity, coal is also used in certain plants to make chemicals, cement, paper, ceramics and other metal products. Its gasses are used to make plastics, medicine, fertilizers and tar (American Coal Foundation, 2011). IV. Where Coal is Found Coal is found in reserves in nearly every country around the world, with about 70 countries having reserves that can be recovered (World Coal Association, 2011). In the U.S., coal is found in 38 states, and is more plentiful than oil or natural gas. Currently, the U.S. has about 275 billion tons of coal that can be recovered. This number will provide enough resource to last more than 250 years. The United States currently has more than 25% of the world’s coal reserves, and mines over 1 billion tons each year. In the rest of the world, there is an additional 4 billion tons mined each year (American Coal Foundation, 2011). There are two primary ways that coal is mined, which are surface and underground. Underground mining is self-explanatory. The coal is so far below the surface that it is impossible to retrieve from the top. There are shafts drilled into the coal bed, to transport the miners and their equipments and to bring the coal to the surface. Once the miners have found the seams of coal that they are looking for, they use different types of mining to break it up. These are conventional, continuous and long wall. In conventional mining, they use explosives to break up the coal so it can be removed easily. Continuous mining using massive machinery with cutters to break the coal apart, then scoop it onto a conveyor to the surface. The last, long wall mining, use cutting machinery to cut along the walls of the coal, and drop it onto a conveyor to the surface. Surface mining is used in the even that the coal reserves are found on a hillside or close to the surface. The topsoil and subsoil is removed from these areas and placed somewhere else. Heavy duty machinery move in and excavate the rest of the earth and rock to uncover the coal. This ‘overburden’ is also moved to the side, after which the coal is removed. Once the coal has been removed, the overburden is put back where it was found, the soils that were removed are also replaced and the area is reseeded. This allows the area that was affected to be restored to the original landscape, often improving on it as well. This process of replacing the overburden and reseeding is referred to as “land reclamation” (Mineral Information Institute, 2011). Land reclamation is the process of protecting and restoring the land after surface mining. Once the coal is removed from one area, the land is returned from where it was laid, graded and replanted. This allows the land to be preserved, protects nature, conserves water and soil reserves and allows the land to be turned into productive land again. Although the land has been stripped of its coal reserves, it can still be used for farmland, forestry or lakes. This process has been used for wildlife preserves, recreational parkland, pasture, farmland and commercial development. Since the mid-1970’s, over 2 million acres of land have been reclaimed, as well as 100,000 acres of abandoned sites that were mined in the early 20th century have been reclaimed through use of funds paid by coal producers (American Coal Foundation, 2011). Although mining can adversely affect the land and the wildlife, current coal mining companies do everything they can to preserve our natural habitats and resources by replacing them after they were dug up. V. Benefits of Coal The number one benefit of coal is that it generates electricity. It is more abundant than natural gas or oil and is also much less expensive. Electricity is created from the energy stored in coal, which is released when it is burned. Currently, we use coal in a plethora of applications, including: heating, cooling, cooking, lighting, transportation, communication, farming, industrial and health care, just to name a few. The process used for converting coal into electricity is similar to those used for the conversion of oil and natural gas to electricity. The coal is ground up into a powder. It mixes with hot air which helps it to burn more efficiently. The burning coal heats water in a boiler and creates steam used for powering a turbine. This turbine is used to transform the heat of the coal into mechanical energy to spin the turbine’s engine. The turbine, in turn, powers a generator, that turns the mechanical energy into electric energy. A condenser then cools the steam in the turbine, turns it back into water and is returned to the boiler. The cycle then begins all over again to create electricity. These coal powered electricity generating plants use transformers that increase the voltage of electricity. It flows along the transmission lines to substations, which reduce voltages for use in cities and towns. Then, it is reduced again through a transformer for safe usage inside homes and businesses. Coal mining creates thousands of jobs, whether directly or indirectly. In 2005 alone, there were approximately 174,000 workers in the coal industry in the U.S. alone (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005). Given the capacity of these mines, and their sheer size, they need more workers than they are currently able to find in certain areas of the county. On average, a surface mine consists of a coal plant, laboratory, water treatment plant, warehouse, shop, change house and office (Kiewit, 2011). Currently, in just this one company, there are over 175 job openings available across the United States (Kiewit, 2011). There are over 1,000 surface and 1,000 underground mines in the U.S. given some simple math, which means a possibility of 300,000 (2000 mines multiplied by 150) job openings available in the mining industry. That is an extraordinary number of potential jobs available, and those are directly related to the mines themselves. There is no account for how many jobs are created or sustained indirectly, as the use of electricity is globally used on a daily basis. The cost of coal generated power is extraordinarily less expensive than that of natural gas, solar and even wind power. The cost of coal generated power is $0.04 per kWh, whereas natural gas comes in at $0.10 per kWh, wind is at $0.08 per kWh and solar at a whopping $0.22 per kWh (Morgan, 2010). Given these numbers, it is obvious that the cost of operations for homes and businesses is drastically lower through the use of coal powered energy, versus the use of ‘green’ alternatives, or even natural gas. These lower operating costs for businesses and homeowners alike will only lead to a boost of the current economy, because these people are saving money on one of the necessities of life in the world today: electricity. The economic impact of using coal reserves does not only affect the United States. It can help people around the globe in their economic developments. Currently, the U.S., Australia and China are using coal as a primary source of energy. In Islamabad, Dr. Hafeez Shaikh stated that the economy of “Pakistan and the present government [is] commit[ted] to exploit coal for the benefit of national economy… overcoming the energy shortage.” This energy shortage is dampening the economic development in foreign countries. Pakistan has the 7th largest coal reserves in the world, and they remain untapped. Given that coal is such a valuable resource, is cheaper than other forms of electricity and heat, it is imperative that the global economy do what it can to unearth it. This, in turn, will create more jobs in the foreign market, but in the U.S. and other areas around the globe, thus boosting economies that are in crisis. VI. Conclusion From the time the first coal mine was created in 1575 to today, us as global consumers have been using this valuable resource for heat and electricity for hundreds of years. The technology continually improves on how to find it, how to unearth it and how to use it cleanly without damaging the environment. Regardless of the value of anthracite coal over lignite, each rank of coal has a solid use in the world today. We have a superior understanding of how to use this resource to its full advantage, thus creating jobs, boosting our economy and overall making our lives more comfortable. It is a cost-effective, ample source of energy that in many parts of the world is still untapped. Coal is a beneficial product with an extensive array of uses, which are all for the betterment of mankind. Works cited American Coal Foundation (2011). “All About Coal”. FAQ’s About Coal. Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. Kiewit Corporation (2011). “Projects: Black Butte Coal Company”. Black Butte Coal Company - Point of Rocks, WY. Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. Merriam-Webster (2011). “Coal”. Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. Mineral Information Institute (2011). “Coal Mining Reclamation”. Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. Morgan, Jason (2010). “Comparing Energy Costs of Nuclear, Coal, Gas, Wind and Solar”. Nuclear Fissionary. Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. One Pakistan (2010). “Government Committed to Utilize Coal Reserves to Boost Economy: Hafeez”. Islamabad: Federal Minister for Finance, Dr. Hafeez Shaikh… Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. Speight, James G. “Handbook of Coal Analysis”. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2005. Print. Stoves Online (2011). “What is Coal and How is it Formed”. Coal Formation. Web. 06 April, 2011. Undiscovered Scotland (2011). “Sir George Bruce of Carnock”. Undiscovered Scotland: The Ultimate Online Guide. Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. United States Department of Labor (2008). “Bureau of Labor Statistics”. Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey. Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. World Coal Association (2011). “Where is Coal Found?”. Web. 06 April, 2011. Print. Read More