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How is coal burned to generate electricity in a power plant?
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coal utilization
Cross-regenerative coke oven. (A) Cross section, showing the alternating arrangement of flue walls and ovens; (B) longitudinal section, showing (left) a series of combustion flues in a single flue wall and (right) part of a long, slotlike oven.
Coal is burned in power plants to generate electricity primarily by producing steam to drive turbines. In conventional systems, coal combustion heats water to create high-pressure steam, which powers a steam turbine to generate power.12
Advanced technologies have been developed to improve the efficiency of this energy conversion:
- Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD): This process burns coal to create high-temperature ionized gases. These gases pass through a magnetic field to generate electricity directly before the remaining heat is used in a conventional steam generator.1
- Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle: Coal is first gasified and burned to power a gas turbine. The exhaust from this turbine is then used to generate steam for a secondary steam turbine, increasing overall efficiency.1
While these methods aim to improve performance, coal utilization is the largest contributor to anthropogenic climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions. Consequently, many scientists advocate for a global transition toward renewable energies.3