The diesel engine is also known as a compression ignition engine to distinguish it from gasoline or spark ignition. Thermodynamically the diesel engine cycle is more efficient than gasoline (Otto cycle) because efficiency increases with compression ratio. Gasoline would ignite at compression ratios over 10 because of the heat generated during compression of the air and gasoline vapor. Diesel fuel is injected into the cylinder at much higher pressures than allowable in gasoline engines.
Diesel power plants are efficient but the fuel is to expensive. Coal and natural gas are much cheaper fuels.
Diesel fuel is more stable than gasoline (does not form a sludge easily like gasoline does) and therefore the engine and fuel can be left on standby for long periods. This makes diesel a good choice for emergency back up such as in fire protection systems and standby generators.
Small scale diesel generators have lower capital cost than a boiler and steam turbine, which would be orders of magnitude larger in size. Also, steam power plants need a staff of operators.
Fossil fuels include coal, oil and gas, they are formed out of organic matter (carbon) deposited and decomposed under the earth's surface millions of years ago.
Some of the advantages of fossil fuels are-
Coal, compared to other petrochemicals, is readily available in the United states and in many other parts of the world. Being a solid, it transports easily and spills rarely if ever cause notable environmental events. Coal mining was the central economic core for the Appalachian and Ozark states and others, and thus provided most of the core jobs in these regions. Since sharp declines in coal usage and therefore mining, these areas have fallen into economic depressions and unemployment has skyrocketed, while population is in decline in many regions throughout the state.
I think the advantage is that it's easier to convert into energy and some of the other sources of energy like wind or hydroelectric or nuclear are harder to convert, and nuclear can be dangerous, and wind and hydroelectric can take up a lot of space. We also already have it, like people can get coal out of the ground and burn it, or put the oil into cars, but with wind you need to get the windmill things that generate the energy, and for nuclear you need to pretty much blow stuff up, and hydroelectric needs a lot of flowing water.
Some disadvantages of fossil fuel are that-
From an ecological standpoint - very bad. Fossil fuels like oil and coal produce lots of greenhouse gases. Coal is one of the most polluting fuels used today. For countries that have much of it it may be considered good because it is a source of fuel, but in general it's a very dirty and polluting fuel. Bad for the environment as the burning of it releases carbon dioxide from it (as it contains a lot of carbon), which is a major greenhouse gas and leads to more global warming.
Advantages of Fossil Fuels
A major advantage of fossil fuels is their capacity to generate huge amounts of electricity in just a single location.
Fossil fuels are very easy to find.
When coal is used in power plants, they are very cost effective. Coal is also in abundant supply.
Transporting oil and gas to the power stations can be made through the use of pipes making it an easy task.
Power plants that utilize gas are very efficient.
Power stations that make use of fossil fuel can be constructed in almost any location. This is possible as long as large quantities of fuel can be easily brought to the power plants.
Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels
Pollution is a major disadvantage of fossil fuels. This is because they give off carbon dioxide when burned thereby causing a greenhouse effect. This is also the main contributory factor to the global warming experienced by the earth today.
Coal also produces carbon dioxide when burned compared to burning oil or gas. Additionally, it gives off sulphur dioxide, a kind of gas that creates acid rain.
Environmentally, the mining of coal results in the destruction of wide areas of land. Mining this fossil fuel is also difficult and may endanger the lives of miners. Coal mining is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
Power stations that utilize coal need large amounts of fuel. In other words, they not only need truckloads but trainloads of coal on a regular basis to continue operating and generating electricity. This only means that coal-fired power plants should have reserves of coal in a large area near the plant?s location.
Use of natural gas can cause unpleasant odors and some problems especially with transportation.
Use of crude oil causes pollution and poses environmental hazards such as oil spills when oil tankers, for instance, experience leaks or drown deep under the sea. Crude oil contains toxic chemicals which cause air pollutants when combusted.
Nuclear power requires less fuel to produce the same amount of energy, so there is much less mining and less effect on the environment from the mining (that also means less mining jobs, so it is a double edge sword).
Nuclear power does not release green house gases into the environment, however it has its own nuclear waste to deal with. But a 1,000 MW nuclear plant will produce about 20 tons of waste a year, while a 1,000 MW coal power plant will produce about 5,330,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year.
Both plants have the ability to run 24/7.
Nuclear power in the US has a much better safety record then those of fossil fuels. There is not been a single US citizen death from nuclear power plants.
Nuclear also has a much better environment record when compared to fossil fuels, even though it is not as clean as other alternative energies (like solar or wind), but it still does better then fossil fuels.
Fossil fuel is believed to be safer, in that if a major incident occurs, nuclear has the potential to do far more damage then oil and coal. However, with incidents like the Deep Water Horizon, Valdez, and other spills that did billions of damages over many states, this image does not appear to hold much water.
you dont have to buy a more expensive source
Nuclear power plants don't emit greenhouse gases, need little fuel to generate a lot of power, and can produce electricity continuously.
The source of the energy is the nuclear reactor, rather than a furnace for burning fossil fuels.
Turbines
When nuclear power plants started to be built, around 1960, they were thought to be able to provide cheaper power than conventional fossil fuels. Nowadays this is known to be over optimistic, however with the emphasis now on avoiding production of greenhouse gases, nuclear has advantages over fossil fuels. It is not likely though to overtake the use of fossil fuels for a long time to come.
Nuclear power plants and fossil fuels such as petroleum.
Nuclear power plants don't emit greenhouse gases, need little fuel to generate a lot of power, and can produce electricity continuously.
The problem of disposing large amounts of nuclear waste is not resolved.
Both power plants generate electricity, but a fossil fuel power plant burns coal, oil, or gas to produce heat that boils water into steam to drive a turbine, while a nuclear power plant uses nuclear reactions to heat water into steam. Nuclear plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions, while fossil fuel plants do. However, nuclear plants produce radioactive waste that needs to be safely managed for a long time.
Levelized cost of kwh from a nuclear power plant is cheaper than from any fossil fueled power plants.
The source of the energy is the nuclear reactor, rather than a furnace for burning fossil fuels.
Turbines
Nuclear plants use fissionable material to generate heat instead of burning fossil fuel for the same purpose. The fissionable fuel is in the core of a nuclear reactor, and this core and the associated elements of the nuclear plant allow us to tap nuclear energy via nuclear fission.
When nuclear power plants started to be built, around 1960, they were thought to be able to provide cheaper power than conventional fossil fuels. Nowadays this is known to be over optimistic, however with the emphasis now on avoiding production of greenhouse gases, nuclear has advantages over fossil fuels. It is not likely though to overtake the use of fossil fuels for a long time to come.
Nuclear power plants and fossil fuels such as petroleum.
turbines
It is more likely to meltdown and grant people in the immediate area superpowers. Giant poo attack.
No. Nuclear power plants use a uranium to provide the heat to generate electricity from. By splitting the nuclei of uranium atoms (called nuclear fission), energy is released, which will be used for electricity generation. Uranium is a radioactive metal, not a fossil fuel.