answersLogoWhite

0

Burning coal requires between 100 and 150% excess air for complete combustion.

Excess air is the air supplied for combustion more then the air required for perfect combustion. Perfect combustion is the minimum amount of air, if all the oxygen is used, to completely burn the coal, (this is impossible).

Oil requires 30-50% excess air and Natural gas requires 10-30% excess air for complete combustion. So combustion of coal is less efficient than these. However, the process of generating steam and producing electricity otherwise is no less efficient than any other means.

Excess air as a result carries more heat up the stack which cannot be recovered, thus the reduction in efficiency. Overall this reduction in efficiency only amounts to about a 5% reduction in plant generating efficiency, or less.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Physics

State why you need coal to generate electricity?

Coal is burned in power plants to create heat, which is used to produce steam. The steam then drives turbines connected to generators, producing electricity. Coal is a cost-effective and reliable fuel source for generating electricity at a large scale.


How much energy in coal is lost when it is burned for electricity?

Approximately 60% of the energy in coal is lost during the process of burning it for electricity generation. This loss occurs due to inefficiencies in converting the heat energy from burning coal into electricity, as well as losses in transmission and distribution.


What are some useful energy transfers?

Some useful energy transfers include converting solar energy into electricity through solar panels, converting wind energy into electricity through wind turbines, and converting chemical energy in fossil fuels into electricity in power plants.


Why cannot draw wires from a piece of wood or coal?

Wood and coal are poor conductors of electricity, meaning they do not allow electricity to flow easily through them. In order to conduct electricity, a material needs to have free-moving electrons, which wood and coal lack. Therefore, drawing wires from wood or coal would not establish a conductive path for electricity.


How are coal and solar collectors similar?

Both coal and solar collectors are sources of energy generation. However, coal is a non-renewable resource that emits greenhouse gases when burned, while solar collectors use renewable energy from the sun without producing emissions. Both technologies involve converting energy into usable electricity for various applications.

Related Questions

Why are sheep so inefficient at converting grass into meat?

Sheep are so inefficient at converting grass into meat for a few reasons. Sheep are not meant to do this task.


Why are coal fires inefficient?

Because a lot of the energy used to hear up the room is lost to the surroundings eg for every 100 J of energy stored in coal and released as heat about 25 J is used to heat u the room whilst the rest is lost to the surroundings


What are positives and negatives about solar power?

Some positives:It provides "free" energy.It is clean as it leaves no carbon footprint.Some negatives:Current solar cells are inefficient in converting light to electricity.


State why you need coal to generate electricity?

Coal is burned in power plants to create heat, which is used to produce steam. The steam then drives turbines connected to generators, producing electricity. Coal is a cost-effective and reliable fuel source for generating electricity at a large scale.


Why is the process of converting the chemical energy of coal into electrical energy is very inefficient?

It really depends HOW the conversion is done. The usual process is to burn the coal; if this is done, the next step is to use a heat engine, and the efficiency of a heat engine is limited in theory by the Carnot efficiency. Of course, in practice, heat engines will be even less efficient than the theoretical Carnot engine.However, if you could find a practical way to use the fuel directly in a chemical reaction (basically, a fuel cell), the resulting efficiency could be much higher.


How much energy in coal is lost when it is burned for electricity?

Approximately 60% of the energy in coal is lost during the process of burning it for electricity generation. This loss occurs due to inefficiencies in converting the heat energy from burning coal into electricity, as well as losses in transmission and distribution.


How do you get electrictiy from coal?

You cannot get electricity from coal. Electricity and coal are two very different types of material.


Is coal a good producer of electricity?

yes coal is a good producer of electricity.


Which is the least sustainable practice?

Using coal to generate electricity. (APEX)


What day did the steam train get replaced?

It was coal burning and inefficient by today's standards.


Advantages of using coal to produce electricity?

Coal is abundant and easy to convert into electricity.


Is coal iron and steel the most important industry in the world?

No, coal produces electricity, so electricity is instead of coal