Coal Investigations Lab



Coal Investigations Lab

Purpose: To observe the properties and measure water content of different types of coal.

Procedure 1: Properties

1. Break off a small piece of each type of coal, observe their physical properties

|Type of Coal |Appearance |Volatile Organic Odor |Hardness |

|Peat | | | |

|Lignite | | | |

|Bituminous | | | |

|Anthracite | | | |

Procedure 2: Water Content

1. Mass the crucible.

2. Obtain a small piece of coal and crush it using the mortar and pedestal. Mass the wet coal and crucible.

3. Heat the coal overnight in the oven.

4. The next day, allow the crucible to cool and mass the crucible with the dry coal.

5. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with each of the coal types.

Type of Coal |Mass of Crucible |Mass of Crucible and Wet Coal |Mass of Wet Coal |Mass of Crucible and Dry Coal |Mass of Dry Coal |Water Mass |Percent Water in Coal | |Peat | | | | | | | | |Lignite | | | | | | | | |Bituminous | | | | | | | | |Anthracite | | | | | | | | |Analysis:

1. A coal fired electric power plant produces 12 million kilowatt – hours of electricity each day. Assume that an input of 10,000 BTU’s of heat is required to produce an output of 1 kilowatt – hour of electricity.

Showing all work.

a) Determine BTU’s of heat needed to generate the electricity produced by the power plant each day.

b) Determine pounds of coal consumed by the power plant each day, assuming that one pound of coal yields 5000 BTU’s of heat.

c) Determine pounds of sulfur released by the power plant each day, assuming that the coal contains 1 % sulfur by weight.

d) The EPA standard for power plants is that no more than 1.2 pounds of sulfur be emitted per million BTU’s of heat generated. Does the power plant meet the EPA standard?

e) Describe two ways a coal burning power plant can reduce its sulfur emissions.

2. Most of the coal in the United States today comes from surface (strip) mines. The overburden is set aside and good environmental practices require the overburden be replaced and the habitat restored to its original condition.

a) Describe the steps that should be taken to restore the land after the overburden has been replaced.

b) Describe one environmental impact that the sulfur content of the remaining coal and tailings would have on the reclamation process and suggest a possible remedy.

c) Other than mining and reclamation identify two environmental impacts of using coal for energy.

3. 4. One pound (lb) of bituminous coal contains 12,000 BTUs of energy. A BTU is a British Thermal Unit, or the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water (one pint) by one degree Fahrenheit. Suppose a coal-fired power plant needs 3,400 BTU's of heat to produce one kilowatt-hour of electricity. This plant has a 1 Megawatt output. Showing all steps, calculate the following:

a. How much coal is required to produce one kilowatt-hour of electricity?

b. How much coal must be burned to keep the plant at full output for 24 hours?

c. Assuming the coal is 2% sulfur by mass, how many pounds of sulfur would be released in a 24 hour period?

d. SUPER-BONUS *this is really hard. 5 extra credit points

If every Sulfur atom released goes to produce one molecule of H2SO4 in the atmosphere, how many pounds of coal would need to be burned to change the pH of a 1,000,000,000 liter pond from pH 6 to 5. (Note: only one H+ is released per sulfuric acid) pH = -log [H+] (concentration in moles per liter). [Assume the wind currents are blowing all of the power plants emissions directly over this pond, and all the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere is deposited in this pond].

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