[LFEE seminars] Oct. 13 Seminar - "Coal-Based Electric Power Generation in a Carbon Constrained World"

[Karen Gibson]

Environment and Sustainability Seminar Series
Sponsored by the MIT Laboratory for Energy and the Environment (LFEE)


Coal-Based Electric Power Generation in a Carbon Constrained World
János M. Beér
Department of Chemical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA.,USA

Wednesday, October 13
12:00 - 1:30 pm
E40-496

Coal as an energy source has the advantages of broad availability 
with large reserves in several countries over the world, safe and 
secure supply, low cost, and economic utilization by mature 
technologies. The disadvantages are due mainly to 
combustion-generated pollution. The pollutants of concern are oxides 
of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon, and fine organic and inorganic 
particulates.  Remedial technologies fall into the broad categories 
of combustion process modifications, post combustion clean-up, and 
improvement of the cycle efficiency of  power generation.  Merits, 
limitations and prospects of clean and efficient power cycles are 
discussed.

The distant (2020) goal is the development and application of coal 
gasification with combined cycle co-production of electricity and 
hydrogen, at higher than 60% cycle efficiency, and with CO2 capture 
and sequestration. It is expected, however, that more than 12 GW coal 
based power generation will be installed before such a system may 
become commercial and ready for implementation. In the intervening 
period supercritical steam pulverized coal plants, if chosen instead 
of conventional, subcritical pressure steam plants, could reduce 
pollutant emissions by about 14%, and avoid more than 100 million 
tons of CO2 emissions during their lifetime. Because of the 
marginally higher first costs, incentives are necessary for 
investments in clean and high efficiency coal burning electric power 
plants to be built in the near future.


_________________________________________________________________
Part of a series of brown bag talks on issues of energy, environment, 
and sustainability sponsored by the MIT Laboratory for Energy and the 
Environment.  Bring your lunch - cookies and drinks will be provided.

If you would like to be added to or removed from this mailing list, 
please contact Karen Gibson, kgibson at mit.edu.
-- 
_________________________________
Karen  L. Gibson
Program Assistant
MIT Laboratory For Energy and the Environment
77 Massachusetts Avenue, E40-469
(1 Amherst St., E40-469 - for DHL and FedEx)
Cambridge, MA 02139  USA
Tel:  1 (617) 258-6368; Fax:  1 (617) 258-6590
http://lfee.mit.edu
http://globalsustainability.org
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