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THE EFFECTS OF
BURNING FOSSIL
FUELS
SUBMITTED
TO DR ZULFIQAR

CONTENTS
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•
•
•
•
•
•

Introduction
Importance
Emission
What happens in combustion
Supply
Real combustion
Problems in domestic enclaves due to fossil
fuel burning
...


•

Importance of fossil fuels
The major contributors to Energy Use in the US and in the
world
Energy Supply 2016
World U
...

Total Energy use (Quads)
428
97
Coal (%)
33
38
Natural Gas(%)
22
26
Biomass fuels (%)
13
4
Hydropower (%)
6
4
Nuclear (%)
6
8
Solar, wind, geothermal (%)
<0
...
4
Electricity Supply 2016
Net generation (TWh)
Fossil fuel (%)
Hydropower (%)
Nuclear (%)
Biomass and other (%)

World U
...

12,500
62
19
17
5

3,400
68
9
20
3

Emissions By Source (2016)
Note: land use
means deforestation
and the like
...


What happens in combustion?
• Fuel + oxidizer -> Products + light + heat
• Combustion, in its simplest form, e
...


2,000

1,000

R/P Ratio
67 yrs
...

0
Oil

Gas

Coal

Things to Know About CO2 In the
Atmosphere in Order to Solve
Problem
Emissions

Concentration

• The lifetime of CO2 in the atmosphere is about 100
years
• About half of what we put up there stays up there
• A bend in the emissions graph will just delay the time
that we cross the dangerous CO2 level threshold
• Rule of thumb: every 10 percent reduction in
emissions buys you about 7 years before reaching
the max
• We need to reduce emissions by a factor of two from
current levels to remain stable at the 550 ppm level,
and this in the face of doubling the demand of
energy by the middle of the century, so we need to
cut the common intensity of our energy system by a
factor of four

Real Combustion
• If combustion occurs without complete oxidation instead,
we get:
CH4 + O2 + N2  mostly (CO2 + 2H20 +N2)
+ traces (CO + HC +NO
...


Real, Real (fully nasty), Combustion
• At higher temperatures, N reacts with O:
air(N2 +O2) + heat  NOx (thermal)
• So much for pure fuels, now add impurities:
enter N, S, metals and ash (non-combustibles)
What we really get:
• Fuel (C, H, N, S, ash) + air (N2 +O2) 
(CO2, H2O, CO, NOx, SOx, VOCS, particulates) +
ash
– Volatile Organic Compounds: VOCs

Increase in temperature
 High levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere results in
an increase in the amount of heat and temperature on the
surface of the Earth
...

 Since fossil fuels are hydrocarbons (made from hydrogen
and carbon), burning fossil fuels releases an enormous
amount of carbon dioxide into the air
...

 This, in turn, results in an overall rise in the surface
temperature of the earth, that is additionally referred to as
global warming
...

• Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides dissolve very easily
with water and are carried very
far by the wind
...


Asthma
• Ozone, particulates, and other
compounds released during
coal burning, for example, can
contribute to the development
of asthma
...


Upper Respiratory and Eye
Irritation
• Ozone,
especially
the
secondary formation of the
gas, can cause significant
eye and throat irritation
...
These can
irritate the nose and skin
too, and cause a range of
respiratory problems
...

• It can react with biological
tissues and cause changes
in heart rate
...


Neurological Deficits
• Developmental
and
behavioral problems can
occur with exposure to
mercury,
which
is
emitted by coal burning
...


Cancer
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are known as
mutagens and carcinogens
...

• Inhalation of toxic organic compounds and chemicals
by anyone of any age can increase the risk of lung
cancer
...

• Dioxins have been associated with lymphomas, soft
tissue sarcomas, and stomach carcinomas
...

• These include aromatic
compounds,
dioxins,
heavy metals, lead, and
hydrocarbons
...

• Sulfur
dioxide
can
permanently damage the
lungs
...




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