Energy Technology

Abu Mathew, Shankar IAS

Coal
• Coal is formed from plants and vegetation buried, which got covered by deposits of sediments.

• Coal is a solid fossil fuel and a sedimentary rock composed primarily of carbon. There are various
basic grades of coal:
o Peat (< 60%)
o Lignite (60 – 70%)
o Bituminous (70 – 80%)
o Anthracite ( > 85 %).

• Coal is the result of plant material that grew in fresh water swamps approximately three hundred
million years ago. Since the plant material accumulated under water, in the swamps decay was
inhibited due to lack of oxygen.
• The weight of these sediments and the heat of the earth gradually changes peat into coal.
• Continued pressure and heat from the earth changes lignite into Bituminous (soft coal).
• If the heat and pressure were great enough then Anthracite coal (hard coal) would be formed
which has the highest heat and carbon content.
• Energy content is greatest in anthracite coal and lowest in lignite.
• Note: Sulphur content of coal is important because on burning low sulphur coal, it emits less
sulphur dioxide (SO2). It is lower in higher grade of coal.
Petroleum
• Oil and gas were formed from the remains of plants and animals that once lived in the sea. For
over millions of years these remains remained buried under mud and rock under great pressure
and at high temperatures. Under these conditions marine biomass gradually changed into oil
and gas.

• Petroleum or crude oil (oil as it comes out of the ground), is a thick dark liquid consisting of a
mixture hundreds of combustible hydrocarbons along with small amounts of sulphur,
oxygen and nitrogen impurities.

• In refineries oil is heated and distilled to separate it into components with different boiling
points (Fractional distillation). The important components are gases, gasoline, kerosene, diesel
oil, naphtha, grease and wax and asphalt.

• The products of oil distillation are called petro-chemicals which are used as raw material for the
manufacture of pesticides, plastics, synthetic fibers, paints and medicines etc.
Fractional Distillation
Natural Gas
• Natural gas, primarily consist of methane (70-90%), is often found above reservoirs of crude oil.

• It also contains small amounts of heavier gaseous hydrocarbons such as ethane

(C2H6), propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10) and also small amounts of highly toxic hydrogen
sulphide (H2S).
• CNG - produced by compressing natural gas to less than 1% of its volume at standard
atmospheric pressure. It is stored at high pressure (for storage in small volumes).
• LNG - created by cooling natural gas to around -162 C.
• Note: Cooking gas - known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is mixture of propane and butane.
LPG can be liquefied at relatively higher temperatures compared to LNG, which needs to be
cooled to around -162°C (-260°F) to become liquid.
Shale Gas
• Shale gas is natural gas found in shale deposits, where it is trapped in microscopic or
submicroscopic pores.
• It is extracted from shale rock through a process called hydraulic fracturing(fracking).
• Steps :
1. Deep holes are drilled and then horizontal drilling is used to access more gas.
2. A mixture of water, chemicals, and sand is pumped into the holes at high pressure.
3. The water pressure cracks the rock, and the gas flows into the well bore and up to the
surface, where it is collected.
India holds promising reserves of Shale Gas & Oil resources and the following sedimentary basins
are considered prospective from Shale oil and gas point of view:
• Cambay Basin, Gondwana Basin, KG Basin, Cauvery Basin, Indo-Gangetic Basin and Assam &
Assam-Arakan Basin.
Coal Bed Methane and Coal Gasification
What Is Coal Bed Methane (CBM)?
• It is an unconventional form of natural gas found in coal deposits or coal seams. It is formed
during the process of coalification, the transformation of plant material into coal.

Coal Gasification
• This involves a chemical process to transform coal into natural gas or other chemicals.
• Coal is mixed steam and air and fed into a gasifier (a high-pressure vessel) that operates at high
temperatures. The chemical reactions that occur in the gasifier convert the coal into syngas
(CO,H, NH4) and ash or slag. The syngas is further mixed with steam to convert carbon
monoxide into more hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
• The syngas can be converted into synthetic natural gas by combining it with hydrogen over a
nickel catalyst in a methanation reactor to create methane and water vapor.
Note: This is especially useful in India context, where India has surplus coal capacity and is deficient
in other cleaner fossil fuels such natural gas.
Biomass Energy
Biomass energy involves using organic materials as fuel to produce electricity, heat, or
transportation fuels.
• These materials include wood, agricultural residues, and other plant-based materials.
• Biomass is considered renewable because it can be replenished over a relatively short period of
time, unlike fossil fuels.

Methods to convert Electricity: Biomass can be converted into electric power through several
methods.:
• Combustion of biomass material:
o The most common is direct combustion of biomass material, such as agricultural waste or
woody materials.
• Gasification:
o Gasification produces a synthesis gas with usable energy content by heating the biomass
with less oxygen than needed for complete combustion.
• Pyrolysis:
o Pyrolysis yields bio-oil (organic compounds such as carboxylic acids, ketones, aldehydes,
sugars etc) by rapidly heating the biomass in the absence of oxygen.
• Fermentation:
o The process of converting biomass into ethanol, a type of biofuel. It uses microorganisms
to break down sugars from biomass.
Biofuel
First Generation Biofuels:
• made from food sources such as sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using conventional
technology.
• Biofuels include Bio-alcohols, Biodiesel, Vegetable oil, Bioethers, Biogas.

Second Generation Biofuels:

• produced from non-food crops or portions of food crops that are not edible and considered as
wastes, e.g., stems, husks, wood chips, and fruit skins and peeling.
• Examples include cellulose ethanol, biodiesel.

Third Generation Biofuels:

• These are produced from micro-organisms like algae. Example- Butanol

Fourth Generation Biofuels:

• Crops used are genetically engineered to take in high amounts of carbon are grown and
harvested as biomass.
• The crops are then converted into fuel using second generation techniques.
• Some of these fuels are considered carbon negative as their production pulls out carbon from
the environment.
Biofuel
• Biofuels, particularly ethanol and methanol, are increasingly recognised as sustainable
alternatives to conventional fossil fuels.

Ethanol Blending in Petrol in India

• Production: Ethanol is typically produced through the fermentation of sugars found in crops
like sugarcane, corn, and beet.
• Blending Process: Ethanol is blended with petrol to create E10 (10% ethanol and 90%
petrol), E15, or even E85 (85% ethanol) blends.
• Benefits: It reduces greenhouse gas emissions, as ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline.
• It also helps in diversifying energy sources and supports agricultural sectors.
• Challenges: High ethanol blends may require modifications to petrol engines
• Food vs. Fuel issue – concerning use of food crops for fuel production.
Methanol Blending in Petrol:
• Source and Production: Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, can be produced from natural
gas, coal, or biomass.
• Blending Process: Methanol is blended with petrol in various proportions, commonly as M5 (5%
methanol and 95% petrol) or M15 blends.
• Benefits: Methanol blending reduces carbon emissions and is cost-effective compared to pure
petrol.
• Challenges: Similar to ethanol, methanol can be corrosive and may require engine and
infrastructure adjustments.
PYQ
With reference to two non-conventional energy sources called 'coalbed methane' and 'shale
gas' consider the following statements:
1. Coalbed methane is the pure methane gas extracted from coal seams, while shale gas is
a mixture of propane and butane only that can be extracted from fine-grained
sedimentary rocks.
2. 2. In India, abundant coalbed methane sources exist, but so far, no shale gas sources
have been found. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only 2. (c) Both 1 and 2

(b) 2 only (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Hydrogen Fuel Cell
The Types of Hydrogen based on the process of its formation:
• Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy (like Solar,
Wind) and has a lower carbon footprint.
o Electrolysis - Electricity splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.
• Brown hydrogen is produced using coal where the emissions are released into the air.
• Grey hydrogen is produced from natural gas where the associated emissions are released
into the air.
• Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas, where the emissions are captured using
carbon capture and storage.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell
• Green Hydrogen Fuel Cells are a clean, reliable, quiet, and efficient source of high-quality
electric power.
• A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy.
o It consists of two electrodes (anode and cathode) separated by an electrolyte.
The Process of Generating Electricity:
• Green hydrogen is supplied to the anode side of the fuel cell.
• At the anode, hydrogen molecules release electrons and become positively charged hydrogen
ions (protons).
o Electrons flow from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, generating an
electric current.
• Oxygen from the air is supplied to the cathode.
• At the cathode, oxygen molecules combine with electrons and protons to produce water
vapor (H2O) as a byproduct.
Thank you!
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