Fuel
Properties
and
Storage
Coal is the oldest fuel and still used on large Scale throughout the world for power generation. It is a fuel which brought about an industrial revolution and made a dramatic charge in the life style of people. It sustained most of our combustion activity until oil was struck and even now continues to be a major source of energy.
After the first and second shocks of oil prices, the power industry in the western countries moved from oil to coal.
Mankind
has
realised
that
the
future
lies
in
establishing
an
energy
economy
at
the
earliest
possible
time,
based
on
sun,
wind,
ocean
tides
and
thermal
gradients,
biomass
etc.
All
effects
are
going
on
throughout
the
world
to
develop
such
non
conventional
ever
lasting
sources
of
energy.
But
it
will
take
time,
a
couple
of
decades
or
more,
to
develop
these
sources
and
in
the
present
condition
of
soaring
oil
prices,
the
coal
is
going
to
play
a
vital
role
in
the
power
generation
industry
at
least
for
20
to
30
years.
Keeping
this
in
mind,
all
oil
based
power
plants
are
shifting
to
coal
based
plants
in
USA
and
Europe.
In
India,
coal
is
the
only
source
of
power
generation,
and
it
will
play
more
important
role
in
coming
years.
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