Energy quality is the relative economic usefulness per heat equivalent unit of different fuels and electricity. One way of measuring energy quality is the marginal product of the fuel, which is the marginal increase in the quantity of a good or service produced by the use of one additional heat unit of fuel. These services also include services received directly from energy by consumers. Some fuels can be used for a larger number of activities and/or for more valuable activities. For example, coal cannot be used directly to power a computer whereas electricity can. The marginal product of a fuel is determined in part by a complex set of attributes unique to each fuel: physical scarcity, capacity to do useful work, energy density, cleanliness, amenability to storage, safety, flexibility of use, cost of conversion, and so on. But also the marginal product is not uniquely fixed by these attributes. (more…)

Gasification is a thermo chemical process that has been exploited for more than a century for converting solid feedstocks to gaseous energy carriers. The first gasifier patent was issued in England at the end of the 18th century and producer gas from coal gasification was mainly used as lighting fuel throughout the 19th century. At the turn of the 20th century, the main use of producer gas, obtained essentially from coal, switched to electricity generation and automotive applications via internal combustion engines. The use of producer gas was gradually supplanted by the use of higher energy density liquid fuels and as a result confined to areas with expensive or unreliable supplies of petroleum fuels. (more…)

We have seen that energy is basic for life and activities in nature and society. Energy is a measure of value in physical terms. However, the more complex a system or a process becomes, the less can be said by physics. Even the term ‘‘complexity’’ is problematic. There are several definitions of complexity as a quantitative concept in information theory. (more…)

Geopolitical risk refers almost always to primary energy carriers (oil, gas, coal, uranium or renewable energy) since their location depends on the vagaries of geology and climate. Production and energy consumption are thus often physically far apart and take place in countries and regions with different histories, cultures and values. Apart from oil & gas exploration and production, all other steps of the energy chain such as refinement or enrichment, energy conversion and distribution can be moved physically closer to the final customer or are, like consumption, directly under the latter’s control. (more…)

Energy is consumed by various segments of the economy, including households, commercial establishments, manufacturing enterprises, and electric power generators. Only a portion of total energy demand is sensitive to temperature changes. (more…)

The hydrogen can come from various sources including fossil fuels, wind, solar, biomass, nuclear, solar thermo-chemical reactions, and solar photolysis. (more…)

If you are not up-to-date with scientific developments, you probably have not have heard of the process of converting gas to liquids. It might not sound like it could apply to many people, but in fact it should appeal to everyone. This newer method of using our natural resources to our advantage could be the key to less reliance on foreign energy sources, resulting in lower natural gas prices. (more…)

Coal is an important energy source and energy consumption in United States as well as worldwide. It will remain so for many years particularly in many developing countries. Fossil fuels stay as the main energy sources to the U.S. economy, but we can not ignore the importance of coal for decades. Coal production provides the price stability and will continue to be an significant source for electricity generation. Coal utilization is the major source of hydrogen in the coming hydrogen-based energy economy and it will be a crucial source of gas to liquid process of fuels energy.

Coal utilization and the importance of coal as source of energy industry perspective will change over time. (more…)

World energy use has increased steadily over the past several decades. Much of the growth in world energy consumption has been concentrated on the use of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal). This trend is expected to continue over the foreseeable future. Industrially mature nations will continue to rely on fossil fuels to meet their energy needs for all end uses, but the greatest rate of energy use is projected to occur in the emerging economies of the developing world. (more…)