4 Main Types of Conventional Energy

This article throws light upon the four main types of conventional energy. The types are: 1. Coal 2. Petroleum 3. Hydro-Electricity 4. Nuclear Power.

Conventional Energy: Type 1. Coal:

Coal is a sedimentary rock, occurring in layers between other sedimentary rocks such as shale’s, sandstones and lime-stones.

Types of Coal:

There are many varieties of coal. The chief among them are:

1. Peat:

Occurs in bogs, especially in areas of cool temperate climates where slow accumulation of partly altered vegetative fibres has given rise to deposits of varying extent and thickness.

2. Lignite:

True lignite is brown in colour. The higher grades vary from dark brown to black. The moisture content and carbon content is about 40%.

3. Bituminous:

Coals are usually black, varying from dead black to highly lustrous. The moisture content is relatively low and carbon content is from 50% to about 80%.

4. Anthracite:

Is a hard and dense coal which is relatively free of iron compounds and moisture. The amount of fixed carbon may be as high as 95%. It is jet black, lustrous and of excellent coherence.

Uses of coal:

Coal is principally used as fuel for domestic fire and as power for factories, locomotives, steamships, for smelting ores of metals, for coke-ovens and for electric power houses and gas works. Peat is used for making thermal power. Lignite coal is used for manufacturing briquettes.

World Distribution of Coal:

Coal is found in many countries of the world. The major producers are — USA, UK, CIS (former Soviet Union), China, India etc. In North America, the Appalachian coal-fields are the most important. The centres are Pittsburg, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Kentucky, Birmingham, Chicago, Oklahoma, Kansas etc. In United Kingdom, important coal centres are Northumberland and Durham, Lancashire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Shorpshire are other centres.

CIS (former Soviet Union):

Donetz basin is the largest coal field. Besides, Pechora, Caucasus field supply coal. The Kuznetok basin and Kuzbas are most important. The other fields are Karaganda, Amur valley near Vladivostok, and island of Sakhalin. In China, coal is found in the Loess Highland of Shanti, Shensi, Honan, Kansu. The Raniganj, Jharia, Daltanganj, Wardha valley, Singarani are important centres of India.

Conventional Energy: Type 2. Petroleum:

Is a mineral product found underground in the form of liquid, solid and gaseous form. It is an important source of power in modern world.

Uses:

Petroleum is used for generating heat and power and for lighting and lubricating purpose. It is the best known lubricating oil in the world without which modern machinery would come to a halt. Besides, it has numerous by-products like kerosene, petrol or gasoline, asphals, paraffin, tar, petrol cake etc. Besides, a whole range of petro-chemical products like artificial rubber, chemical fertilizer, insecticides are obtained from petroleum.

World Distribution of Petroleum:

Petroleum is found in many countries which can be categorized into three belts:

(a) American belts

(b) The Middle Eastern belts

(c) The far-eastern region belts.

(a) American belts:

The USA is the 2nd leading producer of petroleum in the world. The main regions are — The Appalachian region runs from south-western New York through western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, west Virginia, Kentucky, Ten­nessee. The Lima-Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas have many fields.

(b) The Middle Eastern belts:

The countries of Saudi-Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar are important. In Saudi Arabia, the important fields are Damman, Abquaiq, Qatif, Ghawar, Haifa are important centres. In Iraq, oil-fields are located at Baba Gagur, north of Kirkuk, Khanakin etc. In Iran, oil fields are at Musjid-i-Suleiman, Halt-kel, Goch Saran, Agha Jaria, Naft Safid, Lali etc. In Kuwait, the principal oil-field is located in Burgan hill district.

(C) The far,-eastern belt:

Includes Myanmar (Burma), Indonesia, Sarawak, China, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, India. The principal regions of Indonesia are Balik, Papan and Pallenbang. In Myanmar, oil is found in Irrawaddy valley of upper Myanmar. In India, oil is found in Digboi, Lakhimpur, Nahar Katiya, Moran, Bappapung, Hansanpung. Masimpur, Badarpur and Patharia. Besides, Bomaby High region produces high quality petroleum oil.

Conventional Energy: Type 3. Hydro-Electricity:

We use electric power in every aspect of modern civilized world. Electric power can be of two types —

(a) Hydro-electricity and

(b) Thermal power.

Hydro-electricity is the most utilized source of power in the modern world. Water is a free gift of nature which, properly harnessed, can give unhindered source of electricity.

Distribution:

Hydel power is found and utilized in countries like Africa, USA — Washington, Oregon, California, Switzerland, CIS (former USSR), Italy, Norway, France, Canada, Sweden, India and Japan.

Conventional Energy: Type 4. Nuclear Power:

In the modern world, nuclear power is the most important form of energy which has given power to some countries of the world. Scientists have acknowledged the fact that the source of energy lies in the atoms of various substances — or rather in the nuclear part of the atoms — and hence is called atomic or nuclear energy. In this type of energy, yield is closely related to metals like uranium, radium, thorium, lithium, plutonium etc.