Power Plant Engineering

2.6. LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
“Energy cannot be newly created. Energy cannot be destroyed. In a closed system, the total mass
and energy remains unchanged. In a closed system the energy is conserved”.
The law does not distinguish between useful and wasted energy. The law neglects ‘losses’ from
the closed system into the environment.
In an energy conservation process, energy is transmitted from one or more forms to another form/
forms resulting in certain work, heat transfer and energy loss.
In a closed system containing certain quantity of matter and energy, several energy transforma-
tions may take place from one form to another. The total mass and energy in the closed system remains
unchanged.
2.7 FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT ENERGY
These are the figures about energy of World Energy Production;
27% Coal
21% Natural Gas
39% Crude Oil
6% Nuclear
6% Hydro-electric Power
Fossil Fuels are 87% of the world’s energy production. Wind and Solar energy are less than 1%
of the world’s production.

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POWER PLANT ENGINEERING
Distribution of World Oil Reserves
66.3% Middle East
6% Africa
8.4% North America
5.0% Far East/Oceania
5.9% East Europe
1.5% West Europe
6.9% Central South America
*This was the reason for the gulf war.
2.8 INDIAN AND GLOBAL ENERGY SOURCES
We do different types of work every day. Energy is required for it. Heat energy from burning
fuels like wood, coal, petrol and cooking gas are widely used for cooking and other purposes. Different
forms of energy are converted into electrical energy. The electrical energy thus obtained is used to
operate radio, television, and lamps and to run vehicles and heavy machines in factories. Think of a
situation where there is no energy. Not only our daily activities but also our life will come to a stand still.
Thus energy is an inseparable part of our life. This topic deals with different sources of energy and their
characteristics.
Sources of energy are those, which can supply adequate amount of energy in a suitable form for
long periods. The major sources of energy, aside from human and animal power, are petroleum re-
sources, natural gas, coal, hydropower, biomass, geothermal, nuclear, wind and solar. Theoretically
these resources can be substituted for one another in order to perform a specific task. However, in
practice, substitution would be subject to technical and economic limitations that circumscribe the use
of such energy resources for specific purposes at given locations and periods of time. Few energy re-
sources are used and consumed at the same location in which they are found, and most of them require
generally elaborate transportation and conversion facilities to make them useful for performing the
intended task. Analysis of energy resources, therefore, should cover availability and also the production,
processing and distribution facilities. Some of the energy sources are: