Coal

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure. Coal is composed primarily of carbon along with variable quantities of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Industry: Energy

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Coal

backup fuel

Energy; Coal

In a central heat pump system, the fuel used in the furnace that takes over the space heating when the outdoor temperature drops below that which is feasible to operate a heat pump.

backup generator

Energy; Coal

A generator that is used only for test purposes, or in the event of an emergency, such as a shortage of power needed to meet customer load requirements.

backup power

Energy; Coal

Electric energy supplied by a utility to replace power and energy lost during an unscheduled equipment outage.

balancing authority (electric)

Energy; Coal

The responsible entity that integrates resource plans ahead of time, maintains load-interchange-generation balance within a Balancing Authority Area, and supports Interconnection frequency in real ...

balancing item

Energy; Coal

Represents differences between the sum of the components of natural gas supply and the sum of the components of natural gas disposition. These differences may be due to quantities lost or to the ...

barrel

Energy; Coal

A unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons.

barrels per calendar day

Energy; Coal

The amount of input that a distillation facility can process under usual operating conditions. The amount is expressed in terms of capacity during a 24-hour period and reduces the maximum processing ...