Energy Sources Part A-recovery Utilization and Environmental Effects, Vol.34, No.1-4, 72-81, 2012
An Environmental Analysis of Illinois Coal Entry into the Transportation Market
Using Illinois coal in transportation has varied environmental consequences. This study calculated the total CO2 emissions from gasoline and eight other vehicle propulsion methods involving Illinois coal. Vehicle propulsion methods of ultra super critical electrical cycle, integrated gasification combined electrical cycle, pulverized coal in a sub-critical electrical Ode, and electricity from a hydrogen fuel cell emitted the lowest CO2. Vehicle propulsion methods using Illinois coal to produce ethanol, butanol, and integrated gasification combined electrical cycle/ethanol emitted CO2 comparable to gasoline. The vehicle propulsion method of Fischer-Tropsch diesel emitted the most CO2. It was concluded that energy efficiency and CO2 offset from agricultural growth and by-products were the most influential factors of CO2 emissions.