subject: What fuel is the best? [print this page] What fuel is the best? What fuel is the best?
For a long time our far cave ancestors were warmed at fires. The flame was used also for illumination and for cooking. Fire was supported by the fire wood, and they, these pieces of a tree, for a long time were a principal view of fuel for mankind.
But centuries have passed, people on a planet became more and more, and woods ever less. And in a XIX-th century England the most advanced industrial country of that time was comprehended by fuel crisis. Fire wood on island has ceased to suffice for needs of the population and the industry. It was necessary to search urgently simething for replacement.
Searches, however, were short. That also coal and oil perfectly can burn, people knew a long time before. In England, and then and in other countries of the world in due course have learned to heat coal even better, than fire wood. Certainly, it didn't mean at all that about fire wood people have immediately forgotten. In those places where wood was in a prosperity, fire wood was still widely used. So, in Russia fire wood gave the beginnings of 20 centuries more than half of all energy, coal - the one fourth part, the sixth oil.
In 1910 as the statistics testifies, the fuel in the most part of the world was made already by coal 65 %. Behind it there was fire wood and on last place there was an oil. Its share in world fuel balance made only 3 %, and natural gas wasn't used at all.
In 70th years the first place in fuel balance was confidently occupied with oil about 35 %. The coal share has decreased to 30 %. On the third place there was a natural gas about 20 %. Then there was fire wood 10 %.
Today the first places occupy oil and gas they provide more than two third of fuel balance.
Why so it has turned out? After all and today it is enough coal: its reconnoitered stocks make 87,5 % of all fuel stocks of a planet. And all the matter is that oil and gas are more convenient in operation.
These conveniences are especially visible on transport. For today almost all requirement for fuel of courts and diesel locomotives, planes and cars, tractors and motorcycles is provided at the expense of oil and gas.
And such tendency, most likely, will remain still for a long time. Because oil with gas burn better than any other fuel. So warmth of combustion of oil approximately in 1,5 times above, than of the coal, and in two with superfluous time exceeds warmth of combustion of fire wood.
