Pulverized coal-fired boiler in the context of "Coal power"

Comminution is the reduction of solid materials from one average particle size to a smaller average particle size, by crushing, grinding, cutting, vibrating, or other processes. Comminution is related to pulverization and grinding. All use mechanical devices, and many types of mills have been invented. Concomitant with size reduction, comminution increases the surface area of the solid.

For example, a pulverizer mill is used to pulverize coal for combustion in the steam-generating furnaces of coal power plants. A cement mill produces finely ground ingredients for portland cement. A hammer mill is used on farms for grinding grain and chaff for animal feed. A demolition pulverizer is an attachment for an excavator to break up large pieces of concrete. Comminution is important in mineral processing, where rocks are broken into small particles to help liberate the ore from gangue. Comminution or grinding is also important in ceramics, electronics, and battery research. Mechanical pulping is a traditional way for paper making from wood. The mastication of food involves comminution. From the perspective of chemical engineering, comminution is a unit operation.

A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate about a third of the world's electricity, but cause many illnesses and the most early deaths per unit of energy produced, mainly from air pollution. World installed capacity doubled from 2000 to 2023 and increased 2% in 2023.

A coal-fired power station is a type of fossil fuel power station. The coal is usually pulverized and then burned in a pulverized coal-fired boiler. The furnace heat converts boiler water to steam, which is then used to spin turbines that turn generators. Thus chemical energy stored in coal is converted successively into thermal energy, mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy.