Thermal power engineering. Fuel and ecological issues, and development prospects

Abstract

The 21^st century is challenging thermal power engineering, as a fundamental basis of the global economy, with the historically momentous task of its development with account of the following factors: limited reserves of conventionally exploited non-renewable natural energy carriers, principally, oil and natural gas; extending the consumption of renewable energy carriers with greater efficiency; the need to reduce substantially the technogenic (ecologically hazardous) impact on nature and humans. The present fuel and ecological crisis of global thermal power, including global climate warming, is found to be a man-induced and ecological reality linked to the following factors: the explosive growth of the planet's population and its depredation of NATURE; the ever-increasing level of ineffective utilization of natural resources; the critically hazardous environmental pollution with supertoxic materials; and the degradation, deterioration and destruction of biosphere systems, including the global biota. The fallout of all this is a declining quality of the biota's functioning, including such functions as bio productivity, environment formation and climate stabilization. Therefore, this global crisis can be overcome by changing the vector of global economic development, including economising and greening of all areas of human activity, stabilizing the population size and restoring critical natural ecosphere regulators, and among them, the planet's climate.