A review on electrical and thermal energy for industries

Energy is a vital input for social and economic development of any nation. Currently the industrial sector is consuming about 37% of the world's total delivered energy use for diverse activities in manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and construction. It was reported that global industrial energy consumption is estimated to grow from 5.129E+07 GWh in 2006 to 7.198E+07 GWh in 2030 for the next 25 years. Presently, fossil fuel based energy such as oil, coal, and natural gas are the major sources of energy for industrial activities. Over 80% of total industrial energy needs are met by fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide which is responsible for negative impacts to the environment. This paper aims at reviewing diverse types of fuels used in industries. It starts with reviewing world fuel consumption trends, world carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption trends in industry. Characteristics including fuels energy contents, density, composition, emissions factors and many others factors have also been reviewed. This paper also reflects the possibility of using alternative fuels in industries. It has been found that switching to alternative fuels can offer many social and economic advantages and will result in a positive impact on the environment. Moreover, many alternative fuels have been found to have good energy content those are comparable with fossil fuels. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Energy is a vital input for social and economic development of any nation. Currently the industrial sector is consuming about 37% of the world's total delivered energy use for diverse activities in manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and construction. It was reported that global industrial energy consumption is estimated to grow from 5.129E+07 GWh in 2006 to 7.198E+07 GWh in 2030 for the next 25 years. Presently, fossil fuel based energy such as oil, coal, and natural gas are the major sources of energy for industrial activities. Over 80% of total industrial energy needs are met by fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide which is responsible for negative impacts to the environment. This paper aims at reviewing diverse types of fuels used in industries. It starts with reviewing world fuel consumption trends, world carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption trends in industry. Characteristics including fuels energy contents, density, composition, emissions factors and many others factors have also been reviewed. This paper also reflects the possibility of using alternative fuels in industries. It has been found that switching to alternative fuels can offer many social and economic advantages and will result in a positive impact on the environment. Moreover, many alternative fuels have been found to have good energy content those are comparable with fossil fuels.