1. The U.S. Clean Air Act limits sulfur emissions from large coal-fired boilers to 0.54 kilograms (1.2 pounds) of sulfur per million Btus (British thermal units) of heat generated (1 metric ton = 1,000 kilograms = 2,200 pounds = 1.1 tons; 1 kilogram = 2.2

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  • Given that coal used by power plants has a heating value of 27.5 million Btus per metric ton (25 million Btus per ton), determine the number of kilograms (and pounds) of coal needed to produce 1 million Btus of heat.
  • About 10,000 Btus of heat input are required for an electric utility to produce 1 kilowatt-hour (kwh) of electrical energy. How many metric tons (and how many tons) of coal must be supplied each hour to provide the input heat requirements for a 1,000-megawatt (1-million-kilowatt) power plant?
  • Assuming that this power plant uses coal with 1.00% sulfur and operates at full capacity 24 hours per day, how many metric tons (and how many tons) of sulfur will be released into the atmosphere each year?