Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Co-firing: Practice of introducing biomass into the boilers of coal-fired power plants.
Cogeneration: The production of electrical energy and another form of useful
energy (such as heat or steam) through the sequential use of energy.
Cogeneration system: A system using a common energy source to produce both
electricity and steam for other uses, resulting in increased fuel efficiency.
Combined cycle: An electric generating technology in which electricity is produced
from otherwise lost waste heat exiting from one or more gas (combustion)
turbines. The exiting heat is routed to a conventional boiler or to a heat
recovery steam generator for utilization by a steam turbine in the produc-
tion of electricity. Such designs increase the efficiency of the electric gen-
erating unit.
Combined heat and power (CHP) plant: A plant designed to produce both heat and
electricity from a single heat source. Note: This term is being used in place
of the term cogenerator , which was used by the U.S. Energy Information
Agency (EIA) in the past. CHP better describes the facilities because some
of the plants included do not produce heat and power in a sequential fashion
and, as a result, do not meet the legal definition of cogeneration specified in
the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA).
Commercial sector: An energy-consuming sector that consists of service-provid-
ing facilities and equipment of businesses; federal, state, and local gov-
ernments; and other private and public organizations, such as religious,
social, or fraternal groups. The commercial sector includes institutional
living quarters. It also includes sewage treatment facilities. Common uses
of energy associated with this sector include space heating, water heating,
air conditioning, lighting, refrigeration, cooking, and running a wide vari-
ety of other equipment. Note: This sector includes generators that produce
electricity or useful thermal output primarily to support the activities of the
above-mentioned commercial establishments.
Commercial species: Tree species suitable for industrial wood products.
Compressed natural gas (CNG): Mixtures of hydrocarbon gases and vapors, con-
sisting principally of methane in gaseous form that has been compressed.
Concentrating solar power or solar thermal power system: A solar energy con-
version system characterized by the optical concentration of solar rays
through an arrangement of mirrors to generate a high-temperature working
fluid. Concentrating solar power (but not solar thermal power) may also
refer to a system that focuses solar rays on a photovoltaic cell to increase
conversion efficiency.
Concentrator: A reflective or refractive device that focuses incident insolation
onto an area smaller than the reflective or refractive surface, resulting in
increased insolation at the point of focus.
Condensate: Water formed by condensation of steam.
Condenser: Equipment that condenses turbine exhaust steam into condensate.
Conifer: A tree or shrub in the phylum Gymnospermae whose seeds are borne in
woody cones. There are 500 to 600 species of living conifers.
Conservation: Managing natural resources (including preservation, restoration, and
enhancement) to prevent loss or waste.
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