Fuels are the substances which produces large amount of heat on combustion. This heat is used for many domestic and industrial applications. Fuels are of various types, fossil fuels is one of them. Fossil fuels found in the earth crust. Solid, liquid and gaseous are the three types of fuels based on the physical state. Coal is very important fossil fuel and various aspects of coal are discussed in this course. In this course study of a solid fossil fuel is discussed.

The coal is one of the important fossil fuel. This course covers process of formation of coal, elemental composition of coal, types of coal, need for the analysis of the coal. Carbon is the main element in the coal. Along with carbon other elements like Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Sulphur and Oxygen are also present in the coal. Two methods like proximate and ultimate analysis are there for analysis of coal. In proximate analysis percentages of moisture, volatile matter and ash are determined. In ultimate analysis percentages of elements like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen from coal are determined.

These Methods of analysis are discussed in detail in this course. Problems based on proximate and ultimate analysis of coal are also covered in this course.