Minimization of Moisture Readsorption in Dried Coal Samples

Low-rank coals csonstitute a major energy source for the future as reserves of such high-moisture coals around the world are vast. Currently they are considered undesirable since high moisture content entails high transportation costs, potential safety hazards in transportation and storage, and the low thermal efficiency obtained in combustion of such coals. Furthermore, low-moisture-content coal is needed for the various coal pyrolysis, gasification developed. Hence, various upgrading processes have been developed to reduce the moisture content. Moisture readsorption and spontaneous combustion are important issues in coal upgrading processes. This article discusses results of laboratory experiments conducted to study the options for minimization of readsorption of moisture after drying of selected coal samples. Results suggest that there is little benefit in drying low-rank coal at high temperatures. It was found that the higher the amount of bitumen used for coating, the lower is the readsorption of moisture by dried coal. Also, mixing high-temperature-dried coal with wet coal in appropriate proportion can yield reduced moisture content as the sensible heat in the hot coal is utilized for evaporation.     

Factors Affecting Quality of Dried Low-Rank Coals

The chemical and physical properties of coal are strongly affected by the upgrading process employed. For high-moisture coals, upgrading involves thermal dehydration to improve the calorific value of the coal on mass basis. This study evaluates the feasibility of upgrading a low-rank/grade coal using the oven drying method. The objective of this research work is to study the drying characteristics of low-rank coals and to understand the factors affecting the quality of dried low-rank coals. This article describes laboratory experiments conducted on the characterization of the low-rank coals before and after the drying process. The results on drying kinetics, re-absorption of coal samples, and proximate analysis of coal samples before and after drying are discussed. It was found that the upgrading process produced coal with better heating value and combustion characteristics than those of the raw coal samples.     

Factors Affecting Quality of Dried Low-Rank Coals

The chemical and physical properties of coal are strongly affected by the upgrading process employed. For high-moisture coals, upgrading involves thermal dehydration to improve the calorific value of the coal on mass basis. This study evaluates the feasibility of upgrading a low-rank/grade coal using the oven drying method. The objective of this research work is to study the drying characteristics of low-rank coals and to understand the factors affecting the quality of dried low-rank coals. This article describes laboratory experiments conducted on the characterization of the low-rank coals before and after the drying process. The results on drying kinetics, re-absorption of coal samples, and proximate analysis of coal samples before and after drying are discussed. It was found that the upgrading process produced coal with better heating value and combustion characteristics than those of the raw coal samples.     

Low-Rank Coal Drying Technologies—Current Status and New Developments

Despite their vast reserves, low-rank coals are considered undesirable because their high moisture content entails high transportation costs, potential safety hazards in transportation and storage, and the low thermal efficiency obtained in combustion of such coals. Their high moisture content, greater tendency to combust spontaneously, high degree of weathering, and the dusting characteristics restrict widespread use of such coals. The price of coal sold to utilities depends upon the heating value of the coal. Thus, removal of moisture from low-rank coals (LRC) is an important operation. Furthermore, LRC can be used cost effectively for pyrolysis, gasification, and liquefaction processes. This article provides an overview the diverse processes—both those that utilize conventional drying technologies and those that is not yet commercialized and hence in need of R&D. Relative merits and limitations of the various technologies and the current state of their development are presented. Drying characteristics of low-rank coal as well as factors affecting drying characteristics of coal samples are also discussed.     

Drying of Low-Rank Coal (LRC)—A Review of Recent Patents and Innovations

Despite being geographically dispersed, abundant, and accounting for almost half of the world's coal reserves, low-rank coals (LRCs) find limited use due to their high moisture content and high propensity for spontaneous combustion. Reducing the moisture content of low-rank coal enhances its heating value and reduces transportation costs, thus increasing its economic value. In addition, dried low-rank coals have been proven to improve plant efficiency, enhance safety, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although numerous technologies for coal drying already exist, it is often challenging, if not impossible, to find one that is cost-effective in all aspects. When selecting a dryer for coal upgrading applications, factors such as particle size/size distribution, throughput, energy consumption, material handling capabilities, safety, carbon footprint, capital and operating costs, return on investment, etc., are important considerations. This article provides an overview of the patent literature along with the archival literature that deals with drying of coal as well as biomass, which is relevant to coal drying.     

Fuel characteristics of molasses-impregnated low-rank coal produced in a top-spray fluidized-bed reactor

Upgrading low-rank coal (LRC) through various strategies is always an important issue. Here, we report the production of hybrid coals and an evaluation of their characteristics for use as a fuel in power plants. The hybrid coals (HCKs) were prepared by a combination of drying and biomass impregnation into an Indonesian LRC followed by a precarbonization process. We used a top-spray fluidized-bed reactor for drying, biomass impregnation, and precarbonization to produce hybrid coals that have improved fuel characteristics in terms of heating value, moisture readsorption, and combustion patterns. A systematic study reveals that experimental parameters, such as a bed temperature, bioliquid spraying procedure, and precarbonization temperature strongly influence the characteristics of the resulting hybrid coal, meaning that they have an important role in upgrading LRC. In particular, the hybrid coal prepared by a process of simultaneous drying and bioliquid spraying followed by precarbonization at 200–300°C showed high contents of fixed carbon, an improved heating value, lower moisture adsorption, and single combustion patterns in which the characteristics were dramatically upgraded for practical use as a fuel in power plants. In addition, the simultaneous process using a fluidized-bed reactor has great potential because it can achieve process simplification, reduce manufacturing costs, and handle coal particles easily.     

Analysis of D2 law in case of Shengli lignite drying under inert and uninert environment

Shengli lignite coal, originated from inner Mongolia China, contains significantly high amount of moisture (more than 30%) which can cause spontaneous combustion or other application problems. Thus, it is of interest to understand the heat and mass transfer mechanism of the low-rank lignite drying under different drying environments such as N₂, CO₂, air, argon, and helium. In this study, fundamental drying experiments with different drying agents were performed on coal samples using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method. Lignites with size of 0.045–0.075?mm were heated up from ambient temperature to a target temperature of 175°C under different environments at heating rates of 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 °C/min, respectively. It was found that thermal conductivity of drying media, heating rate, and initial moisture content are three most significant factors affecting lignite drying process. The highest moisture release rate and the lowest T_peak (when maximum moisture release rate occurred) were observed when drying with helium due to its highest evaporation constant (i.e., highest thermal conductivity). Moreover, higher heating rate and moisture content resulted in higher evaporation rate and T_peak. In the meantime, the classical D² law, which is used to simulate the liquid fuel droplet combustion, was further developed to describe the “group effect” of moisture evaporation process of solid fuel during drying. The D² law well explains the experiment results. Finally, the structures of the dried lignite samples under different drying mediums were investigated through scanning electron microscopy studies. It was found that lignite coals shrank and became more compact when dried out, especially with drying agent CO₂.     

Pulverized coal combustion characteristics of high-fuel-ratio coals

It is strongly desired for coal-fired power plants in Japan to utilize not only low-rank coals with high moisture and high ash contents, but also high-rank coals with high fuel ratio for diversifying fuel sources and lowering cost. In this study, pulverized coal combustion characteristics of high-fuel-ratio coals are experimentally investigated using an approximately 100 kg-coal/h pulverized coal combustion test furnace. The combustion characteristics are compared to those for bituminous coal. The coals tested are six kinds of coal with fuel ratios ranging from 1.46 to 7.10. The results show that under the non-staged combustion condition, the minimum burner load for stable combustion rises as fuel ratio increases. To improve the stability, it is effective to lengthen the residence time of coal particles in the high gas temperature region close to the burner outlet by using a recirculation flow. The conversion ratio of fuel nitrogen to NOx and unburned carbon fraction increases with increasing the fuel ratio. In addition, as the fuel ratio increases, NOx reduction owing to the staged combustion becomes small, and unburned carbon fraction increment becomes significant. The numerical simulations conducted under the staged combustion condition show that although the numerical results are in general agreement with the experimental ones, there remains room for improvement in NOx reduction model for high-fuel-ratio coals.     

A Critical Assessment of Industrial Coal Drying Technologies: Role of Energy,Emissions, Risk and Sustainability

Low-rank coals (LRCs) constitute about 45% of the total coal reserves and hence will soon be the fossil fuel of choice in many countries despite their high moisture content on mining, which varies from 30% to as high as 66%. It is important to reduce their water content to enhance the heating value and reduce transportation costs while enhancing combustion efficiency, safety, and reduction of emissions on combustion. The level of moisture to be achieved upon drying LRCs depends on the end application; it varies from as low as 0% for hydrogenation processes to 15% for briquetting and gasification processes. Numerous drying technologies have been proposed for drying coal; they include pulse combustion, vacuum, fluid bed, rotary, flash, microwave, and superheated steam drying. Each technology has some pros and cons, which are not always clearly spelled out in the literature. In addition, it is necessary to develop sustainable rather than just cost-effective drying systems for LRC. In this article we assess various coal drying techniques critically and identify their strengths and weaknesses. Some theoretical comparisons of different dryer types are carried out based on energy utilization and carbon footprints. The jury is still out on optimal drying technology for LRC and innovative design concepts should be evaluated before finalizing the selection.     

Effect of Ca- and Mg-bearing minerals on particle agglomeration defluidisation during fluidised-bed combustion of a South Australian lignite

Behaviour of calcium and magnesium during fluidised-bed combustion (FBC) of a South Australian lignite was investigated using a laboratory scale spouted bed combustion system. Combustion experiments were aimed at investigating the effectiveness of Ca- and Mg-bearing minerals (as alternative bed materials) in controlling particle agglomeration and bed defluidisation during FBC combustion of low-rank coals. Additional experiments performed with a Ca-treated coal investigated the role of Ca in agglomeration and defluidisation process. Experimental results indicated that both Ca/Mg-bearing minerals and Ca-treated coal were effective to different extents in reducing bed defluidisation. Tests with calcite (as the bed material) and Ca-treated coal runs (with sand as the bed material) showed trouble free operation for 8–10 h before bed defluidisation incurred. Tests with magnesite (as the bed material) showed no agglomeration and defluidisation tendencies for longer operating periods (∼12 h at 800°C). Mg-bearing compounds have been found to be effective in controlling defluidisation and allowed extended combustion operations. On the other hand, high levels of Ca either in coal or in bed material have been found to delay and decrease the severity of agglomerates formed.     

PREPARATION OF HYDROTHERMALLY TREATED LRC/WATER FUEL SLURRIES

The hot-water coal drying process is a means of thermally beneficiating and dewatering lignite and subbituminous coal for the purpose of preparing dense low-rank coal/water fuel. In hot-water coal drying, which is a form of hydrothermal treatment, low-rank coal in a water slurry is treated at elevated temperatures of 513 to 623  K and at pressures in excess of the equivalent saturated steam pressures lo minimize vaporization of the water. This produces a coal product which contains less than one-third the inherent moisture of the raw coal and which is resistant to moisture reabsorption. The hydrothermally treated coal/water slurry resulting from the process can be concentrated by mechanical means (centrifuge, pressure filter)to form a pumpable coal/water fuel with greater than 60 weight percent bone-dry solids content and with an energy content greater than 15·4 MJ/Kg (6600 Btu/lb). Hydrothermal treatment also beneficiates the coal by reducing oxygen and minerals. Over 94 percent of the energy content of the raw coal remains in the product. Low-rank coal/water fuel is typically a pseudoplastic fluid, and for some low-rank coals, the slurry is stable towards settling, without the use of additives.     

Effect of coal blending on particle agglomeration and defluidisation during spouted-bed combustion of low-rank coals

The possibility of blending coals to alleviate particle agglomeration and bed defluidisation during fluidised-bed combustion (FBC) of several low-rank coals was exploited. A laboratory scale spouted bed combustor was employed to fire coal blends from two lignites with a sub-bituminous coal at ratios of 50:50 and 90:10, at temperatures ranging 800°C. Experiments showed significant improvements in FBC operation with the coal blends compared to the raw lignites. No particle agglomeration and bed defluidisation were evident after 15 h of operation with the blends at 800°C. Chemical analyses indicated that the formation of low temperature eutectics was suppressed by calcium aluminosilicate phases from the sub-bituminous coal, rendering the surface of ash-coated particles dry and less sticky. This was identified as the key mechanism for the control of particle agglomeration and bed defluidisation in FBC, which led to extended combustion operation with the coal blends.     

DEACTIVATION OF DRIED SUBBITUMINOUS COAL

Deep drying of inherent moisture from subbituminous coal produces a dried product which is friable and very reactive to oxygen in air. The major problems in handling dried coal, which are unique to deep drying of low-rank coal, are: (1) avoidance of spontaneous combustion, (2) prevention of moisture reabsorption, and (3) control of dust. Atlantic Richfield has developed, and successfully demonstrated, technologies which solve all three problems. However, this paper will be confined to the spontaneous combustion problem

Low-temperature 'oxidation may result in spontaneous combustion' of the coal during storage or transit. The increased reactivity to low-temperature oxidation of dried coal is due to two factors: (1) the reduction in moisture content, and (2) the increase in temperature. A laboratory technique was developed to measure the coal reactivity to low-temperature oxidation at temperatures near ambient. Laboratory data was then used to develop a pseudo-first order kinetics model for dried subbituminous coal as a function of temperature and moisture content. The influence of particle size was also determined

A one-dimensional spontaneous heating model was formulated to evaluate the effects of wind velocity, coal pile porosity, thermal conductivity of crushed coal, and geometry of coal piles on the dried coal's tendency to spontaneous combustion. This model was validated against two large-scale spontaneous heating tests. Each test consumed about 800 pounds of dried coal.

Based on a selected combination of three deactivation methods and predictions of the computer model, a special product treatment procedure was developed and successfully demonstrated in pilot plant tests in 1983. Dried coal stockpiles (about 100 tons per pile) were monitored for four months under severe weather conditions with no evidence of either moisture reabsorption or spontaneous combustion.     

Investigation of combustion reactivity and NO emission characteristics of chars obtained from the devolatilization of raw and partially dried lignite

In an attempt to achieve the clean and efficient utilization of lignite, drying pre-treatment was performed in this study before lignite combustion. The combustion reactivity and NO emission characteristics of the partially dried lignite samples in the char combustion stage were investigated by means of TG and isothermal combustion tests, and the reactivity could be summarized as the following order: L1>L0.5>raw>L3>LT>L5 (chars obtained from the devolatilization of the raw and partially dried coals at 378 K for 0.5, 1, 3, 5, and 120 minutes) and the NO conversion ratio of L1 was the lowest. When the moisture content in the coal particles was relatively high (19.68%-35.84%), the drying treatment could increase the combustion reactivity and inhibit NO emission in the char combustion stage; When the moisture content was within a relatively low range (0.17%-19.68%), the moisture removal had negative effects on the reactivity and NO emission in the char combustion stage. The surface behaviour and microstructure of the raw coal char and chars derived from the partially dried coals were clarified by temperature programmed desorption/reduction (TPD/TPR) and Raman spectroscopy. The results illustrated that L1 derived from L_c1 (19.68%) was the most reactive sample with the largest amount of C(O) on the particle surface. There were also more reactive aromatic structures in L1 than other samples. Compared with direct combustion or excessive drying treatment, lignite should be dried to a certain degree (19.68%) for optimized lignite combustion.     

Modeling and Numerical Analysis of an Atypical Convective Coal Drying Process

This work presents modeling and numerical simulation of batch convective coal drying in a deep packed bed after a high-pressure steam treatment (a part of the Fleissner coal drying process). The process is atypical, because ambient air is used to dry and cool hot particles, while usually, e.g., in the deep packed bed drying of biomaterials, hot air is contacting cold particles. Product-specific data (intraparticle mass transfer, gas-solids moisture equilibrium) for coal (here lignite) are taken over from literature. Available data on coal drying in packed beds of medium height are used for model validation. Then, the model is applied to the considered industrial process. The design point of the process is critically reviewed, and alternatives are developed by systematically simulating the influence of inlet air conditions (temperature, humidity, flow-rate) and coal particle size. This type of analysis is necessary for efficiently scheduling plant dryers, since coal particle size may change, and air inlet temperature and humidity are changing with the ambient conditions.     

Control methods for remediation of ash-related problems in fluidised-bed combustors

Investigations into control methodologies for mitigating ash-related problems such as particle agglomeration and bed defluidisation during fluidised-bed combustion of low-rank coals are conducted using a laboratory scale spouted bed combustor. Two control methods are investigated viz., the use of alternative bed materials and pretreatment of coal. Bauxite and calcined sillimanite are used as alternative bed materials in the spouted bed combustor while burning a South Australian low-rank coal. Samples of the same coal subjected to Al pretreatment, water washing and acid washing are also tested. Experimental results indicated that both methods are effective to different extents in reducing particle agglomeration and bed defluidisation. Tests with calcined sillimanite and bauxite as bed materials showed no agglomeration for longer periods than with sand runs at the same bed temperatures. Al pretreatment and water-washing were also found to be effective and resulted in extended combustion operation. Al enrichment in ash coating on bed particles has been identified as the key mechanism for prevention of agglomeration and defluidisation by these control methodologies. For water-washing, the principal reason behind agglomeration and defluidisation control is the reduction in sodium levels.     

褐煤流化床提质性能研究

针对褐煤水分高、发热量低、易风化自燃等特点,以内蒙古褐煤为研究对象,进行了褐煤静态干燥实验和褐煤提质多因素实验。以O2体积分数10.5%的烟气为干燥介质,在分析褐煤流化床提质干燥机理的基础上,对褐煤进行流化床动态提质实验。结果表明:褐煤提质水分控制在5%左右为宜。褐煤粒级小于3 mm时,温度对煤样干燥速度影响最大,其次是煤样粒度,风速对干燥速度影响最小。确定全粒级、0.5~1.25、1.25~2、2~3 mm褐煤临界流化风速分别为38、20、40和50 m3/h。褐煤适宜提质温度和时间分别为200~240℃和5~8 min。最后建立了褐煤提质模型,说明褐煤提质规律与提质介质温度、风速密切相关,该模型对褐煤提质生产具有指导作用。     

Combustion and Pollutant Emission Characteristics of Lignite Dried by Low Temperature Air

Lignite is a kind of coal that has high moisture content and needs to be dried before being utilized. In this article, a Chinese lignite was dried in air at 120–180°C and the changes in its physical and chemical structures after drying were investigated. The results showed that the pore volume and specific surface area of the lignite decreased after drying. Some of the methylene and methyl groups were oxidized by the oxygen in the drying air, resulting in an increase in oxygen functional groups. The combustion characteristics of the dried coals and parent coal (dry basis) were studied via thermogravimetric analysis. The total volatile yields of the dried coals increased compared to the parent coal. The burnout temperatures of the dried coals were higher than the parent coal, whereas the ignition temperatures stayed almost unchanged. An entrained flow system was set up to study the release of nitrogenous gas products during rapid pyrolysis and combustion. The HCN yields of the dried coals during pyrolysis were higher than that of the parent coal, and a similar trend was found for the NO yield during combustion. The mechanism changes of combustion and pollutant emission characteristics were discussed according to the results of the physical and chemical structure analyses.     

Efficient <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> drying of low rank coal in a pressurized down-flow flash dryer

Flash drying of low rank coal with synthesis gas was addressed by using a pressurized down-flow dryer. The proposed method is a potential approach to secure gaseous water that is required in coal processing by utilizing moisture in the low rank coal. The drying process was promoted by increasing the initial temperature of the synthesis gas as a drying medium and decreasing the particle size of the coal. The moisture removal rate of the coal using synthesis gas at 9 bars and 500 °C reached up to 97% within ten seconds. Although it is a higher temperature than that of fixed bed or moving bed dryer, outlet moisture laden synthesis gas had the low level of tar enough to be a feedstock of downstream catalytic process due to the short residence time in the dryer. The chemical composition changes of the coal during the drying resulted in reducing oxygen content to the atomic ratio of oxygen to carbon as 0.1 and enhancing its calorific value. Disappearance of hydroxyl functional group from the surface and physical reduction of the surface area of the coal decreased the moisture re-adsorption capacity, which could prevent the spontaneous combustion of the low rank coal.     

加压水蒸气下年轻煤脱氧改质的研究

年轻煤是煤液化的良好原料 ,但它的氧含量高增加了煤液化过程中无用的氢耗 ,对这些煤进行脱氧改质有重要的意义 .选择了四种年轻煤——霍林河、小龙潭、义马和神华煤在高压釜内水蒸气气氛下进行了脱氧改质的研究 .结果表明 ,处理后煤样的氧含量和含氧官能团降低显著 ,氧的脱除率最高达到了 2 0 .7% .此外 ,煤质还有一些其他的变化 ,如热值和碳含量有所提高 ,最高内在水分和挥发分降低 ,表明煤阶有所提高 .对煤中的总酸性基、羧基和酚羟基的化学分析显示 ,脱氧改质后煤样的羧基、酚羟基等含氧官能团明显降低 ,羧基和酚羟基的最高脱除率分别达到了78.5 %和 31 .3% ,达到了脱氧改质的目的 .