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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Coal characteristics and their relationship to combustion techniques

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5363076
The analyses of coal characteristics versus combustion techniques indicate the following: (1) The single retort stoker will burn all coals from anthracite to lignite but not necessarily with equal success. Characteristics such as size consist, ash fusibility, and degree of caking nature are important and tend to influence the performance. (2) The multiple retort stoker performs best with the eastern caking bituminous coals. As in the single retort stoker, size consist, ash fusibility and degree of caking are important characteristics. (3) Spreader stokers will handle all ranks of coal except anthracite. The size consist appears to be the most important single characteristic for this stoker. Other characteristics are of secondary importance in coal selection. (4) Traveling stokers can handle every type of solid fuel with the exception of strongly caking bituminous coals. Recent experiments with careful sizing to eliminate fines indicate that even these coals may be used with proper precautions. The combination of the degree of free burning versus size consist has been carefully studied in selecting coal for this stoker. (5) Pulverized firing appears to be the most universal method of firing coal because all ranks of fuels may be used. (6) Thus far, cyclone firing has not attained the versatility of pulverized firing in handling as wide a range of coals.
Research Organization:
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Dept. of Fuel Technology
OSTI ID:
5363076
Report Number(s):
SR-7
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English