Coal-Fueled Diesel Technology Assessment Study: systems performance and cost comparisons

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6219869

Holtz, R E; Krazinski, J L

This report examines the performance of diesel engines operating on coal-based fuels and compares their power generation costs with those of corresponding oil-burning prime movers. Similar performance and cost comparisons are also presented for an alternative prime mover, the direct-fired gas turbine in both a simple-cycle and a regenerative-cycle configuration. The coal-based fuels under consideration include micronized coal, coal slurries, and coal-derived gaseous fuels. The study focuses on medium-speed diesel engines for locomotive, marine, small stationary power, and industrial cogeneration applications in the 1000 to 10,000 kW size range. This report reviews the domestic industrial and transportation markets for medium-speed engines currently using oil or gas. The major problem areas involving the operation of these engines on coal-based fuels are summarized. The characteristics of available coal-based fuels are discussed and the costs of various fuels are compared. Based on performance data from the literature, as well as updated cost estimates originally developed for the Total Energy Technology Alternatives Studies program, power generation costs are determined for both oil-fueled and coal-fueled diesel engines. Similar calculations are also performed for direct-fired gas turbines. The calculations illustrate the sensitivity of the power generation cost to the associated fuel cost for these prime movers. The results also show the importance of reducing the cost of available coal-based fuels, in order to improve the economic competitiveness of coal-fueled prime movers relative to engines operating on oil or gas. 50 refs., 9 figs., 11 tabs.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6219869
• Report Number(s): ANL/FE-85-16; ON: DE86006156
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330102* -- Internal Combustion Engines-- Diesel
330800 -- Emission Control-- Alternative Fuels
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL PREPARATION
COAL-FIRED GAS TURBINES
COMBUSTION
COST
DIESEL ENGINES
DISPERSIONS
ECONOMICS
EMISSION
ENGINES
FUEL SLURRIES
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
FUELS
GAS TURBINES
HEAT ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
MACHINERY
MANUFACTURERS
MARKET
MIXTURES
OXIDATION
PARTICLES
PULVERIZED FUELS
SLURRIES
SUSPENSIONS
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
WEAR