Development and evaluation of highly-loaded coal slurries. [Coal-fuel oils, coal-fuel oils-water and coal-water]

Technical Report · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6386575· OSTI ID:6386575

McHale, E T

For the past two and one-half years Atlantic Research has been conducting a research program which involved development and combustion of slurries of coal in oil and in water. In Phase II good candidate slurries chosen from Phase I were burned in an experimental furnace and their combustion performance evaluated. Two slurry fuels were chosen for the combustion study. One consisted of a 50/40/10 (weight) coal/oil/water mixture, and the other was a 65/35 coal/water slurry stabilized with modified corn starch. The emphasis was placed on the coal/water slurry. Firings were conducted in a one MMBTUH experimental furnace constructed and instrumented for the purpose. A specially designed swirl burner/atomizer was developed for use with the coal/water slurry. Both slurries were burned successfully. Numerous firings were performed of up to one-half duration each. In the case of the coal/water slurry a small amount of gas assist was usually used, although this was eliminated in several shorter duration tests. Thermochemical calculations for coal/water slurries are presented. The presence of water in the slurry represents a relatively small energy penalty. A slurry made from a good coal will have a calorific value in the range of 10,000 Btu/lb. The heat required to vaporize the water of a 70/30 mixture is only about 300 Btu/lb slurry, or about 3 percent. Analysis of the results led to the conclusion that significant improvement in the burning maybe achievable, possibly to the point where combustion rates would be comparable to those of heavy oil. Because of the availability of coal, its cost advantage relative to oil, and especially because of the ease of handling of a liquid fuel, coal/water slurry appears to have considerable potential as a future fuel.

• Research Organization: Atlantic Research Corp., Alexandria, VA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-77ET13041
• OSTI ID: 6386575
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/13041-T2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
013000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
BURNERS
CALORIFIC VALUE
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
DATA
DESIGN
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL OILS
FUEL SLURRIES
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LIQUID FUELS
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
NUMERICAL DATA
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
RHEOLOGY
SLURRIES
STABILITY
STABILIZATION
SUSPENSIONS
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER