Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Reducing the moisture content of clean coals

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6940788
 [1]
  1. CQ, Inc., Homer City, PA (United States)
Volume four contains the results of an Empire State Electric Energy Research corporation and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) funded investigation to evaluate the effects and economics of applying ultrasonic waves to commercial-scale dewatering and classifying of fine coal. Pre-treating minus 28 mesh Upper Freeport Seam coal using an ultrasonic tray device improved subsequent dewatering by a vacuum disc filter after thickening in a cyclone, but it did not improve dewatering by a screen-bowl centrifuge after cycloning. Dewatering of Pittsburgh Seam coal also improved when the coal was ultrasonically treated, but it only manifested during thickening in the cyclone. Cycloning also increased the removal of fine, high-ash content clay particles from Pittsburgh Seam coal. In contrast, ultrasonically-treating Upper Freeport Seam coal did not improve subsequent classifying by a rapped sieve bend. Based on a specific example of results in this test work for Upper Freeport Seam coal, using an ultrasonic tray to aid dewatering of finely-sized coal can be economically beneficial. For other coals and dewatering devices, however, the economics for using ultrasonic trays to enhance fine coal dewatering will differ.
Research Organization:
Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Empire State Electric Energy Research Corp., New York, NY (United States); CQ, Inc., Homer City, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
EPRI; Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
OSTI ID:
6940788
Report Number(s):
EPRI-CS-5869-Vol.4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English