Preparation and analyses of low-rank coals for combustion applications: Final report

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:7004109

Smit, F J; Maas, D J

The preparation of low-ash and low-sodium micronized low-rank coal (LRC) fuels for test firing in a gas-turbine combustor module is described in this report. Four subbituminous coals and one lignite were examined for their amenability to the preparation of high-quality powder and coal-water slurry fuels (CSF). The data base included the proximate, ultimate, ash composition, trace element, heating value, and free swelling index determinations and the slurry rheology for the raw coals and for the same coals after various physical separations, chemical treatments and hydrothermal processing. Eagle Butte subbituminous coal from the Powder River Basin was selected for preparation of ''available-quality'' and ''improved-quality'' micronized powder and slurry fuels for the combustion tests. This coal was cleaned in a dense-medium separator for preparation of available-quality fuels. Two advanced beneficiation steps were added for preparation of improved-quality fuels. The additional steps were (1) acid treatment to remove sodium and soluble ash minerals and (2) hydrothermal processing at 330/sup 0/C to improve the heating value and the rheology of the CSF. Twenty-four hundred pounds (dry basis) of minus 30-micrometer fuel were prepared for the combustion testing. A conceptual design was developed and costed for a 650,000 tpy improved-quality micronized CSF plant fueling 100 MW of gas-turbine generating capacity. The plant would be located adjacent to a mine in northeastern Wyoming. The capital construction cost for the plant was estimated to be $86.9 million and the operating cost for the plant (including amortization) was projected to be $4.55 per million Btu (HHV), FOB plant. The operating cost could be reduced to $3.22/MBtu if the plant were scaled for 500 MW of generating capacity instead of 100 MW. 19 refs., 12 figs., 31 tabs.

• Research Organization: AMAX Research and Development Center, Golden, CO (USA); North Dakota Univ., Grand Forks (USA). Energy and Mineral Research Center
• DOE Contract Number: AC21-84FC10623
• OSTI ID: 7004109
• Report Number(s): DOE/FC/10623-2225; ON: DE87001034
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010300* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Preparation-- (1987-)
010600 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
014000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Combustion
ASHES
BROWN COAL
CALORIFIC VALUE
CAPITALIZED COST
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
COAL
COAL FINES
COAL PREPARATION
COAL PREPARATION PLANTS
COAL RANK
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
COMMINUTION
COST
DATA
DEASHING
DESIGN
DIAGRAMS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLOWSHEETS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL SLURRIES
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INFORMATION
LIGNITE
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
NUMERICAL DATA
OPERATING COST
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REMOVAL
RESIDUES
RHEOLOGY
SLURRIES
SUBBITUMINOUS COAL
SUSPENSIONS
SWELLING
SYNTHESIS
WATER
WATER REMOVAL