OVER-ALL EVALUATION OF COAL PROPERTIES FOR NON-TRADITIONAL USE AT THE STAGES OF SEARCH AND ESTIMATION WORKS

The present-day noitons about possible directions of non-traditional use of coals are considered, the choice of the optimal complex of material-genetic parameters and indices of coals quality at the stages of search and estimation works is substantiated, for their evaluation as a raw material for production of synthetic liquid fuel, wax, coal-humic preparations of various destination, coal-alkaline reagents, pigments, filtering materials, silica carbide, sulphocoals, thermoanthracite on the base of analysis and generalization of the laboratory research and modeling of treatment processes has been made.

Influence of Bio-Coal Properties on Carbonization and Bio-Coke Reactivity

Coke corresponds to 2/3–3/4 of the reducing agents in BF, and by the partial replacement of coking coals with 5–10% of bio-coal, the fossil CO2 emissions from the BF can be lowered by ~4–8%. Coking coal blends with 5% and 10% additions of bio-coals (pre-treated biomass) of different origins and pre-treatment degrees were carbonized at laboratory scale and with a 5% bio-coal addition at technical scale, aiming to understand the impact on the bio-coal properties (ash amount and composition, volatile matter content) and the addition of bio-coke reactivity. A thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) connected to a quadrupole mass spectroscope monitored the residual mass and off-gases during carbonization. To explore the effect of bio-coal addition on plasticity, optical dilatometer tests were conducted for coking coal blends with 5% and 10% bio-coal addition. The plasticity was lowered with increasing bio-coal addition, but pyrolyzed biomass had a less negative effect on the plasticity compared to torrefied biomasses with a high content of oxygen. The temperature for starting the gasification of coke was in general lowered to a greater extent for bio-cokes produced from coking coal blends containing bio-coals with higher contents of catalyzing oxides. There was no significant difference in the properties of laboratory and technical scale produced coke, in terms of reactivity as measured by TGA. Bio-coke produced with 5% of high temperature torrefied pelletized biomass showed a similar coke strength as reference coke after reaction.

Characteristics of Water Contaminants from Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) Process—Effect of Coal Properties and Gasification Pressure

One of the most important issues during UCG process is wastewater production and treatment. Condensed gasification wastewater is contaminated by many hazardous compounds. The composition of the generated UCG-derived wastewater may vary depending on the type of gasified coal and conditions of the gasification process. The main purpose of this study was a qualitative and quantitative characterization of the UCG wastewater produced during four different UCG experiments. Experiments were conducted using semi-anthracite and bituminous coal samples at two distinct pressures, i.e., 20 and 40 bar. The conducted studies revealed significant relationships between the physicochemical composition of the wastewater and the coal properties as well as the gasification pressure. The strongest impact is noticeable in the case of organic pollutants, especially phenols, BTEX and PAH’s. The most abundant group of pollutants were phenols. Conducted studies showed significantly higher concentration levels for bituminous coal: 29.25–49.5 mg/L whereas for semi-anthracite effluents these concentrations were in much lower range 2.1–29.7 mg/L. The opposite situation occurs for BTEX, higher concentrations were in wastewater from semi-anthracite gasification: 5483.1–1496.7 µg/L, while in samples from bituminous coal gasification average BTEX concentrations were: 2514.3–1354.4 µg/L. A similar relationship occurs for the PAH’s concentrations. The higher values were in case of wastewater from semi-anthracite coal experiments and were in range 362–1658 µg/L while from bituminous coal gasification PAH’s values are in lower ranges 407–1090 µg/L. The studies conducted have shown that concentrations of phenols, BTEX and PAH’s decrease with increasing pressure. Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to enhance the interpretation of the obtained experimental data and showed a very strong relationship between three parameters: phenols, volatile phenols and CODcr.

Effects of Parent Coal Properties on the Pyrolytic Char Chemical Structure: Insights from Micro-Raman Spectroscopy Based on 32 Kinds of Chinese Coals

The chemical structures of pyrolytic chars prepared from 32 kinds of Chinese coals were investigated with micro-Raman spectroscopy in this study. Both first-order and second-order Raman spectra of the chars were curve-fitted and analyzed. The effects of the parent coal properties, including coal rank, volatile, fixed carbon, and ash content, on the pyrolytic char structures were detailed discussed and the correlations between these coal properties and pyrolytic char chemical structures were set up. Multiple-factor analysis was done to propose a comprehensive coal property index that relates well to the pyrolytic char chemical structure. The results indicate that the aromatization degree is the key distinguishable structure of pyrolytic chars prepared from coals with various rank, and the alkyl C−H and aryl C−H structures have no significant difference. The aromatization degree of pyrolytic char decreases with the increase of coal rank, while it increases with the increase of the fixed carbon content in parent coals. The high content of moisture in parent coal can induce condensation of the pyrolytic char, but the inorganic composition probably prevents the condensation of the char. Limited correlations between the coal rank, fixed carbon, moisture and ash content, and the aromatization degree of pyrolytic chars were found. A comprehensive coal property index: (fixed carbon content + moisture content)/(volatile content + ash content) (in air dry basis) combining the coal properties together relates well to the aromatization degree of pyrolytic char and can act as a good indicator for the pyrolytic char chemical structure. This study reveals the effects of the parent coal properties, including coal rank, fixed carbon, moisture, and ash content, on the pyrolytic char chemical structure, and provides a new comprehensive coal property index to predict the pyrolytic char chemical structure.

Influences of Coal Properties on the Principal Permeability Tensor during Primary Coalbed Methane Recovery: A Parametric Study

Coal permeability is intrinsically anisotropic because of the cleat structure of coal. Therefore, coal permeability can be denoted by a second-order tensor under three-dimensional conditions. Our previous paper proposed an analytical model of the principal permeability tensor of coal during primary coalbed methane (CBM) recovery. Based on this model, 18 modeling cases were considered in the present study to evaluate how the principal permeabilities were influenced by representative coal properties (the areal porosity, the internal swelling ratio, and the Young modulus) during primary CBM recovery. The modeling results show that with regard to the influences of the areal porosity on the principal permeabilities, an increase in cleat porosity reduces the sensitivity of each principal permeability to pore pressure change. The magnitudes of the principal permeabilities are positively proportional to the internal swelling ratio. The principal permeabilities thus tend to monotonically increase with a depletion in the pore pressure when the internal swelling ratio increases. Because the internal swelling ratio represents the extent of gas-sorption-induced matrix deformation, an increase in the internal swelling ratio increases desorption-induced matrix shrinkage and thus induces an increase in permeability. The principal permeabilities are positively proportional to the isotropic principal Young moduli and the synchronously changing anisotropic principal Young moduli. On the other hand, the principal Young modulus within the plane of isotropy influences the principal permeabilities within this plane in diverse patterns depending on both the dip angle of the coalbed and the pitch angle of the cleat sets. The principal permeability perpendicular to the plane of isotropy is positively proportional to this principal Young modulus, and this correlation pattern is independent of both the dip angle and pitch angle.

New Ash and Sulfur Dioxide Emission Limit Levels for Large Combustion Plants and Best Available Techniques of Stack Gases Treatment

In order to determine new technological parameters for reviewing ITS 38-2017, the authors analyse coal properties and techniques for sulphur and ash removal from the stack gases. The technologies of ash purification and desulphurization of gases are analyzed and recommendations for their effective use are given. New technological emission parameters for ITS 38-2017 review proposed and recommendations provided for expanding the list of the Best Available Techniques to be implemented at Russian large combustion plants.