COAL PREPARATION

CHRIS HOLT

Coal Preparation
Coal characteristics
Chemical and Physical
Coal handling aspects
Homogenize or not ?
Mills for coal grinding
Coal milling circuits
Firing Systems
Direct/Indirect
Safety, indirect systems

Coal composition -1
Combustibles

Inerts

Component
Carbon

Burns to
CO 2

Hydrogen

H 2O

Sulfur

SO2 /SO3

Ash
Oxygen

CO 2 /H2O

Nitrogen

Fuel NOx

Properties
Calorific value
Greenhouse gas
Calorific value
Water vapour
Calorific value
(small)
Emissions/corrosion
Reduce LSF
Adjust SR/AR
Reduces CV
Reactivity (fires etc)
Emissions

Coal Composition - 2
Component Nature
Moisture

Volatiles

Properties

Comments

Free moisture
(air dried)

Handling
Selection of milling
(especially with fine system
coal >30% <3mm)

Combined

Coal reactivity
(volatility/fires )

Safety precautions

Loss at 900C
(1652 F)

12% - 45%
Coal reactivity
(volatility/fires )

Safety precautions
Fineness targetting

Coal Composition - 3
Component Range

Comments

Sulfur

Build up and coating Subject to raw materials

and process
Gypsum usage

0.4 - 4%

Lmits

Clinker hardness
Chlorine

Alkalis

0 - 0.5%

0.1 - 0.5%

Build up and coating

0.1 Dry Process

EP Operation

0.4 Wet, Semi Wet/Dry

Build up and coating Subject to raw materials

Cement strengths
and cement specifications

Coal Properties - Physical Analysis

Test
Hardness Hardgrove
Index

Range
40 - 100
Hard => Soft

Abrasivity Yancy - Geer 10 - 800 mg

Price

Comments
Power requirements
Mill sizing

Mill system selection

Materials of construction

Hardgrove Index vs Mill Production

Based on Data from Spiers

% of Maximum mill throughput

100
90
80
70
60
50
40

40

60

80

Hardgrove Index

100

Yancy Gear Price test

Steel shaft driven by
drill motor through
chuck
Dust tight bearing

Carga de
4 kg de
carbn

4 paletas
de fierro
blando

Steel Pot
Vertical
section of
paddle

Dust tight thrust

bearing

Effect of concentration of various minerals on abrasive wear

( particles less than 75 m)
8

6
5

Qu
ar
tz

Wear rate . mg/kg

4
3
2

te
i
r
e
si d
calcite
0

% Mineral Additin

Wear due to coal only

10

Ash Variability
Source
S. Africa

%Typical % Range User

18

17 - 19

Antoing

Comments
SD 0.8%

Belgium
East Germany

26.2

Poland

10.2

USA.

15.0

Russia

15.4

24.6 - 31.2 Aalborg

6.5 - 14

SD 1.5%

Aalborg

SD 2.0%

12.1 - 18.8 Aalborg

SD 1.7%

8.4 - 23.1

SD 3.5%

Reclaiming
system

Stacking
system

Example of a circular
coal blending stockpile
Stacking
system
A

Type of coal

Carbon

Hydrogen

Oxygen Moisture

VM

Peat

45 - 60

6.8 - 3.5

45 - 20

90 - 70

75 - 45

Brown coals and

Lignites

60 - 75

5.5 - 4.5

35 - 17

50 - 30

60 - 45

Bituminous coals

75 - 92

5.6 - 4.0

20 - 3

20 - 1

50 - 11

Anthracites

92 - 95

4.0 - 2.9

3-2

Typical US coal.

80 - 85

4-5

4-5

2-3

29 - 33

Sub Bituminous

58 - 63

4-5

12 - 14

20 - 23

40 - 42

86 - 90

2-3

3-6

12 - 15

1.5 - 3.5 10 - 3.5

(Chile)
Petroleum coke

Airswept ball mill

Note - large outlet

trunnion

Lifters important to
maintain

Classifying lining
Partition wall with lifters

Ball Mills - usually airswept

Pros
Low maintenance
Reliable
Good on abrasive coals

Cons
High power cost
(system 36 kwh/tonne)

Poor drying
(<12%)

Slow control response

More complex circuit
(less safe)

More expensive

Firing systems
What must the firing system do
Grind coal to the desired fineness

Dry coal to an acceptable moisture

Inject fuel to the kiln at the required velocity
Be Flexible
Be Reliable
Be Economical to install and operate
Be Safe

Typical indirect coal firing system

Recycle gas
75-85 degC

Filter

Mill exit
gas
75-85 degC

static or
dynamic
separator

Feed
Product
bin

Multiple firing points

Hot gas
from kiln

Mill inlet
gas 250 degC

400 degC

Schematic - static separator

Adjustable
separator
vanes

Airflow and fines

Rejects or grits
Mill product and airflow

Pfister design - coal feeder

Indirect firing - typical safety features 1

Design

Mill - Explosion resistant

Coal transport - explosion resistant
Ductwork - explosion relief
Filter - explosion relief
Fine coal storage -explosion relief
CO2 or N2 fire suppression
All plant designed to prevent coal deposition

Note:- preferred explosion relief is a self closing door arrangement

Indirect firing - typical safety features 2

Control and instrumentation

CO and O2 monitoring - filter O/L and bin

Filter temperatures (inlet /outlet + differential)
Temperatures, filter hopper, coal storage bin.
Fast closing dampers on filter inlet/outlet
Temperature and flow balancing controls

Indirect firing - typical safety features 3

Process operation
Using low oxygen kiln gas with interlocks to
prevent operation at high oxygen.
Need to minimize inleak (filter corrosion)
System normally operates at a low air/coal ratio

Drying capacity - Typical firing systems

Direct firing primary air less than 20%
Suction mill - high inleak
Direct firing primary air less than 20%
Pressurised mill - low inleak
Indirect firing standard separator
Indirect firing larger separator

0 - 10% Coal moisture

(higher if primary air is higher)

0 - 15% Coal moisture

(higher if primary air is higher)

Probably

0 - 18% Coal moisture

0 - 25% Coal moisture

What the firing system must not do

Affect clinker quality

Limit the choice of fuel source (excessively).
Cause kiln stops (damage to refractories).
Cause fires/explosions - be unsafe
Waste fuel, increase fuel costs

COAL PREPARATION
CHRIS HOLT