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Content archived on 2022-11-21

Quality control in coal utilisation processes

Objective

The targeted project 'quality control in coal utilisation processes' initiated by the European Commission covers a wide range, of activities to develop a comprehensive process control and quality assurance for coal preparation, blending, coking and other hard coal utilisation.

DMT will carry out the project management and co-ordination between project partners.

Descriptions of the individual parts of the project are given below.

Improvement of coal preparation systems (DMT)

The research work is aimed at the development of largely standardised preparation processes for various hard coal qualities on the basis of research and development work done up to the present. The design of a quality control process is also covered by the programme of work.

- review of the most important research and development projects of the past years to assess them and to group them by subjects;

- setting-up of a basic process flow sheet for coal preparation. This flow sheet will be extended to cater for the properties of the various feed coal qualities and the specified product by the necessary mechanical and process technology;

- design of optimised wash water circuits for minimising fresh water demand;

- closing of automation gaps by selection of suited sensors;

- development of a control concept for the preparation processes;

- testing of the latest developments in the field of control technology such as fuzzy logic.

Integration of process control and management systems applied to coal preparation plants (JMC Mining Services)

Development of 'Integrated coal preparation control', integrating all levels of control into a composite package. This will enable management to monitor operations, compare actual and predicted performance using dynamic models and to make strategic decisions based upon underlying trends. This package will also .be capable of incorporating other areas of research work in the control field employing artificial intelligence (e.g. fuzzy logic).

The project will specify software/hardware suitable for application of the integrated control in a typical plant control room environment.

- review of previous work on individual control strategies from all sources (expert systems, dynamic modelling) and assessment of how these can be integrated into the generic system structure of a global package;

- selection of a typical dense medium coal preparation plant circuit complete with fines treatment processing on which will be based the design of the 'integrated plant control system";

- dynamic modelling of the various processes to establish a basic understanding of process interactions. Examination of the means of optimising actual performance by dynamic modelling;

- implementation of an integrated plan control system gathering together on-line monitoring and control, dynamic modelling, strategic quality management and plant auditing;

- assessment of the designed 'integrated control system' in a commercial environment.

Optimisation of integrated fine coal processing for improved coal quality (U.Nottingham)

The aim of the project is to investigate the optimisation of fine coal recovery through two interactive studies :
Study of potential improvements in coal quality arising from the use of integrated fine coal cleaning circuits i.e. spiral concentrations and froth flotation. In addition to conventional flotation, novel flotation technologies will be studied (column technique and Jameson cells); development of a computer simulation model of the spiral concentrator for fine coal using data generated by new procedures of float-sink analysis allowing for the effects of coal porosity.

Blended feedstocks of fine coal washery residues, improved or not, and of high quality coals to be burned in fluidised bed combustion (ISSeP)

The main objectives of this proposal are :

- to study the suitability for combustion of fine coal washery residues (residues stored in settling ponds or 'fresh' fine by products as they leave the preparation plant) either separately or as a blend;

- to study a possible mixture of these residues with coal;

- to arrive at a fuel composition giving globally efficient combustion in a fluidised bed boiler;

- to study the scurrying of the mixtures and the rheology of the scurries;

- to evaluate the advantages of pre-treatment of these fine products on combustion efficiency, on blend conditioning, on flue gas composition. The pre-treatment comprises ash removal and desulphurisation in an integrated process involving selective agglomeration and oxydesulphurisation.

- selection of fine residues and coats, and formulation and characterisation of blends;

- design of the fuel preparation plant and integration into existing pilot facilities;

- combustion tests of several fuels in a 2 MWth fluidised bed boiler.

Investigations and development of improved methods for mixing and handling of blended coats (U. Glasgow)

The project will address the problem of the blending and handling of graded and non-graded coals by fundamental studies and practical testing and demonstration so that consistent blended products can be achieved and maintained.

The importance of correct conveying, storage and reclamation techniques will be considered with due attention to the problem of segregation or 'de-mixing' of blended products.

Scale up parameters will be established so that a full scale blending and handling plant specification can be prepared, appropriate for both graded and non-graded coals.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

Deutsche Montan Technologie - Gesellschaft für Forschung und Prüfung mbH (DMT)
EU contribution
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Address
Franz-Fischer-weg 61
45307 Essen
Germany

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Total cost
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Participants (5)