ACARP Project Number: C7001
Published:
December 97
Philip Bennett
A technical review has been undertaken on coal
characterisation of Pulverised Coal Injection (PCI) with the aim to
prioritise research areas where Australian research organisations
can make a significant contribution to the understanding of the
impact of coal characteristics on PCI.
This technical review expands on the ACARP
project completed by Bennett and Holcombe (1994) and recent studies
that have been undertaken by CoalTech for Australian coal companies
and the Queensland Government. Some of this recent work has been
reported by Bennett (1997a, 1997b).
As PCI technology matures, operators are now no
longer focusing their research on problems associated with
implementing PCI systems, eg lance design and blockages in
transport lines. The current research into PCI is examining:
- the
impact of coal quality on blast furnace performance,
- how high
rates of coal injection influences the stability and productivity
of blast furnaces,
-
improvements in coke size and quality required for high PCI
rates.
Recently, there have been a large number of
papers published in both the open literature and in company
technical reports covering the experiences of steel makers in
Europe, China and Japan. In addition, the level of understanding of
the combustion characteristics of coal under the severe conditions
of the raceway and gasification has progressed.
This report has summarised these recent findings
showing the differences in research directions of the major
producers and highlighting the impact PCI coal quality on the
operation of the blast furnace. Where possible the blast furnace
performance parameters have been directly related to coal
properties. As a result of this review possible research areas that
are required to meet the needs of the Australian Coal Industry are
identified.
