Coal and Ash Analysis

This focused training program provides an in-depth understanding of coal and ash analysis, crucial for optimizing combustion efficiency and managing byproducts in thermal power plants. Participants will learn essential techniques for analyzing coal quality and ash characteristics, which directly impact plant performance and environmental compliance.

Chapter #1 Coal Formation & Rank
o This chapter covers the different Ranks of coal
Peat, lignite, sub bituminous, bituminous and anthracite
o Changes in moisture, volatile, oxygen and CV are covered
o Sulfur in coal, depositional environment
o Sodium and Calcium levels in low rank coals

Chapter #2 Coal Sampling
o Coal Sampling methods accuracy.
Hand sampling issues
Mechanical sampling requirements
Stop belt and Bias Testing
o Errors in sampling high ash or high moisture fuels

Chapter #3 Proximate Analyses
o What it is and how to do it = oven and scale
o Moisture, Volatile, Ash, Fixed Carbon
o Sulfur and CV added for “short prox”
Forms of sulfur – mineral pyrite
o Reporting bases – AR, ADB, Dry, MAF/DAF
How to use and best formats

Chapter 4 Using Prox Analyses
o Coal Price in $/MBtu
o Loading levels lb/MBtu, Kg/M Kcal
o How much sulfur and ash does the boiler see?
o Coal Specifications in percent or loading levels?

Chapter 5 Ultimate Analyses
o Ultimate Analyses – Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen
o Combustion calculations
o Dulong CV
o Air to Fuel Ratios
o Coal Reactivity

Chapter 6 Calc. Net CV
o How to calculate Net CV
o Issues with hydrogen values
o Best use of Net CV
o When not to use Net CV

Chapter 7 HGI
o HGI Hardgrove Grindability Index
o What it measures
o How to measure HGI
o Problems with measuring HGI
o Using HGI to estimate Mill Capacity
o HGI does not estimate wear – Using Quartz estimates

Chapter 8 Ash Fusion Temperatures
o Used for Stoker fired boilers in the 1920’s
o What they are and why they are hard to use
o Reducing and Oxidizing oxen conditions
o Why oxidizing AFT should be higher than reducing AFT

Chapter 9 Ash Chemistry - Major & Minor Elements in Coal Ash
o Ash Chemistry or Major & Minor Elements or "Ash Minerals"
o Which Elements, reported as oxides, and where they come from in the fuel
o How to measure elements, AA, ICP, X-Ray
o Calcium and SO3 levels in coal ash
o Two forms of Iron – FeO & Fe2O3

Chapter 10 Using Ash Chemistry
o Base to Acid Ratio
o Slagging and Fouling potential
o Elemental Loading levels
o Fly ash type,
o Water wall corrosion
o ESP Operation and fly ash resistivity