The influence of seam non-homogeneity on the composition of the gas produced by underground conversion of coal

摘要

Underground gasification of coal is being researched in several countries of the world, including Romania. The process develops in the underground, within the coal seam, and it requires a direct control of the physical parameters involved in the reaction zone. The only of the physical available information for the control of this process is the flowrate and the pressure of the gasification supply, as well as the composition of the obtained gas. There are models which enable the correlation of these parameters, but thei are all based on an "average sample" of coal from the seam. Howewer, it is known that the seam is not homogenous and the variation of its components can be determined by previous studies. This not homogeneity leads to variations os gas composition and, implicitly, to possible erroneous interpretations and decisions in the developement of the process.