A Study of Ultrafine Coal Pulverization and Its Application

摘要

The overall coal beneficiation and transport system under development by the Office of Coal Research is centered around the concept of an integrated coal preparation and transport-gas generating system employing the latest and most modern processes and equipment. First, a techno-economic evaluation of the application of pulverized coal-firing to small commercial and industrial installations was made to establish the current status and potential of ultrafine coal in this field. Second, a program of having ultrafine coal custom ground to specifications in available commercial-scale equipment was conducted to obtain first-hand data from the manufacturer on the economics of ultrafine pulverization of coal. Custom grinding tests by four equipment manufacturers were made using three basic types of mills, namely, the ball mill, the fluid energy mill, and the vibro energy mill. Third, the closed-circuit ball mill and the steam-driven fluid energy mill were chosen for further evaluation and development in the laboratory under closely controlled conditions.