96/00038 Coal blending in the '90s and beyond

Abstract

More and more utilities are leaning toward coal blending as a means of maintaining capacity while lowering emissions or reducing fuel cost. This trend has highlighted new concerns: blend facilities, blending techniques and blend confirmation. A recent project used several blending techniques, from off-site to on-site blending. Barge terminals, which blended coals using volumetric flows and mass flows, served as off-site facilities. The blended coal was transported by barge to another river terminal from which it was hauled by truck to the plant. The blended coal from each barge terminal was then blended on a mass basis with a third coal directly into coal bunkers. This paper describes the facilities and techniques, problems, and solutions in more detail. Several factors, such as sulfur, calcium and heating value, were used to confirm blend accuracy. The usability of these factors and the reasons for their level of success are described. This paper also presents the conclusions reached concerning the methods of blending and confirming the blend.