Design of coal preparation plants: problems and solutions

Abstract

With the increase of coal production, the requirements to its quality are also increasing. Improvement of coal quality is only possible with the use of coal preparation methods. The main objective is to achieve 100% treatment volume of the mined coal. In recent years, only in the Kuznetsk Basin 15 coal preparation plants have been built. Addressing coal research and design is an important stage in construction and operation of coal preparation plants. At present time the calculation of flow sheets is based on the initial data of the study of operational samples (industrial) samples, taken directly from the mine (open cast) without taking into account breakage on handling of coal from the mine (open cast) to the coal preparation plant. Analysis of CPPs operation has shown that the design data do not meet the actual performance data. One of the reasons is the wrong approach to flow sheets calculations and to the choice of equipment. The report presents the design problems and their solutions. During the process of coal transportation from the mine (open cast) to the CPP the coal grinding occurs. Its composition varies in both size and quality of individual size grades. Size grades washability changes, thus affecting the choice of preparation methods and equipment. The report presents examples of qualitative changes of the mined coal during transportation and recommendations on the correct choice of input data for the design of new CPPs and reconstruction of the existing ones.