Integrated use of coal and coal-containing waste

Abstract

The current aggravation of such serious challenges as minimization of harmful emissions and suppression of the carbon footprint can be largely resolved through the more efficient and integrated use of fossil fuels with the accompanying production of additional products. Coals, including low-grade, carbon-containing, and vegetable waste, can be recycled into combustible gases, liquid fuels, and special types of coke, or smokeless fuel briquettes. On the other hand, this requires the development of new highly efficient technologies for the preparation, recycling, and use of fuels. The article discusses theoretical and experimental studies, and also presents schemes for thermal contact fuel preparation and recycling aimed at effective integrated use of fuels in standard boilers, and boilers with a circulating fluidized bed (CFB), or in special units with waste heat boilers. In CFB boilers, heat is transferred from the circulating particles to the processed fuel by direct thermal contact. In typical boilers, fuel preparation and recycling are carried out in conveyors with a heating jacket. Recycling of coals into special types of coke is carried out in a thermal-oxidative coking unit.