Kinetics of methane and tar evolution during coal pyrolysis

The first objective of this work was to compare the pyrolysis behavior of coals coming from different geographic locations (South Africa, South America, Europe, Australia, and North America). This preliminary study was limited to the kinetics of methane and tar evolution, with data on additional species to be reported in a separate publication. The second objective was to examine the possible relationship between tar and methane evolution during pyrolysis. This study was done by employing a thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (TG-FTIR). The evolution curves for 35 coals of different elemental compositions were measured at three different heating rates (10, 30, and 100 K/min). Pyrolysis kinetics were described using a simple first-order reaction model. The technique, first proposed by Kissinger, is based on the variation of the temperature at which a volatile species evolution rate is a maximum (T_max) as a function of the heating rate. The TG-FTIR data for tar evolution reveal a generally consistent behavior for coals from different parts of the world, showing increasing activation energies with increasing coal rank. The same correlation is also true for methane, although the slope of the activation energy versus carbon content curve is rather flat, at least up to about 90% carbon content. The values of activation energies for methane evolution were found to be lower in the case of the Argonne coals, as compared with the non-US coals. A study of the temperatures at which the evolution of methane and tar begins (T_ini), and the temperatures at which the evolution rates reach a maximum (T_max), reveals a correlation between the T_ini for methane and T_max for tar. This may be due to the fact that both tar and methane evolve as a result of similar reactions involved in the breakup and recombination of the coal macromolecular network.     

Predicting nitrogen release during coal tar decomposition

This paper develops a detailed phenomenological reaction mechanism for N-species transformations throughout tar decomposition, including tar-N sequestration into soot. It expands the previously validated mechanism for tar decomposition based on FLASHCHAIN^® theory to cover N-transformations during pulverized fuel firing. Tar-N transformations are described by two distinctive features: (1) An elimination reaction that produces HCN governs the decay in the average moles of nitrogen per aromatic nucleus throughout tar decomposition; and (2) Empirical observations determine the fraction of tar-N incorporated into soot. Validation cases represent heating rates of at least several thousand degrees per second; temperatures from 600 to 1100 °C; tar contact times from 75?ms through 2?s; and coal ranks from subbituminous through low volatile bituminous. The predicted partitioning of coal-N into tar-N, HCN, soot-N, and char-N was within measurement uncertainties for all coals for simulated p. f. firing conditions, including the variation in fractional char-N levels from 0.4 to 0.8 across this domain. Since primary tar-N levels are directly proportional to fractional primary tar yields, and since ultimate soot-N levels account for one-third of tar-N with any coal type, the ultimate coal-N partitioning for CFD furnace simulations can be accurately described with two analyses: (1) A primary devolatilization mechanism to predict primary tar yields under rapid heating conditions; and (2) A submechanism to predict HCN release from char throughout devolatilization up to the point of char ignition. Dynamics may be resolved with either global reactions or the full tar decomposition mechanism, depending on the impact of the lag between tar decomposition and soot production in the subject application.     

Predicting ultimate soot yields from any coal

This study presents a simple prediction method for soot yields from any coal, provided that the thermal processing is severe enough to completely incorporate all the aromatics in primary tars and oils into a so-called ultimate soot yield, and given the yield and elemental composition of primary tar. It also introduces a 3-step quasi-global reaction scheme to describe the dynamic approach to ultimate soot yields for deployment in CFD furnace simulations, where the rate parameters are evaluated to match the predicted dynamics from a comprehensive tar conversion mechanism. The predicted ultimate soot yields are validated with measurements for coal ranks from brown coals to anthracites, for heating rates of at least several thousand degrees per second; temperatures from 900 to 1300 °C; and tar contact times from 75?ms through 14?s. Primary tar, defined as the aggregate amount of all condensed aromatics from primary devolatilization, determines the ultimate soot yields from any coal at any operating conditions. Ultimate soot yields from any coal can be evaluated from the yield and FLASHCHAIN^®-based elemental composition of primary tar as accurately as they have been measured. On average, only 18% of the primary tar mass is excluded from the ultimate soot product, which mostly reflects the exchange of C₂H₂ into soot for the CO that carries away tar-oxygen. This exchange nearly compensates for the much more extensive elimination of heteroatoms and aliphatics from tar during soot production. The proposed three-step global scheme accurately depicts the reaction dynamics for tar decomposition at elevated temperatures from the full tar decomposition mechanism, including the maximum and ultimate saturation value of secondary tar. Whereas the kinetic parameters for primary and secondary tar display the established tendencies for different operating conditions and coals, those for soot production are remarkably uniform across this domain.     

Experimental study on electrostatic removal of high-carbon particle in high temperature coal pyrolysis gas

A high-temperature electrostatic precipitator (ESP) presents a good solution for hot gas cleaning, which can remove fly ash from pyrolysis gas at temperatures higher than the tar dew point. In this paper, the characteristics of negative DC corona discharge in air and simulated coal pyrolysis gas were studied. The removal of coal pyrolysis furnace fly ash (ash A) was investigated and compared with that of coal-fired power plant fly ash (ash B) in ESP with a temperature ranging from 300?K to 900?K. The current density of simulated gas was higher than that of air under the same discharge voltage and at different temperatures. The simulated gas also had a higher spark voltage and a lower onset voltage compared with air. The fractional collection efficiency of ash A was lower for particles with diameters of larger than 0.1?µm at high temperature, compared with ash B. A lower collection efficiency in simulated gas was obtained for particles with diameters of less than 0.1?µm compared with air. The collection efficiency of submicron particles in simulated gas was usually higher than it in air, especially for particles with diameters of less than 0.04?µm. In simulated gas, the overall collection efficiency of ash A was obviously lower than that of ash B, especially at high temperature. From 300?K to 700?K, the collection efficiencies of both ash samples were as high as above 93%, but the collection efficiency of ash A in simulated gas decreased to 78.7% at 900?K.     

液化残渣的微波热解与常规热解对比分析

采用微波加热和常规电加热两种条件进行液化残渣(DCLR)的热解实验,考察了热解产物固体焦、焦油及煤气的组成及结构的变化规律,采用红外分析(FTIR)与气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)联用技术对热解产品进行了分析表征。研究表明,在微波场中,DCLR的升温速率很快,20 min左右物料温度就可达到900 ℃,最大升温速率可达到329 ℃·min-1,而常规加热的升温速率基本保持恒定。与常规热解相比,微波热解后固体焦的产率降低2.85%,而焦油和煤气产率分别增加了0.66%和2.19%。DCLR热解后固体焦的索氏萃取组分重油(HS)、沥青烯(A)及前沥青烯(PA)含量均大幅降低,而四氢呋喃不溶物(THFIS)则有所增加,但是两种热解条件下得到的固体焦的四种索氏组成差异不是很大,说明DCLR的热解过程是以HS,A与PA的转化为主的。微波热解后固体焦红外谱上3 437.6,1 632.0 cm-1以及1 079.99 cm-1处吸收峰的强度与常规热解相比明显降低,说明微波场中DCLR的热解更为彻底。热解后焦油和煤气产率均有所增加,煤气中H₂含量均达到60%以上。GC-MS分析表明,经由石油醚萃取后的热解焦油中脂肪类、芳香类与醇类物质组成以及C_1~5,C_11~20与C₂₀以上组分的含量均没有发生明显变化,而微波热解焦油中沥青质的含量则下降了7.7%,说明微波作用可有效促进DCLR中沥青质的热分解,有利于热解焦油的轻质化。     

Catalytic cracking of tar derived from the pyrolysis of municipal solid waste fractions over biochar

The tars derived from the pyrolysis of four typical municipal solid waste fractions at 600 °C, namely pine wood (PW), tryptone (TP), polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), were characterized and then catalytically cracked by activated biochar catalyst (ABC) at 700–900 °C. The ABC was produced from the pyrolysis of pine wood at 800 °C for 1 h, then activated by CO₂ at 900 °C for 20?min. The results showed that O-containing species, N-containing species, chain hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were the main products in the raw tar from the pyrolysis of PW, TP, PE and PVC, respectively. The tar cracking efficiency by ABC was ordered as PW>TP>PE>PVC, which indicated that the biomass tars were easier to be converted by ABC than plastic tars. The highest tar conversion of 98.7% was achieved for PW at 900 °C. Besides, N-containing tars were more stable than O-containing tars. The coke deposition on the ABC was more serious after the cracking of plastic tars (PE and PVC) than that of biomass tars (PW and TP). After the catalytic cracking of TP and PVC tars at 900 °C, the nitrogen and chlorine contents in ABC increased by 3 times and 10.5 times, respectively.     

Simultaneous imaging of Mie scattering,PAHs laser induced fluorescence and soot laser induced incandescence to a lab-scale turbulent jet pulverized coal flame

In this study, transient soot formation processes in a small-scale jet burner (CRIEPI burner) were investigated by simultaneous measurements of coal particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot. Pairs of simultaneous measurements of “Mie scattering measurement for coal particles with laser induced fluorescence (LIF) for PAHs” and “LIF for PAHs with laser induced incandescence (LII) for soot” were performed to understand the transitive formation processes of soot formation in pulverized coal flame, whose signals were successfully separated. Findings in the present study are as follows. Coal particles, PAHs and soot were distributed in this order in radial direction from the central axis. Existing regions of coal particles, PAHs and soot were overlapped from the time averaged viewpoint while there were few overlapping areas of coal particles, PAHs and soot from the instantaneous viewpoint. This result indicates that a long time is required for the formation of soot from 2 to 3 rings PAHs through larger PAHs.     

激光消光法测量甲苯高温裂解的碳烟产率

建立了碳氢燃料在反射激波作用下高温裂解碳烟生成的检测系统,利用激光消光法测量了甲苯/氩气在高温条件下裂解生成碳烟的产率。实验条件：甲苯摩尔浓度0.25%和0.5%,压力约2和4 atm,温度1 630～2 273 K。获得了碳烟产率随温度、压力和燃料浓度的变化规律。碳烟产率随温度变化呈高斯分布,随着压力或浓度的增大,碳烟产率增大,碳烟产率最大达55%。产率的峰值温度随压力变化不大,但甲苯摩尔浓度从0.25%增大到0.5%时,峰值温度从1 852变为1 921 K。对比了压力为4 atm,燃料摩尔浓度为0.5%的甲基环己烷和甲苯的碳烟产率,甲基环己烷裂解碳烟产率峰值对应的温度为2 045 K,比甲苯约高135 K,但其最大碳烟产率仅有甲苯的1/8。结果为研究发动机内碳烟颗粒物排放及碳烟形成机理提供了实验依据。     

Absorption spectroscopy of toluene pyrolysis

Toluene pyrolysis in high temperature/high pressure argon atmosphere has been studied in a conventional diaphragm-type shock tube. The investigated ranges of temperature and pressure were 1500–2300 K and 8–13 bar, respectively. Extinction measurements in the near infrared have been carried out to follow the formation of carbonaceous particulate (soot). Pyrolysis products were optically characterized by absorption measurements in the wavelength range 300–800 nm, with high time/spectral resolution. The application of Tauc analysis to the absorption spectra allowed to identify three levels of energy gap; they have been attributed to carbonaceous structures with 3–5 and 7–9 fused aromatic rings, and to soot particles.     

On existence of nanoparticles below the sooting threshold

Nanometer-sized particles were studied by photoionisation mass spectrometry and scanning mobility particle sizer in laminar premixed ethylene flames above and below the critical sooting threshold. For sooting flames, both techniques detected a large number of particles with masses between 1 and 50 ku or diameter around a few nanometers. Neither method detected an appreciable number of particles below the sooting threshold in flames similar to those studied earlier for UV absorption and scattering of transparent soot. The absence of particle signals in both experimental techniques raises the question about the origin of UV absorption under nonsooting conditions.     

Prediction of soot formation characteristics in a pulverized-coal combustion field by large eddy simulations with the TDP model

In this study, the soot formation characteristics in a pulverized-coal combustion field formed by a 4 kW Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) jet burner were predicted by large eddy simulation (LES) employing a tabulated-devolatilization-process model (TDP model) [N. Hashimoto et al., Combust. Flame 159 (2012) 353–366]. This model enables to take into account the effect of coal particle heating rate on coal pyrolysis. The coal-derived soot formation model proposed by Brown and Fletcher [A. L. Brown and T. H. Fletcher, Energy Fuels 12 (1998) 745–757] was employed in the LES. A comparison between the data predicted by LES and the soot volume fraction distribution data measured by laser induced incandescence confirmed that the soot formation characteristics in the coal combustion field of the CRIEPI burner can be accurately predicted by LES. A detailed analysis of the data predicted by LES showed that the soot particle distribution in this burner is narrow because the net soot formation rate is negative on both sides of the base of the soot volume fraction. At these positions, soot particles diffused from the peak position of soot volume fraction are oxidized due to a relatively high oxygen concentration. Finally, the effect of soot radiation on the predicted gas temperature distribution was examined by comparing the simulation results obtained with and without soot radiation. This comparison showed that the maximum gas temperature predicted by the simulation performed with soot radiation was over 100 K lower than that predicted by the simulation performed without soot radiation. From result strongly suggests the importance of considering a soot formation model for performing numerical simulations of a pulverized-coal combustion filed.     

提高砷化镓二次电子发射系数的探讨

介绍了延长负电子亲和势二次电子发射材料砷化镓的逸出深度的设计,并给出了经过特殊设计的这种砷化镓的能级示意图,然后对通常的砷化镓和经过特殊设计的砷化镓的二次电子发射系数的理论值进行了比较,得出:当原电子入射能量较低（小于10 keV）时,两种砷化镓的二次电子发射系数差值较小;当原电子入射能量较高（大于20 keV）时,经过特殊设计的砷化镓的二次电子发射系数比普通砷化镓的二次电子发射系数大,而且随着原电子入射能量的升高,两种砷化镓的二次电子发射系数差值也在增大。     

煤精制软沥青庚烷不溶甲苯可溶族结构的光谱分析

以高温煤焦油为原料制备软化点为32℃煤焦油精制软沥青,再以庚烷、甲苯为溶剂超声萃取得庚烷不溶甲苯可溶物。蒸气压渗透法测定庚烷不溶甲苯可溶物平均分子量为349;元素分析与平均分子量结合得平均分子式C26.65H17.62N0.12S0.06O0.51,平均分子中杂原子总数0.68;红外分析结果表明：其杂原子氧以R—O—R,Ar—O—R结构存在,氮以R—NH—R和—N=结构存在,且以—N=为主;采用改进的Brown-Lander模型得其平均结构是六环稠环;紫外分析表明,线性排列为主、面性排列为辅,即庚烷不溶甲苯可溶族的化学结构以渺位缩合为主,迫位缩合为辅。     

Mechanism on the contribution of coal/char fragmentation to fly ash formation during pulverized coal combustion

In this paper, the correlations between coal/char fragmentation and fly ash formation during pulverized coal combustion are investigated. We observed an explosion-like fragmentation of Zhundong coal in the early devolatilization stage by means of high-speed photography in the Hencken flat-flame burner. While high ash-fusion (HAF) bituminous and coal-derived char samples only undergo gentle perimeter fragmentation in the char burning stage. Simultaneously, combustion experiments of two kinds of coals were conducted in a 25?kW down-fired combustor. The particle size distributions (PSDs) of both fine particulates (PM_1-10) and bulk fly ash (PM₁₀₊) were measured by Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI) and Malvern Mastersizer 2000, respectively. The results show that the mass PSD of residual fly ash (PM₁₊) from Zhundong coal exhibits a bi-modal shape with two peaks located at 14?µm and 102?µm, whereas that from HAF coal only possesses a single peak at 74?µm. A hybrid model accounting for multiple-route ash formation processes is developed to predict the PSD of fly ash during coal combustion. By incorporating coal/char fragmentation sub-models, the simulation can quantitatively reproduce the measured PM₁₊ PSDs for different kinds of coals. The sensitivity analysis further reveals that the bi-modal mass distribution of PM₁₊ intrinsically results from the coal fragmentation during devolatilization.     

Effect of secondary decay on isoscaling: Results from the canonical thermodynamical model

The projectile fragmentation reactions using ⁵⁸Ni and ⁶⁴Ni beams at 140 MeV/n on targets ⁹Be and ¹⁸¹Ta are studied using the canonical thermodynamical model coupled with an evaporation code. The isoscaling property of the fragments produced is studied using both the primary and the secondary fragments and it is observed that the secondary fragments also respect isoscaling though the isoscaling parameters α and β changes. The temperature needed to reproduce experimental data with the secondary fragments is less than that needed with the primary ones. The canonical model coupled with the evaporation code successfully explains the experimental data for isoscaling for the projectile fragmentation reactions.     

Small-scale forward smouldering experiments for remediation of coal tar in inert media

This paper presents a series of experiments conducted to assess the potential of smouldering combustion as a novel technology for remediation of contaminated land by water-immiscible organic compounds. The results from a detailed study of the conditions under which a smouldering reaction propagates in sand embedded with coal tar are presented. The objective of the study is to provide further understanding of the governing mechanisms of smouldering combustion of liquids in porous media. A small-scale apparatus consisting of a 100-mm in diameter quartz cylinder arranged in an upward configuration was used for the experiments. Thermocouple measurements and visible digital imaging served to track and characterize the ignition and propagation of the smouldering reaction. These two diagnostics are combined here to provide valuable information on the development of the reaction front. Post-treatment analyses of the sand were used to assess the amount of coal tar remaining in the soil. Experiments explored a range of inlet airflows and fuel concentrations. The smouldering ignition of coal tar was achieved for all the conditions presented here and self-sustained propagation was established after the igniter was turned off. It was found that the combustion is oxygen limited and peak temperatures in the range 800–1080 °C were observed. The peak temperature increased with the airflow at the lower range of flows but decreased with airflow at the higher range of flows. Higher airflows were found to produce faster propagation. Higher fuel concentrations were found to produce higher peak temperatures and slower propagation. The measured mass removal of coal tar was above 99% for sand obtained from the core and 98% for sand in the periphery of the apparatus.     

The effect of potassium bromide and sodium carbonate on coal char combustion reactivity

The addition of halogens, particularly iodine, to the gas during coal char oxidation has been used in previous studies to quench gas-phase chemistry, thereby allowing one to separate the effects of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. Halogen addition suppresses the gas-phase radicals to near-equilibrium levels. A similar effect can be expected from other compounds with high efficiency as fire suppressants, such as alkali metals. The effectiveness of the use of additives in distinguishing homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions during char oxidation relies on the assumption that radicals are suppressed while heterogeneous reactions occurring on the char surface are not affected. The present work tests this assumption for potassium bromide (KBr) and sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) reacting with a pulverized eastern bituminous coal char during oxidation. An increase in CO and a slight reduction in particle temperature were observed with the addition of KBr, consistent with known effects of halogens on gas-phase chemistry. An increase in particle size was also observed with the KBr addition. This observation and the results of model calculations suggest that there is significant incorporation of liquid KBr on the char surface under the conditions examined. With Na₂CO₃ addition, the particle temperature did not change, the particle size showed a slight decrease, and CO production increased. Although the mechanisms for Na interaction with radicals at combustion conditions are not well established, char oxidation modeling suggests that a decrease in OH concentration in the particle boundary layer is the cause for the observed increase in CO production. It is concluded that Na₂CO₃ has clear advantages over KBr for inhibiting gas-phase chemistry without affecting char oxidation for the conditions investigated here.     

煤岩单轴压缩条件下微震频谱特征研究

采用实验室实验与定性分析相结合的方法,对混凝土材料和原煤单轴全程压缩加载破坏的微震信号规律及频谱特征进行了对比分析,初步探讨其机理。