Ash deposition characteristics of Moolarben coal and its blends during coal combustion

Abstract

We report a systematic and comprehensive laboratory investigation of the ash deposition behavior of Moolarben (MO) coal, which has recently begun to be imported into Korea. Ash deposition experiments were conducted in a drop tube reactor, and a water-cooled ash deposit probe was inserted into the reactor to affix the ash. The tests were conducted using five types of single coals (two bituminous and three sub-bituminous, including MO coal) and blended coals (bituminous coal blended with sub-bituminous coal). Two indices represent ash deposition behavior: capture efficiency and energy-based growth rate. A thermomechanical analysis evaluated the melting behavior of the resulting ash deposits. The MO coal had the least ash deposition of the single coals due to its high melting temperature, indicated by high ash silica content. Indonesian sub-bituminous coals formed larger ash deposits and were sticky at low temperatures due to relatively high alkali content. However, blends with MO coal had greater ash deposition than blends with other bituminous coals. This non-additive behavior of MO coal blends is likely due to interactions between ash particles. Coals with higher silica content more effectively retain alkali species, resulting in lower melting temperatures and larger ash deposits. Therefore, we recommend that when blending in a boiler, silica-rich coals (SiO₂>80%, SiO₂/Al₂O₃> 5) should be blended with relatively low-alkali coals (Na₂O+K₂O<3%), and the blending ratio of the silica-rich coals indicates less than 10%, which can safely operate the boiler.