ACARP ACARP ACARP ACARP
Technical Market Support

Australian PCI Coals Under Industry Scale Conditions Ironmaking Blast Furnace Using 3D Computer Modelling: The Injection of Coal Blends

Technical Market Support » Metallurgical Coal

Published: June 19Project Number: C26041

Get ReportAuthor: Yansong Shen | University of New South Wales

This project evaluated the combustion behaviour of the blends of Australian PCI coals under industry-scale blast furnaces (BFs) conditions using  improved 3D computer modelling. The work was undertaken in two stages:

  • Stage 1: Single Australian PCI coals were evaluated using a 3D PCI model.
  • Stage 2: The model was further developed for evaluating the blends of Australian PCI coals by means of explicitly considering interactions between component coals in a blend, and then used to optimise blending parameters for improving overall burnout of the blends, from pilot-scale to industry-scale.

In both stages Australian PCI coals (blends) were evaluated under the industrial-scale conditions of a blast furnace.

 

Stage 1 Report

The stage 1 project outcomes, including a report and a customised PCI simulator, can be used as a cost-effective research tool and marketing tool for Australian coal industry to explore new markets.  

PCI technology is widely operated in BFs worldwide, representing a significant amount of coal exports. Australian coals play an important role in PCI coal market. In the past, coal burnout in PCI operation in BFs was usually characterised along the tuyere centreline rather than the whole raceway due to technical difficulties. For example, drop tube furnaces (DTF) and pilot scale PCI rigs were successfully used for characterising coal combustion kinetics data, and were sometimes used for simulating coal combustion along the tuyere centreline only under lab and pilot-scale conditions. DTF tests were found to provide a generally similar ranking for coals on the basis of combustibility (burnout) against the proximate analysis volatile matter (VM) content to that from PCI pilot‐scale tests.  It is important to understand the PCI coal combustion over the entire raceway, as the unburnt coal will exit from the entire raceway, rather than along the tuyere centreline only, and then enter the surrounding coke bed, reducing permeability of the coke bed and thus affecting the furnace stability. It is also significant to conduct PCI coal assessments under industry-scale conditions, as the industry-scale condition represents the real PCI operation.

A 3D integrated PCI model was improved and used to assess the in-furnace performance under industry-scale BF conditions for a range of Australian PCI coals. In particular, the effects of a range of key PCI operational variables on PCI operation were investigated under industry scale BF conditions for a range of Australian PCI coals.

The outcomes of stage 1 include:

  • Detailed understanding of in-furnace phenomena of a range of Australian PCI coals at the lower part of BF under real BF conditions;
  • Knowledge of effects of key operational parameters on PCI operation for Australian PCI coals under real BF conditions;
  • A database of pulverised coals burnout for different Australian PCI coals under different coal and operational conditions.

 

Stage 2 Report

The combustion of pulverised coal blends is widely used in BFs worldwide, representing a significant amount of coal exports. Australian coals play an important role in the PCI coal market. At present, the majority of ironmaking operations inject coal blends, rather than single coals, to better control the coal quality and optimize the combustion level and overall cost of fuels. In the past, coal burnout in PCI operations in BFs was usually characterized along the tuyere centreline rather than the whole raceway due to technical difficulties. For example, drop tube furnaces (DTF), and pilot scale PCI rigs (particularly the one located at BHP Research Laboratory at Newcastle) were successfully used for characterising coal combustion kinetics data and were sometimes used for simulating coal combustion along the tuyere centreline only under lab and pilot-scale conditions. DTF tests were found to provide a generally similar ranking for coals on the basis of combustibility (burnout) against the proximate analysis volatile matter (VM) content to that from PCI pilot - scale tests. It is important to understand the PCI coal blends combustion over the entire raceway, as a coal blend is more complex than for a single coal. Each of the coal components devolatilizes and combusts at different temperatures and at different times, and their burnout could therefore vary considerably. Understanding the behaviours of individual components in a coal blend is significant for the design of coal blends to maximize the benefits for a BF operation. It is also significant to conduct PCI coal assessments under industry-scale conditions, as the industry-scale condition represents the real PCI operation. Recently, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) PCI coal blend model. It includes a 3D raceway and surrounding coke bed, and the combustion of three different fuels- pulverized coals and coke, allowing for calculating the overall performance of a blend, as well as the behaviours of its component coals over the whole raceway, in addition to along the tuyere axis. However, Australian PCI coal blends have not been examined over the entire raceway under real BF conditions.

A 3D integrated PCI model was further developed for evaluating the blends of Australian PCI coals by means of explicitly considering interactions between component coals in a blend, and then used to optimise blending parameters for improving overall burnout of the blends, from pilot- to industry-scale.

Underground

Health and safety, productivity and environment initiatives.

Recently Completed Projects

C34019Longwall Bretby Cable Handling Monitoring With Fibre Optics

This project examined the potential of using fibre optic sensing tec...

C27049Mine Machine Radar Sensor Integration

The aim of this project was to develop an integrated radar sensor an...

C29007Innovative Coal Burst System To Investigate The Influence Of Confinement Loss And Pre-Conditioning On Coal Burst Mechanism

The challenges associated with designing and operating a safe and pr...

Underground

Open Cut

Safety, productivity and the right to operate are priorities for open cut mine research.

Recently Completed Projects

C33035High Water Recovery, Low Cost Desalination Using PV-Powered Membrane Capacitive Deionisation (Mcdi)

Capacitive deionization is a robust, energy efficient and cost effec...

C28035Topsoil Deficits In Site Rehabilitation Accelerated Transformation Of Spoils To Functional Soils

The incorporation of commercial biological amendments (compost, worm...

C34036Tyre Handler Testing Rig Stage 2: Lifting Trials

Tyre handling is a major source of risk in surface mining operations...

Open Cut

Coal Preparation

Maximising throughput and yield while minimising costs and emissions.

Coal Preparation

Technical Market Support

Market acceptance and emphasising the advantages of Australian coals.

Recently Completed Projects

C34060In-Situ Investigation Of Coke Structure Formation Under Stamp Charged Coking Conditions

Stamp charged cokemaking has emerged as an effective technique to im...

C34062Improving The Classification Of Microstructure Distribution In Coke CT Images Using Deep Learning And Lineal Path Calculations

This project builds on a number of earlier projects that have helped...

C29071Source Of Variability Of Reactivity Of Coke In The CSR Test

The Coke Strength after Reaction (CSR) test is used worldwide to det...

Technical Market Support

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the production of coal.

Recently Completed Projects

C28076Selective Absorption Of Methane By Ionic Liquids (SAMIL)

This third and final stage of this project was the culmination of a ...

C29069Low-Cost Catalyst Materials For Effective VAM Catalytic Oxidation

Application of ventilation air methane (VAM) thermal oxidiser requir...

C23052Novel Stone Dust Looping Process For Ventilation Air Methane Abatement

This multi‐phase project is concerned with the mitigation of m...

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Low Emission Coal Use

Step-change technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Recently Completed Projects

C17060BGasification Of Australian Coals

Four Australian coals were trialled in the Siemens 5 MWth pilot scale ga...

C17060AOxyfuel Technology For Carbon Capture And Storage Critical Clean Coal Technology - Interim Support

The status of oxy-fuel technology for first-generation plant is indicate...

C18007Review Of Underground Coal Gasification

This report consists of a broad review of underground coal gasification,...

Low Emission Coal Use

Mining And The Community

The relationship between mines and the local community.

Recently Completed Projects

C16027Assessing Housing And Labour Market Impacts Of Mining Developments In Bowen Basin Communities

The focus of this ACARP-funded project has been to identify a number...

C22029Understanding And Managing Cumulative Impacts Of Coal Mining And Other Land Uses In Regions With Diversified Economies

The coal industry operates in the context of competing land-uses that sh...

C23016Approval And Planning Assessment Of Black Coal Mines In NSW And Qld: A Review Of Economic Assessment Techniques

This reports on issues surrounding economic assessment and analysis ...

Mining And The Community

NERDDC

National Energy Research,Development & Demonstration Council (NERDDC) reports - pre 1992.

Recently Completed Projects

1609-C1609Self Heating of Spoil Piles from Open Cut Coal Mines

Self Heating of Spoil Piles from Open Cut Coal Mines

1301-C1301Stress Control Methods for Optimised Development...

Stress Control Methods for Optimised Development and Extraction Operations

0033-C1356Commissioned Report: Australian Thermal Coals...

Commissioned Report: Australian Thermal Coals - An Industry Handbook

NERDDC