Combustion Technology Centre
The Combustion Technology Centre provides a range of thermal/steaming coal testing and consulting services dedicated to assessing the utilisation performance of thermal coals. The Centre was established in 1985 and has established internationally recognised expertise and facilities for the evaluation of thermal coal combustion behaviour and the optimisation of coal combustion processes. Its coal evaluations focus on optimising process efficiency and assessing the effect of coal properties on the combustion performance of coals in industrial applications, principally pulverised coal-fired power plant boilers. The centre has a variety of specialised testing equipment including:
Edinbugh Cohesion tester
- Assess Handleability of Coal
Pilot Scale (500 kg/h) Coal Pulverising Mill
- Mill Power Consumption
- Mill Wear
- Coal Fineness
Pilot Scale (200 kW) Pulverised Coal-Fired Boiler Simulation Furnace
- Burnout Efficiency
- Flame Stability and Turndown
- Ash Deposition (Slagging and Fouling)
- Gas Emissions (NOx and SO2)
- Electrostatic Precipitator Performance
- Fly ash utilisation and disposal options
Fly Ash Resistivity testing equipment
- Drop Tube Furnace
- Burnout Efficiency
Since its formation in 1985, the centre has conducted more than 250 technical investigations on thermal coals from Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia), South Africa, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand, Mozambique, Botswana, United States, Bangladesh, Laos and South America. The group is highly regarded for its evaluation and consulting expertise in the areas of:
- analysis of thermal coal properties and power plant design to match the two for optimum performance
- assistance with thermal coal selling strategies by way of identifying both positive attributes of coals and attributes which may cause some concern to users, quantifying the effects of these attributes on plant operation and identifying suitable target markets
- assistance with thermal coal purchasing strategies by way of identifying attributes of potential coal supplies which may cause operational problems in particular power plant
- planning, witnessing and expert reporting on combustion trials in pulverised-coal-fired power stations
- evaluation of unexploited thermal coal resources or extensions to existing resources to ascertain the optimum product mix from the resource, the utilisation potential of these products
- investigation of operational problems associated with the use of thermal coals in power stations
- advice to both thermal coal users and suppliers on a range of utilisation areas including
- safe stockpiling practices to avoid self-heating of coals on stockpiles
- operational practices to avoid problems in the milling and combustion of coals
- methods of enhancing combustion efficiency and plant availability