Specification
FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT 1970 (39 Of 1970)
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
See Section 10, and rule 13
1. TITLE OF INVENTION
COAL DEACTIVATION APPARATUS
2. APPLICANT(S)
a) Name
b) Nationality
c) Address
MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD JAPANESE Company 16-5, KONAN 2-CHOME, MINATO-KU, TOKYO 1088215, JAPAN
3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : -
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a coal inactivation system configured to inactivate coal by heating the coal with a treatment gas containing oxygen.
Background Art
Low rank coals (low grade coals), coals having a high moisture content such as lignite and sub-bituminous coals, are abundant. However, the heating value per unit weight is small, and the transportation efficiency is low. Accordingly, such coal is heated and dried to increase the heating value per unit weight, and also compression-molded to improve the handling.
Meanwhile, the low grade coal thus heated is likely to adsorb water. In addition, a carboxyl group and the like are released from the surface, and radicals and the like are generated on the surface. This increases the surface activity, promoting a reaction with oxygen in air. As a result, spontaneous combustion may occur due to a reaction heat generated by the reaction.
For this reason, for example, the following inactivation treatment is carried out. Specifically, low grade coal is dried and pyrolyzed. After tar is separated from the pyrolyzed coal, the pyrolyzed coal is heated (approximately 150 to 170°C) in a low oxygen atmosphere (oxygen concentration: approximately around 10%) to partially oxidize the surface of the pyrolyzed coal, thereby decreasing the surface activity of the pyrolyzed coal. By such an inactivation treatment, the coal is reformed to prevent spontaneous combustion of the coal (see, for example, the following Patent Literature 1, etc.).
Citation List Patent Literature
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11-310785
Summary of Invention Technical Problem
Meanwhile, the composition of coal varies, depending on the mining site where the coal is extracted. Accordingly, in the inactivation treatment as described above, various treatment conditions such as an oxygen concentration in an atmosphere, a temperature of the atmosphere, and a treatment period are set so that coals of any composition can be inactivated sufficiently. As a result, a coal which can be inactivated sufficiently under relatively wide treatment conditions is also inactivated under relatively strict treatment conditions; hence, the treatment cost is increased wastefully.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a coal inactivation system capable of readily inactivating coals of various compositions under necessary and sufficient conditions.
Solution to Problem
In order to achieve the above-described object, a coal inactivation system according to a first invention is a coal inactivation system configured to inactivate coal by heating the coal with a treatment gas containing oxygen, characterized in that the coal inactivation system comprises: a treatment apparatus body, to inside of which the coal is supplied; treatment gas-supply means configured to supply the treatment gas to the inside of the treatment apparatus body; treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means configured to adjust an oxygen concentration Oc in the treatment gas; treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means configured to adjust a temperature Tc of the treatment gas; fractionation means configured to fractionate a portion of the coal inactivated in the treatment apparatus body; an evaluation apparatus body, to inside of which a sample of the coal fractionated by the fractionation means is supplied; test gas-supply means configured to supply a test gas having an evaluation temperature Tt to the inside of the evaluation apparatus
body; test gas-temperature-detection means configured to detect a temperature Te of the test gas having heated the sample in the evaluation apparatus body; and control means configured to, based on information from the test gas-temperature-detection means, when the temperature Te of the test gas is equal to or higher than a higher limit value Teh, judge whether or not the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or higher than a higher limit value Oh, if the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is lower than the higher limit value Oh, control the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means in such a manner as to increase the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas by a given value Ofu, and if the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or higher than the higher limit value Oh, further judge whether or not the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or higher than a higher limit value Th, and control the treatment gas-temperature-adjustrnent means in such a manner as to increase the temperature Tc of the treatment gas by a given value Tfu if the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is lower than the higher limit value Th, and when the temperature Te of the test gas is equal to or lower than a lower limit value Tel, judge whether or not the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than a lower limit value Tl, if the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is higher than the lower limit value Tl, control the treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to decrease the temperature Tc of the treatment gas by a given value Tfd, if the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value Tl, further judge whether or not the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than a lower limit value Ol, and control the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means in such a manner as to decrease the oxygen concentration Oc o( the treatment gas by a given value Ofd ii the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is higher than the lower limit value Ol.
A coal inactivation system according to a second invention is the coal inactivation system according to the first invention, characterized in that, when the temperature Te of the test gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value Tel, the control means controls the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means and the
treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to set the oxygen concentration Oc and the temperature Tc of the treatment gas at the lower limit values Ol and Tl, respectively, if the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value Tl while the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value Ol.
A coal inactivation system according to a third invention is the coal inactivation system according to any one of the first and the second inventions, characterized in that, when the temperature Te of the test gas is higher than the lower limit value Tel but lower than the higher limit value Teh, the control means controls the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means and the treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to maintain the oxygen concentration Oc and the temperature Tc of the treatment gas as they are.
A coal inactivation system according to a fourth invention is the coal inactivation system according to any one ol the first to the third inventions, characterized in that the coal inactivation system further comprises test gas-carbon dioxide concentration-detection means configured to detect a carbon dioxide concentration Ce of the test gas having heated the sample in the evaluation apparatus body, and when the temperature Te of the test gas is higher than the lower limit value Tel but lower than the higher limit value Teh, the control means, based on information from the test gas-carbon dioxide concentration-detection means, if the carbon dioxide concentration Ce in the test gas is equal to or higher than a higher limit value Ceh, judges again whether or not the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or higher than the higher limit value Oh, and if the carbon dioxide concentration Ce in the test gas is equal to or lower than a lower limit value Cel, judges again whether or not the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value TL
A coal inactivation system according to a fifth invention is the coal inactivation system according to the fourth invention, characterized in that, when the
temperature Te of the test gas is higher than the lower limit value Tel but lower than the higher limit value Teh, the control means controls the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means and the treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to maintain the oxygen concentration Oc and the temperature Tc of the treatment gas as they are if the carbon dioxide concentration Ce in the test gas is higher than the lower limit value Cel but lower than the higher limit value Ceh based on the information from the test gas-carbon dioxide concentration-detection means.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
Even when the composition of coal supplied to the treatment apparatus body varies from time to time, the coal inactivation system according to the present invention is capable of readily inactivating coals of such compositions under necessary and sufficient conditions.
Brief Description of Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main embodiment of a coal inactivation system according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a control flowchart of the coal inactivation system in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a control flowchart continued to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a control flowchart continued to Fig. 2.
Description of Embodiments
Embodiments of a coal inactivation system according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments explained based on the drawings.
Note that, in the above-described embodiment, the evaluation apparatus 120 is provided with the temperature sensor 125 and the CO2 sensor 126, and the controller 130 makes judgments again on the oxygen concentration Oc and the temperature Tc of the treatment gas 103, according to the carbon dioxide concentration Ce in the air 102 on the basis of the information from the CO2 sensor 126 (step S6 above), when the temperature Te of the air 102 is higher than the lower limit value Tel but lower than the higher limit value Teh based on the information from the temperature
sensor 125. Nevertheless, as another embodiment, for example, the CO2 sensor 126 is omitted, and when the temperature Te of the air 102 is higher than the lower limit value Tel but lower than the higher limit value Teh based on the information from the temperature sensor 125, the blowers 113,115 and the heater 114 are controlled in such a manner as to maintain the oxygen concentration Oc and the temperature Tc of the treatment gas 103 as they are, regardless of the carbon dioxide concentration Ce in the air 102. To put it differently, step S6 above may be omitted.
Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the description has been given for the case where the controller performs control in such a manner that a portion of the reformed coal 2 discharged from the treatment apparatus body 111 is fractionated as the sample 3 by the movable fractionation device 117 for each predetermined period or continuously and is supplied to the evaluation apparatus body 121 for each predetermined period or continuously. Nevertheless, as another embodiment, for example, a portion of the reformed coal 2 discharged from the treatment apparatus body 111 may be fractionated as the sample 3 by a stationary type (fixed type) of fractionation means such as a fixed gate or a fixed scraper without being controlled by the control means and supplied to the evaluation apparatus body 121.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the treatment gas 103 having a desired oxygen concentration Oc is generated by mixing the nitrogen gas 101 with the air 102. Nevertheless, as another embodiment, for example, by mixing the nitrogen gas 101 with an oxygen gas, the treatment gas 103 having a desired oxygen concentration may be generated. Nonetheless, as in the above-described embodiment, it is particularly preferable to generate the treatment gas 103 having a desired oxygen concentration by mixing the nitrogen gas 101 with the air 102 because this eliminates the need to prepare the oxygen gas only for the purpose.
Furthermore, it is needless to say that the nitrogen gas cylinder and so forth prepared just to generate the treatment gas 103 are usable as the nitrogen gas supply source 112; besides, it is also possible, for example, to use a pyrolysis gas (main
component: nitrogen gas) which is a nitrogen gas supplied to a pyrolyzer to pyrolyze low grade coal and discharged from the pyrolyzer, and from which a volatile component, dust, and the like are separated thereafter. In this case, thermal energy newly applied to the treatment gas 103 can be saved for an inactivation treatment.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the air 102 is utilized as the test gas. Nevertheless, as another embodiment, it is possible, for example, to utilize a test gas having an oxygen concentration Oc higher than the higher limit value Oh (for example, 16%) by mixing the nitrogen gas 101 with the air 102 as in the case of the treatment gas 103. As the nitrogen gas source in this case, the above-described pyrolysis gas is also usable in addition to, although needlessly to say, a nitrogen gas from the nitrogen gas cylinder, as in the case of the treatment gas 103.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the description has been given of the case where the pyrolyzed coal 1 is inactivated. Nevertheless, the present invention is not limited thereto, and is applicable to any inactivation treatment on coals as in the case of the above-described embodiment.
Industrial Applicability
Even when the composition of coal supplied to the treatment apparatus body varies from time to time, the coal inactivation system according to the present invention is capable of readily inactivating coals of such compositions under necessary and sufficient conditions. Therefore, the present invention is applicable to the industry very usefully.
Reference Signs List
1 PYROLYZED COAL
2 REFORMED COAL
3 SAMPLE
100 COAL INACTIVATION SYSTEM
101 NITROGEN GAS
102 AIR
103 TREATMENT GAS
111 TREATMENT APPARATUS BODY
112 NITROGEN GAS SUPPLY SOURCE
113 BLOWER
114 HEATER
115 BLOWER
116 FILTER
117 FRACTIONATION DEVICE
120 EVALUATION APPARATUS
121 EVALUATION APPARATUS BODY
122 BLOWER
123 HEATER
124 FILTER
125 TEMPERATURE SENSOR
126 C02 SENSOR
130 CONTROLLER
131 CONTROL BOARD
WE CLAIM:
1. A coal inactivation system configured to inactivate coal by heating the coal with a treatment gas containing oxygen, characterized in that the coal inactivation system comprises:
a treatment apparatus body, to inside of which the coal is supplied; treatment gas-supply means configured to supply the treatment gas to the inside of the treatment apparatus body;
treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means configured to adjust an oxygen concentration Oc in the treatment gas;
treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means configured to adjust a temperature Tc of the treatment gas;
fractionation means configured to fractionate a portion of the coal inactivated in the treatment apparatus body;
an evaluation apparatus body, to inside of which a sample of the coal fractionated by the fractionation means is supplied;
test gas-supply means configured to supply a test gas having an evaluation temperature Tt to the inside of the evaluation apparatus body; test gas-temperature-detection means configured to detect a temperature Te of the test gas having heated the sample in the evaluation apparatus body; and
control means configured to, based on information from the test gas-temperature-detection means,
when the temperature Te of the test gas is equal to or higher than a higher limit value Teh, judge whether or not the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or higher than a higher limit value Oh, if the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is lower than the higher limit value Oh, control the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means in such a manner as to increase the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas by a given value Ofu, and
if the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or higher than the higher limit value Oh, further judge whether or not the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or higher than a higher limit value Th, and control the treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to increase the temperature Tc of the treatment gas by a given value Tfu if the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is lower than the higher limit value Th, and
when the temperature Te of the test gas is equal to or lower than a lower limit value Tel, judge whether or not the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than a lower limit value Tl,
if the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is higher than the lower limit value Tl, control the treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to decrease the temperature Tc of the treatment gas by a given value Tfd, if the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value TL further judge whether or not the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than a lower limit value Ol, and control the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means in such a manner as to decrease the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas by a given value Ofd if the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is higher than the lower limit value Ol.
2. The coal inactivation system according to claim 1, characterized in that,
when the temperature Te of the test gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value Tel, the control means controls the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means and the treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to set the oxygen concentration Oc and the temperature Tc of the treatment gas at the lower limit values Ol and Tl, respectively, if the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value Tl while the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value Ol.
3.The coal inactivation system according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that,
when the temperature Te of the test gas is higher than the lower limit value Tel but lower than the higher limit value Teh, the control means controls the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means and the treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to maintain the oxygen concentration Oc and the temperature Tc of the treatment gas as they are.
4.The coal inactivation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that
the coal inactivation system further comprises test gas-carbon dioxide concentration-detection means configured to detect a carbon dioxide concentration Ce of the test gas having heated the sample in the evaluation apparatus body, and
when the temperature Te of the test gas is higher than the lower limit value Tel but lower than the higher limit value Teh, the control means, based on information from the test gas-carbon dioxide concentration-detection means, if the carbon dioxide concentration Ce in the test gas is equal to or higher than a higher limit value Ceh, judges again whether or not the oxygen concentration Oc of the treatment gas is equal to or higher than the higher limit value Oh, and if the carbon dioxide concentration Ce in the test gas is equal to or lower than a lower limit value Cel, judges again whether or not the temperature Tc of the treatment gas is equal to or lower than the lower limit value Tl.
5.The coal inactivation system according to claim 4, characterized in that, when the temperature Te of the test gas is higher than the lower limit value Tel but lower than the higher limit value Teh, the control means controls the treatment gas-oxygen concentration-adjustment means and the treatment gas-temperature-adjustment means in such a manner as to maintain the oxygen concentration Oc and the temperature Tc of the treatment gas as they are if the carbon dioxide concentration Ce in the test gas is higher than the lower limit value Cel but lower than the higher limit value Ceh based on the information from the test gas-carbon dioxide concentration-detection means.