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Show INTRODUCTION The development of alternative fuels at the industrial and utility level has significantly progressed since the 1973 oil embargo. The increasing efforts which have recently been directed toward the development of coal-oil mixtures are but one major example of the trend to move away from conventional fuels. Coal, although finite in extent, represents an enormous energy potential, readily available within the political boundaries of the United States. The thrust of research reported in this paper is to demonstrate the viability of coal mixed with No. 2 fuel oil as a replacement fuel mixture at the industrial and utility level. An overview of current coal-oil mixture technology is provided in references 1, 2 and 3. Work to date has primarily concentrated on fuel mixtures composed of either high or low rank coals mixed with heavy residual fuel oil. Short term tests have shown that mixtures of up to 50 percent by weight of a high rank Pittsburgh seam coal mixed with No. 6 fuel oil can be successfully fired without additives (2). The more recent work of Cundy and Maples (4) has additionally shown that mixtures containing 60 weight percent lignite with No. 6 fuel oil were successfully fired using a sonic burner system specially designed for these fuel mixtures. The success that has been demonstrated with heavy fuel oil mixtures and coal lead to the work which will be reported in this paper. Virtually no work has been reported in the literature regarding mixtures of coal and light fuel oil. Light industries such as school districts and hospitals however are relying on light fuel oils more and more. The dependence is not currently evidenced as a primary fuel, but more as a standby fuel. Current pricing structures are still not favorable for the conversion from natural gas to No. 2 fuel oil. However, a mixture of No. 2 fuel oil and coal may soon be economically justifiable as a primary fuel in many small industrial applications. Additionally, these mixtures are increasingly attractive since: 1) some small industrial plants only have storage tanks and pumping facilities to handle No. 2 fuel oil, 2) currently, the price of coal is approximately \ the cost of No. 2 fuel oil and 3) the typical payback period for the modifications to obtain a clean stack and retrofit ash handling capabilities is approximately 6 months. 2 |
