Effect of Low-Rank and High-Rank Coal Blend Characteristics on the Gasification Performance in Fixed Bed Reactor

Coal gasification is the most demanding technology, increasing day by day for synthesis gas and chemical production in a clean environment. Coal is a primary source of energy or fuel. India has a high preservation of high-ash coal. Employment of this coal for gasification is tough due to its abrasive nature. Coal blending is an effective way to utilize such coal and to control the gasification performance. The present study focuses on using high-ash, low-rank Indian coal with high-rank imported coal in a suitable blend. The blending effect on raw gas yield (kg/kg of coal) and heating value (kcal/Nm³) was studied for coal blends-CH1 (20:80), CH2 (30:70), CH3 (40:60), CH4 (50:50), and CH5 (60:40) of RC (raw Indian coal) with RH (raw high-rank imported coal). Also, the gasification characteristics of the WC (washed Indian coal) were studied similarly. It may be seen that the raw gas yield with blends of raw coal and the rank of imported coal is 1.11 to 1.46 (ton/ton of coal), whereas in washed Indian coal, it is 0.95 (ton/ton of coal). A slight change was observed in the heating value of raw gas, and its average value in the blended CH1 to CH5 coal is 2860 kcal/Nm³, whereas in WC, it is 2956 kcal/Nm³. The maximum utilization of raw coal in the blend for gasification can be 60%, which is economical and 0.55 times more effective than WC gasification.