7th BALKANMINE CONGRESS – Proceedings, Prijedor 2017

DOI: 10.7251/BMC170701167V

INTEGRATED CONTROL AND COAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

MODEL
Slobodan VUJIĆ1, Milinko RADOSAVLJEVIĆ1, Trajče BOŠEVSKI2,
Pavle STJEPANOVIĆ1
1
Mining institute Belgrade, slobodan.vujic@ribeograd.ac.rs, direktor@ribeograd.ac.rs
2
Rudproekt Skopje, tb@rudproekt.com

ABSTRACT

The problem of coal quality management is now in the focus of research, innovation and engineering
mining and energy projects, environmental protection projects, exploitation, energy and ecological
efficiency. Besides concentrating on the problem, the paper focuses on the phases of coal quality
control, on the assumptions for establishing a system for controlling and managing the quality of coal,
and using the model of Mine and Thermal Power Plant Ugljevik, a topology model for controlling and
managing the quality of coal has been presented.

Key words: coal, control, management, quality, mine and thermal power plant ugljevik

1. INTRODUCTION

In the exploitation of coal and coal-based thermoenergetics, one of the priority problems to
which innovation and development researches pay special attention today is about controlling
and managing the quality of coal. Why? There is a message which is more frequent today
that, because of survival, we need to develop and introduce new technologies of "sustainable
progress", including management technologies, which primarily relates to quality
management.
Various interpretations of quality management are present, and it is often interpreted as the
process of approximating the parameters of the product to the target (desired) parameters. A
wider approach goes further and insists on the principle that quality cannot be seen only in the
parameters of the final product, but that it is a planned process from the initial to the final
stage. In keeping with this approach, a contemporary view on the problem of coal quality
management is more attributive and it is not observed only through the prism of natural
characteristics of coal - the variability of quality and homogenization before entering the
boiler plant.

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2. REVIEW AT THE PROBLEM

The management of coal quality has a wider systemic dimension that considers the
equilibrium of coal quality correlatively through the process of geological research, through
exploitation, transport and deposition, combustion and exploitation of the coal potential,
intermittent operation regime and energy efficiency of the thermal power plant, through
ecological effects, environmental protection, cost reductions and similar. This approach,
Figure 1, requires the establishment of a system for identification, control (in real and
extended time) and management (implementation of procedures) at all stages and at all levels
of the actual process, including:
 Organization and structure of the system;
 Implemented business, production and development strategy;
 Work environment;
 Mineral-raw material resource(s);
 Production technology;
 Human resource;
 The environment;
 Limitations and ecological conditions.

Figure 1. Principal algorithm for quality control

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In accordance with this approach, the coal quality management systems applied in practice are
based on the phase management principle from coal mining in the mine to incineration in the
boiler plant fire boxes and thermoenergetic combustion effects. The logical and physical
topology of such coal quality management systems is complex, the goal is focused on the
achievement of the given quality of coal with as few differences as possible, and multiple
benefits, the most important are:
 Optimization of exploitation (excavation, loading, transport, deposition, etc.) of coal;
 Reduction of coal cleaning costs, if the cleaning is implemented in the technological
process;
 Reduced wear on the working wheels of mills;
 Increasing the efficiency of coal combustion;
 Avoiding the glueing of the slag into the fire boxes
 Extension of the exploitation time of the aero mixture channel;
 Maintenance of boiler operating parameters without auxiliary fuel or capacity
increase;
 Reducing the load of electro filters;
 Reduction of emissions of polluting components;
 Prevention of technological delays due to inadequate quantities of coal of adequate
quality;
 Positive economic effects;
 Positive ecological effects, etc.
For the functioning of the thermal power system of the mine-thermal power plant, a direct,
adequate and fast control-reaction to the change in the quality of coal is very important. Real-
time measurement is satisfactory when at least four parameters are followed:
1. Quantity of coal mined (flow, weight);
2. Ash content in coal;
3. Moisture content in coal;
4. Heat value of coal.
On coal quality management systems in most of the mining and energy companies in the
world, only these four parameters are monitored, there are management systems in which nine
parameters are monitored, most prominent in the mines in Germany. In principle, two
methods of measuring coal quality are applied:
1. Automatic sampling and analysis of coal, manual manipulation off.
2. Automatic flow radiometric and microwave measurement of coal quality parameters.
The measuring device is set, for example, above the belt conveyor, manual
manipulation is off.

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3. COAL QUALITY CONTROL PHASES

The architecture and topology of the coal quality control system varies depending on the
operational configuration of the mining and energy complex, the type and technical
capabilities of the equipment on which the components of the system are installed. System
architecture is built by hardware components and operational rules of control, decision-
making and management, specific to every phase of the technological and technological
process.
Control of excavation, loading and transport of coal: It is usual today that coal digging is
planned and directed based on the mathematical model of the ledge. Regardless of the applied
mathematical approach for forming a model, it cannot have more accuracy than the accuracy
of the input data collected by geological explorations. Depending on the lithological structure,
the tectonics and other features of the ledge, the volume and the quality of the performed
geological explorations, the reliability of the processing of the collected geological data, it
happens that the model deviates from the actual state. Therefore, it is nimportant to directly
monitor coal quality parameters during excavation. This is feasible thanks to measuring
devices - real-time coal quality analyzers, which are mounted on the digging machines. This
kind of monitoring of the quality of coal at the site makes it possible to effectively reactivate
the radioactive prevention of unwanted excavation of waste and / or coal of poor quality, and
timely homogenization planning. The efficiency of coal quality control in this technological
phase ensures efficient homogenization and reduction of the costs of coal homogenization.
Transportation of coal: During transportation, coal is mixed, the measurement of coal quality
is practiced in two positions. The first one is before coal is deposited at the stockpile of the
thermal power plant, and the second is after the takeover of coal from the stockpile.
Coal processing: In mines with coal-cleaning and processing plants, the on-line analyzer
measures the quality of inlet and outlet coal from the plant. The input and output
measurements allow efficient process management and reduction of coal cleaning costs.
Stockpiling and homogenization of coal: Besides the harmonization of the technological
transition between the mining production and coal consumption in the thermal power plant,
the coal coal deposition is the third function of coal dumping is homogenization. The goal is
coal quality of sustainable quality, as the input resource of the final technological phase -
energy conversion. The control and management tasks at the landfill refer to: measurement of
coal quality, reciprocal landing navigation, mix control, control of coal deposits at the landfill,
and mapping of deposited coal to quality.
Power plant - energy conversion of coal: For the energy conversion and operation of the
boiler plant of a thermal power plant, it is preferable to maintain "sustained" coal of uniform
quality. The variability in coal quality adversely affects the production capacity and operation
of the plant, can lead to technical, technological and production problems in the thermal
power plant. In thermoelectric power plants, the quality of coal is controlled before the entry
in the bunkers, which enables the conductive filling of the bunkers according to the quality of
the coal, and the controlled discharge to achieve uniform quality. In case of a deviation, by
adjusting the coal feeder, the boiler operating mode can be achieved, or at the worst, the
regime can be maintained at the required level by adding auxiliary fuel.

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4. ASSUMPTIONS FOR ESTABLISHING THE CMQC SYSTEM

The efficiency of establishing a system for controlling and managing quality of coal (CMQC)
in real time does not depend only on the intent, but also on the fulfillment of the assumptions:
1. Readiness and determination of the management for the introduction of supervisory-
management technology;
2. The competence of the collective for the acceptance of supervisory-management
technology;
3. Necessary technical, technological and organizational infrastructure of the real system
for implementation of supervisory-management technology;
4. Material opportunities;
5. Implementation of the relevant standards, primarily the ISO 73.040: 2015 series
relating to coal, including qualitative parameterization, technical and chemical
characteristics of coal.
For the effective implementation and application of the system of control and quality
management of coal, it is not imperative, but the existence is significantly of integrated
computer supported in the supervisory and control system of the mine and the power plant is
significant.

6. DEFINING THE TOPOLOGY OF THE CMQC MODEL

Defining the conception of the control and quality management of coal model, in principle, as
well as any other activity of definiteness, it assumes the specificity of the real system and
compliance with the starting point resulting from the real conditions and constraints.
From the topological structure coal production system and conversion of its energy (mine-
power plants), with entities: work environment with coal deposits, coal mining, crushing,
transport, disposal, preparing coal and boiler plant of the thermal power plant depends on
architecture of the CMQC model, but attention must be paid at the following:
 The selected measuring and communication equipment should be designed for
operation in difficult conditions (extreme temperatures, wind, dust, precipitation etc.);
 Control devices and equipment should be adapted for installation on machinery and
equipment of the production system;
 The architecture of the CMQC system is rational, functional and modular;
 The architecture of the CMQC system is adaptive to changes in the real system;
 It is recommended to select standardized equipment and software for installation in the
CMQC system;
 The architecture of the CMQC system in operational and developmental sense should
be flexible;
 It is desirable to integrate the CMQC system into the ambient of the control and
management system of the mine and thermal power plant;
Due to the rapid technological progress and the changes it brings, it is understood that the
architecture and the selected equipment to establish a system CMQC of the highest technical
and technological performance regardless of the higher investment costs, an increase
according to the experience is about 25-30%.

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7. EXAMPLE OF THE CMQC MODEL

To complete the thought and message of this text, the conceptual design of the CMQC system
of Mine and Thermal Power Ugljevik will serve contrastive analysis of the characteristics of
the working environment and the variability of the quality of coal from the open pit mine
"Bogutovo village", Figure 2, with experiences of the similar energy complexes in the world,
confirmed the technological feasibility and economic efficiency of the establishment of the
CMQC system.
Analysis of the functional structure and technological environment energy complex, brings to
the conclusion that the system CMQC in Ugljevik should be established on a centralized
basis, and that centralization of control and management, in this case there has no alternative
solution.
The reason for this is the need for a direct real-time connection between the data acquisition
points for coal quality and feedback points on the technological process for the quality of coal
at the entrance to the TE. Topologically, the CMQC system should be of a two-layered
supervisory-management hierarchy, which ensures adequate functional integrity of the
system’s entities.
According to conceptual solution the control, that is, the measuring segment, Figure 3, is
structured so that it procedurally monitors the quality of the coal from the ledge and
excavation at the site of the open pit (position A) by means of crushing, the transport (position
B), of the deposit (the position C and D), to the entrance of the coal into the furnace boiler
plant (position E), or alternatively, the cleaning of coal, of the excavation on the site of the
surface pit (position A), the crushing - that is the entrance to the purification plant (position
F), to the output of clean coal (position G) . By this arrangement of measuring points, phase
control of coal quality from deposits and geological model forecasts is established, through
technological phases, to the final product that enters the process of energy conversion or is
delivered to the market. By measuring the quality of coal in seven positions (A, V, C, ..., G), a
comprehensive monitoring of the quality parameter is established.

Interpreter:
wg- coarse humidity, wh- internal humidity,
wu - total humidity, A - ash, Sm - combustible matter,
CO2 - carbon dioxide, S - sulfur, Qd- lower heat value.

Figure 2, Comparative review of the percentile parameter deviations of coal quality of the open pit mine
"Bogutovo selo"

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Position A. Based on the geological model of spatial changes characteristics of coal quality in
the ledge and sampling on the floor / front excavation surface mine, comparative data are
obtained on which a trustworthy location picture of the quality of coal at a given position in
the ledge is formed. As noted, the mathematical model of ledges, regardless of the applied
model approach, cannot be more precise than the accuracy of the input data obtained by
geological explorations. That is why it is important to measure the parameters of coal quality
at position A and to check if the quality of coal is equivalent to the forecast. Measurement
data in this position enable timely operational action in real time on the correction of coal
excavation (poor quality, waste logging, etc.), timely planning of receipt deposit and mixing,
or homogenization of coal. Efficient control at position A is a requirement for successful
homogenization and delivery of TE coal, of required quality, cost reduction, etc.
Positions B, C, D, F and G are points of permanent flow of radiometric and microwave
measurement in real time: content of ash, moisture, thermal values and delivered quantity of
coal.
Parnaby plant. Coal cleaning process in autogenous suspension, it is impossible to
effectively operate without control in real-time quality parameters of coal at the entrance and
exit of the plant. Radiometric and microwave analyzers, Figure 3, at positions F and G,
provide effective monitoring and management of the cleaning process. The goal is coal of the
required quality and lower cleaning costs.
Coal stockpile. Features of stockpile are: amortization of transition between the mine and
thermal power plant technology, reducing thermal power plant dependency production of coal
deliveries from the mines, increasing the operating reliability of thermal power complex as a
whole and the fourth feature stems from the required thermal energy conversion for smaller
coal quality fluctuations. For the purpose of equalizing the coal mixing quality, real-time
measurements of quality parameters are necessary, navigation receipt depositing, control of
mixing, stocks tracking and the mapping of the coal deposited according to the quality of the
coal. Radiometric and a microwave analyzer, Figure 3, in the position in real time measures
the quality of coal to be supplied from the open pit, and devices to positions C and D the coal
quality deposit lines that are delivered to the TE. Monitoring the quality of coal at the C and
D positions before the bunkers in the thermal power plant, provides the possibility of selective
charging and controlled discharge depending on the quality of the coal in bunkers.

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Figure 3, Topology of the conceptual model of the system CMQC

Mine and Thermal Power Plant Ugljevik

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In order to establish complete monitoring and management of the mining and energy
complex, a computer production and business monitoring and control system is needed, with
the CMQC sub-system in the structure.

8. CONCLUSION

This textual interpretation has no intention to describe the problem of controlling the coal
quality in details, it is unrealistic for the space designed for work. Working implies to the
approach to the solving of the task of coal quality management with the conclusion, using the
example of Mine and Thermal power plant Ugljevik, that the problem of control and
management of coal quality exceeds from the local level to the level of integrated production
and business monitoring and management over mining- energy complex as a whole.

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[3] Coal quality management systems - Application of coal on-line analysis, Enelex, 2015, 4 p.
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