A Maharatna Company

Optimization of Coal Blend

proportions for sustained
improvements
in generation & efficiency

A.K. Arora & D.Banerjee

CenPEEP NTPC LTD
A Maharatna Company
Coal Blending in Power Sector

Coal Blending is a compulsion for some stations for meeting

environmental norms & sustenance of generation.
• Shortfalls in domestic coal supply
• Progressive degradation in coal quality

Coal Consumption & Import

2011-20112 2012-2013
India 442 / 48 MMT 473 / 80 MMT
NTPC 141 / 12 MMT 157 / 16 MMT

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A Maharatna Company
Issues & Concerns - Utility Perspective

• Compatibility of coals
• Blend Proportions
– Optimum blending ratio
– Maintaining desired blend proportions
• Methodology of Coal Blending
• Safe operation
-Slagging/clinkering
-Fire in stack yard or Mill

• Impact of blending
– Cost of Generation
– Auxiliary Power consumption
– Environmental Emissions
– Operating & performance parameters
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A Maharatna Company
Present Practices
Commonly Used Coal Characteristics
• Moisture
• ASH
• FC
• VM
• GCV

Presently two different quality coal is mixed in such a

proportion that resultant coal blend have desired ASH, VM or
GCV.

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A Maharatna Company
Compatibility - Coal characteristics

• Any two coals can not be blended

• Two compatible coals can’t be blended in any proportion

Non Additive Properties

Additive properties • Combustion Reactivity of coal
• Volatile Matter (Combustibility)
• Ash • Ash Characteristics ( Fusion
• Moisture Temperature )
• Gross Calorific Value • Grindability (HGI)
• Swelling characteristics of coal

Compatibility With Respect to Non Additive Properties of two coals

are Essential for successful Blending
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A Maharatna Company
Assessment of Combustion Compatibility
Differential Thermo gravimetric (DTG)& Differential Scanning Colorimetric
(DSC) Burning profile analysis

Typical DSC Burning Profile used for analysis of compatibility of two coals
A Maharatna Company
Burning Profile Analysis

1. Coal with similar burning profile is expected to behave similarly in

a full scale boiler.

2. By comparing burning profile of an unknown coal with that of a

coal with known full scale performance, compatibility can be
judged.

3. Comparison of burning profile temperature provides qualitative

assessment of coal reactivity
A Maharatna Company
Compatibility w.r.t Ash fusion Characteristics

• Ash composition of two coal from different origin may be

different.

• May have different ash fusion characteristics

• It is necessary to see that blended coal ash IDT should be higher

than FEGT temperature.

• Ash fusion temp is a measure to assess slagging and fouling

propensity of coal
 Laboratory Study to Check Compatibility of Coal
A Maharatna Company

Ash fusion temperature ˚C of individual coals

Coal Initial Deformation Softening Hemispherical Fluid
CL- Low ash coal
CH- High ash coal CL-1 1240 1560 1585 1600

CL-2 & CL-3 have lower softening CL-2 1100 1370 1400 1430
temps 1370˚C & 1400˚C and CL-3 1160 1400 1430 1450
relatively slagging prone coal CH-1 1320 1630 >1650 >1650
CH-2 1240 1570 1590 1615
CH-3 1320 1620 1640 >1650

Ash fusion temperature ˚C of blended coal

Softening temperatures of Coal Initial Deformation Softening Hemispherical Fluid

all the blends are well CL-1+CH-1 1300 1615 1625 1640
above maximum furnace CL-1+ CH-2 1240 1560 1585 1600
temperature (1400˚ C - CL-1 + CH-3 1300 1620 1630 1640
1450˚ C)
CL-2+CH-1 1270 1590 1600 1620
CL-2+ CH-2 1210 1520 1530 1560
CL-2 + CH-3 1260 1560 1580 1605
CL-3+CH-1 1260 1590 1645 >1650
CL-3+ CH-2 1250 1550 1560 1600
CL-3 + CH-3 1300 1610 1620 1645
A Maharatna Company Laboratory Study to Check Compatibility of Coal

Hard grove Grindability Index of coals

Coal CL-1 CL-2 CL-3 CH-1 CH-2 CH-3

HGI 77 61 44 66 59 77

• There is wide variation in HGI values of CL-3 & CH-3 coals

• Blending CL-3 & CH-3 may lead to selective grinding, segregation and
combustion problem.
A Maharatna Company Burning profile of Blended coal

 Indigenous low ash coal, CL-1 with lowest peak temperature (PT-439 C) is
most reactive,
 Imported low ash coal with highest PT (514 C) and burnout temperature
(598 C) is least reactive
 Blending CH-3 with CL-3 may result flame fluctuation, thermal instability or
increase in combustible losses.
A Maharatna Company Safe operation

• Imported coal has high VM (25-45%)

– Care to be taken to avoid spontaneous combustion in stack yard
– Control Mill inlet air temperature to maintain low mill outlet
temperatures

• Imported coal has low Ash Fusion Temp

– Reducing atmosphere in Furnace
– Clinkering & Slagging tendency

• Imported coal has Compatibility issues

– Secondary Combustion
– High Sulphur, SOx emissions
– Increase in Unburnt Loss
– Operation at High Excess Air
A Maharatna Company

BLENDING METHODOLOGY
 Comparisons of different coal blending Methodologies
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Blending Brief Point /Place of Advantage Disadvantage Application in

Method Description Blending NTPC

Blending in Stacking of two -Blending during Only one -Entire coal to Not tried
Beds coal in yard in reclaiming system to run be stacked first
layers -Homogenization for bunkering -More running
at transfer point coal Hours for CHP
& more APC
-Not possible
to change ratio

Blending by Imported coal -On conveyer - V. accurate High Capital Facility not
Silo from Silo is below Silo Blending ratio cost available in
mixed with - Homogenization can be NTPC
domestic coal at transfer point achieved
carried by -Ratio can be
conveyer below varied
Silo

Blending by Imported is -At common Ground hopper Feeding rate is Facility

Ground Dozed to ground transfer point is an additional not accurate available in
Hopper Hopper - Homogenization Source of some places
Domestic coal is at transfer point reclaiming
fed directly from
track hopper
wagon tippler
A Maharatna Company
Comparisons of different coal blending Methodologies

Blending Brief Point /Place of Advantage Disadvantage Application in

Method Description Blending NTPC
Blending on Two types of -At common Blending -Entire coal to Applied in
Moving Belt coal are stacked transfer point ratio can be be stacked first some station
(Both coal in two yard of - Homogenization changed any -More running
reclaimed) different stacker at transfer point time Hours for CHP
& reclaimers & more APC

Blending on Imported coal is -At common Blending Accuracy wise Commonly

Moving Blelt ( reclaimed from transfer point ratio can be inferior to Silo used Method
Imported coal yard and - Homogenization changed any blending
reclaimed & Domestic coal is at transfer point time
Domestic coal directly fed from Only
from track track hopper/ imported coal
Hopper) wagon tripler need to
stacked

Another method for use of two different coals is dedicating one or

two mills for firing imported coal and remaining mills on domestic coal
by adopting Co-firing
A Maharatna Company
Case Study : Compatibility of Domestic & Imported coal of a Station

Stations gets coals from different mines MCL Talcher, MCL Ib, SCCL, Indonesia

Tests were carried out in labs to get an qualitative idea about compatibility of coals
with respect to their burning behavior.

Differential Thermo gravimetric Analysis/Burning Profile & Ash Fusion Tests were
carried out for Domestic, Imported and blends of 10, 20, 30 and 40% of MCL Talcher
& Indonesian coals

Typical Proximate Analysis of Domestic Coal of different sources & Imported Coal

Source TM% ASH% VM% FC% GCV KCAL/KG

TALCHER 12.56 39.6 23.53 24.31 3364

IB AREA 13 44.21 21.59 21.22 2928
SINGARENI 12.75 38.05 22.15 27.05 3506
IMPORTED COAL 22.05 4.94 35.47 37.54 5080

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A Maharatna Company
Thermo gravimetric Analysis

MCL Talcher Coal SCCL Coal

MCL Ib Coal Indonesian Coal

The four figures are the burning profiles of the four types of coals. Solid line is the weight loss on
account of burning of coal and dotted line is the 1st derivative of the weight loss. The bottom peak
denotes maximum weight loss, peak at lower temperature indicates more reactive coals. 17
A Maharatna Company
Thermo-gravimetric Analysis

10% blend 20% blend

30% blend 40% blend

The four figures are the burning profiles of the four different blends of coals. 10% Imported
with MCL Talcher, 20% imported with MCL Talcher, 30 % & 40% blends
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A Maharatna Company
Analysis of DTG burning profile
DTG of Imported ( Presently used) coal was compared with DTG of
proven domestic coal

MCL MCL Talcher + %

Talcher MCL Ib SCCL Indonesian Imported 10% 20 % 30 % 40%
BOT C 513.5 487.3 541.4 549 BOT C 512.9 521.3 525 532.8

DTG Peak 418 399.3 481.6 366.7,480.4 DTG Peak 429.5 417,427.5 418.5 389.6

• Peak temp & Burnout temperatures of imported & domestic coals are
comparable & compatible

• DTG Profiles of blended coals of different ratio are well within the range
of proven coal

• This results indicates that these blends when fired in boiler shall not
cause any combustible loss problem
A Maharatna Company
Ash Fusion Temperatures

IDT 0C HT 0C Free flow temperature 0C

MCL Talcher 1380 1500 >1540
MCL IB 1200 1420 >1540
SCCL 1320 1480 >1540
Imported 1180 1360 1440
Talcher + 10% 1360 1460 1640
Talcher + 20% 1340 1460 1640
Talcher + 30% 1300 1440 1620
Talcher + 40% 1260 1440 1620

• Burning profile (DTG) temperatures of blends are in the same range as those of
domestic coals being fired.
• Combustion reactivity of the blends is similar to domestic coal & should not cause
any combustion related problems.
• Initial deformation temperature of both the imported coal and of 40 % blend is
lower than 1300ºC.
• Therefore, coal blends over 30% may cause melting of ash in furnace and initiate
slag formation or clinkering in reducing atmosphere.
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A Maharatna Company
Ash Constituents
MCL Talcher MCL IB CAF Fly Ash Imported
SiO2 % 64.84 62.6 61.42 63.68 42
Al2O3 % 26.75 28.73 28.71 19.75 23.94
Fe2O3 % 3.19 3.59 4.39 3.43 7.98
CaO % 1.49 1.38 1.55 2.57 8.89
MgO % 0.48 0.39 0.59 1.93 3.45

SO3 % 0.37 0.31 0.27 0.19 7.88

TiO2 % 1.12 1.28 1.6 2.5 1.28
P2O5 % 0.29 0.6 0.6 0.69 0.4
Na2O % 0.13 0.17 0.13 --- 2.56
K2O % 1.32 0.93 0.72 --- 1.6

• Imported coal ash have Higher concentrations of iron, calcium, magnesium &
sulphur which may initiate slagging
• Since ash content of coal is small and further when blended 10,20 or 30% its
contribution to blended coal ash becomes negligible
• Blending higher proportion of imported coal shall increase the content to
appreciable extent.
• Concentrations of sodium & potassium, cause for fouling deposits in boiler are also
higher.
• Hence during optimization of blend ratio compatibility w.r.t coal ash chemistry must
be followed.
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A Maharatna Company Conclusion
• Compatibility of characteristics of two coals must be assessed before
blending to avoid combustion related problems.

• Optimum blend ratio needs to be determined and maintained during

blending (Based on AFT, Burning Profile &HGI)

• Proper Methodology for blending must be followed based on available infra

structure

• Blending in transfer point before bunkering ensures good mixing in different

stages & is the recommended practice

• For new projects provisions need be made for firing blended coals at design
stage
• There’s a need to develop models for Indian coals, that could predict impact
of coal blends & coal quality variations on boiler performance

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A Maharatna Company

Thank You