Synergistic Utilization of Coal Fines and Municipal Solid Waste in Coal-Fired Boilers

95 Synergistic Utilization of Coal Fines and Municipal Solid Waste in Coal-Fired Boilers--Energy and Environmental Research Corporation, 18 Mason Street, Irvine, CA 92618-2706; (714) 859-8851 Dr. Vladimir M. Zamansky, Principal Investigator Dr. W.R. Seeker, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-97ER82401 Amount: $75,000 Over two billion tons of waste coal fines have been impounded from coal preparation plants, increasing by 30-50 million tons each year. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), with its disposal costs rising, is being landfilled or burned, leading to the release of toxic compounds. To increase the utilization of U.S. coal reserves as well as increase the energy produced through burning MSW, this project will optimize the blending of waste coal fines with carbonized MSW to produce a uniform, low cost, and marketable slurry fuel, suitable for co-firing in utility and industrial boilers. The slurry carbonization technology economically converts MSW to a uniform, low ash, low sulfur, and essentially chlorine free carbonized slurry fuel. The overall objective of Phase I of this project is to determine the rheological, and combustion characteristics of blended waste coal fines and carbonized MSW slurry fuel. Combustion experiments also will be completed and emissions determined for various blends of waste coal fines and carbonized MSW slurry fuels. In Phase II, slagging and fouling will be evaluated, and toxic metals and organic emissions will be measured. In addition, the issues of slurry formulation, storage, and delivery will be addressed. It is anticipated that Phase I and II research will establish the marketability and low cost advantage of blended waste coal fines and carbonized MSW. This project is structured to compile the necessary scientific and engineering data to complete a utility scale combustion test of the blended slurry fuel in Phase III. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Synergistic utilization of waste fuels by blending and co-firing in utility and industrial boilers will solve the problem of waste coal fines and MSW disposal, minimize net cost of power generation by providing lower cost fuels, and reduced emissions from combustion of MSW alone. The blended slurry fuel also could potentially be used as a reburn fuel, providing the additional benefit of NOX control and reduction from utility and industrial boilers.