COAL DEVOLATILIZATION STUDIES IN SUPPORT OF THE WESTINGHOUSE FLUIDIZED-BED COAL-GASIFICATION PROCESS

Coal devolatilization studies were carried out with a pressurized laboratory fluidized-bed reactor. The tests showed the behaviour of caking and noncaking coals during rapid heating in a fluidized bed. Small samples of coal were injected into a hot bed of char; the off-gas was sampled and analysed; and the char and agglomerates produced were examined and characterized. Data obtained on the variation of gas evolution rates with time were used to predict the duration of the plastic or sticky phase during transition of the coal to char. All tests were conducted at 1.013 MPa (10 atm) pressure; bed temperature and coal particle size were varied. © 1979.