Evaluation of hyperbaric filtration for fine coal dewatering

Most of the coal presently used by the utility industry is cleaned at preparation plants employing wet processes. Water, while being the mainstay of coal washing, is also one of the least desirable components in the final product. Coarse coal (+3/4 inch) is easily dewatered to a 3--4 percent moisture level using conventional vibrating screens and centrifuges. However, the main problem of excess product moisture occurs in fine (minus 28 mesh) coal and refuse. Even though fines may constitute only about 20 percent of a contemporary cleaning plant feed, they account for two-thirds of the product surface moisture. This high surface moisture offsets many of the benefits of coal cleaning, and can easily undercut the ongoing programs on recovery of fine clean coal from refuse as well as producing an ultra-fine super clean coal fuel. Currently, most of the coal preparation plants utilize vacuum disk type technology for dewatering of the fine coal, providing dewatered product containing about 25 percent moisture. The coal industry would prefer to have a product moisture in the range of 10 to 15 percent, thereby avoiding thermal drying of coal. Hyperbaric filtration. has shown potential in lowering moisture in fine coal to about 20 percent level. This project will develop fundamental information on particle-liquid interaction during hyperbaric filtration and apply the knowledge in developing optimum conditions for the pilot plant testing of the hyperbaric filter system.