EPRI's coal handleability project. A status report

Coal handling problems at utility power stations can become more than just nuisances when units must be derated or taken off line because coal will not flow from bunkers or through feeders. While moisture and fines have always been targeted as the causes of flow problems, no quantification of the total effects of these or other potential culprits has been made. Coal contracts are written to limit moisture and fines to arbitrarily selected values in order to eliminate potential problems. With the support of EPRI and six EPRI-member utilities, CQ Inc. and Iowa State University researchers are now analyzing a variety of coals in order to quantify the effects of moisture, fines and other coal properties that may affect coal handling behavior. In addition to quantifying the effects of coal properties on handling behavior, these researchers will also develop a handleability index and test device for measuring the index values. The index and test device will be validated by the cosponsoring utilities in the latter stage of the four-year project.