Environmental performance assessments of different methods of coal preparation for use in small-capacity boilers: experiment and theory

Abstract The purpose of this article is to receive environmental assessments of combustion of different types of coal fuel depending on the preparation (unscreened, size-graded, briquetted and heat-treated) in automated boilers and boilers with manual loading. The assessments were made on the basis of data obtained from experimental methods of coal preparation and calculated methods of determining the amount of pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the mass of ash and slag waste. The main pollutants from coal combustion are calculated: particulate matter, benz(a)pyrene, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide. Of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide is calculated. As a result of conducted research it is shown that the simplest preliminary preparation (size-graded) of coal significantly improves combustion efficiency and environmental performance: emissions are reduced by 13% for hard coal and up to 20% for brown coal. The introduction of automated boilers with heat-treated coal in small boiler facilities allows to reduce emissions and ash and slag waste by 2–3 times. The best environmental indicators correspond to heat-treated lignite, which is characterized by the absence of sulfur dioxide emissions.