Presymposium Workshops

The Low-Rank Fuels Symposium was preceded by three 2-hour training courses, which provided participants with a practical overview of the physical and chemical processes related to coal-fired boilers. Topics included coal analysis, ash formation, fireside deposition, and particulate control in combustion systems, as well as mercury in combustion flue gases.

Coal Analysis - What Do the Analyses Really Mean?
The analysis of coal has always been challenging.
Workshop 1 topics include:

• An overview of coal origin and formation
• Coal chemical and physical properties.
• The origin of standard methods of analysis.
• Descriptions and uses of proximate, ultimate, and mineral analysis and ash fusion, among others.
• The uses of methods for combustion environmental control.
• The limitations of standard methods.
• Applications for new methods of coal analysis.

Ash Formation, Fireside Deposition, and Particulate Control in Combustion Systems
The ash that forms during coal combustion has the potential to cause significant problems in boilers and particulate control devices.
Workshop 2 topics include:

• Ash-forming materials in fuels.
• Fuel characterization measures.
• Fireside ash deposition - fouling and slagging.
• Ash particulate control with electrostatic precipitation and fabric filtration.
• Predicting ash behavior - advanced indices and models.
• Case histories.

Mercury in Combustion Flue Gases - Speciation, Measurement, and Control
Mercury is an immediate concern for the U.S. electric power industry because of EPA's 2000 decision that regulation of Hg from coal-fired electric utility steam-generating units is appropriate and necessary..
Workshop 3 topics include:

• Mercury levels in coal.
• Mercury transformations during combustion and speciation in flue gases.
• Mercury measurement and speciation - Ontario Hydro and continuous mercury monitors.
• Control issues related to low-rank coals.
• Recent testing results for mercury control.
• Future directions.

Presenters:

• Dr. Steven A. Benson is an EERC Senior Research Manager who develops projects and programs focused on power plant performance, environmental control systems, the fate of pollutants, computer modeling, and health issues. He has performed research on inorganic transformations and ash behavior during combustion and gasification for the past 25 years.
• Dr. Bruce C. Folkedahl is an EERC Research Manager involved with projects focused on coal inorganic transformations and deposition; development of predictive models to assess these processes; biomass conversion to energy; and development of methods to mitigate the effects of inorganic components on the performance of combustion, gasification, and air pollution control systems.
• Mr. Dennis L. Laudal is an EERC Senior Research Advisor involved in program development related to mercury control and measurement. He is considered a leading expert on continuous emission monitors for mercury. He is also involved in particulate measurement and control of SOx, NOx, and air toxics.
• Mr. Jason D. Laumb is an EERC Research Manager involved in bench-scale combustion and gasification testing of various fuels and wastes for projects involving the inorganic composition of coal, coal ash formation, deposition of ash in conventional and advanced power systems, and mechanisms of trace metal transformations during coal or waste conversion.
• Dr. Li Yan is an EERC Research Engineer involved in computational analysis of fuel characteristics in power plants. He also has experience in coal mineral characterization techniques, ash-related issues in power plant boilers, circulating fluidized-bed combustion and gasification, and energy system analysis and management.