Further Investigation of the Impact of the Co-combustion of Tire-derived Fuel and Petroleum Coke on the Petrology and Chemistry of Coal Combustion Products

Abstract

A Kentucky cyclone-fired unit burns coal and tire-derived fuel, sometimes in combination with petroleum coke. A parallel pulverized combustion (pc) unit at the same plant burns the same coal, without the added fuels. The petrology, chemistry, and sulfur isotope distribution in the fuel and resulting combustion products was investigated for several configurations of the fuel blend. Zinc and Cd in the combustion products are primarily contributed from the tire-derived fuel, the V and Ni are primarily from the petroleum coke, and the As and Hg are probably largely from the coal. The sulfur isotope distribution in the cyclone unit is complicated due to the varying fuel sources. The electrostatic precipitator (ESP) array in the pc unit shows a subtle trend towards heavier S isotopic ratios in the cooler end of the ESP.

Keywords:

• coal
• combustion
• Kentucky
• petroleum coke
• tire-derived fuel

Notes

[ ] Literature value (Gladney et al., 1987).

Key: Vit—vitrinite, Fus—fusinite, Sfs—semifusinite, Mic—micrinite, Mac—macrinite, Exn—exinite (sporinite and cutinite), Res—resinite, Sil—free silicates, Sul—free sulfides, Car—free carbonates, Min—mineral matter with coal.

Monomaceral microlithotypes: Vitrite (Vt)—Vitrinite (V) > 95%, Liptite (Lp)—Liptinite (L) > 95%, Inertite (In)—Inertinite (I) > 95%.

Bimaceral microlithotypes: Clarite (Cl)—V + L > 95%, Vitrinertite (Vi)—V + I > 95%, Durite (Du)—I + L > 95%.

Trimaceral microlithotypes: Duroclarite (Dc)—V > L, I; each > 5%, Clarodurite (Cd)—I > V, L; each > 5%, Vitrinertoliptite (Vl)—L > V, I; each > 5%, Carbominerite (Cm)—20% < silicates, carbonates < 60 vol% or 5% < sulfides < 20 vol%.

R _max—vitrinite maximum reflectance, s.d.—standard deviation of reflectance, V-types—percentage of vitrinite reflectance values within 0.1% R _max range (v4—0.40 to 0.49% R _max).