Coal enhancement process

Abstract

The present process produces a clean burning coal from low grade coal and has a higher heating value per unit mass, as compared to the feed stock coal. The clean coal may be used in coal-fired power plants, industrial boilers, and homes since it produces fewer or none of the emissions commonly associated with coal burning devices. The process treats coal prior to its combustion and removes about 90 percent of the pollutants. These pollutants are removed within 6 to 18 minutes, many of which may be recycled into products such as roofing tar, chemical feed stocks, and light hydrocarbons that can be used as gaseous fuels. The final product is suitable for use in homes where coal is used for cooking and heating, and significantly improves the health of those who have previously been exposed to toxic fumes from burning uncleaned coal in their homes. The process is fueled by its own by-products, recycles heat, and reduces coal weight to save energy in transporting it to the user.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to the field of treating biomass to enhance its value or rank. More particularly, the invention concerns a process for the treatment of biomass, especially coal, to efficiently convert the selected feed stock from low rank into a high grade fuel capable of increased heat release per unit of fuel. This is accomplished in part by driving off most on the moisture trapped in low grade coal. The process simultaneously scrubs the coal of pollutants or impurities, many of which are organic volatiles, which are also referred to as by-products.[0003]These by-products are largely combustible and can provide the heat energy required to operate the inventive process after start up in a manner similar to that of a petroleum refinery refining crude oil to produce clean fuels. The removed by-products are recycled into products such as roofing tar, and chemical feed stocks. The organic volatiles are light ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]Bearing in mind the foregoing, a principal object of the present invention is to improve upon prior art coal upgrading processes that utilize heat and pressure to remove moisture and volatile matter from coal by minimizing the creation of unstable products that are prone to moisture re-absorption, size degradation, and spontaneous combustion.

[0011]Another principal object of the present invention is to improve the rank of low grade coal by converting it into a high grade fuel capable of increased heat release per unit of fuel and doing so with the by-products of the process such as organic volatiles that are light hydrocarbons that are fuel to power the process after startup.

[0012]Another object of the present invention is to improve the rank of low grade coal using a process that is energy conserving on several levels, i.e., the increased rank of the coal makes it a more effective fuel, removes moisture, uses the by-products removed from the feed stock to power the inventive process, produces treated by-products for other applications such as gaseous fuels that contain more useful energy, and reduces the weight of the coal to reduce energy consumption in transporting the coal to its combustion site.

Problems solved by technology

The inefficient release of these vast energy reserves, however, has resulted in a degradation of the quality of the atmosphere and the environment, and some believe it contributes significantly to global warming.

This molecular transformation resulted in a more readily combustible coal, but an unstable product.

The prior processes took several hours to complete, which made them slow and costly in both capitalization and productions costs.

But Hunt does not recognize either the use of by-products to power the process, or the ability to “farm” a great number of by-products for constructive use outside of the process.

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