Coal seam pyrolysis occurs during coal seam fires and during underground coal gasification. This is an important source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon （PAH） emission in China. Pyrolysis in a coal seam was simulated in a tubular furnace. The 16 US Environmental Protection Agency priority controlled PAHs were analyzed by HPLC. The effects of temperature, heating rate, pyrolysis atmosphere, and coal size were investigated. The results indicate that the 3-ring PAHs AcP and AcPy are the main species in the pyrolysis gas. The 2-ring NaP and the 4-ring Pyr are also of concern. Increasing temperature caused the total PAH yield to go through a minimum. The lowest value was obtained at the temperature of 600℃. Higher heating rates promote PAH formation, especially formation of the lower molecular weight PAHs. The typical heating rate in a coal seam, 5 ℃/min, results in intermediate yields of PAHs. The total PAHs yield in an atmosphere of N2 is about 1.81 times that seen without added N2, which indicates that an air flow through the coal seam accelerates the formation of PAHs. An increase in coal particle size reduces the total PAHs emission but promotes the formation of 5- and f-ring PAHs.
Liu ShuqinWang YuanyuanWang CaihongBao PengchengDang Jinli
Two-stage underground coal gasification was studied to improve the caloric value of the syngas and to extend gas production times.A model test using the oxygen-enriched two-stage coal gasification method was carried out.The composition of the gas produced,the time ratio of the two stages,and the role of the temperature field were analysed.The results show that oxygen-enriched two-stage gasification shortens the time of the first stage and prolongs the time of the second stage.Feed oxygen concentrations of 30%, 35%,40%,45%.60%,or 80%gave time ratios（first stage to second stage） of 1：0.12,1：0.21.1：0.51,1：0.64, 1：0.90.and 1：4.0 respectively.Cooling rates of the temperature field after steam injection decreased with time from about 19.1-27.4℃/min to 2.3-6.8℃/min.But this rate increased with increasing oxygen concentrations in the first stage.The caloric value of the syngas improves with increased oxygen concentration in the first stage.Injection of 80%oxygen-enriched air gave gas with the highest caloric value and also gave the longest production time.The caloric value of the gas obtained from the oxygenenriched two-stage gasification method lies in the range from 5.31 MJ/Nm^3 to 10.54 MJ/Nm^3.
