Coal handling

1. Coal handling in thermal
Power Plants
Rampal Singh
B.E. (Mechanical), M.Tech (Production Engineering),
Thrice GATE Qualified

2. outline
• Outside coal handling
• Storage
• In plant coal handling

3. Introduction
• For 2000 MW plant 5 Million ton coal per year is required if it
operates for 250 Days
• Some inventory has to be kept (around 10%)

4. Modeoftransportation
By Rail
By sea
Pipe
Transportation

5. Pipeline
Transportation
Coal
Preparation
Recovery
Terminal(coal
dried)
Storage of coal

6. Pipeline transportation
• Slurry has to be prepared (1:1 ratio of water and coal)
• Not affected by weather and other outside conditions
• Coal preparation has to be done by mixing coal with water
• High pressure around 50-300 bar is needed
• Booster pumps are installed in between to compensate pressure lost
while flowing
• Pipe must be of high quality steel

7. Pipeline transportation
• Corrosion resistant painting provided outside
• Chemical mixing is done to take care of internal corrosion
• High installation cost
• Less running cost
• 10% moisture would remain with it

8. Coal storage
• Coal is volatile, fire safety has to be ensured
• Prevention from weather
• Storage (live and dead stock)
• Sulpher can cause fire and other hazards
• Lignite and bituminous coal has high sulpher content

9. Storage of coal
• Storage in heap- it should be compact, air circulation must not be
there
• Bulldozer used to make it compact
• Height of heap is 10-12m(kept in layers of 15-30cm)
• Slope provided to drain off rain water
• Fire fighting arrangement should be provided

10. Coal handling
• Rotary car dumpers (full wagon
can be accommodated, tilted
and emptied, popular and
efficient)
• (https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=DbJl_Astx_w)
• tower and bridges
• Lift trucks
• Cranes
https://www.machinio.com/listings/34953373-
metso-rotary-rail-car-dumper-includes-indexer-in-
sterling-co