TY - JOUR
T1 - Single-pot upgrading of run-of-mine coal and rice straw via Taguchi-optimized hydrothermal treatment
T2 - Fuel properties and synergistic effects
AU - Fakudze, Sandile
AU - Wei, Yingyuan
AU - Shang, Qianqian
AU - Ma, Ru
AU - Li, Yueh Heng
AU - Chen, Jianqiang
AU - Zhou, Peiguo
AU - Han, Jiangang
AU - Liu, Chengguo
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( 31770615 , 31822009 ), Fundamental Research Funds of CAF ( CAFYBB2020QA005 ), Postgraduate Research &Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province, Qing Lan Project of Jiangsu Province and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - Blended fuels of run-of-mine (ROM) coal and untreated rice straw (RS) have not yet been used for fuel applications due to their poor fuel performance and the release of pollutants during combustion. Combining co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) with oxidative acid/alkaline solvents could be useful as a single-pot approach for effectively upgrading ROM coal/RS blended fuels. However, the determination of optimal co-HTC conditions is critical to achieve maximal performance of ROM coal/RS hydrochars. In this study, the Taguchi method was used to investigate optimal co-HTC conditions for the production of hydrochars with desired fuel properties. Characterization of produced hydrochars was performed by elemental analysis, proximate analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Based on calculations of S/N ratios, hydrochar with the best combustibility was produced using the lowest reaction temperature (180 °C) and residence time (4 h), hence minimizing energy consumption. Hydrochars produced under the optimal conditions for the best fuel ratio (FR) and proximate analysis (PA) indices had superior high heating values (HHVs) of 29.4 and 29.0 MJ kg−1, respectively. In addition, synergistic effects from the optimal conditions resulted in lower contents of sulfur and post-combustion ash of the hydrochars.
AB - Blended fuels of run-of-mine (ROM) coal and untreated rice straw (RS) have not yet been used for fuel applications due to their poor fuel performance and the release of pollutants during combustion. Combining co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) with oxidative acid/alkaline solvents could be useful as a single-pot approach for effectively upgrading ROM coal/RS blended fuels. However, the determination of optimal co-HTC conditions is critical to achieve maximal performance of ROM coal/RS hydrochars. In this study, the Taguchi method was used to investigate optimal co-HTC conditions for the production of hydrochars with desired fuel properties. Characterization of produced hydrochars was performed by elemental analysis, proximate analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Based on calculations of S/N ratios, hydrochar with the best combustibility was produced using the lowest reaction temperature (180 °C) and residence time (4 h), hence minimizing energy consumption. Hydrochars produced under the optimal conditions for the best fuel ratio (FR) and proximate analysis (PA) indices had superior high heating values (HHVs) of 29.4 and 29.0 MJ kg−1, respectively. In addition, synergistic effects from the optimal conditions resulted in lower contents of sulfur and post-combustion ash of the hydrochars.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.energy.2021.121482
DO - 10.1016/j.energy.2021.121482
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85110510703
SN - 0360-5442
VL - 236
JO - Energy
JF - Energy
M1 - 121482
ER -