Multi-component gas mixture transport through porous structure of coal

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 233; pp. 37 - 44
• Main Authors: Wojtacha-Rychter, Karolina, Smolinski, Adam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Acetylene; Carbon monoxide; Coal; Columns (structural); Gas flow; Gases; Hydrogen storage; Mine fire; Oxidation; Oxidation products; Porosity; Porous materials; Propylene; Sorption; Storage capacity; Transport; Sorption; Mine fire; Oxidation products; Coal
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2018.06.040

•The amount of released gases increases as the temperature of coal heating increases.•A selective sorption of combustion gases on coal was observed.•Unsaturated hydrocarbons were the main sorbed gases.•Calculated ratios Ck/Co differed depending on a particular gas.•Sorption of C3H6 and C2H2 lowers their reliability as mine fire indicators. A study of gas flow through porous coals is significantly important for the accurate assessment of the state of endogenous fire risk. Coal characterizes of a unique pore structure which provides a good storage capacity and an ideal transport pathway for the movement of gases. Gaseous products released from the source of coal self-heating flow through coal and may be subject to adsorption. In this study, the effects of the transport of multi-component gas mixture through a sorption column filled with granular coal and inert material were investigated. The experiment with coal presented in the paper proved that gas concentrations at the inlet (Co) and at the outlet of the sorption column (Ck) varied depending on the properties of coal and gas molecules. Based on the results, an index demonstrating the relationship between these concentrations was calculated. The experiment of gas mixture flow through inert material confirmed that the lowest index, i.e. below 0.7, obtained for propylene and acetylene in the experiment with coal was a result of sorption processes. Gases with lowest critical temperatures, such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen had the highest index which was above 0.9.