A novel power generation system based on the cascade utilization of coal: concept and preliminary experimental results

ABSTRACTA new concept of a coal-based, multiproduct, poly-generation system is proposed for the cascade utilization of coal. The system combines coal pyrolysis and char residue combustion to supply chemical materials, and process heat and electricity. To achieve high conversion ratios of chemically active components and ensure high char combustion reactivity, a preliminary pyrolysis experiment was conducted on a drop tube furnace, and the semi-chars were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, N2 adsorption, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The appropriate conditions for the novel poly-generation system are a pyrolysis temperature of ~1,000°C and a coal particle size of ~0.3 mm.