The research and development program in coal-water mixture technology at the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center

The Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center has designed an RandD program to address the problems of converting to coal-water mixture those boilers originally designed to burn coal but which are now using oil. Testing is oriented toward identifying suitable conditions for burning CWM in small industrial boilers. The potential advantages of coal-water-methanol mixtures are also studied. These results must be extrapolated to predict performance of larger industrial units. The long term reliability of CWM is the subject of future PETC tests. A project to develop retrofit technology has been contracted with Combustion Engineering Inc. and with Gulf RandD Co. Other projects will weigh the advantages of retrofit to coal-oil mixture, or pulverized coal. The effect of highly beneficated coal will also be studied.