POWER September 2015 - 18
Fugitive Dust Mitigation
Solutions for Coal
Stockpiles
Many coal-fired power plants maintain
fuel stockpiles for use when the normal
delivery of coal to the plant is disrupted.
It is not uncommon for a 30-day supply to
be maintained in the pile. Most of these
stockpiles are left uncovered not only
because of the need for frequent transfer
into and out of the pile, but also due to
the cost of covering such a large area.
Fugitive dust can be a significant problem
at coal stockpiles. Coal dust ranges
in size from less than 2 microns (μm) to
over 100 μm. Dust can be generated during
stackout, storage, and reclaim activities,
including:
■ Through the release of previously generated
dust (fines) by air current when
the coal falls to the pile during stackout
■
When coal is broken by impact onto the
pile
■ By wind blowing across the pile
■ By movement of workers and machinery
on the pile
■ During reclaim operations
The amount of dust emitted by these
activities depends on the physical characteristics
of the coal and the way in which
the material is handled.
Chemical Dust Suppression
According to Chris Blazek, vice president
of marketing for Benetech Inc., coal is
hydrophobic in nature-especially subbituminous
coals, such as Powder River
Basin (PRB) coal-repelling water from
its surface. Therefore, simple water sprays
are often ineffective in controlling dust.
However, select surface-active agents
(surfactants) have been available for decades
with proven track records that can
effectively wet the coal surface.
The surfactants form a microscopic
liquid film as a means of increasing the
adhesion of the coal dust particles to
the body of the larger coal pieces. An
effective dust suppressant must wet the
surface of the coal, maintaining a moist
environment, and bind the coal dust particles
to the coal to prevent regeneration
of the dust.
By evaluating contact angles and
spreading coefficients of numerous surfactant
molecules, Benetech has identified
the structure/property relationships of
surfactants and their interaction, contributing
to what it says is optimum wetting
and adhesion. All of its formulations contain
synergistic combinations of wetting
agents, necessary to provide fast, efficient,
and effective dust suppression for a
variety of coal/material types under both
hard and brackish water conditions.
Blazek said the products are nonflammable,
nontoxic, non-explosive, and biodegradable.
They can be used to suppress
dust via low-moisture-addition foam wetting
action or long-duration (residual)
bonding agents.
Benetech believes that wetting the coal
prior to stackout is the only way to prevent
dust generation during the stackout
process (Figure 1). The Environmental Protection
Agency has approved the approach
to control stackout emissions to an opacity
limit of 5% and a particulate matter
(PM) limit of 0.005 grain PM per dry standard
cubic foot.
Short- and Long-Term Solutions
Typically, the use of chemical dust sup1.
Now you see it ... now you don't. Dust was a concern during stackout at this
stockpile (left), but the problem was mitigated after a chemical dust suppressant was added
(right). Source: Benetech Inc.
pressants requires between one-quarter
and one-half of the moisture addition
required by water-only spray systems.
Foaming packages, such as Benetech's
BT-105F, can further reduce the amount
of water required to effectively treat
the coal.
Changes in ambient humidity levels and
rain will naturally add moisture to a stockpile,
but evaporation can also reduce the
moisture content in the pile. Therefore, it
is difficult to detect the moisture addition
effect of either form of chemical dust suppression
at reclaim.
Typical foam- and surfactant-based
systems provide short-term dust control
from the pile as the moisture evaporates.
To provide longer-term dust control (three
weeks or more), Blazek said residual agents
could be added to the surfactant package
to retain moisture, provide a more permanent
film, or remain tacky. This class of
residual chemical dust suppression agent
can control dust from heavy equipment
traffic on the pile as well as during the
reclaim operation.
For long-term dust control from inactive
portions of the coal pile, a different
class of chemical dust suppressant is typically
deployed. Historically, tars, asphalts,
and oils have been used for this purpose.
Modern sealants include latex- and acryl2.
Not your typical garden hose.
The water cannon shown here was installed
with heat trace and insulation to spray a coal
stockpile at a power plant in Wisconsin. Courtesy:
Benetech Inc.
18
www.powermag.com
POWER | September 2015
http://www.powermag.com
POWER September 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER September 2015
Contents
POWER September 2015 - Cover1
POWER September 2015 - Cover2
POWER September 2015 - Contents
POWER September 2015 - 2
POWER September 2015 - 3
POWER September 2015 - 4
POWER September 2015 - 5
POWER September 2015 - 6
POWER September 2015 - 7
POWER September 2015 - 8
POWER September 2015 - 9
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