Relationship between proximate analysis parameters and combustion behaviour of high ash Indian coal

This work presents the analysis of combustion characteristics of high ash Indian coal (28%-40%) collected from different mines of Singaurali coalfield, India. All the coal samples were characterized by proximate and gross calorific value analysis. Combustion performance of the coals were characterised using thermo-gravimetric analysis to identify the burning profile of individual coals. Various combustion kinetic parameters such as ignition temperature, peak temperature and burnout temperature, ignition index and burnout index, combustion performance index plus rate and intensity index of combustion process, activation energy were determined to analyse the combustion behaviour of coal. Further all these combustion properties were compared with the volatile matter, ash, fixed carbon and fuel ratio of each coal. Theoretical analysis shows that with increase in ash content, combustion performance initially increases and later descends. Further, coal with (25 +/- 1.75)% volatile matter, 20%-35% ash and fuel ratio 1.4-1.5 were found to be optimum for coal combustion.