Heavy hydrocarbon-coal surfactant-water-CCTA mixture technology. semi-industrial evaluation

Abstract

Using low viscosity inverse emulsion (o/w) technology of fuel oil in water, developed at the Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo, ICP, a synergy with the Coal-Surfactant-Water (CCTA) systems was established, yielding a new fuel mixture caled CCTA, Coal-Fuel Oil-Surfactant-Water. This triple system holds microscopic droplets of fuel oil and solid coal powder particles (up to 30% in weight) in suspension, in a water continuum medium. In the study performed, the stability during storage and pipeline transport at a semi-industrial scale of the CCTA systems was evaluated at two temperature ranges. The results show stability of over 30 days under testing conditions. In the ICP fuel evaluation unit, several diferent nozzles of comercial use with liquid fuels and diferent ratios of excess oxygen were evaluated finding some conditions appropriate for the burning of this non-conventional fuel. Likewise, the monitoring of emissions during the combustion process was performed, observing low contaminant levels in comparison with other liquid fuels.