The Science of Victorian Brown Coal

The Science of Victorian Brown Coal provides extensive information on Victorian brown coal, which is a major fossil fuel resource by any standard and constitutes about 97% of Victoria's recoverable energy reserves.
Energy from brown coal has been the mainstay of the Victorian economy, providing low-cost electricity to the state grid, briquettes as a fuel for industry and town gas prior to the discovery of natural gas. Because of the unique properties of the coal, it has been necessary to develop an in-depth scientific knowledge of the coal and its behavior, as well as innovative technologies for its effective utilization.
The economic benefit brown coal has provided to Victoria is demonstrated throughout the chapters. This book aims to provide the springboard for further research and lead to a new era in the development of value-added products and the more efficient utilization of this major resource.
This text is a useful reference for students or individuals conducting research on fossil fuel energy, specifically on brown coals.

Contenu

Foreword
Preface
Copyright Acknowledgments

1. Geology and Resources
   1 Introduction
   2 Geological Occurrence of Victorian Brown Coal Deposits
   
   3. Coal Quality
      4 Resources and Reserves
   4. Concluding Comments
   5. References
2. Petrology
   1 Introduction
   2 Brown Coal Type
   3 Brown Coal Rank
   4 Micro-Petrology
   5 Palaeobotany
   6 Variation in Petrological Characteristics and Physical Properties for Coalfields in The Gippsland and Otway Basins
   7 Conclusion
   8 References
3. The Water in Brown Coal
   1 Introduction
   2 The Nature of Water Bonding in Brown Coal
   3 Determination of Moisture Content
   4 Moisture Holding Capacity and Bed Moisture Content
   5 Factors Causing Variation in Bed Moisture Content
   6 Brown Coal Drying
   7 Moisture and Binderless Briquetting
   8 Directions for Future Work on Water in Brown Coal
   9 References
4. Physical Structure and Properties of Brown Coal
   1 Introduction
   2 Physical Structure of Brown Coal and Its Products
   3 Physical Properties
   4 Rheology of Raw Brown Coal
   5 Brown Coal/Water Slurries
   6 Densified Brown Coal Products
   7 Geotechnical Properties
   8 References
5. Brown Coal Sampling, Analysis and Composition
   
   1. Introduction
   2. Sampling
      3 Analysis
   3. Non-Mineral Elements - Exchangeable Cations
      5 Mineral Elements - X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy
   4. Trace Elements
      7 Coal Acidity - Ph
      8 Acidic Functional Groups
      9 Specific Energy
      10 Ash Analysis
      11 Reporting Analytical Results for Brown Coal
      12 Typical Analyses of Victorian Brown Coals
      13 Conclusions
      14 References
6. Chemical Structure of Victorian Brown Coal
   1 Introduction
   
   2. Macromolecular Skeletal Structure
   3. Molecular Characterization
   4. Concluding Remarks
   5. References
7. Functional Groups and Ion Exchange Properties
   
   1. Introduction
   2. Determination of Oxygen Groups
   3. Acidic Groups and Ion Exchange - Effect on Coal Properties and Reactions
      4 The Effect of the Extent of Ion Exchange on Brown Coal Properties
      5 Other Functional Groups
   4. References
8. Combustion, Gasification and Oxidation
   1 Introduction
   2 Theory of Gas-Solid Reactions
   3 Combustion of Victorian Brown Coal
   4 Gasification of Victorian Brown Coal and Brown Coal Char
   
   5. Low Temperature Oxidation and 'Self-Heating' of Victorian Brown Coal
   6. Explosibility of Victorian Brown Coal Dust
   7. Concluding Remarks
   8. References
9. Pyrolysis
   
   1. Introduction
   2. Pyrolysis at Slow Heating Rates
   3. Pyrolysis at Rapid Heating Rates
   4. Characteristics of Brown Coal Tars
   5. Brown Coal Chars
   6. Concluding Remarks
   7. References
10. Hydrogenation and Reduction
    1 Introduction
    2 Processing Methods for Liquefaction Studies
    3 Reactivity of Brown Coals in Liquefaction
    4 Dissolution of Brown Coals in Organic Solvents
    5 Reactions of Brown Coals with Gases
    6 Product Evaluation and Upgrading Studies
    7 Residues and Impurities
    8 Novel Reactions
    9 Mechanistic and Kinetic Interpretations
    10 Summary
    11 References
11. Inorganic Constituents
    
    1. Introduction
    2. Nature and Mode of Occurrence
    3. Behavior of the Inorganics during Utilization
    4. Concluding Remarks
    5. References
12. Industrial Implications of the Properties of Brown Coals
    
    1. Introduction
    2. Combustion
    3. Drying
    4. Briquette Production and Utilization
    5. Brown Coal Carbonization and Industrial Carbons
    6. Gasification
    7. Liquefaction
    8. Other Uses
    9. Concluding Remarks
    10. References
13. Comparison of Victorian Brown Coals and Other Australian Deposits with Major Overseas Brown Coal/Lignite Deposits
    1 Introduction
    2 Australian Brown Coals
    3 Federal Republic of Germany
    4 German Democratic Republic (Former)
    5 India
    6 Poland
    7 United States of America
    8 Brief Description of Low Rank Coals in China, Czechoslovakia, USSR and Yugoslavia
    9 Brief Comparison of the Three Major Low Rank Coal Basins in the World
    10 Concluding Comments
    11 References
    Abbreviations
    Index