Characteristics of Spontaneous Combustion of Various Fuels for Coal-Fired Power Plant by Carbonization Rank

Spontaneous combustion propensity of various coals of carbonization grade as a pulverized fuel of coal-fired power plant has been tested from an initial temperature of $25^{\circ}C$ to $600^{\circ}C$ by heating in an oven with air to analyze the self-oxidation starting temperature. These tests produce CPT (Cross Point Temperature), IT (Ignition temperature), and CPS (Cross Point Slope) calculated as the slope of time taken for a rapid exothermic oxidation reaction at CPT base. CPS shows a carbonization rank dependence whereby wood pellet has the highest propensity to spontaneous combustion of $20.995^{\circ}C/min$. A sub-bituminous KIDECO coal shows a CPS value of $15.370^{\circ}C/min$, whereas pet coke has the highest carbonization rank at $2.950^{\circ}C/min$. The nature of this trend is most likely attributable to a concentration of volatile matter and oxygen functional groups of coal surface that governs the available component for oxidation, as well as surface area of fuel char, and constant pressure molar heat.