Open AccessUtilization of coal mine ventilation exhaust as combustion air in gas-fired turbines for electric and/or mechanical power generation. Semi-annual topical report, June 1995--August 1995
Publication year - 1995
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/393338
Subject(s) - methane , waste management , environmental science , coal , coal mining , electricity generation , enhanced coal bed methane recovery , combustion , exhaust gas , environmental engineering , engineering , chemistry , power (physics) , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Methane emitted during underground coal mining operations is a hazard that is dealt with by diluting the methane with fresh air and exhausting the contaminated air to the atmosphere. Unfortunately this waste stream may contain more than 60% of the methane resource from the coal, and in the atmosphere the methane acts as a greenhouse gas with an effect about 24.5 times greater than CO{sub 2}. Though the waste stream is too dilute for normal recovery processes, it can be used as combustion air for a turbine-generator, thereby reducing the turbine fuel requirements while reducing emissions. Preliminary analysis indicates that such a system, built using standard equipment, is economically and environmentally attractive, and has potential for worldwide application