Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Takahiro Shishido

Koji Sakai

Maki Hamaguchi

Noriyuki Okuyama

Shigeru Kinoshita

Takuya Yoshida

Provided is an ash-free coal production method without the need to once re-liquefy and form an ash-free coal. The ash-free coal production method includes an extraction step of mixing coal with a solvent to prepare a slurry and heating the slurry to extract a solvent-soluble coal component; a separation step of separating a solution containing the solvent-soluble coal component from the slurry obtained from the extraction step; an ash-free coal obtaining step of evaporatively separating the solvent from the solution separated in the separation step to obtain an ash-free coal. The ash-free coal obtaining step in the production method is performed so that the solvent is evaporatively separated from the solution to give a liquid ash-free coal, and the liquid ash-free coal is brought into contact with a solidifier (e.g., water) to solidify into a predetermined shape.

Ash-free coal production method

Provided is a method that controls and uniformizes fluidity of ash-free coal. The method includes the steps of obtaining an ash-free coal by removing a solvent from a solution containing a coal component dissolved therein (ash-free coal obtaining step (solvent recovering unit)); and mixing a plurality of coals of different types or components thereof, where the coals are capable of individually giving ash-free coals having different fluidities (mixing step (see reference signs Bto B)). The ash-free coal obtaining step (solvent recovering unit) obtains the ash-free coal by removing the solvent from the solution containing components of the coals which have been mixed.

A gravitational settling tank including a pressure vessel which precipitates solid content contained in slurry in which coal and solvent are blended, and separates the solid-content concentrated liquid from the supernatant liquid, and a supply pipe which supplies the pressure vessel with the slurry. A main body part and a nozzle part which is connected on the downstream side of the main body part and extends horizontally are provided in the supply pipe. A plurality of holes are provided in the nozzle part. By virtue of this, agitation of the solid-content concentrated liquid which has settled in the bottom is inhibited.

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Hyogo, Japan

Takahiro Shishido