Michael P. Evans, Thermo Electron

and ECA coal analysers have been used to control sorting and blending operations at coal mines, power plants and coal terminals. In sorting operations, the analyser results are used to sort coal into piles, bins or silos based on the measured quality. Coals can be sorted by the ash, sulphur, moisture, heating value, or by combinations of these. Sorting can be used to allow low-ash coals to bypass coal preparation plants, thereby reducing the mining cost of the coal. Sorting can also be used to maximise the quantity of a premium quality coal available to an operation. For example, if an analyser is used to sort coal based on its sulphur content, a mine can ensure that all of the low-sulphur coal mined is stored separately, so that the maximum low-sulphur tonnage possible is available for blending or for high value contracts. Sorting of clean coal product allows coal to be segregated by qualities that are not controllable by washing, for example sulphur. Having coals of different qualities is required before blending can occur. Good sorting improves a blending operation. Blending with a coal analyser allows the following three objectives to be realised: