Providing a comprehensive survey of the origin, the fundamental properties, and the technology of utilization of the lignites of North America, this book will be of particular interest to professional scientists and engineers working in coal research or coal technology. Coals display a continuum of properties, often with no sharp, steep change between ranks and thus the book restricts the discussion strictly to lignites (with the occasional comparisons with other coals).There is a very extensive index, making the contents of the book easily accessible to the reader.

Low-Rank Coals for Power Generation, Fuel and Chemical Production provides a thorough introduction to lignite (brown coal) and subbituminous coals and explores how they can be used efficiently and economically in place of hard coal. The book examines the undesirable characteristics of low-quality coals, such as high moisture content, low calorific value, and aggressive ash characteristics, and the resulting refinements to standard technologies and practices required for successful combustion, gasification, and pyrolysis.The first part of this book provides a comprehensive and systematic review of the properties of low-rank coals and corresponding preparation methods, such as drying, cleaning, and upgrading. Power generation from low-rank coals is the focus of Part 2, with chapter topics ranging from high efficiency pulverized coal combustion and circulatingfluidized bed combustion to emerging areas such as chemical looping and oxyfuel combustion. The final contributions address the important subjects of coal-to-liquids,polygeneration and coke production using low-rank coals, as well as the critical issue of carbon capture and storage.This book is a valuable resource for power generation engineers and researchers seeking to maximize the opportunities provided by these cheaper coal feedstocks for efficient and environmentally compatible power generation. - Presents the most in-depth treatment of low-rank coals available - Addresses both power generation and fuel production - Includes coverage that spans pulverized coal combustion and emerging technologies, such as CFBC, UCG, CLC, and oxyfuel combustion

Coal will continue to provide a major portion of energy requirements in the United States for at least the next several decades. It is imperative that accurate information describing the amount, location, and quality of the coal resources and reserves be available to fulfill energy needs. It is also important that the United States extract its coal resources efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner. A renewed focus on federal support for coal-related research, coordinated across agencies and with the active participation of the states and industrial sector, is a critical element for each of these requirements. Coal focuses on the research and development needs and priorities in the areas of coal resource and reserve assessments, coal mining and processing, transportation of coal and coal products, and coal utilization.