UTILIZATION OF WESTERN COAL FOR MHD ENERGY CONVERSION.

The problems associated with fueling future MHD power plants on Montana subbituminous coal are evaluated. Economic sulfur removal, relative to conventional coal-fired power plants will be a preeminent positive feature of MHD electricity production with low-rank western coals. Moisture removal must unquestionably be instituted in order to render these low-calorific fuels suitable for MHD energy conversion. Even though thermal drying installations predominate in this country, steam drying is recommended as a form of drying, which may be particularly compatible with MHD power generation. Steam drying is about 3/8 as energy intensive as thermal drying, produces a superior product, and could be readily operated on waste steam available from the MHD topping cycle. Appreciable improvement in system efficiency derives from integrating steam drying into the MHD power cycle. Various areas of critical concern in handling and processing low-rank solid fuels such as ease of pulverization, coal transportation, slacking and weathering, slagging characteristics, fire and explosion hazards, freezing of coal, and reabsorption of moisture are also discussed.