Field test of in-situ conversion of coal

This work studies the in-situ conversion technology of solid fossil fuels to liquid and gaseous products. The investigated approach consists of the pyrolysis of solid fuel within the temperature range of 500-700 degrees C. Heating occurs due to the flow of current through the electrothermal breakdown channel. The electrical contact with the coal is implemented via electrodes located in the wells. These wells also function as extraction channels. The paper describes the process of testing the use of technology in an area of an open coal bed at the Bogatyr coal mine (Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan). The interelectrode distance in the experiment was 1 meter. The results have demonstrated the feasibility of this method and have provided data for extrapolating the parameters of a larger interelectrode distance. The values of energy consumption, dynamics of bed resistance, and the number of products obtained are provided in this paper.