Rethinking Coal Exit, Solution for Waterless Coal Beneficiation

As coal mining faces increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, HPY Technology is advancing solutions that prioritize both operational efficiency and sustainability. HPY’s dry coal sorting systems—available as complete dry systems and adaptable hybrid models—are transforming coal preparation by enabling efficient gangue removal early in the process. These technologies not only improve coal yield but also lower ash content and enhance calorific value, reducing water and chemical usage in traditional wet sorting plants and alleviating the environmental challenges of slurry disposal.

Additionally, HPY’s technology addresses issues with existing gangue stockpiles by reclaiming valuable resources, thus reducing risks of spontaneous combustion and contamination. This article examines how HPY’s advanced dry sorting technologies set new standards in coal preparation, ensuring a responsible and sustainable approach to coal production.

Many leading coal mining companies are adopting dry coal sorting technology due to its significant advantages: it increases coal recovery rates, minimizes water usage, optimizes transportation efficiency, and improves resource utilization.

Dry coal sorting is a groundbreaking method using X-ray Transmission (XRT) sensors to distinguish coal from gangue based on unique carbon properties. HPY’s advanced AI algorithm, known as the ‘Wenshu’ algorithm, processes this data for optimal sorting. Since HPY’s inception in 2015, the ‘Wenshu’ algorithm has been refined over nearly a decade, drawing on data from over 2,000 mine databases to achieve exceptional accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Gangue Pile: Circle Series for Small Particle Size Sorting with High Throughput

Coal mines frequently grapple with the accumulation of low-grade raw coal stockpiles, which pose environmental risks, including contamination and the potential for spontaneous combustion. These hazards have even led some mines to discontinue coal production altogether. However, HPY’s Circle Series dry coal sorting system provides Panjiang Mine with an advanced solution to address these environmental concerns and significantly enhance coal recovery.

At Panjiang’s coal preparation plant, the conventional processing of large gangue particles (+300 mm) has led to considerable resource wastage. HPY’s sorting model is specifically designed to address this by achieving a gangue rejection rate exceeding 90% for particles sized +10-60 mm. Operating at a processing capacity of 100 tons per hour, this model can produce up to 25% refined coal, enriching the raw gangue material from an average of 900 kcal to approximately 4000 kcal in refined coal.

This dry sorting process not only efficiently removes gangue and waste materials but also yields high-quality coal that can be blended with lower-calorific-value coal. This approach enhances resource utilization and allows the coal to be resold as a valuable, marketable product, supporting both economic and environmental objectives for Panjiang Mine.

Alternative Water Treatment: No Water

In water-scarce regions, traditional coal sorting processes, such as manual gangue removal, heavy media separation, and jigging, have proven inefficient and costly. HPY’s sensor-based dry coal sorting offers distinct advantages, minimizing both water usage and wastewater treatment requirements.

For instance, the Hebian Coal Mine in Guizhou, China, previously depended on water-intensive wet sorting methods, necessitating flotation and dense medium cyclone plants and costly wastewater facilities. HPY’s dry sorting method is more compact, easy to operate, and conserves water resources. By installing HPY’s 1.6-meter-wide Golden Coal Series dry coal sorter at wellheads, the mine reduced gangue content to under 1% while rejecting over 95% of gangue. This improved calorific value from 2000 to 4000 kcal, significantly reducing transportation costs. By eliminating gangue from the coal, the sorter significantly reduces transportation costs that would have been prevalent in the original process design.

Streamline Coal Sorting in Underground Operations

To streamline underground coal extraction, processing, and transport, HPY’s dry sorting technology offers spatial flexibility, modular design, and reduced production cycles. At an underground mine in Shanxi, China, with a capacity of 2.40 Mt/a, the high gangue content in coal overburdened the transport system and coal preparation plant.

The mine adopted HPY’s Golden Coal dry gangue pre-sorting system, integrating “Mining, Sorting, Transporting, and Backfilling” practices. The system enables gangue removal and backfilling at the working face, reducing transport needs and sorting loads on conveyors. This approach frees up capacity at the coal preparation plant, reduces slurry generation, and simplifies water treatment, ensuring cost efficiency and operational flexibility.

A Comprehensive Resource Utilization Plan for Inner Mongolia Gangue

The dry coal sorting system also serves as a valuable resource utilization tool. HPY’s Insight Series, featuring dual-sided VIS-HD imaging and XRT sensors, detects and recovers valuable resources from gangue, enabling greener practices in coal mining. This application has proven successful in projects like HPY’s dry gangue sorting venture in Inner Mongolia, which employs seven units of the Insight Series to process 2.4 million tons of gangue annually. This project includes the recovery of kaolin, white sandstone, and low calorific-value coal, enhancing the overall economic efficiency of the project and resource utilization. This project generated an additional 50,000 tons of low calorific-value coal and 3.4 million tons of construction aggregates, significantly reducing the mine’s environmental impact.

HPY’s Circle Series, Golden Coal Series, and Insight Series dry coal sorters elevate calorific values, improve feed grades, and maximize profitability while reducing wastewater needs and advancing resource utilization. Designed for underground and surface operations alike, HPY’s solutions enable traditional coal preparation plants to meet today’s green standards. By addressing these critical challenges, HPY empowers coal mines to achieve operational efficiency, minimize environmental impact, and contribute to sustainable energy practices.

For further information or business collaboration, please contact:

Ya Chen Ou

Market Coordinator | HPY Technology 

[email protected]