On October 24, at 10 AM, the National Energy Group’s subsidiary, ZhuNeng Group, showcased a significant advancement in coal quality testing at the Heidaigou open-pit coal mine. A state-of-the-art coal quality rapid testing device installed in the ZhuNeng coal preparation plant was performing real-time assessments on the quality of commercial coal set for shipment that day. Within just two minutes, the device transmitted data encompassing several key indicators, including calorific value, moisture content, ash content, and sulfur content, to downstream coal users. This innovative technology was able to ensure that all 10 trains, carrying a total of 41,000 tons of commercial coal, underwent quality checks on the same day.
This marked the latest application of the rapid coal quality testing technology in the coal industry. On the same day, the National Energy Group and Hikvision, a subsidiary of the China Electronics Technology Group, jointly released an “integrated spectral coal quality rapid testing technology” in Beijing. This advancement signifies a new era for coal quality management in China, as it successfully demonstrates applications across the entire coal production, power generation, transportation, and chemical industries using artificial intelligence.
Coal serves as the foundation of China’s energy sector, and accurate coal quality data is crucial for the production, sale, and utilization of coal. Traditionally, reliance on chemical methods for coal testing has been fraught with challenges, including complex processes, significant operational discrepancies, lengthy workflows, and extended settlement periods. A coal shipment typically undergoes at least two tests from the moment it is loaded at the upstream source until it is received at the downstream end, leading to inconsistencies in quality verification that have long bothered buyers and sellers alike.
The newly launched rapid testing technology can online assess the calorific value, total sulfur, ash content, and total moisture of coal samples as small as 6mm. Testing results are available in just two minutes after sampling an entire train, in contrast to traditional methods that may take a minimum of eight hours. Notably, this technology enhances sample representativeness exponentially, with the ability to analyze over one ton of coal per train, compared to the traditional testing of just one gram. Furthermore, the entire process operates autonomously, streamlining the previously complex sampling, preparation, and testing stages.
Liu Guoyue, Chairman of the National Energy Group, emphasized that this technology addresses multiple longstanding challenges in coal quality testing. It has already facilitated rapid settlements for over ten million tons of coal with various partners. Looking ahead, the company aims to extend its reach into the realms of “big models and big platforms,” developing a comprehensive national-level data quality sharing service platform while also exploring applications in other bulk commodity testing sectors.
In 2024, ten units of this equipment are set to be demonstrated across nine sites in China’s four major coal-producing regions, ports, sales outlets, power plants, and chemical industries, with the capacity to test over 400 million tons of coal. This technology has proven to operate reliably under harsh conditions, including extreme temperatures, dust, vibrations, high humidity, and electromagnetic interference.
