A coal crushing and screening plant is a facility where coal extracted from nature is processed to make it usable. Coal is an important fossil fuel used in various sectors such as energy production, steel manufacturing, and the chemical industry. These plants crush, screen, and sometimes wash coal to bring it to suitable sizes and quality for industrial use.

How Does it Work?

  1. Feeding Unit:

    • Coal extracted from nature is loaded into the feeding hopper.

    • Material from the feeding hopper is transferred to the crusher using a vibrating feeder or scraper. This ensures a smooth flow of material to the crusher.

  2. Crushing Process:

    • Primary Crusher: Material is first sent to the primary crusher (usually a jaw crusher or impact crusher). At this stage, large coal pieces are broken into smaller pieces (approximately 100-200 mm).

    • Secondary Crusher: Material from the primary crusher is sent to the secondary crusher (cone crusher or impact crusher). Here, the material is reduced to smaller sizes (25-60 mm).

    • Tertiary Crusher (Optional): If fine material production is required, a tertiary crusher is used. At this stage, the material is crushed to a range of 5-25 mm.

  3. Screening Process:

    • Crushed material is passed through vibrating screens to separate it into different sizes.

    • Screens classify the material into desired sizes (e.g., 0-5 mm, 5-12 mm, 12-25 mm).

    • Material that does not meet the desired size is sent back for further crushing.

  4. Washing Process (Optional):

    • In some plants, washing processes are used to improve the quality of coal and remove impurities (ash, rock pieces, etc.). This is done using water and special chemicals.

  5. Storage and Shipment:

    • Sized and washed material is stored in stockpiles.

    • Material is shipped to power plants, steel factories, or other industrial facilities using conveyor belts or trucks.

Working Principle:

  • Crushers: Break coal into smaller pieces. Primary, secondary, and tertiary crushers are used.

  • Screening Machines: Separate materials by size. Vibrating screens are the most commonly used equipment.

  • Washing Equipment: Water and chemicals are used to clean coal.

  • Conveyor Belts: Transport materials within the plant.

  • Control Systems: Ensure automatic operation and increase efficiency.

Advantages:

  • High efficiency and low operating costs.

  • Flexibility to produce coal of different sizes.

  • Provides high-quality coal suitable for industrial use.

  • Mobile plants can be easily set up in different locations.