Development plan for a coal/water slurry fired diesel engine for cogeneration applications: Final report

This report describes a national program to develop large slow-speed diesel engines to operate on coal/water slurry (CWS) fuel in stationary applications. There should be no difficulty in operating engines with cylinder sizes larger than about 12-inch diameter and operating at speeds below 500 rpm. The development problems will be almost entirely related to wear of injection mechanisms, sliding members such as piston rings and cylinder liners, and possibly valves and turbocharger blades. Strategies discussed for the alleviation of these problems include changes in hardware configurations, materials, lubrication, and fuel formulations. These strategies form the basis of experimental approaches to engine development which include bench-scale, reduced-scale, and full-scale testing using both special test engines and multicylinder commercial prototypes. The report describes the facilities and staffing required for the development program and provides a planning-type cost estimate for building the facility and conducting a 5-year program which would carry development to the point where a conceptual commercial engine design could be produced. It also examines various options for facility ownership and organization.