Abstract:
Under the requirements of the carbon peak and carbon neutralty goals, how to substantially improve gas utilization rate while effectively reducing carbon emissions during gas utilization processes has become a critical issue urgently needing resolution in China’s coal mining sector. This paper systematically reviews and summarizes the cascade utilization technology for coal mine gas across full concentration ranges through a literature analysis. China has established a tiered comprehensive utilization system primarily consisting of direct utilization of high-concentration gas, along with purification and concentration enhancement technologies for low-concentration gas and ventilation air methane(VAM). High-concentration gas is primarily used for power generation, residential fuel, industrial fuel, synthetic chemical products and purified production of CNG or LNG. Low-concentration gas is mainly utilized through internal combustion engine power generation, direct combustion, and purification/enrichment technologies, while VAM is handled through technologies such as thermal storage/catalytic oxidation, thermal countercurrent oxidation, thermal countercurrent catalytic oxidation, and VAM combustion-supporting techniques. Based on this, the paper identifies the next key research areas: developing effective carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies for the CO
2 generated during high-concentration gas utilization; addressing challenges in low-concentration and VAM utilization, including low power generation efficiency, difficulties in promoting purification technologies, safety concerns with direct combustion, and high energy consumption in thermal oxidation systems; and enhancing the intelligence, efficiency, and safety of gas conversion and utilization equipment to build a near-zero carbon emission system centered on cascade utilization of coal mine gas across all concentration ranges.