Theoretical analysis of coal stockpile self-heating

• An analytical solution is developed, based on scale analysis, to predict coal self-heating.
• The model allows for parametric study of the problem.
• Effects of coal moisture content, particle diameter and ambient air temperature are investigated.
• Theoretical predictions are successfully compared with experimental and CFD ones in literature.

This paper theoretically analyses the problem of coal stockpile self-heating under free convection (no wind) conditions. Scale analysis has been used to drive expressions for the stockpile temperature and inflection point (when the stockpile is completely dry) as functions of the key parameters including the coal type, moisture content, and particle diameter as well as the ambient air temperature. Theoretical predictions are then successfully compared with experimental data and CFD simulations results available in the open literature.