Effect of the coal property, the coal feeding mode (coal-water slurry (CWS) or dry coal powder (dry feeding)) and the gasifier lining type ( refractory brick wall or membrane wall) on the performance of pilot-scale entrained-flow coal gasifier with a throughput of 30 tons of coal per day was systematically investigated. Based on the pilot plant results, the impact of coal type, coal feeding mode and the gasifier lining type on the coal gasification process was analysed quantitatively. Moreover, through simulation, raw material consumptions with different combinations of feeding mode and lining type for commercialized gasifiers were predicted, which provides useful information in choosing a suitable gasification technology and the optimization of coal gasification process. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.