Sample records for australian coal industry

  1. Alcohol consumption in the Australian coal mining industry.

    PubMed

    Tynan, Ross J; Considine, Robyn; Wiggers, John; Lewin, Terry J; James, Carole; Inder, Kerry; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Baker, Amanda L; Skehan, Jaelea; Perkins, David; Kelly, Brian J

    2017-03-01

    To investigate patterns of alcohol use within the coal mining industry, and associations with the personal, social, workplace and employment characteristics. 8 mine sites across 3 eastern Australian states were surveyed, selected to encompass key geographic characteristics (accessibility and remoteness) and mine type (open cut and underground). Problematic alcohol use was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to determine: (1) overall risky or hazardous drinking behaviour; and (2) frequency of single-occasion drinking (6 or more drinks on 1 occasion). A total of 1457 employees completed the survey, of which 45.7% of male and 17.0% of female participants reported levels of alcohol use within the range considered as risky or hazardous, considerably higher than the national average. Hierarchical linear regression revealed a significant contribution of many individual level factors associated with AUDIT scores: younger age, male, current smoking status; illicit substance use; previous alcohol and other drug use (AOD) problems; and higher psychological distress. Workplace factors associated with alcohol use included working in mining primarily for the high remuneration, and the type of mining, with underground miners reporting higher alcohol use than open-cut miners. Our findings provide support for the need to address alcohol use in the coal mining industry over and above routine on-site testing for alcohol use. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  2. Coal industry of Turkey

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cetincelik, M.

    1979-09-01

    The known occurrences of hard (bituminous) coal in Turkey are very limited. Total resources are estimated to be 1,500,000,000 metric tons of which 205,000,000 tons are considered to be technically and economically recoverable at the present time. Tertiary lignite deposits are found extensively throughout Turkey. Total resources of lignite are estimated to be about 5,140,000,000 metric tons of which 2,740,000,000 tons are considered to be recoverable. In 1978, Turkey completely nationalized its coal industry whereby the government was authorized to take over all private mines. As a result of this, a major increase in coal production is expected based onmore » a new energy policy. Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKI), a state-owned organization, is now in control of the entire coal industry. TKI was established by law in 1957 and has its headquarters in Ankara. The gradually changing structure of Turkey's national economy from agriculture to increased industrialization has been accompanied by a rise in energy requirements. However, the lack of recent industrial expansion and the decline in the national economy has been due to the shortage of energy. A new energy plan developed for the country has established that, in the future, lignite will be used in far greater proportions for electricity generation (burned in captive plants). The nationalization of Turkey's lignite mines is expected to ensure a coordinated and effective means of meeting the demand.« less

  3. Nanometre-sized pores in coal: Variations between coal basins and coal origin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sakurovs, Richard; Koval, Lukas; Grigore, Mihaela; Sokolava, Anna; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Melnichenko, Yuri B.

    2018-01-01

    We have used small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to investigate the differences in methane and hexane penetration in pores in bituminous coal samples from the U.S., Canada, South Africa, and China, and maceral concentrates from Australian coals. This work is an extension of previous work that showed consistent differences between the extent of penetration by methane into 10–20 nm size pores in inertinite in bituminous coals from Australia, North America and Poland.In this study we have confirmed that there are differences in the response of inertinite to methane and hexane penetration in coals sourced from different coal basins. Inertinite in Permian Australian coals generally has relatively high numbers of pores in the 2.5–250 nm size range and the pores are highly penetrable by methane and hexane; coals sourced from Western Canada had similar penetrability to these Australian coals. However, the penetrability of methane and hexane into inertinite from the Australian Illawarra Coal Measures (also Permian) is substantially less than that of the other Australian coals; there are about 80% fewer 12 nm pores in Illawarra inertinite compared to the other Australian coals examined. The inertinite in coals sourced from South Africa and China had accessibility intermediate between the Illawarra coals and the other Australian coals.The extent of hexane penetration was 10–20% less than CD4 penetration into the same coal and this difference was most pronounced in the 5–50 nm pore size range. Hexane and methane penetrability into the coals showed similar trends with inertinite content.The observed variations in inertinite porosity between coals from different coal regions and coal basins may explain why previous studies differ in their observations of the relationships between gas sorption behavior, permeability, porosity, and maceral composition. These variations are not simply a demarcation between Northern and Southern Hemisphere coals.

  4. The Contribution of Individual, Social and Work Characteristics to Employee Mental Health in a Coal Mining Industry Population.

    PubMed

    Considine, Robyn; Tynan, Ross; James, Carole; Wiggers, John; Lewin, Terry; Inder, Kerry; Perkins, David; Handley, Tonelle; Kelly, Brian

    2017-01-01

    Evidence regarding the extent of mental health problems and the associated characteristics within an employee population is necessary to inform appropriate and tailored workplace mental health programs. Mental health within male dominated industries (such as mining) has received recent public attention, chiefly through observations regarding suicide in such populations in Australia and internationally. Currently there is limited empirical evidence regarding the mental health needs in the mining industry as an exemplar of a male dominated workforce, and the relative contribution to such problems of individual, socio-economic and workplace factors. This study aimed to investigate the mental health and associated characteristics among employees in the Australian coal mining industry with a specific focus on identifying modifiable work characteristics. A cross-sectional study was conducted among employees (n = 1457) across eight coal mines stratified by key mine characteristics (state, mine type and employee commute arrangements). Participants completed measures of psychological distress (K10+) and key variables across four categories (socio-demographic characteristics, health history, current health behaviours, work attitudes and characteristics). Psychological distress levels within this sample were significantly higher in comparison with a community sample of employed Australians. The following factors contributed significantly to levels of psychological distress using hierarchical linear regression analysis: lower social networks; a past history of depression, anxiety or drug/alcohol problems; high recent alcohol use; work role (managers) and a set of work characteristics (level of satisfaction with work, financial factors and job insecurity; perception of lower workplace support for people with mental health problems. This is the first study to examine the characteristics associated with mental health problems in the Australian coal mining industry. The findings

  5. The Contribution of Individual, Social and Work Characteristics to Employee Mental Health in a Coal Mining Industry Population

    PubMed Central

    James, Carole; Wiggers, John; Lewin, Terry; Inder, Kerry; Perkins, David; Handley, Tonelle

    2017-01-01

    Background Evidence regarding the extent of mental health problems and the associated characteristics within an employee population is necessary to inform appropriate and tailored workplace mental health programs. Mental health within male dominated industries (such as mining) has received recent public attention, chiefly through observations regarding suicide in such populations in Australia and internationally. Currently there is limited empirical evidence regarding the mental health needs in the mining industry as an exemplar of a male dominated workforce, and the relative contribution to such problems of individual, socio-economic and workplace factors. This study aimed to investigate the mental health and associated characteristics among employees in the Australian coal mining industry with a specific focus on identifying modifiable work characteristics. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among employees (n = 1457) across eight coal mines stratified by key mine characteristics (state, mine type and employee commute arrangements). Participants completed measures of psychological distress (K10+) and key variables across four categories (socio-demographic characteristics, health history, current health behaviours, work attitudes and characteristics). Results Psychological distress levels within this sample were significantly higher in comparison with a community sample of employed Australians. The following factors contributed significantly to levels of psychological distress using hierarchical linear regression analysis: lower social networks; a past history of depression, anxiety or drug/alcohol problems; high recent alcohol use; work role (managers) and a set of work characteristics (level of satisfaction with work, financial factors and job insecurity; perception of lower workplace support for people with mental health problems. Conclusion This is the first study to examine the characteristics associated with mental health problems in the

  6. The Asian currency crisis and the Australian health industry.

    PubMed

    Barraclough, S

    1998-01-01

    This article identifies linkages between the Australian health industry and the global economy. It discusses some of the consequences of the Asian currency crisis of 1997-98 for the Australian economy and health industry, with special emphasis upon exports. Devaluation of the Australian dollar will increase the cost of most pharmaceutical and medical imports, but may offer competitive advantages to some Australian exporters. The nascent engagement with Asia of many health industry enterprises is likely to be stifled. It is therefore important for Australian governments, as well as the Australian health industry, to provide intelligence and encouragement to those enterprises that wish to continue their engagement with Asia or resume it when economic equilibrium returns. Markets throughout the world must also be further developed. The crisis may therefore provide the stimulus for re-thinking and re-stating Australian health export policy.

  7. Crowding-out effect of coal industry investment in coal mining area: taking Shanxi province in China as a case.

    PubMed

    Li, Li; Lei, Yalin; Xu, Qun; Wu, Sanmang; Yan, Dan; Chen, Jiabin

    2017-10-01

    The rapid development of coal industry in Shanxi province in China has important effects on its economic development. A large amount of money has been invested into the coal industry and other related industries during the recent years. However, research on the investment effect of Shanxi's coal industry was rare. In order to analyze the investment effect of coal industry, based on the crowding-out effect model, cointegration test, and the data available in Shanxi Statistical Yearbooks, this paper calculates the effect between coal industry investment and other 17 industry investment. The results show that the investment of coal industry produces crowding-out effect on food industry, building materials industry, and machinery industry. Increasing 1% of the coal industry investment can reduce 0.25% of the food industry investment, or 0.6% of building materials industry investment, or 0.52% of the machinery industry investment, which implies that Shanxi province should adjust coal industrial structure, promote the balance development of coal industry and other industries, so as to promote its economic growth.

  8. Coal conversion products industrial applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dunkin, J. H.; Warren, D.

    1980-01-01

    Coal-based synthetic fuels complexes under development consideration by NASA/MSFC will produce large quantities of synthetic fuels, primarily medium BTU gas, which could be sold commercially to industries located in South Central Tennessee and Northern Alabama. The complexes would be modular in construction, and subsequent modules may produce liquid fuels or fuels for electric power production. Current and projected industries in the two states which have a propensity for utilizing coal-based synthetic fuels were identified, and a data base was compiled to support MFSC activities.

  9. The joint Australia/Federal Republic of Germany feasibility study on the conversion of Australian coals into liquid fuels in Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imhausen, K. H.

    1982-08-01

    The IG hydrogenation process used commercially in Germany up to 1945, was improved. Pilot plants in Germany are presently under construction or in the start-up phase. A technical concept for the conversion of Australian bituminous coals and/or Australian brown coals into automotive fuels, using coal hydrogenation, gasification and Fisher-Tropsch synthesis was developed. Development of technology, consumption figures and of expenditure/investment for a complete plant, producing about 3 million tons of automotive fuels per year, was also attempted. The results show that standard automotive fuels are produced from bituminous coal, using a combination of high pressure coal hydrogenation and of Fisher-Tropsch synthesis, and from brown coal, using high pressure coal hydrogenation only. Under the assumption that crude oil prices increase 3% more rapidly than yearly inflation, and the raw material cost are staying at a low level, commercial plants are planned.

  10. The role of coal in industrialization: A case study of Nigeria

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Akarakiri, J.B.

    1989-01-01

    Coal is a mineral matter found in layers or beds in sedimentary rocks. It is a very highly variable substance. In addition to the variations from lignite to bituminous and anthracite, there are vast differences in its heating value, amount of volatiles, sulfur, moisture and so on. The chemical and physical properties of coal make it an important industrial raw material. There is proven 639 million tonnes of coal reserves in Nigeria. This paper examines the potential and current role of coal in the industrialization of Nigeria. Industries are now dependent on fuel oil as a source of fuel becausemore » of its economic and technological advantages over coal. Coal is a source of industrial energy for the future after the known oil reserves might have been exhausted. In the short term, coal can be used as a material for chemicals, iron and steel production as well as a substitute for wood energy in the process of industrialization.« less

  11. Alcohol industry and governmental revenue from young Australians.

    PubMed

    Li, Ian W; Si, Jiawei

    2016-11-01

    Objective The aim of the present study was to estimate the revenues collected by government and industry from alcohol consumption by young Australians in 2010. Methods Statistical analyses were performed on data from the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2010 and alcohol data collected from an online retailer to calculate the proportion, frequency, quantity and revenues from alcohol consumption by young Australians. Results One-third of adolescents (12-17 years old) and 85% of young adults (18-25 years old) consume alcohol. More than half the adolescents' alcohol consumption is from ready-to-drink spirits. Revenue generated from alcohol consumption by 12-25 year olds is estimated at $4.8 billion in 2010 (2014 Australian dollars): $2.8 billion to industry (sales) and $2.0 billion to government (taxes). Conclusions Alcohol consumption by young Australians is prevalent, and young Australian drinkers consume alcohol in substantial amounts. The industry and taxation revenue from young drinkers is also considerable. It would be in the public interest to divert some of this revenue towards health initiatives to reduce drinking by young people, especially given the high societal costs of alcohol consumption. What is known about the topic? Australian adolescents aged 12-17 years consume substantial amounts of alcohol, and substantial amounts of revenue are generated from alcohol sales to them. What does this paper add? This paper provides recent estimates of alcohol consumption and revenue generated by Australian adolescents, and extends estimates to young adults aged 18-25 years. What are the implications for practitioners? A substantial proportion of Australian young people consume alcohol. The sales and taxation revenue generated from young people's drinking is substantial at A$4.8 billion in 2010 and is higher in real terms than estimates from previous studies. Some of the alcohol taxation revenue could be diverted to health promotion and education for

  12. Multi - party Game Analysis of Coal Industry and Industry Regulation Policy Optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Tianqi

    2018-01-01

    In the face of the frequent occurrence of coal mine safety accidents, this paper analyses the relationship between central and local governments, coal mining enterprises and miners from the perspective of multi - group game. In the actual production, the decision of one of the three groups can affect the game strategy of the other of the three, so we should assume the corresponding game order. In this order, the game analysis of the income and decision of the three is carried out, and the game decision of the government, the enterprise and the workers is obtained through the establishment of the benefit matrix and so on. And then on the existing system to optimize the coal industry regulation proposed practical recommendations to reduce the frequency of industry safety accidents, optimize the industry production environment.

  13. Economics of the coal industry east of the Mississippi, 1973-1982

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bhagwat, S.B.

    1987-01-01

    Government regulations on health, safety and environment have been poppular blamed for the declining productivity in U.S. coal mines since 1970. The stagnation in the coal industry east of the Mississippi is alleged to have been caused by this declining productivity and by the growth of cheaper and cleaner coal production west of the Mississippi. Economic evidence suggests, however, that productivity declines were more due to a relative lowering of labor costs in comparison with coal prices and due to work stoppages. The development of western coals fields was spurred by growth in local demand and had only a relatively small impact on coal production east of the Mississippi. Problems of the eastern coal industry are rooted mainly in slow economic growth in eastern U.S. which must be addressed in the long-term interests of the eastern coal industry. ?? 1987.

  14. Structure, dynamics and movement patterns of the Australian pig industry.

    PubMed

    East, I J; Davis, J; Sergeant, E S G; Garner, M G

    2014-03-01

    To assess management practices and movement patterns that could influence the establishment and spread of exotic animal diseases (EAD) in pigs in Australia. A literature review of published information and a telephone survey of 370 pig producers owning >10 pigs who were registered with the PigPass national vendor declaration scheme. The movement and marketing patterns of Australian pig producers interviewed were divided into two groups based predominantly on the size of the herd. Major pig producers maintain closed herds, use artificial insemination and market direct to abattoirs. Smaller producers continue to purchase from saleyards and market to other farms, abattoirs and through saleyards in an apparently opportunistic fashion. The role of saleyards in the Australian pig industry continues to decline, with 92% of all pigs marketed directly from farm to abattoir. This survey described movement patterns that will assist in modelling the potential spread of EAD in the Australian pig industry. Continued movement towards vertical integration and closed herds in the Australian pig industry effectively divides the industry into a number of compartments that mitigate against the widespread dissemination of disease to farms adopting these practices. © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.

  15. Tetracyclic diterpenoid hydrocarbons in some Australian coals, sediments and crude oils

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noble, Rohinton A.; Alexander, Robert; Kagi, Robert Ian; Knox, John

    1985-10-01

    Tetracyclic diterpenoid hydrocarbons (diterpanes) based on the ent-beyerane, phyllocladane and ent-kaurane skeletons have been identified in the hydrocarbon extracts of some Australian coals, sediments and crude oils. Structures were assigned to the geological diterpanes by comparison with synthetically prepared reference compounds. Studies of a sample suite consisting of low-rank coals and sediments indicate that the ratios of C-16 epimers of phyllocladane and ent-kaurane are maturity dependent, and that the relative proportion of the thermodynamically preferred 16β (H)-compounds increases with increasing thermal maturity. Thermodynamic equilibrium for the interconversion reactions is attained in sediments before the onset of crude oil generation. The most likely natural product precursors for the tetracyclic diterpanes are considered to be the tetracyclic diterpene hydrocarbons which occur widely in the leaf resins of conifers. Tetracyclic diterpanes have been identified in sediments and coals of Permian age or younger, suggesting that these compounds are markers for both modern and extinct families of conifers. In particular, phyllocladane is proposed as a marker for the Podocarpaceae family of conifers.

  16. Environmental issues and economic performance of the coal industry in Brazil

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Santana, E.A.; Seabra, F.; Wendhausen, J.

    1996-12-31

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the main sources of inefficiency of the Brazilian coal industry. In addition, the authors examine the current and the future competitiveness of the Brazilian coal industry taking into account the effects of globalization, the modernization of the mining techniques and, most important, the environmental costs regarded under the concept of sustainable development. This paper examines some of the causes behind the alleged inefficiency of coal production and coal-electric generation, with special emphasis to environmental issues. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 outlines a profile of the energeticmore » potential of coal reserves in Brazil. In section 3, the authors discuss environmental restrictions and other features that can be related to the performance of the coal industry in Brazil.« less

  17. Smoking, disease, and obdurate denial: the Australian tobacco industry in the 1980s

    PubMed Central

    Carter, S; Chapman, S

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To contrast the Australian tobacco industry's awareness of the diseases caused by smoking with their aggressive public denial on the relation between smoking and disease in the 1980s. Design: Analysis of 325 industry documents from the world wide web. Results: In the 1980s Australian cigarette manufacturers were informed constantly by the international industry of the medical consensus that smoking caused disease. In addition Philip Morris (Australia) Limited received reports of Philip Morris' international biological research programme and visited its Richmond research facility; and WD&HO Wills part funded, co-managed, and contributed research to the British American Tobacco groups' biological research programme. Despite this knowledge, the Australian manufacturers had a policy of arguing to their employees, decision makers, and the general public that questions of smoking and disease were unresolved. The industry catalogued the literature, developed arguments against the main claims made by health groups, and attacked public health advocates who made statements linking smoking to death and disease. Industry studies suggested that a 20–30% minority of the Australian public agreed with the industry on smoking and disease, diminishing across the decade. Conclusion: Australian manufacturers were clearly negligent in the 1980s, deliberately working to undermine Australians' understandings of the diseases caused by smoking despite their own private knowledge. Continuing scepticism about smoking and disease, corresponding with the industry's deceptions, exists in Australian smokers today, suggesting that their actions may have slowed the rate of decline in smoking prevalence. These revelations provide important evidence for Australian litigation and advocacy. PMID:14645945

  18. Current situation and future prospects for the Australian beef industry.

    PubMed

    Greenwood, Paul Leo; Ferguson, Drewe M

    2018-04-12

    Beef production extends over almost half of Australia, with about 47,000 cattle producers that contribute about 20% ($A12.7 billion GVP) of the total value of farm production in Australia. Australia is one of the world's most efficient producers of cattle and was the world's third largest beef exporter in 2016. The Australian beef industry had 25 million head of cattle in 2016-17, with a national beef breeding herd of 11.5 million head. Australian beef production includes pasture based cow-calf systems, a backgrounding or grow-out period on pasture, and feedlot or pasture finishing. Feedlot finishing has assumed more importance in recent years to assure the eating quality of beef entering the relatively small Australian domestic market, and to enhance the supply of higher value beef for export markets. Maintenance of Australia's preferred status as a quality assured supplier of high value beef produced under environmentally sustainable systems from 'disease-free' cattle is of highest importance. Stringent livestock and meat quality regulations and quality assurance systems, and productivity growth and efficiency across the supply chain to ensure price competiveness, are crucial for continued export market growth in the face of increasing competition. Major industry issues, that also represent research, development and adoption priorities and opportunities for the Australian beef industry have been captured within exhaustive strategic planning processes by the red meat and beef industries. At the broadest level, these issues include consumer and industry support, market growth and diversification, supply chain efficiency, productivity and profitability, environmental sustainability, and animal health and welfare. This review provides an overview of the Australian beef industry including current market trends and future prospects, and major issues and opportunities for the continued growth, development and profitability of the industry.

  19. Characterization of particulate emissions from Australian open-cut coal mines: Toward improved emission estimates.

    PubMed

    Richardson, Claire; Rutherford, Shannon; Agranovski, Igor

    2018-06-01

    Given the significance of mining as a source of particulates, accurate characterization of emissions is important for the development of appropriate emission estimation techniques for use in modeling predictions and to inform regulatory decisions. The currently available emission estimation methods for Australian open-cut coal mines relate primarily to total suspended particulates and PM 10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm), and limited data are available relating to the PM 2.5 (<2.5 μm) size fraction. To provide an initial analysis of the appropriateness of the currently available emission estimation techniques, this paper presents results of sampling completed at three open-cut coal mines in Australia. The monitoring data demonstrate that the particulate size fraction varies for different mining activities, and that the region in which the mine is located influences the characteristics of the particulates emitted to the atmosphere. The proportion of fine particulates in the sample increased with distance from the source, with the coarse fraction being a more significant proportion of total suspended particulates close to the source of emissions. In terms of particulate composition, the results demonstrate that the particulate emissions are predominantly sourced from naturally occurring geological material, and coal comprises less than 13% of the overall emissions. The size fractionation exhibited by the sampling data sets is similar to that adopted in current Australian emission estimation methods but differs from the size fractionation presented in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodology. Development of region-specific emission estimation techniques for PM 10 and PM 2.5 from open-cut coal mines is necessary to allow accurate prediction of particulate emissions to inform regulatory decisions and for use in modeling predictions. Development of region-specific emission estimation techniques for PM 10 and PM 2.5 from open

  20. Total Factor Productivity Growth, Technical Progress & Efficiency Change in Vietnam Coal Industry - Nonparametric Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phuong, Vu Hung

    2018-03-01

    This research applies Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach to analyze Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and efficiency changes in Vietnam coal mining industry from 2007 to 2013. The TFP of Vietnam coal mining companies decreased due to slow technological progress and unimproved efficiency. The decadence of technical efficiency in many enterprises proved that the coal mining industry has a large potential to increase productivity through technical efficiency improvement. Enhancing human resource training, technology and research & development investment could help the industry to improve efficiency and productivity in Vietnam coal mining industry.

  1. Research on the competitiveness and development strategy of china's modern coal chemical industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Q.; Han, Y. J.; Yu, Z. F.

    2016-08-01

    China's modern coal chemical industry has grown into a certain scale after over a decade of development, and remarkable progress has been made in key technologies. But as oil price collapsed since 2015, the economic benefit of the industry also slumped, with loud controversies in China over the necessity of modern coal chemical industry. The research believes that the modern coal chemical industry plays a positive role in the clean and sustainable exploitation of coal in China. It makes profit when oil price is no lower than 60/bbl, and outperforms petrochemical in terms of cost effectiveness when the price is between 60/bbl and 80/bbl. Given the low oil price and challenges posed by environmental protection and water restraints, we suggest that the state announce a guideline quickly, with adjusted tax policies and an encouragement to technological innovation, so that the modern coal chemical industry in China can grow sound and stable.

  2. The structure, dynamics and movement patterns of the Australian sheep industry.

    PubMed

    East, I J; Foreman, I

    2011-12-01

    To describe the structure of Australia's sheep industries and the movement of sheep to enable examination of the potential for animal movements to spread disease between farms. The structure, size, marketing and movement patterns of Australian sheep farms was determined through (i) review of data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, (ii) interviews with producers and saleyard managers and (iii) expert opinion. Twelve geographic regions are described, based on the type and extent of sheep farming in each region. Five production sectors were identified within the Australian sheep industry, with the proportion of each varying between the geographic regions. Over the past 20 years, the industry has decreased in size and contracted from the northern and central areas of Australia. Movement of sheep onto the majority (79%) of properties was limited to the introduction of less than 50 stud rams annually, although cross-bred- and wether-based farms introduced up to 2000 sheep annually; 75% of sheep movements occurred over distances less than 200 km, but stud rams moved up to 500 km. An increasing percentage of movements off farms was direct to abattoirs and over 80% of sheep sold through saleyards were purchased by abattoirs. The majority of Australian sheep farms operate as self-replacing enterprises and introduce few stock. In addition, most sheep movements occur over distances of less than 200 km and therefore sheep movements within Australia have only a limited potential to spread disease over larger distances. © 2011 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2011 Australian Veterinary Association.

  3. Managing Scarce Water Resources in China's Coal Power Industry.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Chao; Zhong, Lijin; Fu, Xiaotian; Zhao, Zhongnan

    2016-06-01

    Coal power generation capacity is expanding rapidly in the arid northwest regions in China. Its impact on water resources is attracting growing concerns from policy-makers, researchers, as well as mass media. This paper briefly describes the situation of electricity-water conflict in China and provides a comprehensive review on a variety of water resources management policies in China's coal power industry. These policies range from mandatory regulations to incentive-based instruments, covering water withdrawal standards, technological requirements on water saving, unconventional water resources utilization (such as reclaimed municipal wastewater, seawater, and mine water), water resources fee, and water permit transfer. Implementing these policies jointly is of crucial importance for alleviating the water stress from the expanding coal power industry in China.

  4. Managing Scarce Water Resources in China's Coal Power Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Chao; Zhong, Lijin; Fu, Xiaotian; Zhao, Zhongnan

    2016-06-01

    Coal power generation capacity is expanding rapidly in the arid northwest regions in China. Its impact on water resources is attracting growing concerns from policy-makers, researchers, as well as mass media. This paper briefly describes the situation of electricity-water conflict in China and provides a comprehensive review on a variety of water resources management policies in China's coal power industry. These policies range from mandatory regulations to incentive-based instruments, covering water withdrawal standards, technological requirements on water saving, unconventional water resources utilization (such as reclaimed municipal wastewater, seawater, and mine water), water resources fee, and water permit transfer. Implementing these policies jointly is of crucial importance for alleviating the water stress from the expanding coal power industry in China.

  5. The Safety Attitudes of Senior Managers in the Chinese Coal Industry

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Jiangshi; Chen, Na; Fu, Gui; Yan, Mingwei; Kim, Young-Chan

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Senior managers’ attitudes towards safety are very important regarding the safety practices in an organization. The study is to describe the current situation of senior managers′ attitudes towards safety in the Chinese coal industry. Method: We evaluated the changing trends as well as the reasons for these changes in the Chinese coal industry in 2009 and in 2014 with 168 senior manager samples from large Chinese state-owned coal enterprises. Evaluations of 15 safety concepts were performed by means of a questionnaire. Results and Conclusions: Results indicate that, in 2014, three concepts were at a very high level (mean > 4.5), and six were at a relatively high level (4.5 > mean > 4.0). Analyses of changing trends revealed that nine concepts improved significantly, while four greatly declined in 2014 compared to those in 2009. The data reported here suggest that the reasons for the significant improvement with respect to the nine concepts include the improvement in social and legal environments, the improvement of the culture of social safety, workers′ safety demands being met, and scientific and technical advances in the coal industry. The decline of the four concepts seemed to be caused by a poor awareness of managers in the coal industry that safety creates economic benefits, insufficient information on safety, inadequate attention to the development of a safety culture and safety management methods, and safety organizations and workers′ unions not playing their role effectively. Practical Applications: We therefore recommend strengthening the evidence that safety creates economic benefits, providing incentives for employees to encourage their participation in safety management, and paying more attention to the prevention of accidents in coal mines via safety organizations and unions. These results can provide guidelines for workers, industrialists, and government regarding occupational safety in the whole coal industry. PMID:27869654

  6. The Safety Attitudes of Senior Managers in the Chinese Coal Industry.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jiangshi; Chen, Na; Fu, Gui; Yan, Mingwei; Kim, Young-Chan

    2016-11-17

    Introduction: Senior managers' attitudes towards safety are very important regarding the safety practices in an organization. The study is to describe the current situation of senior managers' attitudes towards safety in the Chinese coal industry. Method : We evaluated the changing trends as well as the reasons for these changes in the Chinese coal industry in 2009 and in 2014 with 168 senior manager samples from large Chinese state-owned coal enterprises. Evaluations of 15 safety concepts were performed by means of a questionnaire. Results and Conclusions : Results indicate that, in 2014, three concepts were at a very high level (mean > 4.5), and six were at a relatively high level (4.5 > mean > 4.0). Analyses of changing trends revealed that nine concepts improved significantly, while four greatly declined in 2014 compared to those in 2009. The data reported here suggest that the reasons for the significant improvement with respect to the nine concepts include the improvement in social and legal environments, the improvement of the culture of social safety, workers' safety demands being met, and scientific and technical advances in the coal industry. The decline of the four concepts seemed to be caused by a poor awareness of managers in the coal industry that safety creates economic benefits, insufficient information on safety, inadequate attention to the development of a safety culture and safety management methods, and safety organizations and workers' unions not playing their role effectively. Practical Applications : We therefore recommend strengthening the evidence that safety creates economic benefits, providing incentives for employees to encourage their participation in safety management, and paying more attention to the prevention of accidents in coal mines via safety organizations and unions. These results can provide guidelines for workers, industrialists, and government regarding occupational safety in the whole coal industry.

  7. Digging Deeper: Crisis Management in the Coal Industry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Barbara M.; Horsley, J. Suzanne

    2009-01-01

    This study explores crisis management/communication practices within the coal industry through the lens of high reliability organization (HRO) concepts and sensemaking theory. In-depth interviews with industry executives and an analysis of an emergency procedures manual were used to provide an exploratory examination of the status of crisis…

  8. Study on Reuse Strategy of Abandoned Industrial Square - in the case of Jingxi Wang Ping Coal Mine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiaodan; Chen, Zhiting; Jia, Lijun; Wu, Wei; Zhang, Hailiang; Ma, Tianyi; Wang, Tao

    2018-06-01

    Wangping Coal Mine, whose industrial heritage is of great value, was one of the eight coal mines in Beijing. A large number of field surveys and analysis of the abandoned industrial facilities of Wangping Coal Mine were carried out in this paper. From the perspective of protecting industrial heritage culture and sustainable development, this paper studies the ideas and strategies for reusing the abandoned facilities of the Wangping Coal Mine. In order to protect its industrial heritage as much as possible, it is suggested to reuse the industrial square of Wangping Coal Mine as a community park.

  9. The research of distributed interactive simulation based on HLA in coal mine industry inherent safety

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dou, Zhi-Wu

    2010-08-01

    To solve the inherent safety problem puzzling the coal mining industry, analyzing the characteristic and the application of distributed interactive simulation based on high level architecture (DIS/HLA), a new method is proposed for developing coal mining industry inherent safety distributed interactive simulation adopting HLA technology. Researching the function and structure of the system, a simple coal mining industry inherent safety is modeled with HLA, the FOM and SOM are developed, and the math models are suggested. The results of the instance research show that HLA plays an important role in developing distributed interactive simulation of complicated distributed system and the method is valid to solve the problem puzzling coal mining industry. To the coal mining industry, the conclusions show that the simulation system with HLA plays an important role to identify the source of hazard, to make the measure for accident, and to improve the level of management.

  10. Review of China's Low-Carbon City Initiative and Developments in the Coal Industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fridley, David; Khanna, Nina Zheng; Hong, Lixuan

    As China continues its double-digit economic growth, coal remains the principal fuel for the country’s primary energy consumption and electricity generation. China’s dependence on coal in coming years makes its carbon emission intensity reduction targets more difficult to achieve, particularly given rising electricity demand from a growing number of Chinese cities. This paradox has led the government to pursue cleaner and more efficient development of the coal industry on the supply side and “low carbon” development of cities on the demand side. To understand and assess how China may be able to meet its energy and carbon intensity reduction targets,more » this report looks at the recent development of low carbon cities as well as new developments and trends in the coal industry. Specifically, we review low-carbon city and related eco-city development in China before delving into a comparison of eight pilot lowcarbon city plans to highlight their strengths and weaknesses in helping achieve national energy and carbon targets. We then provide insights into the future outlook for China’s coal industry by evaluating new and emerging trends in coal production, consumption, transport, trade and economic performance.« less

  11. Mechanical properties of reconstituted Australian black coal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jasinge, D.; Ranjith, P.G.; Choi, S.K.

    2009-07-15

    Coal is usually highly heterogeneous. Great variation in properties can exist among samples obtained even at close proximity within the same seam or within the same core sample. This makes it difficult to establish a correlation between uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and point load index for coal. To overcome this problem, a method for making reconstituted samples for laboratory tests was developed. Samples were made by compacting particles of crushed coal mixed with cement and water. These samples were allowed to cure for four days. UCS and point load tests were performed to measure the geomechanical properties of the reconstitutedmore » coal. After four days curing, the average UCS was found to be approximately 4 MPa. This technical note outlines some experimental results and correlations that were developed to predict the mechanical properties of the reconstituted black coal samples. By reconstituting the samples from crushed coal, it is hoped that the samples will retain the important mechanical and physicochemical properties of coal, including the swelling, fluid transport, and gas sorption properties of coal. The aim is to be able to produce samples that are homogeneous with properties that are highly reproducible, and the reconstituted coal samples can be used for a number of research areas related to coal, including the long-term safe storage of CO{sub 2} in coal seams.« less

  12. Training of Engineering Personnel for the Innovative Coal Industry: Problems and Ways of Solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zaruba, Natalya; Fraltsova, Tamara; Snegireva, Tatyana

    2017-11-01

    The article is written based on some results of the long-term scientific research of the problem related to the urgent need to find the ways of training personnel for the innovative coal industry in the higher education system. This is due to the fundamental changes in the Russian social and economic conditions: the change in the social system and the owner of the coal industry, the emergence of new technologies in the field of coal mining and processing, and in the management of these processes. At the same time, the system of training specialists for the coal industry in the higher education institutions has largely remained unchanged: technologies and principles of training, scientific approaches and concepts take little account of the changed situation, traditional views of specialists work-ing in the university continue to dominate innovative ideas. Many innovations, especially related to technology and the principles of education, struggle to make their way into the higher education system. The article substantiates the urgency of the problem of training personnel for the innovative coal industry in the higher education system, as well as the importance of scientific analysis of the problem in order to find the ways to solve it.

  13. Greenhouse gas emissions from Australian open-cut coal mines: contribution from spontaneous combustion and low-temperature oxidation.

    PubMed

    Day, Stuart J; Carras, John N; Fry, Robyn; Williams, David J

    2010-07-01

    Spontaneous combustion and low-temperature oxidation of waste coal and other carbonaceous material at open-cut coal mines are potentially significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the magnitude of these emissions is largely unknown. In this study, emissions from spontaneous combustion and low-temperature oxidation were estimated for six Australian open-cut coal mines with annual coal production ranging from 1.7 to more than 16 Mt. Greenhouse emissions from all other sources at these mines were also estimated and compared to those from spontaneous combustion and low-temperature oxidation. In all cases, fugitive emission of methane was the largest source of greenhouse gas; however, in some mines, spontaneous combustion accounted for almost a third of all emissions. For one mine, it was estimated that emissions from spontaneous combustion were around 250,000 t CO(2)-e per annum. The contribution from low-temperature oxidation was generally less than about 1% of the total for all six mines. Estimating areas of spoil affected by spontaneous combustion by ground-based surveys was prone to under-report the area. Airborne infrared imaging appears to be a more reliable method.

  14. [Physical work capacity in coal miners and industrial workers].

    PubMed

    Benavides, R

    1992-10-01

    The aerobic work capacity of 220 coal miners aged 22 to 63 years with a high physical work load and 78 industrial workers aged 19 to 58 years with a relatively light work load was measured to observe if there was a relationship between the work load of these subjects and their aerobic work capacity. All the subjects were subjected to a medical examination, spirometry, chest x Rays and anthropometric measurements. Aerobic work capacity was indirectly estimated extrapolating pulse rates obtained al submaximal work loads in a bicycle ergometer to the calculated maximal cardiac frequency for age. Aerobic work capacity was not different between coal miners and industrial workers, either measured as absolute values (2.43 +/- 0.41 and 2.5 +/- 0.49 l/min respectively) or as relative values (43.2 +/- 6.9 and 43.4 +/- 8.2 ml/kg lean body mass respectively). These values decreased with age in the same proportion in both groups (0.24 l/min per decade). Lean body mass was significantly higher in industrial workers and decreased significantly with age only in coal miners. Considering published energy requirements for mine labors, none of the studied miners should work as digger and a high proportion of the other workers would be exposed to hazardous work loads to their health. The fact that over 50% of these subjects can efficiently fulfill their jobs may indicate that they have a high anaerobic work capacity. This hypothesis needs confirmation with future studies.

  15. [Emission characteristics of PM10 from coal-fired industrial boiler].

    PubMed

    Li, Chao; Li, Xing-Hua; Duan, Lei; Zhao, Meng; Duan, Jing-Chun; Hao, Ji-Ming

    2009-03-15

    Through ELPI (electrical low-pressure impactor) based dilution sampling system, the emission characteristics of PM10 and PM2.5 was studied experimentally at the inlet and outlet of dust catchers at eight different coal-fired industrial boilers. Results showed that a peak existed at around 0.12-0.20 microm of particle size for both number size distribution and mass size distribution of PM10 emitted from most of the boilers. Chemical composition analysis indicated that PM2.5 was largely composed of organic carbon, elementary carbon, and sulfate, with mass fraction of 3.7%-21.4%, 4.2%-24.6%, and 1.5%-55.2% respectively. Emission factors of PM10 and PM2.5 measured were 0.13-0.65 kg x t(-1) and 0.08-0.49 kg x t(-1) respectively for grate boiler using raw coal, and 0.24 kg x t(-1) and 0.22 kg x t(-1) for chain-grate boiler using briquette. In comparison, the PM2.5 emission factor of fluidized bed boiler is 1.14 kg x t(-1), much her than that of grate boiler. Due to high coal consumption and low efficiency of dust separator, coal-fired industrial boiler may become the most important source of PM10, and should be preferentially controlled in China.

  16. Proceedings of the symposium on assessing the industrial hygiene monitoring needs for the coal conversion and oil shale industries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    White, O. Jr.

    1979-03-01

    This work was supported by the United States Department of Energy, Division of Biomedical and Environmental Research, Analysis and Assessment Program, through the Safety and Environmental Protection Division at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The symposium program included presentations centering around the themes: Recognition of Occupational Health Monitoring Requirements for the Coal Conversion and Oil Shale Industries and Status of Dosimetry Technology for Occupational Health Monitoring for the Coal Conversion and Oil Shale Industries. Sixteen papers have been entered individually into EDB and ERA; six had been entered previously from other sources. (LTN)

  17. Harmonising Training and Development across an Industry: The Case of Australian Rail

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Short, Tom; Harris, Roger McL.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to explore why harmonisation, given its potential, is so difficult to achieve. It analyses the issues and challenges in achieving harmonisation of training and development across an industry. Design/methodology/approach: The approach was a meta-analysis of six research projects undertaken in the Australian rail industry.…

  18. The mine management professions in the twentieth-century Scottish coal mining industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Perchard, A.

    2007-07-01

    This book seeks to redress the exclusion of colliery managers and other mining professionals from the history of British, and particularly Scottish, coal industries. This is accomplished by examining these groups within the most crucial period of their ascendancy in the Scottish coal mining industry, 1930-1966. This work seeks to place such persons within their context and to examine their roles, statuses and behaviours through their relationships with employees and the execution of their functions, also examining their terms and conditions of employment, the outlook of their professional associations, and that of their union. Through all this, Dr. Perchard illustratesmore » how this growing consciousness amongst managerial employees in the industry was accompanied by an intense public discussion, within the mining professions, over their future shape, principles and occupational standards.« less

  19. The History of the Coal Mining Industry and Mining Accidents in the World and Turkey

    PubMed Central

    Atalay, Figen

    2015-01-01

    Three per thousand of the world’s coal reserves and 2% of lignite reserves exist in Turkey. Coal mining is the highest ranking industry for accidents and deaths per capita. For this reason, continuous monitoring and more attention should be gıven to the mining industry. In this review, the basic statistical data related to Turkey’s mining and mining disasters are summarized. PMID:29404107

  20. APPLICATION OF REBURNING TO COAL-FIRED INDUSTRIAL BOILERS IN TAIWAN

    EPA Science Inventory

    The paper gives an overview of the characteristics of coal-fired industrial boilers in Taiwan and projections of the cost and performance data for retrofitting several boilers with reburning. The impacts of reburning fuel type on the reburning system design and cost effectivenes...

  1. From legitimate consumers to public relations pawns: the tobacco industry and young Australians

    PubMed Central

    Carter, S

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To document the Australian tobacco industry's activities regarding youth smoking to support tobacco control. Method: 492 industry documents from primary and secondary websites were abstracted and analysed. Results: Australian legislation and rhetoric on youth and tobacco has changed dramatically over the last 50 years, from an unproblematic association of teenagers and smoking in the 1960s, through the industry's aggressive attacks and denials in the 1980s, to the 1990s, when industry became newly compliant with "societal expectations" and youth became a dominant bargaining issue in the industry's public relations strategy. The industry's current policy is to simultaneously blame others for underage smoking, frame the industry as socially responsible via voluntary marketing codes, youth access programmes, and school education, and market actively to young adults. Conclusions: The arbitrary distinction between 17 and 18 year olds is, particularly in Australia's dark market, a liability for tobacco control and an opportunity for the industry, which is attempting to claim the high moral ground traditionally occupied by tobacco control on the youth issue. The current review of Australia's Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act of 1992 should prohibit all forms of industry communication targeting young people, including retail access and schools programmes and below-the-line marketing. Tobacco control advocacy should highlight the industry's attempts to use the youth issue in its own favour while laying the blame elsewhere. PMID:14645951

  2. From legitimate consumers to public relations pawns: the tobacco industry and young Australians.

    PubMed

    Carter, S M

    2003-12-01

    To document the Australian tobacco industry's activities regarding youth smoking to support tobacco control. 492 industry documents from primary and secondary websites were abstracted and analysed. Australian legislation and rhetoric on youth and tobacco has changed dramatically over the last 50 years, from an unproblematic association of teenagers and smoking in the 1960s, through the industry's aggressive attacks and denials in the 1980s, to the 1990s, when industry became newly compliant with "societal expectations" and youth became a dominant bargaining issue in the industry's public relations strategy. The industry's current policy is to simultaneously blame others for underage smoking, frame the industry as socially responsible via voluntary marketing codes, youth access programmes, and school education, and market actively to young adults. The arbitrary distinction between 17 and 18 year olds is, particularly in Australia's dark market, a liability for tobacco control and an opportunity for the industry, which is attempting to claim the high moral ground traditionally occupied by tobacco control on the youth issue. The current review of Australia's Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act of 1992 should prohibit all forms of industry communication targeting young people, including retail access and schools programmes and below-the-line marketing. Tobacco control advocacy should highlight the industry's attempts to use the youth issue in its own favour while laying the blame elsewhere.

  3. Industrial Internet of Things: (IIoT) applications in underground coal mines.

    PubMed

    Zhou, C; Damiano, N; Whisner, B; Reyes, M

    2017-12-01

    The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), a concept that combines sensor networks and control systems, has been employed in several industries to improve productivity and safety. U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers are investigating IIoT applications to identify the challenges of and potential solutions for transferring IIoT from other industries to the mining industry. Specifically, NIOSH has reviewed existing sensors and communications network systems used in U.S. underground coal mines to determine whether they are capable of supporting IIoT systems. The results show that about 40 percent of the installed post-accident communication systems as of 2014 require minimal or no modification to support IIoT applications. NIOSH researchers also developed an IIoT monitoring and control prototype system using low-cost microcontroller Wi-Fi boards to detect a door opening on a refuge alternative, activate fans located inside the Pittsburgh Experimental Mine and actuate an alarm beacon on the surface. The results of this feasibility study can be used to explore IIoT applications in underground coal mines based on existing communication and tracking infrastructure.

  4. Coal conversion products Industrial applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Warren, D.; Dunkin, J.

    1980-01-01

    The synfuels economic evaluation model was utilized to analyze cost and product economics of the TVA coal conversion facilities. It is concluded that; (1) moderate yearly future escalations ( 6%) in current natural gas prices will result in medium-Btu gas becoming competitive with natural gas at the plant boundary; (2) utilizing DRI price projections, the alternate synfuel products, except for electricity, will be competitive with their counterparts; (3) central site fuel cell generation of electricity, utilizing MBG, is economically less attractive than the other synthetic fuels, given projected price rises in electricity produced by other means; and (4) because of estimated northern Alabama synfuels market demands, existing conventional fuels, infrastructure and industrial synfuels retrofit problems, a diversity of transportable synfuels products should be produced by the conversion facility.

  5. Impacts of Coal Seam Gas (Coal Bed Methane) Extraction on Water Resources in Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Post, David

    2017-04-01

    While extraction of methane from shale gas deposits has been the principal source of the recent expansion of the industry in the United States, in Australia extraction of methane from coal bed methane deposits (termed 'coal seam gas' in Australia) has been the focus to date. The two sources of methane share many of the same characteristics including the potential requirement for hydraulic fracturing. However, as coal seam gas deposits generally occur at shallower depths than shale gas, the potential impacts of extraction on surface and groundwater resources may be of even greater concern. In Australia, an Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC) has been established to provide scientific advice to federal and state government regulators on the impact that coal seam gas and large coal mining developments may have on water resources. This advice is provided to enable decisions to be informed by the best available science about the potential water-related impacts associated with these developments. To support this advice, the Australian Government Department of the Environment has implemented a programme of research termed 'bioregional assessments' to investigate these potential impacts. A bioregional assessment is defined as a scientific analysis of the ecology, hydrology, geology and hydrogeology of a bioregion with explicit assessment of the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining development on water resources. These bioregional assessments are currently being carried out across large portions of eastern Australia underlain by coal reserves. Further details of the programme and results to date can be found at http://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au. The bioregional assessment programme has modelled the impacts of coal seam gas development on surface and groundwater resources in three regions of eastern Australia, namely the Clarence-Moreton, Gloucester, and Namoi regions. This presentation will discuss the

  6. Impacts of Coal Seam Gas (Coal Bed Methane) Extraction on Water Resources in Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Post, David

    2016-04-01

    While extraction of methane from shale gas deposits has been the principal source of the recent expansion of the industry in the United States and Europe, in Australia extraction of methane from coal bed methane deposits (termed 'coal seam gas' in Australia) has been the focus to date. The two sources of methane share many of the same characteristics including the potential requirement for hydraulic fracturing. However, as coal seam gas deposits generally occur at shallower depths than shale gas, the potential impacts of extraction on surface and groundwater resources may be of even greater concern. In Australia, an Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC) has been established to provide scientific advice to federal and state government regulators on the impact that coal seam gas and large coal mining developments may have on water resources. This advice is provided to enable decisions to be informed by the best available science about the potential water-related impacts associated with these developments. To support this advice, the Australian Government Department of the Environment has implemented a programme of research termed 'bioregional assessments' to investigate these potential impacts. A bioregional assessment is defined as a scientific analysis of the ecology, hydrology, geology and hydrogeology of a bioregion with explicit assessment of the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining development on water resources. These bioregional assessments are currently being carried out across large portions of eastern Australia underlain by coal reserves. Further details of the programme and results to date can be found at http://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au. Surface water and groundwater modelling is now complete for two regions where coal seam gas development may proceed, namely the Clarence-Moreton and Gloucester regions in eastern New South Wales. This presentation will discuss how the results of these

  7. Early opportunities of CO₂ geological storage deployment in coal chemical industry in China

    DOE PAGES

    Wei, Ning; Li, Xiaochun; Liu, Shengnan; ...

    2014-12-31

    Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCS) is regarded as a promising option for climate change mitigation; however, the high capture cost is the major barrier to large-scale deployment of CCS technologies. High-purity CO₂ emission sources can reduce or even avoid the capture requirements and costs. Among these high-purity CO₂ sources, certain coal chemical industry processes are very important, especially in China. In this paper, the basic characteristics of coal chemical industries in China is investigated and analyzed. As of 2013 there were more than 100 coal chemical plants in operation. These emission sources together emit 430 million tons CO₂more » per year, of which about 30% are emit high-purity and pure CO₂ (CO₂ concentration >80% and >98.5% respectively). Four typical source-sink pairs are chosen for techno-economic evaluation, including site screening and selection, source-sink matching, concept design, and economic evaluation. The technical-economic evaluation shows that the levelized cost of a CO₂ capture and aquifer storage project in the coal chemistry industry ranges from 14 USD/t to 17 USD/t CO₂. When a 15USD/t CO₂ tax and 20USD/t for CO₂ sold to EOR are considered, the levelized cost of CCS project are negative, which suggests a benefit from some of these CCS projects. This might provide China early opportunities to deploy and scale-up CCS projects in the near future.« less

  8. Viral Management as a New Type of Enterprise Management in Coal Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garafonova, Olga; Grigashkina, Svetlana; Zhosan, Anna

    2017-11-01

    The article considers the evolution of the concept of "management". The Internet analysis of the concept of "viral management" was conducted, the results of which testify to the positive trend, the growing interest in scientific circles, the relevance of the chosen direction for further research and the increasing popularity of the viral management among business leaders. The indices of coal and brown coal extraction in Ukraine and Russia for 2010-2016 are analyzed. Among the problems that exist in the coal industry are the following: mine assets have a high degree of deterioration; the equipment is rather obsolete and does not correspond to the world level; among the existing face equipment, the specific weight of longwall mining equipment, road headers, loading machines, and belt conveyors of the new generation is only several percent. Five steps of introduction of the virus management at the enterprise are identified: opening, development, participation, diffusion, sustainability. The principles of introduction of the viral management in the enterprises of the coal industry are offered. It is established that the main idea of the viral management is to "infect" the organization and, mainly, employees with one or another "virus" in the form of a common idea or goal. It is indicated that the viral management assumes a certain automaticity of changes, internal "obsession" with this or other innovation, involvement of an informal personal factor.

  9. Temporal trends and spatial variation characteristics of primary air pollutants emissions from coal-fired industrial boilers in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Xue, Yifeng; Tian, Hezhong; Yan, Jing; Zhou, Zhen; Wang, Junling; Nie, Lei; Pan, Tao; Zhou, Junrui; Hua, Shenbing; Wang, Yong; Wu, Xiaoqing

    2016-06-01

    Coal-fired combustion is recognized as a significant anthropogenic source of atmospheric compounds in Beijing, causing heavy air pollution events and associated deterioration in visibility. Obtaining an accurate understanding of the temporal trends and spatial variation characteristics of emissions from coal-fired industrial combustion is essential for predicting air quality changes and evaluating the effectiveness of current control measures. In this study, an integrated emission inventory of primary air pollutants emitted from coal-fired industrial boilers in Beijing is developed for the period of 2007-2013 using a technology-based approach. Future emission trends are projected through 2030 based on current energy-related and emission control policies. Our analysis shows that there is a general downward trend in primary air pollutants emissions because of the implementation of stricter local emission standards and the promotion by the Beijing municipal government of converting from coal-fired industrial boilers to gas-fired boilers. However, the ratio of coal consumed by industrial boilers to total coal consumption has been increasing, raising concerns about the further improvement of air quality in Beijing. Our estimates indicate that the total emissions of PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NOx, CO and VOCs from coal-fired industrial boilers in Beijing in 2013 are approximately 19,242 t, 13,345 t, 26,615 t, 22,965 t, 63,779 t and 1406 t, respectively. Under the current environmental policies and relevant energy savings and emission control plans, it may be possible to reduce NOx and other air pollutant emissions by 94% and 90% by 2030, respectively, if advanced flue gas purification technologies are implemented and coal is replaced with natural gas in the majority of existing boilers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Estimates and Predictions of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis Cases among Redeployed Coal Workers of the Fuxin Mining Industry Group in China: A Historical Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Han, Bing; Liu, Hongbo; Zhai, Guojiang; Wang, Qun; Liang, Jie; Zhang, Mengcang; Cui, Kai; Shen, Fuhai; Yi, Hongbo; Li, Yuting; Zhai, Yuhan; Sheng, Yang; Chen, Jie

    2016-01-01

    This research was aimed at estimating possible Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) cases as of 2012, and predicting future CWP cases among redeployed coal workers from the Fuxin Mining Industry Group. This study provided the scientific basis for regulations on CWP screening and diagnosis and labor insurance policies for redeployed coal workers of resource-exhausted mines. The study cohort included 19,116 coal workers. The cumulative incidence of CWP was calculated by the life-table method. Possible CWP cases by occupational category were estimated through the average annual incidence rate of CWP and males’ life expectancy. It was estimated that 141 redeployed coal workers might have suffered from CWP as of 2012, and 221 redeployed coal workers could suffer from CWP in the future. It is crucial to establish a set of feasible and affordable regulations on CWP screening and diagnosis as well as labor insurance policies for redeployed coal workers of resource-exhausted coal mines in China. PMID:26845337

  11. Estimates and Predictions of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis Cases among Redeployed Coal Workers of the Fuxin Mining Industry Group in China: A Historical Cohort Study.

    PubMed

    Han, Bing; Liu, Hongbo; Zhai, Guojiang; Wang, Qun; Liang, Jie; Zhang, Mengcang; Cui, Kai; Shen, Fuhai; Yi, Hongbo; Li, Yuting; Zhai, Yuhan; Sheng, Yang; Chen, Jie

    2016-01-01

    This research was aimed at estimating possible Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) cases as of 2012, and predicting future CWP cases among redeployed coal workers from the Fuxin Mining Industry Group. This study provided the scientific basis for regulations on CWP screening and diagnosis and labor insurance policies for redeployed coal workers of resource-exhausted mines. The study cohort included 19,116 coal workers. The cumulative incidence of CWP was calculated by the life-table method. Possible CWP cases by occupational category were estimated through the average annual incidence rate of CWP and males' life expectancy. It was estimated that 141 redeployed coal workers might have suffered from CWP as of 2012, and 221 redeployed coal workers could suffer from CWP in the future. It is crucial to establish a set of feasible and affordable regulations on CWP screening and diagnosis as well as labor insurance policies for redeployed coal workers of resource-exhausted coal mines in China.

  12. New breeding objectives and selection indices for the Australian dairy industry.

    PubMed

    Byrne, T J; Santos, B F S; Amer, P R; Martin-Collado, D; Pryce, J E; Axford, M

    2016-10-01

    This study comprises an update of the economic values for dairy traits for the Australian industry and the formulation of updated selection indices. An economic model, which calculates partial economic values for each trait individually, was developed to determine the economic implications of selective dairy breeding, based on the effect of trait changes on the profit of commercial dairy farms in Australia. Selection indices were developed from economic values, which were transformed into base economic weights by including the discounted genetic expressions coefficients. Economic weights (in Australian dollars) were 1.79, 6.92, -0.10, -5.44, 8.84, 7.68, 1.07, 4.86, 1.91, 3.51, 4.90, 0.31, 2.03, 2.00, and 0.59, for milk fat (kg), milk protein (kg), milk volume (L), body weight (kg), survival (%), residual survival (%), somatic cell count (cells/mL), fertility (%), mammary system [Australian Breeding Value (ABV) unit], temperament (ABV unit), milking speed (ABV unit), udder depth (%), overall type (%), fore udder attachment (%), and pin set (%), respectively. The updated economic weights presented in this study constituted the basis of the definition for 3 new indices. These indices were developed from combination of bioeconomic principles, patterns of farmer preferences for trait improvements, and desired gains approaches. The 3 indices, Balanced Performance Index, Health Weighted Index, and Type Weighted Index, have been released to the industry. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Productivity, job satisfaction, and health and safety in the coal industry: the participatory alternative

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1982-01-01

    This is a conference which presents results and ideas on workplace participation in the coal industry. It discusses the theory of the quality circle groups for developing their own production rates and design goals. It presents the results of different coal company participation in this idea and how to implement this option. Individual topics are entered into the Data Base as separate items.

  14. Determination of the existence of economic rents accruing in the United States coal industry and implications of increased coal severance taxation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Noser, T.C.

    1986-01-01

    To raise necessary revenues, many energy rich states have turned to greater utilization of severance taxation. Increases in oil and gas prices and the decline of nuclear power led to an increase in the competitiveness of coal, and perhaps to the generation of economic rents within the coal industry which state legislatures would hope to reappropriate via severance taxation. The purpose of this research is to determine if economic rents have been generated within the coal industry, and to analyze the implications of increased severance taxation. A mine simulation model was used to estimate the price per ton of coalmore » a typical firm would have to charge in order to cover all operating costs and earn a normal rate or return. Such estimates were made for eleven major coal producing states and compared to actual price data for the years 1978 through 1981. For each year, actual selling prices exceeded the minimum acceptable selling price necessary for firms to earn a normal rate of return, i.e., economic rents were generated in each year, totalling nearly $2.5 billion in 1981. Regarding the implications of increased severance taxation, it was argued that will the exception of a pure profits tax, any tax imposed on a profit-maximizing firm would discourage production and investment.« less

  15. Producing "Industry-Ready" Doctorates: Australian Cooperative Research Centre Approaches to Doctoral Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harman, Kay M.

    2004-01-01

    How the experience of science-based Ph.D. students working in or funded by Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) compares with their peers in regular university science-based departments is the key focus of this article. CRC doctoral programmes that integrate industry needs with professional development offer an alternative to traditional…

  16. Impacts of Coal Seam Gas (Coal Bed Methane) Extraction on Water Resources in Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Post, David

    2015-04-01

    While extraction of methane from shale gas deposits has been the principal source of the recent expansion of the industry in the United States and Europe, in Australia extraction of methane from coal bed methane deposits (termed 'coal seam gas' in Australia) has been the focus to date. The two sources of methane share many of the same characteristics including the potential requirement for hydraulic fracturing. However as coal seam gas deposits generally occur at shallower depths than shale gas the potential impacts of extraction and hydraulic fracturing on surface and groundwater resources may be of even greater concern for coal seam gas than for shale gas. In Australia an Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC) has been established to provide scientific advice to federal and state government regulators on the impact that coal seam gas and large coal mining developments may have on water resources. This advice is provided to enable decisions to be informed by the best available science about the potential water-related impacts associated with these developments. To support this advice the Australian Government Department of the Environment has implemented a three-year programme of research termed 'bioregional assessments' to investigate these potential impacts. A bioregional assessment is defined as a scientific analysis of the ecology, hydrology, geology and hydrogeology of a bioregion with explicit assessment of the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining development on water resources. These bioregional assessments are currently being carried out across large portions of eastern Australia underlain by coal reserves. Further details of the program and results to date can be found at http://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au. In this presentation the methodology for undertaking bioregional assessments will be described and the application of this methodology to six priority bioregions in eastern Australia

  17. Early opportunities of CO2 geological storage deployment in coal chemical industry in China

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wei, Ning; Li, Xiaochun; Liu, Shengnan

    2014-11-12

    Abstract: Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCS) is regarded as a promising option for climate change mitigation; however, the high capture cost is the major barrier to large-scale deployment of CCS technologies. High-purity CO2 emission sources can reduce or even avoid the capture requirements and costs. Among these high-purity CO2 sources, certain coal chemical industry processes are very important, especially in China. In this paper, the basic characteristics of coal chemical industries in China is investigated and analyzed. As of 2013 there were more than 100 coal chemical plants in operation or in late planning stages. These emission sourcesmore » together emit 430 million tons CO2 per year, of which about 30% are emit high-purity and pure CO2 (CO2 concentration >80% and >99% respectively).Four typical source-sink pairs are studied by a techno-economic evaluation, including site screening and selection, source-sink matching, concept design, and experienced economic evaluation. The technical-economic evaluation shows that the levelized cost of a CO2 capture and aquifer storage project in the coal chemistry industry ranges from 14 USD/t to 17 USD/t CO2. When a 15USD/t CO2 tax and 15USD/t for CO2 sold to EOR are considered, the levelized cost of CCS project are negative, which suggests a net economic benefit from some of these CCS projects. This might provide China early opportunities to deploy and scale-up CCS projects in the near future.« less

  18. Diterpanes, triterpanes, steranes, and aromatic hydrocarbons in natural bitumens and pyrolysates from different humic coals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lu, Shan-Tan; Kaplan, Isaac R.

    1992-01-01

    Data are presented on the distribution of diterpanes, triterpanes, steranes, and aromatic hydrocarbons in the natural bitumens extracted from unheated coals identified as Rocky Mountain coal (RMC), Australian Gippsland Latrobe Eocene coal (GEC), Australian Gippsland Latrobe Cretaceous coal (GCC), and Texas Wilcox lignite (WL), as well as from pyrolysates obtained from heating of these coals. It was found that pentacyclic triterpanes are dominant in GEC, GCC, and WL, whereas diterpanes strongly predominate in the bitumen of RMC, indicating that resin is a more important constituent of RMC than of the other coals and that it releases the diterpenoids at an early stage of diagenesis. It was also found that the composition of diterpanes is different among these coals and that the distributions of sterane and triterpane in the natural bitumen of coals are very different from those of pyrolysates.

  19. Coal blending preparation for non-carbonized coal briquettes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Widodo; Fatimah, D.; Estiaty, L. M.

    2018-02-01

    Referring to the national energy policy targets for the years 2025, the government has launched the use of coal briquettes as an alternative energy replacement for kerosene and firewood. Non-carbonized briquettes in the form of coal briquettes as well as bio-coal briquettes are used in many small-medium industries and households, and are rarely used by large industries. The standard quality of coal briquettes used as raw material for non-carbonized briquettes is a minimum calorific value of 4,400 kcal/kg (adb); total sulfur at a maximum of 1% (adb), and water content at <12% (adb). The formation of coal deposits depends on the origin of the coal-forming materials (plants), the environment of deposition, and the geological conditions of the surrounding area, so that the coal deposits in each region will be different as well as the amount and also the quality. Therefore, the quantity and the quality of coal in each area are different to be eligible in the making of briquettes to do blending. In addition to the coal blending, it is also necessary to select the right materials in the making of coal briquettes and bio-coal briquettes. The formulation of the right mixture of material in the making of briquettes, can be produced of good quality and environmental friendly.

  20. Analysis of the holistic impact of the Hydrogen Economy on the coal industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lusk, Shannon Perry

    As gas prices soar and energy demand continues to grow amidst increasingly stringent environmental regulations and an assortment of global pressures, implementing alternative energy sources while considering their linked economic, environmental and societal impacts becomes a more pressing matter. The Hydrogen Economy has been proposed as an answer to meeting the increasing energy demand for electric power generation and transportation in an environmentally benign way. Based on current hydrogen technology development, the most practical feedstock to fuel the Hydrogen Economy may prove to be coal via hydrogen production at FutureGen plants. The planned growth of the currently conceived Hydrogen Economy will cause dramatic impacts, some good and some bad, on the economy, the environment, and society, which are interlinked. The goal of this research is to provide tools to inform public policy makers in sorting out policy options related to coal and the Hydrogen Economy. This study examines the impact of a transition to a Hydrogen Economy on the coal industry by creating FutureGen penetration models, forecasting coal MFA's which clearly provide the impact on coal production and associated environmental impacts, and finally formulating a goal programming model that seeks the maximum benefit to society while analyzing the trade-offs between environmental, social, and economical concerns related to coal and the Hydrogen Economy.

  1. Microfine coal firing results from a retrofit gas/oil-designed industrial boiler

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Patel, R.; Borio, R.W.; Liljedahl, G.

    1995-12-31

    The development of a High Efficiency Advanced Coal Combustor (HEACC) has been in progress since 1987 and the ABB Power Plant Laboratories. The initial work on this concept produced an advanced coal firing system that was capable of firing both water-based and dry pulverized coal in an industrial boiler environment. Economics may one day dictate that it makes sense to replace oil or natural gas with coal in boilers that were originally designed to burn these fuels. The objective of the current program is to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of retrofitting a gas/oil designed boiler to burn micronizedmore » coal. In support of this overall objective, the following specific areas were targeted: A coal handling/preparation system that can meet the technical requirements for retrofitting microfine coal on a boiler designed for burning oil or natural gas; Maintaining boiler thermal performance in accordance with specifications when burning oil or natural gas; Maintaining NOx emissions at or below 0.6 lb/MBtu; Achieving combustion efficiencies of 98% or higher; and Calculating economic payback periods as a function of key variables. The overall program has consisted of five major tasks: (1) A review of current state-of-the-art coal firing system components; (2) Design and experimental testing of a prototype HEACC burner; (3) Installation and testing of a HEACC system in a commercial retrofit application; (4) Economic evaluation of the HEACC concept for retrofit applications; and (5) Long term demonstration under commercial user demand conditions. This paper will summarize the latest key experimental results (Task 3) and the economic evaluation (Task 4) of the HEACC concept for retrofit applications. 28 figs., 6 tabs.« less

  2. The suitability of ultrafine coal as an industrial boiler fuel

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Barratt, D.J.; Roberts, P.T.

    1989-07-01

    Coal that was finely ground to a mean particle size of 12 /mu/m produced a hotter, shorter flame compared to normal pulverized fuel in a pilot scale combustor. Measurements indicated that, should this fuel be fired in an industrial boiler, the rate of ash deposition on the walls and convection tubes could be low, but that the thin ash deposits that were produced might be more highly insulating and would therefore require more frequent cleaning. A mathematical model, using reactivity and pyrolysis data measured in laboratory-scale apparatus, has been used to predict the heat release rate within a boiler. Thismore » would be sufficiently high to allow a premium-quality finely ground coal to be burned in many boilers originally designed for oil firing, provided that burner mixing patterns were optimized.« less

  3. Influence of Coal Industry Enterprises on Biodiversity (on the Example of Formicidae)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blinova, Svetlana; Dobrydina, Tatiana

    2017-11-01

    The fauna, the population density and the types of ants' nests on the territory affected by the coal industry have been studied. It has been found that the level of environmental contamination influences all the indicators: the minimum indices of density, 1-2 species of ants and only underground nests near the pollution sources. On the contrary, in the areas with a weak influence of coal enterprises, 9 species with a maximum density of up to 15.2 nests / m2 have been observed with predominance of nests in the form of earthen mounds. Lasius niger are the most resistant to pollution, while the Myrmica do not stand such an impact.

  4. Industrial hygiene monitoring needs for the coal conversion and oil shale industries. Study group report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    White, Otto; Morris, Samuel; Cessario, Thomas R.

    1979-11-01

    Conclusions of a study group organized to assess the need for research and development of instrumentation for monitoring occupational exposures in the coal conversion and oil shale industries are reported. Research and development requirements for assessing potentially hazardous exposures are reviewed. Hazardous substances are classified in the following four categories: those which are immediately hazardous to life and health; high risk, but not immediately hazardous; moderate risk and not immediately hazardous; and short-term, nonroutine high hazards. Specific research recommendations are made in the following areas: personal monitors for gases; nitrogen compounds; aerosols; metals; fibers and dust; surface contamination; skin contamination;more » analytical development; industrial hygiene surveys;research; and, bioassays. (JGB)« less

  5. Industry self-regulation and TV advertising of foods to Australian children.

    PubMed

    Smithers, Lisa G; Lynch, John W; Merlin, Tracy

    2014-05-01

    The aim of this study is to examine the amount of non-core (unhealthy) food advertising currently on Australian television (i) during children's programmes and viewing times; (ii) since the introduction of food industry self-regulatory initiatives in 2009; and (iii) whether advertising differs according to signatory status to industry initiatives. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase.com and JSTOR (media/marketing) databases; grey literature; and reference lists of relevant articles for studies published since 2009 that reported on food advertising on Australian television. The title and abstract of 316 articles were screened, yielding 25 articles considered potentially eligible, of which eight met the pre-defined selection criteria. Meta-analysis was not possible because of temporal and methodological differences across studies. The advertising of non-core foods was found to be negligible during programmes with a C-(children's) classification but ranged from 1.5 to 6.5/h during children's peak viewing times. From 2006 to 2011, non-core food advertising decreased by 0.18 advertisements per hour every year, whereas fast food advertising increased by 0.09/h; however, these analyses are based on one study with only five time points. During children's viewing times, signatories to industry initiatives advertise non-core foods at higher rates than non-signatories. Although it is not possible to determine whether advertising has changed since the industry initiatives were introduced, signatories to the initiatives continue to advertise non-core foods at times when many children watch television. Future efforts to reduce children's exposure to food advertising should be focused on advertising during children's peak viewing times rather than by programme classifications. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  6. Development of Resource Sharing Networks. Study No. 6. Towards an Australian Industry Information Newwork.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Library of Australia, Canberra.

    This report describes recent progress towards the provision of SDI services, current awareness bulletins, and retrospective search facilities to the potential users in Australian industry. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of periodical literature, reports, and patent literature. A list of information bulletins available from the…

  7. Workers compensation and occupational health and safety in the Australian agricultural industry.

    PubMed

    Guthrie, Robert; Westaway, Jennifer; Goldacre, Lisa

    2009-04-01

    The objective of this paper is to review the available workers compensation and occupational health and safety data and the legal framework in relation to the agricultural industry to explore whether any factors highlight the need to pay special attention to the particular circumstances of those engaged in the industry. This paper explores some of the special features of the agricultural industry, looking first at agricultural worker fatalities and injuries as a matter of ongoing concern for all participants in this industry, government, as well as occupational health and workers compensation authorities. The paper analyses how occupational health and workers compensation laws may have special application to this industry. Finally, the paper considers some workers compensation provisions that have particular application to the agricultural industry. Our survey of the available data and literature leads to the conclusion that the dangerous nature of agricultural work and the special legal and economic framework in which that work is undertaken identify the agricultural industry as presenting Australian Governments and specialist authorities with particular challenges in relation to improving workplace safety and reducing workplace injury.

  8. On-line determination of the ash content in coal using industrial, natural gamma-ray equipment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alvarez, M. C.; Dopico, M. T.

    1995-12-01

    This work presents phases of an investigation carried out in Spain to develop industrial natural-γ equipment to determine the ash content in coals. Initially the programme was on a laboratory scale and later tests were performed in a coal washing plant on a mixture of washed products. The results obtained are very satisfactory since the equipment permits the ash content to be determined with a mean error of 1.3% and a SD of 1.

  9. Bioremediation for coal-fired power stations using macroalgae.

    PubMed

    Roberts, David A; Paul, Nicholas A; Bird, Michael I; de Nys, Rocky

    2015-04-15

    Macroalgae are a productive resource that can be cultured in metal-contaminated waste water for bioremediation but there have been no demonstrations of this biotechnology integrated with industry. Coal-fired power production is a water-limited industry that requires novel approaches to waste water treatment and recycling. In this study, a freshwater macroalga (genus Oedogonium) was cultivated in contaminated ash water amended with flue gas (containing 20% CO₂) at an Australian coal-fired power station. The continuous process of macroalgal growth and intracellular metal sequestration reduced the concentrations of all metals in the treated ash water. Predictive modelling shows that the power station could feasibly achieve zero discharge of most regulated metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in waste water by using the ash water dam for bioremediation with algal cultivation ponds rather than storage of ash water. Slow pyrolysis of the cultivated algae immobilised the accumulated metals in a recalcitrant C-rich biochar. While the algal biochar had higher total metal concentrations than the algae feedstock, the biochar had very low concentrations of leachable metals and therefore has potential for use as an ameliorant for low-fertility soils. This study demonstrates a bioremediation technology at a large scale for a water-limited industry that could be implemented at new or existing power stations, or during the decommissioning of older power stations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Cost-effectiveness Analysis on Measures to Improve China's Coal-fired Industrial Boiler

    DOE PAGES

    Liu, Manzhi; Shen, Bo; Han, Yafeng; ...

    2015-08-01

    Tackling coal-burning industrial boiler is becoming one of the key programs to solve the environmental problem in China. Assessing the economics of various options to address coal-fired boiler is essential to identify cost-effective solutions. This paper discusses our work in conducting a cost-effectiveness analysis on various types of improvement measures ranging from energy efficiency retrofits to switch from coal to other fuels in China. Sensitivity analysis was also performed in order to understand the impacts of some economic factors such as discount rate and energy price on the economics of boiler improvement options. The results show that nine out ofmore » 14 solutions are cost-effective, and a lower discount rate and higher energy price will result in more energy efficiency measures being cost-effective. Both monetary and non-monetary barriers to energy-efficiency improvement are discussed and policies to tackle these barriers are recommended. Our research aims at providing a methodology to assess cost-effective solutions to boiler problems.« less

  11. [Industrial pulverized coal low NO{sub x} burner, Phase I] technical progress report, April 1, 1992--June 30, 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1992-09-01

    Market evaluation of industrial pulverized coal usage, and of typical industries and applications where the low-NO{sub x}, burner may be sold, was partially completed at the end of this reporting period. The study identified three coals that may adequately meet the requirements of the low-NO{sub x} burner modeling study, and of the intended industrial applications. These were: (a) Pittsburgh Seam Bituminous, (b) Pittsburgh No. 8, and (c) Utah Bituminous. The first burner design, for modeling studies, was developed for a nominal output of 5.0 million Btu/hr. All input and process parameters, and all major dimensions of the burner have beenmore » determined. Burner design sketch was developed. Standard jet pump geometry of the fuel-rich burner flow path (US Patents No. 4,445,842 and No. 3,990,831), has been modified for use with pulverized coal. Staged air was added. Staged air, in conjunction with recirculated flue gas, has been found by ADL, MIT and other researchers to be effective in NO{sub x}, reduction. No attempt has been made to achieve compactness of design. The primary and seconder, air inlets and flow passages are separate, although in the industrial burner they will be combined. Flue gas may be drawn into the burner either from the hot furnace chamber, or from the flue stack after recuperation. However, to satisfy the energy requirements for volatilizing the coal, flue gas temperature above 2000{degrees}F may be needed. With the preliminary burner design completed, and suitable coals for the modeling study selected, type project is ready to proceed to the kinetic modeling tasks at MIT.« less

  12. [Industrial pulverized coal low NO[sub x] burner, Phase I] technical progress report, April 1, 1992--June 30, 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1992-09-01

    Market evaluation of industrial pulverized coal usage, and of typical industries and applications where the low-NO[sub x], burner may be sold, was partially completed at the end of this reporting period. The study identified three coals that may adequately meet the requirements of the low-NO[sub x] burner modeling study, and of the intended industrial applications. These were: (a) Pittsburgh Seam Bituminous, (b) Pittsburgh No. 8, and (c) Utah Bituminous. The first burner design, for modeling studies, was developed for a nominal output of 5.0 million Btu/hr. All input and process parameters, and all major dimensions of the burner have beenmore » determined. Burner design sketch was developed. Standard jet pump geometry of the fuel-rich burner flow path (US Patents No. 4,445,842 and No. 3,990,831), has been modified for use with pulverized coal. Staged air was added. Staged air, in conjunction with recirculated flue gas, has been found by ADL, MIT and other researchers to be effective in NO[sub x], reduction. No attempt has been made to achieve compactness of design. The primary and seconder, air inlets and flow passages are separate, although in the industrial burner they will be combined. Flue gas may be drawn into the burner either from the hot furnace chamber, or from the flue stack after recuperation. However, to satisfy the energy requirements for volatilizing the coal, flue gas temperature above 2000[degrees]F may be needed. With the preliminary burner design completed, and suitable coals for the modeling study selected, type project is ready to proceed to the kinetic modeling tasks at MIT.« less

  13. Equilibrium approach towards water resource management and pollution control in coal chemical industrial park.

    PubMed

    Xu, Jiuping; Hou, Shuhua; Xie, Heping; Lv, Chengwei; Yao, Liming

    2018-08-01

    In this study, an integrated water and waste load allocation model is proposed to assist decision makers in better understanding the trade-offs between economic growth, resource utilization, and environmental protection of coal chemical industries which characteristically have high water consumption and pollution. In the decision framework, decision makers in a same park, each of whom have different goals and preferences, work together to seek a collective benefit. Similar to a Stackelberg-Nash game, the proposed approach illuminates the decision making interrelationships and involves in the conflict coordination between the park authority and the individual coal chemical company stockholders. In the proposed method, to response to climate change and other uncertainties, a risk assessment tool, Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) and uncertainties through reflecting parameters and coefficients using probability and fuzzy set theory are integrated in the modeling process. Then a case study from Yuheng coal chemical park is presented to demonstrate the practicality and efficiency of the optimization model. To reasonable search the potential consequences of different responses to water and waste load allocation strategies, a number of scenario results considering environmental uncertainty and decision maker' attitudes are examined to explore the tradeoffs between economic development and environmental protection and decision makers' objectives. The results are helpful for decision/police makers to adjust current strategies adapting for current changes. Based on the scenario analyses and discussion, some propositions and operational policies are given and sensitive adaptation strategies are presented to support the efficient, balanced and sustainable development of coal chemical industrial parks. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The Australian Skills Agenda: Productivity versus Credentialism?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashenden, Dean

    1992-01-01

    Discusses the rise of the concept of improved skills recognition in Australian industry. Highlights include the role of industrial relations; the Australian vocational education and training system; recognition, industrial relations, and workplace change; career and training paths; credentials; and future prospects. (10 references) (LRW)

  15. Chances of coal in European power industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Łukaszczyk, Zygmunt; Badura, Henryk

    2017-11-01

    Poland's accession to the European Union has reduced the remnants of import barriers. Moreover, the consolidation and commercialization of the energy sector, the implementation of climate package elements and a whole host of other determinants have caused hard coal mining to begin functioning in a highly competitive market, and its negotiating position, as well as the possibility of survival, depends not only on the level of coal prices in international markets, but also on internal competition. This paper discusses the position of power coal on international markets and presents some current problems concerning the functioning of particular segments of the hard coal market in the European Union and Poland in terms of opportunities and threats that are a result of climate and energy policy.

  16. In the Shadow of Coal: How Large-Scale Industries Contributed to Present-Day Regional Differences in Personality and Well-Being.

    PubMed

    Obschonka, Martin; Stuetzer, Michael; Rentfrow, Peter J; Shaw-Taylor, Leigh; Satchell, Max; Silbereisen, Rainer K; Potter, Jeff; Gosling, Samuel D

    2017-11-20

    Recent research has identified regional variation of personality traits within countries but we know little about the underlying drivers of this variation. We propose that the Industrial Revolution, as a key era in the history of industrialized nations, has led to a persistent clustering of well-being outcomes and personality traits associated with psychological adversity via processes of selective migration and socialization. Analyzing data from England and Wales, we examine relationships between the historical employment share in large-scale coal-based industries (coal mining and steam-powered manufacturing industries that used this coal as fuel for their steam engines) and today's regional variation in personality and well-being. Even after controlling for possible historical confounds (historical energy supply, education, wealth, geology, climate, population density), we find that the historical local dominance of large-scale coal-based industries predicts today's markers of psychological adversity (lower Conscientiousness [and order facet scores], higher Neuroticism [and anxiety and depression facet scores], lower activity [an Extraversion facet], and lower life satisfaction and life expectancy). An instrumental variable analysis, using the historical location of coalfields, supports the causal assumption behind these effects (with the exception of life satisfaction). Further analyses focusing on mechanisms hint at the roles of selective migration and persisting economic hardship. Finally, a robustness check in the U.S. replicates the effect of the historical concentration of large-scale industries on today's levels of psychological adversity. Taken together, the results show how today's regional patterns of personality and well-being (which shape the future trajectories of these regions) may have their roots in major societal changes underway decades or centuries earlier. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. 78 FR 54879 - Notice of Filing of Self-Certification of Coal Capability Under the Powerplant and Industrial...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-06

    ... Capability Under the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act AGENCY: Office Electricity Delivery and Energy... the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 (FUA), as amended, and DOE regulations in 10 CFR... requirement of coal capability, the owner or operator of such a facility proposing to use natural gas or...

  18. Indonesian coal mining

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    2008-11-15

    The article examines the opportunities and challenges facing the Indonesian coal mining industry and how the coal producers, government and wider Indonesian society are working to overcome them. 2 figs., 1 tab.

  19. Alcohol industry and government revenue derived from underage drinking by Australian adolescents 2005.

    PubMed

    Doran, Christopher M; Shakeshaft, Anthony P; Hall, Wayne; Petrie, Dennis

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to estimate the revenue gained from consumption of alcohol by adolescents for each beverage type for the year 2005. Secondary analysis of self-reported alcohol use in the 2005 Australian Secondary School Surveys Alcohol and Drug Use. Australia. Over 506,000 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years (29% of all Australian adolescents) consumed approximately 175.69 million standard drinks in 2005. The total revenue generated by the consumption of these beverages was estimated to be $218 million, of which the government received approximately $107 million or 49% in taxation revenue. Total revenue per underage drinker is estimated at $430.84 with revenue increasing with age. Males tend to spend more on spirits and beer while females spend more on pre-mixed spirits. Females aged 12-15 years spend around $121 per year (or 50% of total expenditure) on pre-mixed spirits compared to females aged 16-17 years old that spend around $257 per year (or 62% of total expenditure) on pre-mixed spirits. The Australian government and the alcohol industry receive substantial financial benefit from the sale of alcoholic beverages to under age drinkers.

  20. A prospective study in the Australian petroleum industry. I. Mortality.

    PubMed Central

    Christie, D; Robinson, K; Gordon, I; Bisby, J

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports the mortality experience of employees of the Australian petroleum industry from 1981 to 1989. Two surveys by personal interview incorporated more than 15,000 employees representing 92% of the eligible population. Subjects were included in the analysis after completing five years of service in the industry. At the time of this report the cohort does not include sufficiently large numbers of women for useful analysis; results presented are restricted to men. By 31 December 1989, 76,529 person-years of observation had accumulated for male mortality with 241 deaths. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) analysis showed a favourable mortality experience for most causes with overall cancer rates slightly lower than those of the national population. Whereas deficits were seen in some cancer sites, notably lung cancers (SMR 0.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.3-0.8), mortality for lymphohaematopoietic cancers, notably leukaemia (SMR 1.6, 95% CI 0.6-3.4) suggested increased risk. The SMR for cancers of the pleura was 3.9 (95% CI 0.8-11). Two of the three cases seen had previous employment, however, in industries with likely exposure to asbestos. PMID:1878306

  1. Chemical analyses of coal, coal-associated rocks and coal combustion products collected for the National Coal Quality Inventory

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hatch, Joseph R.; Bullock, John H.; Finkelman, Robert B.

    2006-01-01

    In 1999, the USGS initiated the National Coal Quality Inventory (NaCQI) project to address a need for quality information on coals that will be mined during the next 20-30 years. At the time this project was initiated, the publicly available USGS coal quality data was based on samples primarily collected and analyzed between 1973 and 1985. The primary objective of NaCQI was to create a database containing comprehensive, accurate and accessible chemical information on the quality of mined and prepared United States coals and their combustion byproducts. This objective was to be accomplished through maintaining the existing publicly available coal quality database, expanding the database through the acquisition of new samples from priority areas, and analysis of the samples using updated coal analytical chemistry procedures. Priorities for sampling include those areas where future sources of compliance coal are federally owned. This project was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), State geological surveys, universities, coal burning utilities, and the coal mining industry. Funding support came from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

  2. Annual Coal Report

    EIA Publications

    2016-01-01

    Provides information about U.S. coal production, number of mines, prices, productivity, employment, productive capacity, and recoverable reserves to a wide audience, including Congress, federal and state agencies, the coal industry, and the general public.

  3. Utilization of coal-water fuel in heat power industry and by public utilities of Ukraine

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Papayani, F.A.; Switly, Y.G.

    1995-12-31

    One of the major problems of the fuel and energy balance of Ukraine is acute shortage of its own resources of organic fuel. At present the steam coal output in Ukraine approaches 100 mln t, oil production makes up about 5 min t and that of gas reaches 22 bln. m{sup 3}, which in terms of equivalent fuel (e.f ) totals 94 min t, the annual demand being approximately 300 mln t e.f. To make up for fuel deficiency Ukraine has to annually import 120 bln. m{sup 3} of gas, 50 mln t of oil and about 10 mln tmore » of coal, their approximate cost being U.S.$ 15.6 bln. At the same time coal reserves in developed fields only make up 10 bln. t, the total reserves of this fuel being 100 bln. t. Thus the whole burden of meeting the requirements of Ukraine in power resources when nuclear power plants capacities are being reduced and expected to be reducing in the nearest future falls on coal. Under wasting conditions a problem of today is to develop and introduce new technologies of coal mining and utilization with due regard for technical, economic and ecological aspects which are particularly important for densely populated industrial regions. Ecological problems associated with a dramatic increase in the volume of coal combustion can be solved by developing new methods and means for flue gas cleaning in the first place and by wide-scale introduction of coal-water fuel (CWF) in the second place. Investigations have shown that the second way is more preferable since it is based on the integrated technology for original coal demineralization and CWT production, advantages of each process being used in full measure. Thus demineralization of coal is among major requirements to development of a CWT production technology.« less

  4. Discovery and ramifications of incidental Magnéli phase generation and release from industrial coal-burning.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yi; Chen, Bo; Hower, James; Schindler, Michael; Winkler, Christopher; Brandt, Jessica; Di Giulio, Richard; Ge, Jianping; Liu, Min; Fu, Yuhao; Zhang, Lijun; Chen, Yuru; Priya, Shashank; Hochella, Michael F

    2017-08-08

    Coal, as one of the most economic and abundant energy sources, remains the leading fuel for producing electricity worldwide. Yet, burning coal produces more global warming CO 2 relative to all other fossil fuels, and it is a major contributor to atmospheric particulate matter known to have a deleterious respiratory and cardiovascular impact in humans, especially in China and India. Here we have discovered that burning coal also produces large quantities of otherwise rare Magnéli phases (Ti x O 2x-1 with 4 ≤ x ≤ 9) from TiO 2 minerals naturally present in coal. This provides a new tracer for tracking solid-state emissions worldwide from industrial coal-burning. In its first toxicity testing, we have also shown that nanoscale Magnéli phases have potential toxicity pathways that are not photoactive like TiO 2 phases, but instead seem to be biologically active without photostimulation. In the future, these phases should be thoroughly tested for their toxicity in the human lung.Solid-state emissions from coal burning remain an environmental concern. Here, the authors have found that TiO2 minerals present in coal are converted into titanium suboxides during burning, and initial biotoxicity screening suggests that further testing is needed to look into human lung consequences.

  5. Pore size distribution and accessible pore size distribution in bituminous coals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sakurovs, Richard; He, Lilin; Melnichenko, Yuri B

    2012-01-01

    total pores that was inaccessible was not rank dependent. In the Australian coals, at the 10 nm to 50 nm size scales the pores in inertinites appeared to be completely accessible to CD{sub 4}, whereas the pores in the vitrinite were about 75% inaccessible. Unlike the results for total porosity that showed no regional effects on relationships between porosity and coal properties, clear regional differences in the relationships between fraction of closed porosity and coal properties were found. The 10 to 50 nm-sized pores of inertinites of the US and Polish coals examined appeared less accessible to methane than those of the inertinites of Australian coals. This difference in pore accessibility in inertinites may explain why empirical relationships between fluidity and coking properties developed using Carboniferous coals do not apply to Australian coals.« less

  6. Australian Apprenticeships: Trends, Challenges and Future Opportunities for Dealing with Industry 4.0. Conference Paper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loveder, Phil

    2017-01-01

    The Australian economy is in transition. Its future prosperity will depend on greater economic diversification and on innovation and entrepreneurship, hallmarks of Industry 4.0. This has implications for skills development for future workers and for those needing to move into new jobs or roles. It also has a direct impact on apprenticeships--an…

  7. Characteristics of coking coal burnout

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nakamura, M.; Bailey, J.G.

    An attempt was made to clarify the characteristics of coking coal burnout by the morphological analysis of char and fly ash samples. Laboratory-scale combustion testing, simulating an ignition process, was carried out for three kinds of coal (two coking coals and one non-coking coal for reference), and sampled chars were analyzed for size, shape and type by image analysis. The full combustion process was examined in industrial-scale combustion testing for the same kinds of coal. Char sampled at the burner outlet and fly ash at the furnace exit were also analyzed. The difference between the char type, swelling properties, agglomeration,more » anisotropy and carbon burnout were compared at laboratory scale and at industrial scale. As a result, it was found that coking coals produced chars with relatively thicker walls, which mainly impeded char burnout, especially for low volatile coals.« less

  8. Atmospheric emission of mercury due to combustion of steam coal and domestic coal in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Shaobin; Luo, Kunli

    2017-08-01

    To study the mercury emission due to the combustion of steam coal and domestic coal in China, we analyzed the mercury contents of coal, fly ash, bottom ash and sluicing water in thermal power plants, steam boilers as well as domestic coal-stoves, in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong and Yunnan Provinces. This study conduct an estimate of the Hg emission rates from steam coal and domestic coal combustion based on the method of mass distribution ratio of fly ash and bottom ash. The results show that the Hg emission rate of coal combustion in thermal power plants is about 50.21% (electrostatic precipitators + wet flue gas desulfurization), and that in heating boilers is about 67.23%, and 92.28% in industrial boilers without flue gas desulphurisation equipment. Furthermore, Hg emission rate is 83.61% due to domestic coal combustion in coal-stoves. The Hg emission amount into the atmosphere from power and heat generation, industrial boilers, domestic coal-stoves and spontaneous combustion of coal gangue is roughly estimated to be 133 ± 4, 100 ± 17, 11 ± 0.1 and 47 ± 26 tons in China in 2014, respectively, and the total Hg emission amount from this paper is estimated at 292 tons. The trends of Hg emission in China from 1991 to 2014 show an accelerating growth after 2002. The proportion of mercury emission due to thermal power, heating generation and industrial energy utilization continuously increased. The atmospheric emission of mercury due to combustion of steam coal, domestic coal and coal gangue accounts nearly 50% in total anthropogenic Hg emissions in China, indicating one of the largest sources of Hg emission in China which should draw more public and scientific attention in the future.

  9. Coal Activities for Secondary Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Coal Foundation, Washington, DC.

    This collection of lesson plans designed for teachers of 4th- through 12th-grade students utilizes an assortment of teaching strategies for topics related to coal and the coal industry. Activities cover the following topics: coal formation; coal identification; "the geologist's dilemma" (a supply and demand activity); geologic time and…

  10. Australians are not equally protected from industrial air pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobbie, B.; Green, D.

    2015-05-01

    Australian air pollution standards are set at national and state levels for a number of chemicals harmful to human health. However, these standards do not need to be met when ad hoc pollution licences are issued by state environment agencies. This situation results in a highly unequal distribution of air pollution between towns and cities, and across the country. This paper examines these pollution regulations through two case studies, specifically considering the ability of the regulatory regime to protect human health from lead and sulphur dioxide pollution in the communities located around smelters. It also considers how the proposed National Clean Air Agreement, once enacted, might serve to reduce this pollution equity problem. Through the case studies we show that there are at least three discrete concerns relating to the current licencing system. They are: non-onerous emission thresholds for polluting industry; temporal averaging thresholds masking emission spikes; and ineffective penalties for breaching licence agreements. In conclusion, we propose a set of new, legally-binding national minimum standards for industrial air pollutants must be developed and enforced, which can only be modified by more (not less) stringent state licence arrangements.

  11. Conceptual design study of a coal gasification combined-cycle powerplant for industrial cogeneration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bloomfield, H. S.; Nelson, S. G.; Straight, H. F.; Subramaniam, T. K.; Winklepleck, R. G.

    1981-03-01

    A conceptual design study was conducted to assess technical feasibility, environmental characteristics, and economics of coal gasification. The feasibility of a coal gasification combined cycle cogeneration powerplant was examined in response to energy needs and to national policy aimed at decreasing dependence on oil and natural gas. The powerplant provides the steam heating and baseload electrical requirements while serving as a prototype for industrial cogeneration and a modular building block for utility applications. The following topics are discussed: (1) screening of candidate gasification, sulfur removal and power conversion components; (2) definition of a reference system; (3) quantification of plant emissions and waste streams; (4) estimates of capital and operating costs; and (5) a procurement and construction schedule. It is concluded that the proposed powerplant is technically feasible and environmentally superior.

  12. Conceptual design study of a coal gasification combined-cycle powerplant for industrial cogeneration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bloomfield, H. S.; Nelson, S. G.; Straight, H. F.; Subramaniam, T. K.; Winklepleck, R. G.

    1981-01-01

    A conceptual design study was conducted to assess technical feasibility, environmental characteristics, and economics of coal gasification. The feasibility of a coal gasification combined cycle cogeneration powerplant was examined in response to energy needs and to national policy aimed at decreasing dependence on oil and natural gas. The powerplant provides the steam heating and baseload electrical requirements while serving as a prototype for industrial cogeneration and a modular building block for utility applications. The following topics are discussed: (1) screening of candidate gasification, sulfur removal and power conversion components; (2) definition of a reference system; (3) quantification of plant emissions and waste streams; (4) estimates of capital and operating costs; and (5) a procurement and construction schedule. It is concluded that the proposed powerplant is technically feasible and environmentally superior.

  13. An Industrial-Based Consortium to Develop Premium Carbon Products from Coal Final Report - Part 5

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Bruce; Shea, Winton

    2010-12-31

    Since 1998, The Pennsylvania State University successfully managed the Consortium for Premium Carbon Products from Coal (CPCPC), which was a vehicle for industry-driven research on the promotion, development, and transfer of innovative technologies on premium carbon products from coal to the U.S. industry. The CPCPC was an initiative led by Penn State, its cocharter member West Virginia University (WVU), and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), who also provided the base funding for the program, with Penn State responsible for consortium management. CPCPC began in 1998 under DOE Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-98FT40350. This agreement ended November 2004 but the CPCPC activity continued under cooperative agreement No. DE-FC26-03NT41874, which started October 1, 2003 and ended December 31, 2010. The objective of the second agreement was to continue the successful operation of the CPCPC. The CPCPC enjoyed tremendous success with its organizational structure, which included Penn State and WVU as charter members, numerous industrial affiliate members, and strategic university affiliate members together with NETL, forming a vibrant and creative team for innovative research in the area of transforming coal to carbon products. The key aspect of CPCPC was its industry-led council that selected proposals submitted by CPCPC members to ensure CPCPC target areas had strong industrial support. CPCPC had 58 member companies and universities engaged over the 7-year period of this contract. Members were from 17 states and five countries outside of the U.S. During this period, the CPCPC Executive Council selected 46 projects for funding. DOE/CPCPC providedmore » $3.9 million in funding or an average of $564,000 per year. The total project costs were $5.45 million with $$1.5 million, or {approx}28% of the total, provided by the members as cost share. Total average project size was $$118,000 with $85,900 provided by DOE/CPCPC. In

  14. An Industrial-Based Consortium to Develop Premium Carbon Products from Coal Final Report - Part 4

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Bruce; Shea, Winton

    Since 1998, The Pennsylvania State University successfully managed the Consortium for Premium Carbon Products from Coal (CPCPC), which was a vehicle for industry-driven research on the promotion, development, and transfer of innovative technologies on premium carbon products from coal to the U.S. industry. The CPCPC was an initiative led by Penn State, its cocharter member West Virginia University (WVU), and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), who also provided the base funding for the program, with Penn State responsible for consortium management. CPCPC began in 1998 under DOE Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-98FT40350. This agreement ended November 2004 but the CPCPC activity continued under cooperative agreement No. DE-FC26-03NT41874, which started October 1, 2003 and ended December 31, 2010. The objective of the second agreement was to continue the successful operation of the CPCPC. The CPCPC enjoyed tremendous success with its organizational structure, which included Penn State and WVU as charter members, numerous industrial affiliate members, and strategic university affiliate members together with NETL, forming a vibrant and creative team for innovative research in the area of transforming coal to carbon products. The key aspect of CPCPC was its industry-led council that selected proposals submitted by CPCPC members to ensure CPCPC target areas had strong industrial support. CPCPC had 58 member companies and universities engaged over the 7-year period of this contract. Members were from 17 states and five countries outside of the U.S. During this period, the CPCPC Executive Council selected 46 projects for funding. DOE/CPCPC providedmore » $3.9 million in funding or an average of $564,000 per year. The total project costs were $5.45 million with $$1.5 million, or {approx}28% of the total, provided by the members as cost share. Total average project size was $$118,000 with $85,900 provided by DOE/CPCPC. In

  15. An Industrial-Based Consortium to Develop Premium Carbon Products from Coal Final Report - Part 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Bruce; Winton, Shea

    2010-12-31

    Since 1998, The Pennsylvania State University successfully managed the Consortium for Premium Carbon Products from Coal (CPCPC), which was a vehicle for industry-driven research on the promotion, development, and transfer of innovative technologies on premium carbon products from coal to the U.S. industry. The CPCPC was an initiative led by Penn State, its cocharter member West Virginia University (WVU), and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), who also provided the base funding for the program, with Penn State responsible for consortium management. CPCPC began in 1998 under DOE Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-98FT40350. This agreement endedmore » November 2004 but the CPCPC activity continued under cooperative agreement No. DE-FC26-03NT41874, which started October 1, 2003 and ended December 31, 2010. The objective of the second agreement was to continue the successful operation of the CPCPC. The CPCPC enjoyed tremendous success with its organizational structure, which included Penn State and WVU as charter members, numerous industrial affiliate members, and strategic university affiliate members together with NETL, forming a vibrant and creative team for innovative research in the area of transforming coal to carbon products. The key aspect of CPCPC was its industry-led council that selected proposals submitted by CPCPC members to ensure CPCPC target areas had strong industrial support. CPCPC had 58 member companies and universities engaged over the 7-year period of this contract. Members were from 17 states and five countries outside of the U.S. During this period, the CPCPC Executive Council selected 46 projects for funding. DOE/CPCPC provided $3.9 million in funding or an average of $564,000 per year. The total project costs were $5.45 million with $1.5 million, or ~28% of the total, provided by the members as cost share. Total average project size was $118,000 with $85,900 provided by DOE/CPCPC. In addition to

  16. An Industrial-Based Consortium to Develop Premium Carbon Products from Coal Final Report - Part 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Bruce; Shea, Winton

    2010-12-31

    Since 1998, The Pennsylvania State University successfully managed the Consortium for Premium Carbon Products from Coal (CPCPC), which was a vehicle for industry-driven research on the promotion, development, and transfer of innovative technologies on premium carbon products from coal to the U.S. industry. The CPCPC was an initiative led by Penn State, its cocharter member West Virginia University (WVU), and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), who also provided the base funding for the program, with Penn State responsible for consortium management. CPCPC began in 1998 under DOE Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-98FT40350. This agreement endedmore » November 2004 but the CPCPC activity continued under cooperative agreement No. DE-FC26-03NT41874, which started October 1, 2003 and ended December 31, 2010. The objective of the second agreement was to continue the successful operation of the CPCPC. The CPCPC enjoyed tremendous success with its organizational structure, which included Penn State and WVU as charter members, numerous industrial affiliate members, and strategic university affiliate members together with NETL, forming a vibrant and creative team for innovative research in the area of transforming coal to carbon products. The key aspect of CPCPC was its industry-led council that selected proposals submitted by CPCPC members to ensure CPCPC target areas had strong industrial support. CPCPC had 58 member companies and universities engaged over the 7-year period of this contract. Members were from 17 states and five countries outside of the U.S. During this period, the CPCPC Executive Council selected 46 projects for funding. DOE/CPCPC provided $3.9 million in funding or an average of $564,000 per year. The total project costs were $5.45 million with $1.5 million, or ~28% of the total, provided by the members as cost share. Total average project size was $118,000 with $85,900 provided by DOE/CPCPC. In addition to

  17. An Industrial-Based Consortium to Develop Premium Carbon Products from Coal Final Report - Part 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Bruce; Winton, Shea

    2010-12-31

    Since 1998, The Pennsylvania State University successfully managed the Consortium for Premium Carbon Products from Coal (CPCPC), which was a vehicle for industry-driven research on the promotion, development, and transfer of innovative technologies on premium carbon products from coal to the U.S. industry. The CPCPC was an initiative led by Penn State, its cocharter member West Virginia University (WVU), and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), who also provided the base funding for the program, with Penn State responsible for consortium management. CPCPC began in 1998 under DOE Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-98FT40350. This agreement endedmore » November 2004 but the CPCPC activity continued under cooperative agreement No. DE-FC26-03NT41874, which started October 1, 2003 and ended December 31, 2010. The objective of the second agreement was to continue the successful operation of the CPCPC. The CPCPC enjoyed tremendous success with its organizational structure, which included Penn State and WVU as charter members, numerous industrial affiliate members, and strategic university affiliate members together with NETL, forming a vibrant and creative team for innovative research in the area of transforming coal to carbon products. The key aspect of CPCPC was its industry-led council that selected proposals submitted by CPCPC members to ensure CPCPC target areas had strong industrial support. CPCPC had 58 member companies and universities engaged over the 7-year period of this contract. Members were from 17 states and five countries outside of the U.S. During this period, the CPCPC Executive Council selected 46 projects for funding. DOE/CPCPC provided $3.9 million in funding or an average of $564,000 per year. The total project costs were $5.45 million with $1.5 million, or ~28% of the total, provided by the members as cost share. Total average project size was $118,000 with $85,900 provided by DOE/CPCPC. In addition to

  18. Coal burning issues. [Book - monograph

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Green, A.E.S.

    1980-01-01

    The results of the scoping phase of an interdisciplinary assessment of the impact of the increased use of coal are reported in this monograph. Subject areas include: coal availability and coal mining; an energetics analysis of coal quality; coal transportation; coal burning technology; synthetic fuels from coal; technological innovations; water resources; atmospheric pollution; air pollution dispersion modeling; atmospheric modifications; solid waste and trace element impacts; agriculture; health effects of air pollution resulting from coal combustion; quantitative public policy assessments; financing capacity growth and coal conversions in the electric utility industry; coal and the states - a public choice perspective; andmore » federal regulatory and legal aspects.« less

  19. Bio-coal briquettes using low-grade coal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Estiaty, L. M.; Fatimah, D.; Widodo

    2018-02-01

    The technology in using briquettes for fuel has been widely used in many countries for both domestic and industrial purposes. Common types of briquette used are coal, peat, charcoal, and biomass. Several researches have been carried out in regards to the production and the use of briquettes. Recently, researches show that mixing coal and biomass will result in an environmentally friendly briquette with better combustion and physical characteristics. This type of briquette is known as bio-coal briquettes. Bio-coal briquettes are made from agriculture waste and coal, which are readily available, cheap and affordable. Researchers make these bio-coal briquettes with different aims and objectives, depending on the issues to address, e.g. utilizing agricultural waste as an alternative energy to replace fossil fuels that are depleting its reserves, adding coal to biomass in order to add calorific value to bio-coal briquette, and adding biomass to coal to improve its chemical and physical properties. In our research, biocoal briquettes are made to utilize low grade coal. The biomass we use, however, is different from the ones used in past researches because it has undergone fermentation. The benefits of using such biomass are 1. Fermentation turns the hemi cellulose into a simpler form, so that the burning activation energy decreases while the calorific value increases. 2. Enzym produced will bind to heavy metals from coal as co-factors, forming metals that are environmentally friendly.

  20. Smoke Emission Tests on Series II and Series III Allison T56 Turboprop Engines

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-12-01

    Buioary ■ (13) available to ARL of aromatic content of AVTUR from Australian sources. The US data was obtained from information contained in Sheldon...Library Flight Standards Division Statutory and State Authorities and Industry Australian Atomic Energy Commiasion, Director Australian Airlines...Ampol Petroleum (Vic) Pty Md, Lubricant Sales & Service Mgr Ansett Airlines of Australia, Library Australian Coal Industry Research Labs

  1. Innovation Agents: Vocational Education and Training Skills and Innovation in Australian Industries and Firms. Volume 2

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Toner, Phillip; Marceau, Jane; Hall, Richard; Considine, Gillian

    2004-01-01

    This volume is a companion to "Innovation Agents: VET Skills and Innovation in Australian Industries and Firms. Volume 1". The detailed report of the project is contained in Volume 1 while Volume 2 contains the appendices: (1) Data tables for construction of the composite index of innovation; (2) Case study interview schedule; and (3)…

  2. Australian Film Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Breen, Myles P.

    Although Australia had a vigorous film industry in the silent film era, it was stifled in the 1930s when United States and British interests bought up the Australian distribution channels and closed down the indigenous industry. However, the industry and film study have undergone a renaissance since the advent of the Labor government in 1972,…

  3. Rare earth elements in fly ashes created during the coal burning process in certain coal-fired power plants operating in Poland - Upper Silesian Industrial Region.

    PubMed

    Smolka-Danielowska, Danuta

    2010-11-01

    The subject of the study covered volatile ashes created during hard coal burning process in ash furnaces, in power plants operating in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, Southern Poland. Coal-fired power plants are furnished with dust extracting devices, electro precipitators, with 99-99.6% combustion gas extracting efficiency. Activity concentrations ofTh-232, Ra-226, K-40, Ac-228, U-235 and U-238 were measured with gamma-ray spectrometer. Concentrations of selected rare soil elements (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Y, Gd, Th, U) were analysed by means of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Mineral phases of individual ash particles were identified with the use of scanning electron microscope equipped with EDS attachment. Laser granulometric analyses were executed with the use of Analyssette analyser. The activity of the investigated fly-ash samples is several times higher than that of the bituminous coal samples; in the coal, the activities are: 226Ra - 85.4 Bq kg(-1), 40 K-689 Bq kg(-1), 232Th - 100.8 Bq kg(-1), 235U-13.5 Bq kg(-1), 238U-50 Bq kg(-1) and 228Ac - 82.4 Bq kg(-1).

  4. Study of application of ERTS-A imagery to fracture-related mine safety hazards in the coal mining industry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wier, C. E.; Wobber, F. J. (Principal Investigator); Russell, O. R.; Amato, R. V.; Leshendok, T. V.

    1974-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. The mine refuse inventory maps were prepared in response to a need by both the State and the coal industry. The lack of information on the scope of the problem handicapped all people concerned in drafting realistic legislation for a severance tax on coal production to raise funds for restoration of refuse sites. The inventory was conducted rapidly and economically, and demonstrated the benefits which can be derived through remote sensing methods.

  5. Coal Extraction - Environmental Prediction

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cecil, C. Blaine; Tewalt, Susan J.

    2002-01-01

    Coal from the Appalachian region has supplied energy to the Nation for more than 200 years. Appalachian coal fueled America through a civil war and helped win two world wars. Appalachian coal has also provided fuel for keeping America warm in the winter and cool in the summer and has served as the basis for the steel, automobile, organic chemicals, chlorine, and aluminum industries. These benefits have not come without environmental costs, however. Coal extraction and utilization have had significant environmental impacts.

  6. Feasible Recycling of Industrial Waste Coal Gangue for Preparation of Mullite Based Ceramic Proppant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Guomin; Ma, Haiqiang; Tian, Yuming; Wang, Kaiyue; Zhou, Yi; Wu, Yaqiao; Zou, Xinwei; Hao, Jianying; Bai, Pinbo

    2017-09-01

    Industrial waste coal gangue was successfully utilized to prepare the mullite-based ceramic proppants. The experiments involved the pelletizing technology of proppant through intensive mixer and following the sintering process under different temperatures. The crystalline phase, microstructure, density and breakage ratio of the proppants were investigated. The results showed that with the increasing of sintering temperature, the crystalline phases were transformed to rod-like mullite, which formed the cross-linked structure, improving the densification of proppants. Consequently, the breakage ratio under the closure pressure of 35 MPa exhibited declining trend and reached the minimum value of 6.8% at 1450 °C. Owing to the easy preparation, feasible design, low cost and moderate breakage ratio, the mullite-based ceramic proppant prepared by coal gangue and bauxite is promising candidate for fracturing proppants in future applications.

  7. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in atmospheric PM2.5 and PM10 at a coal-based industrial city: Implication for PAH control at industrial agglomeration regions, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Di; Wang, Zongshuang; Chen, Jianhua; Kong, Shaofei; Fu, Xiao; Deng, Hongbing; Shao, Guofan; Wu, Gang

    2014-11-01

    Eighteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 and PM10 are identified and quantified at five sites of E'erduosi in 2005 by GC-MS. Total PAH concentrations in PM2.5 and PM10 are in the ranges of 0.58-145.01 ng m- 3 and 5.80-180.32 ng m- 3 for the five sites, decreasing as coal-chemical base site (ZGE) > heavy industrial site (QPJ) > residential site with heavy traffic (DS) > suburban site surrounded by grassland (HJQ) > background site (QGN) for both PM2.5 and PM10. PAH concentrations in the coal-chemical base site are 250 and 31.1 times of those in the background site. Flu, Pyr, Chr, BbF, BeP, IND and BghiP are abundant for the coal-chemical base site, totally accounting for 75% of the PAH concentrations. 4, 5 and 6 rings PAHs are dominant, accounting for 88.9-94.2% and 90.5-94.1% of PAHs in PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. Combustion-derived PAH concentrations cover 42%-84% and 75%-82% of PAHs in PM2.5 and PM10, indicating large amounts of combustion sources existed for them in E'erduosi. PAH compositions between PM2.5 and PM10 are quite different from each other for sites with few human activities (HJQ and QGN) by coefficient of divergence analysis. Results obtained from principal component analysis and diagnostic ratios indicate that coal combustion, vehicle emission, wood combustion and industrial processes are the main sources for PAHs in E'erduosi. According to BaP equivalent concentration, the potential health risk of PAHs in PM2.5 at the two industrial sites ZGE and QPJ are 537 and 460 times of those for the background site. And they are 4.3 and 3.7 times of those for the residential site. The potential PAH pollution in particles at other industrial agglomeration regions that occurred in China in recent years should be paid attention by the local government.

  8. Coal supply for California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yancik, J. J.

    1978-01-01

    The potential sources and qualities of coals available for major utility and industrial consumers in California are examined and analyzed with respect to those factors that would affect the reliability of supplies. Other considerations, such as the requirements and assurances needed by the coal producers to enter into long-term contracts and dedicate large reserves of coal to these contracts are also discussed. Present and potential future mining contraints on coal mine operators are identified and analyzed with respect to their effect on availability of supply.

  9. Phyto-bioconversion of hard coal in the Cynodon dactylon/coal rhizosphere.

    PubMed

    Igbinigie, Eric E; Mutambanengwe, Cecil C Z; Rose, Peter D

    2010-03-01

    Fundamental processes involved in the microbial degradation of coal and its derivatives have been well documented. A mutualistic interaction between plant roots and certain microorganisms to aid growth of plants such as Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) on hard coal dumps has recently been suggested. In the present study coal bioconversion activity of nonmycorrhizal fungi was investigated in the C. dactylon/coal rhizosphere. Fungal growth on 2% Duff-agar, gutation formation on nitric acid treated coal and submerged culture activity in nitrogen-rich and -deficient broth formed part of the screening and selection of the fungi. The selected fungal isolates were confirmed to be found in pristine C. dactylon/coal rhizosphere. To simulate bioconversion, a fungal aliquot of this rhizosphere was used as inoculum for a Perfusate fixed bed bioreactor, packed with coal. The results demonstrate an enhanced coal bioconversion facilitated by low molecular weight organics and the bioconversion of coal may be initiated by an introduction of nitrogen moieties to the coal substrate. These findings suggest a phyto-bioconversion of hard coal involving plant and microbes occurring in the rhizosphere to promote the growth of C. dactylon. An understanding of this relationship can serve as a benchmark for coal dumps rehabilitation as well as for the industrial scale bioprocessing of hard coal.

  10. Managing produced water from coal seam gas projects: implications for an emerging industry in Australia.

    PubMed

    Davies, Peter J; Gore, Damian B; Khan, Stuart J

    2015-07-01

    This paper reviews the environmental problems, impacts and risks associated with the generation and disposal of produced water by the emerging coal seam gas (CSG) industry and how it may be relevant to Australia and similar physical settings. With only limited independent research on the potential environmental impacts of produced water, is it necessary for industry and government policy makers and regulators to draw upon the experiences of related endeavours such as mining and groundwater extraction accepting that the conclusions may not always be directly transferrable. CSG is widely touted in Australia as having the potential to provide significant economic and energy security benefits, yet the environmental and health policies and the planning and regulatory setting are yet to mature and are continuing to evolve amidst ongoing social and environmental concerns and political indecision. In this review, produced water has been defined as water that is brought to the land surface during the process of recovering methane gas from coal seams and includes water sourced from CSG wells as well as flowback water associated with drilling, hydraulic fracturing and gas extraction. A brief overview of produced water generation, its characteristics and environmental issues is provided. A review of past lessons and identification of potential risks, including disposal options, is included to assist in planning and management of this industry.

  11. Degradation of fluorescent high-visibility colors used in safety garments for the Australian railway industry.

    PubMed

    Vijayan, Arun; Islam, Saniyat; Jones, Michael; Padhye, Rajiv; Arnold, Lyndon

    2016-02-01

    This study investigated the compliance of four fluorescent orange high-visibility garment substrates that are predominantly used in the Australian railway industry. While Special Purpose Orange (SPO), a shade of the Fluorescent orange (Fl-orange) is recommended by most Australian states as the high-visibility background color of a safety garment, there appear to be variations in the background color of clothing used by line-workers and rail contractors. The color of the garment was assessed for compliance with the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1906.2.2010 for high-visibility materials for safety garments. The results were also compared with ANSI Z535.2011 and BS EN ISO 20471.2013 Standards. Photometric and colorimetric assessments of the background color of the garment substrates were performed using a spectrophotometer and were evaluated for compliance with the Standards after washing and exposure to UV. The spectrophotometry measurements showed that Fl-orange background color for all samples except one complied with the AS/NZS 1906.2 Standard for daytime high-visibility garments after 20 washes but failed to comply after exposure to UV. It was also found that the chromaticity coordinates of the corners of the Fl-orange color space, specified in the AS/NZS 1906.4.2010 Standard are much wider and yellower when compared with the ANSI Z535.1.2011 and BS EN ISO 20471.2013 Standards. The sample that failed to comply with the Australian and American Standards however complied with the ISO Standard. Irrespective of the Standard used, the research has shown the degrading effect of washing and light exposure and raises the questions as to how regularly, and under what conditions high-visibility garments need to be replaced. These findings will provide information for safety garment manufacturers about the characteristics and performance of high-visibility safety garments which make them conspicuous during daytime use. This research recommends that colors for railway workers

  12. Improving Competitiveness of U.S. Coal Dialogue

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kokkinos, Angelos

    The Improving Competitiveness of U.S. Coal Dialogue held in September 2017 explored a broad range of technical developments that have the potential to improve U.S. coal competitiveness in domestic and overseas markets. The workshop is one in a series of events hosted by DOE to gather expert input on challenges and opportunities for reviving the coal economy. This event brought together coal industry experts to review developments in a broad range of technical areas such as conventional physical (e.g. dense-medium) technologies, and dry coal treatments; thermal, chemical, and bio-oxidation coal upgrading technologies; coal blending; and applications for ultrafine coal andmore » waste streams. The workshop was organized to focus on three main discussion topics: Challenges and Opportunities for Improving U.S. Coal Competitiveness in Overseas Markets, Mineral Processing, and Technologies to Expand the Market Reach of Coal Products. In each session, invited experts delivered presentations to help frame the subsequent group discussion. Throughout the discussions, participants described many possible areas of research and development (R&D) in which DOE involvement could help to produce significant outcomes. In addition, participants discussed a number of open questions—those that the industry has raised or investigated but not yet resolved. In discussing the three topics, the participants suggested potential areas of research and issues for further investigation. As summarized in Table ES-1, these crosscutting suggestions centered on combustion technologies, coal quality, coal processing, environmental issues, and other issues. The discussions at this workshop will serve as an input that DOE considers in developing initiatives that can be pursued by government and industry. This workshop generated strategies that described core research concepts, identified implementation steps, estimated benefits, clarified roles of government and industry, and outlined next steps

  13. Coal-fired power generaion, new air quality regulations, and future U.S. coal production

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Attanasi, E.D.; Root, D.H.

    1999-01-01

    Tighter new regulation of stack gas emissions and competition in power generation are driving electrical utilities to demand cleaner, lower sulfur coal. Historical data on sulfur content of produced coals shows little variability in coal quality for individual mines and individual coal-producing counties over relatively long periods of time. If coal-using power generators follow the compliance patterns established in Phase I of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, then the industry's response to the tighter Phase II emissions standards will result in large amounts of coal production shifting from higher sulfur areas to areas with lower cost low sulfur coal. One reason this shift will likely occur is that currently only 30% of U.S. coal-fired electrical generating capacity is equipped with flue-gas scrubbers. In 1995, coal mines in the higher sulfur areas of the Illinois Basin and Northern and Central Appalachia employed 78% of all coal miners (>70,000 miners). A substantial geographical redistribution of the nation's coal supplies will likely lead to economic dislocations that will reach beyond local coal-producing areas.

  14. 'Maximising shareholder value': a detailed insight into the corporate political activity of the Australian food industry.

    PubMed

    Mialon, Melissa; Swinburn, Boyd; Allender, Steven; Sacks, Gary

    2017-04-01

    To gain deeper insight into the corporate political activity (CPA) of the Australian food industry from a public health perspective. Fifteen interviews with a purposive sample of current and former policy makers, public health advocates and academics who have closely interacted with food industry representatives or observed food industry behaviours. All participants reported having directly experienced the CPA of the food industry during their careers, with the 'information and messaging' and 'constituency building' strategies most prominent. Participants expressed concern that food industry CPA strategies resulted in weakened policy responses to addressing diet-related disease. This study provides direct evidence of food industry practices that have the potential to shape public health-related policies and programs in Australia in ways that favour business interests at the expense of population health. Implications for public health: This evidence can inform policy makers and public health advocates and be used to adopt measures to ensure that public interests are put at the forefront as part of the policy development and implementation process. © 2017 The Authors.

  15. New cleaning technologies advance coal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Onursal, B.

    1984-05-01

    Alternative options are discussed for reducing sulfur dioxide emissions from coal burning utility and industrial sources. Test results indicate that it may be most advantageous to use the AED Process after coal preparation or on coals that do not need much ash removal. However, the developer claims that research efforts after 1981 have led to process improvements for producing clean coals containing 1.5% to 3% ash. This paper describes the test facility where a full-scale test of the AED Process is underway.

  16. Influence of Geological Structure on Coal and Gas Outburst Occurrences in Turkish Underground Coal Mines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Esen, Olgun; Özer, Samet Can; Fişne, Abdullah

    2015-04-01

    Coal and gas outbursts are sudden and violent releases of gas and in company with coal that result from a complex function of geology, stress regime with gas pressure and gas content of the coal seam. The phenomena is referred to as instantaneous outbursts and have occurred in virtually all the major coal producing countries and have been the cause of major disasters in the world mining industry. All structures from faults to joints and cleats may supply gas or lead to it draining away. Most geological structures influence the way in which gas can drain within coal seams. From among all the geological factors two groups can be distinguished: parameters characterising directly the occurrence and geometry of the coal seams; parameters characterising the tectonic disturbances of the coal seams and neighbouring rocks. Also dykes may act as gas barriers. When the production of the coal seam is advanced in mine working areas, these barriers are failed mostly in the weak and mylonitized zones. Geology also plays a very important role in the outburst process. Coal seams of complex geological structure including faults, folds, and fractured rocks are liable to outbursts if coal seams and neighbouring rocks have high gas content level. The purpose of the study is to enlighten the coal industry in Turkey to improving mine safety in underground coal production and decrease of coal and gas outburst events due to increasing depth of mining process. In Turkey; the years between 1969 and 2013, the number of 90 coal and gas outbursts took place in Zonguldak Hard Coal Basin in both Kozlu and Karadon Collieries. In this study the liability to coal and gas outburst of the coal seams are investigated by measuring the strength of coal and the rock pressure. The correlation between these measurements and the event locations shows that the geological structures resulted in 52 events out of 90 events; 19 events close to the fault zones, 25 events thorough the fault zones and 8 events in

  17. The impact of roster changes on absenteeism and incident frequency in an Australian coal mine

    PubMed Central

    Baker, A; Heiler, K; Ferguson, S

    2003-01-01

    Background: The occupational health and safety implications associated with compressed and extended work periods have not been fully explored in the mining sector. Aims: To examine the impact on employee health and safety of changes to the roster system in an Australian coal mine. Methods: Absenteeism and incident frequency rate data were collected over a 33 month period that covered three different roster schedules. Period 1 covered the original 8-hour/7-day roster. Period 2 covered a 12-month period under a 12-hour/7-day schedule, and period 3 covered a 12-month period during which a roster that scheduled shifts only on weekdays, with uncapped overtime on weekends and days off (12-hour/5-day) was in place. Data were collected and analysed from the maintenance, mining, and coal preparation plant (CPP) sectors. Results: The only significant change in absenteeism rates was an increase in the maintenance sector in the third data collection period. Absenteeism rates in the mining and CPP sectors were not different between data collection periods. The increase in the maintenance sector may be owing to: (1) a greater requirement for maintenance employees to perform overtime as a result of the roster change compared to other employee groups; or (2) greater monotony associated with extended work periods for maintenance employees compared to others. After the first roster change, accident incident frequency decreased in the CPP sector but not in the other sectors. There was no effect on incident frequency after the second roster change in any sector. Conclusions: The current study did not find significant negative effects of a 12-hour pattern, when compared to an 8-hour system. However, when unregulated and excessive overtime was introduced as part of the 12-hour/5-day roster, absenteeism rates were increased in the maintenance sector. The combination of excessive work hours and lack of consultation with employees regarding the second change may have contributed to the

  18. Some Hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from the Great Australian Bight in the collection of the South Australian Museum.

    PubMed

    Watson, Jeanette E

    2018-04-16

    This report adds to knowledge of the shelf hydroid fauna of the Great Australian Bight. Hydroids were collected by the South Australian Museum and Department of Primary Industries of South Australia (PIRSA). Well known species are annotated, poorly known species are redescribed and four new species are described.

  19. A New Use for High-Sulfur Coal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lawson, D. D.; England, C.

    1982-01-01

    New process recovers some of economic value of high-sulfur coal. Although high-sulfur content is undesirable in most coal-utilization schemes (such as simple burning), proposed process prefers high-sulfur coal to produce electrical power or hydrogen. Potential exists for widespread application in energy industry.

  20. Surfactant-Assisted Coal Liquefaction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hickey, Gregory S.; Sharma, Pramod K.

    1993-01-01

    Obtaining liquid fuels from coal which are economically competitive with those obtained from petroleum based sources is a significant challenge for the researcher as well as the chemical industry. Presently, the economics of coal liquefaction are not favorable because of relatively intense processing conditions (temperatures of 430 degrees C and pressures of 2200 psig), use of a costly catalyst, and a low quality product slate of relatively high boiling fractions. The economics could be made more favorable by achieving adequate coal conversions at less intense processing conditions and improving the product slate. A study has been carried out to examine the effect of a surfactant in reducing particle agglomeration and improving hydrodynamics in the coal liquefaction reactor to increase coal conversions...

  1. Coal industry in America. A bibliography and guide to studies. [2827 references with brief abstracts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Munn, R.F.

    1977-01-01

    It is clearly desirable that research on the coal industry and the problems associated with it be carried on as efficiently and intelligently as possible. Unfortunately, the scattered nature of the literature militates against this. Even the most conscientious scholar finds it increasingly difficult to keep abreast of the literature in his own field. It is generally quite impossible for him to follow that of other disciplines. Thus it is idle to expect the sociologist to scan medical journals or the economist to master the literature of psychology. And yet, it seems clear that fruitful study of many of themore » problems associated with the coal industry must utilize a multi-disciplinary approach. The chief purpose of this guide is to aid in such multi-disciplinary research. The principal emphasis has been placed on the social sciences. The enormous body of literature in the science and technology of mining is outside the scope of this work. Titles dealing with technology and geology are included only if they contain a significant amount of material of potential interest to the historian or social scientist. Every effort has been made to include titles of real significance and works whose bibliographies will serve as a guide to those interested in a specific area or problem.« less

  2. Employee Participation: Some Australian Cases.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lansbury, Russell D.; Davis, Edward M.

    1992-01-01

    The Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey of 2,353 companies showed sporadic employee participation in decision making. Although case studies of Ford Motor, Australia Post, Lend Lease, Telecom Australia, and Woodlawn Mining illustrate successful programs, most managers appear cautious about industrial democracy. (SK)

  3. Rosebud SynCoal Partnership, SynCoal{reg_sign} demonstration technology update

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sheldon, R.W.

    1997-12-31

    An Advanced Coal Conversion Process (ACCP) technology being demonstrated in eastern Montana (USA) at the heart of one of the world`s largest coal deposits is providing evidence that the molecular structure of low-rank coals can be altered successfully to produce a unique product for a variety of utility and industrial applications. The product is called SynCoal{reg_sign} and the process has been developed by the Rosebud SynCoal Partnership (RSCP) through the US Department of Energy`s multi-million dollar Clean Coal Technology Program. The ACCP demonstration process uses low-pressure, superheated gases to process coal in vibrating fluidized beds. Two vibratory fluidized processing stagesmore » are used to heat and convert the coal. This is followed by a water spray quench and a vibratory fluidized stage to cool the coal. Pneumatic separators remove the solid impurities from the dried coal. There are three major steps to the SynCoal{reg_sign} process: (1) thermal treatment of the coal in an inert atmosphere, (2) inert gas cooling of the hot coal, and (3) removal of ash minerals. When operated continuously, the demonstration plant produces over 1,000 tons per day (up to 300,000 tons per year) of SynCoal{reg_sign} with a 2% moisture content, approximately 11,800b Btu/lb and less than 1.0 pound of SO{sub 2} per million Btu. This product is obtained from Rosebud Mine sub-bituminous coal which starts with 25% moisture, 8,600 Btu/lb and approximately 1.6 pounds of SO{sub 2} per million Btu.« less

  4. Interrelating the breakage and composition of mined and drill core coal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, Terril Edward

    Particle size distribution of coal is important if the coal is to be beneficiated, or if a coal sales contract includes particle size specifications. An exploration bore core sample of coal ought to be reduced from its original cylindrical form to a particle size distribution and particle composition that reflects, insofar as possible, a process stream of raw coal it represents. Often, coal cores are reduced with a laboratory crushing machine, the product of which does not match the raw coal size distribution. This study proceeds from work in coal bore core reduction by Australian investigators. In this study, as differentiated from the Australian work, drop-shatter impact breakage followed by dry batch tumbling in steel cylinder rotated about its transverse axis are employed to characterize the core material in terms of first-order and zeroth-order breakage rate constants, which are indices of the propensity of the coal to degrade during excavation and handling. Initial drop-shatter and dry tumbling calibrations were done with synthetic cores composed of controlled low-strength concrete incorporating fly ash (as a partial substitute for Portland cement) in order to reduce material variables and conserve difficult-to-obtain coal cores. Cores of three different coalbeds--Illinois No. 6, Upper Freeport, and Pocahontas No. 5 were subjected to drop-shatter and dry batch tumbling tests to determine breakage response. First-order breakage, characterized by a first-order breakage index for each coal, occurred in the drop-shatter tests. First- and zeroth-order breakage occurred in dry batch tumbling; disappearance of coarse particles and creation of fine particles occurred in a systematic way that could be represented mathematically. Certain of the coal cores available for testing were dry and friable. Comparison of coal preparation plant feed with a crushed bore core and a bore core prepared by drop-shatter and tumbling (all from the same Illinois No.6 coal mining

  5. "A deep fragrance of academia": the Australian Tobacco Research Foundation.

    PubMed

    Chapman, S; Carter, S M; Peters, M

    2003-12-01

    (1) To review the history of the tobacco industry supported Australian Tobacco Research Foundation (ATRF)(1970-1994) for evidence of the industry's use of the Foundation to further its objectives that "more research was needed" on smoking and health and to promulgate the view that nicotine was not addictive. (2) To review efforts by public health advocates to discredit the ATRF as a public relations tool used by the Australian industry. Systematic search of previously internal industry documents released through the US Master Settlement Agreement. The ATRF was headed by prestigious Australian medical scientists, with at least one considered by the industry to be "industry positive". An international ATRF symposium on nicotine was vetted by the industry and heavily attended by industry approved scientists. Following sustained criticism from the health and medical community about the industry's creation of the ATRF to further its objectives, the ATRF's scientific committee was provoked to publicly declare in 1988 that smoking was a causative agent in disease. This criticism led to growing ATRF boycotts by scientists and substandard applications, causing the industry to see the ATRF as being poor value-for-money and eventually abandoning it. The raison d'etre for the ATRF's establishment was to allow the Australian industry to point to its continuing commitment to independent medical research, with the implied corollary that tobacco control measures were premature in the face of insufficient evidence about tobacco's harms. Sustained criticism of tobacco industry funded research schemes can undermine their credibility among the scientific community.

  6. "A deep fragrance of academia": the Australian Tobacco Research Foundation

    PubMed Central

    Chapman, S; Carter, S; Peters, M

    2003-01-01

    Objectives: (1) To review the history of the tobacco industry supported Australian Tobacco Research Foundation (ATRF)(1970–1994) for evidence of the industry's use of the Foundation to further its objectives that "more research was needed" on smoking and health and to promulgate the view that nicotine was not addictive. (2) To review efforts by public health advocates to discredit the ATRF as a public relations tool used by the Australian industry. Methods: Systematic search of previously internal industry documents released through the US Master Settlement Agreement. Results: The ATRF was headed by prestigious Australian medical scientists, with at least one considered by the industry to be "industry positive". An international ATRF symposium on nicotine was vetted by the industry and heavily attended by industry approved scientists. Following sustained criticism from the health and medical community about the industry's creation of the ATRF to further its objectives, the ATRF's scientific committee was provoked to publicly declare in 1988 that smoking was a causative agent in disease. This criticism led to growing ATRF boycotts by scientists and substandard applications, causing the industry to see the ATRF as being poor value-for-money and eventually abandoning it. Conclusions: The raison d'etre for the ATRF's establishment was to allow the Australian industry to point to its continuing commitment to independent medical research, with the implied corollary that tobacco control measures were premature in the face of insufficient evidence about tobacco's harms. Sustained criticism of tobacco industry funded research schemes can undermine their credibility among the scientific community. PMID:14645947

  7. Selim v Lele and the civil (industrial) conscription prohibition: constitutional protection against federal legislation controlling or privatising Australian public hospitals.

    PubMed

    Faunce, Thomas

    2008-08-01

    Selim v Lele (2008) 167 FCR 61; [2008] FCAFC 13 was a decision of the Federal Court which interpreted s 51(xxiiiA) of the Australian Constitution. This section accords the federal government, among other things, power to make laws with respect to the provision of "medical and dental services (but not so as to authorise any form of civil conscription)". The Federal Court decided that the phrase "civil conscription" was analogous to "industrial conscription". In that sense the Federal Court held that the prohibition was designed to preserve the employment autonomy of Australian medical practitioners or dentists, preventing federal laws that required them, either expressly or by practical compulsion, to work for the federal government or any industrial employer nominated or permitted by the federal government. The specific question in Selim v Lele was whether the imposition of standards and prohibition of "inappropriate practice" under the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth), ss 10, 20, 20A and Pt VAA, amounted to civil conscription. The court held they did not. The Federal Court also discussed in that context the sufficiency of "practical compulsion" in relation to the s 51(xxxiiiA) prohibition, The constitutional prohibition on "any form" of civil conscription provides one of the few rights protections in the Australian Constitution and may have an important role to play in shaping the limits of health care system privatisation in Australia.

  8. Dry cleaning of Turkish coal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cicek, T.

    2008-07-01

    This study dealt with the upgrading of two different type of Turkish coal by a dry cleaning method using a modified air table. The industrial size air table used in this study is a device for removing stones from agricultural products. This study investigates the technical and economical feasibility of the dry cleaning method which has never been applied before on coals in Turkey. The application of a dry cleaning method on Turkish coals designated for power generation without generating environmental pollution and ensuring a stable coal quality are the main objectives of this study. The size fractions of 5-8,more » 3-5, and 1-3 mm of the investigated coals were used in the upgrading experiments. Satisfactory results were achieved with coal from the Soma region, whereas the upgrading results of Hsamlar coal were objectionable for the coarser size fractions. However, acceptable results were obtained for the size fraction 1-3 mm of Hsamlar coal.« less

  9. Underground Coal Preparation System and Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Cao; DeYong, Shang; BaoNing, Zhang

    2018-03-01

    The underground coal preparation is a cutting-edge technology of the coal industry worldwide. This paper introduced the meaning of implementing the underground coal preparation, and the practical applications of underground mechanical moving screen jig, underground heavy medium shallow slot and underground air jigger. Through analyzing the main separation equipment and the advantages and disadvantages of three primary processes from aspects of process complexity, slime water treatment, raw coal preparation, etc., the difference among technology investment, construction scale, production cost and economic benefit is concluded.

  10. Studies of angiospermous woods in Australian brown coal by nuclear magnetic resonance and analytical pyrolysis: new insight into early coalification

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hatcher, P.G.; Wilson, M.A.; Vassalo, M.; Lerch, H. E.

    1990-01-01

    Many Tertiary coals contain abundant fossilized remains of angiosperms that often dominated some ancient peat-swamp environments; modern analogs of which can be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Comparisons of angiospermous woods from Australian brown coal with similar woods buried in modern peat swamps of Indonesia have provided some new insights into coalification reactions. These comparisons were made by using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-gc-ms), two modern techniques especially suited for detailed structural evaluation of the complex macromolecules in coal. From these studies, we conclude that the earliest transformation (peatification) of organic matter in angiospermous wood is the degradation of cellulosic components. The efficiency of removal of cellulosic components in the wood varies considerably in peat, which results in variable levels of cellulose in peatified wood. However, the net trend is towards eventual removal of the cellulose. The angiospermous lignin that becomes enriched in wood as a result of cellulose degradation also is modified by coalifications reactions; this modification, however, does not involve degradation and removal. Rather, the early coalification process transforms the lignin phenols (guaiacyl and syringyl) to eventually yield the aromatic structures typically found in brown coal. One such transformation, which is determined from the NMR data, involves the cleavage of aryl ether bonds that link guaiacyl and syringyl units in lignin and leads to the formation of free lignin phenols. Another transformation, which is also determined from the NMR data, involves the loss of methoxyl groups, probably via demethylation, to produce catechol-like structures. Coincident with ether-cleavage and demethylation, the aromatic rings derived from lignin phenols become more carbon-substituted and cross-linked, as determined by dipolar

  11. National Coal Quality Inventory (NACQI)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Robert Finkelman

    2005-09-30

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted the National Coal Quality Inventory (NaCQI) between 1999 and 2005 to address a need for quality information on coals that will be mined during the next 20-30 years. Collaboration between the USGS, State geological surveys, universities, coal burning utilities, and the coal mining industry plus funding support from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) permitted collection and submittal of coal samples for analysis. The chemical data (proximate and ultimate analyses; major, minor and trace element concentrations) for 729 samples of raw or prepared coal, coal associated shale,more » and coal combustion products (fly ash, hopper ash, bottom ash and gypsum) from nine coal producing States are included. In addition, the project identified a new coal reference analytical standard, to be designated CWE-1 (West Elk Mine, Gunnison County, Colorado) that is a high-volatile-B or high-volatile-A bituminous coal with low contents of ash yield and sulfur, and very low, but detectable contents of chlorine, mercury and other trace elements.« less

  12. Connect the Spheres with the Coal Cycle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clary, Renee; Wandersee, James

    2010-01-01

    Coal fueled the Industrial Revolution and, as a result, changed the course of human history. However, the geologic history of coal is much, much longer than that which is recorded by humans. In your classroom, the coal cycle can be used to trace the formation of this important economic resource from its plant origins, through its lithification, or…

  13. Water-carbon trade-off in China's coal power industry.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Chao; Anadon, Laura Diaz; Mo, Hongpin; Zhao, Zhongnan; Liu, Zhu

    2014-10-07

    The energy sector is increasingly facing water scarcity constraints in many regions around the globe, especially in China, where the unprecedented large-scale construction of coal-fired thermal power plants is taking place in its extremely arid northwest regions. As a response to water scarcity, air-cooled coal power plants have experienced dramatic diffusion in China since the middle 2000s. By the end of 2012, air-cooled coal-fired thermal power plants in China amounted to 112 GW, making up 14% of China's thermal power generation capacity. But the water conservation benefit of air-cooled units is achieved at the cost of lower thermal efficiency and consequently higher carbon emission intensity. We estimate that in 2012 the deployment of air-cooled units contributed an additional 24.3-31.9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions (equivalent to 0.7-1.0% of the total CO2 emissions by China's electric power sector), while saving 832-942 million m(3) of consumptive water use (about 60% of the total annual water use of Beijing) when compared to a scenario with water-cooled plants. Additional CO2 emissions from air-cooled plants largely offset the CO2 emissions reduction benefits from Chinese policies of retiring small and outdated coal plants. This water-carbon trade-off is poised to become even more significant by 2020, as air-cooled units are expected to grow by a factor of 2-260 GW, accounting for 22% of China's total coal-fired power generation capacity.

  14. Manpower for the coal mining industry: an assessment of adequacy through the year 2000. Volume II. Technical approach. Final technical report. [USA; forecasting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mendis, M.S.; Rosenberg, J.I.; Medville, D.M.

    1980-03-01

    This report presents a summary of the analytical approach taken and the conclusions reached in an assessment of the supply and demand for manpower in the coal mining industry through the year 2000. A hybrid system dynamics/econometric model of the coal mining industry was developed which incorporates relationships between technological change, labor productivity, production costs, wages, graduation rates, and other key variables in estimating imbalances between labor supply and demand. Study results indicate that while the supply of production workers is expected to be sufficient under most future demand scenarios, periodic shortages of experienced workers, especially in the Northern Greatmore » Plains can be expected. Other study findings are that the supply of mining engineers will be sufficient under all but the highest coal demand scenario, a shortage of faculty will affect the supply of mining engineers in the near-term and the employment of mining technicians is expected to exhibit the largest increase in any labor category studied. In this volume the nature of the coal mining manpower problem is discussed, a detailed description of that analysis conducted and the sources of data used is provided, and the findings of the study are presented.« less

  15. Fields of Coal: An analysis of industry and sedimentology in Dolores, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oaden, A.; Besonen, M. R.

    2013-12-01

    characterize the sediments is underway. Basic conclusions indicate the present environment to be minimally affected by the coal operations and resulting tipple pile, but with a large variance over time in mineralogy and composition of sediment, with further research necessary to determine the full effects of industry in the area.

  16. Weak economy and politics worry US coal operators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fiscor, S.

    2009-01-15

    A potential decrease in demand, a new administration, and production constraints have coal operators worried about prospects for 2009. This and other interesting facts are revealed in this 2009 forecast by the journal Coal Age. Results are presented of the survey answered by 69 of the 646 executives contacted, on such questions about expected coal production, coal use, attitude in the coal industry, capital expenditure on types of equipment and productive capacity. Coal Age forecasts a 2.3% decline in coal production in 2009, down to 1.145 billion tons from 1.172 billion tons. 8 figs.

  17. Coal-water slurries containing petrochemicals to solve problems of air pollution by coal thermal power stations and boiler plants: An introductory review.

    PubMed

    Dmitrienko, Margarita A; Strizhak, Pavel A

    2018-02-01

    This introductory study presents the analysis of the environmental, economic and energy performance indicators of burning high-potential coal water slurries containing petrochemicals (CWSP) instead of coal, fuel oil, and natural gas at typical thermal power stations (TPS) and a boiler plant. We focus on the most hazardous anthropogenic emissions of coal power industry: sulfur and nitrogen oxides. The research findings show that these emissions may be several times lower if coal and oil processing wastes are mixed with water as compared to the combustion of traditional pulverized coal, even of high grades. The study focuses on wastes, such as filter cakes, oil sludge, waste industrial oils, heavy coal-tar products, resins, etc., that are produced and stored in abundance. Their deep conversion is very rare due to low economic benefit. Effective ways are necessary to recover such industrial wastes. We present the cost assessment of the changes to the heat and power generation technologies that are required from typical power plants for switching from coal, fuel oil and natural gas to CWSPs based on coal and oil processing wastes. The corresponding technological changes pay off after a short time, ranging from several months to several years. The most promising components for CWSP production have been identified, which provide payback within a year. Among these are filter cakes (coal processing wastes), which are produced as a ready-made coal-water slurry fuel (a mixture of flocculants, water, and fine coal dust). These fuels have the least impact on the environment in terms of the emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides as well as fly ash. An important conclusion of the study is that using CWSPs based on filter cakes is worthwhile both as the main fuel for thermal power stations and boiler plants and as starting fuel. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Marketing prospects for Illinois basin coals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McMahan, R.

    1994-12-31

    A perspective is given of markets for Illinois Basin coals within the national context. In recent years, prospects have started to brighten slightly for a series of reasons. First, production trends, transportation issues, marketing and the outlook are discussed. Some of the factors that are going to be important to watch in the future; for instance, the way the acid rain bill actually shakes out in the next couple of years; other environmental restrictions that could end up having a reverse impact on some Illinois Basin coals; and generally, what may happen as a result of the major movements towardmore » deregulation in the utility industry are described. These factors are going to have a significant impact on the coal industry altogether.« less

  19. PTBA Coal Briquette Development Project: A status report, March 1995

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Purba, A.C.; Supriyanto, H.; Djamal, T.S.

    1995-12-31

    Indonesia has a vast coal reserved amounted around 36 Billion Tons (As May 1993), of which more than 98% located in two big islands: Sumatera & Kalimantan. Indonesian Energy Policy, set up in 1976 were shifting the National Energy Mix to encourage the use of other alternative energy for fulfilling the domestic energy demand. Coal, as it was available in enormous reserve become the most suitable alternative fuel. Indonesian coal mining industry was then gaining a big momentum for its resurrection since it was for long had been overlooked. As the result of reconstruction of old mines, expanding the currentmore » mines and the opening of new mines by foreign investor (Contractors) in Kalimantan, since 1986, ten years after the set up of New National Energy Policy or 45 years after peak production level in the past, 2 million tons of coal production was regained. Afterward the coal production of Indonesian coal mine industry are increasing in an exponential rate of growth. With more than 29 million tons of coal produced in 1994, Indonesia will continue to play greater role in the world coal export market in the future. It is projected that by the year of 1998, Indonesia will rank the 3rd as the world coal exporter next to Australia and South African with around 14% of world market share. In this paper, author would only like to report the current status of Indonesian Coal Briquette Industry of which PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam (Persero), PTBA, the state owned coal mining company was being appointed to pioneer the establishment of the first coal briquette industry in Indonesia. Process Technology that being compared here in this paper were based on the technical compliance to specification set by government and the techno-economic evaluation. Due to limitations and constrains, all aspects concerning the project will only be discussed in an overview.« less

  20. Coals of Hungary

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Landis, E.R.; Rohrbacher, T.J.; Gluskoter, H.

    1999-07-01

    As part of the activities conducted under the U.S. Hungarian Science and Technology Fund, a total of 39 samples from five coal mines in Hungary were selected for standard coal analyses and major, minor and trace elements analysis. The mine areas sampled were selected to provide a spectrum of coal quality information for comparison with other coal areas in central Europe and worldwide. All of the areas are of major importance in the energy budget of Hungary. The five sample sites contain coal in rocks of Jurassic, Cretaceous, Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene age. The coals, from four underground and onemore » surface mine, range in rank from high volatile bituminous to lignite B. Most of the coal produced from the mines sampled is used to generate electricity. Some of the power plants that utilize the coals also provide heat for domestic and process usage. The standard coal analysis program is based on tests performed in accordance with standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Proximate and ultimate analyses were supplemented by determinations of the heating value, equilibrium moisture, forms of sulfur, free-swelling index, ash fusion temperatures (both reducing and oxidizing), apparent specific gravity and Hardgrove Grindability index. The major, minor and trace element analyses were performed in accordance with standardized procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey. The analytical results will be available in the International Coal Quality Data Base of the USGS. The results of the program provide data for comparison with test data from Europe and information of value to potential investors or cooperators in the coal industry of Hungary and Central Europe.« less

  1. Remobilisation of industrial lead depositions in ash during Australian wildfires.

    PubMed

    Wu, Liqin; Taylor, Mark Patrick; Handley, Heather K

    2017-12-01

    This study examined the recycling of lead (Pb) in ash from wildfires, its source and potential contribution to environmental contamination. Ash from wildfires was collected from four Australian sites following uncontrolled fires during 2012 to 2013 close to major urban populations in Sydney (New South Wales), Hobart (Tasmania) and Adelaide (South Australia). The samples were analysed for their total Pb concentration and Pb isotopic composition to determine the sources of Pb and the extent, if any, of industrial contamination and its recycling into the ecosystem. Median ash concentrations (23mg/kg) released from a wildfire close to Australia's largest city, Sydney, exceeded the median ash Pb concentrations from wildfires from the less populated locations of Hobart, Adelaide and NSW Central Coast. Lead isotopic compositions of Duffys Forest wildfire ash demonstrate that anthropogenic inputs from legacy leaded petrol depositions were the predominant source of contamination. Despite the cessation of leaded petrol use in Australia in 2002, historic petrol Pb deposits continue to be a substantial source of contamination in ash: petrol Pb contributed 35% of the Pb in the Woy Woy ash, 73% in Duffys Forest ash, 39% in Forcett ash and 5% in Cherryville ash. The remobilisation of legacy industrial Pb depositions by wildfires in ash results in it being a persistent and problematic contaminant in contemporary environmental systems because of its known toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. National Coal Quality Inventory (NaCQI) and U.S. Geological Survey Coal Quality Databases

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    1999-01-01

    Coal will remain a very significant part of U.S. energy needs (fig.l), even though there will continue to be concern about environmental impacts associated with its use. Currently, about 88 percent of U.S. coal production is used by electric utilities. The remaining 12 percent is either exported or used domestically for other industrial applications, such as coke for steel production.

  3. Unexpected Dominance of Elusive Acidobacteria in Early Industrial Soft Coal Slags

    PubMed Central

    Wegner, Carl-Eric; Liesack, Werner

    2017-01-01

    Acid mine drainage (AMD) and mine tailing environments are well-characterized ecosystems known to be dominated by organisms involved in iron- and sulfur-cycling. Here we examined the microbiology of industrial soft coal slags that originate from alum leaching, an ecosystem distantly related to AMD environments. Our study involved geochemical analyses, bacterial community profiling, and shotgun metagenomics. The slags still contained high amounts of alum constituents (aluminum, sulfur), which mediated direct and indirect effects on bacterial community structure. Bacterial groups typically found in AMD systems and mine tailings were not present. Instead, the soft coal slags were dominated by uncharacterized groups of Acidobacteria (DA052 [subdivision 2], KF-JG30-18 [subdivision 13]), Actinobacteria (TM214), Alphaproteobacteria (DA111), and Chloroflexi (JG37-AG-4), which have previously been detected primarily in peatlands and uranium waste piles. Shotgun metagenomics allowed us to reconstruct 13 high-quality Acidobacteria draft genomes, of which two genomes could be directly linked to dominating groups (DA052, KF-JG30-18) by recovered 16S rRNA gene sequences. Comparative genomics revealed broad carbon utilization capabilities for these two groups of elusive Acidobacteria, including polysaccharide breakdown (cellulose, xylan) and the competence to metabolize C1 compounds (ribulose monophosphate pathway) and lignin derivatives (dye-decolorizing peroxidases). Equipped with a broad range of efflux systems for metal cations and xenobiotics, DA052 and KF-JG30-18 may have a competitive advantage over other bacterial groups in this unique habitat. PMID:28642744

  4. The World Coal Quality Inventory: A status report

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tewalt, S.J.; Willett, J.C.; Finkelman, R.B.

    2005-01-01

    National and international policy makers and industry require accurate information on coal, including coal quality data, to make informed decisions regarding international import needs and export opportunities, foreign policy, technology transfer policies, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues. Unfortunately, the information needed is generally proprietary and does not exist in the public domain. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in conjunction with partners in about 60 countries, is developing a digital compilation of worldwide coal quality. The World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI) will contain coal quality information for samples obtained from major coal beds in countries having significant coal production, as well as from many countries producing smaller volumes of coal, with an emphasis on coals currently being burned. The information that will be incorporated includes, but is not limited to, proximate and ultimate analyses; sulfur-form data; major, minor, and trace element analysis; and semi-quantitative analyses of minerals, modes of occurrence, and petrography. The coal quality information will eventually be linked to a Geographic Information System (GIS) that shows the coal basins and sample locations along with geologic, land use, transportation, industrial, and cultural information. The WoCQI will be accessible on the USGS web page and new data added periodically. This multi-national collaboration is developing global coal quality data that contain a broad array of technologic, economic, and environmental parameters, which should help to ensure the efficient and environmentally compatible use of global coal resources in the 21st century.

  5. At the Heart of the Industrial Boom: Australian Snubfin Dolphins in the Capricorn Coast, Queensland, Need Urgent Conservation Action

    PubMed Central

    Cagnazzi, Daniele; Parra, Guido J.; Westley, Shane; Harrison, Peter L.

    2013-01-01

    The recent industrial boom along the Australian coastline has increased concerns about the long term conservation of snubfin dolphins along the Queensland coast. National assessment of the conservation status and management of the Australian snubfin dolphin is currently hindered by the lack of adequate biological and ecological information throughout most of its range. In response to the issue of determining the conservation status of species with broad ranges, the IUCN has provided a framework for assessing the threatened status of regional populations. In this study we assessed the conservation status of a small geographically isolated population of snubfin dolphins living in the Fitzroy River region, Queensland, Australia, against the IUCN criteria for regional populations. A review of all available sightings data and stranding information indicates that this is the southernmost resident population of snubfin dolphins in Australian waters. The Fitzroy River snubfin dolphin population is composed of less than 100 individuals, with a representative range and core area of less than 400 and 300 km2 respectively. The area most often used by snubfin dolphins within the representative range and core area was estimated to be about 292 and 191 km2, respectively. A decrease in representative range, core area and preferred habitat between 14 and 25% is projected to occur if a planned industrial port development were to occur. These results are robust to uncertainty and considering the low level of formal protection and future threats, a classification of this subpopulation under the IUCN Red List as “Endangered” is appropriate. PMID:23437225

  6. At the heart of the industrial boom: Australian snubfin dolphins in the Capricorn Coast, Queensland, need urgent conservation action.

    PubMed

    Cagnazzi, Daniele; Parra, Guido J; Westley, Shane; Harrison, Peter L

    2013-01-01

    The recent industrial boom along the Australian coastline has increased concerns about the long term conservation of snubfin dolphins along the Queensland coast. National assessment of the conservation status and management of the Australian snubfin dolphin is currently hindered by the lack of adequate biological and ecological information throughout most of its range. In response to the issue of determining the conservation status of species with broad ranges, the IUCN has provided a framework for assessing the threatened status of regional populations. In this study we assessed the conservation status of a small geographically isolated population of snubfin dolphins living in the Fitzroy River region, Queensland, Australia, against the IUCN criteria for regional populations. A review of all available sightings data and stranding information indicates that this is the southernmost resident population of snubfin dolphins in Australian waters. The Fitzroy River snubfin dolphin population is composed of less than 100 individuals, with a representative range and core area of less than 400 and 300 km(2) respectively. The area most often used by snubfin dolphins within the representative range and core area was estimated to be about 292 and 191 km(2), respectively. A decrease in representative range, core area and preferred habitat between 14 and 25% is projected to occur if a planned industrial port development were to occur. These results are robust to uncertainty and considering the low level of formal protection and future threats, a classification of this subpopulation under the IUCN Red List as "Endangered" is appropriate.

  7. Evaluation of water resources around Barapukuria coal mine industrial area, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howladar, M. Farhad; Deb, Pulok Kanti; Muzemder, A. T. M. Shahidul Huqe; Ahmed, Mushfique

    2014-09-01

    Water is a very important natural resource which can be utilized in renewable or non-renewable forms but before utilizing, the evaluation of the quality of this resource is crucial for a particular use. However, the problems of water quality are more severe in areas where the mining and mineral processes' industries are present. In mining processes, several classes of wastes are produced which may turn into ultimately the sources of water quality and environmental degradation. In consequences, the evaluations of water quality for livestock, drinking, irrigation purposes and environmental implications have been carried out around the Barapukuria Coal Mining Industry under different methods and techniques such as primarily the field investigation; secondly the laboratory chemical analysis and thirdly justified the suitability of the laboratory analysis with statistical representation and correlation matrix, Schoeller plot, Piper's Trilinear diagram, Expanded Durov diagram, Wilcox diagram, US salinity diagram, Doneen's chart and others. The results of all surface and ground water samples analysis show that the characteristics and concentrations of all the major physical and chemical parameters such as pH, EC, TDS, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fetotal, Cl-, HCO3 -, CO3 2- and SO4 2- are varied from one sample to other but well analogous with the WHO and EQS standard limit for all purposes in the area where the abundance of the major ions is as follows: Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ > Fetotal = HCO3 - > SO4 2- > Cl- > CO3 2-. The graphical exposition of analytical data demonstrates two major hydrochemical facies for example: calcium-bicarbonate (Ca2+- HCO3 -) and magnesium-bicarbonate (Mg2+- HCO3 -) type facies which directly support the shallow recently recharged alkaline water around the industry. The calculated values for the evaluation classification of water based on TDS, Na%, EC, SAR, PI, RSC, MH, and TH replicate good to excellent use of water for livestock, drinking and

  8. "Rule of Thumb Methods No Longer Suffice": Development of British Coal Industry Education and Training 1900-circa 1970 and Lessons for Present-Day Education Policy-Makers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Martyn A.

    2015-01-01

    This paper traces the origins and development of coal mining education and training in Britain from 1900 to the 1970s, by which time the coal industry had substantially declined. It looks at the progress from working-class self-help to national policy in support of education and training. The research makes use of college prospectuses and…

  9. Studies of angiospermous wood in Australian brown coal by nuclear magnetic resonance and analytical pyrolysis: new insights into the early coalification process

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hatcher, P.G.; Wilson, M.A.; Vassallo, A.M.; Lerch, H. E.

    1989-01-01

    Many Tertiary coals contain abundant fossilized remains of angiosperms, which commonly dominated the ancient peat-swamp environments; modern analogs of such swamps can be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Comparisons of angiospermous wood from Australian brown coal with similar wood buried in modern peat swamps of Indonesia have provided some new insights into coalification reactions. These comparisons were made by using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and pyrolsis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-gc-ms). These two modern techniques are especially suited for detailed structural evaluation of the complex macromolecules in coal. The earliest transformation (peatification) of organic matter in angiospermous wood is the degradation and removal of cellulosic components and the concomitant selective preservation of lignin-derived components. The angiospermous lignin that becomes enriched in wood as a result of cellulose degradation also is modified by coalification reactions; this modification, however, does not involve degradation and removal of the lignin. Rather, the early coalification process transforms the lignin phenols (guiacyl and syringyl) to eventually yield the aromatic structures typically found in brown coal. One such transformation, which is determined from NMR data, involves the cleavage of aryl-ether bonds that link guaiacyl and syringyl units in lignin, and this transformation leads to the formation of free lignin phenols. Another transformation, which is also determined from the NMR data, involves the loss of methoxyl groups, probably via demethylation, to produce catechol-like structures. Coincident with ether-cleavage and demethylation, the aromatic rings derived from lignin phenols become more carbon-substituted and cross linked, as determined by dipolar-dephasing NMR studies. This cross linking is probably responsible for preventing the lignin phenols, which are freed from the lignin

  10. Educational and Institutional Flexibility of Australian Educational Software

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shurville, Simon; O'Grady, Thomas; Mayall, Peter

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to provide context for papers in this special issue on Australasian e-learning. The paper aims to examine the background to Australian flexible and transnational education and to evaluate the educational and intuitional flexibility of three typical products of the Australian educational software industry.…

  11. Influencing Safety in Australian Agriculture and Fisheries.

    PubMed

    McBain-Rigg, Kristin E; Franklin, Richard C; King, Jemma C; Lower, Tony

    2017-01-01

    Improving the health and safety of those working in Australian agriculture and fishery industries is a recognized priority area for preventative activities. With Australian agricultural industries being among the nation's most dangerous workplaces, there is a need for action. While there are currently known solutions, their implementation is limited. Influential agents, i.e., people who can influence others, are important for helping engender action to enact solutions into practice. This study examines agents that influence safety behavior either negatively (barriers) or positively (facilitators), in the Australian agriculture and fishery industries. Focus groups were conducted with producers and industry representatives. Thematic analysis identified barriers and facilitators to improve health and safety. These were assessed against the Socioecological Model, which considers the various, and often intersecting, human (intrapersonal, i.e. values and attitudes, peers, familial, and cultural) factors influencing safety behavior. Seven categories of human influences were identified: self, peers, family, intergenerational change, industry agents, government agents, and other. Peers (including direct managers) and family were seen to be direct influencers. Individuals signal to others that safety is valued and important. This is reinforced by experience, skill, attitudes, and behavior. Safety practice knowledge acquisition occurred via the family unit, specific training, industry, or knowledge transfer between industries. Government influence predominately focused on legislation and while the source of this influence is distant, it does influence behavior. There is a need to support comprehensive programs. These should include strengthening relationships via peer-to-peer networking, sharing information about safety initiatives, appropriate legislation, and enhancing leadership of all influencers with regard to safety.

  12. Central Appalachia in advanced capitalism: its coal industry structure and coal operator associations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Walls, D.S.

    1978-01-01

    This study traces the origins of the notion that Appalachia constitutes a unique social-problem region, examines the models of Appalachian problems popularized during the 1960s, proposes an alternative framework for situating the Central Appalachian coalfields, and examines aspects of the coal industry's structure in the Central Appalachian region. The idea of Appalachia as a distinctive social problem region was created between 1890 and 1930 by a social movement affiliated with various Protestant church home mission boards and organizationally focused in the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers and Berea College. The movement stressed an environmental explanation of regional problems. During themore » 1960s, three explanatory models of Appalachian poverty and underdevelopment achieved prominence: the subculture of poverty model, the regional development model, and the internal colonialism model. Each contributed to a regionalized conception of Appalachian problems. Empirical studies show the subculture of poverty model to fail as an explanation of regional underdevelopment. In the absence of a critique of domination and a redistribution of power and wealth, the regional development model serves as a rationalization of existing structures of privilege. The internal colonialism model provides a critique of domination, but not the most appropriate one. This study argues that the above models should not be viewed as mutually exclusive formulations, and that they may be reconstructed to represent different dimensions of social existence.« less

  13. Model-based estimation of adiabatic flame temperature during coal gasification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarigul, Ihsan Mert

    Coal gasification temperature distribution in the gasifier is one of the important issues. High temperature may increase the risk of corrosion of the gasifier wall or it may cause an increase in the amount of volatile compounds. At the same time, gasification temperature is a dominant factor for high conversion of products and completing the reactions during coal gasification in a short time. In the light of this information it can be said that temperature is one of key parameters of coal gasification to enhance the production of high heating value syngas and maximize refractory longevity. This study aims to predict the adiabatic flame temperatures of Australian bituminous coal and Indonesian roto coal in an entrained flow gasifier using different operating conditions with the ChemCAD simulation and design program. To achieve these objectives, two types of gasification parameters were carried out using simulation of a vertical entrained flow reactor: oxygen-to-coal feed ratio by kg/kg and pressure and steam-to-coal feed ratio by kg/kg and pressure. In the first part of study the adiabatic flame temperatures, coal gasification products and other coal characteristics of two types of coals were determined using ChemCAD software. During all simulations, coal feed rate, coal particle size, initial temperature of coal, water and oxygen were kept constant. The relationships between flame temperature, coal gasification products and operating parameters were fundamentally investigated. The second part of this study addresses the modeling of the flame temperature relation to methane production and other input parameters used previous chapter. The scope of this work was to establish a reasonable model in order to estimate flame temperature without any theoretical calculation. Finally, sensitivity analysis was performed after getting some basic correlations between temperature and input variables. According to the results, oxygen-to-coal feed ratio has the most influential

  14. Old Dominion, industrial commonwealth: coal, politics, and economy in Antebellum America

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Adams, S.P.

    2005-05-15

    The political economies of coal in Virginia and Pennsylvania from the late eighteenth century through the Civil War are compared, and the divergent paths these two states took in developing their ample coal reserves during a critical period of American industrialisation are examined. State economic policies played a major role. Virginia's failure to exploit the rich coal fields in the western part of the state can be traced to the legislature's over riding concern to protect and promote the interests of the agrarian, slaveholding elite of eastern Virginia. Pennsylvania's more fractious legislature enthusiastically embraced a policy of economic growth thatmore » resulted in the construction of an extensive transportation network, a statewide geological survey, and support for private investment in its coal fields.« less

  15. Pillar size optimization design of isolated island panel gob-side entry driving in deep inclined coal seam—case study of Pingmei No. 6 coal seam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Shuai; Wang, Xufeng; Fan, Gangwei; Zhang, Dongsheng; Jianbin, Cui

    2018-06-01

    There is a perception that deep roadways are difficult to maintain. To reverse this and to improve the recovery rate of coal resources, gob-side entry driving is widely used in coal mines, especially deep-mining coal mines, in China. Determination of the reasonable pillar size through in situ observation and experimentation plays a vital role for roadway maintenance. Based on the geological conditions of Pingmei No.6 coal seam, a theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and industrial experiments are carried out to calculate the reasonable width of chain pillars, analyze the lateral support stress distribution law near the gob side, investigate the relationship between the coal pillar stress distribution, roadway surrounding rock stress distribution, roadway surrounding rock deformation and the coal pillar width. The results indicate that 5 m wide coal pillars can ensure that the chain pillars are at a lower stress level and the deformation of roadway surrounding rock is in a more reasonable range. Industrial experiments show that when the chain pillar width is 5 m, the deformation of roadway surrounding rock can meet the requirements of working face safe production. The numerical results agreed well with field measurement and observations, and the industrial experiments results further validated the results of the numerical simulation.

  16. Work hours, workload, sleep and fatigue in Australian Rail Industry employees.

    PubMed

    Dorrian, Jillian; Baulk, Stuart D; Dawson, Drew

    2011-01-01

    Research suggests that less than 5 h sleep in the 24 h prior to work and/or more than 16 h of wakefulness can significantly increase the likelihood of fatigue-related impairment and error at work. Studies have also shown exponential safety declines with time on shift, with roughly double the likelihood of accident or injury after 10 h relative to the first 8h. While it is acknowledged that reduced sleep, increased wakefulness and longer work hours produce work-related fatigue, few studies have examined the impact of workload on this relationship. Studies in the rail industry have focused on drivers. This study investigated fatigue in a large sample of Australian Rail Industry Employees. Participants were from four companies (n = 90: 85m, 5f; mean age 40.2 ± 8.6 y). Data was analysed for a total of 713 shifts. Subjects wore wrist actigraphs and completed sleep and work diaries for 14-days. They also completed the Samn-Perelli Fatigue Scale at the beginning and end of shifts, and the NASA-TLX workload scale at least twice during each shift. Average (±SD) sleep length (7.2 ± 2.6h), prior wake at shift end (12.0 ± 4.7h), shift duration (8.0 ± 1.3) and fatigue (4.1 ± 1.3, "a little tired, less than fresh") were within limits generally considered acceptable from a fatigue perspective. However, participants received 5 h or less sleep in the prior 24 h on 13%, were awake for at least 16 h at the end of 16% and worked at least 10 h on 7% of shifts. Subjects reported that they felt "extremely tired, very difficult to concentrate," or "completely exhausted, unable to function effectively" on 13% of shifts. Sleep length (OR = 0.88, p < 0.01), shift duration (OR = 1.18, p < 0.05), night shift (REF = morning shift, OR = 2.12, p < 0.05) and workload ratings (OR = 1.2, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of ratings of extreme tiredness/exhaustion (yes/no). While on average, sleep loss, extended wakefulness, longer work hours and work-related fatigue do not appear

  17. Comprehensive evaluation on low-carbon development of coal enterprise groups.

    PubMed

    Wang, Bang-Jun; Wu, Yan-Fang; Zhao, Jia-Lu

    2017-12-19

    Scientifically evaluating the level of low-carbon development in terms of theoretical and practical significance is extremely important to coal enterprise groups for implementing national energy-related systems. This assessment can assist in building institutional mechanisms that are conducive for the economic development of coal business cycle and energy conservation as well as promoting the healthy development of coal enterprises to realize coal scientific development and resource utilization. First, by adopting systematic analysis method, this study builds low-carbon development evaluation index system for coal enterprise groups. Second, to determine the weight serving as guideline and criteria of the index, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied using integrated linear weighted sum method to evaluate the level of low-carbon development of coal enterprise groups. Evaluation is also performed by coal enterprise groups, and the process comprises field analysis and evaluation. Finally, industrial policies are proposed regarding the development of low-carbon coal conglomerate strategies and measures. This study aims mainly to guide the low-carbon development of coal enterprise groups, solve the problem of coal mining and the destruction of ecological environment, support the conservation of raw materials and various resources, and achieve the sustainable development of the coal industry.

  18. Coal-Powered Electric Generating Unit Efficiency and Reliability Dialogue: Summary Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Taylor, Emmanuel

    Coal continues to play a critical role in powering the Nation’s electricity generation, especially for baseload power plants. With aging coal generation assets facing decreased performance due to the state of the equipment, and with challenges exacerbated by the current market pressures on the coal sector, there are opportunities to advance early-stage technologies that can retrofit or replace equipment components. These changes will eventually result in significant improvements in plant performance once further developed and deployed by industry. Research and development in areas such as materials, fluid dynamics, fuel properties and preparation characteristics, and a new generation of plant controlsmore » can lead to new components and systems that can help improve the efficiency and reliability of coal-fired power plants significantly, allowing these assets to continue to provide baseload power. Coal stockpiles at electricity generation plants are typically large enough to provide 30 to 60 days of power prior to resupply—significantly enhancing the stability and reliability of the U.S. electricity sector. Falling prices for non-dispatchable renewable energy and mounting environmental regulations, among other factors, have stimulated efforts to improve the efficiency of these coal-fired electric generating units (EGUs). In addition, increased reliance on natural gas and non-dispatchable energy sources has spurred efforts to further increase the reliability of coal EGUs. The Coal Powered EGU Efficiency and Reliability Dialogue brought together stakeholders from across the coal EGU industry to discuss methods for improvement. Participants at the event reviewed performance-enhancing innovations in coal EGUs, discussed the potential for data-driven management practices to increase efficiency and reliability, investigated the impacts of regulatory compliance on coal EGU performance, and discussed upcoming challenges for the coal industry. This report documents

  19. Meat inspection in the Australian red-meat industries: past, present and future.

    PubMed

    Webber, Jj; Dobrenov, B; Lloyd, J; Jordan, D

    2012-09-01

    Postmortem inspection of carcases and offal has been a cornerstone of consumer protection in the red-meat industry for over a century. In 2011, there began strong moves to reform the traditional process of meat inspection applied to cattle, sheep and goats in Australia. A major motivation was the widespread acceptance that organoleptic inspection does little to control the most important hazards in meat products - microbial pathogens derived from gut flora. The watershed reforms in international trade provided another incentive by encouraging the application of a risk-based approach to food safety, which allows for the discontinuation of processes that do not enhance public health outcomes. As well, there was a strong imperative to ensure that resources allocated to quality assurance delivered maximum economic benefit for both consumers and processors. This review discusses how the role of meat inspection is likely to evolve into the future under the influence of these forces. It summarises how the current system was derived through repeated modification over time, mainly to satisfy the requirements of trading partners. Major developments are summarised, focusing especially on how the inclusion of particular organoleptic techniques was initially justified and the relevance of these to modern meat production. Overall, analysis of past and present practices suggests that in the future both public health and efficiency will be better served by strategically integrating the most effective elements of traditional organoleptic inspection with information from the preslaughter period and the use of modern technology for rapid and accurate detection of hazards. © 2012 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2012 Australian Veterinary Association.

  20. Removal of cadmium from aqueous solutions using industrial coal fly ash-nZVI.

    PubMed

    Ma, Lixia; Wei, Qi; Chen, Yueqin; Song, Qiuyang; Sun, Conghui; Wang, Zhiqiang; Wu, Guanghong

    2018-02-01

    Batch experiments were conducted to test the effects of various solution properties, such as pH, temperature, initial concentration and anoxic and aerobic atmosphere, on Cd removal by nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) supported on industrial coal fly ash. Cd (II) could be removed by adsorption on fly ash-nZVI in a very short time (5 min) with high removal rates (greater than 99.9%) over a wide range of concentration (5-100 mg l -1 ). Cd (II) was physically adsorbed on the surface of fly ash-nZVI. The preparation of fly ash-nZVI can incorporate the use of waste media, making the overall adsorbent more removal efficient and low cost.

  1. Removal of cadmium from aqueous solutions using industrial coal fly ash-nZVI

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Lixia; Wei, Qi; Chen, Yueqin; Song, Qiuyang; Sun, Conghui; Wang, Zhiqiang

    2018-01-01

    Batch experiments were conducted to test the effects of various solution properties, such as pH, temperature, initial concentration and anoxic and aerobic atmosphere, on Cd removal by nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) supported on industrial coal fly ash. Cd (II) could be removed by adsorption on fly ash-nZVI in a very short time (5 min) with high removal rates (greater than 99.9%) over a wide range of concentration (5–100 mg l−1). Cd (II) was physically adsorbed on the surface of fly ash-nZVI. The preparation of fly ash-nZVI can incorporate the use of waste media, making the overall adsorbent more removal efficient and low cost. PMID:29515830

  2. A prospective study in the Australian petroleum industry. II. Incidence of cancer.

    PubMed Central

    Christie, D; Robinson, K; Gordon, I; Bisby, J

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports incidence of cancer in employees of the Australian petroleum industry from 1981 to 1989. Two surveys by personal interview incorporated more than 15,000 employees, representing 92% of the eligible population. Subjects were included in the analysis after completing five years of service in the industry. At the time of this report the cohort did not include sufficiently large numbers of women for useful analysis; results presented are restricted to the men. On 31 December 1989, 50,254 person-years of observation had accumulated in the men with 152 incident cancers reported. The standardised incidence ratio (SIR) analysis showed overall cancer rates close to those of the national population. Whereas deficits were seen in some cancer sites, notably lung cancer (SIR 0.5, 95% confidence internal (95% CI) 0.3-0.9), incidence rates for some other cancer sites suggested increased risk. An excess of observed over expected cases was present in all subcategories of lymphohaematopoietic cancer except Hodgkin's disease (no cases), and was most apparent in myeloid leukaemia (SIR 4.0, 95% CI 1.6-8.2). The other major site with a raised number of cases observed over expected was melanoma (SIR 1.4, 95% CI 0.8-2.1). PMID:1878307

  3. Bioregional Assessments: Determining the Impacts of Coal Resource Development on Water Resources in Australia through Groundwater, Surface Water and Ecological Modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peeters, L. J.; Post, D. A.; Crosbie, R.; Holland, K.

    2017-12-01

    While extraction of methane from shale gas deposits has been the principal source of the recent expansion of the industry in the United States, in Australia extraction of methane from coal bed methane deposits (termed `coal seam gas' in Australia) has been the focus to date. The two sources of methane share many of the same characteristics including the potential requirement for hydraulic fracturing. However, as coal seam gas deposits generally occur at shallower depths than shale gas, the potential impacts of extraction on surface and groundwater resources may be of even greater concern. The Australian Federal Government commissioned a multi-disciplinary programme of bioregional assessments to improve understanding of the potential impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining activities on water resources and water-dependent assets across six bioregions Australia. A bioregional assessment is a transparent scientific analysis of the ecology, hydrology, geology and hydrogeology of a bioregion with explicit assessment of the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining development on water resources. The first step in the analysis is to establish the most likely scenario for coal development in each region and establish a causal pathway linking coal development to impacts to the social, economic and ecological functioning of water resources. This forms the basis for a sequence of probabilistic geological, hydrogeological, hydrological and ecological models to quantify the probability of potential impacts. This suite of models is developed independent of the proponents and regulators of coal resource developments and so can provide unbiased information to all stakeholders. To demonstrate transparency of the modelling, all inputs, outputs and executables will be available from http://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au. The analysis delineated a zone of potential hydrological change for each region, outside of which impacts

  4. The directory of US coal and technology export resources

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1990-10-01

    The purpose of The Directory remains focused on offering a consolidated resource to potential buyers of US coal, coal technology, and expertise. This is consistent with the US policy on coal and coal technology trade, which continues to emphasize export market strategy implementation. Within this context, DOE will continue to support the teaming'' approach to marketing; i.e., vertically integrated large project teams to include multiple industry sectors, such as coal producers, engineering and construction firms, equipment manufacturers, financing and service organizations.

  5. A study of coal production in Nigeria

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Akarakiri, J.B.; Afonja, A.A.; Okejiri, E.C.

    The Nigerian coal industry was studied. The focus was on the problems which have caused low production output of coal. More specifically, the study examined the present techniques of coal production, the causes of low production of coal, the coal production policy as it affected this study, and proposed policy measures to address the findings. It was discovered that some of the limiting factors to coal production in Nigeria could be attributed to the lack of the following: (i) clear and specific production-demand targets set for coal in Nigeria; (ii) adequate technological capability to mechanize coal mining operations in Nigeria;more » (iii) venture capital to invest in coal production; (iv) poor infrastructural facilities for coal production such as mining, storage, transportation, etc. It was also discovered that the dissatisfaction of the miners with their conditions of service influenced production capacity negatively. These findings point to the reality that coal is unlikely to play a major role in the country's energy equation in the near future unless serious efforts are made to address the above issues.« less

  6. LIBS Analysis for Coal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    E. Romero, Carlos; De Saro, Robert

    Coal is a non-uniform material with large inherent variability in composition, and other important properties, such as calorific value and ash fusion temperature. This quality variability is very important when coal is used as fuel in steam generators, since it affects boiler operation and control, maintenance and availability, and the extent and treatment of environmental pollution associated with coal combustion. On-line/in situ monitoring of coal before is fed into a boiler is a necessity. A very few analytical techniques like X-ray fluorescence and prompt gamma neutron activation analysis are available commercially with enough speed and sophistication of data collection for continuous coal monitoring. However, there is still a need for a better on-line/in situ technique that has higher selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy and precision, and that is safer and has a lower installation and operating costs than the other options. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is ideal for coal monitoring in boiler applications as it need no sample preparation, it is accurate and precise it is fast, and it can detect all of the elements of concern to the coal-fired boiler industry. LIBS data can also be adapted with advanced data processing techniques to provide real-time information required by boiler operators nowadays. This chapter summarizes development of LIBS for on-line/in situ coal applications in utility boilers.

  7. Quarterly coal report, July--September 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-02-18

    The Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides comprehensive information about US coal production, distribution, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, and stocks to a wide audience, including Congress, Federal and State agencies, the coal industry, and the general public. Coke production, consumption, distribution, imports, and exports data are also provided. The data presented in the QCR are collected and published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to fulfill data collection and dissemination responsibilities as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275), as amended.

  8. Mercury speciation and emissions from coal combustion in Guiyang, Southwest China.

    PubMed

    Tang, Shunlin; Feng, Xinbin; Qiu, Jianrong; Yin, Guoxun; Yang, Zaichan

    2007-10-01

    Although China has been regarded as one of the largest anthropogenic mercury emission source with coal combustion, so far the actual measurements of Hg species and Hg emissions from the combustion and the capture of Hg in Chinese emission control devices were very limited. Aiming at Hg mercury species measurements in Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou province in Southwest China, we studied flue gases of medium-to-small-sized industrial steam coal-firing boiler (10-30 t/h) with no control devices, medium-to-small-sized industrial steam coal-firing boiler with WFGD and large-scale coal combustion with ESPs using Ontario Hytro method. We obtained mercury emission factors of the three representative coal combustion and estimated mercury emissions in Guiyang in 2003, as well as the whole province from 1986 to 2002. Coal combustion in Guiyang emitted 1898 kg mercury to the atmosphere, of which 36% Hg is released from power plants, 41% from industrial coal combustion, and 23% from domestic users, and 267 kg is Hg(p), 813 kg is Hg(2+) and 817 kg is Hg0. Mercury emission in Guizhou province increased sharply from 5.8 t in 1986 to 16.4 t in 2002. With the implementation of national economic strategy of China's Western Development, the annual mercury emission from coal combustion in the province is estimated to be about 32 t in 2015.

  9. RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) Utilization in a Navy Stoker Coal-Fired Boiler.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-10-01

    the energy production in any coal-fired boiler conversion consideration. The selection of the actual RDF to be used in a converted boiler should be... industrial boilers by gathering information from the Navy Energy and Environmental Support Activity, engineering field divi- sions, and field...activities. Currently the Navy has 27 industrial size boilers firing coal as a primary fuel and 10 firing coal as a secondary fuel. The four principal factors

  10. Drivers for the renaissance of coal

    PubMed Central

    Steckel, Jan Christoph; Edenhofer, Ottmar; Jakob, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Coal was central to the industrial revolution, but in the 20th century it increasingly was superseded by oil and gas. However, in recent years coal again has become the predominant source of global carbon emissions. We show that this trend of rapidly increasing coal-based emissions is not restricted to a few individual countries such as China. Rather, we are witnessing a global renaissance of coal majorly driven by poor, fast-growing countries that increasingly rely on coal to satisfy their growing energy demand. The low price of coal relative to gas and oil has played an important role in accelerating coal consumption since the end of the 1990s. In this article, we show that in the increasingly integrated global coal market the availability of a domestic coal resource does not have a statistically significant impact on the use of coal and related emissions. These findings have important implications for climate change mitigation: If future economic growth of poor countries is fueled mainly by coal, ambitious mitigation targets very likely will become infeasible. Building new coal power plant capacities will lead to lock-in effects for the next few decades. If that lock-in is to be avoided, international climate policy must find ways to offer viable alternatives to coal for developing countries. PMID:26150491

  11. Environmental impact of coal industry and thermal power plants in India.

    PubMed

    Mishra, U C

    2004-01-01

    Coal is the only natural resource and fossil fuel available in abundance in India. Consequently, it is used widely as a thermal energy source and also as fuel for thermal power plants producing electricity. India has about 90,000 MW installed capacity for electricity generation, of which more than 70% is produced by coal-based thermal power plants. Hydro-electricity contributes about 25%, and the remaining is mostly from nuclear power plants (NPPs). The problems associated with the use of coal are low calorific value and very high ash content. The ash content is as high as 55-60%, with an average value of about 35-40%. Further, most of the coal is located in the eastern parts of the country and requires transportation over long distances, mostly by trains, which run on diesel. About 70% oil is imported and is a big drain on India's hard currency. In the foreseeable future, there is no other option likely to be available, as the nuclear power programme envisages installing 20,000 MWe by the year 2020, when it will still be around 5% of the installed capacity. Hence, attempts are being made to reduce the adverse environmental and ecological impact of coal-fired power plants. The installed electricity generating capacity has to increase very rapidly (at present around 8-10% per annum), as India has one of the lowest per capita electricity consumptions. Therefore, the problems for the future are formidable from ecological, radio-ecological and pollution viewpoints. A similar situation exists in many developing countries of the region, including the People's Republic of China, where coal is used extensively. The paper highlights some of these problems with the data generated in the author's laboratory and gives a brief description of the solutions being attempted. The extent of global warming in this century will be determined by how developing countries like India manage their energy generation plans. Some of the recommendations have been implemented for new plants

  12. Liquid fuels from coal: analysis of a partial transition from oil to coal; light liquids in Zimbabwe's liquid fuels base

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maya, R.S.

    1986-01-01

    This study assesses the feasibility of a coal based light liquids program as a way to localize forces that determine the flow of oil into the Zimbabwean economy. Methods in End-use Energy Analysis and Econometrics in which the utilization of petroleum energy is related to economic and industrial activity are used to gain insight into the structure and behavior of petroleum utilization in that country and to forecast future requirements of this resource. The feasibility of coal liquefaction as a substitute for imported oil is assessed by the use of engineering economics in which the technical economics of competing oilmore » supply technologies are analyzed and the best option is selected. Coal conversion technologies are numerous but all except the Fischer-Trosch indirect coal liquefaction technology are deficient in reliability as commercial ventures. The Fischer-Tropsch process by coincidence better matches Zimbabwe's product configuration than the less commercially advanced technologies. Using present value analysis to compare the coal liquefaction and the import option indicates that it is better to continue importing oil than to resort to a coal base for a portion of the oil supplies. An extended analysis taking special consideration of the risk and uncertainty factors characteristic of Zimbabwe's oil supply system indicates that the coal option is better than the import option. The relative infancy of the coal liquefaction industry and the possibility that activities responsible for the risk and uncertainty in the oil supply system will be removed in the future, however, make the adoption of the coal option an unusually risky undertaking.« less

  13. Environmental risks associated with unconventional gas extraction: an Australian perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mallants, Dirk; Bekele, Elise; Schmidt, Wolfgang; Miotlinski, Konrad; Gerke Gerke, Kirill

    2015-04-01

    Coal seam gas is naturally occurring methane gas (CH4) formed by the degradation of organic material in coal seam layers over geological times, typically over several millions of years. Unlike conventional gas resources, which occur as discrete accumulations in traps formed by folds and other structures in sedimentary layers, coal seam gas is generally trapped in low permeable rock by adsorption of the gas molecules within the rock formation and cannot migrate to a trap and form a conventional gas deposit. Extraction of coal seam gas requires producers to de pressurise the coal measures by abstracting large amounts of groundwater through pumping. For coal measures that have too low permeabilities for gas extraction to be economical, mechanical and chemical techniques are required to increase permeability and thus gas yield. One such technique is hydraulic fracturing (HF). Hydraulic fracturing increases the rate and total amount of gas extracted from coal seam gas reservoirs. The process of hydraulic fracturing involves injecting large volumes of hydraulic fracturing fluids under high pressure into the coal seam layers to open up (i.e. fracture) the gas-containing coal layers, thus facilitating extraction of methane gas through pumping. After a hydraulic fracturing operation has been completed in a coal seam gas well, the fracturing fluid pressure is lowered and a significant proportion of the injected fluid returns to the surface as "flowback" water via coal seam gas wells. Flowback water is fluid that returns to the surface after hydraulic fracturing has occurred but before the well is put into production; whereas produced water is fluid from the coal measure that is pumped to the surface after the well is in production. This paper summarises available literature data from Australian coal seam gas practices on i) spills from hydraulic fracturing-related fluids used during coal seam gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations, ii) leaks to soil and shallow

  14. The Development of Environmentally Friendly Technologies of Using Coals and Products of Their Enrichment in the Form of Coal Water Slurries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murko, Vasily; Hamalainen, Veniamin

    2017-11-01

    The article presents the current state of the technology for production and combustion of fuel coal water slurries in Russia and foreign countries. Experimental and industrial facilities show the technological and economic efficiency of using this technology for disposal of wastes resulting after coal processing and enrichment. The feasibility studies of use of the technology at large Kuzbass thermal power stations are presented. The possibility of solving a serious environmental problem of reducing storage of the most toxic waste of coal enrichment in the location areas of coal washing plants and coal mining enterprises is demonstrated.

  15. Urinary bladder cancer risk factors in an area of former coal, iron, and steel industries in Germany.

    PubMed

    Krech, Eugen; Selinski, Silvia; Blaszkewicz, Meinolf; Bürger, Hannah; Kadhum, Thura; Hengstler, Jan G; Truss, Michael C; Golka, Klaus

    2017-01-01

    This study was performed to investigate the frequency of bladder cancer in patients with an occupational history such as underground hard coal mining and/or painting after the structural change in the local industry. A total of 206 patients with bladder cancer and 207 controls were enlisted regarding occupational and nonoccupational bladder cancer risk factors by questionnaire. The phase II enzymes N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), glutathione S-transferases M1 (GSTM1), and T1 (GSTT1) and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11892031[A/C] reported to be associated with bladder cancer in genome-wide association studies were genotyped. The bladder cancer risk in varnishers and underground hard coal miners was increased as previously shown in a study in this area performed in the 1980s. The occupation of a car mechanic was associated with a significantly elevated bladder cancer risk and higher in the case of underground hard coal miners even though the mine was closed in 1987. The frequency of GSTM1 negative genotype was comparable in cases and controls (53% versus 54%). In the case of NAT2, the slow NAT2 genotype was more frequent (62% versus 58%) and ultra-slow NAT2 genotype (NAT2*6A and/or *7B alleles only) was 23% versus 15%. An occupational history of a varnisher or an underground hard coal miner remains a risk factor for bladder cancer occurrence. Data indicate that in the case of bladder cancer, GSTM1 is a susceptibility factor related to environmental and/or occupational exposure.

  16. Mine Water Treatment in Hongai Coal Mines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dang, Phuong Thao; Dang, Vu Chi

    2018-03-01

    Acid mine drainage (AMD) is recognized as one of the most serious environmental problem associated with mining industry. Acid water, also known as acid mine drainage forms when iron sulfide minerals found in the rock of coal seams are exposed to oxidizing conditions in coal mining. Until 2009, mine drainage in Hongai coal mines was not treated, leading to harmful effects on humans, animals and aquatic ecosystem. This report has examined acid mine drainage problem and techniques for acid mine drainage treatment in Hongai coal mines. In addition, selection and criteria for the design of the treatment systems have been presented.

  17. Locational Issues in New Apprenticeships. Australian Apprenticeships.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dumbrell, T.; Finnegan, W.; de Montfort, R.

    A study examined geographical distribution of Australian apprenticeship commencements (ACs) in the context of various labor force and population statistics by industry, location of jobs by industry, and youth population. Apprenticeship and traineeship statistics between 1995-98 were examined to demonstrate differences in development of the system…

  18. The economics of abundance: coal and cotton in Lancashire and the world.

    PubMed

    Balderston, Theo

    2010-01-01

    As a subterranean, highly elastic energy source, coal played a vital role in the cotton industry revolution. Coal was also vital to Lancashire's primacy in this revolution, because it was necessary both to the original accumulation of agglomeration economies before the steam age and to their reinforcement during the steam age. In no other part of the world was the cotton industry situated on a coalfield, and the response of other parts of the world cotton industry to Lancashire's agglomeration advantages was dispersal in search of cheap water and/or labour power. Lancashire coal helped to shape the global pattern of cotton production.

  19. Coal hydrogenation and environmental health.

    PubMed Central

    Wadden, R A

    1976-01-01

    Planning of coal hydrogenation processes, such as liquifaction and gasification, requires consideration of public health implications. Commercial plants will require coal quantities greater than or equal to 20,000 tons/day and the large size of these plants calls for careful consideration of the potential health hazards from the wastes and products of such processes. Analysis of pollution potential can roughly be divided into three categories: raw material structure and constituents, process design, and mode of plant operation. Identifiable pollutants include hydrogen cyanide, phenols, cresols, carbonyl and hydrogen sulfides, ammonia, mercaptans, thiocyanides, aniline, arsenic, trace metals and various polycyclic hydrocarbons. One study of workers in a hydrogenation process has revealed an incidence of skin cancer 16-37 times that expected in the chemical industry. In addition, a number of high boiling point liquid products were identified as being carcinogenic, and air concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene up to 18,000 mug/1000 m3 were reported. Health statistics on occupational groups in other coal conversion industries have shown significantly higher lung cancer rates, relative to groups without such occupational exposures. These data suggest that coal hydrogenation plants must be carefully planned and controlled to avoid harm to environmentally and occupationally exposed populations. PMID:789066

  20. Coping with coal quality impacts on power plant operation and maintenance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hatt, R.

    1998-12-31

    The electric power industry is rapidly changing due to deregulation. The author was present one hot day in June of this year, when a southeastern utility company was selling electricity for $5,000.00 per megawatt with $85.00 cost. Typical power cost range from the mid teens at night to about $30.00 on a normal day. The free market place will challenge the power industry in many ways. Fuel is the major cost in electric power. In a regulated industry the cost of fuel was passed on to the customers. Fuels were chosen to minimize problems such as handling, combustion, ash depositsmore » and other operational and maintenance concerns. Tight specifications were used to eliminate or minimize coals that caused problems. These tight specifications raised the price of fuel by minimizing competition. As the power stations become individual profit centers, plant management must take a more proactive role in fuel selection. Understanding how coal quality impacts plant performance and cost, allows better fuel selection decisions. How well plants take advantage of their knowledge may determine whether they will be able to compete in a free market place. The coal industry itself can provide many insights on how to survive in this type of market. Coal mines today must remain competitive or be shut down. The consolidation of the coal industry indicates the trends that can occur in a competitive market. These trends have already started, and will continue in the utility industry. This paper will discuss several common situations concerning coal quality and potential solutions for the plant to consider. All these examples have mill maintenance and performance issues in common. This is indicative of how important pulverizers are to the successful operation of a power plant.« less

  1. "Keep a low profile": pesticide residue, additives, and freon use in Australian tobacco manufacturing

    PubMed Central

    Chapman, S

    2003-01-01

    Objectives: To review the Australian tobacco industry's knowledge of pesticide residue on Australian tobacco and its policies and practices on resisting calls by tobacco control advocates that consumers should be informed about pesticide residue as well as additives. Methods: Review of previously internal industry documents relevant to pesticides and additives in Australian tobacco located from the Master Settlement Agreement websites. Results: Between 1972 and 1994 Philip Morris Australia was aware that its leaf samples were often contaminated with pesticide residue, sometimes including organochlorine levels described by PM's European laboratories as being "extremely high". Consumers were not advised of the contamination nor products withdrawn. From 1981, the industry also resisted calls to declare fully the extent of use and long term safety data on all additives used in their products. They developed standard public responses that were evasive and misleading and, in 2000, implemented voluntary additive disclosure which allowed the companies to continue to avoid disclosure of any ingredient they deemed to be a trade secret. There was extensive use of ozone depleting freon in Australian tobacco manufacturing. Again, the industry kept this information away from consumers. Conclusions: Australian smokers are unable to make informed decisions about smoking because pesticide and additive disclosure remains voluntary. The Australian government should regulate tobacco to require full disclosure including information on the likely health consequences of inhaling pesticide and additive pyrolysis products. PMID:14645948

  2. Geomorphology of coal seam fires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuenzer, Claudia; Stracher, Glenn B.

    2012-02-01

    Coal fires occur in underground natural coal seams, in exposed surface seams, and in coal storage or waste piles. The fires ignite through spontaneous combustion or natural or anthropogenic causes. They are reported from China, India, USA, South Africa, Australia, and Russia, as well as many other countries. Coal fires lead to loss of a valuable resource (coal), the emission of greenhouse-relevant and toxic gases, and vegetation deterioration. A dangerous aspect of the fires is the threat to local mines, industries, and settlements through the volume loss underground. Surface collapse in coal fire areas is common. Thus, coal fires are significantly affecting the evolution of the landscape. Based on more than a decade of experience with in situ mapping of coal fire areas worldwide, a general classification system for coal fires is presented. Furthermore, coal seam fire geomorphology is explained in detail. The major landforms associated with, and induced by, these fires are presented. The landforms include manifestations resulting from bedrock surface fracturing, such as fissures, cracks, funnels, vents, and sponges. Further manifestations resulting from surface bedrock subsidence include sinkholes, trenches, depressions, partial surface subsidence, large surface subsidence, and slides. Additional geomorphologic coal fire manifestations include exposed ash layers, pyrometamorphic rocks, and fumarolic minerals. The origin, evolution, and possible future development of these features are explained, and examples from in situ surveys, as well as from high-resolution satellite data analyses, are presented. The geomorphology of coal fires has not been presented in a systematic manner. Knowledge of coal fire geomorphology enables the detection of underground coal fires based on distinct surface manifestations. Furthermore, it allows judgments about the safety of coal fire-affected terrain. Additionally, geomorphologic features are indicators of the burning stage of fires

  3. Quality of selected coals of Hungary

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Landis, E.R.; Rohrbacher, T.J.; Gluskoter, H.J.

    2000-07-01

    As part of the activities conducted under the US-Hungarian Science and Technology Fund, a total of 39 samples from five coal mines in five geologically-distinct coal areas in Hungary were selected for proximate and ultimate analyses. In addition, the heat value, forms of sulfur, free-swelling index, equilibrium moisture, Hardgrove grindability index, four-point ash fusion temperatures (both oxidizing and reducing), and apparent specific gravity were determined for each sample. Standard procedures established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM, 1999) were used. The analytical results will be available in the International Coal Quality Data Base of the USGS. Resultsmore » of the program provide data for comparison with coal quality test data from Europe and information of value to potential investors or cooperators in the coal industry of Hungary and Central Europe.« less

  4. Coal as a Substitute for Carbon Black

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kushida, R. O.

    1982-01-01

    New proposal shows sprayed coal powder formed by extrusion of coal heated to plastic state may be inexpensive substitute for carbon black. Carbon black is used extensively in rubber industry as reinforcing agent in such articles as tires and hoses. It is made from natural gas and petroleum, both of which are in short supply.

  5. Predicting commercial success for Australian medical inventions patented in the United States: a cross sectional survey of Australian inventors.

    PubMed

    Mattes, Eugen; Stacey, Michael C; Marinova, Dora

    2006-01-02

    To examine the commercial development of Australian medical patents and identify the determinants of their being used in innovations (new or improved products or production processes). Cross-sectional survey with a nested case-control study. 177 inventors listed as the first Australian on medical patents granted in the United States between 1 January 1984 and 30 December 1994, and surveyed in 1998-1999. A series of predictor variables (including characteristics of the patents; characteristics of the inventors; ideas, advice and funding during commercialisation; and the process of commercialisation) for whether or not a patent became an innovation. Half (89/177) of the medical patents became innovations, with 34% generating a total of A $287 million (13% over $1 million) in annual sales a median of 8 years after the patent had been granted. A patent was more likely to become an innovation if the inventor was employed by industry at the time of invention (odds ratio [OR], 3.2; 95% CI, 1.1-9.2), had invested their own finances (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.0-7.4), and if the patent had been licensed (OR, 4.6; 95% CI 1.7-12.7), led to further patents (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.0-10.4) and involved an industry partner in its commercial development (OR, 10.1; 95% CI, 3.6-27.7). It was less likely to become an innovation if finance came from a research funding agency (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.8) and if interest from Australian industry was judged by inventors as "poor" (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.9). Medical patents in the US listing Australian inventors are more likely to become innovations if they originate from industry rather than the public sector, and if inventors are willing to invest their own finances.

  6. Elemental properties of coal slag and measured airborne exposures at two coal slag processing facilities

    PubMed Central

    Mugford, Christopher; Boylstein, Randy; Gibbs, Jenna L

    2017-01-01

    In 1974, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended a ban on the use of silica sand abrasives containing >1% silica due to the risk of silicosis. This gave rise to substitutes including coal slag. An Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation in 2010 uncovered a case cluster of suspected pneumoconiosis in four former workers at a coal slag processing facility in Illinois, possibly attributable to occupational exposure to coal slag dust. This article presents the results from a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health industrial hygiene survey at the same coal slag processing facility and a second facility. The industrial hygiene survey consisted of the collection of: a) bulk samples of unprocessed coal slag, finished granule product, and settled dust for metals and silica; b) full-shift area air samples for dust, metals, and crystalline silica; and c) full-shift personal air samples for dust, metals, and crystalline silica. Bulk samples consisted mainly of iron, manganese, titanium, and vanadium. Some samples had detectable levels of arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, and cobalt. Unprocessed coal slags from Illinois and Kentucky contained 0.43–0.48% (4,300–4,800 mg/kg) silica. Full-shift area air samples identified elevated total dust levels in the screen (2–38 mg/m3) and bag house (21 mg/m3) areas. Full-shift area air samples identified beryllium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, nickel, manganese, and vanadium. Overall, personal air samples for total and respirable dust (0.1–6.6 mg/m3 total; and 0.1–0.4 mg/m3 respirable) were lower than area air samples. All full-shift personal air samples for metals and silica were below published occupational exposure limits. All bulk samples of finished product granules contained less than 1% silica, supporting the claim coal slag may present less risk for silicosis than silica sand. We note that the results presented here are solely from two coal slag processing

  7. Elemental properties of coal slag and measured airborne exposures at two coal slag processing facilities.

    PubMed

    Mugford, Christopher; Boylstein, Randy; Gibbs, Jenna L

    2017-05-01

    In 1974, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended a ban on the use of silica sand abrasives containing >1% silica due to the risk of silicosis. This gave rise to substitutes including coal slag. An Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation in 2010 uncovered a case cluster of suspected pneumoconiosis in four former workers at a coal slag processing facility in Illinois, possibly attributable to occupational exposure to coal slag dust. This article presents the results from a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health industrial hygiene survey at the same coal slag processing facility and a second facility. The industrial hygiene survey consisted of the collection of: (a) bulk samples of unprocessed coal slag, finished granule product, and settled dust for metals and silica; (b) full-shift area air samples for dust, metals, and crystalline silica; and (c) full-shift personal air samples for dust, metals, and crystalline silica. Bulk samples consisted mainly of iron, manganese, titanium, and vanadium. Some samples had detectable levels of arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, and cobalt. Unprocessed coal slags from Illinois and Kentucky contained 0.43-0.48% (4,300-4,800 mg/kg) silica. Full-shift area air samples identified elevated total dust levels in the screen (2-38 mg/m 3 ) and bag house (21 mg/m 3 ) areas. Full-shift area air samples identified beryllium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, nickel, manganese, and vanadium. Overall, personal air samples for total and respirable dust (0.1-6.6 mg/m 3 total; and 0.1-0.4 mg/m 3 respirable) were lower than area air samples. All full-shift personal air samples for metals and silica were below published occupational exposure limits. All bulk samples of finished product granules contained less than 1% silica, supporting the claim coal slag may present less risk for silicosis than silica sand. We note that the results presented here are solely from two coal slag processing

  8. Coal gasifier cogeneration powerplant project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shure, L. I.; Bloomfield, H. S.

    1980-01-01

    Industrial cogeneration and utility pr systems were analyzed and a conceptual design study was conducted to evaluate the economic feasibility of a coal gasifier power plant for NASA Lewis Research Center. Site location, plant size, and electric power demand were considered in criteria developed for screening and selecting candidates that could use a wide variety of coals, including that from Ohio. A fluidized bed gasifier concept was chosen as the baseline design and key components of the powerplant were technically assessed. No barriers to environmental acceptability are foreseen. If funded, the powerplant will not only meet the needs of the research center, but will reduce the commercial risk for utilities and industries by fully verifying and demonstrating the technology, thus accelerating commercialization.

  9. Using coal inside California for nonelectric applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oxley, J. H.

    1978-01-01

    A review of present energy consumption patterns in the manufacturing, transportation, and residential sectors is presented. The properties of coal that affect its substitution into these market sectors are discussed. Specific needs and concerns of Californians are delineated. Present nonelectric consumptive uses of coal in California are outlined. Current world-wide progress concerning increased industrial use of coal is shown. An overview is given of the options to protect the environment from the direct use of coal, especially from the standpoint of sulfur control; and a time frame for commercialization is projected. Possible desired changes in energy use patterns over the next fifty years are proposed.

  10. Manpower for the coal mining industry: an assessment of adequacy through the year 2000. Volume I. Executive summary. Final technical report. [USA; forcasting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rosenberg, J.I.; Mendis, M.S.; Medville, D.M.

    1980-03-01

    This report presents a summary of the analytical approach taken and the conclusions reached in an assessment of the supply and demand for manpower in the coal mining industry through the year 2000. A hybrid system dynamics/econometric model of the coal mining industry was developed which incorporates relationships between technological change, labor productivity, production costs, wages, graduation rates, and other key variables in estimating imbalances between labor supply and demand. Study results indicate that while the supply of production workers is expected to be sufficient under most future demand scenarios, periodic shortages of experienced workers, especially in the Northern Greatmore » Plains, can be expected. Other study findings are that the supply of mining engineers will be sufficient under all but the highest coal demand scenario; a shortage of faculty will affect the supply of mining engineers in the near term; and the employment of mining technicians is expected to exhibit the largest increase in any labor category studied. This volume is an Executive Summary which provides a brief description of the study and gives its major conclusions and recommendations. An accompanying volume (Vol. 11) provides a detailed description of the analytical basis for the study, the sources of data used, and a discussion of the conclusions reached.« less

  11. Determinants of Successful Training Practices in Large Australian Firms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawe, Susan

    The determinants of successful training practices in large Australian firms were examined. The study's three phases were as follows: (1) a review of existing literature; (2) a meta-analysis of previously conducted case studies of 49 large Australian firms in 14 industrial sectors; and (3) a comparative analysis of the findings of the past studies…

  12. Evaluation of an enhanced gravity-based fine-coal circuit for high-sulfur coal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mohanty, M.K.; Samal, A.R.; Palit, A.

    One of the main objectives of this study was to evaluate a fine-coal cleaning circuit using an enhanced gravity separator specifically for a high sulfur coal application. The evaluation not only included testing of individual unit operations used for fine-coal classification, cleaning and dewatering, but also included testing of the complete circuit simultaneously. At a scale of nearly 2 t/h, two alternative circuits were evaluated to clean a minus 0.6-mm coal stream utilizing a 150-mm-diameter classifying cyclone, a linear screen having a projected surface area of 0.5 m{sup 2}, an enhanced gravity separator having a bowl diameter of 250 mmmore » and a screen-bowl centrifuge having a bowl diameter of 500 mm. The cleaning and dewatering components of both circuits were the same; however, one circuit used a classifying cyclone whereas the other used a linear screen as the classification device. An industrial size coal spiral was used to clean the 2- x 0.6-mm coal size fraction for each circuit to estimate the performance of a complete fine-coal circuit cleaning a minus 2-mm particle size coal stream. The 'linear screen + enhanced gravity separator + screen-bowl circuit' provided superior sulfur and ash-cleaning performance to the alternative circuit that used a classifying cyclone in place of the linear screen. Based on these test data, it was estimated that the use of the recommended circuit to treat 50 t/h of minus 2-mm size coal having feed ash and sulfur contents of 33.9% and 3.28%, respectively, may produce nearly 28.3 t/h of clean coal with product ash and sulfur contents of 9.15% and 1.61 %, respectively.« less

  13. Coal cars - the first three hundred years

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martin Robert Karig III

    2007-12-15

    This is the comprehensive study of the freight cars that conveyed coal across broad swaths of land that had been impassible before the invention of the steam engine. This volume traces the history and evolution of coal cars from their earliest use in England to the construction of major railways for the purpose of coal hauling and the end of the steam era on American railroads. In addition to contextualizing coal cars in the annals of industrial history, the book features extensive design specifications and drawings as well as a complete history of the various safety and mechanical innovations employedmore » on these freight cars. It concludes with a photographic essay illustrating the development of the coal car over its first 300 years of use. 608 photos.« less

  14. Water Transportation Requirements for Coal Movement in the 1980's

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1976-12-01

    This report develops and presents barge industry estimates of additional equipment and facilities required to handle a projected doubling of coal traffic. It also describes present coal flows, associated operational policies and practices, and the in...

  15. Waste management in the meat processing industry: Conversion of paunch and DAF sludge into solid fuel.

    PubMed

    Hamawand, Ihsan; Pittaway, Pam; Lewis, Larry; Chakrabarty, Sayan; Caldwell, Justin; Eberhard, Jochen; Chakraborty, Arpita

    2017-02-01

    This article addresses the novel dewatering process of immersion-frying of paunch and dissolved air flotation (DAF) sludge to produce high energy pellets. Literature have been analysed to address the feasibility of replacing conventional boiler fuel at meat processing facilities with high energy paunch-DAF sludge pellets (capsules). The value proposition of pelleting and frying this mixture into energy pellets is based on a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). The CBA is based on information derived from the literature and consultation with the Australian Meat Processing Industry. The calorific properties of a mixture of paunch cake solids and DAF sludge were predicted from literature and industry consultation to validate the product. This study shows that the concept of pelletizing and frying paunch is economically feasible. The complete frying and dewatering of the paunch and DAF sludge mixture produces pellets with energy content per kilogram equivalent to coal. The estimated cost of this new product is half the price of coal and the payback period is estimated to be between 1.8 and 3.2years. Further research is required for proof of concept, and to identify the technical challenges associated with integrating this technology into existing meat processing plants. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Alcohol industry and non-alcohol industry sponsorship of sportspeople and drinking.

    PubMed

    O'Brien, Kerry S; Miller, Peter G; Kolt, Gregory S; Martens, Matthew P; Webber, Andrew

    2011-01-01

    To examine the relationship between direct alcohol and non-alcohol sponsorship and drinking in Australian sportspeople. Australian sportspeople (N = 652; 51% female) completed questionnaires on alcohol and non-alcohol industry sponsorship (from bars, cafes etc.), drinking behaviour (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)) and known confounders. 31% reported sponsorship (29.8% alcohol industry; 3.7% both alcohol and non-alcohol industry and 1.5% non-alcohol industry only) Multivariate regression showed that receipt of alcohol industry sponsorship was predictive of higher AUDIT scores (β(adj) = 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.56-2.78), but non-alcohol industry sponsorship and combinations of both were not (β(adj) = 0.18, 95% CI: -2.61 to 2.68; and β(adj) = 2.58, 95% CI: -0.60 to 5.76, respectively). Governments should consider alternatives to alcohol industry sponsorship of sport. Hypothecated taxes on tobacco have been used successfully for replacing tobacco sponsorship of sport in some countries, and may show equal utility for the alcohol industry's funding of sport.

  17. Fuel Gas Demonstration Plant Program: Small-Scale Industrial Project. Coal procurement activities. Technica report No. 9

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1979-04-14

    This report consists of reference material taken from Erie Mining Company project files and includes the following: (1) Investigation of the Main Coal Producing Fields in the United States: This report identifies potential coal fiels for gasifier feedstock and factors influencing coal selection. The report analyzes coal fields located in five separate regions of the United States. Three design coals are discussed and lab reports have been included. Also included are cost considerations for selected coals and preliminary cost data and transportation routing. (2) Analysis of Test Coals Received at Erie Mining Company: Rosebud, Clarion, and Clarion-Brookfield-Kittaning coal samples weremore » received and analyzed at Erie Mining Company. The screen analysis indicated the severe decrepitation of the Rosebud western coal. (3) Criteria for Gasifier Coal: In this study, BCI states that gasifier feed should have the following characteristics: (1) the ratio between the upper and lower size for coal should be 3:1; (2) coal fines should not exceed 10%; (3) coal grading limits which can be handled are maximum range 3'' x 1'', minimum range - 1 1/2'' x 1/2''.« less

  18. FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The chapter focuses on methane emissions from the coal and natural gas industries. The petroleum industry is not addressed because of the lack of related quality data. Emission points are identified for each industry, and a discussion of factors affecting emissions is presented. ...

  19. Economics of utilization of high sulfur coal resources - an integrated market approach

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bhagwat, S.B.

    1993-01-01

    Before the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, coal policies - especially coal research policies - were geared to find a solution to the sulfur emission problem. However, technologies to reduce sulfur emissions cannot be tailored for a single coal. A technology that will clean Illinois coal to compliance levels will do the same, or nearly the same, for most other types of coal. This paper will discuss an integrated approach to the analysis of the future of coals from different regions in the United States and its implications for coal-related policies by government and industry.

  20. Underground thermal generation of hydrocarbons from dry, southwestern coals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vanderborgh, N.E.; Elliott, G.R.B.

    1978-01-01

    The LASL underground coal conversion concept produces intermediate-BTU fuel gas for nearby industries such as ''minemouth'' electric power plants, plus major byproducts in the form of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons for feedstocks to chemical plants e.g., substitute natural gas (SNG) producers. The concept involves controlling the water influx and drying the coal, generating hydrocarbons, by pyrolysis and finally gasifying the residual char with O/sub 2//CO/sub 2/ or air/CO/sub 2/ mixtures to produce industrial fuel gases. Underground conversion can be frustrated by uncontrolled water in the coal bed. Moisture can (a) prevent combustion, (b) preclude fuel gas formation by lowering reactionmore » zone temperatures and creating kinetic problems, (c) ruin product gas quality by dropping temperatures into a thermodynamically unsatisfactory regime, (d) degrade an initially satisfactory fuel gas by consuming carbon monoxide, (e) waste large amounts of heat, and (f) isolate reaction zones so that the processing will bypass blocks of coal.« less

  1. Forces Shaping Future U.S. Coal Production and Use

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Attanasi, E.D.; Pierce, Brenda S.

    2001-01-01

    More than half of the electricity in the United States is generated by coal-fired powerplants. U.S. coal producers sell almost 90 percent of their product for electricity generation, and so, the future of the U.S. coal industry will be determined by the future of coal-fired electricity-generation plants. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is completing a National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) of five major coal-producing regions of the United States (fig. 1): (1) the Appalachian Basin, (2) the Illinois Basin, (3) the Gulf Coast, (4) the Colorado Plateau, and (5) the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. The Powder River and Williston Basins are the principal producing areas of the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains region.

  2. Review of non-traditional coal mining countries. Part I

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pettigrew, J.

    1976-03-01

    The coal reserves and coal production of countries in Africa and Central and South America are reviewed. About 0.5 percent of world hard coal output originates from Central and South America, but production of lignite and brown coals is negligible. Colombia, Mexico and Brazil are the largest producers, while significant amounts of coal are won in Chile. At present Argentina, Peru and Venezuela have very small coal industries. Excluding the Republic of South Africa, the African continent has only about 0.25 percent of world coal reserves. Lignite and brown coal resources are negligible. Despite the relatively small amount of coalmore » resources there is nevertheless a degree of underexploitation. Of those African countries that have reserves, most are capable of modest increases in production given the right financial and technical assistance. Africa produces about 3.0 percent of total world coal production, and all but 0.2 percent comes from South Africa. Over half of the remainder is mined in Rhodesia.« less

  3. Technological and economic aspects of coal biodesulfurisation.

    PubMed

    Klein, J

    1998-01-01

    The sulfur found in coal is either part of the molecular coal structure (organically bound sulfur), is contained in minerals such as pyrite (FeS2), or occurs in minor quantities in the form of sulfate and elemental sulfur. When pyrite crystals are finely distributed within the coal matrix, mechanical cleaning can only remove part of the pyrite. It can, however, be removed by microbial action requiring only mild conditions. The process involves simple equipment, almost no chemicals, but relatively long reaction times, and treatment of iron sulfate containing process water. Different process configurations are possible, depending on the coal particle size. Coal with particle sizes of less than 0.5 mm is preferably desulfurised in slurry reactors, while lump coal (> 0.5 mm) should be treated in heaps. Investment and operating costs are estimated for different process configurations on an industrial scale. Concerning the organically bound sulfur in coal there is up to now no promising biochemical pathway for the degradation and/or desulfurisation of such compounds.

  4. Demographic variables in coal miners’ safety attitude

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Wen-wen; Wu, Xiang; Ci, Hui-Peng; Qin, Shu-Qi; Liu, Jia-Long

    2017-03-01

    To change unsafe behavior through adjusting people’s safety attitudes has become an important measure to prevent accidents. Demographic variables, as influential factors of safety attitude, are fundamental and essential for the research. This research does a questionnaire survey among coal mine industry workers, and makes variance analysis and correlation analysis of the results in light of age, length of working years, educational level and experiences of accidents. The results show that the coal miners’ age, length of working years and accident experiences correlate lowly with safety attitudes, and those older coal miners with longer working years have better safety attitude, as coal miners without experiences of accident do.However, educational level has nothing to do with the safety attitude. Therefore, during the process of safety management, coal miners with different demographic characteristics should be put more attention to.

  5. Progress on coal-derived fuels for aviation systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Witcofski, R. D.

    1978-01-01

    Synthetic aviation kerosene (Syn. Jet-A), liquid methane (LCH4), and liquid hydrogen (LH2) appear to be the most promising coal-derived fuels. Liquid hydrogen aircraft configurations, their fuel systems, and their ground requirements at the airport are identified. These aircraft appear viable, particularly for long haul use, where aircraft fueled with coal derived LH2 would consume 9 percent less coal resources than would aircraft fueled with coal derived Syn. Jet-A. Distribution of hydrogen from the point of manufacture to airports may pose problems. Synthetic JET-A would appear to cause fewer concerns to the air transportation industry. Of the three candidate fuels, LCH4 is the most energy efficient to produce, and an aircraft fueled with coal derived LCH4 may provide both the most efficient utilization of coal resources and the least expensive ticket as well.

  6. Impacts of coal burning on ambient PM2.5 pollution in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Qiao; Cai, Siyi; Wang, Shuxiao; Zhao, Bin; Martin, Randall V.; Brauer, Michael; Cohen, Aaron; Jiang, Jingkun; Zhou, Wei; Hao, Jiming; Frostad, Joseph; Forouzanfar, Mohammad H.; Burnett, Richard T.

    2017-04-01

    High concentration of fine particles (PM2.5), the primary concern about air quality in China, is believed to closely relate to China's large consumption of coal. In order to quantitatively identify the contributions of coal combustion in different sectors to ambient PM2. 5, we developed an emission inventory for the year 2013 using up-to-date information on energy consumption and emission controls, and we conducted standard and sensitivity simulations using the chemical transport model GEOS-Chem. According to the simulation, coal combustion contributes 22 µg m-3 (40 %) to the total PM2. 5 concentration at national level (averaged in 74 major cities) and up to 37 µg m-3 (50 %) in the Sichuan Basin. Among major coal-burning sectors, industrial coal burning is the dominant contributor, with a national average contribution of 10 µg m-3 (17 %), followed by coal combustion in power plants and the domestic sector. The national average contribution due to coal combustion is estimated to be 18 µg m-3 (46 %) in summer and 28 µg m-3 (35 %) in winter. While the contribution of domestic coal burning shows an obvious reduction from winter to summer, contributions of coal combustion in power plants and the industrial sector remain at relatively constant levels throughout the year.

  7. Air quality as a constraint to the use of coal in California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Austin, T. C.

    1978-01-01

    Low-NOx burners, wet scrubbing systems, baghouses and ammonia injection systems are feasible for use on large combustion sources such as utility boilers. These devices, used in combination with coal handling techniques which minimize fugitive dust and coal transportation related emissions, should enable new power plants and large industrial boilers to burn coal without the adverse air quality impacts for which coal became notorious.

  8. Some regional costs of a synthetic fuel industry: The case of illinois

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Attanasi, E.D.; Green, E.K.

    1981-01-01

    The Federal Government's efforts to induce development of a coal-based synthetic fuel industry include direct subsidies, tax concessions, and assurances that it will purchase the industry's output, even if above the market price. In this note it is argued that these subsidies will enable this industry to secure a region's largest and lowest-cost coal deposits and that the costs imposed on other coal users will be substantial. Moreover, because the lowest-cost coal deposits will be committed to synthetic fuels production regardless of the industry's commercial viability, distortions in regional coal markets will develop. If economic efficiency requires that the price of the resource reflect its replacement value, then a State government is justified in imposing a tax on coal destined for subsidized synthetic fuel plants. Amounts of such a tax, based on the higher costs of coal that must be accepted by other users as the result of the subsidized synthetic fuel plants' preempting the largest and lowest-cost deposits, are estimated for the case of Illinois strippable coal. ?? 1981 Annals of Regional Science.

  9. Method for processing coal-enrichment waste with solid and volatile fuel inclusions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khasanova, A. V.; Zhirgalova, T. B.; Osintsev, K. V.

    2017-10-01

    The method relates to the field of industrial heat and power engineering. It can be used in coal preparation plants for processing coal waste. This new way is realized to produce a loose ash residue directed to the production of silicate products and fuel gas in rotary kilns. The proposed method is associated with industrial processing of brown coal beneficiation waste. Waste is obtained by flotation separation of rock particles up to 13 mm in size from coal particles. They have in their composition both solid and volatile fuel inclusions (components). Due to the high humidity and significant rock content, low heat of combustion, these wastes are not used on energy boilers, they are stored in dumps polluting the environment.

  10. Effects of coal mine wastewater on locomotor and non-locomotor activities of empire gudgeons (Hypseleotris compressa).

    PubMed

    Lanctôt, C; Melvin, S D; Fabbro, L; Leusch, F D L; Wilson, S P

    2016-05-01

    Coal mining represents an important industry in many countries, but concerns exist about the possible adverse effects of minewater releases on aquatic animals and ecosystems. Coal mining generates large volumes of complex wastewater, which often contains high concentrations of dissolved solids, suspended solids, metals, hydrocarbons, salts and other compounds. Traditional toxicological testing has generally involved the assessment of acute toxicity or chronic toxicity with longer-term tests, and while such tests provide useful information, they are poorly suited to ongoing monitoring or rapid assessment following accidental discharge events. As such, there is considerable interest in developing rapid and sensitive approaches to environmental monitoring, and particularly involving the assessment of sub-lethal behavioural responses in locally relevant aquatic species. We therefore investigated behavioural responses of a native Australian fish to coal mine wastewater, to evaluate its potential use for evaluating sub-lethal effects associated with wastewater releases on freshwater ecosystems. Empire gudgeons (Hypseleotris compressa) were exposed to wastewater from two dams located at an open cut coal mine in Central Queensland, Australia and activity levels were monitored using the Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor® (LimCo International GmbH). A general decrease in locomotor activity (i.e., low frequency movement) and increase in non-locomotor activity (i.e., high frequency movement including ventilation and small fin movement) was observed in exposed fish compared to those in control water. Altered activity levels were observable within the first hour of exposure and persisted throughout the 15-d experiment. Results demonstrate the potential for using behavioural endpoints as tools for monitoring wastewater discharges using native fish species, but more research is necessary to identify responsible compounds and response thresholds, and to understand the relevance

  11. Forecast of long term coal supply and mining conditions: Model documentation and results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1980-01-01

    A coal industry model was developed to support the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in its investigation of advanced underground coal extraction systems. The model documentation includes the programming for the coal mining cost models and an accompanying users' manual, and a guide to reading model output. The methodology used in assembling the transportation, demand, and coal reserve components of the model are also described. Results presented for 1986 and 2000, include projections of coal production patterns and marginal prices, differentiated by coal sulfur content.

  12. Analysis and forecast of railway coal transportation volume based on BP neural network combined forecasting model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yongbin; Xie, Haihong; Wu, Liuyi

    2018-05-01

    The share of coal transportation in the total railway freight volume is about 50%. As is widely acknowledged, coal industry is vulnerable to the economic situation and national policies. Coal transportation volume fluctuates significantly under the new economic normal. Grasp the overall development trend of railway coal transportation market, have important reference and guidance significance to the railway and coal industry decision-making. By analyzing the economic indicators and policy implications, this paper expounds the trend of the coal transportation volume, and further combines the economic indicators with the high correlation with the coal transportation volume with the traditional traffic prediction model to establish a combined forecasting model based on the back propagation neural network. The error of the prediction results is tested, which proves that the method has higher accuracy and has practical application.

  13. Activities of the Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal at Zabrze

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dreszer, K.

    1995-12-31

    The Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal at Zabrze was established in 1955. The works on carbochemical technologies have been, therefore, carried out at the Institute for 40 years. The targets of the Institute`s activities are research, scientific and developing works regarding a sensible utilization of fuels via their processing into more refined forms, safe environment, highly efficient use of energy carriers and technological products of special quality. The Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal has been dealing with the following: optimized use of home hard coals; improvement of classic coal coking technologies, processing and utilization of volatile coking products;more » production technologies of low emission rate fuels for communal management; analyses of coal processing technologies; new technologies aimed at increasing the efficiency of coal utilization for energy-generating purposes, especially in industry and studies on the ecological aspects of these processes; production technologies of sorbents and carbon activating agents and technologies of the utilization; rationalization of water and wastes management in the metallurgical and chemical industries in connection with removal of pollution especially dangerous to the environment from wastes; utilization technologies of refined materials (electrode cokes, binders, impregnating agents) for making electrodes, refractories and new generation construction carbon materials; production technologies of high quality bituminous and bituminous and resin coating, anti-corrosive and insulation materials; environmentally friendly utilization technologies for power station, mine and other wastes, and dedusting processes in industrial gas streams.« less

  14. Technological challenges for boosting coal production with environmental sustainability.

    PubMed

    Ghose, Mrinal K

    2009-07-01

    The global energy requirement has grown at a phenomenon rate and the consumption of primary energy sources has been a very high positive growth. This paper focuses on the consumption of different primary energy sources and it identifies that coal will continue to remain as the prime energy source in foreseeable future. It examines the energy requirement perspective for India and demand of coal as the prime energy source. Economic development and poverty alleviation depend on securing affordable energy sources and Indian coal mining industry offers a bright future for the country's energy security, provided the industry is allowed to develop by supportive government policies and adopts latest technologies for mining. It is an irony that in-spite of having a plentiful reserves, India is not able to jack up coal production to meet its current and future demand. It discusses the strategies to be adopted for growth and meeting the coal demand. But such energy are very much concerned with environmental degradation and must be driven by contemporary managerial acumen addressing environmental and social challenges effectively The paper highlights the emissions of greenhouse gases due to burning of fossil fuels and environmental consequences of global warming and sea-level rise. Technological solutions for environment friendly coal mining and environmental laws for the abatement of environmental degradation are discussed in this paper.

  15. The Australian cigarette brand as product, person, and symbol

    PubMed Central

    Carter, S

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To examine, for dominant Australian cigarette brands, brand identity (overriding brand vision), brand positioning (brand identity elements communicated to the consumer), brand image (consumers' brand perceptions) and brand equity (financial value). Design: Tobacco industry documents, articles from retail trade publications since 1990, and current brand advertising from retail trade publications were searched for information about Australian brands. Results: Cigarette manufacturers benefit from their competitors' brand equity as well as their own. The industry sees Australian smokers as far less brand loyal and strongly oriented to "low tar". A few predominantly local brands dominate the market, with variation by state. Successful Australian brands exist in one of three categories: premium, mainstream, and supervalue. Their brand identity essence is as follows. Premium: quality. Mainstream: a good humoured "fair go" for ordinary Australians. Supervalue: value for money. All supervalue brand identities also include freedom, escape, mildness, an aspirational attitude, blue tones, and waterside scenes. Brand image and brand identity is frequently congruent, even when marketing is restricted, and brand image is generally more positive for a smoker's own brand. Conclusions: Tobacco control activities have undermined cigarette brand equity. Further research is needed regarding brand loyalty, low tar, and brand categories. Smokers may respond more positively to tobacco control messages consistent with the identities of their chosen brand, and brand-as-organisation elements may assist. Further marketing restrictions should consider all elements of brand identity, and aim to undermine brand categories. PMID:14645952

  16. The Australian cigarette brand as product, person, and symbol.

    PubMed

    Carter, S M

    2003-12-01

    To examine, for dominant Australian cigarette brands, brand identity (overriding brand vision), brand positioning (brand identity elements communicated to the consumer), brand image (consumers' brand perceptions) and brand equity (financial value). Tobacco industry documents, articles from retail trade publications since 1990, and current brand advertising from retail trade publications were searched for information about Australian brands. Cigarette manufacturers benefit from their competitors' brand equity as well as their own. The industry sees Australian smokers as far less brand loyal and strongly oriented to "low tar". A few predominantly local brands dominate the market, with variation by state. Successful Australian brands exist in one of three categories: premium, mainstream, and supervalue. Their brand identity essence is as follows. Premium: quality. Mainstream: a good humoured "fair go" for ordinary Australians. Supervalue: value for money. All supervalue brand identities also include freedom, escape, mildness, an aspirational attitude, blue tones, and waterside scenes. Brand image and brand identity is frequently congruent, even when marketing is restricted, and brand image is generally more positive for a smoker's own brand. Tobacco control activities have undermined cigarette brand equity. Further research is needed regarding brand loyalty, low tar, and brand categories. Smokers may respond more positively to tobacco control messages consistent with the identities of their chosen brand, and brand-as-organisation elements may assist. Further marketing restrictions should consider all elements of brand identity, and aim to undermine brand categories.

  17. ESTIMATION OF NEAR SUBSURFACE COAL FIRE GAS EMISSIONS BASED ON GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATIONS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen-Brauchler, D.; Meyer, U.; Schlömer, S.; Kus, J.; Gundelach, V.; Wuttke, M.; Fischer, C.; Rueter, H.

    2009-12-01

    Spontaneous and industrially caused subsurface coal fires are worldwide disasters that destroy coal resources, cause air pollution and emit a large amount of green house gases. Especially in developing countries, such as China, India and Malaysia, this problem has intensified over the last 15 years. In China alone, 10 to 20 million tons of coal are believed to be lost in uncontrolled coal fires. The cooperation of developing countries and industrialized countries is needed to enforce internationally concerted approaches and political attention towards the problem. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the framework of the Kyoto Protocol may provide an international stage for financial investment needed to fight the disastrous situation. A Sino-German research project for coal fire exploration, monitoring and extinction applied several geophysical approaches in order to estimate the annual baseline especially of CO2 emissions from near subsurface coal fires. As a result of this project, we present verifiable methodologies that may be used in the CDM framework to estimate the amount of CO2 emissions from near subsurface coal fires. We developed three possibilities to approach the estimation based on (1) thermal energy release, (2) geological and geometrical determinations as well as (3) direct gas measurement. The studies involve the investigation of the physical property changes of the coal seam and bedrock during different burning stages of a underground coal fire. Various geophysical monitoring methods were applied from near surface to determine the coal volume, fire propagation, temperature anomalies, etc.

  18. Diversified management of coal enterprises in China: model selection, motivation and effect analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lyu, Jingye; Lian, Xu; Li, Penglin

    2018-01-01

    In the context of promoting the new energy revolution and economic development of the new normal, the coal industry to excess production capacity is one of the important aspects of structural reform of the supply side. The purpose of diversification of coal enterprises in China is to seize historical opportunities, create new models of development and improve operational efficiency. In the research on diversification of coal enterprises, exploring the mode selection, motivation and effect from the aspects of the industry is conducive to the realization of the smooth replacement and the sustainable development of enterprises, to further enrich the strategic management of coal enterprises, to provide effective reference for the formulation of enterprise management decision-making and implementation of diversification strategy.

  19. Advanced coal-fueled industrial cogeneration gas turbine system particle removal system development

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stephenson, M.

    1994-03-01

    Solar Turbines developed a direct coal-fueled turbine system (DCFT) and tested each component in subscale facilities and the combustion system was tested at full-scale. The combustion system was comprised of a two-stage slagging combustor with an impact separator between the two combustors. Greater than 90 percent of the native ash in the coal was removed as liquid slag with this system. In the first combustor, coal water slurry mixture (CWM) was injected into a combustion chamber which was operated loan to suppress NO{sub x} formation. The slurry was introduced through four fuel injectors that created a toroidal vortex because ofmore » the combustor geometry and angle of orientation of the injectors. The liquid slag that was formed was directed downward toward an impaction plate made of a refractory material. Sixty to seventy percent of the coal-borne ash was collected in this fashion. An impact separator was used to remove additional slag that had escaped the primary combustor. The combined particulate collection efficiency from both combustors was above 95 percent. Unfortunately, a great deal of the original sulfur from the coal still remained in the gas stream and needed to be separated. To accomplish this, dolomite or hydrated lime were injected in the secondary combustor to react with the sulfur dioxide and form calcium sulfite and sulfates. This solution for the sulfur problem increased the dust concentrations to as much as 6000 ppmw. A downstream particulate control system was required, and one that could operate at 150 psia, 1850-1900{degrees}F and with low pressure drop. Solar designed and tested a particulate rejection system to remove essentially all particulate from the high temperature, high pressure gas stream. A thorough research and development program was aimed at identifying candidate technologies and testing them with Solar`s coal-fired system. This topical report summarizes these activities over a period beginning in 1987 and ending in 1992.« less

  20. Life and Death in Australian "Heartlands": Pastoralism, Ecology and Rethinking the Outback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gill, Nicholas

    2005-01-01

    Australian outback mythology is frequently invoked in attempts to unify Australians and smooth over differences. This is accomplished by appeals to shared heritage and shared cultural and economic interests. To a significant extent outback mythology is associated with the extensive grazing industries of the inland and north of Australia. Through…

  1. Injury experience in coal mining, 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reich, R.B.; Hugler, E.C.

    1994-05-01

    This Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) informational report reviews in detail the occupational injury and illness experience of coal mining in the United States for 1992. Data reported by operators of mining establishments concerning work injuries are summarized by work location, accident classification, part of body injured, nature of injury, occupation, and anthracite or bituminous coal. Related information on employment, worktime, and operating activity also is presented. Data reported by independent contractors performing certain work at mining locations are depicted separately in this report. For ease of comparison between coal mining and the metal and nonmetal mineral mining industries,more » summary reference tabulations are included at the end of both the operator and the contractor sections of this report.« less

  2. Injury experience in coal mining, 1990

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    1991-01-01

    This Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) informational report reviews in detail the occupational injury and illness experience of coal mining in the United States for 1990. Data reported by operators of mining establishments concerning work injuries are summarized by work location, accident classification, part of body injured, nature of injury, occupation, and anthracite or bituminous coal. Related information on employment, worktime, and operating activity also is presented. Data reported by independent contractors performing certain work at mining locations are depicted separately in this report. For ease of comparison between coal mining and the metal and nonmetal mineral mining industries,more » summary reference tabulations are included at the end of both the operator and the contractor sections of this report.« less

  3. Assessment of global industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic contamination.

    PubMed

    Han, Fengxiang X; Su, Yi; Monts, David L; Plodinec, M John; Banin, Amos; Triplett, Glover E

    2003-09-01

    Arsenic, a carcinogenic trace element, threatens not only the health of millions of humans and other living organisms, but also global sustainability. We present here, for the first time, the global industrial-age cumulative anthropogenic arsenic production and its potential accumulation and risks in the environment. In 2000, the world cumulative industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic production was 4.53 million tonnes. The world-wide coal and petroleum industries accounted for 46% of global annual gross arsenic production, and their overall contribution to industrial-age gross arsenic production was 27% in 2000. Global industrial-age anthropogenic As sources (as As cumulative production) follow the order: As mining production>As generated from coal>As generated from petroleum. The potential industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic input in world arable surface in 2000 was 2.18 mg arsenic kg(-1), which is 1.2 times that in the lithosphere. The development of substitute materials for arsenic applications in the agricultural and forestry industries and controls of arsenic emissions from the coal industry may be possible strategies to significantly decrease arsenic pollution sources and dissipation rates into the environment.

  4. Demographics of Australian horses: results from an internet-based survey.

    PubMed

    Smyth, G B; Dagley, K

    2016-03-01

    To obtain information on the types of Australian horses, how they are kept and their activities. An invitation to participate in an opt-in, internet-based survey was sent to 7000 people who had registered an email address to receive information from the Australian Horse Industry Council Inc. There were 3377 (48%) useable responses from owners of 26,548 horses. Most horses were kept on small properties (usually 2-8 ha) in paddocks in rural areas of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Most horses were female or geldings and the most common of 54 different activities was breeding. Owners reported 19,291 horses were used in different activities and 6037 (23%) horses were not kept for any stated purpose or activity. Owners used an average of 1.95 horses in 2.9 different types of activities. The most common of the 43 breeds were Thoroughbred, Australian Stock Horse and Australian Quarter Horse. Only 1% of the total numbers of Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds in this survey were used in horse racing, indicating there is a demand for these breeds in non-racing activities. Microchip was the most favoured method of horse identification and 36% favoured compulsory registration of horses. Most respondents reported owning some other animal species. There is a wide variation in horse breeds used in different activities by Australian horse owners. There are regional differences in various management systems. There needs to be considerable improvement in the collection and recording of information to improve the validity and reliability of horse industry data. © 2016 Australian Veterinary Association.

  5. Skills Gaps in Australian Firms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindorff, Margaret

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a survey of more than 2000 managers examining perceptions of skills gaps in a range of Australian firms. It finds that three quarters report a skills gap, and almost one third report skills gaps across the whole organisation. Firm size and industry differences exist in perceptions of the effect of the skills gap…

  6. Coal-to-liquids bill introduced in the Senate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Buchsbaum, L.

    2006-06-15

    Of immense importance to the coal industry is the announcement, on 7 June 2006 by US Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Jim Bunning (R-KY) of S.3325, the 'Coal-to-Liquid Fund Promotion Act of 2006'. This legislation creates tax incentives for coal-to-liquids (CTL) technologies and construction of CTL plants. If passed, this will create the infrastructure needed to make CTL a viable energy resource throughout America. The article gives comment and background to this proposed legislation. Illinois Basin coal is well suited for CTL because of its high Btu content. If Sasol constructs a proposed plant in Illinois it would increase coalmore » production in the state by 10 mt. 1 fig.« less

  7. An Industrial-Based Consortium to Develop Premium Carbon Products from Coal, Annual Progress Report, October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Bruce G

    2006-09-29

    Since 1998, The Pennsylvania State University has been successfully managing the Consortium for Premium Carbon Products from Coal (CPCPC), which is a vehicle for industry-driven research on the promotion, development, and transfer of innovative technology on premium carbon produces from coal to the U.S. industry. The CPCPC is an initiative being led by Penn State, its co-charter member West Virginia University (WVU), and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), who also provides the base funding for the program, with Penn State responsible for consortium management. CPCPC began in 1998 under DOE Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-98FT40350.more » This agreement ended November 2004 but the CPCPC activity has continued under the present cooperative agreement, No. DE-FC26-03NT41874, which started October 1, 2003. The objective of the second agreement is to continue the successful operation of the CPCPC. The CPCPC has enjoyed tremendous success with its organizational structure, that includes Penn State and WVU as charter members, numerous industrial affiliate members, and strategic university affiliate members together with NETL, forming a vibrant and creative team for innovative research in the area of transforming coal to carbon products. The key aspect of CPCPC is its industry-led council that selects proposals submitted by CPCPC members to ensure CPCPC target areas have strong industrial support. Base funding for the selected projects is provided by NETL with matching funds from industry. At the annual funding meeting held in October 2003, ten projects were selected for funding. Subcontracts were let from Penn State to the subcontractors on March 1, 2004. Nine of the ten 2004 projects were completed during the previous annual reporting period and their final reports were submitted with the previous annual report (i.e., 10/01/04-09/30/05). The final report for the remaining project, which was submitted during this

  8. Quarterly coal report, October--December 1994

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1995-05-23

    The Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides comprehensive information about US coal production, distribution, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, and stocks to a wide audience, including Congress, Federal and State agencies, the coal industry, and the general public. Coke production, consumption, distribution, imports, and exports data are also provided. The data presented in the QCR are collected and published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to fulfill data collection and dissemination responsibilities as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275), as amended. This report presents detailed quarterly data for October through December 1994 and aggregated quarterlymore » historical data for 1986 through the third quarter of 1994. Appendix A displays, from 1986 on, detailed quarterly historical coal imports data, as specified in Section 202 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Amendments Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-58). Appendix B gives selected quarterly tables converted to metric tons.« less

  9. Status of H-Coal commercial activities. [Kentucky

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hicks, H.N. Jr.

    1981-01-01

    The H-Coal process is a development of Hydrocarbon Research, Inc. (HRI). It converts coal by catalytic hydrogenation to substitutes for petroleum ranging from a low sulfur fuel oil to an all distillate synthetic crude, the latter representing a potential source of raw material for the petrochemical industry. The process is a related application to HRI's H-Oil process which is used commercially for the desulfurization of residual oils from crude oil refining. A large scale pilot plant was constructed at Catlettsburg, Kentucky that is designed to process 200 to 600 TPD of coal. The paper includes an update on the keymore » activities associated with the Breckinridge Project: Pilot Plant H-Coal at Catlettsburg, Kentucky; commercial design activities in Houston; and permit and EIS activities for the Addison, Kentucky plant site.« less

  10. Observations on the Occupational Life History of the Coal Face Worker at Two Collieries

    PubMed Central

    Edmonds, O. P.; Kerr, D. S.

    1960-01-01

    Coal-face work is well known to be arduous and dangerous; it is performed in an unnatural environment even where conditions are good. Few men can continue this work until the age of retirement. They usually seek alternative employment either outside the industry or within the other major occupational groups at a colliery. The latter comprise the surface workers and those employed underground other than at the coal-face. This paper is concerned with those who stay within the industry. From a study of 73 workers who left the coal-face at two collieries, it indicates (1) the extent to which migration to alternative employment occurs each year, and (2) the resultant distribution of ex coal-face workers among these other occupational groups. The length of effective working life of the coal-miner on the coal-face, the reasons which precipitate his leaving it, and the type of work which he is able to do are also described. This information is of economic importance but it is mainly of value in assessing the effects of coal-face work upon the health of the coal-miner. PMID:13819356

  11. Influence of high-energy impact on the physical and technical characteristics of coal fuels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mal'tsev, L. I.; Belogurova, T. P.; Kravchenko, I. V.

    2017-08-01

    Currently, in the world's large-scale coal-fired power industry, the combustion of pulverized coal is the most widely spread technology of combusting the coals. In recent years, the micropulverization technology for preparation and combustion of the coal has been developed in this field. As applied to the small-scale power industry, the method of combusting the coal in the form of a coal-water slurry has been explored for years. Fine coal powders are produced and used in the pulverized-coal gasification. Therefore, the coal preparation methods that involve high-dispersion disintegration of coals attract the greatest interest. The article deals with the problems of high-energy impact on the coal during the preparation of pulverized-coal fuels and coal-water slurries, in particular, during the milling of the coal in ball drum mills and the subsequent regrinding in disintegrators or the cavitation treatment of the coal-water slurries. The investigations were conducted using samples of anthracite and lignite from Belovskii open-pit mine (Kuznetsk Basin). It is shown that both the disintegration and the cavitation treatment are efficient methods for controlling the fuel characteristics. Both methods allow increasing the degree of dispersion of the coal. The content of the small-sized particles reground by cavitation considerably exceeds the similar figure obtained using the disintegrator. The specific surface area of the coal is increased by both cavitation and disintegration with the cavitation treatment producing a considerably greater effect. Being subjected to the cavitation treatment, most coal particles assume the form of a split characterized by the thermodynamically nonequilibrium state. Under external action, in particular, of temperature, the morphological structure of such pulverized materials changes faster and, consequently, the combustion of the treated coal should occur more efficiently. The obtained results are explained from the physical point of view.

  12. Pelletizing/reslurrying as a means of distributing and firing clean coal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Conkle, H.N.; Raghavan, J.K.; Smit, F.J.

    1991-11-21

    The objective of this study is to develop technology that permits the practical and economic preparation, storage, handling, and transportation of coal pellets, which can be reslurried into Coal water fuels (CWF) suitable for firing in small- and medium-size commercial and industrial boilers, furnaces, and engines. The project includes preparing coal pellets and capsules from wet filter cake that can be economically stored, handled, transported, and reslurried into a CWF that can be suitably atomized and fired at the user site. The wet cakes studied were prepared from ultra-fine (95% -325 mesh) coal beneficiated by advanced froth-flotation techniques. The coalsmore » studied included two eastern bituminous coals, one from Virginia (Elkhorn) and one from Illinois (Illinois No. 6) and one western bituminous coal from Utah (Sky Line coal).« less

  13. Coal-Gen attendees hear there's no magic bullet

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    2007-09-15

    Those attending COAL-GEN 2007 in August heard that there is no magic bullet for meeting the energy and infrastructure needs facing the USA. The article reports on the conference which addressed topics including development of supercritical circulating fluidized bed coal unit; IGCC projects, the importance of including carbon capture and sequestration, and the need to attract and train personnel to work in the power industry. 3 photos.

  14. Development and testing of synthetic riprap constructed from coal combustion products (CCPs).

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-07-01

    Even with an increase in the amount of coal combustion products (CCPs) used in concrete con-struction, soil stabilization, and other : applications, the coal power industry must dispose of a sig-nificant amount of fly ash and bottom ash. One potentia...

  15. Technological Change and Its Labor Impact in Five Energy Industries. Coal Mining/Oil and Gas Extraction/Petroleum Refining/Petroleum Pipeline Transportation/Electric and Gas Utilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bureau of Labor Statistics (DOL), Washington, DC.

    This bulletin appraises major technological changes emerging in five American industries (coal mining, oil and gas extraction, petroleum refining, petroleum pipeline transportation, and electric and gas utilities) and discusses the impact of these changes on productivity and occupations over the next five to ten years. Its separate reports on each…

  16. The Australian Way: Competency-Based Training in the Corporate Sector.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kellie, Deborah

    1999-01-01

    Examples from road construction, mining, and other Australian industries show that the corporate sector has responded slowly to the introduction of a national framework for competency-based training. As industry bears more of the costs of training, it has yet to see returns in terms of productivity gains. (SK)

  17. Create a Consortium and Develop Premium Carbon Products from Coal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Frank Rusinko; John Andresen; Jennifer E. Hill

    2006-01-01

    The objective of these projects was to investigate alternative technologies for non-fuel uses of coal. Special emphasis was placed on developing premium carbon products from coal-derived feedstocks. A total of 14 projects, which are the 2003 Research Projects, are reported herein. These projects were categorized into three overall objectives. They are: (1) To explore new applications for the use of anthracite in order to improve its marketability; (2) To effectively minimize environmental damage caused by mercury emissions, CO{sub 2} emissions, and coal impounds; and (3) To continue to increase our understanding of coal properties and establish coal usage in non-fuelmore » industries. Research was completed in laboratories throughout the United States. Most research was performed on a bench-scale level with the intent of scaling up if preliminary tests proved successful. These projects resulted in many potential applications for coal-derived feedstocks. These include: (1) Use of anthracite as a sorbent to capture CO{sub 2} emissions; (2) Use of anthracite-based carbon as a catalyst; (3) Use of processed anthracite in carbon electrodes and carbon black; (4) Use of raw coal refuse for producing activated carbon; (5) Reusable PACs to recycle captured mercury; (6) Use of combustion and gasification chars to capture mercury from coal-fired power plants; (7) Development of a synthetic coal tar enamel; (8) Use of alternative binder pitches in aluminum anodes; (9) Use of Solvent Extracted Carbon Ore (SECO) to fuel a carbon fuel cell; (10) Production of a low cost coal-derived turbostratic carbon powder for structural applications; (11) Production of high-value carbon fibers and foams via the co-processing of a low-cost coal extract pitch with well-dispersed carbon nanotubes; (12) Use of carbon from fly ash as metallurgical carbon; (13) Production of bulk carbon fiber for concrete reinforcement; and (14) Characterizing coal solvent extraction processes. Although some of

  18. Nanominerals, fullerene aggregates, and hazardous elements in coal and coal combustion-generated aerosols: An environmental and toxicological assessment.

    PubMed

    Saikia, Jyotilima; Narzary, Bardwi; Roy, Sonali; Bordoloi, Manobjyoti; Saikia, Prasenjit; Saikia, Binoy K

    2016-12-01

    Studies on coal-derived nanoparticles as well as nano-minerals are important in the context of the human health and the environment. The coal combustion-generated aerosols also affect human health and environmental quality aspects in any coal-fired station. In this study, the feed coals and their combustion-generated aerosols from coal-fired boilers of two tea industry facilities were investigated for the presence of nanoparticles/nano minerals, fullerene aggregates, and potentially hazardous elements (PHEs). The samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS), High resolution-transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (HR-TEM/EDS) and Ultra Violet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) to know their extent of environmental risks to the human health when present in coals and aerosols. The feed coals contain mainly clay minerals, whilst glass fragments, spinel, quartz, and other minerals occur in lesser quantities. The PM samples contain potentially hazardous elements (PHEs) like As, Pb, Cd and Hg. Enrichment factor of the trace elements in particulate matters (PMs) was calculated to determine their sources. The aerosol samples were also found to contain nanomaterials and ultrafine particles. The fullerene aggregates along with potentially hazardous elements were also detected in the aerosol samples. The cytotoxicity studies on the coal combustion-generated PM samples show their potential risk to the human health. This detailed investigation on the inter-relationship between the feed coals and their aerosol chemistry will be useful for understanding the extent of environmental hazards and related human health risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Trends in added sugar supply and consumption in Australia: there is an Australian Paradox

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    In 2011, Barclay and Brand-Miller reported the observation that trends in refined sugar consumption in Australia were the inverse of trends in overweight and obesity (The Australian Paradox). Rikkers et al. claim that the Australian Paradox is based on incomplete data because the sources utilised did not incorporate estimates for imported processed foods. This assertion is incorrect. Indeed, national nutrition surveys, sugar consumption data from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian beverage industry data all incorporated data on imported products. PMID:24079329

  20. Trends in added sugar supply and consumption in Australia: there is an Australian Paradox.

    PubMed

    Barclay, Alan W; Brand-Miller, Jennie C

    2013-09-30

    In 2011, Barclay and Brand-Miller reported the observation that trends in refined sugar consumption in Australia were the inverse of trends in overweight and obesity (The Australian Paradox). Rikkers et al. claim that the Australian Paradox is based on incomplete data because the sources utilised did not incorporate estimates for imported processed foods. This assertion is incorrect. Indeed, national nutrition surveys, sugar consumption data from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian beverage industry data all incorporated data on imported products.

  1. Estimation of quantitative levels of diesel exhaust exposure and the health impact in the contemporary Australian mining industry.

    PubMed

    Peters, Susan; de Klerk, Nicholas; Reid, Alison; Fritschi, Lin; Musk, Aw Bill; Vermeulen, Roel

    2017-03-01

    To estimate quantitative levels of exposure to diesel exhaust expressed by elemental carbon (EC) in the contemporary mining industry and to describe the excess risk of lung cancer that may result from those levels. EC exposure has been monitored in Western Australian miners since 2003. Mixed-effects models were used to estimate EC levels for five surface and five underground occupation groups (as a fixed effect) and specific jobs within each group (as a random effect). Further fixed effects included sampling year and duration, and mineral mined. On the basis of published risk functions, we estimated excess lifetime risk of lung cancer mortality for several employment scenarios. Personal EC measurements (n=8614) were available for 146 different jobs at 124 mine sites. The mean estimated EC exposure level for surface occupations in 2011 was 14 µg/m 3 for 12 hour shifts. Levels for underground occupation groups ranged from 18 to 44 µg/m 3 . Underground diesel loader operators had the highest exposed specific job: 59 µg/m 3 . A lifetime career (45 years) as a surface worker or underground miner, experiencing exposure levels as estimated for 2011 (14 and 44 µg/m 3 EC), was associated with 5.5 and 38 extra lung cancer deaths per 1000 males, respectively. EC exposure levels in the contemporary Australian mining industry are still substantial, particularly for underground workers. The estimated excess numbers of lung cancer deaths associated with these exposures support the need for implementation of stringent occupational exposure limits for diesel exhaust. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  2. Translating science into the next generation meat quality program for Australian lamb.

    PubMed

    Pethick, D W; Ball, A J; Banks, R G; Gardner, G E; Rowe, J B; Jacob, R H

    2014-02-01

    This paper introduces a series of papers in the form of a special edition that reports phenotypic analyses done in parallel with genotypic analyses for the Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre (Sheep CRC) using data generated from the information nucleus flock (INF). This has allowed new knowledge to be gained of the genetic, environment and management factors that impact on the carcase and eating quality, visual appeal, odour and health attributes of Australian lamb meat. The research described involved close collaboration with commercial partners across the supply chain in the sire breeding as well as the meat processing industries. This approach has enabled timely delivery and adoption of research results to industry in an unprecedented way and provides a good model for future research. © 2013.

  3. An Australian study to evaluate worker exposure to chrysotile in the automotive service industry.

    PubMed

    Yeung, P; Patience, K; Apthorpe, L; Willcocks, D

    1999-07-01

    A study was conducted in Sydney, Australia, in 1996 to investigate the current exposure levels, control technologies, and work practices in five service garages (four car and one bus), three brake bonding workshops, and one gasket processing workshop. This study formed part of the assessment of chrysotile as a priority existing chemical under the Australian National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme. A total of 68 (11 personal and 57 area) air samples were collected, in accordance with the Australian standard membrane filter method. Fiber concentrations were determined by the traditional phase contrast microscopy (PCM) method and 16 selected samples were analyzed by the more powerful transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Chrysotile exposure of car mechanics measured by PCM was typically below the reportable detection limit of 0.05 f/mL, irrespective of whether disc brake, drum brake, or clutch was being serviced. These low levels can be attributed to the wet cleaning or aerosol spray methods used in recent years to replace the traditional compressed air jet cleaning. In the three brake shoe relining workshops, task-specific exposure reached up to 0.16 f/mL in the processes of cutting and radius grinding. TEM results were generally higher, due to its higher resolution power. The median diameter on samples taken from the service garages (passenger cars), as determined by TEM, was 0.5-1.0 micron; and was between 0.2-0.5 micron for the brake bonding and gasket processing workshops, while that for the bus service depot was 0.1-0.2 micron. Most of the respirable fibers (84%, mainly forsterite) from the bus service depot were below 0.2 micron in diameter which is the resolution limit of PCM. In the brake bonding and gasket cutting workshops, 34 percent and 44 percent of the chrysotile fibers were below 0.2 micron in diameter.

  4. Connecting with Industry: Bridging the Divide

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berman, Judith

    2008-01-01

    The shifting funding climate in Australian higher education encourages universities to enter into research partnerships with industry. Yet, studies of industries' experiences of their research links with universities are rare. Consequently, research managers often find themselves attempting to promote and facilitate industry engagement with…

  5. Size distribution of rare earth elements in coal ash

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Scott, Clinton T.; Deonarine, Amrika; Kolker, Allan; Adams, Monique; Holland, James F.

    2015-01-01

    Rare earth elements (REEs) are utilized in various applications that are vital to the automotive, petrochemical, medical, and information technology industries. As world demand for REEs increases, critical shortages are expected. Due to the retention of REEs during coal combustion, coal fly ash is increasingly considered a potential resource. Previous studies have demonstrated that coal fly ash is variably enriched in REEs relative to feed coal (e.g, Seredin and Dai, 2012) and that enrichment increases with decreasing size fractions (Blissett et al., 2014). In order to further explore the REE resource potential of coal ash, and determine the partitioning behavior of REE as a function of grain size, we studied whole coal and fly ash size-fractions collected from three U.S commercial-scale coal-fired generating stations burning Appalachian or Powder River Basin coal. Whole fly ash was separated into , 5 um, to 5 to 10 um and 10 to 100 um particle size fractions by mechanical shaking using trace-metal clean procedures. In these samples REE enrichments in whole fly ash ranges 5.6 to 18.5 times that of feedcoals. Partitioning results for size separates relative to whole coal and whole fly ash will also be reported. 

  6. Study on test of coal co-firing for 600MW ultra supercritical boiler with four walls tangential burning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ying, Wu; Yong-lu, Zhong; Guo-mingi, Yin

    2018-06-01

    On account of nine commonly used coals in a Jiangxi Power Plant,two kinds of coal were selected to be applied in coal co-firing test through industrial analysis,elementary analysis and thermogravimetric analysis of coal.During the coal co-firing test,two load points were selected,three coal mixtures were prepared.Moreover,under each coal blending scheme, the optimal oxygen content was obtained by oxygen varying test. At last,by measuring the boiler efficiency and coal consumption of power supply in different coal co-firing schemes, the recommended coal co-firing scheme was obtained.

  7. The Australian tar derby: the origins and fate of a low tar harm reduction programme

    PubMed Central

    King, W; Carter, S; Borland, R; Chapman, S; Gray, N

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To document the development of the low tar harm reduction programme in Australia, including tobacco industry responses. Data sources: Tobacco industry documents, retail tobacco journals, newspapers, medical journals, and Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria (ACCV) newsletters and archival records. Study selection: Documents on the strategies and knowledge bases of the ACCV, other Australian health authorities, and the tobacco industry. Results: The ACCV built a durable system for measuring and publicising the tar and nicotine yields of Australian cigarettes and influencing their development. The tobacco industry initially sought to block the development of this system but later appeared to cooperate with it, as is evidenced by the current market dominance of low tar brands. However, behind the scenes, the industry used its substantial knowledge advantage regarding compensatory smoking and its ability to re-engineer cigarettes to gain effective control of the system and subvert the ACCV's objectives. Conclusions: Replacement of the low tar programme with new means of minimising the harms from cigarette smoking should be a policy priority for the Australian government. This will require regulation, rather than further voluntary agreements, and stringent monitoring of successor programmes will be necessary. PMID:14645950

  8. VET Research for Industry. Conference Paper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karmel, Tom

    2012-01-01

    This paper was a keynote address at the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) conference held in Canberra in April 2012. The author notes that industry is arguably the key stakeholder in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector, but is not a single actor nor a disinterested consumer of…

  9. National coal resource investigations of the United States Geological Survey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wood, Gordon H.

    1977-01-01

    The objective of this report is to provide a record of some of the goals and accomplishments of the coal resource investigations of the U. S. Geological Survey for 1977. Successful completion of these goals will aid the Nation in the years ahead because proper usage of coal resource data may lessen economic displacements resulting from the energy shortage.This report is concerned only with one mineral fuel -- coal -- and only with coal resource investigations in the Geologic Division of the U. S. Geological Survey. Other divisions involved with coal or coal-related work are the Conservation, Water Resources, and Topographic Divisions. It is one of a series of reports on the energy resource studies conducted by the Geological Survey that provide a public record of the objectives, activities, and accomplishments of these programs. Similar reports have been prepared on oil and gas, oil shale, uranium, thorium, and energy-related industrial minerals.This report includes descriptions of the program, each sub-element of the program, individual projects, and a selected list of program publications from 1970-76. It also describes how the program is responsive to Presidential pronouncements and Congressional mandates. The program is cooperative with several Federal bureaus, many state agencies, universities, and industry. This coordination assures that the program supplements the work of these interested groups and is not duplicative.A scientific program such as the coal resource investigations is difficult for the non-involved person to understand solely from the existing reports on various studies made in the program. This report provides an explanation that the scientist, decision maker, personnel of other government agencies, and the layman can use to relate various activities and to gain a better understanding of the relation of coal to the Nation's requirements for energy and of the importance of a carefully planned program on this energy resource.

  10. Recycling of coal combustion wastes.

    PubMed

    Oz, Derya; Koca, Sabina; Koca, Huseyin

    2009-05-01

    The separation of unburned carbon from coal-fired power plant bottom ashes was conducted in order to increase the possibility of the recycling of coal combustion wastes. A two-stage flotation technique was used for this study. In the rougher flotation experiments the amounts of collector, dispersant and frother, pulp density, pH, particle size distribution, flotation time and flotation temperature were tested as variables. After rougher flotation experiments, at optimum conditions, the carbon content of the concentrate increased from 13.85 to 51.54% at a carbon recovery of 54.54%. Under the same conditions, the carbon content was reduced to 4.54% at a weight yield of over 80% in the tailings fraction. This fraction meets the industrial specifications and can be utilized as a cement additive. After the cleaner flotation experiment the carbon content of the product was enhanced to 64.81% with a 52.16% carbon recovery. This fraction can be blended back into the coal feed to the power plant boilers.

  11. Geochemical database of feed coal and coal combustion products (CCPs) from five power plants in the United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Affolter, Ronald H.; Groves, Steve; Betterton, William J.; William, Benzel; Conrad, Kelly L.; Swanson, Sharon M.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Clough, James G.; Belkin, Harvey E.; Kolker, Allan; Hower, James C.

    2011-01-01

    The principal mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Resources Program (ERP) is to (1) understand the processes critical to the formation, accumulation, occurrence, and alteration of geologically based energy resources; (2) conduct scientifically robust assessments of those resources; and (3) study the impacts of energy resource occurrence and (or) their production and use on both the environment and human health. The ERP promotes and supports research resulting in original, geology-based, non-biased energy information products for policy and decision makers, land and resource managers, other Federal and State agencies, the domestic energy industry, foreign governments, non-governmental groups, and academia. Investigations include research on the geology of oil, gas, and coal, and the impacts associated with energy resource occurrence, production, quality, and utilization. The ERP's focus on coal is to support investigations into current issues pertaining to coal production, beneficiation and (or) conversion, and the environmental impact of the coal combustion process and coal combustion products (CCPs). To accomplish these studies, the USGS combines its activities with other organizations to address domestic and international issues that relate to the development and use of energy resources.

  12. Simulated coal spill causes mortality and growth inhibition in tropical marine organisms

    PubMed Central

    Berry, Kathryn L. E.; Hoogenboom, Mia O.; Flores, Florita; Negri, Andrew P.

    2016-01-01

    Coal is a principal fossil fuel driving economic and social development, and increases in global coal shipments have paralleled expansion of the industry. To identify the potential harm associated with chronic marine coal contamination, three taxa abundant in tropical marine ecosystems (the coral Acropora tenuis, the reef fish Acanthochromis polyacanthus and the seagrass Halodule uninervis) were exposed to five concentrations (0–275 mg coal l−1) of suspended coal dust (<63 μm) over 28 d. Results demonstrate that chronic coal exposure can cause considerable lethal effects on corals, and reductions in seagrass and fish growth rates. Coral survivorship and seagrass growth rates were inversely related to increasing coal concentrations (≥38 mg coal l−1) and effects increased between 14 and 28 d, whereas fish growth rates were similarly depressed at all coal concentrations tested. This investigation provides novel insights into direct coal impacts on key tropical taxa for application in the assessment of risks posed by increasing coal shipments in globally threatened marine ecosystems. PMID:27174014

  13. Simulated coal spill causes mortality and growth inhibition in tropical marine organisms.

    PubMed

    Berry, Kathryn L E; Hoogenboom, Mia O; Flores, Florita; Negri, Andrew P

    2016-05-13

    Coal is a principal fossil fuel driving economic and social development, and increases in global coal shipments have paralleled expansion of the industry. To identify the potential harm associated with chronic marine coal contamination, three taxa abundant in tropical marine ecosystems (the coral Acropora tenuis, the reef fish Acanthochromis polyacanthus and the seagrass Halodule uninervis) were exposed to five concentrations (0-275 mg coal l(-1)) of suspended coal dust (<63 μm) over 28 d. Results demonstrate that chronic coal exposure can cause considerable lethal effects on corals, and reductions in seagrass and fish growth rates. Coral survivorship and seagrass growth rates were inversely related to increasing coal concentrations (≥38 mg coal l(-1)) and effects increased between 14 and 28 d, whereas fish growth rates were similarly depressed at all coal concentrations tested. This investigation provides novel insights into direct coal impacts on key tropical taxa for application in the assessment of risks posed by increasing coal shipments in globally threatened marine ecosystems.

  14. Simulated coal spill causes mortality and growth inhibition in tropical marine organisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berry, Kathryn L. E.; Hoogenboom, Mia O.; Flores, Florita; Negri, Andrew P.

    2016-05-01

    Coal is a principal fossil fuel driving economic and social development, and increases in global coal shipments have paralleled expansion of the industry. To identify the potential harm associated with chronic marine coal contamination, three taxa abundant in tropical marine ecosystems (the coral Acropora tenuis, the reef fish Acanthochromis polyacanthus and the seagrass Halodule uninervis) were exposed to five concentrations (0-275 mg coal l-1) of suspended coal dust (<63 μm) over 28 d. Results demonstrate that chronic coal exposure can cause considerable lethal effects on corals, and reductions in seagrass and fish growth rates. Coral survivorship and seagrass growth rates were inversely related to increasing coal concentrations (≥38 mg coal l-1) and effects increased between 14 and 28 d, whereas fish growth rates were similarly depressed at all coal concentrations tested. This investigation provides novel insights into direct coal impacts on key tropical taxa for application in the assessment of risks posed by increasing coal shipments in globally threatened marine ecosystems.

  15. Full cost accounting for the life cycle of coal.

    PubMed

    Epstein, Paul R; Buonocore, Jonathan J; Eckerle, Kevin; Hendryx, Michael; Stout Iii, Benjamin M; Heinberg, Richard; Clapp, Richard W; May, Beverly; Reinhart, Nancy L; Ahern, Melissa M; Doshi, Samir K; Glustrom, Leslie

    2011-02-01

    Each stage in the life cycle of coal-extraction, transport, processing, and combustion-generates a waste stream and carries multiple hazards for health and the environment. These costs are external to the coal industry and are thus often considered "externalities." We estimate that the life cycle effects of coal and the waste stream generated are costing the U.S. public a third to over one-half of a trillion dollars annually. Many of these so-called externalities are, moreover, cumulative. Accounting for the damages conservatively doubles to triples the price of electricity from coal per kWh generated, making wind, solar, and other forms of nonfossil fuel power generation, along with investments in efficiency and electricity conservation methods, economically competitive. We focus on Appalachia, though coal is mined in other regions of the United States and is burned throughout the world. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

  16. Depletion of Appalachian coal reserves - how soon?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Milici, R.C.

    2000-01-01

    Much of the coal consumed in the US since the end of the last century has been produced from the Pennsylvanian strata of the Appalachian basin. Even though quantities mined in the past are less than they are today, this basin yielded from 70% to 80% of the nation's annual coal production from the end of the last century until the early 1970s. During the last 25 years, the proportion of the nation's coal that was produced annually from the Appalachian basin has declined markedly, and today it is only about 40% of the total. The amount of coal produced annually in the Appalachian basin, however, has been rising slowly over the last several decades, and has ranged generally from 400 to 500 million tons (Mt) per year. A large proportion of Appalachian historical production has come from relatively few counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, northern and southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, Virginia and Alabama. Many of these counties are decades past their years of peak production and several are almost depleted of economic deposits of coal. Because the current major consumer of Appalachian coal is the electric power industry, coal quality, especially sulfur content, has a great impact on its marketability. High-sulfur coal deposits in western Pennsylvania and Ohio are in low demand when compared with the lower sulfur coals of Virginia and southern West Virginia. Only five counties in the basin that have produced 500 Mt or more exhibit increasing rates of production at relatively high levels. Of these, six are in the central part of the basin and only one, Greene County, Pennsylvania, is in the northern part of the basin. Decline rate models, based on production decline rates and the decline rate of the estimated, 'potential' reserve, indicate that Appalachian basin annual coal production will be 200 Mt or less by the middle of the next century. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.Much of the coal consumed in the US since the end of the last century has been produced

  17. Case cluster of pneumoconiosis at a coal slag processing facility.

    PubMed

    Fagan, Kathleen M; Cropsey, Erin B; Armstrong, Jenna L

    2015-05-01

    During an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of a small coal slag processing plant with 12 current workers, four cases of pneumoconiosis were identified among former workers. The OSHA investigation consisted of industrial hygiene sampling, a review of medical records, and case interviews. Some personal sampling measurements exceeded the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for total dust exposures of 15 mg/m(3), and the measured respirable silica exposure of 0.043 mg/m(3), although below OSHA's current PEL for respirable dust containing silica, was above the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' Threshold Limit Value (TLV). Chest x-rays for all four workers identified small opacities consistent with pneumoconiosis. This is the first known report of lung disease in workers processing coal slag and raises concerns for workers exposed to coal slag dust. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Calcium chloride: A new solution for frozen coal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boley, D.G.

    Few situations can strike more terror into the hearts of utility and industrial powerplant managers than the arrival of hopper cars loaded with solidly frozen coal. If the cars aren't emptied and returned to the railroad, usually within about 48 hours, demurrage (the equipment-detention charge) begins and can quickly rise to $50 or more per day per car. All to frequently, the hasty solution is to assign $16/hr workers the task of manually breaking up the frozen coal, using techniques that the mining industry considered obsolete 50 years ago. A CaCl/sub 2/ system represents a small investment. Either in drymore » or liquid form, the chemical is inexpensive and is consumed only when it is needed. The essential equipment, which is easy to operate and maintain, consists primarily of a storage tank, a pump, the necessary piping or hose, and either a fixed or portable spray applicator. A flowmeter will monitor the application rate, and the tank may be optionally heated. Application cost, including labor, for CaCl/sub 2/ is usually between $2.65 and $3.25 per treated ton. This is approximately half the cost of energy, per ton of coal, consumed by a thaw shed. In an emergency, when railcar demurrage costs are building at $50 or more per day per car, CaCl/sub 2/ is not only an inexpensive solution; it is possibly the only practical answer to the frozen-coal problem (see box, below). When used by itself, CaCl/sub 2/ minimizes the cost and frustration of unloading frozen coal because labor, equipment, chemical, energy, and maintenance costs are all held in tight control. When used to complement mechanical and/or thermal techniques, it increases unloading capacity, thereby improving productivity and helping to control all costs of cold-weather coal handling.« less

  19. Statutory complexity disguises agency capture in Citizens Coal Council v. EPA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mullen, R.

    2007-07-01

    In Citizens Coal Council v. EPA, an en banc panel for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals considered a challenge to EPA regulations promulgated pursuant to the Clean Water Act (CWA). The EPA promulgated the regulations in an attempt to incentivize coal companies to remine once abandoned mine sites. Petitioners, two nonprofit environmental organizations, claimed that the regulations violated the Clean Water Act and Administrative Procedure Act by allowing coal companies to remine without adhering to any enforceable pollution limitations. The EPA countered that more remining would improve water quality at abandoned sites. The Sixth Circuit rejected Petitioners' claims, findingmore » that the EPA's regulations were reasonably consistent with the CWA's goal of restoring the integrity of the nation's waters. In so holding, the court struggled to understand the meaning of the CWA's complex procedural and technical language, and allowed the EPA to justify the rule based on the CWA's broad statement of purpose. Such superficial judicial review sets a dangerous precedent in environmental law, because it exacerbates the risk of agency capture. A captured agency promulgates regulations that benefit-industry, not the environment. Without the judiciary acting as a meaningful check against agency capture, the public loses a valuable tool in the fight against major-industrial polluters like the domestic coal industry. Citizens Coal Council therefore stands as a cautionary tale, a warning sign that the judiciary may be unable to identify agency capture where the regulations at issue are promulgated pursuant to a complex statute like the Clean Water Act.« less

  20. Energy Industry Study, AY 2004-2005

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-06-01

    produced by burning coal and other fossil fuels contributes to the greenhouse effect by trapping the sun’s heat in the atmosphere and eventually causing... greenhouse effect by trapping the sun’s heat in the atmosphere and eventually causing major changes in the world’s climate. Third, the coal industry faces...possibly human health. Second, many scientists believe that carbon dioxide produced by burning coal and other fossil fuels contributes to the

  1. CPICOR{trademark}: Clean power from integrated coal-ore reduction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wintrell, R.; Miller, R.N.; Harbison, E.J.

    1997-12-31

    The US steel industry, in order to maintain its basic iron production, is thus moving to lower coke requirements and to the cokeless or direct production of iron. The US Department of Energy (DOE), in its Clean Coal Technology programs, has encouraged the move to new coal-based technology. The steel industry, in its search for alternative direct iron processes, has been limited to a single process, COREX{reg_sign}. The COREX{reg_sign} process, though offering commercial and environmental acceptance, produces a copious volume of offgas which must be effectively utilized to ensure an economical process. This volume, which normally exceeds the internal needsmore » of a single steel company, offers a highly acceptable fuel for power generation. The utility companies seeking to offset future natural gas cost increases are interested in this clean fuel. The COREX{reg_sign} smelting process, when integrated with a combined cycle power generation facility (CCPG) and a cryogenic air separation unit (ASU), is an outstanding example of a new generation of environmentally compatible and highly energy efficient Clean Coal Technologies. This combination of highly integrated electric power and hot metal coproduction, has been designated CPICOR{trademark}, Clean Power from Integrated Coal/Ore Reduction.« less

  2. Impact of Coal Mining on Self-Rated Health among Appalachian Residents

    PubMed Central

    Woolley, Shannon M.; Bear, Todd M.; Balmert, Lauren C.; Talbott, Evelyn O.; Buchanich, Jeanine M.

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To determine the impact of coal mining, measured as the number of coal mining-related facilities nearby one's residence or employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, on self-rated health in Appalachia. Methods. Unadjusted and adjusted ordinal logistic regression models calculated odds ratio estimates and associated 95% confidence intervals for the probability of having an excellent self-rated health response versus another response. Covariates considered in the analyses included number of coal mining-related facilities nearby one's residence and employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, as well as potential confounders age, sex, BMI, smoking status, income, and education. Results. The number of coal mining facilities near the respondent's residence was not a statistically significant predictor of self-rated health. Employment in a coal-related occupation was a statistically significant predictor of self-rated health univariably; however, after adjusting for potential confounders, it was no longer a significant predictor. Conclusions. Self-rated health does not seem to be associated with residential proximity to coal mining facilities or employment in the coal industry. Future research should consider additional measures for the impact of coal mining. PMID:26240577

  3. Accidents in Coal Mining from Perspective of Risk Theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khamidullina, E. A.; Timofeeva, S. S.; Smirnov, G. I.

    2017-11-01

    Introduction. The indicators of the safety system quality in the technosphere include risk indicators. The purpose of this work is to assess the social risk of coal mining since coal mining is associated with specific working conditions, and any emergency situation immediately jeopardizes thelives of many people at the same time. Methods. The work is based on the analysis of statistical information. Results and discussion. The F/N curve of coal mining for the 70-year period (1943-2012) was constructed, and the normative values of the social risk of Russia and other industrialized countries were discussed. Judging by the F/N diagram, only the frequency of accidents with a large number of deaths can correspond to the normative level indicating an exceptionally high level of coal mining risk.

  4. Effects and mechanistic aspects of absorbing organic compounds by coking coal.

    PubMed

    Ning, Kejia; Wang, Junfeng; Xu, Hongxiang; Sun, Xianfeng; Huang, Gen; Liu, Guowei; Zhou, Lingmei

    2017-11-01

    Coal is a porous medium and natural absorbent. It can be used for its original purpose after adsorbing organic compounds, its value does not reduce and the pollutants are recycled, and then through systemic circulation of coking wastewater zero emissions can be achieved. Thus, a novel method of industrial organic wastewater treatment using adsorption on coal is introduced. Coking coal was used as an adsorbent in batch adsorption experiments. The quinoline, indole, pyridine and phenol removal efficiencies of coal adsorption were investigated. In addition, several operating parameters which impact removal efficiency such as coking coal consumption, oscillation contact time, initial concentration and pH value were also investigated. The coking coal exhibited properties well-suited for organics' adsorption. The experimental data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms as well as Temkin and Redlich-Peterson (R-P) models. The Freundlich isotherm model provided reasonable models of the adsorption process. Furthermore, the purification mechanism of organic compounds' adsorption on coking coal was analysed.

  5. Effects of Coal Gangue on Cement Grouting Material Properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, J. Y.; Chen, H. X.

    2018-05-01

    The coal gangue is one of the most abundant industrial solid wastes and pollute source of air and water. The use of coal gangue in the production of cement grouting material comforms to the basic state policy of environment protection and the circular using of natural resources. Through coal gangue processing experiment, coal gangue cement grouting materials making test, properties detection of properties and theoretical analysis, the paper studied the effects of coal gangue on the properties of cement grouting materials. It is found that at the range of 600 to 700 °C, the fluidity and the compressive and flexural strengths of the cement grouting materials increase with the rising up of the calcination temperatures of coal gangue. The optimum calcination temperature is around 700 °C. The part substitution of cement by the calcined coal gangue in the cement grouting material will improve the mechanical properties of the cement grouting material, even thought it will decrease its fluidity. The best substitution amount of cement by coal gangue is about 30%. The fluidity and the long term strength of the ordinary silicate cement grouting material is obviously higher than that of the sulphoaluminate cement one as well as that of the silicate-sulphoaluminate complex cement one.

  6. Environmental impacts of coal mine and thermal power plant to the surroundings of Barapukuria, Dinajpur, Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Hossain, Md Nazir; Paul, Shitangsu Kumar; Hasan, Md Muyeed

    2015-04-01

    The study was carried out to analyse the environmental impacts of coal mine and coal-based thermal power plant to the surrounding environment of Barapukuria, Dinajpur. The analyses of coal, water, soil and fly ash were carried out using standard sample testing methods. This study found that coal mining industry and coal-based thermal power plant have brought some environmental and socio-economic challenges to the adjacent areas such as soil, water and air pollution, subsidence of agricultural land and livelihood insecurity of inhabitants. The pH values, heavy metal, organic carbon and exchangeable cations of coal water treated in the farmland soil suggest that coal mining deteriorated the surrounding water and soil quality. The SO4(2-) concentration in water samples was beyond the range of World Health Organisation standard. Some physico-chemical properties such as pH, conductivity, moisture content, bulk density, unburned carbon content, specific gravity, water holding capacity, liquid and plastic limit were investigated on coal fly ash of Barapukuria thermal power plant. Air quality data provided by the Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited were contradictory with the result of interview with the miners and local inhabitants. However, coal potentially contributes to the development of economy of Bangladesh but coal mining deteriorates the environment by polluting air, water and soil. In general, this study includes comprehensive baseline data for decision makers to evaluate the feasibility of coal power industry at Barapukuria and the coalmine itself.

  7. Coal feedstock base of the Yenakievo Coke and Chemical Plant

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Savchuk, S.V.; Grinval'd, M.A.; Litvinenko, A.M.

    1978-01-01

    After comparing the data given, one can conclude that the vitrinite reflectivity index permits more precise determination of the rank and, with consideration of the proximate composition, it permits a more detailed classification of coals for carbonization; using this parameter one can also determine the regularity of supply of coals for coke and chemical plants and the composition of the charges. Poland and Czechoslovakia have developed a systematization of coals by vitrinite reflectivity index to monitor the supply and composition of charges by types. Some experience in the use of the reflectivity index for these purposes has been accumulated inmore » the USSR. In our opinion, this index is the most reliable parameter for separation of coals by class and may be used to create a unified industrial-genetic classification of the coals produced.« less

  8. How Programme Teams Progress Agricultural Innovation in the Australian Dairy Industry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nettle, Ruth; Brightling, Pauline; Hope, Anne

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: This article outlines the emergence of programme teams in the Australian dairy farm sector as a response to counter weaknesses in the institutional environment for agricultural innovation which favours technology adoption/diffusion approaches. Design/methodology/approach: The strengths, weaknesses and risks of different approaches to…

  9. Guaranteeing the quality and integrity of pork - An Australian case study.

    PubMed

    Channon, H A; D'Souza, D N; Jarrett, R G; Lee, G S H; Watling, R J; Jolley, J Y C; Dunshea, F R

    2018-04-27

    The Australian pork industry is strongly committed to assuring the integrity of its product, with substantial research investment made over the past ten years to develop and implement systems to assure the consistency and quality of fresh pork and to enable accurate tracing of unpackaged fresh pork back to property of origin using trace elemental profiling. These initiatives are pivotal to allow Australian pork of guaranteed eating quality to be successfully positioned as higher value products, across a range of international and domestic markets, whilst managing any threats of product substitution. This paper describes the current status of the development of a predictive eating quality model for Australian pork, utilizing eating quality datasets generated from recent Australian studies. The implementation of trace elemental profiling, by Physi-Trace™, to verify and defend provenance claims and support the supply of consistently high eating quality Australian pork to its customers, is also discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Analysis of Alcohol Industry Submissions against Marketing Regulation.

    PubMed

    Martino, Florentine Petronella; Miller, Peter Graeme; Coomber, Kerri; Hancock, Linda; Kypri, Kypros

    2017-01-01

    A growing body of literature points to the role of vested interests as a barrier to the implementation of effective public health policies. Corporate political activity by the alcohol industry is commonly used to influence policy and regulation. It is important for policy makers to be able to critique alcohol industry claims opposed to improved alcohol marketing regulation. The Australian National Preventive Health Agency reviewed alcohol marketing regulations in 2012 and stakeholders were invited to comment on them. In this study we used thematic analysis to examine submissions from the Australian alcohol industry, based on a system previously developed in relation to tobacco industry corporate political activity. The results show that submissions were a direct lobbying tactic, making claims to government that were contrary to the evidence-base. Five main frames were identified, in which the alcohol industry claimed that increased regulation: (1) is unnecessary; (2) is not backed up by sufficient evidence; (3) will lead to unintended negative consequences; and (4) faces legal barriers to implementation; underpinned by the view (5) that the industry consists of socially responsible companies working toward reducing harmful drinking. In contrast with tobacco industry submissions on public policy, which often focused on legal and economic barriers, the Australian alcohol industry placed a heavier emphasis on notions of regulatory redundancy and insufficient evidence. This may reflect differences in where these industries sit on the 'regulatory pyramid', alcohol being less regulated than tobacco.

  11. Analysis of Alcohol Industry Submissions against Marketing Regulation

    PubMed Central

    Martino, Florentine Petronella; Miller, Peter Graeme; Coomber, Kerri; Hancock, Linda; Kypri, Kypros

    2017-01-01

    A growing body of literature points to the role of vested interests as a barrier to the implementation of effective public health policies. Corporate political activity by the alcohol industry is commonly used to influence policy and regulation. It is important for policy makers to be able to critique alcohol industry claims opposed to improved alcohol marketing regulation. The Australian National Preventive Health Agency reviewed alcohol marketing regulations in 2012 and stakeholders were invited to comment on them. In this study we used thematic analysis to examine submissions from the Australian alcohol industry, based on a system previously developed in relation to tobacco industry corporate political activity. The results show that submissions were a direct lobbying tactic, making claims to government that were contrary to the evidence-base. Five main frames were identified, in which the alcohol industry claimed that increased regulation: (1) is unnecessary; (2) is not backed up by sufficient evidence; (3) will lead to unintended negative consequences; and (4) faces legal barriers to implementation; underpinned by the view (5) that the industry consists of socially responsible companies working toward reducing harmful drinking. In contrast with tobacco industry submissions on public policy, which often focused on legal and economic barriers, the Australian alcohol industry placed a heavier emphasis on notions of regulatory redundancy and insufficient evidence. This may reflect differences in where these industries sit on the ‘regulatory pyramid’, alcohol being less regulated than tobacco. PMID:28118411

  12. Coal's role in California's energy needs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Daines, N. H.

    1978-01-01

    California's post-industrial society demands confidence in the energy supply system as an essential ingredient for social harmony and adequate job creating capital investment. Confidence requires policies which balance supply and demand using believable methods with adequate allowance for the unexpected, reliance on diverse sources and locations, respect for our environment, sustain our individual freedoms and provide opportunities for economic mobility. Coal will play only a part, but an important part, in a multifaceted energy policy using numerous energy sources and systems, conservation techniques, and cooperating societal institutions. Today's extensive and challenging research and development provides the foundation for future technologies which will further resolve the environmental effects associated with coal.

  13. Research on Improving Low Rank Coal Caking Ability by Moderate Hydrogenation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Peng

    2017-12-01

    The hydrogenation test of low metamorphic coal was carried out by using a continuous hydrogen reactor at the temperature of (350-400)°C and the initial hydrogen pressure of 3 ~ 6Mpa. The purpose of the experiment was to increase the caking property, and the heating time was controlled from 30 to 50min. The test results show that the mild hydrogenation test, no adhesion of low metamorphic coal can be transformed into a product having adhesion, oxygen elements in coal have good removal, the calorific value of the product has been improved significantly and coal particles during pyrolysis, swelling, catalyst, hydrogenation, structural changes and the combined effects of particles a new component formed between financial and is a major cause of coal caking enhancement and lithofacies change, coal blending test showed that the product can be used effectively in the coking industry.

  14. Towards "a different kind of beauty": responses to coal-based pollution in the Witbank coalfield between 1903 and 1948.

    PubMed

    Singer, Michal

    2011-01-01

    This article assesses the changing conceptions of the environmental impact of South African coal mining in the first half of the twentieth century, with special reference to the Witbank coalfield in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The anticipated development of the emerging coal town of Witbank was founded on the growing demand for coal. As Witbank's local landscape became visibly scarred, coal-based pollution was continually challenged and redefined. In an attempt to market electricity, and appease the doubts of potential consumers, attempts were made by Escom to romanticise features of Witbank's industrialised environment. Once mines were decommissioned, they were abandoned. Coal production increased dramatically during the Second World War, which provided an economic windfall for the local electrical, steel and chemical industries, placing undue pressure on the coal industry to step up production. The severe damage caused by coal mining during this period resulted in the ecological devastation of affected landscapes. The findings of an inter-departmental committee established to conduct research during the mid-1940s revealed the gravity of coal-based pollution, and set a precedent in the way that the state conceived of the impact of industry and mining. The report of this committee was completed in the wake of the war, by which time the Witbank coalfield had become one of the most heavily polluted regions of South Africa.

  15. Coal fracturing and heteroatom removal. Annual report, fiscal year 1983

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sapienza, R.; Slegeir, W.; Butcher, T.

    1983-09-01

    Coal-water slurry fuels offer a practical, economical method to use coal, replacing the 3 million barrels of oil used per day to fuel utility boilers, industrial heaters, and furnaces in the US. The mineral matter and in some cases the costs of grinding are major impediments to the direct use of this fuel in existing fluid fuel combustors. A process for the simultaneous cleaning and fracturing of a variety of coals has been explored at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This process entails exposure of coal to a carbon dioxide-water solvent system under pressure. Substantial amounts of mineral matter are leached intomore » the liquid phase, significantly lowering the concentrations of alkaline, and alkaline earth metals, and of silica- and alumina-like minerals in the coal. Grindability studies have been conducted in a laboratory ball mill using processed coal. Grinding times for large-size feed coal (1-3/8 to 3/8 in.) are reduced by a factor up to 10 following exposure to CO/sub 2//water. With smaller-feed coal (4 x 8 mesh), however, improvements in grindability are much smaller. An integrated system has been constructed in which coal is ground while under CO/sub 2/ pressure. Significant improvements in grindability have been observed with this system, even with smaller-feed coal. 20 refs., 8 figs., 24 tabs.« less

  16. 5. annual clean coal technology conference: powering the next millennium. Vol.1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1997-07-01

    The Fifth Annual Clean Coal Technology Conference focuses on presenting strategies and approaches that will enable clean coal technologies to resolve the competing, interrelated demands for power, economic viability, and environmental constraints associated with the use of coal in the post-2000 era. The program addresses the dynamic changes that will result from utility competition and industry restructuring, and to the evolution of markets abroad. Current projections for electricity highlight the preferential role that electric power will have in accomplishing the long-range goals of most nations. Increased demands can be met by utilizing coal in technologies that achieve environmental goals whilemore » keeping the cost- per-unit of energy competitive. Results from projects in the DOE Clean Coal technology Demonstration Program confirm that technology is the pathway to achieving these goals. The industry/government partnership, cemented over the past 10 years, is focused on moving the clean coal technologies into the domestic and international marketplaces. The Fifth Annual Clean Coal Technology Conference provides a forum to discuss these benchmark issues and the essential role and need for these technologies in the post-2000 era. This volume contains papers presented at the plenary session and panel sessions on; international markets for clean coal technologies (CCTs); role of CCTs in the evolving domestic electricity market; environmental issues affecting CCT deployment; and CCT deployment from today into the next millennium. In addition papers presented at the closing plenary session on powering the next millennium--CCT answers the challenge are included. Selected papers have been processed for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology database.« less

  17. Pattern of state coal taxation. [Review

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gulley, D.A.

    1981-01-01

    This paper reviews the recent history of state coal taxation and reports an empirically-based effort at defining the key determinants of state and local coal taxation. A pattern emerges but the analysis is complicated by the empirical and conceptual difficulties typical of such studies. Perhaps as important a result as the detection of a pattern is the recognition that many seemingly important variables do not appear to have consistently influenced tax levels. For policy makers and for industry, it appears that the present concern over a coal-states cartel is excessive. One can speculate that draconian tax adjustments on the basismore » of a crude-indicator-like reserve base will ultimately transfer less wealth than would skillful preemption of rent. It is also noteworthy that the sign of the tax effort variable is positive, indicating that coal tax rates are consistent with other tax efforts, not a substitute for them. Accepting impacts and general tax effort variables as the best explanations of interstate variations in tax effort is a somewhat different matter than determining what any given state's tax rate ought to be; such a question lies beyond the scope of this paper. This tax-determinant study can not define the right level of coal taxation, but it can suggest that no trend is yet evident toward entrepreneurial tax rates. 20 references, 4 figures.« less

  18. Automatic crack detection method for loaded coal in vibration failure process.

    PubMed

    Li, Chengwu; Ai, Dihao

    2017-01-01

    In the coal mining process, the destabilization of loaded coal mass is a prerequisite for coal and rock dynamic disaster, and surface cracks of the coal and rock mass are important indicators, reflecting the current state of the coal body. The detection of surface cracks in the coal body plays an important role in coal mine safety monitoring. In this paper, a method for detecting the surface cracks of loaded coal by a vibration failure process is proposed based on the characteristics of the surface cracks of coal and support vector machine (SVM). A large number of cracked images are obtained by establishing a vibration-induced failure test system and industrial camera. Histogram equalization and a hysteresis threshold algorithm were used to reduce the noise and emphasize the crack; then, 600 images and regions, including cracks and non-cracks, were manually labelled. In the crack feature extraction stage, eight features of the cracks are extracted to distinguish cracks from other objects. Finally, a crack identification model with an accuracy over 95% was trained by inputting the labelled sample images into the SVM classifier. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a higher accuracy than the conventional algorithm and can effectively identify cracks on the surface of the coal and rock mass automatically.

  19. Committed CO2 Emissions of China's Coal-fired Power Plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suqin, J.

    2016-12-01

    The extent of global warming is determined by the cumulative effects of CO2 in the atmosphere. Coal-fired power plants, the largest anthropogenic source of CO2 emissions, produce large amount of CO2 emissions during their lifetimes of operation (committed emissions), which thus influence the future carbon emission space under specific targets on mitigating climate change (e.g., the 2 degree warming limit relative to pre-industrial levels). Comprehensive understanding of committed CO2 emissions for coal-fired power generators is urgently needed in mitigating global climate change, especially in China, the largest global CO2emitter. We calculated China's committed CO2 emissions from coal-fired power generators installed during 1993-2013 and evaluated their impact on future emission spaces at the provincial level, by using local specific data on the newly installed capacities. The committed CO2 emissions are calculated as the product of the annual coal consumption from newly installed capacities, emission factors (CO2emissions per unit crude coal consumption) and expected lifetimes. The sensitivities about generators lifetimes and the drivers on provincial committed emissions are also analyzed. Our results show that these relatively recently installed coal-fired power generators will lead to 106 Gt of CO2 emissions over the course of their lifetimes, which is more than three times the global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels in 2010. More than 80% (85 Gt) of their total committed CO2 will be emitted after 2013, which are referred to as the remaining emissions. Due to the uncertainties of generators lifetime, these remaining emissions would increase by 45 Gt if the lifetimes of China's coal-fired power generators were prolonged by 15 years. Furthermore, the remaining emissions are very different among various provinces owing to local developments and policy disparities. Provinces with large amounts of secondary industry and abundant coal reserves have higher committed

  20. CoalVal-A coal resource valuation program

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rohrbacher, Timothy J.; McIntosh, Gary E.

    2010-01-01

    CoalVal is a menu-driven Windows program that produces cost-of-mining analyses of mine-modeled coal resources. Geological modeling of the coal beds and some degree of mine planning, from basic prefeasibility to advanced, must already have been performed before this program can be used. United States Geological Survey mine planning is done from a very basic, prefeasibility standpoint, but the accuracy of CoalVal's output is a reflection of the accuracy of the data entered, both for mine costs and mine planning. The mining cost analysis is done by using mine cost models designed for the commonly employed, surface and underground mining methods utilized in the United States. CoalVal requires a Microsoft Windows? 98 or Windows? XP operating system and a minimum of 1 gigabyte of random access memory to perform operations. It will not operate on Microsoft Vista?, Windows? 7, or Macintosh? operating systems. The program will summarize the evaluation of an unlimited number of coal seams, haulage zones, tax entities, or other area delineations for a given coal property, coalfield, or basin. When the reader opens the CoalVal publication from the USGS website, options are provided to download the CoalVal publication manual and the CoalVal Program. The CoalVal report is divided into five specific areas relevant to the development and use of the CoalVal program: 1. Introduction to CoalVal Assumptions and Concepts. 2. Mine Model Assumption Details (appendix A). 3. CoalVal Project Tutorial (appendix B). 4. Program Description (appendix C). 5. Mine Model and Discounted Cash Flow Formulas (appendix D). The tutorial explains how to enter coal resource and quality data by mining method; program default values for production, operating, and cost variables; and ones own operating and cost variables into the program. Generated summary reports list the volume of resource in short tons available for mining, recoverable short tons by mining method; the seam or property being mined

  1. Coal and peat in the sub-Saharan region of Africa: alternative energy options?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Weaver, J.N.; Landis, E.R.

    1990-01-01

    Coal and peat are essentially unused and in some cases unknown in sub-Saharan Africa. However, they might comprise valuable alternative energy sources in some or all of the developing nations of the region. The 11 countries considered in this appraisal reportedly contain coal and peat. On the basis of regional geology, another five countries might also contain coal-bearing rocks. If the resource potential is adequate, coal and peat might be utilized in a variety of ways including substituting for fuelwood, generating electricity, supplying process heat for local industry and increasing agricultural productivity. -from Author

  2. The detection of the coal roof interface by use of high pressure water

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1981-01-01

    A device whereby water jets can be used to detect the interface between coal and the overlying roof rock is described. Once this identification is made this distance can be measured using instruments such as the autofocus systems recently developed in the photographic industry. Experiments carried out show that the device can discriminate between coal and rock at coal thicknesses up to 8 inches. An autofocus system was examined which indicates accuracies of better than 0.1 inches.

  3. Plasma Torch for Plasma Ignition and Combustion of Coal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ustimenko, Alexandr; Messerle, Vladimir

    2015-09-01

    Plasma-fuel systems (PFS) have been developed to improve coal combustion efficiency. PFS is a pulverized coal burner equipped with arc plasma torch producing high temperature air stream of 4000 - 6000 K. Plasma activation of coal at the PFS increases the coal reactivity and provides more effective ignition and ecologically friendly incineration of low-rank coal. The main and crucial element of PFS is plasma torch. Simplicity and reliability of the industrial arc plasma torches using cylindrical copper cathode and air as plasma forming gas predestined their application at heat and power engineering for plasma aided coal combustion. Life time of these plasma torches electrodes is critical and usually limited to 200 hours. Considered in this report direct current arc plasma torch has the cathode life significantly exceeded 1000 hours. To ensure the electrodes long life the process of hydrocarbon gas dissociation in the electric arc discharge is used. In accordance to this method atoms and ions of carbon from near-electrode plasma deposit on the active surface of the electrodes and form electrode carbon condensate which operates as ``actual'' electrode. Complex physicochemical investigation showed that deposit consists of nanocarbon material.

  4. 2001 Industry Studies: Energy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-01-01

    standards can retrofit with flue - gas - desulfurization systems, use low sulfur coal, purchase emissions credits, or close. If a power plant’s emissions...a flue gas scrubbing device. IGCC technology is even more environmentally friendly. In an IGCC plant, coal is converted into a gaseous fuel, purified...and natural gas have rocketed this industry into the public’s spotlight and discussion. Secretary Abraham in a recent speech to the U.S. Chamber of

  5. Management of local economic and ecological system of coal processing company

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiseleva, T. V.; Mikhailov, V. G.; Karasev, V. A.

    2016-10-01

    The management issues of local ecological and economic system of coal processing company - coal processing plant - are considered in the article. The objectives of the research are the identification and the analysis of local ecological and economic system (coal processing company) performance and the proposals for improving the mechanism to support the management decision aimed at improving its environmental safety. The data on the structure of run-of-mine coal processing products are shown. The analysis of main ecological and economic indicators of coal processing enterprises, characterizing the state of its environmental safety, is done. The main result of the study is the development of proposals to improve the efficiency of local enterprise ecological and economic system management, including technical, technological and business measures. The results of the study can be recommended to industrial enterprises to improve their ecological and economic efficiency.

  6. Review of coal bottom ash and coconut shell in the production of concrete

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faisal, S. K.; Mazenan, P. N.; Shahidan, S.; Irwan, J. M.

    2018-04-01

    Concrete is the main construction material in the worldwide construction industry. High demand of sand in the concrete production have been increased which become the problems in industry. Natural sand is the most common material used in the construction industry as natural fine aggregate and it caused the availability of good quality of natural sand keep decreasing. The need for a sustainable and green construction building material is required in the construction industry. Hence, this paper presents utilization of coal bottom ash and coconut shell as partial sand replacement in production of concrete. It is able to save cost and energy other than protecting the environment. In summary, 30% usage of coal bottom ash and 25% replacement of coconut shell as aggregate replacement show the acceptable and satisfactory strength of concrete.

  7. Characterization of Coal Porosity for Naturally Tectonically Stressed Coals in Huaibei Coal Field, China

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xiaoshi; Hou, Quanlin; Li, Zhuo; Wei, Mingming

    2014-01-01

    The enrichment of coalbed methane (CBM) and the outburst of gas in a coal mine are closely related to the nanopore structure of coal. The evolutionary characteristics of 12 coal nanopore structures under different natural deformational mechanisms (brittle and ductile deformation) are studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. The results indicate that there are mainly submicropores (2~5 nm) and supermicropores (<2 nm) in ductile deformed coal and mesopores (10~100 nm) and micropores (5~10 nm) in brittle deformed coal. The cumulative pore volume (V) and surface area (S) in brittle deformed coal are smaller than those in ductile deformed coal which indicates more adsorption space for gas. The coal with the smaller pores exhibits a large surface area, and coal with the larger pores exhibits a large volume for a given pore volume. We also found that the relationship between S and V turns from a positive correlation to a negative correlation when S > 4 m2/g, with pore sizes <5 nm in ductile deformed coal. The nanopore structure (<100 nm) and its distribution could be affected by macromolecular structure in two ways. Interconversion will occur among the different size nanopores especially in ductile deformed coal. PMID:25126601

  8. From in situ coal to the final coal product: A case study of the Danville Coal Member (Indiana)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mastalerz, Maria; Padgett, P.L.

    1999-01-01

    A surface coal mine operation and preparation plant in southwestern Indiana was sampled to examine variations in coal quality and coal petrography parameters for the Danville Coal Member of the Dugger Formation (Pennsylvanian-Desmoinesian, Westphalian D). Representative samples from in situ coal, preparation plant feeds, and a final coal product were collected in order to compare coal quality, coal petrography, trace element concentrations, and ash chemistry of the coal to those of the product. Coal quality parameters of the in situ samples and various feeds, coarse refuse, and final product were variable. The quality of the final coal product was best predicted by the coal quality of the clean coal feed (from the middle portions of the seam). Some trace element contents, especially lead and arsenic, varied between the coal feeds and the product. Lead contents increased in the feeds and product compared to the channel sample of the raw coal, possibly due to contamination in the handling process.A surface coal mine operation and preparation plant in southwestern Indiana was sampled to examine variations in coal quality and coal petrography parameters for the Danville Coal Member of the Dugger Formation (Pennsylvanian-Desmoinesian, Westphalian D). Representative samples from in situ coal, preparation plant feeds, and a final coal product were collected in order to compare coal quality, coal petrography, trace element concentrations, and ash chemistry of the coal to those of the product. Coal quality parameters of the in situ samples and various feeds, coarse refuse, and final product were variable. The quality of the final coal product was best predicted by the coal quality of the clean coal feed (from the middle portions of the seam). Some trace element contents, especially lead and arsenic, varied between the coal feeds and the product. Lead contents increased in the feeds and product compared to the channel sample of the raw coal, possibly due to contamination in

  9. What Industry Wants: Employers' Preferences for Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Erica; Kemmis, Ros Brennan

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse what retail and hospitality industry employers want from training and trainers. Design/methodology/approach: The research project was undertaken for Service Skills Australia, the Australian Industry Skills Council that oversees formal training for a range of service industries in…

  10. Growth and metal bioconcentration by conspecific freshwater macroalgae cultured in industrial waste water.

    PubMed

    Ellison, Michael B; de Nys, Rocky; Paul, Nicholas A; Roberts, David A

    2014-01-01

    The bioremediation of industrial waste water by macroalgae is a sustainable and renewable approach to the treatment of waste water produced by multiple industries. However, few studies have tested the bioremediation of complex multi-element waste streams from coal-fired power stations by live algae. This study compares the ability of three species of green freshwater macroalgae from the genus Oedogonium, isolated from different geographic regions, to grow in waste water for the bioremediation of metals. The experiments used Ash Dam water from Tarong power station in Queensland, which is contaminated by multiple metals (Al, Cd, Ni and Zn) and metalloids (As and Se) in excess of Australian water quality guidelines. All species had consistent growth rates in Ash Dam water, despite significant differences in their growth rates in "clean" water. A species isolated from the Ash Dam water itself was not better suited to the bioremediation of that waste water. While there were differences in the temporal pattern of the bioconcentration of metals by the three species, over the course of the experiment, all three species bioconcentrated the same elements preferentially and to a similar extent. All species bioconcentrated metals (Cu, Mn, Ni, Cd and Zn) more rapidly than metalloids (As, Mo and Se). Therefore, bioremediation in situ will be most rapid and complete for metals. Overall, all three species of freshwater macroalgae had the ability to grow in waste water and bioconcentrate elements, with a consistent affinity for the key metals that are regulated by Australian and international water quality guidelines. Together, these characteristics make Oedogonium a clear target for scaled bioremediation programs across a range of geographic regions.

  11. Entanglement of Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals in lost fishing gear and other marine debris before and after Government and industry attempts to reduce the problem.

    PubMed

    Page, Brad; McKenzie, Jane; McIntosh, Rebecca; Baylis, Alastair; Morrissey, Adam; Calvert, Norna; Haase, Tami; Berris, Mel; Dowie, Dave; Shaughnessy, Peter D; Goldsworthy, Simon D

    2004-07-01

    In recent years, Australian governments and fishing industry associations have developed guiding principles aimed at reducing the impact of fishing on non-target species and the benthos and increasing community awareness of their efforts. To determine whether they reduced seal entanglement in lost fishing gear and other marine debris, we analysed Australian sea lion and New Zealand fur seal entanglement data collected from Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Contrary to our expectations, we found that entanglement rates did not decrease in recent years. The Australian sea lion entanglement rate (1.3% in 2002) and the New Zealand fur seal entanglement rate (0.9% in 2002) are the third and fourth highest reported for any seal species. Australian sea lions were most frequently entangled in monofilament gillnet that most likely originated from the shark fishery, which operates in the region where sea lions forage--south and east of Kangaroo Island. In contrast, New Zealand fur seals were most commonly entangled in loops of packing tape and trawl net fragments suspected to be from regional rock lobster and trawl fisheries. Based on recent entanglement studies, we estimate that 1478 seals die from entanglement each year in Australia. We discuss remedies such as education programs and government incentives that may reduce entanglements.

  12. Low back pain and lumbar angles in Turkish coal miners

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sarikaya, S.; Ozdolap, S.; Gumustas, S.

    This study was designed to assess the incidence of low back pain among Turkish coal miners and to investigate the relationship between angles of the lumbar spine and low back pain in coal miners. Fifty underground workers (Group I) and 38 age-matched surface workers (Group II) were included in the study. All the subjects were asked about low back pain in the past 5 years. The prevalence of low back pain was higher in Group I than in Group II (78.0%, 32.4%, respectively, P {lt} 0.001). The results of the study showed that low back pain occurred in 78.0% ofmore » Turkish coal miners. Although the nature of the occupation may have influenced coal miners' lumbar spinal curvature, lumbar angles are not a determinant for low back pain in this population. Further extensive studies involving ergonomic measurements are needed to validate our results for Turkish coal mining industry.« less

  13. Benchmarking Work Practices and Outcomes in Australian Universities Using an Employee Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langford, Peter H.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the current study was to benchmark a broad range of work practices and outcomes in Australian universities against other industries. Past research suggests occupational stress experienced by academic staff is worse than experienced by employees in other industries. However, no other practices or outcomes can be compared confidently.…

  14. Regional price targets appropriate for advanced coal extraction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Terasawa, K. L.; Whipple, D. M.

    1980-01-01

    A methodology is presented for predicting coal prices in regional markets for the target time frames 1985 and 2000 that could subsequently be used to guide the development of an advanced coal extraction system. The model constructed is a supply and demand model that focuses on underground mining since the advanced technology is expected to be developed for these reserves by the target years. Coal reserve data and the cost of operating a mine are used to obtain the minimum acceptable selling price that would induce the producer to bring the mine into production. Based on this information, market supply curves can be generated. Demand by region is calculated based on an EEA methodology that emphasizes demand by electric utilities and demand by industry. The demand and supply curves are then used to obtain the price targets. The results show a growth in the size of the markets for compliance and low sulphur coal regions. A significant rise in the real price of coal is not expected even by the year 2000. The model predicts heavy reliance on mines with thick seams, larger block size and deep overburden.

  15. Spatial taxation effects on regional coal economic activities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, C.W.; Labys, W.C.

    1980-01-01

    Spatial taxation effects related to economic activities at the regional level can be directly evaluated using the Kuhn-Tucker system of equations based on a commodity model. In particular, the impacts of a specific tax are predictable within a given set of trade patterns. However, the impacts of an ad valorem tax are difficult to evaluate analytically, mainly because of nonlinearity in the associated response surface. The aspect of spatial-taxation analysis of present relevance for the coal industry related to coal policy, i.e., the share of tax burdens coal producers and consumers are able to bear. Each supplier in a givenmore » market boundary shares the same amount of tax burden, which may eliminate the weakest coal producers, i.e., Southern West Virginia coal mines. The same analogy also applies to the weakest demand region, i.e., Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota utilities. Consequently, a proper policy requires that some preferential tax treatment be given to these regions. Since the taxation effects depend critically on the trade patterns and market boundaries, the successful policy application of present regional energy models will not be possible unless effects of this type are included in the evaluation.« less

  16. Executive roundtable on coal-fired generation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    2009-09-15

    Power Engineering magazine invited six industry executives from the coal-fired sector to discuss issues affecting current and future prospects of coal-fired generation. The executives are Tim Curran, head of Alstom Power for the USA and Senior Vice President and General Manager of Boilers North America; Ray Kowalik, President and General Manager of Burns and McDonnell Energy Group; Jeff Holmstead, head of Environmental Strategies for the Bracewell Giuliani law firm; Jim Mackey, Vice President, Fluor Power Group's Solid Fuel business line; Tom Shelby, President Kiewit Power Inc., and David Wilks, President of Energy Supply for Excel Energy Group. Steve Blankinship, themore » magazine's Associate Editor, was the moderator. 6 photos.« less

  17. Characterization of airborne float coal dust emitted during continuous mining, longwall mining and belt transport

    PubMed Central

    Shahan, M.R.; Seaman, C.E.; Beck, T.W.; Colinet, J.F.; Mischler, S.E.

    2017-01-01

    Float coal dust is produced by various mining methods, carried by ventilating air and deposited on the floor, roof and ribs of mine airways. If deposited, float dust is re-entrained during a methane explosion. Without sufficient inert rock dust quantities, this float coal dust can propagate an explosion throughout mining entries. Consequently, controlling float coal dust is of critical interest to mining operations. Rock dusting, which is the adding of inert material to airway surfaces, is the main control technique currently used by the coal mining industry to reduce the float coal dust explosion hazard. To assist the industry in reducing this hazard, the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health initiated a project to investigate methods and technologies to reduce float coal dust in underground coal mines through prevention, capture and suppression prior to deposition. Field characterization studies were performed to determine quantitatively the sources, types and amounts of dust produced during various coal mining processes. The operations chosen for study were a continuous miner section, a longwall section and a coal-handling facility. For each of these operations, the primary dust sources were confirmed to be the continuous mining machine, longwall shearer and conveyor belt transfer points, respectively. Respirable and total airborne float dust samples were collected and analyzed for each operation, and the ratio of total airborne float coal dust to respirable dust was calculated. During the continuous mining process, the ratio of total airborne float coal dust to respirable dust ranged from 10.3 to 13.8. The ratios measured on the longwall face were between 18.5 and 21.5. The total airborne float coal dust to respirable dust ratio observed during belt transport ranged between 7.5 and 21.8. PMID:28936001

  18. Characterization of airborne float coal dust emitted during continuous mining, longwall mining and belt transport.

    PubMed

    Shahan, M R; Seaman, C E; Beck, T W; Colinet, J F; Mischler, S E

    2017-09-01

    Float coal dust is produced by various mining methods, carried by ventilating air and deposited on the floor, roof and ribs of mine airways. If deposited, float dust is re-entrained during a methane explosion. Without sufficient inert rock dust quantities, this float coal dust can propagate an explosion throughout mining entries. Consequently, controlling float coal dust is of critical interest to mining operations. Rock dusting, which is the adding of inert material to airway surfaces, is the main control technique currently used by the coal mining industry to reduce the float coal dust explosion hazard. To assist the industry in reducing this hazard, the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health initiated a project to investigate methods and technologies to reduce float coal dust in underground coal mines through prevention, capture and suppression prior to deposition. Field characterization studies were performed to determine quantitatively the sources, types and amounts of dust produced during various coal mining processes. The operations chosen for study were a continuous miner section, a longwall section and a coal-handling facility. For each of these operations, the primary dust sources were confirmed to be the continuous mining machine, longwall shearer and conveyor belt transfer points, respectively. Respirable and total airborne float dust samples were collected and analyzed for each operation, and the ratio of total airborne float coal dust to respirable dust was calculated. During the continuous mining process, the ratio of total airborne float coal dust to respirable dust ranged from 10.3 to 13.8. The ratios measured on the longwall face were between 18.5 and 21.5. The total airborne float coal dust to respirable dust ratio observed during belt transport ranged between 7.5 and 21.8.

  19. Coal Tar and Coal-Tar Pitch

    Cancer.gov

    Learn about coal-tar products, which can raise your risk of skin cancer, lung cancer, and other types of cancer. Examples of coal-tar products include creosote, coal-tar pitch, and certain preparations used to treat skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dandruff.

  20. Economic tools for realization of methane production project on Kuzbass coal deposits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharf, I.; Sokolova, M.; Kochetkova, O.; Dmitrieva, N.

    2016-09-01

    Environmental issues and, above all, issues related to the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, such as coal bed methane, actualize the challenge of searching a variety of options for its disposal. The difference in the macroeconomic, industrial, geological and infrastructural features determine the need to choose the most cost-effective option for using of methane emitted from the coal deposits. Various economic ways to improve the profitability of production are viewed on the basis of the analysis of methane production project from Kuzbass coal deposits, Kemerovo region, Russia.

  1. [Inventories of atmospheric arsenic emissions from coal combustion in China, 2005].

    PubMed

    Tian, He-Zhong; Qu, Yi-Ping

    2009-04-15

    Anthropogenic arsenic (As) emitted from coal combustion is one of key trace elements leading to negative air pollution and national economy loss. It is of great significance to estimate the atmospheric arsenic emission for proposing relevant laws or regulations and selecting proper pollution control technologies. The inventories of atmospheric arsenic emissions from coal combustion in China were evaluated by adopting the emission factor method based on fuel consumption. Arsenic emission sources were firstly classified into several categories by economic sectors, combustion types and pollution control technologies. Then, according to provincial coal consumption and averaged arsenic concentration in the feed fuel, the inventories of atmospheric arsenic emission from coal combustion in China in 2005 were established. Coal outputand consumption in China in 2005 were 2,119.8 and 2,099.8 Mt, respectively. The total emissions of arsenic released into the atmosphere in 2005 in China were estimated at about 1,564.4 t, and Shandong ranked the largest province with 144.4 t arsenic release, followed by Hunan (141.1 t), Hebei (108.5 t), Henan (77.7 t), and Jiangsu (77.0 t), which were mainly concentrated in the eastern and central provinces of China. The arsenic emissions were largely emitted by industry sector (818.8 t) and thermal power generation sector (303.4 t), contributing 52.3% and 19.4% of the totals, respectively. About 375.5 t arsenic was estimated to be released into the atmosphere in the form of gas phase in China in 2005, with a share of 24% of the totals. In general, arsenic pollution control from coal combustion should be highlighted for the power and industry sectors in the whole country. However, arsenic poisoning caused by residential coal burning should also be paid great attention in some areas such as Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Guishou.

  2. Control of mercury emissions from stationary coal combustion sources in China: Current status and recommendations.

    PubMed

    Hu, Yuanan; Cheng, Hefa

    2016-11-01

    Coal burning in power plants and industrial boilers is the largest combustion source of mercury emissions in China. Together, power plants and industrial boilers emit around 250 tonnes of mercury each year, or around half of atmospheric mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources in the country. Power plants in China are generally equipped with multi-pollutant control technologies, which offer the co-benefit of mercury removal, while mercury-specific control technologies have been installed in some facilities. In contrast, most industrial boilers have only basic or no flue gas cleaning. A combination of measures, including energy conservation, coal switching and blending, reducing the mercury contents of coals through washing, combustion controls, and flue gas cleaning, can be used to reduce mercury emissions from these stationary combustion sources. More stringent emission standards for the major air pollutants from coal-fired power plants and industrial boiler, along with standards for the previously unregulated mercury, were implemented recently, which is expected to bring significant reduction in their mercury emissions through the necessary upgrades of multi-pollutant and mercury-specific control technologies. Meanwhile, strong monitoring capacity and strict enforcement are necessary to ensure that the combustion sources operate in compliance with the new emission standards and achieve significant reduction in the emissions of mercury and other air pollutants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Automatic crack detection method for loaded coal in vibration failure process

    PubMed Central

    Li, Chengwu

    2017-01-01

    In the coal mining process, the destabilization of loaded coal mass is a prerequisite for coal and rock dynamic disaster, and surface cracks of the coal and rock mass are important indicators, reflecting the current state of the coal body. The detection of surface cracks in the coal body plays an important role in coal mine safety monitoring. In this paper, a method for detecting the surface cracks of loaded coal by a vibration failure process is proposed based on the characteristics of the surface cracks of coal and support vector machine (SVM). A large number of cracked images are obtained by establishing a vibration-induced failure test system and industrial camera. Histogram equalization and a hysteresis threshold algorithm were used to reduce the noise and emphasize the crack; then, 600 images and regions, including cracks and non-cracks, were manually labelled. In the crack feature extraction stage, eight features of the cracks are extracted to distinguish cracks from other objects. Finally, a crack identification model with an accuracy over 95% was trained by inputting the labelled sample images into the SVM classifier. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a higher accuracy than the conventional algorithm and can effectively identify cracks on the surface of the coal and rock mass automatically. PMID:28973032

  4. The role of coal in the economy of the Czech Republic

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Doruska, J.

    1995-12-01

    The Czech Republic ranks among the countries with high total reserves of hard coal and lignite. Therefore coal always had and still has a significant role in covering the power demand of the Czech Republic. Transition of the national economy, based on the principles of the market economy and private ownership, affects among others also behavior of the mining companies. A strong emphasis is also aimed at the environmental aspects concerning both the process of coal mining and the process of its utilization. Within these intentions the power policy of the Czech Republic is formulated. The Czech Republic, which hasmore » 10 mil. inhabitants, ranks among the countries with a high share of industry in the process of creating the gross national product. This state has its historical roots as on the present territory of the Czech Republic there had been concentrated a majority of industrial and mining capacities of the Hapsburg Empire. The First World War resulted among others in the decline of the Hapsburg Empire. Within this process Czechoslovak Republic was established (apart from other things the center of democracy in the Central Europe). In that republic the industry had an important position. The industrial potential had been expanded even during the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany in the years 1939 - 1945. After the Second World War when Europe was divided into two political spheres Czechoslovakia became a significant industrial base of so called East Bloc. Such a development and the needs of the Eastern Bloc resulted in the intensive development of the heavy industry on the territory of Czechoslovakia.« less

  5. A big picture look at big coal: Teaching students to link societal and environmental issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sojka, S. L.

    2014-12-01

    The environmental impact of coal mining and burning of coal is evident and generally easy to understand. However, students often struggle to understand the social impacts of coal mining. A jigsaw activity culminating in a mock town hall meeting helps students link social, economic and environmental impacts of coal mining. Students are divided into four groups and assigned the task of researching the environmental, social, economic or health impacts of coal mining in West Virginia. When students have completed the research, they are assigned a role for the town hall. Roles include local community members, direct employees of the coal industry, business owners from industries related to coal mining, and environmentalists. One student from each research area is assigned to each role, forcing students to consider environmental, social, health and economic aspects of coal mining in choosing an appropriate position for their role. Students have 30 minutes to prepare their positions and then present for 2-5 minutes in the simulated town hall. We then have open class discussion and review the positions. Finally, students are required to write a letter to the editor of the local paper. The specific topic for the town hall and letters can be varied based on current events and could include new regulations on power plants, mine safety, government funding of alternative energy supplies or a range of other topics. This approach forces students to consider all aspects of the issue. In addition, because students have to assume a role, they are more aware of the direct impact that coal mining has on individuals' lives.

  6. Nutrient and acetate amendment leads to acetoclastic methane production and microbial community change in a non-producing Australian coal well.

    PubMed

    In 't Zandt, Michiel H; Beckmann, Sabrina; Rijkers, Ruud; Jetten, Mike S M; Manefield, Mike; Welte, Cornelia U

    2017-09-19

    Coal mining is responsible for 11% of total anthropogenic methane emission thereby contributing considerably to climate change. Attempts to harvest coalbed methane for energy production are challenged by relatively low methane concentrations. In this study, we investigated whether nutrient and acetate amendment of a non-producing sub-bituminous coal well could transform the system to a methane source. We tracked cell counts, methane production, acetate concentration and geochemical parameters for 25 months in one amended and one unamended coal well in Australia. Additionally, the microbial community was analysed with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing at 17 and 25 months after amendment and complemented by metagenome sequencing at 25 months. We found that cell numbers increased rapidly from 3.0 × 10 4 cells ml -1 to 9.9 × 10 7 in the first 7 months after amendment. However, acetate depletion with concomitant methane production started only after 12-19 months. The microbial community was dominated by complex organic compound degraders (Anaerolineaceae, Rhodocyclaceae and Geobacter spp.), acetoclastic methanogens (Methanothrix spp.) and fungi (Agaricomycetes). Even though the microbial community had the functional potential to convert coal to methane, we observed no indication that coal was actually converted within the time frame of the study. Our results suggest that even though nutrient and acetate amendment stimulated relevant microbial species, it is not a sustainable way to transform non-producing coal wells into bioenergy factories. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  7. Australian Space Situational Awareness Capability Demonstrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morreale, B.; Bessell, T.; Rutten, M.; Cheung, B.

    Australia is increasing its contribution to the global space situational awareness (SSA) problem by committing to acquire and operate SSA sensors. Over the last year, a series of collaborative SSA experiments have been undertaken to demonstrate the capabilities of Australian sensors. These experiments aimed to demonstrate how existing Australian sensors could perform in a surveillance of space role, prove passive radar’s capability to observe low earth orbit (LEO) satellites and perform SSA handoffs to optical sensors. The trials established a data sharing and communications protocol that bridged defence, academia, and industry partners. Geographically dispersed optical assets, including the Falcon telescope in Canberra, Raven telescopes in Exmouth (Western Australia) and Defence Science and Technology (DST) Telescopes in Adelaide (South Australia) collected on LEO satellites and established cueing protocols. The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) located in Western Australia, demonstrated the capability of passive radar as an SSA asset after successfully observing LEO satellites based on reflected terrestrial radio signals. The combination of radar and optical SSA assets allows for the exploitation of each sensors unique advantages and locations across the Australian continent. This paper outlines the capabilities and diversity of Australian optical and radar sensors as demonstrated by field trials in 2016 and 2017. It suggests future potential for harnessing novel radar and optical integration techniques to supplement high-value assets such as the Space Surveillance Telescope as part of the Space Surveillance Network.

  8. Process for coal liquefaction employing selective coal feed

    DOEpatents

    Hoover, David S.; Givens, Edwin N.

    1983-01-01

    An improved coal liquefaction process is provided whereby coal conversion is improved and yields of pentane soluble liquefaction products are increased. In this process, selected feed coal is pulverized and slurried with a process derived solvent, passed through a preheater and one or more dissolvers in the presence of hydrogen-rich gases at elevated temperatures and pressures, following which solids, including mineral ash and unconverted coal macerals, are separated from the condensed reactor effluent. The selected feed coals comprise washed coals having a substantial amount of mineral matter, preferably from about 25-75%, by weight, based upon run-of-mine coal, removed with at least 1.0% by weight of pyritic sulfur remaining and exhibiting vitrinite reflectance of less than about 0.70%.

  9. Can Switching from Coal to Shale Gas Bring Net Carbon Reductions to China?

    PubMed

    Qin, Yue; Edwards, Ryan; Tong, Fan; Mauzerall, Denise L

    2017-03-07

    To increase energy security and reduce emissions of air pollutants and CO 2 from coal use, China is attempting to duplicate the rapid development of shale gas that has taken place in the United States. This work builds a framework to estimate the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from China's shale gas system and compares them with GHG emissions from coal used in the power, residential, and industrial sectors. We find the mean lifecycle carbon footprint of shale gas is about 30-50% lower than that of coal in all sectors under both 20 year and 100 year global warming potentials (GWP 20 and GWP 100 ). However, primarily due to large uncertainties in methane leakage, the upper bound estimate of the lifecycle carbon footprint of shale gas in China could be approximately 15-60% higher than that of coal across sectors under GWP 20 . To ensure net GHG emission reductions when switching from coal to shale gas, we estimate the breakeven methane leakage rates to be approximately 6.0%, 7.7%, and 4.2% in the power, residential, and industrial sectors, respectively, under GWP 20 . We find shale gas in China has a good chance of delivering air quality and climate cobenefits, particularly when used in the residential sector, with proper methane leakage control.

  10. Philadelphia gas works medium-Btu coal gasification project: environmental assessment. [GKT supplied by Krupp-Koppers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1981-12-01

    The coal gasification plant will occupy a 43-acre site, known as the Riverside Site, located along the Delaware River next to Port Richmond between the Betsy Ross and Benjamin Franklin Bridges. The cleared site was previously used for industrial purposes and has a G-2 industrial zoning. Adverse impacts during the construction phase of the project are not expected to be significantly different than those occurring during any major industrial construction project. During operation of the coal gasification facility, specific mitigative measures have been designed into the facility to avoid adverse environmental impacts wherever possible. In addition to these extensive engineeringmore » safeguards, elaborate monitoring and control instrumentation shall be used. The GKT entrained bed, oxygen-blown gasification process provided by Krupp/Koppers was selected because it is a commercially proven system and because of its positive environmental characteristics such as its ability to gasify many coal types and the fact that it does not produce tars, phenols, or ammonia. During gasification of the coal, pollutants such as heavy metals in the coal are concentrated into the slag and ash. None of these pollutants are found in the product gas. The facility will produce 250 tpd of non-hazardous slag and fly ash. The combined slag and fly ash will occupy 347 cubic yards per day of landfill volume. Available haulers and landfills have been identified.A sophisticated health and safety program will include appropriate monitoring instruments for CO, H/sub 2/, H/sub 2/S, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and coal dust. Air emissions from operation of the coal gasification plant are not considered significant. Dust control systems have been designed into the facility to minimize fugitive dust emissions.« less

  11. Method of extracting coal from a coal refuse pile

    DOEpatents

    Yavorsky, Paul M.

    1991-01-01

    A method of extracting coal from a coal refuse pile comprises soaking the coal refuse pile with an aqueous alkali solution and distributing an oxygen-containing gas throughout the coal refuse pile for a time period sufficient to effect oxidation of coal contained in the coal refuse pile. The method further comprises leaching the coal refuse pile with an aqueous alkali solution to solubilize and extract the oxidized coal as alkali salts of humic acids and collecting the resulting solution containing the alkali salts of humic acids. Calcium hydroxide may be added to the solution of alkali salts of humic acid to form precipitated humates useable as a low-ash, low-sulfur solid fuel.

  12. A study of industrial hydrogen and syngas supply systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amos, W. J.; Solomon, J.; Eliezer, K. F.

    1979-01-01

    The potential and incentives required for supplying hydrogen and syngas feedstocks to the U.S. chemical industry from coal gasification systems were evaluated. Future hydrogen and syngas demand for chemical manufacture was estimated by geographic area and projected economics for hydrogen and syngas manufacture was estimated with geographic area of manufacture and plant size as parameters. Natural gas, oil and coal feedstocks were considered. Problem areas presently affecting the commercial feasibility of coal gasification discussed include the impact of potential process improvements, factors involved in financing coal gasification plants, regulatory barriers affecting coal gasification, coal mining/transportation, air quality regulations, and competitive feedstock pricing barriers. The potential for making coal gasification the least costly H2 and syngas supply option. Options to stimulate coal gasification system development are discussed.

  13. Proceedings of the 92nd regular meeting of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Finnie, D.G.

    1996-12-31

    The proceedings of the 92nd Regular Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute held June 29-July 2, 1996 in Durango, CO. are presented. Attention was focused on the following areas: plots, plans, and partnerships in US mining; partnerships at McKinley; deregulation of the electric utility industry; environmental partnerships; Federal Mine Safety and Health Act; injury prevention in the coal mining industry; new trend in back injury prevention; and automated high wall mining. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

  14. Coal systems analysis: A new approach to the understanding of coal formation, coal quality and environmental considerations, and coal as a source rock for hydrocarbons

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Warwick, Peter D.

    2005-01-01

    Coal is an important and required energy source for today's world. Current rates of world coal consumption are projected to continue at approximately the same (or greater) levels well into the twenty-first century. This paper will provide an introduction to the concept of coal systems analysis and the accompanying volume of papers will provide examples of how coal systems analysis can be used to understand, characterize, and evaluate coal and coal gas resources. Coal systems analysis incorporates the various disciplines of coal geology to provide a complete characterization of the resource. The coal system is divided into four stages: (1) accumulation, (2) preservation-burial, (3) diagenesis-coalification, and (4) coal and hydrocarbon resources. These stages are briefly discussed and key references and examples of the application of coal systems analysis are provided.

  15. Health Implications of Increased Coal Use in the Western States

    PubMed Central

    Guidotti, Tee L.

    1979-01-01

    The National Energy Plan proposed by President Carter provides for the rapid development of coal resources in the United States, particularly in the West. The potential consequences for health of this development were considered by the Advisory Committee on Health and Environmental Effects of Increased Coal Utilization, reporting to the Department of Energy. Their report recommended rigid adherence to pertinent existing regulations, improved environmental monitoring, expanded research in selected relevant topics and development of procedures for selecting the sites of new coal-fired power plants. Although the report was a major exercise in technology assessment, it is fundamentally a cautious document that proposes no new solutions or approaches. A review of occupational and community health problems associated with coal mining and coal utilization suggests that lessons from past experiences, especially in Appalachia, cannot be applied to the West uncritically. The two regions are fundamentally different in scale, topography and social development. In the West, future problems related to coal are likely to derive from unknown risks associated with coal processing technologies, land reclamation and water quality at the sites of power generation, and extensive social and demographic changes at centers of industrial activity that may have secondary effects on health. Additional considerations should supplement the recommendations of the Advisory Committee report. PMID:483803

  16. Health implications of increased coal use in the Western States.

    PubMed

    Guidotti, T L

    1979-07-01

    The National Energy Plan proposed by President Carter provides for the rapid development of coal resources in the United States, particularly in the West. The potential consequences for health of this development were considered by the Advisory Committee on Health and Environmental Effects of Increased Coal Utilization, reporting to the Department of Energy. Their report recommended rigid adherence to pertinent existing regulations, improved environmental monitoring, expanded research in selected relevant topics and development of procedures for selecting the sites of new coal-fired power plants. Although the report was a major exercise in technology assessment, it is fundamentally a cautious document that proposes no new solutions or approaches. A review of occupational and community health problems associated with coal mining and coal utilization suggests that lessons from past experiences, especially in Appalachia, cannot be applied to the West uncritically. The two regions are fundamentally different in scale, topography and social development. In the West, future problems related to coal are likely to derive from unknown risks associated with coal processing technologies, land reclamation and water quality at the sites of power generation, and extensive social and demographic changes at centers of industrial activity that may have secondary effects on health. Additional considerations should supplement the recommendations of the Advisory Committee report.

  17. EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF CHLORINE ON MERCURY OXIDATION IN A PILOT-SCALE COAL COMBUSTION--THE EFFECT OF COAL BLENDING

    EPA Science Inventory

    Coal-fired power plants are a major source of mercury (Hg) released into the environment and the utility industry is currently investigating options to reduce Hg emissions. The EPA Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) depends heavily on the co-benefit of mercury removal by existing and ...

  18. Who regulates food? Australians' perceptions of responsibility for food safety.

    PubMed

    Henderson, Julie; Coveney, John; Ward, Paul

    2010-01-01

    Food scares have diminished trust in public institutions to guarantee food safety. Food governance after the food scare era is concerned with institutional independence and transparency leading to a hybrid of public and private sector management and to mechanisms for consumer involvement in food governance. This paper explores Australian consumers' perceptions of who is, and should be responsible for food safety. Forty-seven participants were interviewed as part of a larger study on trust in the food system. Participants associate food governance with government, industry, and the individual. While few participants can name the national food regulator, there is a strong belief that the government is responsible for regulating the quality and safety of food. Participants are wary of the role of the food industry in food safety, believing that profit motives will undermine effective food regulation. Personal responsibility for food safety practices was also identified. While there are fewer mechanisms for consumer involvement and transparency built into the food governance system, Australian consumers display considerable trust in government to protect food safety. There is little evidence of the politicisation of food, reflecting a level of trust in the Australian food governance system that may arise from a lack of exposure to major food scares.

  19. Variations in serving sizes of Australian snack foods and confectionery.

    PubMed

    Watson, Wendy L; Kury, Alexandra; Wellard, Lyndal; Hughes, Clare; Dunford, Elizabeth; Chapman, Kathy

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the serving size and energy content per serving of Australian packaged snack foods and confectionery products. Nutrition Information Panel data for 23 sub-categories of packaged snack foods (n = 3481) were extracted from The George Institute for Global Health's 2013 branded food composition database. Variations in serving size and energy content per serving were examined. Energy contents per serving were compared to recommendations in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Serving sizes varied within and between snack food categories. Mean energy content per serving varied from 320 kJ to 899 kJ. More energy per serving than the recommended 600 kJ was displayed by 22% (n = 539) of snack foods classified in the Australian Dietary Guidelines as discretionary foods. The recommendation for energy content per serving was exceeded in 60% (n = 635) of snack foods from the Five Food Groups. Only 37% (n = 377) of confectionery products displayed the industry-agreed serving size of 25 g. Energy content per serving of many packaged snack foods do not align with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the industry agreed serving size has not been taken up widely within the confectionery category. Given the inconsistencies in serving sizes, featuring serving size in front-of-pack information may hinder the objective of a clear and simple nutrition message. Messaging to help consumers make healthier choices should consider the variation in serving sizes on packaged snack foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. An Australian perspective on developing standards and ensuring compliance.

    PubMed

    Thornber, Peter M

    2010-01-01

    Australia is a federation of states and territories, each with their own parliament and animal-welfare laws. Australian animal-welfare legislation imposes a "duty of care" on people responsible for the care and well-being of animals under their management. In the livestock sector, this responsibility is mirrored by the ongoing development of standards, guidelines, and codes of practice to assist people to understand their responsibilities and to meet expectations concerning animal welfare. The Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) is the national animal-welfare policy blueprint for sustainable improvements in animal welfare, and one of its key goals is to achieve greater consistency in the development, implementation, and enforcement of animal-welfare standards. Standards, guidelines, and model codes also inform the development of contemporary, evidence-based quality assurance programs for individual livestock industries and provide the basis for competency-based training programs for animal handlers. Australian standards have been developed for pigs and land transport of livestock, and work is progressing on national standards for cattle, sheep, horses, zoo animals, dogs, and cats. Other achievements include the development of requirements for the care and use of animals in research and teaching, guidelines for the welfare of aquatic animals, and codes of practice for the humane killing of pest animals. State and territory governments are developing a framework for consistent regulation and compliance in consultation with industries and welfare organizations.

  1. Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program: Project fact sheets 2000, status as of June 30, 2000

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    2000-09-01

    The Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCT Program), a model of government and industry cooperation, responds to the Department of Energy's (DOE) mission to foster a secure and reliable energy system that is environmentally and economically sustainable. The CCT Program represents an investment of over $5.2 billion in advanced coal-based technology, with industry and state governments providing an unprecedented 66 percent of the funding. With 26 of the 38 active projects having completed operations, the CCT Program has yielded clean coal technologies (CCTs) that are capable of meeting existing and emerging environmental regulations and competing in a deregulated electric powermore » marketplace. The CCT Program is providing a portfolio of technologies that will assure that U.S. recoverable coal reserves of 274 billion tons can continue to supply the nation's energy needs economically and in an environmentally sound manner. As the nation embarks on a new millennium, many of the clean coal technologies have realized commercial application. Industry stands ready to respond to the energy and environmental demands of the 21st century, both domestically and internationally, For existing power plants, there are cost-effective environmental control devices to control sulfur dioxide (S02), nitrogen oxides (NO,), and particulate matter (PM). Also ready is a new generation of technologies that can produce electricity and other commodities, such as steam and synthetic gas, and provide efficiencies and environmental performance responsive to global climate change concerns. The CCT Program took a pollution prevention approach as well, demonstrating technologies that remove pollutants or their precursors from coal-based fuels before combustion. Finally, new technologies were introduced into the major coal-based industries, such as steel production, to enhance environmental performance. Thanks in part to the CCT Program, coal--abundant, secure, and economical

  2. "Conclusions about exposure to ETS and health that will be unhelpful to us"*: How the tobacco industry attempted to delay and discredit the 1997 Australian National Health and Medical Research Council report on passive smoking

    PubMed Central

    Trotter, L; Chapman, S

    2003-01-01

    Background: Major reviews of the health effects of passive smoking have been subjected to tobacco industry campaigns to refute the scientific evidence. Following the 1992 US Environmental Protection Agency review, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) initiated a review of the health effects of passive smoking. At the time of this review, evidence that environmental tobacco smoke causes disease was being increasingly accepted in courts of law and voluntary adoption of smoking restrictions was rapidly growing. Objective: To demonstrate how the tobacco industry attempted to delay and discredit the publication of a report on passive smoking that the tobacco industry anticipated to contain recommendations that would be unfavourable to their business. Methods: A search of tobacco industry documents on the Master Settlement Agreement websites was conducted using the terms and acronyms representative of the NHMRC review. Results: The tobacco industry sought to impede the progress of the NHMRC Working Party by launching an intensive campaign to delay and discredit the report. The main strategies used were attempts to criticise the science, extensive use of Freedom of Information provisions to monitor all activity of the group, legal challenges, ad hominem attacks on the credibility of the Working Party members, rallying support from industry allies, and influencing public opinion through the media. Conclusions: The Australian tobacco industry deliberately impeded the NHMRC Working Party's progress and successfully prevented the publication of the report's recommendations. The tobacco industry's motivation and capacity to disrupt the advancement of scientific knowledge and policy in tobacco control should be recognised and anticipated. PMID:14645955

  3. Kent and Riegel's Handbook of industrial chemistry and biotechnology. 11th ed.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kent, James A.

    2007-07-01

    This handbook provides extensive information on plastics, rubber, adhesives, textile fibers, pharmaceutical chemistry, synthetic organic chemicals, soaps and detergents, as well as various other major classes of industrial chemistry. There is detailed coverage of coal utilization technology, dyes and dye intermediates, chlor-alkali and heavy chemicals, paints and pigments, chemical explosives, propellants, petroleum and petrochemicals, natural gas, industrial gases, synthetic nitrogen products, fats and oils, sulfur and sulfuric acid, phosphorous and phosphates, wood products, and sweeteners. The chapter on coal is entitled: coal technology for power, liquid fuels and chemicals. 100 ills.

  4. Carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of coal and carbon dioxide derived from laboratory coal combustion: A preliminary study

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Warwick, Peter D.; Ruppert, Leslie F.

    2016-01-01

    The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has dramatically increased from the start of the industrial revolution in the mid-1700s to present levels exceeding 400 ppm. Carbon dioxide derived from fossil fuel combustion is a greenhouse gas and a major contributor to on-going climate change. Carbon and oxygen stable isotope geochemistry is a useful tool to help model and predict the contributions of anthropogenic sources of CO2 in the global carbon cycle. Surprisingly few studies have addressed the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of CO2 derived from coal combustion. The goal of this study is to document the relationships between the carbon and oxygen isotope signatures of coal and signatures of the CO2 produced from laboratory coal combustion in atmospheric conditions.Six coal samples were selected that represent various geologic ages (Carboniferous to Tertiary) and coal ranks (lignite to bituminous). Duplicate splits of the six coal samples were ignited and partially combusted in the laboratory at atmospheric conditions. The resulting coal-combustion gases were collected and the molecular composition of the collected gases and isotopic analyses of δ13C of CO2, δ13C of CH4, and δ18O of CO2 were analysed by a commercial laboratory. Splits (~ 1 g) of the un-combusted dried ground coal samples were analyzed for δ13C and δ18O by the U.S. Geological Survey Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory.The major findings of this preliminary work indicate that the isotopic signatures of δ13C (relative to the Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite scale, VPDB) of CO2 resulting from coal combustion are similar to the δ13CVPDB signature of the bulk coal (− 28.46 to − 23.86 ‰) and are not similar to atmospheric δ13CVPDB of CO2 (~ − 8 ‰, see http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/isotopes/c13tellsus.html). The δ18O values of bulk coal are strongly correlated to the coal dry ash yields and appear to have little or no influence on the δ18O values of CO2

  5. Synergistic Effect of Co-utilization of Coal and Biomass Char: An Overview

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paiman, M. E. S.; Hamzah, N. S.; Idris, S. S.; Rahman, N. A.; Ismail, K.

    2018-05-01

    Global concerns on impact of greenhouse gases emission, mostly released from coal-fired power plant, and the depletion of fossil fuel particularly coal, has led the production of electricity from alternatives resources such as co-utilization technologies. Previous studies proved that the co-utilization of coal and biomass/biomass chars has significantly reduced the emission of greenhouse gases either during the pyrolysis, combustion or gasification process in laboratories, pilots as well as in the industrial scales. Interestingly, most of the studies reported the presence of synergistic effect during the co-utilization processes particularly between coal and biomass char while some are not. Biomass chars were found to have porous and highly disorder carbon structure and belong to the class of most reactive carbon material, resulting to be more reactive than those hard coal and lignite. Up to date, microwave assisted pyrolysis is one of the best and latest techniques employed to produce better quality of biomass chars and it is also reduce the processing cost. Lot of works has been done regarding on the existence of synergistic effects during its co-utilization. However, the knowledge is limited to thermal and product characteristics so far. Even so, the specific reasons behind its existence are yet to understand well. Therefore, in this paper, the emphasis will be given on the synergistic effects on emission characteristics of co-utilization of coal and biomass chars so that it can be apply in energy-based industries to help in reduction of the greenhouse gases emission.

  6. Funding the essentials: the Australian Health Care Agreements, 2003-2008.

    PubMed

    Deeble, John

    2002-01-01

    This editorial reviews a number of papers in a special issue of the Australian Health Review covering the Australian Health Care Agreements to be concluded by June 2003. These include a report on consultations by the Australian Healthcare Association with industry representatives from July-October 2002. For hospitals, the agreements will set the main financial parameters for the next five years. Apart from the quantum of Commonwealth grants, the issues seen as most important involved linkages with primary care providers and aged care facilities, the dominance of inpatient work in current arrangements, workforce planning and public/private sector relationships. The possibility of recent private health insurance changes reducing the sums available for public hospitals was noted. Some estimates are presented of the possible effects of private insurance reform, together with some data from a special AHA survey of public hospital activity this year.

  7. Center for Coal-Derived Low Energy Materials for Sustainable Construction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jewell, Robert; Robl, Tom; Rathbone, Robert

    2012-06-30

    The overarching goal of this project was to create a sustained center to support the continued development of new products and industries that manufacture construction materials from coal combustion by-products or CCB’s (e.g., cements, grouts, wallboard, masonry block, fillers, roofing materials, etc). Specific objectives includes the development of a research kiln and associated system and the formulation and production of high performance low-energy, low-CO2 emitting calcium sulfoaluminate (CAS) cement that utilize coal combustion byproducts as raw materials.

  8. Variability of Mercury Content in Coal Matter From Coal Seams of The Upper Silesia Coal Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wierzchowski, Krzysztof; Chećko, Jarosław; Pyka, Ireneusz

    2017-12-01

    The process of identifying and documenting the quality parameters of coal, as well as the conditions of coal deposition in the seam, is multi-stage and extremely expensive. The taking and analyzing of seam samples is the method of assessment of the quality and quantity parameters of coals in deep mines. Depending on the method of sampling, it offers quite precise assessment of the quality parameters of potential commercial coals. The main kind of seam samples under consideration are so-called "documentary seam samples", which exclude dirt bands and other seam contaminants. Mercury content in coal matter from the currently accessible and exploited coal seams of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) was assessed. It was noted that the mercury content in coal seams decreases with the age of the seam and, to a lesser extent, seam deposition depth. Maps of the variation of mercury content in selected lithostratigraphic units (layers) of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin have been created.

  9. 7 CFR 1948.72 - Industry reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 13 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Industry reports. 1948.72 Section 1948.72 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE... § 1948.72 Industry reports. Any person regularly engaged in any coal or uranium development activity...

  10. 7 CFR 1948.72 - Industry reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Industry reports. 1948.72 Section 1948.72 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE... § 1948.72 Industry reports. Any person regularly engaged in any coal or uranium development activity...

  11. 7 CFR 1948.72 - Industry reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 13 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Industry reports. 1948.72 Section 1948.72 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE... § 1948.72 Industry reports. Any person regularly engaged in any coal or uranium development activity...

  12. 7 CFR 1948.72 - Industry reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 13 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Industry reports. 1948.72 Section 1948.72 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE... § 1948.72 Industry reports. Any person regularly engaged in any coal or uranium development activity...

  13. 7 CFR 1948.72 - Industry reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 13 2011-01-01 2009-01-01 true Industry reports. 1948.72 Section 1948.72 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE... § 1948.72 Industry reports. Any person regularly engaged in any coal or uranium development activity...

  14. Australian Brain Alliance.

    PubMed

    2016-11-02

    A proposal for an Australian Brain Initiative (ABI) is under development by members of the Australian Brain Alliance. Here we discuss the goals of the ABI, its areas of research focus, its context in the Australian research setting, and its necessity for ensuring continued success for Australian brain research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Characterization and Recovery of Rare Earths from Coal and By-Products

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Granite, Evan J.; Roth, Elliot; Alvin, Mary Anne

    Coal is a precious resource, both in the United States and around the world. The United States has a 250-year supply of coal, and generates between 30 - 40% of its electricity through coal combustion. Approximately 1 Gt of coal has been mined annually in the US, although the 2015 total will likely be closer to 900 Mt (http://www.eia.gov/coal/production/quarterly/). Most of the coal is burned for power generation, but substantial quantities are also employed in the manufacture of steel, chemicals, and activated carbons. Coal has a positive impact upon many industries, including mining, power, rail transportation, manufacturing, chemical, steel, activatedmore » carbon, and fuels. Everything that is in the earth’s crust is also present within coal to some extent, and the challenge is always to utilize abundant domestic coal in clean and environmentally friendly manners. In the case of the rare earths, these valuable and extraordinarily useful elements are present within the abundant coal and coal by-products produced domestically and world-wide. These materials include the coals, as well as the combustion by-products such as ashes, coal preparation wastes, gasification slags, and mining by-products. All of these materials can be viewed as potential sources of rare earth elements. Most of the common inorganic lanthanide compounds, such as the phosphates found in coal, have very high melting, boiling, and thermal decomposition temperatures, allowing them to concentrate in combustion and gasification by-products. Furthermore, rare earths have been found in interesting concentrations in the strata above and below certain coal seams. Much of the recent research on coal utilization in the United States has focused upon the capture of pollutants such as acid gases, particulates, and mercury, and the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. The possible recovery of rare earth and other critical elements from abundant coal and by-products is an exciting new research area

  16. Application of a life cycle assessment to compare environmental performance in coal mine tailings management.

    PubMed

    Adiansyah, Joni Safaat; Haque, Nawshad; Rosano, Michele; Biswas, Wahidul

    2017-09-01

    This study compares coal mine tailings management strategies using life cycle assessment (LCA) and land-use area metrics methods. Hybrid methods (the Australian indicator set and the ReCiPe method) were used to assess the environmental impacts of tailings management strategies. Several strategies were considered: belt filter press (OPT 1), tailings paste (OPT 2), thickened tailings (OPT 3), and variations of OPT 1 using combinations of technology improvement and renewable energy sources (OPT 1A-D). Electrical energy was found to contribute more than 90% of the environmental impacts. The magnitude of land-use impacts associated with OPT 3 (thickened tailings) were 2.3 and 1.55 times higher than OPT 1 (tailings cake) and OPT 2 (tailings paste) respectively, while OPT 1B (tailings belt filter press with technology improvement and solar energy) and 1D (tailings belt press filter with technology improvement and wind energy) had the lowest ratio of environmental impact to land-use. Further analysis of an economic cost model and reuse opportunities is required to aid decision making on sustainable tailings management and industrial symbiosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. What component of coal causes coal workers' pneumoconiosis?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McCunney, R.J.; Morfeld, P.; Payne, S.

    2009-04-15

    The objective was to evaluate the component of coal responsible for coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP). A literature search of PubMED was conducted to address studies that have evaluated the risk of CWP based on the components of coal. The risk of CWP (CWP) depends on the concentration and duration of exposure to coal dust. Epidemiology studies have shown inverse links between CWP and quartz content. Coal from the USA and Germany has demonstrated links between iron content and CWP; these same studies indicate virtually no role for quartz. In vitro studies indicate strong mechanistic links between iron content in coalmore » and reactive oxygen species, which play a major role in the inflammatory response associated with CWP. The active agent within coal appears to be iron, not quartz. By identifying components of coal-before mining activities, the risk of developing CWP may be reduced.« less

  18. Study on the transformed strategy of “life field” for aged in coal mine community——A case sstudy of ccommunity rrenewal ddesign of Sihe coal mine in Jincheng, Shanxi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xue, Minghui; Wang, Chenghao; Zhang, Shanshan

    2017-06-01

    Coal mine community is driven by the coal mine industry, and it mainly relies on coal mining enterprises to provide benefits for residents. Under the background of increasing serious global aging problem, the problems in the field of elderly people’s health, life, entertainment, communication, retirement and re-employment and other aspects become more acute and urgently to be solved. So it is necessary to make a more detailed study on how to transform the coal mine community according to the special needs of the elderly miners. This article takes renewal design of SiHe coal mine in JinCheng of ShanXi province as an example and takes the community’s “life field” as a clue, trying to put forward the transformed strategy of “life field” for aged in coal mine community and to come up with a method to update the community throughout the whole atmosphere to the personal space.

  19. The Outlook for Training in Australia's Industries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Leabrook (Australia).

    This book, which is intended primarily for Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector, industry decision makers, and policymakers, provides an overview of occupational trends and the current training effort relating to occupations in Australian industry. Chapter 1 traces economic and labor market changes and the changing…

  20. Coal systems analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Warwick, P.D.

    This collection of papers provides an introduction to the concept of coal systems analysis and contains examples of how coal systems analysis can be used to understand, characterize, and evaluate coal and coal gas resources. Chapter are: Coal systems analysis: A new approach to the understanding of coal formation, coal quality and environmental considerations, and coal as a source rock for hydrocarbons by Peter D. Warwick. Appalachian coal assessment: Defining the coal systems of the Appalachian Basin by Robert C. Milici. Subtle structural influences on coal thickness and distribution: Examples from the Lower Broas-Stockton coal (Middle Pennsylvanian), Eastern Kentucky Coalmore » Field, USA by Stephen F. Greb, Cortland F. Eble, and J.C. Hower. Palynology in coal systems analysis The key to floras, climate, and stratigraphy of coal-forming environments by Douglas J. Nichols. A comparison of late Paleocene and late Eocene lignite depositional systems using palynology, upper Wilcox and upper Jackson Groups, east-central Texas by Jennifer M.K. O'Keefe, Recep H. Sancay, Anne L. Raymond, and Thomas E. Yancey. New insights on the hydrocarbon system of the Fruitland Formation coal beds, northern San Juan Basin, Colorado and New Mexico, USA by W.C. Riese, William L. Pelzmann, and Glen T. Snyder.« less

  1. Industrial Internet of Things

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, C.; Damiano, N.; Whisner, B.; Reyes, M.

    2017-01-01

    The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), a concept that combines sensor networks and control systems, has been employed in several industries to improve productivity and safety. U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers are investigating IIoT applications to identify the challenges of and potential solutions for transferring IIoT from other industries to the mining industry. Specifically, NIOSH has reviewed existing sensors and communications network systems used in U.S. underground coal mines to determine whether they are capable of supporting IIoT systems. The results show that about 40 percent of the installed post-accident communication systems as of 2014 require minimal or no modification to support IIoT applications. NIOSH researchers also developed an IIoT monitoring and control prototype system using low-cost microcontroller Wi-Fi boards to detect a door opening on a refuge alternative, activate fans located inside the Pittsburgh Experimental Mine and actuate an alarm beacon on the surface. The results of this feasibility study can be used to explore IIoT applications in underground coal mines based on existing communication and tracking infrastructure. PMID:29348699

  2. Factors influencing Australian construction industry apprentices' dietary behaviors.

    PubMed

    du Plessis, Karin

    2012-01-01

    To date there has been a theoretical and empirical gap in workplace-centered health promotion research-particularly as it applies to blue-collar men's diets. To begin addressing the paucity of research, five qualitative focus groups (N = 53) were conducted in Australian training colleges to explore the dietary behaviors of apprentices. Thematic analysis was used by the researcher who concludes that although some apprentices were health conscious and attempted to eat healthy foods, many had diets high in saturated fats and sugar. These types of diets are associated with increased risks for developing chronic disease and are associated with decreased life expectancy. As such it poses a serious challenge for health promoters. Apprentices' dietary practices were also found to be moderated by convenience, availability, and cost of foods in their environment. Their nutritional beliefs, significant others, colleagues in the workplace, and their body image also influence their food choices.

  3. Coal resource assessments using coal availability and recoverability methods

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohrbacher, T.J.

    1997-12-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in conjunction with state geological surveys and other federal agencies, has initiated a study and developed methodology to reassess the nation`s major coal resources. This study differs from previous coal resource assessments of the USGS, U.S. Bureau of Mines, and the Department of Energy`s Energy Information Administration, because this program: (1) Identifies and characterizes the coal beds and coal zones that will provide the bulk of the nation`s coal-derived energy during the first quarter of the twenty-first century; (2) organizes geologic, chemical, environmental, and geographic information in digital format and makes these data available tomore » the public through the Internet or other digital media, such as CD ROMs; (3) includes coal resource availability and coal recoverability analyses for selected areas; (4) provides economic assessments and coal recoverability analyses for selected areas; (5) provides methodology to perform socio-economic impact analysis related to coal mining in specific geographical areas as small as a county.« less

  4. 13. Coal ejectors mounted on aft bulkhead of coal bunker. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    13. Coal ejectors mounted on aft bulkhead of coal bunker. Ejectors were used to flush overboard live coals and clinkers from firebed (pipe for carrying coals overboard has been removed from ejector in foreground). Coal doors from bunker appear beside ejector in foreground). Coal doors from bunker appear beside ejectors at deck; note firing shovels in background against hull. - Steamboat TICONDEROGA, Shelburne Museum Route 7, Shelburne, Chittenden County, VT

  5. Appalachian coal assessment: Defining the coal systems of the Appalachian basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Milici, R.C.

    2005-01-01

    The coal systems concept may be used to organize the geologic data for a relatively large, complex area, such as the Appalachian basin, in order to facilitate coal assessments in the area. The concept is especially valuable in subjective assessments of future coal production, which would require a detailed understanding of the coal geology and coal chemistry of the region. In addition, subjective assessments of future coal production would be enhanced by a geographical information system that contains the geologic and geochemical data commonly prepared for conventional coal assessments. Coal systems are generally defined as one or more coal beds or groups of coal beds that have had the same or similar genetic history from their inception as peat deposits, through their burial, diagenesis, and epigenesis to their ultimate preservation as lignite, bituminous coal, or anthracite. The central and northern parts of the Appalachian basin contain seven coal systems (Coal Systems A-G). These systems may be defined generally on the following criteria: (1) on the primary characteristics of their paleopeat deposits, (2) on the stratigraphic framework of the Paleozoic coal measures, (3) on the relative abundance of coal beds within the major stratigraphic groupings, (4) on the amount of sulfur related to the geologic and climatic conditions under which paleopeat deposits accumulated, and (5) on the rank of the coal (lignite to anthracite). ??2005 Geological Society of America.

  6. "Knitting Nannas" and "Frackman": A Gender Analysis of Australian Anti-Coal Seam Gas Documentaries (CSG) and Implications for Environmental Adult Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larri, Larraine J.; Newlands, Maxine

    2017-01-01

    "Frackman" ("FM") and "Knitting Nannas" ("KN") are two documentaries about the anti-coal seam gas movement in Australia. "Frackman" features a former construction worker turned eco-activist, Dayne Pratzky (DP), fighting coal seam gas extraction. "Knitting Nannas" follows a group of women…

  7. Examination of water spray airborne coal dust capture with three wetting agents

    PubMed Central

    Organiscak, J.A.

    2015-01-01

    Water spray applications are one of the principal means of controlling airborne respirable dust in coal mines. Since many coals are hydrophobic and not easily wetted by water, wetting agents can be added to the spray water in an effort to improve coal wetting and assist with dust capture. In order to study wetting agent effects on coal dust capture, laboratory experiments were conducted with three wetting agents used by the coal industry on -325 mesh sized Pocahontas No. 3 coal dust. Significant differences in coal dust sink times were observed among the three wetting agents at water mixture concentrations of 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2%. The best wetting agent as identified by the coal dust sink test was only tested at the lowest 0.05% water mixture concentration and was found to have a negligible effect on spray airborne dust capture. Water spray airborne dust capture results for all three wetting agents tested at a 0.2% water mixture concentration showed that all three wetting agents exhibit similar but small improvements in dust capture efficiency as compared with water. These results indicate that the coal dust sink test may not be a good predictor for the capture of airborne dust. Additional research is needed to examine if the coal dust sink test is a better predictor of wetting agent dust suppression effects during cutting, loading, conveying and dumping of coal products by comparison to airborne dust capture from sprays. PMID:26251565

  8. CAMD studies of coal structure and coal liquefaction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Faulon, J.L.; Carlson, G.A.

    The macromolecular structure of coal is essential to understand the mechanisms occurring during coal liquefaction. Many attempts to model coal structure can be found in the literature. More specifically for high volatile bituminous coal, the subject of interest the most commonly quoted models are the models of Given, Wiser, Solomon, and Shinn. In past work, the authors`s have used computer-aided molecular design (CAMD) to develop three-dimensional representations for the above coal models. The three-dimensional structures were energy minimized using molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics. True density and micopore volume were evaluated for each model. With the exception of Given`s model,more » the computed density values were found to be in agreement with the corresponding experimental results. The above coal models were constructed by a trial and error technique consisting of a manual fitting of the-analytical data. It is obvious that for each model the amount of data is small compared to the actual complexity of coal, and for all of the models more than one structure can be built. Hence, the process by which one structure is chosen instead of another is not clear. In fact, all the authors agree that the structure they derived was only intended to represent an {open_quotes}average{close_quotes} coal model rather than a unique correct structure. The purpose of this program is further develop CAMD techniques to increase the understanding of coal structure and its relationship to coal liquefaction.« less

  9. Prospects for coal slurry pipelines in California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lynch, J. F.

    1978-01-01

    The coal slurry pipeline segment of the transport industry is emerging in the United States. If accepted it will play a vital role in meeting America's urgent energy requirements without public subsidy, tax relief, or federal grants. It is proven technology, ideally suited for transport of an abundant energy resource over thousands of miles to energy short industrial centers and at more than competitive costs. Briefly discussed are the following: (1) history of pipelines; (2) California market potential; (3) slurry technology; (4) environmental benefits; (5) market competition; and (6) a proposed pipeline.

  10. Evaluation of Pollutant Leaching Potential of Coal Ashes for Recycling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, D.; Woo, N. C.; Kim, H.; Yoon, H.; Chung, D.

    2011-12-01

    By 2009, coal ashes produced from coal-based power plants in Korea have been reused as cement supplement materials; however, the rest is mostly disposed in landfills inside the plant properties. Continuous production of coal ashes and limited landfill sites require more recycles of coal ashes as base materials, specifically in constructions of roads and of huge industrial complex. Previous researches showed that coal ashes could contain various metals such as arsenic(As), chromium(Cr), lead(Pb), nickel(Ni), selenium(Se), etc. In this study, we collected four types of bottom ashes and two of fly ashes from four coal-based power plants. These ash samples were tested with distilled water through the column leaching process in oxidized conditions. The column test results were compared with those of total digestion, sequential extraction processes and TCLP. Concentrations of metals in outflows from columns are generally greater in fly ashes than in bottom ashes, specifically for As, Se, B, Sr and SO4. Only one fly ash (J2-F) shows high concentrations of arsenic and selenium in leachate. Sequential extraction results indicate that these metals are in readily soluble forms, such as adsorbed, carbonated, and reducible forms. Results of TCLP analysis indicate no potential contaminants leached from the ashes. In conclusion, recycling of coal combustion ashes could be encouraged with proper tests such as sequential and leaching experiments.

  11. Evaluation of coal-related model compounds using a tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Li, Guo-Sheng; Dong, Xueming; Fan, Xing; You, Chun-Yan; Wu, Ge; Zhao, Yun-Peng; Lu, Yao; Wei, Xian-Yong; Ma, Feng-Yun

    2018-05-08

    Gas chromotography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is a routine and basic instrumental method for the analysis of complex coal conversion products in chemical industry. To further enhance practical potentials of GC/MS in chemical industry, a tandem MS method for the selection of ion pair applied in monitoring coal conversions was established by using GC/quadrupole time-of-flight MS (GC/Q-TOF MS). The corresponding fragmentation pathways were explored and suitable ion pairs were screened. Fourteen coal-related model compounds (CRMCs) were analyzed using a GC/Q-TOF MS with different collision induced dissociation (CID) energies (5-20 eV). The fragmentation pathways can offer a better understanding of chemical bond breaking, hydrogen transfer, rearrangement reactions and elimination of neutral fragments for CRMCs during the CID process. The precursor ions of aromatic hydrocarbons without alkyl chain were hard to fragment with a CID energy of 20 eV. But aromatic hydrocarbons with branched chains were prone to fragment via the loss of alkyl chains and further fragmented through ring-open reactions. Compared to C alk -C ar bond, C ar -C ar bond was hard to fragment duo to its high bond dissociation energy. The existence of heteroatoms facilitated fragmentation that was conducive to screening ion pair. The CID technique of GC/Q-TOF MS will contribute to the studies on the organic composition of coals and building monitoring methods for coal conversions via fragmentation and ion pair selection. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  12. Liquefaction of calcium-containing subbituminous coals and coals of lower rank

    DOEpatents

    Brunson, Roy J.

    1979-01-01

    An improved process for the treatment of a calcium-containing subbituminous coal and coals of lower rank to form insoluble, thermally stable calcium salts which remain within the solids portions of the residue on liquefaction of the coal, thereby suppressing the formation of scale, made up largely of calcium carbonate which normally forms within the coal liquefaction reactor (i.e., coal liquefaction zone), e.g., on reactor surfaces, lines, auxiliary equipment and the like. An oxide of sulfur, in liquid phase, is contacted with a coal feed sufficient to impregnate the pores of the coal. The impregnated coal, in particulate form, can thereafter be liquefied in a coal liquefaction reactor (reaction zone) at coal liquefaction conditions without significant formation of scale.

  13. Future CO2 emissions and electricity generation from proposed coal-fired power plants in India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shearer, Christine; Fofrich, Robert; Davis, Steven J.

    2017-04-01

    With its growing population, industrializing economy, and large coal reserves, India represents a critical unknown in global projections of future CO2 emissions. Here, we assess proposed construction of coal-fired power plants in India and evaluate their implications for future emissions and energy production in the country. As of mid-2016, 243 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generating capacity are under development in India, including 65 GW under construction and an additional 178 GW proposed. These under-development plants would increase the coal capacity of India's power sector by 123% and, when combined with the country's goal to produce at least 40% of its power from non-fossil sources by 2030, exceed the country's projected future electricity demand. The current proposals for new coal-fired plants could therefore either "strand" fossil energy assets (i.e., force them to retire early or else operate at very low capacity factors) and/or ensure that the goal is not met by "locking-out" new, low-carbon energy infrastructure. Similarly, future emissions from the proposed coal plants would also exceed the country's climate commitment to reduce its 2005 emissions intensity 33% to 35% by 2030, which—when combined with the commitments of all other countries—is itself not yet ambitious enough to meet the international goal of holding warming well below 2°C relative to the pre-industrial era.

  14. DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR COAL DERIVED CARBON PRODUCTS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Elliot B. Kennel; Chong Chen; Dady Dadyburjor

    2005-04-13

    The purpose of this DOE-funded effort is to develop continuous processes for solvent extraction of coal for the production of carbon products. These carbon products include materials used in metals smelting, especially in the aluminum and steel industries, as well as porous carbon structural material referred to as ''carbon foam'' and carbon fibers. Table 1 provides an overview of the major markets for carbon products. Current sources of materials for these processes generally rely on petroleum distillation products or coal tar distillates obtained as a byproduct of metcoke production facilities. In the former case, the American materials industry, just asmore » the energy industry, is dependent upon foreign sources of petroleum. In the latter case, metcoke production is decreasing every year due to the combined difficulties associated with poor economics and a significant environmental burden. Thus, a significant need exists for an environmentally clean process which can used domestically obtained raw materials and which can still be very competitive economically.« less

  15. New activity-based funding model for Australian private sector overnight rehabilitation cases: the rehabilitation Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient (AN-SNAP) model.

    PubMed

    Hanning, Brian; Predl, Nicolle

    2015-09-01

    Traditional overnight rehabilitation payment models in the private sector are not based on a rigorous classification system and vary greatly between contracts with no consideration of patient complexity. The payment rates are not based on relative cost and the length-of-stay (LOS) point at which a reduced rate applies (step downs) varies markedly. The rehabilitation Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient (AN-SNAP) model (RAM), which has been in place for over 2 years in some private hospitals, bases payment on a rigorous classification system, relative cost and industry LOS. RAM is in the process of being rolled out more widely. This paper compares and contrasts RAM with traditional overnight rehabilitation payment models. It considers the advantages of RAM for hospitals and Australian Health Service Alliance. It also considers payment model changes in the context of maintaining industry consistency with Electronic Claims Lodgement and Information Processing System Environment (ECLIPSE) and health reform generally.

  16. Heat and mass transfer of liquid nitrogen in coal porous media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lang, Lu; Chengyun, Xin; Xinyu, Liu

    2018-04-01

    Liquid nitrogen has been working as an important medium in fire extinguishing and prevention, due to its efficiency in oxygen exclusion and heat removal. Such a technique is especially crucial for coal industry in China. We built a tunnel model with a temperature monitor system (with 36 thermocouples installed) to experimentally study heat and mass transfer of liquid nitrogen in non-homogeneous coal porous media (CPM), and expected to optimize parameters of liquid nitrogen injection in engineering applications. Results indicate that injection location and amount of liquid nitrogen, together with air leakage, significantly affect temperature distribution in CPM, and non-equilibrium heat inside and outside of coal particles. The injection position of liquid nitrogen determines locations of the lowest CPM temperature and liquid nitrogen residual. In the deeper coal bed, coal particles take longer time to reach thermal equilibrium between their surface and inside. Air leakage accelerates temperature increase at the bottom of the coal bed, which is a major reason leading to fire prevention inefficiency. Measurement fluctuation of CPM temperature may be caused by incomplete contact of coal particles with liquid nitrogen flowing in the coal bed. Moreover, the secondary temperature drop (STD) happens and grows with the more injection of liquid nitrogen, and the STD phenomenon is explained through temperature distributions at different locations.

  17. Environmental impact of coal mining and coal seam gas production on surface water quality in the Sydney basin, Australia.

    PubMed

    Ali, A; Strezov, V; Davies, P; Wright, I

    2017-08-01

    The extraction of coal and coal seam gas (CSG) will generate produced water that, if not adequately treated, will pollute surface and groundwater systems. In Australia, the discharge of produced water from coal mining and related activities is regulated by the state environment agency through a pollution licence. This licence sets the discharge limits for a range of analytes to protect the environment into which the produced water is discharged. This study reports on the impact of produced water from coal mine activities located within or discharging into high conservation environments, such as National Parks, in the outer region of Sydney, Australia. The water samples upstream and downstream from the discharge points from six mines were taken, and 110 parameters were tested. The results were assessed against a water quality index (WQI) which accounts for pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and E .coli. The water quality assessment based on the trace metal contents against various national maximum admissible concentration (MAC) and their corresponding environmental impacts was also included in the study which also established a base value of water quality for further study. The study revealed that impacted water downstream of the mine discharge points contained higher metal content than the upstream reference locations. In many cases, the downstream water was above the Australia and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council and international water quality guidelines for freshwater stream. The major outliers to the guidelines were aluminium (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn). The WQI of surface water at and downstream of the discharge point was lower when compared to upstream or reference conditions in the majority of cases. Toxicology indices of metals present in industrial discharges were used as an additional tool to assess water quality, and the newly

  18. Flotation and flocculation chemistry of coal and oxidized coals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Somasundaran, P.

    1990-01-01

    The objective of this research project is to understand the fundamentals involved in the flotation and flocculation of coal and oxidized coals and elucidate mechanisms by which surface interactions between coal and various reagents enhance coal beneficiation. An understanding of the nature of the heterogeneity of coal surfaces arising from the intrinsic distribution of chemical moieties is fundamental to the elucidation of mechanism of coal surface modification and its role in interfacial processes such as flotation, flocculation and agglomeration. A new approach for determining the distribution in surface properties of coal particles was developed in this study and various techniquesmore » capable of providing such information were identified. Distributions in surface energy, contact angle and wettability were obtained using novel techniques such as centrifugal immersion and film flotation. Changes in these distributions upon oxidation and surface modifications were monitored and discussed. An approach to the modelling of coal surface site distributions based on thermodynamic information obtained from gas adsorption and immersion calorimetry is proposed. Polyacrylamide and dodecane was used to alter the coal surface. Methanol adsorption was also studied. 62 figs.« less

  19. Research Performance of Australian Universities. Policy Note. Number 4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Group of Eight (NJ1), 2012

    2012-01-01

    Go8 universities account for over two-thirds of the research undertaken at Australian universities. Go8 universities attract the highest levels of industry and competitive government grant funding for research. This paper presents an analysis of trends in research performance for Go8 and non-Go8 universities including research income as reported…

  20. Flash pyrolysis of coal, coal maceral, and coal-derived pyrite with on-line characterization of volatile sulfur compounds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chou, I.-Ming; Lake, M.A.; Griffin, R.A.

    1988-01-01

    A Pyroprobe flash pyrolysis-gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector was used to study volatile sulfur compounds produced during the thermal decomposition of Illinois coal, coal macerals and coal-derived pyrite. Maximum evolution of volatile organic sulfur compounds from all coal samples occurred at a temperature of approximately 700??C. At this temperature, the evolution of thiophene, its alkyl isomers, and short-chain dialkyl sulfide compounds relative to the evolution of benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene compounds was greater from coal high in organic sulfur than from coal low in organic sulfur. The variation in the evolution of sulfur compounds observed for three separate coal macerals (exinite, vitrinite, and inertinite) was similar to that observed for whole coal samples. However, the variation trend for the macerals was much more pronounced. Decomposition of coal-derived pyrite with the evolution of elemental sulfur was detected at a temperature greater than 700??C. The results of this study indicated that the gas chromotographic profile of the volatile sulfur compounds produced during flash pyrolysis of coals and coal macerals varied as a function of the amount of organic sulfur that occurred in the samples. Characterization of these volatile sulfur compounds provides a better understanding of the behavior of sulfur in coal during the thermolysis process, which could be incorporated in the design for coal cleaning using flash pyrolysis techniques. ?? 1988.

  1. Demographics of Australian horse owners: results from an internet-based survey.

    PubMed

    Smyth, G B; Dagley, K

    2015-12-01

    To obtain information on the demographics of Australian horse owners. An invitation to participate in an opt-in, internet-based survey was sent to 7000 persons who had registered an email address to receive information from the Australian Horse Industry Council Inc. These horse owners represented approximately 1.75% of the total horse owners in Australia. The survey was available for completion between 1 and 31 July 2009. There were 3377 (48%) useable responses. The respondents were a self-selected group of approximately 0.85% of the estimated total horse owners in Australia. The overall geographic distribution of respondents was the same as the general population at a state and territory level. In general, respondents were female and aged between 31 and 60 years; most lived in rural areas of Queensland, New South Wales or Victoria; had at least a secondary education, but no formal horse industry qualification; had a higher weekly income if based in a capital city; earned less than 10% of weekly income from horse-related activities; were a member of more than one horse industry organisation; reported an affiliation with one of more than 300 different horse industry organisations; spent 10-30% of their daily time with horses; and preferred to receive information by email. The responses from this survey of horse owners provided demographic information that was previously unavailable. Horse owners tended to be older than the general population, had a higher level of education attainment, were in higher weekly income brackets and lived mostly in non-metropolitan areas of Australia. Because of the self-selection and small sample size, the results need to be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, the present results are compatible with other smaller random and non-random surveys of horse owners internationally. © 2015 Australian Veterinary Association.

  2. Relationships between data from Rock-Eval pyrolysis and proximate, ultimate, petrographic, and physical analyses of 142 diverse U.S. coal samples

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bostick, N.H.; Daws, T.A.

    1994-01-01

    Basic research on coal and oil shale led to automated pyrolysis analysis of petroleum source rocks; most widely used is the Rock-Eval equipment. In order to interpret Rock-Eval analyses in relation to traditional coal data, we analyzed 142 commercial coals with diverse rank, age, maceral and sulfur contents, for most regions of the United States. We compared the Rock-Eval data with traditional industrial coal data, including volatile matter, calorific value, hydrogen and oxygen content, free swelling index, and vitrinite reflectance. We found: (1) there is a close relationship between Tmax and vitrinite reflectance in the ranges 420-590??C Tmax and 0.4-3%Romax of most coals. (2) A close relationship between Tmax and volatile matter (%VM) extends through the entire sample range, including low-rank samples with 35-70% VM, a range where %VM is not considered to be a useful rank parameter. (3) TOC of medium- and high-rank coals is seriously under-measured by Rock-Eval; TOC of low-rank coals (less than 0.8%Romax) is close to "dry basis" carbon from ultimate analysis. (4) The direct relationships between oxygen index (OI) and %O and between hydrogen index (HI) and %H are clear, though only broadly defined. However, there is virtually no band of concentrated data points on the HI versus OI pseudo-Van Krevelen diagram comparable to the "development line" on the H/C versus O/C diagram. (5) There are systematic relationships between Rock-Eval and industrial coal parameters such as calorific value and FSI, but much standardization would be needed before Rock-Eval could find a place in the coal industry. Tests with blends of coal and quartz sand and with various loads of coal alone showed that the amount of organic matter in the Rock-Eval load greatly influences results. Total load in the crucible, if largely inert, plays a small role, however. Increasing absolute or relative coal content causes under-evaluation of Rock-Eval TOC and over-rating of hydrogen. Blends of several

  3. Coal desulfurization by chlorinolysis production and combustion test evaluation of product coals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kalvinskas, J. J.; Daly, D.

    1982-01-01

    Laboratory-scale screening tests were carried out on coal from Harrison County, Ohio to establish chlorination and hydrodesulfurization conditions for the batch reactor production of chlorinolysis and chlorinolysis-hydrodesulfurized coals. In addition, three bituminous coals, were treated on the lab scale by the chlorinolysis process to provide 39 to 62% desulfurization. Two bituminous coals and one subbituminous coal were then produced in 11 to 15 pound lots as chlorinolysis and hydrodesulfurized coals. The chlorinolysis coals had a desulfurization of 29-69%, reductions in voltatiles and hydrogen. Hydrodesulfurization provided a much greater desulfurization (56-86%), reductions in volatiles and hydrogen. The three coals were combustion tested in the Penn State ""plane flame furnace'' to determine ignition and burning characteristics. All three coals burned well to completion as: raw coals, chlorinolysis processed coals, and hydrodesulfurized coals. The hydrodesulfurized coals experienced greater ignition delays and reduced burning rates than the other coals because of the reduced volatile content. It is thought that the increased open pore volume in the desulfurized-devolatilized coals compensates in part for the decreased volatiles effect on ignition and burning.

  4. Coal resources, production, and quality in the Eastern kentucky coal field: Perspectives on the future of steam coal production

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hower, J.C.; Hiett, J.K.; Wild, G.D.; Eble, C.F.

    1994-01-01

    The Eastern Kentucky coal field, along with adjacent portions of Virginia and southern West Virginia, is part of the greatest production concentration of high-heating-value, low-sulfur coal in the United States, accounting for over 27% of the 1993 U.S. production of coal of all ranks. Eastern Kentucky's production is spread among many coal beds but is particularly concentrated in a limited number of highquality coals, notably the Pond Creek coal bed and its correlatives, and the Fire Clay coal bed and its correlatives. Both coals are relatively low ash and low sulfur through the areas of the heaviest concentration of mining activity. We discuss production trends, resources, and the quality of in-place and clean coal for those and other major coals in the region. ?? 1994 Oxford University Press.

  5. Leading at the Coal-Face: The World as Experienced by Subject Coordinators in Australian Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holt, Dale; Cohen, Lynne; Campbell-Evans, Glenda; Chang, Paul; Macdonald, Ian; McDonald, Jacquie

    2013-01-01

    This article is based on nationally funded research into the role, capabilities, challenges and professional development needs of subject coordinators in Australian higher education. The second of three data collection phases involved a multi-institutional survey of staff in the role of subject coordinator with the aim of understanding the role…

  6. Fire Risk Assessment of Some Indian Coals Using Radial Basis Function (RBF) Technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nimaje, Devidas; Tripathy, Debi Prasad

    2017-04-01

    Fires, whether surface or underground, pose serious and environmental problems in the global coal mining industry. It is causing huge loss of coal due to burning and loss of lives, sterilization of coal reserves and environmental pollution. Most of the instances of coal mine fires happening worldwide are mainly due to the spontaneous combustion. Hence, attention must be paid to take appropriate measures to prevent occurrence and spread of fire. In this paper, to evaluate the different properties of coals for fire risk assessment, forty-nine in situ coal samples were collected from major coalfields of India. Intrinsic properties viz. proximate and ultimate analysis; and susceptibility indices like crossing point temperature, flammability temperature, Olpinski index and wet oxidation potential method of Indian coals were carried out to ascertain the liability of coal to spontaneous combustion. Statistical regression analysis showed that the parameters of ultimate analysis provide significant correlation with all investigated susceptibility indices as compared to the parameters of proximate analysis. Best correlated parameters (ultimate analysis) were used as inputs to the radial basis function network model. The model revealed that Olpinski index can be used as a reliable method to assess the liability of Indian coals to spontaneous combustion.

  7. Manufacturing and Application of Metalized Ore-Coal Pellets in Synthetic Pig Iron Smelting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nokhrina, O. I.; Rozhikhina, I. D.; Khodosov, I. E.

    2016-08-01

    The article presents research data on manufacturing and application of metalized ore-coal pellets in synthetic pig iron smelting. A technology of pellets metallization by means of solid-phase reduction of iron from oxides using hematite-magnetite iron ore and low-caking coal as raw materials is described. Industrial testing of replacing 10, 15, and 20% of waste metal by the metalized ore-coal pellets in the coreless induction furnace IST-1 is described. Optimal temperature and time conditions of feeding the metalized pellets into the furnace in smelting pig iron of SCh-40-60 grade are determined.

  8. Characteristics and consumption patterns of Australian organic consumers.

    PubMed

    Oates, Liza; Cohen, Marc; Braun, Lesley

    2012-11-01

    Increasingly, Australians are choosing to consume organically produced food, but only a small percentage consume organic food exclusively, and there is little information in the scientific literature that describes their actual level of intake. In order to provide a more meaningful description of Australian organic consumers the 'Organic Consumption Survey' and 'Organic Food Intake Survey' were conducted online in 2010. The aims were to provide information about the characteristics of regular organic consumers and quantify levels of organic consumption. The majority of participants (n = 318) were female (80.3%), 25-55 years old (80.3%), living in urban areas (61.2%), born in Australia (68.9%) and were in a healthy weight range (55.5%). Organic fruit and vegetables had the highest uptake by organic consumers and meat products the lowest. The majority of participants consumed at least 65% organic food in their diet, including 35% certified organic food. A better understanding of organic consumers may help to serve the long-term interests of the organic industry and other stakeholders of food marketing. Clearer definitions of organic consumers may also inform research evaluating the purported health benefits of organic foods. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. Coal Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1986-01-01

    Coal slurries are "clean" pulverized coal mixed with oil or water. Significant fuel savings can be realized when using coal slurries. Advanced Fuels Technology (AFT) utilized a COSMIC program, (Calculation of Complex Chemical Equilibrium Compositions), which provides specific capabilities for determining combustion products. The company has developed a cleaning process that removes much of the mineral sulphur and ash from the coals.

  10. GIS Representation of Coal-Bearing Areas in Africa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Merrill, Matthew D.; Tewalt, Susan J.

    2008-01-01

    The African continent contains approximately 5 percent of the world's proven recoverable reserves of coal (World Energy Council, 2007). Energy consumption in Africa is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.3 percent from 2004 through 2030, while average consumption in first-world nations is expected to rise at 1.4 percent annually (Energy Information Administration, 2007). Coal reserves will undoubtedly continue to be part of Africa's energy portfolio as it grows in the future. A review of academic and industrial literature indicates that 27 nations in Africa contain coal-bearing rock. South Africa accounts for 96 percent of Africa's total proven recoverable coal reserves, ranking it sixth in the world. This report is a digital compilation of information on Africa's coal-bearing geology found in the literature and is intended to be used in small scale spatial investigations in a Geographic Information System (GIS) and as a visual aid for the discussion of Africa's coal resources. Many maps of African coal resources often include points for mine locations or regional scale polygons with generalized borders depicting basin edges. Point locations are detailed but provide no information regarding extent, and generalized polygons do not have sufficient detail. In this dataset, the polygons are representative of the actual coal-bearing lithology both in location and regional extent. Existing U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) digital geology datasets provide the majority of the base geologic polygons. Polygons for the coal-bearing localities were clipped from the base geology that represented the age and extent of the coal deposit as indicated in the literature. Where the 1:5,000,000-scale geology base layer's ages conflicted with those in the publications, polygons were generated directly from the regional African coal maps (1:500,000 scale, approximately) in the published material. In these cases, coal-bearing polygons were clipped to the literature's indicated coal

  11. Energy Industry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-01-01

    Coal Power Plant , Dickerson, MD Consol Corporation, Morgantown and Wanna, WV Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, CA Valero Refinery , Benicia, CA Pacific...important petrochemical industry Cons: Reliance on imports from volatile regions Greenhouse gas emissions Policy Recommendations: Limit number...nuclear power, and reduce hazardous emissions through the development of cleaner burning technologies and use of alternative fuels. Specifically, the

  12. Coal liquefaction process utilizing coal/CO.sub.2 slurry feedstream

    DOEpatents

    Comolli, Alfred G.; McLean, Joseph B.

    1989-01-01

    A coal hydrogenation and liquefaction process in which particulate coal feed is pressurized to an intermediate pressure of at least 500 psig and slurried with CO.sub.2 liquid to provide a flowable coal/CO.sub.2 slurry feedstream, which is further pressurized to at least 1000 psig and fed into a catalytic reactor. The coal particle size is 50-375 mesh (U.S. Sieve Series) and provides 50-80 W % coal in the coal/CO.sub.2 slurry feedstream. Catalytic reaction conditions are maintained at 650.degree.-850.degree. F. temperature, 1000-4000 psig hydrogen partial pressure and coal feed rate of 10-100 lb coal/hr ft.sup.3 reactor volume to produce hydrocarbon gas and liquid products. The hydrogen and CO.sub.2 are recovered from the reactor effluent gaseous fraction, hydrogen is recycled to the catalytic reactor, and CO.sub.2 is liquefied and recycled to the coal slurrying step. If desired, two catalytic reaction stages close coupled together in series relation can be used. The process advantageously minimizes the recycle and processing of excess hydrocarbon liquid previously needed for slurrying the coal feed to the reactor(s).

  13. Designing and Managing a Strategic Academic Alliance: An Australian University Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Lindsay; Morriss, Ross

    2005-01-01

    Purpose--This article outlines the experience and approach of an Australian university in developing and managing education program partnerships within industry. Design/methodology/approach--Describes how the university has established a specialist Strategic Partnerships unit for managing the customisation and delivery of postgraduate award…

  14. Quarterly Coal Distribution

    EIA Publications

    2017-01-01

    The Quarterly Coal Distribution Report (QCDR) provides detailed U.S. domestic coal distribution data by coal origin state, coal destination state, mode of transportation, and consuming sector. Quarterly data for all years are preliminary and will be superseded by the release of the corresponding Annual Coal Distribution Report.

  15. Low-Rank Coal Grinding Performance Versus Power Plant Performance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rajive Ganguli; Sukumar Bandopadhyay

    2008-12-31

    The intent of this project was to demonstrate that Alaskan low-rank coal, which is high in volatile content, need not be ground as fine as bituminous coal (typically low in volatile content) for optimum combustion in power plants. The grind or particle size distribution (PSD), which is quantified by percentage of pulverized coal passing 74 microns (200 mesh), affects the pulverizer throughput in power plants. The finer the grind, the lower the throughput. For a power plant to maintain combustion levels, throughput needs to be high. The problem of particle size is compounded for Alaskan coal since it has amore » low Hardgrove grindability index (HGI); that is, it is difficult to grind. If the thesis of this project is demonstrated, then Alaskan coal need not be ground to the industry standard, thereby alleviating somewhat the low HGI issue (and, hopefully, furthering the salability of Alaskan coal). This project studied the relationship between PSD and power plant efficiency, emissions, and mill power consumption for low-rank high-volatile-content Alaskan coal. The emissions studied were CO, CO{sub 2}, NO{sub x}, SO{sub 2}, and Hg (only two tests). The tested PSD range was 42 to 81 percent passing 76 microns. Within the tested range, there was very little correlation between PSD and power plant efficiency, CO, NO{sub x}, and SO{sub 2}. Hg emissions were very low and, therefore, did not allow comparison between grind sizes. Mill power consumption was lower for coarser grinds.« less

  16. Aligning IT and Business Strategy: An Australian University Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dent, Alan

    2015-01-01

    Alignment with business objectives is considered to be an essential outcome of information technology (IT) strategic planning. This case study examines the process of creating an IT strategy for an Australian university using an industry standard methodology. The degree of alignment is determined by comparing the strategic priorities supported by…

  17. Socio-Economic Wellbeing in Australian Mining Towns: A Comparative Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tonts, Matthew; Plummer, Paul; Lawrie, Misty

    2012-01-01

    Understanding the links between resource dependence and socio-economic wellbeing has long been a subject of interest amongst social scientists in North America. By contrast, relatively few Australian studies exist on this topic. This is despite the significant role of resource industries in shaping Australia's economic and social geography. Where…

  18. Future CO2 emissions and electricity generation from proposed coal-fired power plants in India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fofrich, R.; Shearer, C.; Davis, S. J.

    2017-12-01

    India represents a critical unknown in global projections of future CO2 emissions due to its growing population, industrializing economy, and large coal reserves. In this study, we assess existing and proposed construction of coal-fired power plants in India and evaluate their implications for future energy production and emissions in the country. In 2016, India had 369 coal-fired power plants under development totaling 243 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity. These coal-fired power plants would increase India's coal-fired generating capacity by 123% and would exceed India's projected electricity demand. Therefore, India's current proposals for new coal-fired power plants would be forced to retire early or operate at very low capacity factors and/or would prevent India from meeting its goal of producing at least 40% of its power from renewable sources by 2030. In addition, future emissions from proposed coal-fired power plants would exceed India's climate commitment to reduce its 2005 emissions intensity 33% - 35% by 2030.

  19. Current status and prospect: Coal water mixture technology in Indonesia

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sastrawinata, T.; Suwono, A.

    1996-12-31

    This paper covers the status of Coal Water Mixture (CWM) technology in Indonesia and also the prospect for implementing this technology. Advantageous use of a pipeline for coal transportation is geographically inconvenient. Characteristics of CWM for Indonesian coal and combustion characteristics of CWM for Indonesian coal are reviewed. The coal reserve estimated in Indonesia is about 36 billions tons with ratio of lignite and higher rank is 60:40. The main problems faced in the coal utilization in Indonesia is the transportation from the mines to the users. Remote, limited infrastructure and the geographic conditions are factors which contribute to themore » problems. The CWM made of Indonesian low rank coal from various origins has been prepared for further study. The CWM of various coal concentration up to 66% with good handling and storage stability was obtained. Rheological measurements of the obtained CWM shows that for high coal concentration (greater than about 40%), in addition to the yield stress, the solution also behaves as the power law model of fluid. Energy Technology Laboratory has just started to investigate the combustion characteristics of CWM. CWM in Indonesia has not been utilized commercially in the industrial boiler, so that needs to be studied comprehensively. The technical aspects in this is stressed on the combustion characteristics in the boiler furnace. LSDE has a state of the art coal combustion facility that includes a chemical analytic laboratory and a boiler simulator equipped with complete data acquisition. The experiments will have several numerical criteria to characterize CWS combustion process, i.e., Maximum Furnace Exit Temperature, firing rate, pressure drop in the test section, deposit strength and deposit weight, swirl flow number.« less

  20. Field-scale investigation of pulverized coal mill power consumption

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ganguli, R.; Bandopadhyay, S.

    2008-08-15

    Twenty field-scale tests were conducted in a 28 MW pulverized coal power plant in Healy, Alaska, to examine mill power consumption in relation to coal grind size. The intent in this field-scale study was to verify if grind size truly impacted power consumption by a detectable amount. The regression model developed from the data indicates that grind size does impact mill power consumption, with finer grinds consuming significantly more power than coarser grinds. However, other factors such as coal hardness (i.e. the lower the Hardgrove Grindability Index, or the harder the coal, the higher the power consumption) and mill throughputmore » (i.e., the higher the throughput, the higher the power consumption) had to be included before the impact of grind size could be isolated. It was also observed that combining amperage and flow rate into a single parameter, i.e., specific amperage, hurt modeling. Cost analysis based on the regression model indicate a power savings of $19,972 per year if the coal were ground to 50% passing 76 {mu}m rather than the industry standard of 70% passing 76 {mu}m. The study also demonstrated that size reduction constituted a significant portion of the power consumption.« less

  1. Coal resources of the Sonda coal field, Sindh Province, Pakistan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thomas, R.E.; Riaz, Khan M.; Ahmed, Khan S.

    1993-01-01

    Approximately 4.7 billion t of original coal resources, ranging from lignite A to subbituminous C in rank, are estimated to be present in the Sonda coal field. These resources occur in 10 coal zones in the Bara Formation of Paleocene age. The Bara Formation does not out crop in the area covered by this report. Thin discontinuous coal beds also occur in the Sonhari Member of the Laki Formation, of Paleocene and Eocene age, but they are unimportant as a resource of the Sonda coal field. The coal resource assessment was based on 56 exploratory drill holes that were completed in the Sonda field between April 1986 and February 1988. The Sonda coal field is split into two, roughly equal, areas by the southwestward flowing Indus River, a major barrier to the logistics of communications between the two halves. As a result the two halves, called the Sonda East and Sonda West areas, were evaluated at different times by slightlydifferent techniques; but, because the geology is consistent between the two areas, the results of both evaluations have been summarized in this report. The resource estimates for the Sonda East area, approximately 1,700 million t, were based on the thickest coal bed in each zone at each drill hole. This method gives a conservative estimate of the total amount of coal in the Sonda East area. The resource estimates for the Sonda West area, approximately 3,000 million t, were based on cumulative coal bed thicknesses within each coal zone, resulting in a more liberal estimate. In both cases, minimum parameters for qualifying coal were a thickness of 30 cm or greater and no more than 50% ash; partings thicker than 1 cm were excluded. The three most important coal zones in the Sonda field are the Inayatabad, the Middle Sonda and the Lower Sonda. Together, these three coal zones contain 50% of the total resources. Isopachs were constructed for the thickest coal beds in these three coal zones and indicate large variations in thickness over relatively small

  2. Health requirements for advanced coal extraction systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zimmerman, W. F.

    1980-01-01

    Health requirements were developed as long range goals for future advanced coal extraction systems which would be introduced into the market in the year 2000. The goal of the requirements is that underground coal miners work in an environment that is as close as possible to the working conditions of the general population, that they do not exceed mortality and morbidity rates resulting from lung diseases that are comparable to those of the general population, and that their working conditions comply as closely as possible to those of other industries as specified by OSHA regulations. A brief technique for evaluating whether proposed advanced systems meet these safety requirements is presented, as well as a discussion of the costs of respiratory disability compensation.

  3. Compressive strength performance of OPS lightweight aggregate concrete containing coal bottom ash as partial fine aggregate replacement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muthusamy, K.; Mohamad Hafizuddin, R.; Mat Yahaya, F.; Sulaiman, M. A.; Syed Mohsin, S. M.; Tukimat, N. N.; Omar, R.; Chin, S. C.

    2018-04-01

    Concerns regarding the negative impact towards environment due to the increasing use of natural sand in construction industry and dumping of industrial solid wastes namely coal bottom ash (CBA) and oil palm shell (OPS) has resulted in the development of environmental friendly lightweight concrete. The present study investigates the effect of coal bottom ash as partial fine aggregate replacement towards workability and compressive strength of oil palm shell lightweight aggregate concrete (OPS LWAC). The fresh and mechanical properties of this concrete containing various percentage of coal bottom ash as partial fine aggregate replacement were investigated. The result was compared to OPS LWAC with 100 % sand as a control specimen. The concrete workability investigated by conducting slump test. All specimens were cast in form of cubes and water cured until the testing age. The compressive strength test was carried out at 7 and 28 days. The finding shows that integration of coal bottom ash at suitable proportion enhances the strength of oil palm shell lightweight aggregate concrete.

  4. Coal combustion products: trash or treasure?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hansen, T.

    2006-07-15

    Coal combustion by-products can be a valuable resource to various industries. The American Coal Ash Association (ACAA) collects data on production and uses of coal combustion products (CCPs). 122.5 million tons of CCPs were produced in 2004. The article discusses the results of the ACCA's 2004 survey. Fly ash is predominantly used as a substitute for Portland cement; bottom ash for structural fill, embankments and paved road cases. Synthetic gypsum from the FGD process is commonly used in wallboard. Plant owners are only likely to have a buyer for a portion of their CCPs. Although sale of hot water (frommore » Antelope Valley Station) from condensers for use in a fish farm to raise tilapia proved unviable, the Great Plains Synfuels Plant which manufactures natural gas from lignite produces a wide range of products including anhydrous ammonia, phenol, krypton, carbon dioxide (for enhanced oil recovery), tar oils and liquid nitrogen. ACCA's goal is to educate people about CCPs and how to make them into useful products, and market them, in order to reduce waste disposal and enhance revenue. The article lists members of the ACCA. 2 photos., 1 tab.« less

  5. Carbon dioxide from coal combustion: Variation with rank of US coal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Quick, J.C.; Glick, D.C.

    2000-01-01

    Carbon dioxide from combustion of US coal systematically varies with ASTM rank indices, allowing the amount of CO2 produced per net unit of energy to be predicted for individual coals. No single predictive equation is applicable to all coals. Accordingly, we provide one equation for coals above high volatile bituminous rank and another for lower rank coals. When applied to public data for commercial coals from western US mines these equations show a 15% variation of kg CO2 (net GJ)-1. This range of variation suggests reduction of US CO2 emissions is possible by prudent selection of coal for combustion. Maceral and mineral content are shown to slightly affect CO2 emissions from US coal. We also suggest that CO2 emissions increased between 6 and 8% in instances where Midwestern US power plants stopped burning local, high-sulfur bituminous coal and started burning low-sulfur, subbituminous C rank coal from the western US.

  6. Variations in area-level disadvantage of Australian registered fitness trainers usual training locations.

    PubMed

    Bennie, Jason A; Thornton, Lukar E; van Uffelen, Jannique G Z; Banting, Lauren K; Biddle, Stuart J H

    2016-07-11

    Leisure-time physical activity and strength training participation levels are low and socioeconomically distributed. Fitness trainers (e.g. gym/group instructors) may have a role in increasing these participation levels. However, it is not known whether the training location and characteristics of Australian fitness trainers vary between areas that differ in socioeconomic status. In 2014, a sample of 1,189 Australian trainers completed an online survey with questions about personal and fitness industry-related characteristics (e.g. qualifications, setting, and experience) and postcode of their usual training location. The Australian Bureau of Statistics 'Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage' (IRSD) was matched to training location and used to assess where fitness professionals trained and whether their experience, qualification level and delivery methods differed by area-level disadvantage. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between IRSD score and selected characteristics adjusting for covariates (e.g. sex, age). Overall, 47 % of respondents worked in areas within the three least-disadvantaged deciles. In contrast, only 14.8 % worked in the three most-disadvantaged deciles. In adjusted regression models, fitness industry qualification was positively associated with a higher IRSD score (i.e. working in the least-disadvantaged areas) (Cert III: ref; Cert IV β:13.44 [95 % CI 3.86-23.02]; Diploma β:15.77 [95 % CI: 2.17-29.37]; Undergraduate β:23.14 [95 % CI: 9.41-36.86]). Fewer Australian fitness trainers work in areas with high levels of socioeconomic disadvantaged areas than in areas with low levels of disadvantage. A higher level of fitness industry qualifications was associated with working in areas with lower levels of disadvantage. Future research should explore the effectiveness of providing incentives that encourage more fitness trainers and those with higher qualifications to work in more socioeconomically

  7. Coal in sub-Saharan-African countries undergoing desertification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weaver, J. N.; Brownfield, M. E.; Bergin, M. J.

    -Saharan region, energy independent countries using indigenous coal and peat resources. These resources have the potential to replace wood and wood charcoal as domestic fueld in the urban centers, as well as producing electrical and industrial energy, thus reducing expensive oil imports and decreasing the rate of deforestation.

  8. Coal in sub-Saharan-African countries undergoing desertification

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Weaver, J.N.; Brownfield, M.E.; Bergin, M.J.

    1990-01-01

    -Saharan region, energy independent countries using indigenous coal and peat resources. These resources have the potential to replace wood and wood charcoal as domestic fueld in the urban centers, as well as producing electrical and industrial energy, thus reducing expensive oil imports and decreasing the rate of deforestation. ?? 1991.

  9. Combining a Spatial Model and Demand Forecasts to Map Future Surface Coal Mining in Appalachia

    PubMed Central

    Strager, Michael P.; Strager, Jacquelyn M.; Evans, Jeffrey S.; Dunscomb, Judy K.; Kreps, Brad J.; Maxwell, Aaron E.

    2015-01-01

    Predicting the locations of future surface coal mining in Appalachia is challenging for a number of reasons. Economic and regulatory factors impact the coal mining industry and forecasts of future coal production do not specifically predict changes in location of future coal production. With the potential environmental impacts from surface coal mining, prediction of the location of future activity would be valuable to decision makers. The goal of this study was to provide a method for predicting future surface coal mining extents under changing economic and regulatory forecasts through the year 2035. This was accomplished by integrating a spatial model with production demand forecasts to predict (1 km2) gridded cell size land cover change. Combining these two inputs was possible with a ratio which linked coal extraction quantities to a unit area extent. The result was a spatial distribution of probabilities allocated over forecasted demand for the Appalachian region including northern, central, southern, and eastern Illinois coal regions. The results can be used to better plan for land use alterations and potential cumulative impacts. PMID:26090883

  10. Occupational risk factors for prostate cancer in an area of former coal, iron, and steel industries in Germany. Part 1: Results from a study performed in the 1980s.

    PubMed

    Dickhut, Silvia; Urfer, Wolfgang; Reich, Susanne; Bandel, Tiemo; Bremicker, Karl-Dieter; Neugebauer, Wolfgang; Sökeland, Jürgen; Bolt, Hermann M; Golka, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    Prostate cancer is the most frequent occurring malignancy in men in many Western countries. Unfortunately, only a few studies on occupational risk factors have been published. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate possible occupational risk factors in a former center of coal, iron, and steel industries the greater Dortmund area, located in the western part of Germany. In three local departments of urology, a total of 238 prostate cancer cases and 414 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia as controls were requested to provide information for all jobs ever performed for 6 mo or longer. Jobs performed less than 10 yr prior to diagnosis were excluded from the analysis due to the latency of prostate cancer. In addition, data on smoking habits and age were obtained. Analysis of data was performed by means of logistic regression. Hard coal miners and, based on fewer cases, painters, stratified by age, showed a significantly elevated prostate cancer risk. Smoking history did not influence prostate cancer risk. The causes of the observed increased prostate cancer risk in hard coal miners cannot be explained by merely the risk factor "male sexual hormones." In former decades, underground hard coal miners were exposed to high concentrations of dust and different xenobiotics such as hydraulic oils. Surprisingly, in a study performed about a decade later in the same area, prostate cancer risk in underground hard coal miners was found to be reduced. However, exposure to colorants was associated with an increased prostate cancer risk.

  11. Preparing for Portfolio Careers in Australian Music: Setting a Research Agenda

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartleet, Brydie-Leigh; Bennett, Dawn; Bridgstock, Ruth; Draper, Paul; Harrison, Scott; Schippers, Huib

    2012-01-01

    In the twenty-first century, Australian musicians increasingly maintain "portfolio" careers, in which they combine diverse employment arrangements and activities. Often, these incorporate industry sectors outside of music. This career pattern is widespread but not well understood, largely because of the limitations of existing research.…

  12. Geochemistry of rare earth elements in Permian coals from the Huaibei Coalfield, China

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zheng, Lingyun; Liu, Gaisheng; Chou, C.-L.; Qi, C.; Zhang, Y.

    2007-01-01

    The rare earth elements (REEs) in coals are important because of: (a) REE patterns can be an indicator of the nature of source rocks of the mineral matter as well as sedimentary environments; (b) REEs abundance in coal may have industrial-significance. In this study, a total of thirty-four samples of Permian coal, partings, roof, and floor were collected from the Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui Province, China. Abundances of rare earth elements (REEs) and other elements in the samples were determined by inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled-plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The results show that the REEs are enriched in coals in the Huaibei Coalfield as compared with Chinese and U.S. coals and the world coal average. Coals in the Lower Shihezi Formation (No. 7, 5, and 4 Coals) and Upper Shihezi Formation (No. 3) have higher REE abundances than the coals in Shanxi Formation (No. 10). Magmatic intrusion resulted in high enrichment of REEs concentrations in No. 5 and 7 Coals. The REE abundances are positively correlated with the ash content. The mineral matter in these coals is mainly made up of clay minerals and carbonates. The REEs are positively correlated with lithophile elements including Si, Al, Ti, Fe, and Na, which are mainly distributed in clay minerals, indicating that REEs are contained mainly in clay minerals. The REE abundances in coals normalized by the ash are higher than that in partings. REEs abundances of coals cannot be accounted for by the REE content in the mineral matter, and some REEs associated with organic matter in coals. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Coal and Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryant, Reba; And Others

    This teaching unit explores coal as an energy resource. Goals, student objectives, background information, and activity options are presented for each major section. The sections are: (1) an introduction to coal (which describes how and where coal was formed and explains the types of coal); (2) the mining of coal (including the methods and ways of…

  14. Curbing Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Industrial Boilers in China

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shen, Bo; Price, Lynn K; Lu, Hongyou

    China’s industrial boiler systems consume 700 million tons of coal annually, accounting for 18% of the nation’s total coal consumption. Together these boiler systems are one of the major sources of China’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, producing approximately 1.3 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide (CO 2) annually. These boiler systems are also responsible for 33% and 27% of total soot and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions in China, respectively, making a substantial contribution to China’s local environmental degradation. The Chinese government - at both the national and local level - is taking actions to mitigate the significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionsmore » and air pollution related to the country’s extensive use of coal-fired industrial boilers. The United States and China are pursuing a collaborative effort under the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group to conduct a comprehensive assessment of China’s coal-fired industrial boilers and to develop an implementation roadmap that will improve industrial boiler efficiency and maximize fuel-switching opportunities. Two Chinese cities – Ningbo and Xi’an – have been selected for the assessment. These cities represent coastal areas with access to liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and inland regions with access to interprovincial natural gas pipelines, respectively.« less

  15. [Coal fineness effect on primary particulate matter features during pulverized coal combustion].

    PubMed

    Lü, Jian-yi; Li, Ding-kai

    2007-09-01

    Three kinds of coal differed from fineness were burned in a laboratory-scale drop tube furnace for combustion test, and an 8-stage Andersen particle impactor was employed for sampling the primary particulate matter (PM), in order to study coal fineness effect on primary PM features during pulverized coal combustion. It has been shown that the finer the coal was, the finer the PM produced. PM, emission amount augmented with coal fineness decreased, and the amount of PM10 increased from 13 mg/g to 21 mg/g respectively generated by coarse coal and fine coal. The amount of PM2.5 increased from 2 mg/g to 8 mg/g at the same condition. Constituents and content in bulk ash varied little after three different fineness coal combustion, while the appearance of grading PM differed visibly. The value of R(EE) increased while the coal fineness deceased. The volatility of trace elements which were investigated was Pb > Cr > Zn > Cu > Ni in turn. The concentration of poisonous trace elements was higher which generated from fine coal combustion. The volatilization capacity was influenced little by coal fineness, but the volatilization extent was influenced differently by coal fineness. Fine coal combustion affects worse environment than coarse coal does.

  16. Recent regulatory experience of low-Btu coal gasification. Volume III. Supporting case studies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ackerman, E.; Hart, D.; Lethi, M.

    The MITRE Corporation conducted a five-month study for the Office of Resource Applications in the Department of Energy on the regulatory requirements of low-Btu coal gasification. During this study, MITRE interviewed representatives of five current low-Btu coal gasification projects and regulatory agencies in five states. From these interviews, MITRE has sought the experience of current low-Btu coal gasification users in order to recommend actions to improve the regulatory process. This report is the third of three volumes. It contains the results of interviews conducted for each of the case studies. Volume 1 of the report contains the analysis of themore » case studies and recommendations to potential industrial users of low-Btu coal gasification. Volume 2 contains recommendations to regulatory agencies.« less

  17. Chemical composition and some trace element contents in coals and coal ash from Tamnava-Zapadno Polje Coal Field, Serbia

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vukasinovic-Pesic, V.; Rajakovic, L.J.

    2009-07-01

    The chemical compositions and trace element contents (Zn, Cu, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd, As, B, Hg, Sr, Se, Be, Ba, Mn, Th, V, U) in coal and coal ash samples from Tamnava-Zapadno Polje coal field in Serbia were studied. The coal from this field belongs to lignite. This high volatility coal has high moisture and low S contents, moderate ash yield, and high calorific value. The coal ash is abundant in alumosilicates. Many trace elements such as Ni > Cd > Cr > B > As > Cu > Co > Pb > V > Zn > Mn inmore » the coal and Ni > Cr > As > B > Cu > Co = Pb > V > Zn > Mn in the coal ash are enriched in comparison with Clarke concentrations.« less

  18. Coal combustion products

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kalyoncu, R.S.; Olson, D.W.

    2001-01-01

    Coal-burning powerplants, which supply more than half of U.S. electricity, also generate coal combustion products, which can be both a resource and a disposal problem. The U.S. Geological Survey collaborates with the American Coal Ash Association in preparing its annual report on coal combustion products. This Fact Sheet answers questions about present and potential uses of coal combustion products.

  19. Attitudes toward Women Coal Miners in an Appalachian Coal Community.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trent, Roger B.; Stout-Wiegand, Nancy

    1987-01-01

    In a coal mining community, a survey revealed that the level of negative sentiment toward women coal miners was substantial and varied by gender role. Male coal miners were negative toward female co-workers, but they supported women's right to coal mine jobs, while female homemakers did not. (Author/CH)

  20. Research on Occupational Safety, Health Management and Risk Control Technology in Coal Mines.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Lu-Jie; Cao, Qing-Gui; Yu, Kai; Wang, Lin-Lin; Wang, Hai-Bin

    2018-04-26

    This paper studies the occupational safety and health management methods as well as risk control technology associated with the coal mining industry, including daily management of occupational safety and health, identification and assessment of risks, early warning and dynamic monitoring of risks, etc.; also, a B/S mode software (Geting Coal Mine, Jining, Shandong, China), i.e., Coal Mine Occupational Safety and Health Management and Risk Control System, is developed to attain the aforementioned objectives, namely promoting the coal mine occupational safety and health management based on early warning and dynamic monitoring of risks. Furthermore, the practical effectiveness and the associated pattern for applying this software package to coal mining is analyzed. The study indicates that the presently developed coal mine occupational safety and health management and risk control technology and the associated software can support the occupational safety and health management efforts in coal mines in a standardized and effective manner. It can also control the accident risks scientifically and effectively; its effective implementation can further improve the coal mine occupational safety and health management mechanism, and further enhance the risk management approaches. Besides, its implementation indicates that the occupational safety and health management and risk control technology has been established based on a benign cycle involving dynamic feedback and scientific development, which can provide a reliable assurance to the safe operation of coal mines.

  1. Research on Occupational Safety, Health Management and Risk Control Technology in Coal Mines

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Lu-jie; Cao, Qing-gui; Yu, Kai; Wang, Lin-lin; Wang, Hai-bin

    2018-01-01

    This paper studies the occupational safety and health management methods as well as risk control technology associated with the coal mining industry, including daily management of occupational safety and health, identification and assessment of risks, early warning and dynamic monitoring of risks, etc.; also, a B/S mode software (Geting Coal Mine, Jining, Shandong, China), i.e., Coal Mine Occupational Safety and Health Management and Risk Control System, is developed to attain the aforementioned objectives, namely promoting the coal mine occupational safety and health management based on early warning and dynamic monitoring of risks. Furthermore, the practical effectiveness and the associated pattern for applying this software package to coal mining is analyzed. The study indicates that the presently developed coal mine occupational safety and health management and risk control technology and the associated software can support the occupational safety and health management efforts in coal mines in a standardized and effective manner. It can also control the accident risks scientifically and effectively; its effective implementation can further improve the coal mine occupational safety and health management mechanism, and further enhance the risk management approaches. Besides, its implementation indicates that the occupational safety and health management and risk control technology has been established based on a benign cycle involving dynamic feedback and scientific development, which can provide a reliable assurance to the safe operation of coal mines. PMID:29701715

  2. Analysis of hard coal quality for narrow size fraction under 20 mm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niedoba, Tomasz; Pięta, Paulina

    2018-01-01

    The paper presents the results of an analysis of hard coal quality diversion in narrow size fraction by using taxonomic methods. Raw material samples were collected in selected mines of Upper Silesian Industrial Region and they were classified according to the Polish classification as types 31, 34.2 and 35. Then, each size fraction was characterized in terms of the following properties: density, ash content, calorific content, volatile content, total sulfur content and analytical moisture. As a result of the analysis it can be stated that the best quality in the entire range of the tested size fractions was the 34.2 coking coal type. At the same time, in terms of price parameters, high quality of raw material characterised the following size fractions: 0-6.3 mm of 31 energetic coal type and 0-3.15 mm of 35 coking coal type. The methods of grouping (Ward's method) and agglomeration (k-means method) have shown that the size fraction below 10 mm was characterized by higher quality in all the analyzed hard coal types. However, the selected taxonomic methods do not make it possible to identify individual size fraction or hard coal types based on chosen parameters.

  3. Coal mining, social injustice and health: a universal conflict of power and priorities.

    PubMed

    Morrice, Emily; Colagiuri, Ruth

    2013-01-01

    Given the current insatiable demand for coal to build and fuel the world's burgeoning cities the debate about mining-related social, environmental and health injustices remains eminently salient. Furthermore, the core issues appear universally consistent. This paper combines the theoretical base for defining these injustices with reports in the international health literature about the impact of coal mining on local communities. It explores and analyses mechanisms of coal mining related injustice, conflicting priorities and power asymmetries between political and industry interests versus inhabitants of mining communities, and asks what would be required for considerations of health to take precedence over wealth. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Health impacts of coal and coal use: Possible solutions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Finkelman, R.B.; Orem, W.; Castranova, V.; Tatu, C.A.; Belkin, H.E.; Zheng, B.; Lerch, H.E.; Maharaj, S.V.; Bates, A.L.

    2002-01-01

    Coal will be a dominant energy source in both developed and developing countries for at least the first half of the 21st century. Environmental problems associated with coal, before mining, during mining, in storage, during combustion, and postcombustion waste products are well known and are being addressed by ongoing research. The connection between potential environmental problems with human health is a fairly new field and requires the cooperation of both the geoscience and medical disciplines. Three research programs that illustrate this collaboration are described and used to present a range of human health problems that are potentially caused by coal. Domestic combustion of coal in China has, in some cases, severely affected human health. Both on a local and regional scale, human health has been adversely affected by coals containing arsenic, fluorine, selenium, and possibly, mercury. Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), an irreversible kidney disease of unknown origin, has been related to the proximity of Pliocene lignite deposits. The working hypothesis is that groundwater is leaching toxic organic compounds as it passes through the lignites and that these organics are then ingested by the local population contributing to this health problem. Human disease associated with coal mining mainly results from inhalation of particulate matter during the mining process. The disease is Coal Worker's Pneumoconiosis characterized by coal dust-induced lesions in the gas exchange regions of the lung; the coal worker's "black lung disease". ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. "Avoid health warnings on all tobacco products for just as long as we can": a history of Australian tobacco industry efforts to avoid, delay and dilute health warnings on cigarettes

    PubMed Central

    Chapman, S; Carter, S

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To review critically the history of Australian tobacco industry efforts to avoid, delay, and dilute pack warnings on cigarettes. Design: Systematic keyword and opportunistic website searches of tobacco industry internal documents made available through the Master Settlement Agreement. Results: Four industry strategies and six recurrent arguments used by the industry are described, which were used to thwart the passage of three generations of health warnings (implemented in 1973, 1987, and 1995). These strategies are shown to have been associated with major delays in the implementation of the warnings and in keeping them inconspicuous, unattributed to the industry and non-specific, and particularly in delaying the use of warnings about addiction. The industry today continues to oppose warnings, which might "repel" smokers from tobacco use. Conclusions: Efforts by governments to introduce potent health warnings will be resisted by the tobacco industry. Tobacco control advocates should anticipate and counter the strategies and arguments used by the industry, which are described in this paper if they wish to maximise the use of the pack as a vehicle for raising awareness about the harms of smoking. PMID:14645944

  6. National Gas Survey report to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by the Supply-Technical Advisory Task Force on nonconventional natural gas resources. [Coal beds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    1978-06-01

    An analysis is presented of the future energy situation in the U.S. with emphasis on the natural gas industry. The analysis results are presented in chapters on historical research efforts, industry criteria for commercialization of coal bed gas, technology for recovering methane from coal beds, identification of problems, legal concerns, and environmental considerations. (JRD)

  7. Liquefaction of calcium-containing subbituminous coals and coals of lower rank

    DOEpatents

    Gorbaty, Martin L.; Taunton, John W.

    1980-01-01

    A process for the treatment of a calcium-containing subbituminous coal and coals of lower rank to form insoluble, thermally stable calcium salts which remain within the solids portions of the residue on liquefaction of the coal, thereby suppressing the formation scale, made up largely of calcium carbonate deposits, e.g., vaterite, which normally forms within the coal liquefaction reactor (i.e., coal liquefaction zone), e.g., on reactor surfaces, lines, auxiliary equipment and the like. A solution of a compound or salt characterized by the formula MX, where M is a Group IA metal of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and X is an anion which is capable of forming water-insoluble, thermally stable calcium compounds, is maintained in contact with a particulate coal feed sufficient to impregnate said salt or compound into the pores of the coal. On separation of the impregnated particulate coal from the solution, the coal can be liquefied in a coal liquefaction reactor (reaction zone) at coal liquefaction conditions without significant formation of vaterite or other forms of calcium carbonate on reactor surfaces, auxiliary equipment and the like; and the Group IA metal which remains within the liquefaction bottoms catalyzes the reaction when the liquefaction bottoms are subjected to a gasification reaction.

  8. Oxidation and carbonisation of coals: a case study of coal fire affected coals from the Wuda coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kus, Jolanta; Meyer, Uwe; Ma, Jianwei; Chen-Brauchler, Dai

    2010-05-01

    At the coalfield of Wuda (Inner Mongolia, PR China) extensive underground coal fires cause widespread thermal and oxidative effects in coal seams. Within phase B of the Coal Fire Research Project of the Sino-German Initiative, methods for innovative fire-extinguishing technologies were investigated in multifaceted research approaches. Extensive investigations of oxidative and thermally affected coal seams in coal fire zone 18 were conducted in 2008 prior to application of new fire-extinguishing methods. We present results from the outcrop of coal seam No. 4 in the fire zone 18. The coal of seam No. 4 is of Early Permian age and belongs stratigraphically to the Shanxi Formation. The unaffected coal displays a high volatile bituminous A rank with a background value of random vitrinite reflectance ranging from 0.90 to 0.96 % Rr. Coal channel samples were coallected at actively extracted coal faces along multiple profiles with surface temperatures ranging from about 50° to 600°C. Microscopic examinations revealed a variety of products of coal exposure to the fire. Within coal samples, a marked rise in vitrinite reflectance from background values to 5.55% Rr (6.00 % Rmax) is encountered. In addition, a number of coal samples showed suppressed vitrinite reflectances ranging between 0.82 to 0.88% Rr. Further, seemingly heat unaffected coal samples display intensive development of oxidations rims at coal grain edges and cracks as well as shrinkage cracks and formation of iron oxides/hydroxides. Instead, thermally affected coal samples with higher coalification grade are further characterised by development of macropores (devolatilisation pores) in vitrinitic streaks, transformation of liptinite to meta-liptinite and micrinite as well as by natural coke particles of mostly porous nature and fine to coarse grained anisotropic mosaic. Coal petrographic investigations confirmed a hypothesis that both, oxidations as well as low temperature carbonisation govern the thermal

  9. Model of environmental life cycle assessment for coal mining operations.

    PubMed

    Burchart-Korol, Dorota; Fugiel, Agata; Czaplicka-Kolarz, Krystyna; Turek, Marian

    2016-08-15

    This paper presents a novel approach to environmental assessment of coal mining operations, which enables assessment of the factors that are both directly and indirectly affecting the environment and are associated with the production of raw materials and energy used in processes. The primary novelty of the paper is the development of a computational environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) model for coal mining operations and the application of the model for coal mining operations in Poland. The LCA model enables the assessment of environmental indicators for all identified unit processes in hard coal mines with the life cycle approach. The proposed model enables the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) based on the IPCC method and the assessment of damage categories, such as human health, ecosystems and resources based on the ReCiPe method. The model enables the assessment of GHGs for hard coal mining operations in three time frames: 20, 100 and 500years. The model was used to evaluate the coal mines in Poland. It was demonstrated that the largest environmental impacts in damage categories were associated with the use of fossil fuels, methane emissions and the use of electricity, processing of wastes, heat, and steel supports. It was concluded that an environmental assessment of coal mining operations, apart from direct influence from processing waste, methane emissions and drainage water, should include the use of electricity, heat and steel, particularly for steel supports. Because the model allows the comparison of environmental impact assessment for various unit processes, it can be used for all hard coal mines, not only in Poland but also in the world. This development is an important step forward in the study of the impacts of fossil fuels on the environment with the potential to mitigate the impact of the coal industry on the environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Prospects for the development of coal-steam plants in Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tumanovskii, A. G.

    2017-06-01

    Evaluation of the technical state of the modern coal-fired power plants and quality of coal consumed by Russian thermal power plants (TPP) is provided. Measures aimed at improving the economic and environmental performance of operating 150-800 MW coal power units are considered. Ways of efficient use of technical methods of NO x control and electrostatic precipitators' upgrade for improving the efficiency of ash trapping are summarized. Examples of turbine and boiler equipment efficiency upgrading through its deep modernization are presented. The necessity of the development and introduction of new technologies in the coal-fired power industry is shown. Basic technical requirements for a 660-800 MW power unit with the steam conditions of 28 MPa, 600/600°C are listed. Design solutions taking into account features of Russian coal combustion are considered. A field of application of circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers and their effectiveness are indicated. The results of development of a new generation coal-fired TPP, including a steam turbine with an increased efficiency of the compartments and disengaging clutch, an elevated steam conditions boiler, and a highly efficient NO x /SO2 and ash particles emission control system are provided. In this case, the resulting ash and slag are not to be sent to the ash dumps and are to be used to a maximum advantage. Technical solutions to improve the efficiency of coal gasification combined cycle plants (CCP) are considered. A trial plant based on a 16 MW gas turbine plant (GTP) and an air-blown gasifier is designed as a prototype of a high-power CCP. The necessity of a state-supported technical reequipment and development program of operating coal-fired power units, as well as putting into production of new generation coal-fired power plants, is noted.

  11. Cogeneration Technology Alternatives Study (CTAS). Volume 6: Computer data. Part 1: Coal-fired nocogeneration process boiler, section A

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knightly, W. F.

    1980-01-01

    About fifty industrial processes from the largest energy consuming sectors were used as a basis for matching a similar number of energy conversion systems that are considered as candidate which can be made available by the 1985 to 2000 time period. The sectors considered included food, textiles, lumber, paper, chemicals, petroleum, glass, and primary metals. The energy conversion systems included steam and gas turbines, diesels, thermionics, stirling, closed cycle and steam injected gas turbines, and fuel cells. Fuels considered were coal, both coal and petroleum based residual and distillate liquid fuels, and low Btu gas obtained through the on site gasification of coal. Computer generated reports of the fuels consumption and savings, capital costs, economics and emissions of the cogeneration energy conversion systems (ECS's) heat and power matched to the individual industrial processes are presented. National fuel and emissions savings are also reported for each ECS assuming it alone is implemented. Two nocogeneration base cases are included: coal fired and residual fired process boilers.

  12. Cogeneration Technology Alternatives Study (CTAS). Volume 6: Computer data. Part 1: Coal-fired nocogeneration process boiler, section B

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knightly, W. F.

    1980-01-01

    About fifty industrial processes from the largest energy consuming sectors were used as a basis for matching a similar number of energy conversion systems that are considered as candidate which can be made available by the 1985 to 2000 time period. The sectors considered included food, textiles, lumber, paper, chemicals, petroleum, glass, and primary metals. The energy conversion systems included steam and gas turbines, diesels, thermionics, stirling, closed cycle and steam injected gas turbines, and fuel cells. Fuels considered were coal, both coal and petroleum based residual and distillate liquid fuels, and low Btu gas obtained through the on site gasification of coal. Computer generated reports of the fuel consumption and savings, capital costs, economics and emissions of the cogeneration energy conversion systems (ECS's) heat and power matched to the individual industrial processes are presented. National fuel and emissions savings are also reported for each ECS assuming it alone is implemented. Two nocogeneration base cases are included: coal fired and residual fired process boilers.

  13. Open-pit coal mine production sequencing incorporating grade blending and stockpiling options: An application from an Indian mine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Ashish; Chatterjee, Snehamoy

    2017-05-01

    Production scheduling is a crucial aspect of the mining industry. An optimal and efficient production schedule can increase the profits manifold and reduce the amount of waste to be handled. Production scheduling for coal mines is necessary to maintain consistency in the quality and quantity parameters of coal supplied to power plants. Irregularity in the quality parameters of the coal can lead to heavy losses in coal-fired power plants. Moreover, the stockpiling of coal poses environmental and fire problems owing to low incubation periods. This article proposes a production scheduling formulation for open-pit coal mines including stockpiling and blending opportunities, which play a major role in maintaining the quality and quantity of supplied coal. The proposed formulation was applied to a large open-pit coal mine in India. This contribution provides an efficient production scheduling formulation for coal mines after utilizing the stockpile coal within the incubation periods with the maximization of discounted cash flows. At the same time, consistency is maintained in the quality and quantity of coal to power plants through blending and stockpiling options to ensure smooth functioning.

  14. High pressure rotary piston coal feeder for coal gasification applications

    DOEpatents

    Gencsoy, Hasan T.

    1977-05-24

    The subject development is directed to an apparatus for feeding pulverized coal into a coal gasifier operating at relatively high pressures and elevated temperatures. This apparatus is a rotary piston feeder which comprises a circular casing having a coal loading opening therein diametrically opposed from a coal discharge and contains a rotatable discoid rotor having a cylinder in which a reciprocateable piston is disposed. The reciprocation of the piston within the cylinder is provided by a stationary conjugate cam arrangement whereby the pulverized coal from a coal hopper at atmospheric pressure can be introduced into the cylinder cavity and then discharged therefrom into the high-pressure gasifier without the loss of high pressure gases from within the latter.

  15. Energy industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staszak, Katarzyna; Wieszczycka, Karolina

    2018-04-01

    The potential sources of metals from energy industries are discussed. The discussion is organized based on two main metal-contains wastes from power plants: ashes, slags from combustion process and spent catalysts from selective catalytic NOx reduction process with ammonia, known as SCR. The compositions, methods of metals recovery, based mainly on leaching process, and their further application are presented. Solid coal combustion wastes are sources of various compounds such as silica, alumina, iron oxide, and calcium. In the case of the spent SCR catalysts mainly two metals are considered: vanadium and tungsten - basic components of industrial ones.

  16. Electricity from Coal Combustion: Improving the hydrophobicity of oxidized coals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seehra, Mohindar; Singh, Vivek

    2011-03-01

    To reduce pollution and improve efficiency, undesirable mineral impurities in coals are usually removed in coal preparation plants prior to combustion first by crushing and grinding coals followed by gravity separation using surfactant aided water flotation. However certain coals in the US are not amendable to this process because of their poor flotation characteristics resulting in a major loss of an energy resource. This problem has been linked to surface oxidation of mined coals which make these coals hydrophilic. In this project, we are investigating the surface and water flotation properties of the eight Argonne Premium (AP) coals using x-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy and zeta potential measurements. The role of the surface functional groups, (phenolic -OH and carboxylic -COOH), produced as a result of chemisorptions of O2 on coals in determining their flotation behavior is being explored. The isoelectric point (IEP) in zeta potential measurements of good vs. poor floaters is being examined in order to improved the hydrophobicity of poor floating coals (e.g. Illinois #6). Results from XRD and IR will be presented along with recent findings from zeta potential measurements, and use of additives to improve hydrophobicity. Supported by USDOE/CAST, Contract #DE-FC26-05NT42457.

  17. 3D Geological Modeling of CoalBed Methane (CBM) Resources in the Taldykuduk Block Karaganda Coal Basin, Kazakhstan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadykov, Raman; Kiponievich Ogay, Evgeniy; Royer, Jean-Jacques; Zhapbasbayev, Uzak; Panfilova, Irina

    2015-04-01

    Coal Bed Methane (CBM) is gas stored in coal layers. It can be extracted from wells after hydraulic fracturing and/or solvent injection, and secondary recovery techniques such as CO2 injection. Karaganda Basin is a very favorable candidate region to develop CBM production for the following reasons: (i) Huge gas potential; (ii) Available technologies for extracting and commercializing the gas produced by CBM methods; (iii) Experience in degassing during underground mining operations for safety reasons; (iv) Local needs in energy for producing electricity for the industrial and domestic market. The objectives of this work are to model the Taldykuduk block coal layers and their properties focusing on Coal Bed Methane production. It is motivated by the availability of large coal bed methane resources in Karaganda coal basin which includes 4 300 Bm3 equivalent 2 billion tons of coal (B = billion = 109) with gas content 15-25 m3/t of coal (for comparison San Juan basin (USA) has < 20 m3/t). The CBM reserves estimations are about: Saransk block, 26.3 Bm3 and Taldykuduk block, 23.5 Bm3. Methane (CH4) can be considered as an environmentally-friendly fuel compared to coal. Actually, the methane extracted during mining is released in the atmosphere, collecting it for recovering energy will reduce CO2 equivalent emissions by 36 Mt, good news regarding climate warming issues. The exploitation method will be based on a EOR technology consisting in injecting CO2 which replaces methane in pores because it has a higher adsorption capacity than CH4; exploiting CBM by CO2 injection provides thus a safe way to sequestrate CO2 in adsorbed form. The 3D geological model was built on Gocad/Skua using the following available data set: 926 wells and large area (7 x 12 km). No seismic data; coal type and chemical components (S, ash, …); unreliable available cross-section & maps due to old acquisition; quality mature coal; complex heterogeneous fractures network reported on geological cross

  18. Coal desulfurization process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hsu, G. C.; Gavalas, G. R.; Ganguli, P. S.; Kalfayan, S. H.

    1978-01-01

    A method for chlorinolysis of coal is an organic solvent at a moderate temperautre and atmospheric pressure has been proven to be effective in removing sulfur, particularly the organic sulfur, from coal. Chlorine gas is bubbled through a slurry of moist coal in chlorinated solvent. The chlorinated coal is separated, hydrolyzed and the dechlorinated. Preliminary results of treating a high sulfutr (4.77%S) bituminous coal show that up to 70% organic sulfur, 90% hyritic sulfur and 76% total sulfur can be removed. The treated coal is dechlorinated by heating at 500 C. The presence of moisture helps to remove organic sulfur.

  19. Crack identification and evolution law in the vibration failure process of loaded coal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Chengwu; Ai, Dihao; Sun, Xiaoyuan; Xie, Beijing

    2017-08-01

    To study the characteristics of coal cracks produced in the vibration failure process, we set up a static load and static and dynamic combination load failure test simulation system, prepared with different particle size, formation pressure, and firmness coefficient coal samples. Through static load damage testing of coal samples and then dynamic load (vibration exciter) and static (jack) combination destructive testing, the crack images of coal samples under the load condition were obtained. Combined with digital image processing technology, an algorithm of crack identification with high precision and in real-time is proposed. With the crack features of the coal samples under different load conditions as the research object, we analyzed the distribution of cracks on the surface of the coal samples and the factors influencing crack evolution using the proposed algorithm and a high-resolution industrial camera. Experimental results showed that the major portion of the crack after excitation is located in the rear of the coal sample where the vibration exciter cannot act. Under the same disturbance conditions, crack size and particle size exhibit a positive correlation, while crack size and formation pressure exhibit a negative correlation. Soft coal is more likely to lead to crack evolution than hard coal, and more easily causes instability failure. The experimental results and crack identification algorithm provide a solid basis for the prevention and control of instability and failure of coal and rock mass, and they are helpful in improving the monitoring method of coal and rock dynamic disasters.

  20. Switching and optimizing control for coal flotation process based on a hybrid model

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Zhiyong; Wang, Ranfeng; Fan, Minqiang; Fu, Xiang

    2017-01-01

    Flotation is an important part of coal preparation, and the flotation column is widely applied as efficient flotation equipment. This process is complex and affected by many factors, with the froth depth and reagent dosage being two of the most important and frequently manipulated variables. This paper proposes a new method of switching and optimizing control for the coal flotation process. A hybrid model is built and evaluated using industrial data. First, wavelet analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) are applied for signal pre-processing. Second, a control model for optimizing the set point of the froth depth is constructed based on fuzzy control, and a control model is designed to optimize the reagent dosages based on expert system. Finally, the least squares-support vector machine (LS-SVM) is used to identify the operating conditions of the flotation process and to select one of the two models (froth depth or reagent dosage) for subsequent operation according to the condition parameters. The hybrid model is developed and evaluated on an industrial coal flotation column and exhibits satisfactory performance. PMID:29040305

  1. Nutritional quality of new food products released into the Australian retail food market in 2015 - is the food industry part of the solution?

    PubMed

    Spiteri, Sheree A; Olstad, Dana Lee; Woods, Julie L

    2018-02-07

    Food manufacturers have made public statements and voluntary commitments, such as the Healthier Australia Commitment (HAC), to improve the nutritional quality of foods. However, limited information about the nutritional quality or healthfulness of new products makes it difficult to determine if manufacturers are doing this. The purpose of this study was to assess the healthfulness of new food products released into the Australian retail market in 2015, and whether those companies who were HAC members released healthier food options compared to non-HAC members. This cross-sectional study assessed the healthfulness of all new retail food products launched in Australia in 2015 as indexed in Mintel's Global New Products Database. Healthfulness was assessed using three classification schemes: Healthy Choices Framework Victoria, Australian Dietary Guidelines and NOVA Food Classification System. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests described and compared the number and proportions of new foods falling within each of the food classification schemes' categories for companies that were and were not HAC members. In 2015, 4143 new food products were launched into the Australian market. The majority of new products were classified in each schemes' least healthy category (i.e. red, discretionary and ultra-processed). Fruits and vegetables represented just 3% of new products. HAC members launched a significantly greater proportion of foods classified as red (59% vs 51% for members and non-members, respectively) discretionary (79% vs 61%), and ultra-processed (94% vs 81%), and significantly fewer were classified as green (8% vs 15%), core foods (18% vs 36%) and minimally processed (0% vs 6%) (all p < 0.001). This study found that the majority of new products released into the Australian retail food market in 2015 were classified in each of three schemes' least healthy categories. A greater proportion of new products launched by companies that publicly committed to

  2. Preliminary draft industrial siting administration permit application: Socioeconomic factors technical report. Final technical report, November 1980-May 1982. [Proposed WyCoalGas project in Converse County, Wyoming

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1982-01-01

    Under the with-project scenario, WyCoalGas is projected to make a difference in the long-range future of Converse County. Because of the size of the proposed construction and operations work forces, the projected changes in employment, income, labor force, and population will alter Converse County's economic role in the region. Specifically, as growth occurs, Converse County will begin to satisfy a larger portion of its own higher-ordered demands, those that are currently being satisfied by the economy of Casper. Business-serving and household-serving activities, currently absent, will find the larger income and population base forecast to occur with the WyCoalGas project desirable.more » Converse County's economy will begin to mature, moving away from strict dependence on extractive industries to a more sophisticated structure that could eventually appeal to national, and certainly, regional markets. The technical demand of the WyCoalGas plant will mean a significant influx of varying occupations and skills. The creation of basic manufacturing, advanced trade and service sectors, and concomitant finance and transportation firms will make Converse County more economically autonomous. The county will also begin to serve market center functions for the smaller counties of eastern Wyoming that currently rely on Casper, Cheyenne or other distant market centers. The projected conditions expected to exist in the absence of the WyCoalGas project, the socioeconomic conditions that would accompany the project, and the differences between the two scenarios are considered. The analysis is keyed to the linkages between Converse County and Natrona County.« less

  3. Apparatus and method for feeding coal into a coal gasifier

    DOEpatents

    Bissett, Larry A.; Friggens, Gary R.; McGee, James P.

    1979-01-01

    This invention is directed to a system for feeding coal into a gasifier operating at high pressures. A coal-water slurry is pumped to the desired pressure and then the coal is "dried" prior to feeding the coal into the gasifier by contacting the slurry with superheated steam in an entrained bed dryer for vaporizing the water in the slurry.

  4. Collaborative simulations and experiments for a novel yield model of coal devolatilization in oxy-coal combustion conditions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Iavarone, Salvatore; Smith, Sean T.; Smith, Philip J.

    Oxy-coal combustion is an emerging low-cost “clean coal” technology for emissions reduction and Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). The use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools is crucial for the development of cost-effective oxy-fuel technologies and the minimization of environmental concerns at industrial scale. The coupling of detailed chemistry models and CFD simulations is still challenging, especially for large-scale plants, because of the high computational efforts required. The development of scale-bridging models is therefore necessary, to find a good compromise between computational efforts and the physical-chemical modeling precision. This paper presents a procedure for scale-bridging modeling of coal devolatilization, inmore » the presence of experimental error, that puts emphasis on the thermodynamic aspect of devolatilization, namely the final volatile yield of coal, rather than kinetics. The procedure consists of an engineering approach based on dataset consistency and Bayesian methodology including Gaussian-Process Regression (GPR). Experimental data from devolatilization tests carried out in an oxy-coal entrained flow reactor were considered and CFD simulations of the reactor were performed. Jointly evaluating experiments and simulations, a novel yield model was validated against the data via consistency analysis. In parallel, a Gaussian-Process Regression was performed, to improve the understanding of the uncertainty associated to the devolatilization, based on the experimental measurements. Potential model forms that could predict yield during devolatilization were obtained. The set of model forms obtained via GPR includes the yield model that was proven to be consistent with the data. Finally, the overall procedure has resulted in a novel yield model for coal devolatilization and in a valuable evaluation of uncertainty in the data, in the model form, and in the model parameters.« less

  5. Collaborative simulations and experiments for a novel yield model of coal devolatilization in oxy-coal combustion conditions

    DOE PAGES

    Iavarone, Salvatore; Smith, Sean T.; Smith, Philip J.; ...

    2017-06-03

    Oxy-coal combustion is an emerging low-cost “clean coal” technology for emissions reduction and Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). The use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools is crucial for the development of cost-effective oxy-fuel technologies and the minimization of environmental concerns at industrial scale. The coupling of detailed chemistry models and CFD simulations is still challenging, especially for large-scale plants, because of the high computational efforts required. The development of scale-bridging models is therefore necessary, to find a good compromise between computational efforts and the physical-chemical modeling precision. This paper presents a procedure for scale-bridging modeling of coal devolatilization, inmore » the presence of experimental error, that puts emphasis on the thermodynamic aspect of devolatilization, namely the final volatile yield of coal, rather than kinetics. The procedure consists of an engineering approach based on dataset consistency and Bayesian methodology including Gaussian-Process Regression (GPR). Experimental data from devolatilization tests carried out in an oxy-coal entrained flow reactor were considered and CFD simulations of the reactor were performed. Jointly evaluating experiments and simulations, a novel yield model was validated against the data via consistency analysis. In parallel, a Gaussian-Process Regression was performed, to improve the understanding of the uncertainty associated to the devolatilization, based on the experimental measurements. Potential model forms that could predict yield during devolatilization were obtained. The set of model forms obtained via GPR includes the yield model that was proven to be consistent with the data. Finally, the overall procedure has resulted in a novel yield model for coal devolatilization and in a valuable evaluation of uncertainty in the data, in the model form, and in the model parameters.« less

  6. Development and testing of synthetic RIPRAP constructed from coal combustion products.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-11-01

    Even with an increase in the amount of CCPs used in concrete construction, soil stabilization, and other applications, the coal power : industry must dispose of a significant amount of fly ash and bottom ash. One potential avenue for the material is ...

  7. Australian blue-collar men's health and well-being: contextual issues for workplace health promotion interventions.

    PubMed

    Du Plessis, Karin; Cronin, David; Corney, Tim; Green, Emma

    2013-09-01

    In Australia, blue-collar workers are predominantly male and form a unique and large (approximately 30%) subset of the Australian workforce. They exhibit particular health-related issues and, in comparison to other groups, often a lack of health promoting behavior. This article briefly discusses the Australian context and some of the key health issues blue-collar men face, in particular as it relates to construction workers. It reviews the impact of gender and socioeconomic factors in designing workplace health promotion interventions. This article considers practice strategies for health promoters in a specific workplace setting: it looks at meta-factors and industry-based contextual factors, including barriers to implementation and participation, while addressing common misconceptions about Australian blue-collar workers.

  8. Electricity, Gas and Water Supply. Industry Training Monograph No. 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dumbrell, Tom

    Australia's electricity, gas, and water supply industry employs only 0.8% of the nation's workers and employment in the industry has declined by nearly 39% in the last decade. This industry is substantially more dependent on the vocational education and training (VET) sector for skilled graduates than is the total Australian labor market. Despite…

  9. 15. VIEW OF COAL TRESTLE LOOKING NORTHEAST. COAL DUMPED FROM ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    15. VIEW OF COAL TRESTLE LOOKING NORTHEAST. COAL DUMPED FROM HOPPER CARS COULD BE CRUSHED AND LOADED ON A CONVEYOR THAT PARALLELED THE TRACK TO THE EAST (LEFT) AND CARRIED IT TO A 1000 TON BUNKER LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE EAST BOILER ROOM. COAL COULD ALSO GO THROUGH THE CRUSHER AND BE DIVERTED TO THE CONVEYOR SHOWN IN THE LEFT FOREGROUND. COAL PILES FORMED UNDER THE CONVEYOR WOULD BE MOVED AND SHAPED BY BULLDOZER. A GROUND LEVEL HOPPER WAS LOCATED TO THE RIGHT OF THE SLOPING HOUSING WHICH EXTENDS FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE COAL TRESTLE. THIS HOPPER FED A CONVEYOR LOCATED WITHIN THE SLOPING HOUSING. COAL DROPPED INTO THE HOPPER WOULD BE CONVEYED INTO THE CRUSHER UNDER THE TRESTLE AND THEN DIVERTED TO THE CONVEYOR WHICH LOADED THE 1000 TON BUNKER. THE COAL HANDLING SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED BY GIBBS AND HILL IN 1947. - New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, Cos Cob Power Plant, Sound Shore Drive, Greenwich, Fairfield County, CT

  10. Proceedings of Office of Surface Mining Coal Combustion By-product Government/Regulatory Panel: University of Kentucky international ash utilization symposium

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vories, K.C.

    2003-07-01

    Short papers are given on: the Coal Combustion Program (C2P2) (J. Glenn); regional environmental concerns with disposal of coal combustion wastes at mines (T. FitzGerald); power plant waste mine filling - an environmental perspective (L.G. Evans); utility industry perspective regarding coal combustion product management and regulation (J. Roewer); coal combustion products opportunities for beneficial use (D.C. Goss); state perspective on mine placement of coal combustion by-products (G.E. Conrad); Texas regulations provide for beneficial use of coal combustion ash (S.S. Ferguson); and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act - a response to concerns about placement of CCBs at coal minemore » sites (K.C. Vories). The questions and answers are also included.« less

  11. Energy Industry, 2006

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    Headquarters Services , Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents... Services , Kooragang Island, NSW Port of Newcastle Corporation, Newcastle, NSW Australian Energy Regulator, Sydney, NSW 1 PART ONE: INDUSTRY OVERVIEW...contiguous states has been exploited. New natural gas discoveries are expected to be smaller, deeper and more expensive to develop. However, as worldwide

  12. Coal feed lock

    DOEpatents

    Pinkel, I. Irving

    1978-01-01

    A coal feed lock is provided for dispensing coal to a high pressure gas producer with nominal loss of high pressure gas. The coal feed lock comprises a rotor member with a diametral bore therethrough. A hydraulically activated piston is slidably mounted in the bore. With the feed lock in a charging position, coal is delivered to the bore and then the rotor member is rotated to a discharging position so as to communicate with the gas producer. The piston pushes the coal into the gas producer. The rotor member is then rotated to the charging position to receive the next load of coal.

  13. New method of feeding coal - Continuous extrusion of fully plastic coal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ryason, P. R.; England, C.

    1978-01-01

    Continuous feeding of coal in a compressing screw extruder is described as a method of introducing coal into pressurized systems. The method utilizes the property of many bituminous coals of softening at temperatures from 350 to 400 C. Coal is then fed much in the manner of common thermoplastics, using screw extruders. Preliminary results show that coals can be extruded at rates of about 3.3 kg/MJ, similar to those for plastics.

  14. Feasibility study on the application of coal gangue as landfill liner material.

    PubMed

    Wu, Hui; Wen, Qingbo; Hu, Liming; Gong, Meng; Tang, Zili

    2017-05-01

    Coal gangue is one of the largest industrial solid waste all over the world, and many methods have been proposed for the recycling of coal gangue. In the present study, the feasibility of using coal gangue as landfill liner material is studied through a series of laboratory tests in terms of hydraulic conductivity, sorption characteristics and leaching behavior. The results indicated that the hydraulic conductivity of coal gangue could be smaller than the regulatory requirement 1×10 -7 cm/s with a void ratio less than 0.60. The batch sorption experiments performed on Pb 2+ and Zn 2+ illustrated that the coal gangue showed remarkable sorption capacity for the two heavy metals, and the sorption capacity for Pb 2+ was larger than that for Zn 2+ . Both the pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order models fitted well with the sorption kinetics data of the Pb 2+ and Zn 2+ on the coal gangue, and the Langmuir model was found to best-fit the sorption isotherms. The sorption capacity decreased in presence of multiple heavy metals, both for Pb 2+ and Zn 2+ . Concentrations of heavy metals leached from the coal gangue were all below the regulatory limits from China MEP and U.S. EPA. These desirable characteristics indicated that the coal gangue has potential to be used as landfill liner materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Industry Training: Causes and Consequences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Andrew; Freeland, Brett

    Research on Australian organizations in five industry sectors--building and construction, food processing, electronics manufacturing, retailing, and finance and banking--has identified these three key drivers of enterprise training: workplace change, quality assurance, and new technology. Operation of the training drivers is moderated by a range…

  16. Enhanced Combustion Low NOx Pulverized Coal Burner

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    David Towle; Richard Donais; Todd Hellewell

    2007-06-30

    economic evaluation and commercial application. During the project performance period, Alstom performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and large pilot scale combustion testing in its Industrial Scale Burner Facility (ISBF) at its U.S. Power Plant Laboratories facility in Windsor, Connecticut in support of these objectives. The NOx reduction approach was to optimize near-field combustion to ensure that minimum NOx emissions are achieved with minimal impact on unburned carbon in ash, slagging and fouling, corrosion, and flame stability/turn-down. Several iterations of CFD and combustion testing on a Midwest coal led to an optimized design, which was extensively combustion tested on a range of coals. The data from these tests were then used to validate system costs and benefits versus SCR. Three coals were evaluated during the bench-scale and large pilot-scale testing tasks. The three coals ranged from a very reactive subbituminous coal to a moderately reactive Western bituminous coal to a much less reactive Midwest bituminous coal. Bench-scale testing was comprised of standard ASTM properties evaluation, plus more detailed characterization of fuel properties through drop tube furnace testing and thermogravimetric analysis. Bench-scale characterization of the three test coals showed that both NOx emissions and combustion performance are a strong function of coal properties. The more reactive coals evolved more of their fuel bound nitrogen in the substoichiometric main burner zone than less reactive coal, resulting in the potential for lower NOx emissions. From a combustion point of view, the more reactive coals also showed lower carbon in ash and CO values than the less reactive coal at any given main burner zone stoichiometry. According to bench-scale results, the subbituminous coal was found to be the most amenable to both low NOx, and acceptably low combustibles in the flue gas, in an air staged low NOx system. The Midwest bituminous coal, by contrast, was

  17. "Some convincing arguments to pass back to nervous customers": the role of the tobacco retailer in the Australian tobacco industry's smoker reassurance campaign 1950-1978.

    PubMed

    Tofler, A; Chapman, S

    2003-12-01

    Epidemiological studies and reports on smoking and health published in the 1950s and 1960s threatened the tobacco industry worldwide, which acted to reassure smokers and counteract mounting evidence that smoking posed a serious risk to smokers' health. To document the use of tobacco retailers (1) as a conduit to pass messages of reassurance onto smokers, and (2) to recruit youth and women into smoking. Review of an extensive collection of Australian tobacco retail trade journals (1950-1978) for articles consistent with the industry's efforts to counter messages about smoking and health, and how to attract non-smokers, particularly youth and women. The main arguments advanced in the journals included the notion that air pollution and other substances cause cancer, that "statistics" did not constitute proof in the tobacco health scare, and that the industry was committed to research into the causes of cancer and into developing a "safer" cigarette. Numerous articles designed to be reiterated to customers were published, arguing against the link between tobacco and ill health. Tobacco retailers, salesmen and retail trade organisations played a significant role in dissembling the tobacco health nexus. Tobacco retail journals may be an important component in tobacco industry misinformation strategies.

  18. Australian transport index thesaurus

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2007-12-01

    This Thesaurus is designed to assist Australian librarians and researchers to access Australian and overseas : literature on transport and roads. Preferred terms have largely been chosen to reflect Australian usage. Terms : from the thesaurus are use...

  19. Looking southeast at coal conveyor leading from the coal unloading ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Looking southeast at coal conveyor leading from the coal unloading station to the coal elevator. - Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, Allenport Works, Boiler House, Route 88 on West bank of Monongahela River, Allenport, Washington County, PA

  20. Environmental monitoring handbook for coal conversion facilities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Salk, M.S.; DeCicco, S.G.

    1978-05-01

    The primary objectives of the Department of Energy's (DOE) coal conversion program are to demonstrate the environmental acceptability, technical feasibility, and economic viability of various technologies for gaseous, liquid, and solid fuels from coal. The Environmental Monitoring Handbook for Coal Conversion Facilities will help accomplish the objective of environmental acceptability by guiding the planning and execution of socioeconomic and environmental monitoring programs for demonstration facilities. These programs will provide information adequate to (1) predict, insofar as is possible, the potential impacts of construction and operation of a coal conversion plant, (2) verify the occurrence of these or any other impactsmore » during construction and operation, (3) determine the adequacy of mitigating measures to protect the environment, (4) develop effluent source terms for process discharges, and (5) determine the effectiveness of pollution control equipment. Although useful in a variety of areas, the handbook is intended primarily for contractors who, as industrial partners with DOE, are building coal conversion plants. For the contractor it is a practical guide on (1) the methodology for developing site- and process-specific environmental monitoring programs, (2) state-of-the-art sampling and analytical techniques, and (3) impact analyses.To correspond to the phases of project activity, the subject matter is divided into four stages of monitoring: (1) a reconnaissance or synoptic survey, (2) preconstruction or baseline, (3) construction, and (4) operation, including process monitoring (prepared by Radian Corp., McLean, Va.). For each stage of monitoring, guidelines are given on socioeconomics, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, air quality and meteorology, surface and groundwater quality, geohydrology and soil survey, and surface water hydrology.« less

  1. The Concept of Resource Use Efficiency as a Theoretical Basis for Promising Coal Mining Technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mikhalchenko, Vadim

    2017-11-01

    The article is devoted to solving one of the most relevant problems of the coal mining industry - its high resource use efficiency, which results in high environmental and economic costs of operating enterprises. It is shown that it is the high resource use efficiency of traditional, historically developed coal production systems that generates a conflict between indicators of economic efficiency and indicators of resistance to uncertainty and variability of market environment parameters. The traditional technological paradigm of exploitation of coal deposits also predetermines high, technology-driven, economic risks. The solution is shown and a real example of the problem solution is considered.

  2. The Fox Guarding the Chicken Coop: Monitoring Exposure to Respirable Coal Mine Dust, 1969–2000

    PubMed Central

    Weeks, James L.

    2003-01-01

    Following passage of the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, underground coal mine operators were required to take air samples in order to monitor compliance with the exposure limit for respirable dust, a task essential for the prevention of pneumoconiosis among coal workers. Miners objected, claiming that having the mine operators perform this task was like “having the fox guard the chicken coop.” This article is a historical narrative of mining industry corruption and of efforts to reform the program of monitoring exposure to coal mine dust. Several important themes common to the practice of occupational health are illustrated; most prominently, that employers should not be expected to regulate themselves. PMID:12893602

  3. Reclamation technology development for western Arkansas coal refuse waste materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    King, J.R.; Veith, D.L.

    Coal mining has been an important industry in the Arkansas River Valley Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) of western Arkansas for more than 100 yr., most of it with little regard for environmental concerns. Almost 3,640 ha. of land affected by surface coal mines cover the seven-county area, with less than 1,200 ha. currently in various stages of operation or reclamation. Since only the active mining sites must now be reclaimed by law, the remaining 2,440 ha. of abandoned land remains at the mercy of natural forces. Little topsoil exists on these sites and the coal wastes are generally acidicmore » with a pH in the 4.0-5.5 range. Revegetation attempts under these conditions generally require continued maintenance and retreatment until an acceptable cover is achieved. If and when an acceptable vegetative cover is established, the cost frequently approaches $7,400/ha. ($3,000/acre). In an effort to resolve these issues and provide some direction for stabilizing coal waste lands, the US Department of Agriculture through its Soil Conservation Service Plant Materials Center at Boonville, Arkansas, received a Congressional Pass through administered by the US Bureau of Mines, to support a 5-yr. revegetation study on the coal mine spoils of western Arkansas. This paper reports the results through the spring of 1994 on that portion of the study dealing with the establishment of blackberries as a cash crop on coal mine spoils.« less

  4. Coal recovery process

    DOEpatents

    Good, Robert J.; Badgujar, Mohan

    1992-01-01

    A method for the beneficiation of coal by selective agglomeration and the beneficiated coal product thereof is disclosed wherein coal, comprising impurities, is comminuted to a particle size sufficient to allow impurities contained therein to disperse in water, an aqueous slurry is formed with the comminuted coal particles, treated with a compound, such as a polysaccharide and/or disaccharide, to increase the relative hydrophilicity of hydrophilic components, and thereafter the slurry is treated with sufficient liquid agglomerant to form a coagulum comprising reduced impurity coal.

  5. The Politics Are Personal: "The Australian" vs the Australian Curriculum in History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Tony; Collins, Sue

    2012-01-01

    This article reviews the relationship between the conservative newspaper "The Australian" and the development of a national history curriculum in Australia. The lead author surveyed the major Australian press in the five-year period between 2007 and 2012 and found clear patterns of difference between "The Australian" and other…

  6. Annual Coal Distribution

    EIA Publications

    2016-01-01

    The Annual Coal Distribution Report (ACDR) provides detailed information on domestic coal distribution by origin state, destination state, consumer category, and method of transportation. Also provided is a summary of foreign coal distribution by coal-producing state. All data for the report year are final and this report supersedes all data in the quarterly distribution reports.

  7. Organic matter in a coal ball: Peat or coal?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hatcher, P.G.; Lyons, P.C.; Thompson, C.L.; Brown, F.W.; Maciel, G.E.

    1982-01-01

    Chemical analyses of morphologically preserved organic matter in a Carboniferous coal ball reveal that the material is coalified to a rank approximately equal to that of the surrounding coal. Hence, the plant tissues in the coal ball were chemically altered by coalification processes and were not preserved as peat. Copyright ?? 1982 AAAS.

  8. Rate of coal hydroliquefaction: correlation to coal structure. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baldwin, R.M.; Voorhees, K.J.; Durfee, S.L.

    This report summarizes the research carried out on DOE grant No. FG22-83PC60784. The work was divided into two phases. The first phase consisted of a series of coal liquefaction rate measurements on seven different coals from the Exxon sample bank, followed by correlation with parent coal properties. The second phase involved characterization of the coals by pyrolysis/mass spectrometry and subsequent correlations of the Py/MS patterns with various liquefaction reactivity parameters. The hydroliquefaction reactivities for a suite of 7 bituminous and subbituminous coals were determined on a kinetic basis. These reactivities were correlated fairly successfully with the following parent coal properties:more » volatile matter, H/C and O/C ratios, vitrinite reflectance, and calorific value. The total surface areas of the coals were experimentally determined. Reactivity was shown to be independent of surface area. Following completion of the batch reactor experiments, the seven coals investigated were analyzed by pyrolysis/mass spectrometry. The pyrolysis spectra were then submitted to factor analysis in order to extract significant features of the coal for use in correlational efforts. These factors were then related to a variety of liquefaction reactivity definitions, including both rate and extent of liquefaction to solvent solubility classifications (oils, asphaltenes, preasphaltenes, etc.). In general, extent of reaction was found to correlate best with the Py/MS data. 37 refs., 25 figs., 11 tabs.« less

  9. 39. BOILER HOUSE, COAL CONVEYOR LEADING FROM COAL TOWER No. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    39. BOILER HOUSE, COAL CONVEYOR LEADING FROM COAL TOWER No. 1 (WEST) (NOTE: COAL CARS No. 9 & 5 IN BACKGROUND) - Delaware County Electric Company, Chester Station, Delaware River at South end of Ward Street, Chester, Delaware County, PA

  10. The use of ethanol to remove sulfur from coal. Final report, September 1991--December 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-04-15

    In developing the new Ohio University procedure the thermodynamic limitations of the reactions for removal of both pyritic and organic sulfur from coal at 400--600{degrees}C were studied using copper as a very strong H{sub 2}S-acceptor. Copper serves as a catalyst for ethanol dehydrogenation to form nascent hydrogen. Copper also serves as a scavenger to form copper sulfide from the hydrogen sulfide evolved during the reaction. Copper sulfide in turn serves as a catalyst for organic sulfur hydrodesulfurization reactions. If the coal to be desulfurized contains pyrite (FeS{sub 2}) or FeS, the copper scavenger effect reduces any back reaction of hydrogenmore » sulfide with the iron and increases the removal of sulfur from the carbonaceous material. The desired effect of using copper can be achieved by using copper or copper containing alloys as materials of construction or as liners for a regenerable reactor. During the time period that Ohio Coal Development Office supported this work, small scale (560 grams) laboratory experiments with coals containing about 3.5% sulfur have achieved up to 90% desulfurization at temperatures of 500{degrees}C when using a copper reactor. Results from the autoclave experiments have identified the nature of the chemical reactions taking place. Because the process removes both pyritic and organic sulfur in coal, the successful scale up of the process would have important economic significance to the coal industry. Even though this and other chemical processes may be relatively expensive and far from being commercial, the reason for further development is that this process may hold the promise of achieving much greater sulfur reduction and of producing a cleaner coal than other methods. This would be especially important for small or older power plants and industrial boilers.« less

  11. Automated external defibrillators in the Australian fitness industry.

    PubMed

    Norton, Kevin I; Norton, Lynda H

    2008-04-01

    Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs in many thousands of Australians each year. Scientific evidence shows an increased survival rate for individuals who receive electrical defibrillation in the first few minutes after SCA. In the last decade automated (rhythm-detecting) external defibrillators (AEDs) have become available that are portable and affordable. Although still relatively rare, there is still the potential that SCA may occur when a person undertakes physical activity. Consequently, health/fitness centres are increasingly recognised as higher risk sites that may benefit from placement of AEDs. There are no laws in Australia requiring health/fitness centres to install AEDs. However, several international and professional organisations have "strongly encouraged" larger centres to install AEDs. Guidelines and algorithms are presented to help estimate the risk of SCA in fitness centres. Fitness centre placement is particularly important if the clientele is older or has a 'high-risk' profile, for example, clients with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic disease. International negligence case law and duty of care principles suggests the standard of care required in health/fitness centres may be increasing. Therefore, it may be prudent to install AEDs in larger centres and those in which higher risk groups are physically active.

  12. Sources of practice knowledge among Australian fitness trainers.

    PubMed

    Bennie, Jason A; Wiesner, Glen H; van Uffelen, Jannique G Z; Harvey, Jack T; Biddle, Stuart J H

    2017-12-01

    Few studies have examined the sources of practice knowledge fitness trainers use to inform their training methods and update knowledge. This study aims to describe sources of practice knowledge among Australian fitness trainers. In July 2014, 9100 Australian fitness trainers were invited to complete an online survey. Respondents reported the frequency of use of eight sources of practice knowledge (e.g. fitness magazines, academic texts). In a separate survey, exercise science experts (n = 27) ranked each source as either (1) 'high-quality' or (2) 'low-quality'. Proportions of users of 'high-quality' sources were calculated across demographic (age, sex) and fitness industry-related characteristics (qualification, setting, role). A multivariate logistic regression analysis assessed the odds of being classified as a user of high-quality sources, adjusting for demographic and fitness industry-related factors. Out of 1185 fitness trainers (response rate = 13.0%), aged 17-72 years, 47.6% (95% CI, 44.7-50.4%) were classified as frequent users of high-quality sources of practice knowledge. In the adjusted analysis, compared to trainers aged 17-26 years, those aged ≥61 years (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.05-4.38) and 40-50 years (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.02-2.31) were more likely to be classified as a user of high-quality sources. When compared to trainers working in large centres, those working in outdoor settings (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.23-2.65) and medium centres (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.12-2.29) were more likely to be classified as users of high-quality sources. Our findings suggest that efforts should be made to improve the quality of knowledge acquisition among Australian fitness trainers.

  13. Recreational impacts on the fauna of Australian coastal marine ecosystems.

    PubMed

    Hardiman, Nigel; Burgin, Shelley

    2010-11-01

    This paper reviews recent research into the ecological impacts of recreation and tourism on coastal marine fauna in Australia. Despite the high and growing importance of water-based recreation to the Australian economy, and the known fragility of many Australian ecosystems, there has been relatively limited research into the effects of marine tourism and recreation, infrastructure and activities, on aquatic resources. In this paper we have reviewed the ecological impacts on fauna that are caused by outdoor recreation (including tourism) in Australian coastal marine ecosystems. We predict that the single most potentially severe impact of recreation may be the introduction and/or dispersal of non-indigenous species of marine organisms by recreational vessels. Such introductions, together with other impacts due to human activities have the potential to increasingly degrade recreation destinations. In response, governments have introduced a wide range of legislative tools (e.g., impact assessment, protected area reservation) to manage the recreational industry. It would appear, however, that these instruments are not always appropriately applied. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. 35. BOILER HOUSE, TRACK FOR COAL CARS LEADING TO COAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    35. BOILER HOUSE, TRACK FOR COAL CARS LEADING TO COAL TOWER No. 2 (NOTE: SKYLIGHT ABOVE; COAL CARS IN FAR BACKGROUND) - Delaware County Electric Company, Chester Station, Delaware River at South end of Ward Street, Chester, Delaware County, PA

  15. 34. BOILER HOUSE, COAL CONVEYOR AND TURNAROUND TRACK FOR COAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    34. BOILER HOUSE, COAL CONVEYOR AND TURN-AROUND TRACK FOR COAL CARS (NOTE: COAL CAR No. 6 IN FAR BACK GROUND) - Delaware County Electric Company, Chester Station, Delaware River at South end of Ward Street, Chester, Delaware County, PA

  16. Chemistry and origin of minor and trace elements in selected vitrinite concentrates from bituminous and anthracitic coals

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Palmer, C.A.; Lyons, P.C.

    1990-01-01

    Twelve hand-picked vitrinite concentrates and companion whole-coal samples were analyzed for trace and minor elements by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and direct-current-arc spectrographic techniques (DCAS). The vitrinite concentrates contained 94 to nearly 100 vol.% vitrinite compared to 71-95 vol.% in the companion whole coals. The ash contents of the vitrinite concentrates were 2 to more than 190 times less than the ash contents of the companion whole coals. Organic and inorganic affinities were determined by comparing the elemental concentrations in the vitrinite concentrates to the concentrations in the companion whole coals. The ratios of these concentrations for 33 selected elements are shown in Figure 1. Ratios greater than 1 indicate organic affinity, and ratios less than 1 indicate inorganic affinity. Br and W generally showed organic affinity in all samples in this study. In the nine samples from the eastern United States (Fig. 1A-C) less than one-fourth of the trace elements show organic affinity compared to nearly one-half for the three English and Australian samples (Fig. 1D). The elements that generally show organic affinity in the non-U.S.A. samples studied include As, Cs, Hf, and Ni, which have generally inorganic affinities in the U.S.A. samples, and Cr, Sb, Se, and U, which have mixed (both organic and inorganic) affinities, in the U.S.A. coals studied, has an inorganic affinity in the English coals studied. B shows organic affinity in the samples from the Illinois basin (Fig. 1C). For the samples studied, Ba shows organic affinity in the Appalachian basin bituminous coals (Fig. 1B), inorganic affinity in the Illinois basin coals, and overall mixed affinities. In all the samples studied, Cu, Mn, Na, Sr, Ta, V, and Zn show mixed affinities, and A1, Co, Eu, Fe, Ga, K, La, Mg, Sc, Si, Th, Ti, and Ub have generally inorganic affinity. ?? 1990.

  17. Electrical Resistivity Tomography for coal fire mapping over Jharia coal field, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pal, S. K.; Kumar, S.; Bharti, A. K.; Pathak, V. K.; Kumar, R.

    2016-12-01

    Over the decades, coal fires are serious global concern posing grievous hazards to the valuable energy resources, local environments and human life. The coal seam and coal mine fires may be initiated due to improper mining activities, exothermic reactions, lighting, forest fire and other anthropic activities, which burn the coal and may continue underground for decades. The burning of concealed coal seams is a complex process involving numerous ill-defined parameters. Generally, the coal exhibits resistivity of 100 to 500Ωm at normal temperature conditions. During the pyrolysis process, at temperatures greater than 6500C coal became a good conductor with a resistivity of approximately 1 Ωm. The present study deals with the mapping of coal fire over Jharia coal field, India using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). A state-of-the-art 61-channel 64 electrode FlashRES-Universal ERT data acquisition system has been used for data acquisition in the field. The ERT data have been collected using Gradient array and processed in FlashRES Universal survey data checking program for removing noisy data. Then, filtered output data have been inverted using a 2.5D resistivity inversion program. Low resistivity anomalies over 80m-125m and 320m-390m along the profile are inferred to be active coal fire in seam- XVI at a depth of 25m -35m(Figure 1). High resistivity anomaly over 445m - 510m at a depth of 25m -35m has been delineated, due to void associated with complete combustion of seam- XVI coal, followed by char and ash formation resulting from the coal seam fire. Results prove the efficacy of the ERT study comprising Gradient array for coal fire mapping over, Jharia coal field, India.

  18. Deep-coal potential in the Appalachian Coal Basin, USA: The Kentucky model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Haney, D.C.; Chesnut, D.R.

    1997-01-01

    The Eastern Kentucky Coal Field is located in the Appalachian Basin of the United States and occupies an area of approximately 15,000 square kilometers. The coal beds range from a few centimeters to several meters in thickness and consist of high-grade bituminous coal. Currently the amount of coal mined by surface methods exceeds underground extraction; however, there is a steady and gradual shift toward underground mining. In the future, as near-surface resources are depleted, this trend toward increased underground mining will continue. Knowledge about deeper coals is essential for future economic development of resources. Preliminary investigations indicate that coal-bearing strata with deep-mining potential exist in several parts of eastern Kentucky, especially along the Eastern Kentucky Syncline. Eastern Kentucky coals are Westphalian A through D; however, current production is from major beds of Westphalian A and B. Because coals that occur above drainage are more easily accessible and are generally of better quality, most of the current mining takes place in formations that are at or near the surface. In the future, however, due to environmental regulations and increased demands, it will be necessary to attempt to utilize deeper coals about which little is known. Future development of deep resources will require data from boreholes and high-resolution geophysical-logging techniques. There is also potential for coal-bed methane from the deeper coals which could be an important resource in the Appalachian Coal Basin where a natural gas distribution system already exists.

  19. Nitrogen in Chinese coals

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wu, D.; Lei, J.; Zheng, B.; Tang, X.; Wang, M.; Hu, Jiawen; Li, S.; Wang, B.; Finkelman, R.B.

    2011-01-01

    Three hundred and six coal samples were taken from main coal mines of twenty-six provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China, according to the resource distribution and coal-forming periods as well as the coal ranks and coal yields. Nitrogen was determined by using the Kjeldahl method at U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), which exhibit a normal frequency distribution. The nitrogen contents of over 90% Chinese coal vary from 0.52% to 1.41% and the average nitrogen content is recommended to be 0.98%. Nitrogen in coal exists primarily in organic form. There is a slight positive relationship between nitrogen content and coal ranking. ?? 2011 Science Press, Institute of Geochemistry, CAS and Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

  20. Microbial solubilization of coal

    DOEpatents

    Strandberg, G.W.; Lewis, S.N.

    1988-01-21

    The present invention relates to a cell-free preparation and process for the microbial solubilization of coal into solubilized coal products. More specifically, the present invention relates to bacterial solubilization of coal into solubilized coal products and a cell-free bacterial byproduct useful for solubilizing coal. 5 tabs.

  1. Pathological study of the prevalence of silicosis among coal miners in Iran: A case history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zare Naghadehi, Masoud; Sereshki, Farhang; Mohammadi, F.

    2014-02-01

    One of the most hazardous diseases that is commonly associated with the coal mining industry is Silicosis which caused by dust inhalation. This disease occurs as a result of prolonged breathing of dust containing silica (quartz). The generation of coal mine dust during underground and surface coal mining is the most significant source of coal dust exposure. Silica dust develops scar tissue inside the lungs which reduces the lungs ability to extract oxygen from the air. All miners working in underground and surface coal mines are at risk of being exposed to mine dust containing silica. In this study, cases with pathologic diagnosis of silicosis during seven years period between 2000 and 2007 were retrieved, from the pathologic file of Department of Pathology, Massih Daneshvary Hospital in Iran. Results of this case study showed the great effects of dust exposure and inhalation from the viewpoint of symptoms especially between the miners.

  2. The Healy clean coal project: An overview

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Olson, J.B.; McCrohan, D.V.

    1997-12-31

    The Healy Clean Coal Project, selected by the US Department of Energy under Round III of the Clean Coal Technology Program is currently in construction. The project is owned and financed by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), and is cofunded by the US Department of Energy. Construction is scheduled to be completed in August of 1997, with startup activity concluding in December of 1997. Demonstration, testing and reporting of the results will take place in 1998, followed by commercial operation of the facility. The emission levels of NOx, SO{sub 2} and particulates from this 50 megawatt plantmore » are expected to be significantly lower than current standards. The project status, its participants, a description of the technology to be demonstrated, and the operational and performance goals of this project are presented.« less

  3. Brecciated and mineralized coals in Union County Western Kentucky coal field

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hower, J.C.; Williams, D.A.; Eble, C.F.; Sakulpitakphon, T.; Moecher, D.P.

    2001-01-01

    Coals from the D-2 and D-3 boreholes in the Grove Center 7 1/2 min quadrangle, Union County, KY, have been found to be highly brecciated and mineralized. The mineralization is dominated by a carbonate assemblage with minor sulfides and sulfates. Included among the secondary minerals is the lead selenide, clausthalite. Overall, the emplacement of secondary vein minerals was responsible for raising the rank of the coals from the 0.6-0.7% Rmax range found in the area to as high as 0.95-0.99% Rmax. A 1.3-m-thick coal found in one of the boreholes is unique among known Western Kentucky coals in having less than 50% vitrinite. Semifusinite and fusinite dominate the maceral assemblages. The coal is also low in sulfur coal, which is unusual for the Illinois Basin. It has an ash yield of less than 10%; much of it dominated by pervasive carbonate veining. The age of the thick coal in core D-2 is similar to that of the Elm Lick coal bed, found elsewhere in the Western Kentucky coalfield. The coals in D-3 are younger, having Stephanian palynomorph assemblages. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Coal desulfurization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Corcoran, William H. (Inventor); Vasilakos, Nicholas P. (Inventor); Lawson, Daniel D. (Inventor)

    1982-01-01

    A method for enhancing solubilizing mass transport of reactive agents into and out of carbonaceous materials, such as coal. Solubility parameters of mass transfer and solvent media are matched to individual peaks in the solubility parameter spectrum of coals to enhance swelling and/or dissolution. Methanol containing reactive agent carriers are found particularly effective for removing organic sulfur from coals by chlorinolysis.

  5. Perspectives on the working hours of Australian junior doctors

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    The working hours of junior doctors have been a focus of discussion in Australia since the mid-1990s. Several national organizations, including the Australian Medical Association (AMA), have been prominent in advancing this agenda and have collected data (most of which is self-reported) on the working hours of junior doctors over the last 15 years. Overall, the available data indicate that working hours have fallen in a step-wise fashion, and AMA data suggest that the proportion of doctors at high risk of fatigue may be declining. It is likely that these changes reflect significant growth in the number of medical graduates, more detailed specifications regarding working hours in industrial agreements, and a greater focus on achieving a healthy work–life balance. It is notable that reductions in junior doctors’ working hours have occurred despite the absence of a national regulatory framework for working hours. Informed by a growing international literature on working hours and their relation to patient and practitioner safety, accreditation bodies such as the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) and the Australian Medical Council (AMC) are adjusting their standards to encourage improved work and training practices. PMID:25560522

  6. Perspectives on the working hours of Australian junior doctors.

    PubMed

    Glasgow, Nicholas J; Bonning, Michael; Mitchell, Rob

    2014-01-01

    The working hours of junior doctors have been a focus of discussion in Australia since the mid-1990s. Several national organizations, including the Australian Medical Association (AMA), have been prominent in advancing this agenda and have collected data (most of which is self-reported) on the working hours of junior doctors over the last 15 years. Overall, the available data indicate that working hours have fallen in a step-wise fashion, and AMA data suggest that the proportion of doctors at high risk of fatigue may be declining. It is likely that these changes reflect significant growth in the number of medical graduates, more detailed specifications regarding working hours in industrial agreements, and a greater focus on achieving a healthy work-life balance. It is notable that reductions in junior doctors' working hours have occurred despite the absence of a national regulatory framework for working hours. Informed by a growing international literature on working hours and their relation to patient and practitioner safety, accreditation bodies such as the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) and the Australian Medical Council (AMC) are adjusting their standards to encourage improved work and training practices.

  7. The migration law of overlay rock and coal in deeply inclined coal seam with fully mechanized top coal caving.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jian; Chen, Shan-Le; Wang, Hua-Jun; Li, Yu-Cheng; Geng, Xiaowei

    2015-07-01

    In a mine area, some environment geotechnics problems always occure, induced by mined-out region such as the subsidence and cracks at ground level, deformation and destruction of buildings, landslides destruction of water resources and the ecological environment. In order to research the migration of surrounding rock and coal in steeply inclined super high seams which used fully mechanized top coal caving, a working face of a certain mine was made as an example, analyzed the migration law of the overlay rock and coal under different caving ratio of fully mechanized top coal caving with numerical simulation analysis. The results suggest that the laws of overlay rock deformation caused by deeply inclined coal seam were different from horizontal coal seam. On the inclined direction, with an increase of dip angle and caving ratio, the vertical displacement of overlay rock and coal became greater, the asymmetric phenomenon of vertical displacement became obvious. On the trend direction, active region and transition region in goaf became smaller along with the increase of mining and caving ratio. On the contrary, the stable region area became greater. Therefore, there was an essential difference between the mechanism of surface movement deformation with deeply inclined coal seam and that with horizontal coal seam.

  8. Economic and Technological Role of Kuzbass Industry in the Implementation of National Energy Strategy of Russian Federation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhironkin, S. A.; Khoreshok, A. A.; Tyulenev, M. A.; Barysheva, G. A.; Hellmer, M. C.

    2016-08-01

    This article describes the problems and prospects of development of coal mining in Kuzbass - the center of coal production in Siberia and Russia, in the framework of the major initiatives of the National Energy Strategy for the period until 2035. The structural character of the regional coal industry problems, caused by decline in investment activity, high level of fixed assets depreciation, slow development of deep coal processing and technological reduction of coal mining is shown.

  9. Coal-Quality Information - Key to the Efficient and Environmentally Sound Use of Coal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Finkleman, Robert B.

    1997-01-01

    The rock that we refer to as coal is derived principally from decomposed organic matter (plants) consisting primarily of the element carbon. When coal is burned, it produces energy in the form of heat, which is used to power machines such as steam engines or to drive turbines that produce electricity. Almost 60 percent of the electricity produced in the United States is derived from coal combustion. Coal is an extraordinarily complex material. In addition to organic matter, coal contains water (up to 40 or more percent by weight for some lignitic coals), oils, gases (such as methane), waxes (used to make shoe polish), and perhaps most importantly, inorganic matter (fig. 1). The inorganic matter--minerals and trace elements--cause many of the health, environmental, and technological problems attributed to coal use (fig. 2). 'Coal quality' is the term used to refer to the properties and characteristics of coal that influence its behavior and use. Among the coal-quality characteristics that will be important for future coal use are the concentrations, distribution, and forms of the many elements contained in the coal that we intend to burn. Knowledge of these quality characteristics in U.S. coal deposits may allow us to use this essential energy resource more efficiently and effectively and with less undesirable environmental impact.

  10. Coal resources, reserves and peak coal production in the United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Milici, Robert C.; Flores, Romeo M.; Stricker, Gary D.

    2013-01-01

    In spite of its large endowment of coal resources, recent studies have indicated that United States coal production is destined to reach a maximum and begin an irreversible decline sometime during the middle of the current century. However, studies and assessments illustrating coal reserve data essential for making accurate forecasts of United States coal production have not been compiled on a national basis. As a result, there is a great deal of uncertainty in the accuracy of the production forecasts. A very large percentage of the coal mined in the United States comes from a few large-scale mines (mega-mines) in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Reported reserves at these mines do not account for future potential reserves or for future development of technology that may make coal classified currently as resources into reserves in the future. In order to maintain United States coal production at or near current levels for an extended period of time, existing mines will eventually have to increase their recoverable reserves and/or new large-scale mines will have to be opened elsewhere. Accordingly, in order to facilitate energy planning for the United States, this paper suggests that probabilistic assessments of the remaining coal reserves in the country would improve long range forecasts of coal production. As it is in United States coal assessment projects currently being conducted, a major priority of probabilistic assessments would be to identify the numbers and sizes of remaining large blocks of coal capable of supporting large-scale mining operations for extended periods of time and to conduct economic evaluations of those resources.

  11. Comparison Analysis of Coal Biodesulfurization and Coal's Pyrite Bioleaching with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

    PubMed Central

    Hong, Fen-Fen; He, Huan; Liu, Jin-Yan; Tao, Xiu-Xiang; Zheng, Lei; Zhao, Yi-Dong

    2013-01-01

    Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) was applied in coal biodesulfurization and coal's pyrite bioleaching. The result showed that A. ferrooxidans had significantly promoted the biodesulfurization of coal and bioleaching of coal's pyrite. After 16 days of processing, the total sulfur removal rate of coal was 50.6%, and among them the removal of pyritic sulfur was up to 69.9%. On the contrary, after 12 days of processing, the coal's pyrite bioleaching rate was 72.0%. SEM micrographs showed that the major pyrite forms in coal were massive and veinlets. It seems that the bacteria took priority to remove the massive pyrite. The sulfur relative contents analysis from XANES showed that the elemental sulfur (28.32%) and jarosite (18.99%) were accumulated in the biotreated residual coal. However, XRD and XANES spectra of residual pyrite indicated that the sulfur components were mainly composed of pyrite (49.34%) and elemental sulfur (50.72%) but no other sulfur contents were detected. Based on the present results, we speculated that the pyrite forms in coal might affect sulfur biooxidation process. PMID:24288464

  12. Coal and Coal/Biomass-Based Power Generation

    EPA Science Inventory

    For Frank Princiotta's book, Global Climate Change--The Technology Challenge Coal is a key, growing component in power generation globally. It generates 50% of U.S. electricity, and criteria emissions from coal-based power generation are being reduced. However, CO2 emissions m...

  13. Pilot Plant Program for the AED Advanced Coal Cleaning System. Phase II. Interim final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1980-08-01

    Advanced Energy Dynamics, Inc. (AED), has developed a proprietary coal cleaning process which employs a combination of ionization and electrostatic separation to remove both sulfur and ash from dry pulverized coal. The Ohio Department of Energy sponsored the first part of a program to evaluate, develop, and demonstrate the process in a continuous-flow pilot plant. Various coals used by Ohio electric utilities were characterized and classified, and sulfur reduction, ash reduction and Btu recovery were measured. Sulfur removal in various coals ranged from 33 to 68% (on a Btu basis). Ash removal ranged from 17 to 59% (on a Btumore » basis). Ash removal of particles greater than 53 microns ranged from 46 to 88%. Btu recovery ranged from 90 to 97%. These results, especially the large percentage removal of ash particles greater than 53 microns, suggest that the AED system can contribute materially to improved boiler performance and availability. The study indicated the following potential areas for commercial utilization of the AED process: installation between the pulverizer and boiler of conventional coal-fired power utilities; reclamation of fine coal refuse; dry coal cleaning to supplement, and, if necessary, to take the place of conventional coal cleaning; upgrading coal used in: (1) coal-oil mixtures, (2) gasification and liquefaction processes designed to handle pulverized coal; and (3) blast furnaces for making steel, as a fuel supplement to the coke. Partial cleaning of coking coal blends during preheating may also prove economically attractive. Numerous other industrial processes which use pulverized coal such as the production of activated carbon and direct reduction of iron ore may also benefit from the use of AED coal cleaning.« less

  14. The food-service industry, dietary guidelines and change.

    PubMed

    Hughes, R G; Harvey, P W; Heywood, P F

    1997-08-01

    The influence of the food-service industry on compliance with the Australian dietary guidelines was investigated through three separate methods of data collection and analysis: a telephone survey of 1683 randomly selected Brisbane residents; telephone interviews with 69 food-service-industry operators and 10 face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders in industry and government. Nearly 40 per cent of respondents had consumed foods prepared by the food-service industry at least once on the day before the interview, mainly from restaurants, cafes and takeaway shops, in the form of fast-food or snacks. Consumption of these foods declined with age. Those consuming foods prepared by the food-service industry ate significantly less fruit, vegetables and dairy food and were therefore less likely to comply with the dietary guidelines. Outcomes from interviews with operators in the food-service industry show that food choices offered to consumers were the result of a dynamic interaction between consumer demand and operators' own tastes and perceptions of food quality. Key informant interviews show that public health nutrition programs will have limited effect without supportive environmental changes in the food-service industry supply. An effective means of increasing the likelihood of compliance with the Australian dietary guidelines will be to encourage food suppliers in ways that address their core business concerns simultaneously with the goals of health professionals.

  15. Hazards and occupational risk in hard coal mines - a critical analysis of legal requirements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krause, Marcin

    2017-11-01

    This publication concerns the problems of occupational safety and health in hard coal mines, the basic elements of which are the mining hazards and the occupational risk. The work includes a comparative analysis of selected provisions of general and industry-specific law regarding the analysis of hazards and occupational risk assessment. Based on a critical analysis of legal requirements, basic assumptions regarding the practical guidelines for occupational risk assessment in underground coal mines have been proposed.

  16. Process for changing caking coals to noncaking coals

    DOEpatents

    Beeson, Justin L.

    1980-01-01

    Caking coals are treated in a slurry including alkaline earth metal hydroxides at moderate pressures and temperatures in air to form noncaking carbonaceous material. Hydroxides such as calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide or barium hydroxide are contemplated for slurrying with the coal to interact with the agglomerating constituents. The slurry is subsequently dewatered and dried in air at atmospheric pressure to produce a nonagglomerating carbonaceous material that can be conveniently handled in various coal conversion and combustion processes.

  17. Quality of economically extractable coal beds in the Gillette coal field as compared with other Tertiary coal beds in the Powder River basin, Wyoming and Montana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ellis, Margaret S.

    2002-01-01

    The Powder River Basin, and specifically the Gillette coal field, contains large quantities of economically extractable coal resources. These coal resources have low total sulfur content and ash yield, and most of the resources are subbituminous in rank. A recent U.S Geological Survey study of economically extractable coal in the Gillette coal field focused on five coal beds, the Wyodak rider, Upper Wyodak, Canyon, Lower Wyodak-Werner, and Gates/Kennedy. This report compares the coal quality of these economically extractable coal beds to coal in the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone in the Powder River Basin and in the Gillette coal field (Flores and others, 1999) and other produced coal in the Gillette coal field (Glass, 2000). The Upper Wyodak, Canyon, and Lower Wyodak/Werner beds are within the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone. Compared with all coal in the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone, both throughout the Powder River Basin and just within the Gillette coal field; the thick, persistent Upper Wyodak coal bed in the Gillette coal field has higher mean gross calorific value (8,569 Btu/lb), lower mean ash yield (5.8 percent), and lower mean total sulfur content (0.46 percent).

  18. Restoring Forests and Associated Ecosystem Services on Appalachian Coal Surface Mines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zipper, Carl E.; Burger, James A.; Skousen, Jeffrey G.; Angel, Patrick N.; Barton, Christopher D.; Davis, Victor; Franklin, Jennifer A.

    2011-05-01

    Surface coal mining in Appalachia has caused extensive replacement of forest with non-forested land cover, much of which is unmanaged and unproductive. Although forested ecosystems are valued by society for both marketable products and ecosystem services, forests have not been restored on most Appalachian mined lands because traditional reclamation practices, encouraged by regulatory policies, created conditions poorly suited for reforestation. Reclamation scientists have studied productive forests growing on older mine sites, established forest vegetation experimentally on recent mines, and identified mine reclamation practices that encourage forest vegetation re-establishment. Based on these findings, they developed a Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) that can be employed by coal mining firms to restore forest vegetation. Scientists and mine regulators, working collaboratively, have communicated the FRA to the coal industry and to regulatory enforcement personnel. Today, the FRA is used routinely by many coal mining firms, and thousands of mined hectares have been reclaimed to restore productive mine soils and planted with native forest trees. Reclamation of coal mines using the FRA is expected to restore these lands' capabilities to provide forest-based ecosystem services, such as wood production, atmospheric carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and water quality protection to a greater extent than conventional reclamation practices.

  19. Process for hydrogenating coal and coal solvents

    DOEpatents

    Tarrer, Arthur R.; Shridharani, Ketan G.

    1983-01-01

    A novel process is described for the hydrogenation of coal by the hydrogenation of a solvent for the coal in which the hydrogenation of the coal solvent is conducted in the presence of a solvent hydrogenation catalyst of increased activity, wherein the hydrogenation catalyst is produced by reacting ferric oxide with hydrogen sulfide at a temperature range of 260.degree. C. to 315.degree. C. in an inert atmosphere to produce an iron sulfide hydrogenation catalyst for the solvent. Optimally, the reaction temperature is 275.degree. C. Alternately, the reaction can be conducted in a hydrogen atmosphere at 350.degree. C.

  20. Review of Australian Higher Education: An Australian Policy Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montague, Alan

    2013-01-01

    Higher education is one of the key foundations that economic prosperity is founded upon. Government policies, funding and strategic planning require a fine balance to stimulate growth, prosperity health and well-being. The key Australian government policies influenced by a Review of Australian Higher Education report include attracting many more…

  1. "Some convincing arguments to pass back to nervous customers": the role of the tobacco retailer in the Australian tobacco industry's smoker reassurance campaign 1950–1978

    PubMed Central

    Tofler, A; Chapman, S

    2003-01-01

    Background: Epidemiological studies and reports on smoking and health published in the 1950s and 1960s threatened the tobacco industry worldwide, which acted to reassure smokers and counteract mounting evidence that smoking posed a serious risk to smokers' health. Objective: To document the use of tobacco retailers (1) as a conduit to pass messages of reassurance onto smokers, and (2) to recruit youth and women into smoking. Methods: Review of an extensive collection of Australian tobacco retail trade journals (1950–1978) for articles consistent with the industry's efforts to counter messages about smoking and health, and how to attract non-smokers, particularly youth and women. Results: The main arguments advanced in the journals included the notion that air pollution and other substances cause cancer, that "statistics" did not constitute proof in the tobacco health scare, and that the industry was committed to research into the causes of cancer and into developing a "safer" cigarette. Conclusions: Numerous articles designed to be reiterated to customers were published, arguing against the link between tobacco and ill health. Tobacco retailers, salesmen and retail trade organisations played a significant role in dissembling the tobacco health nexus. Tobacco retail journals may be an important component in tobacco industry misinformation strategies. PMID:14645943

  2. JV Task 120 - Coal Ash Resources Research Consortium Research

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Debra Pflughoeft-Hassett; Loreal Heebink; David Hassett

    2009-03-28

    The Coal Ash Resources Research Consortium{reg_sign} (CARRC{reg_sign}, pronounced 'cars') is the core coal combustion product (CCP) research group at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). CARRC focuses on performing fundamental and applied scientific and engineering research emphasizing the environmentally safe, economical use of CCPs. CARRC member organizations, which include utilities and marketers, are key to developing industry-driven research in the area of CCP utilization and ensuring its successful application. The U.S. Department of Energy is a partner in CARRC through the EERC Jointly Sponsored Research Program, which provides matching funds for industrial member contributions and facilitates an increased levelmore » of effort in CARRC. CARRC tasks were designed to provide information on CCP performance, including environmental performance, engineering performance, favorable economics, and improved life cycle of products and projects. CARRC technical research tasks are developed based on member input and prioritization. CARRC special projects are developed with members and nonmembers to provide similar information and to support activities, including the assembly and interpretation of data, support for standards development and technology transfer, and facilitating product development and testing. CARRC activities from 2007 to 2009 included a range of research tasks, with primary work performed in laboratory tasks developed to answer specific questions or evaluate important fundamental properties of CCPs. The tasks were included in four categories: (1) Environmental Evaluations of CCPs; (2) Evaluation of Impacts on CCPs from Emission Controls; (3) Construction and Product-Related Activities; and (4) Technology Transfer and Maintenance Tasks. All tasks are designed to work toward achieving the CARRC overall goal and supporting objectives. The various tasks are coordinated in order to provide broad and useful technical data for CARRC members

  3. The Australian Geodetic Observing Program. Current Status and Future Plans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnston, G.; Dawson, J. H.

    2015-12-01

    Over the last decade, the Australian government has through programs like AuScope, the Asia Pacific Reference Frame (APREF), and the Pacific Sea Level Monitoring (PSLM) Project made a significant contribution to the Global Geodetic Observing Program. In addition to supporting the national research priorities, this contribution is justified by Australia's growing economic dependence on precise positioning to underpin efficient transportation, geospatial data management, and industrial automation (e.g., robotic mining and precision agriculture) and the consequent need for the government to guarantee provision of precise positioning products to the Australian community. It is also well recognised within Australia that there is an opportunity to exploit our near unique position as being one of the few regions in the world to see all new and emerging satellite navigation systems including Galileo (Europe), GPS III (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Beidou (China), QZSS (Japan) and IRNSS (India). It is in this context that the Australian geodetic program will build on earlier efforts and further develop its key geodetic capabilities. This will include the creation of an independent GNSS analysis capability that will enable Australia to contribute to the International GNSS Service (IGS) and an upgrade of key geodetic infrastructure including the national VLBI and GNSS arrays. This presentation will overview the significant geodetic activities undertaken by the Australian government and highlight its future plans.

  4. Electrofacies analysis for coal lithotype profiling based on high-resolution wireline log data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roslin, A.; Esterle, J. S.

    2016-06-01

    The traditional approach to coal lithotype analysis is based on a visual characterisation of coal in core, mine or outcrop exposures. As not all wells are fully cored, the petroleum and coal mining industries increasingly use geophysical wireline logs for lithology interpretation.This study demonstrates a method for interpreting coal lithotypes from geophysical wireline logs, and in particular discriminating between bright or banded, and dull coal at similar densities to a decimetre level. The study explores the optimum combination of geophysical log suites for training the coal electrofacies interpretation, using neural network conception, and then propagating the results to wells with fewer wireline data. This approach is objective and has a recordable reproducibility and rule set.In addition to conventional gamma ray and density logs, laterolog resistivity, microresistivity and PEF data were used in the study. Array resistivity data from a compact micro imager (CMI tool) were processed into a single microresistivity curve and integrated with the conventional resistivity data in the cluster analysis. Microresistivity data were tested in the analysis to test the hypothesis that the improved vertical resolution of microresistivity curve can enhance the accuracy of the clustering analysis. The addition of PEF log allowed discrimination between low density bright to banded coal electrofacies and low density inertinite-rich dull electrofacies.The results of clustering analysis were validated statistically and the results of the electrofacies results were compared to manually derived coal lithotype logs.

  5. Hydrogeochemistry and coal-associated bacterial populations from a methanogenic coal bed

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Barnhart, Elliott P.; Weeks, Edwin P.; Jones, Elizabeth J. P.

    Biogenic coalbed methane (CBM), a microbially-generated source of natural gas trapped within coal beds, is an important energy resource in many countries. Specific bacterial populations and enzymes involved in coal degradation, the potential rate-limiting step of CBM formation, are relatively unknown. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has established a field site, (Birney test site), in an undeveloped area of the Powder River Basin (PRB), with four wells completed in the Flowers-Goodale coal bed, one in the overlying sandstone formation, and four in overlying and underlying coal beds (Knoblach, Nance, and Terret). The nine wells were positioned to characterize the hydraulicmore » conductivity of the Flowers-Goodale coal bed and were selectively cored to investigate the hydrogeochemistry and microbiology associated with CBM production at the Birney test site. Aquifer-test results indicated the Flowers-Goodale coal bed, in a zone from about 112-120 m below land surface at the test site, had very low hydraulic conductivity (0.005 m/d) compared to other PRB coal beds examined. Consistent with microbial methanogenesis, groundwater in the coal bed and overlying sandstone contain dissolved methane (46 mg/L average) with low δ 13C values (-67‰ average), high alkalinity values (22 meq/kg average), relatively positive δ 13C-DIC values (4‰ average), and no detectable higher chain hydrocarbons, NO 3 -, or SO 4 2-. Bioassay methane production was greatest at the upper interface of the Flowers-Goodale coal bed near the overlying sandstone. Pyrotag analysis identified Aeribacillus as a dominant in situ bacterial community member in the coal near the sandstone and statistical analysis indicated Actinobacteria predominated coal core samples compared to claystone or sandstone cores. These bacteria, which previously have been correlated with hydrocarbon-containing environments such as oil reservoirs, have demonstrated the ability to produce biosurfactants to break down

  6. Hydrogeochemistry and coal-associated bacterial populations from a methanogenic coal bed

    DOE PAGES

    Barnhart, Elliott P.; Weeks, Edwin P.; Jones, Elizabeth J. P.; ...

    2016-05-04

    Biogenic coalbed methane (CBM), a microbially-generated source of natural gas trapped within coal beds, is an important energy resource in many countries. Specific bacterial populations and enzymes involved in coal degradation, the potential rate-limiting step of CBM formation, are relatively unknown. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has established a field site, (Birney test site), in an undeveloped area of the Powder River Basin (PRB), with four wells completed in the Flowers-Goodale coal bed, one in the overlying sandstone formation, and four in overlying and underlying coal beds (Knoblach, Nance, and Terret). The nine wells were positioned to characterize the hydraulicmore » conductivity of the Flowers-Goodale coal bed and were selectively cored to investigate the hydrogeochemistry and microbiology associated with CBM production at the Birney test site. Aquifer-test results indicated the Flowers-Goodale coal bed, in a zone from about 112-120 m below land surface at the test site, had very low hydraulic conductivity (0.005 m/d) compared to other PRB coal beds examined. Consistent with microbial methanogenesis, groundwater in the coal bed and overlying sandstone contain dissolved methane (46 mg/L average) with low δ 13C values (-67‰ average), high alkalinity values (22 meq/kg average), relatively positive δ 13C-DIC values (4‰ average), and no detectable higher chain hydrocarbons, NO 3 -, or SO 4 2-. Bioassay methane production was greatest at the upper interface of the Flowers-Goodale coal bed near the overlying sandstone. Pyrotag analysis identified Aeribacillus as a dominant in situ bacterial community member in the coal near the sandstone and statistical analysis indicated Actinobacteria predominated coal core samples compared to claystone or sandstone cores. These bacteria, which previously have been correlated with hydrocarbon-containing environments such as oil reservoirs, have demonstrated the ability to produce biosurfactants to break down

  7. Characterization of coals for circulating fluidized bed combustion by pilot scale tests

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lopez, L.A.; Cabanillas, A.C.; Becerra, J.O. de

    1995-12-31

    The major part of the Spanish coal supply is low range coal with both high ash (20--40%) and sulfur (1--8%) content. The use of this coal, by conventional combustion processes in power and industrial plants, implies a very high environmental impact. The Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion process enables an efficient use of this coal. The Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas is carrying out a program with the intention of assisting companies in evaluating fuel quality impact, using atmospheric fluidized bed combustion. This paper reviews the major results of the fuel program in order to determine the fluidized bedmore » combustion performance of four fuels. Two lignites, a bituminous coal and an anthracite. The two lignites have very high sulfur content (7% and 8%) but the sulfur is organic in one case and pyritic in the other. The bituminous coal and the anthracite have 1% and 2% sulfur content respectively and the sulfur is pyritic in these cases. In order to reduce the sulfur in the flue gases, a high calcium content limestone has been used as sorbent. The combustion trials have been done in a circulating fluidized bed pilot plant with a 200 mm inside diameter and a height of 6.5 m. The influence of temperature, fluidization velocity, oxygen excess, Ca/S ratio and coal properties have been studied in relation to the combustion efficiency, sulfur retention, CO and NO{sub x} emissions.« less

  8. Economics and coal resource appraisal: strippable coal in the Illinois Basin ( USA).

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Attanasi, E.D.; Green, E.K.

    1981-01-01

    Because coal is expected to provide an increasing part of U.S. energy supply, it is crucial for long term planning that coal-resource appraisals convey sufficient information regarding the degree of economic resource scarcity as coal consumption increases. Argues that coal-resource estimates, as they are now made, will not give warning of future supply difficulties. A method for incorporating an economic dimension into appraisals of strippable coal resources is presented and applied to a major producing region, the Illinois part of the Illinois basin? In particular, a long-run incremental cost function (that is unit costs vs. cumulative reserves extracted) is estimated for strippable coal in Illinois. -from Authors

  9. University coal research/historically black colleges and universities and other minority institutions contractors review meeting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    2006-07-01

    A variety of papers/posters were presented on topics concerning power generation, including solid oxide fuel cells, hydrogen production, mercury as a combustion product, carbon dioxide separation from flue gas. A total of 31 presentations in slide/overview/viewgraph form and with a separate abstract are available online (one in abstract form only) and 24 poster papers (text). In addition 41 abstracts only are available. Papers of particular interest include: Hydrogen production from hydrogen sulfide in IGCC power plants; Oxidation of mercury in products of coal combustion; Computer aided design of advanced turbine aerofoil alloys for industrial gas turbines in coal fired environments;more » Developing engineered fuel using flyash and biomass; Conversion of hydrogen sulfide in coal gases to elemental sulfur with monolithic catalysts; Intelligent control via wireless sensor networks for advanced coal combustion systems; and Investment of fly ash and activated carbon obtained from pulverized coal boilers (poster).« less

  10. Continuous coal processing method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ryason, P. R. (Inventor)

    1980-01-01

    A coal pump is provided in which solid coal is heated in the barrel of an extruder under pressure to a temperature at which the coal assumes plastic properties. The coal is continuously extruded, without static zones, using, for example, screw extrusion preferably without venting through a reduced diameter die to form a dispersed spray. As a result, the dispersed coal may be continuously injected into vessels or combustors at any pressure up to the maximum pressure developed in the extrusion device. The coal may be premixed with other materials such as desulfurization aids or reducible metal ores so that reactions occur, during or after conversion to its plastic state. Alternatively, the coal may be processed and caused to react after extrusion, through the die, with, for example, liquid oxidizers, whereby a coal reactor is provided.

  11. Comparative study on direct burning of oil shale and coal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hammad, Ahmad; Al Asfar, Jamil

    2017-07-01

    A comparative study of the direct burning processes of oil shale and coal in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) was done in this study using ANSYS Fluent software to solve numerically the governing equations of continuity, momentum, energy and mass diffusion using finite volume method. The model was built based on an existing experimental combustion burner unit. The model was validated by comparing the theoretical results of oil shale with proved experimental results from the combustion unit. It was found that the temperature contours of the combustion process showed that the adiabatic flame temperature was 1080 K for oil shale compared with 2260 K for coal, while the obtained experimental results of temperatures at various locations of burner during the direct burning of oil shale showed that the maximum temperature reached 962 K for oil shale. These results were used in economic and environmental analysis which show that oil shale may be used as alternative fuel for coal in cement industry in Jordan.

  12. Business Industry Technical Assistance Center, Hazard Community College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marrow, Alvin J.

    The Business Industry and Technical Assistance Center (BITAC) was established in 1986 at Hazard Community College, in Kentucky, to serve as an information and technical assistance center for small business. As the local area began to face layoffs in the coal mining industry, however, the center extended its services in four principal areas:…

  13. Comparison of the Eastern and Western Kentucky coal fields (Pennsylvanian), USA-why are coal distribution patterns and sulfur contents so different in these coal fields?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Greb, S.F.; Eble, C.F.; Chesnut, D.R.

    2002-01-01

    More than 130 Mt of Pennsylvanian coal is produced annually from two coal fields in Kentucky. The Western Kentucky Coal Field occurs in part of the Illinois Basin, an intercratonic basin, and the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field occurs in the Central Appalachian Basin, a foreland basin. The basins are only separated by 140 km, but mined western Kentucky coal beds exhibit significantly higher sulfur values than eastern Kentucky coals. Higher-sulfur coal beds in western Kentucky have generally been inferred to be caused by more marine influences than for eastern Kentucky coals. Comparison of strata in the two coal fields shows that more strata and more coal beds accumulated in the Eastern than Western Kentucky Coal Field in the Early and Middle Pennsylvanian, inferred to represent greater generation of tectonic accommodation in the foreland basin. Eastern Kentucky coal beds exhibit a greater tendency toward splitting and occurring in zones than time-equivalent western Kentucky coal beds, which is also inferred to represent foreland accommodation influences, overprinted by autogenic sedimentation effects. Western Kentucky coal beds exhibit higher sulfur values than their eastern counterparts, but western Kentucky coals occurring in Langsettian through Bolsovian strata can be low in sulfur content. Eastern Kentucky coal beds may increase in sulfur content beneath marine zones, but generally are still lower in sulfur than mined Western Kentucky coal beds, indicating that controls other than purely marine influences must have influenced coal quality. The bulk of production in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field is from Duckmantian and Bolsovian coal beds, whereas production in the Western Kentucky Coal Field is from Westphalian D coals. Langsettian through Bolsovian paleoclimates in eastern Kentucky were favorable for peat doming, so numerous low-sulfur coals accumulated. These coals tend to occur in zones and are prone to lateral splitting because of foreland tectonic and

  14. James Craufurd Gregory, 19th century Scottish physicians, and the link between occupation as a coal miner and lung disease.

    PubMed

    Donaldson, K; Wallace, W A; Elliot, T A; Henry, C

    2017-09-01

    By the mid-19th century about 200,000 miners were employed in a UK coal mining industry still growing with the advances of the Industrial Revolution. Coal miners were long known to suffer poor health but the link to inhaling dust in the mines had not been made. In 1813 George Pearson was the first to suggest that darkening of lungs seen in normal individuals as they aged was caused by inhaled soot from burning oil, candles and coal, which were the common domestic sources of heat and light. In 1831 Dr James Craufurd Gregory first described black pigmentation and disease in the lungs of a deceased coal miner and linked this to pulmonary accumulation of coal mine dust. Gregory hypothesised that the black material seen at autopsy in the collier's lungs was inhaled coal dust and this was confirmed by chemical analysis carried out by Professor Sir Robert Christison. Gregory suggested that coal dust was the cause of the disease and warned physicians in mining areas to be vigilant for the disease. This first description of what came to be known as 'coal worker's pneumoconiosis' sparked a remarkable intellectual effort by physicians in Scotland, culminating in a large body of published work that led to the first understandings of this disease and its link to coalblackened lungs. This paper sets out the history of the role of Scottish physicians in gaining this understanding of coal worker's pneumoconiosis. It describes Gregory's case and the lung - recently discovered in the pathology collection of the Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh, where it has lain unnoticed for over 180 years - on which Gregory based his landmark paper.

  15. Significant developments in occupational health and safety in Australia's construction industry.

    PubMed

    Fraser, Lindsay

    2007-01-01

    Construction is Australia's third most dangerous industry. On average, 49 building and construction workers have been killed at work each year since 1997-1998. Securing safer construction workplaces is jeopardized by an Australian government bent on removing union influence. Workers must prove their individual health and safety is at risk or face fines of up to $22,000 over work stoppages. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry view is that occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation is overly complex and biased unfairly against the employer. Significant advances in OHS achieved by construction unions working together with employers and government authorities are now at risk, to the detriment of workers.

  16. Coal resources of the eastern regions of Russia for power plants of the Asian super ring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokolov, Aleksander; Takaishvili, Liudmila

    2018-01-01

    The eastern regions of Russia have a substantial potential for expansion of steaming coal production. The majority of coal deposits in the eastern regions are located close enough to the objects of the Asian super ring. The large coal reserves make it possible to consider it as a reliable fuel source for power plants for a long-term horizon. The coal reserves suitable for using at power plants of the Asian super ring are estimated in the paper by subject of the federation of the eastern regions for operating and new coal producers. The coal deposits of the eastern regions that are promising for the construction of power plants of the Asian super ring are presented. The paper describes both the coal deposits of the eastern regions that are considered in the projects for power plant construction and included in the program documents and the coal deposits that are not included in the program documents. The coal reserves of these deposits and the possible volumes of its production are estimated. The key qualitative coal characteristics of the deposits: heating value, and ash, sulfur, moisture content are presented. The mining-geological and hydrological conditions for deposit development are briefly characterized. The coals of the eastern regions are showed to contain valuable accompanying elements. It is noted that the creation of industrial clusters on the basis of the coal deposits is the most effective from the standpoints of the economy and ecology. The favorable and restraining factors in development of the described coal deposits are estimated.

  17. Analysis of fine coal pneumatic systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mathur, M.P.; Rohatgi, N.D.; Klinzing, G.E.

    1987-01-01

    Many fossil fuel energy processes depend on the movement of solids by pneumatic transport. Despite the considerable amount of work reported in the literature on pneumatic transport, the design of new industrial systems for new products continues to rely to a great extent on empiricism. A pilot-scale test facility has been constructed at Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC) and is equipped with modern sophisticated measuring techniques (such as Pressure Transducers, Auburn Monitors, Micro Motion Mass flowmeters) and an automatic computer-controlled data acquisition system to study the effects of particle pneumatic transport. Pittsburgh Seam and Montana rosebud coals of varying sizemore » consist and moisture content were tested in the atmospheric and pressurized coal flow test loops (AP/CFTL and HP/CFTL) at PETC. The system parameters included conveying gas velocity, injector tank pressure, screw conveyor speed, pipe radius, and pipe bends. In the following report, results from the coal flow tests were presented and analyzed. Existing theories and correlations on two-phase flows were reviewed. Experimental data were compared with values calculated from empirically or theoretically derived equations available in the literature, and new correlations were proposed, when applicable, to give a better interpretation of the data and a better understanding of the various flow regimes involved in pneumatic transport. 55 refs., 56 figs., 6 tabs.« less

  18. Coal Data Browser

    EIA Publications

    The Coal Data Browser gives users easy access to coal information from EIA's electricity and coal surveys as well as data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration and trade information from the U.S. Census Bureau. Users can also see the shipment data from individual mines that deliver coal to the U.S. electric power fleet, have the ability to track supplies delivered to a given power plant, and to see which mines serve each particular plant.

  19. Approaches for controlling air pollutants and their environmental impacts generated from coal-based electricity generation in China.

    PubMed

    Xu, Changqing; Hong, Jinglan; Ren, Yixin; Wang, Qingsong; Yuan, Xueliang

    2015-08-01

    This study aims at qualifying air pollutants and environmental impacts generated from coal-based power plants and providing useful information for decision makers on the management of coal-based power plants in China. Results showed that approximately 9.03, 54.95, 62.08, and 12.12% of the national carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter emissions, respectively, in 2011were generated from coal-based electricity generation. The air pollutants were mainly generated from east China because of the well-developed economy and energy-intensive industries in the region. Coal-washing technology can simply and significantly reduce the environmental burden because of the relativity low content of coal gangue and sulfur in washed coal. Optimizing the efficiency of raw materials and energy consumption is additional key factor to reduce the potential environmental impacts. In addition, improving the efficiency of air pollutants (e.g., dust, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides) control system and implementing the strict requirements on air pollutants for power plants are important ways for reducing the potential environmental impacts of coal-based electricity generation in China.

  20. Vertical profile, source apportionment, and toxicity of PAHs in sediment cores of a wharf near the coal-based steel refining industrial zone in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chih-Feng; Chen, Chiu-Wen; Ju, Yun-Ru; Dong, Cheng-Di

    2016-03-01

    Three sediment cores were collected from a wharf near a coal-based steel refining industrial zone in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Analyses for 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of the US Environmental Protection Agency priority list in the core sediment samples were conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The vertical profiles of PAHs in the core sediments were assessed, possible sources and apportionment were identified, and the toxicity risk of the core sediments was determined. The results from the sediment analyses showed that total concentrations of the 16 PAHs varied from 11774 ± 4244 to 16755 ± 4593 ng/g dry weight (dw). Generally, the vertical profiles of the PAHs in the sediment cores exhibited a decreasing trend from the top to the lower levels of the S1 core and an increasing trend of PAHs from the top to the lower levels of the S2 and S3 cores. Among the core sediment samples, the five- and six-ring PAHs were predominantly in the S1 core, ranging from 42 to 54 %, whereas the composition of the PAHs in the S2 and S3 cores were distributed equally across three groups: two- and three-ring, four-ring, and five- and six-ring PAHs. The results indicated that PAH contamination at the site of the S1 core had a different source. The molecular indices and principal component analyses with multivariate linear regression were used to determine the source contributions, with the results showing that the contributions of coal, oil-related, and vehicle sources were 38.6, 35.9, and 25.5 %, respectively. A PAH toxicity assessment using the mean effect range-median quotient (m-ERM-q, 0.59-0.79), benzo[a]pyrene toxicity equivalent (TEQ(carc), 1466-1954 ng TEQ/g dw), and dioxin toxicity equivalent (TEQ(fish), 3036-4174 pg TEQ/g dw) identified the wharf as the most affected area. The results can be used for regular monitoring, and future pollution prevention and management should target the coal-based industries in this region for pollution reduction.