Sequential solvent extraction for the modes of occurrence of selenium in coals of different ranks from the Huaibei Coalfield, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhang, Y.; Liu, Gaisheng; Chou, C.-L.; Wang, L.; Kang, Y.

2007-01-01

Forms of selenium in bituminous coal, anthracite, and cokeite (natural coke) from Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui, China, have been determined by sequential solvent extraction. The selenium content in bulk samples is 4.0, 2.4, and 2.0 ??g/g in bituminous coal, anthracite, and cokeite, respectively. The six forms of selenium determined by six-step solvent extraction are water-leachable, ion-exchangeable, organic matter-associated, carbonate-associated, silicate-associated, and sulfide-associated. The predominant forms of selenium in bituminous coal are organic matter-associated (39.0%), sulfide-associated (21.1%), and silicate bound (31.8%); these three forms account for 92% of the total. The organic matter bound-selenium decrease dramatically from bituminous coal (39.0%) to anthracite (11.6%) and to cokeite (0%), indicating that organic matter bound selenium is converted to other forms during metamorphism of the coal, most likely sulfide-form. The sulfide-associated form increased remarkably from bituminous coal (21.1%) to anthracite (50.4%) and cokeite (54.5%), indicating the formation of selenium sulfide, possibly in pyrite during the transformation of bituminous coal to anthracite and cokeite. The silicate-associated selenium in bituminous coal (31.8%) is much higher than that in anthracite (16.4%) and cokeite (15.8%), indicating that silicate-associated selenium is partly converted to sulfide during metamorphism. ?? 2007 Zhang et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Leaching characteristics of arsenic and selenium from coal fly ash: role of calcium

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

Tian Wang; Jianmin Wang; Yulin Tang

2009-05-15

Understanding the leaching behavior of arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) in coal fly ash is important in evaluating the potential environmental impact of coal fly ash. Batch experiments were employed to systematically investigate the leaching behavior of As and Se in two major types of coal fly ashes, bituminous coal ash and sub-bituminous coal ash, and to determine the underlying processes that control As and Se leaching. The effects of pH, solid/liquid (S/L) ratio, calcium addition, and leaching time on the release of As and Se were studied. Overall, bituminous coal ash leached significantly more As and Se than sub-bituminousmore » coal ash, and Se was more readily leachable, in both absolute concentration and relative fraction, than As for both types of fly ashes. Adsorption/desorption played a major role on As and Se leaching from bituminous coal ashes. However, calcium precipitation played the most important role in reducing As and Se leaching from sub-bituminous coal ashes in the entire experimental pH range. The leaching of As and Se from bituminous coal ashes generally increased with increases in the S/L ratio and leaching time. However, for sub-bituminous coal ashes, the leaching of As was not detected under most experimental conditions, while the leaching of Se increased with increases in the S/L ratio and leaching time. As{sup V} and Se{sup IV} were found to be the major species in all ash leachates in this study. 46 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.« less

Applicability of the mixture of bituminous coal and anthracite to conventional pulverized coal firing boiler

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

Takano, Shin-Ichi; Kiga, Takashi; Miyamae, Shigehiro

1994-12-31

In some future, it is expected for Japanese power stations to be hard to get a high-grade coal like a bituminous coal. We conducted therefore pilot scale tests of pulverized blends of bituminous coal and anthracite using a 1.2MWt tunnel furnace in order to evaluate the applicability of the blends of bituminous coal and anthracite to conventional pulverized coal firing boilers. One kind of bituminous coal and two kinds of anthracite, one was of low ash content and another was of high ash content, were prepared for the test. Previously to pilot scale tests, coal properties and ash properties ofmore » the blends of bituminous coal and anthracite were analyzed to estimate the characteristics of combustion, ash deposition, and so on. In the test, we investigated the combustion efficiency, NOx emission, characteristics of ignition stability and grindability changing the blend rate of anthracite. Results of our study indicated that the critical restrictions on the blending rate of anthracite were unburnt carbon in fly ash and NOx emission as for coals tested. The acceptable limitation on blending rate of anthracite was 10 and 20%, respectively for two kinds of conventional pulverized coal fired boiler. Concerning to the grindability, it became worse with increasing the blending rate of anthracite from grindability test using a roller mill, while it became better estimating from HGI.« less

Coalification of organic matter in coal balls of the Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous) of the Illinois Basin, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, P.C.; Thompson, C.L.; Hatcher, P.G.; Brown, F.W.; Millay, M.A.; Szeverenyi, N.; Maciel, G.E.

1984-01-01

An evaluation was made of the degree of coalification of two coal balls from the Illinois Basin of the Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous) of the United States. Previous interpretations are mainly misleading and contradictory, primarily because of the assumption that the brown color and exceptional cellular and subcellular preservation typical of American coal balls imply chemical preservation of cellulose and lignin, the primary components of peat. Xylem tissue from a medullosan seed fern contained in a coal ball and the coal attached to the coal ball from the Calhoun coal bed, Mattoon Formation, Illinois, was analyzed by elemental, petrographic, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to determine the degree of coalification. The NMR and elemental data indicate the lack of cellulose and lignin and a probable rank of high-volatile C bituminous coal. These data corroborate data for a coal ball from the Herrin (No. 6) coal bed (Carbondale Formation, Middle Pennsylvanian) and support our hypothesis that the organic matter in coal balls of the Pennsylvanian strata of the United States is coalified to about the same degree as the surrounding coal. Data presented show a range of lower reflectances for xylem tissue and vitrinite in the analyzed coal balls compared with vitrinite in the attached coal. The data reported indicate that physical preservation of organic matter in coal balls does not imply chemical preservation. Also our study supports the hypothesis that compactional (static load) pressure is not a prerequisite for coalification up to a rank of high-volatile C bituminous coal. A whole-rock analysis of the Calhoun coal ball indicates a similarity to other carbonate coal balls from the United States. It consists primarily of calcium carbonate and 1-2% organic matter; silica and alumina together make up less than 0.5%, indicating the lack of minerals such as quartz and clays. ?? 1984.

CO2 sequestration potential of Charqueadas coal field in Brazil

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

Romanov, V; Santarosa, C; Crandall, D

2013-02-01

Although coal is not the primary source of energy in Brazil there is growing interest to evaluate the potential of coal from the south of the country for various activities. The I2B coal seamin the Charqueadas coal field has been considered a target for enhanced coal bed methane production and CO2 sequestration. A detailed experimental study of the samples from this seam was conducted at the NETL with assistance from the Pontif?cia Universidade Cat?lica Do Rio Grande Do Sul. Such properties as sorption capacity, internal structure of the samples, porosity and permeability were of primary interest in this characterization study.more » The samples used were low rank coals (high volatile bituminous and sub-bituminous) obtained from the I2B seam. It was observed that the temperature effect on adsorption capacity correlates negatively with as-received water and mineral content. Langmuir CO2 adsorption capacity of the coal samples ranged 0.61?2.09 mmol/g. The upper I2B seam appears to be overall more heterogeneous and less permeable than the lower I2B seam. The lower seam coal appears to have a large amount of micro-fractures that do not close even at 11 MPa of confining pressure.« less

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

Sutcu, H.; Toroglu, I.; Piskin, S.

Turkey, especially Zonguldak on the West Coast of Black Sea region, has large reserves of bituminous coal that can be used either directly or in blends with other coals for metallurgical coke production. It is possible to predict the coking properties of these coals by petrographic analysis. In this study, semi- and non-coking coals were blended with coking bituminous coals in varying proportions and an estimation was made as to their stability factors through petrographic techniques. It was established that semi- and non-coking bituminous coals could be used in the production of metallurgical coke.

Secretinite-Reflectance and chemical data from two high volatile bituminous coals (Upper Carboniferous) of North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, P.C.; Mastalerz, Maria

2001-01-01

Secretinite - a maceral of the inertinite group as recognized by the ICCP in 1996- is a noncellular maceral of seed fern origin. New reflectance data indicate that this maceral has primary anisotropy with bireflectances of 0.4% to 0.9% in high-volatile B bituminous (Ro = 0.6%) Carboniferous coal of North America. The highest reflectance is in cross-section as opposed to longitudinal section. Characteristic feature of secretinite is the virtual absence of Si and Al, unlike that in associated vitrinite. This indicates the absence of submicron aluminosilicates in secretinite and their presence in vitrinites. Secretinite is highly aromatic as indicated by low O/C ratios and high contribution of aromatic hydrogen bands detected by FTIR analysis. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Methane in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Poland) - problem of reserves and exploitation

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

Wojcik, A.J.

1995-08-01

The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) is the best recognized and the most productive coal basin in Poland. The USCB is primarily defined by the extent of Carboniferous coal-bearing formations. The sedimentary fill displays the stratigraphic record of major progressive inversion phases of the entire Moravo-Silesian basin during the late and post-geosynclinal period of the Variscan orogeny. According to the last estimates the coal reserves occurring above the depth limit of 1500 in are as follows: documented reserves - 58 billion tons, prognostic reserves - 46 billion tons, total - 104 billion tons. The coal type is predominantly vitrinitic, andmore » ash content is reported to be in the range of 11-17% and average sulphur content is 1.13%. The rank of USCB coal is largely controlled by complex coalification processes. It ranges from high volatile bituminous B, through medium volatile bituminous to high rank special coal semi anthracite and anthracite. The methane content of coal seams in USCB varies in a very broad range of 0-22 m{sup 3}/t coal (dry, ash free basis). The average gas content increases considerably within the depth range 600-1000 in from 0.99 to 4.68 m{sup 3}/t coal (daf). In deeper horizons it is more or less stable varying within the range of 4.7-7.0 m{sup 3}/t coal (daf). By this estimate, on average, the methane content is about 12,5 m{sup 3}/ton. There are several estimates of coal-bed methane resources in the USCB based on different methods. The resources are as follows: documented deposits in active mines to 1000 m: 370 BCM, undeveloped deposits to 1000 in: 340 BCM, deposit between 1000 and 1500 m: 590 BCM, total: 1300 BCM. The coalbed gas from this basin is primarily composed of saturated hydrocarbons and Nitrogen which amount to 97 volume percent. The rest is dominant by Carbon dioxide and Hydrogen.« less

Properties, origin and nomenclature of rodlets of the inertinite maceral group in coals of the central Appalachian basin, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, P.C.; Finkelman, R.B.; Thompson, C.L.; Brown, F.W.; Hatcher, P.G.

1982-01-01

Resin rodlets, sclerenchyma strands and woody splinters, which are collectively called rodlets, were studied by chemical, optical petrographic, and scanning-electron microscopic (SEM) techniques. A study was made of such rodlets from the bituminous coal beds of the central Appalachian basin (Pennsylvanian; Upper Carboniferous) of the United States. Comparisons were made with rodlets from coal beds of the Illinois basin, the Southern Anthracite Field of Pennsylvania, the St. Rose coal field of Nova Scotia, and European and other coal fields. In order to determine their physical and chemical properties, a detailed study was made of the rodlets from the Pomeroy coal bed (high volatile A bituminous coal; Monongahela Formation; Upper Pennsylvanian) of Kanawha County, West Virginia. The origin of the rodlets was determined by a comparative analysis of a medullosan (seed fern) stem from the Herrin (No. 6) coal bed (high volatile C bituminous coal; Carbondale Formation) from Washington County, Illinois. Rodlets are commonly concentrated in fusain or carbominerite layers or lenses in bituminous coal beds of the central Appalachian basin. Most of the rodlets examined in our study were probably derived from medullosan seed ferns. The three types of rodlets are distinguished on the basis of cellularity, morphology and fracture. The resin rodlets studied by us are noncellular and appear to be similar in properties and origin to those found in coal beds of the Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian of the Illinois basin. The resin rodlets extracted from the Pomeroy coal bed exhibit high relief and high reflectance when polished and viewed in reflected light; they are opaque in transmitted light. In cross section, the resin rodlets are oval to round and have diameters ranging from 60 to 450 ??m. Many are solid, but some have vesicles, canals or cavities, which are commonly filled with clay, probably kaolinite. Typically, they have distinct fracture patterns ("kerfs") in longitudinal and cross sections and many are characterized by dense (probably oxidized) rims. The orientation and amounts of void space and mineralization of resin rodlets in coal have resulted in much confusion in their recognition and classification. The resin rodlets are petrographically recognized as sclerotinites of the inertinite maceral group. We here propose that resin rodlets be assigned to the maceral variety of sclerotinites termed "resino-sclerotinite" because of their presumable resinous origin. Other investigators have confused some fusinitized resin rodlets with fungal masses, which have different morphological properties and which probably have different chemical properties. We here propose that such fungal masses be assigned to the maceral variety of sclerotinites termed "fungo-sclerotinite.". The sclerenchyma strands examined in our study are cellular, thick-walled, and crescent-shaped in cross section. They exhibit high reflectance and high relief and belong to semifusinite and fusinite of the inertinite maceral group. Sclerenchyma strands are commonly associated with resin canals in Medullosa and related seed-fern genera, which are common in coal balls of the Illinois basin. We here propose adoption of the maceral varietal terms "sclerenchymo-fusinite" and "sclerenchymo-semifusinite" for these bodies. The woody splinters in the Pomeroy coal bed are cellular and thin-walled and have scattered pits as much as a few microns in diameter. They are dark brown to black in transmitted light and commonly have a lower reflectance than the resino-sclerotinite and sclerenchymo-fusinite of the Pomeroy coal. The woody splinters belong to semifusinite and fusinite of the inertinite maceral group. The maceral varietal terms "xylemo-semifusinite" and "xylemo-fusinite" are here proposed for these bodies. Elemental chemical data for the resin rodlets of the Pomeroy coal bed of the central Appalachian basin indicate that resin rodlets have significantly lower atomic H/C and O/C ratio

INVESTIGATION OF PRIMARY FINE PARTICULATE MATTER FROM COAL COMBUSTION BY COMPUTER-CONTROLLED SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

EPA Science Inventory

The particle size distributions, morphologies, and chemical composition distributions of 14 coal fly ash (CFA) samples produced by the combustion of four western U.S. coals (two subbituminous, one lignite, and one bituminous) and three eastern U.S. coals (all bituminous) have bee...

Continuous bench-scale slurry catalyst testing direct coal liquefaction rawhide sub-bituminous coal

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

Bauman, R.F.; Coless, L.A.; Davis, S.M.

In 1992, the Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored research to demonstrate a dispersed catalyst system using a combination of molybdenum and iron precursors for direct coal liquefaction. This dispersed catalyst system was successfully demonstrated using Black Thunder sub-bituminous coal at Wilsonville, Alabama by Southern Electric International, Inc. The DOE sponsored research continues at Exxon Research and Development Laboratories (ERDL). A six month continuous bench-scale program using ERDL`s Recycle Coal Liquefaction Unit (RCLU) is planned, three months in 1994 and three months in 1995. The initial conditions in RCLU reflect experience gained from the Wilsonville facility in their Test Run 263.more » Rawhide sub-bituminous coal which is similar to the Black Thunder coal tested at Wilsonville was used as the feed coal. A slate of five dispersed catalysts for direct coal liquefaction of Rawhide sub-bituminous coal has been tested. Throughout the experiments, the molybdenum addition rate was held constant at 100 wppm while the iron oxide addition rate was varied from 0.25 to 1.0 weight percent (dry coal basis). This report covers the 1994 operations and accomplishments.« less

Continuous bench-scale slurry catalyst testing direct coal liquefaction of rawhide sub-bituminous coal

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

Bauman, R.F.; Coless, L.A.; Davis, S.M.

In 1992, the Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored research to demonstrate a dispersed catalyst system using a combination of molybdenum and iron precursors for direct coal liquefaction. This dispersed catalyst system was successfully demonstrated using Black Thunder sub-bituminous coal at Wilsonville, Alabama by Southern Electric International, Inc. The DOE sponsored research continues at Exxon Research and Development Laboratories (ERDL). A six month continuous bench-scale program using ERDL`s Recycle Coal Liquefaction Unit (RCLU) is planned, three months in 1994 and three months in 1995. The initial conditions in RCLU reflect experience gained from the Wilsonville facility in their Test Run 263.more » Rawhide sub-bituminous coal which is similar to the Black Thunder coal tested at Wilsonville was used as the feed coal. A slate of five dispersed catalysts for direct coal liquefaction of Rawhide sub-bituminous coal has been tested. Throughout the experiments, the molybdenum addition rate was held constant at 100 wppm while the iron oxide addition rate was varied from 0.25 to 1.0 weight percent (dry coal basis). This report covers the 1994 operations and accomplishments.« less

The leaching characteristics of selenium from coal fly ashes

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

Wang, T.; Wang, J.; Burken, J.G.

2007-11-15

The leaching characteristics of selenium from several bituminous and subbituminous coal fly ashes under different pH conditions were investigated using batch methods. Results indicated that pH had a significant effect on selenium leaching from bituminous coal ash. The minimum selenium leaching occurred in the pH range between 3 and 4, while the maximum selenium leaching occurred at pH 12. The release of selenium from subbituminous coal ashes was very low for the entire experimental pH range, possibly due to the high content of calcium which can form hydration or precipitation products as a sink for selenium. The adsorption results formore » different selenium species indicated that Se(VI) was hardly adsorbable on either bituminous coal ashes or subbitumminous coal ashes at any pH. However, Se(I) was highly adsorbed by bituminous coal ashes under acidic pH conditions and was mostly removed by subbitumminous coal ashes across the entire pH range. This result suggests that the majority of selenium released from the tested fly ashes was Se(IV). A speciation-based model was developed to simulate the adsorption of Se(IV) on bituminous coal fly ash, and the pH-independent adsorption constants of HSeO{sup 3-} and SeO{sub 3}{sup 2-} were determined. The modeling approach is useful for understanding and predicting the release process of selenium from fly ash.« less

Provincial variation of carbon emissions from bituminous coal: Influence of inertinite and other factors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quick, J.C.; Brill, T.

2002-01-01

We observe a 1.3 kg C/net GJ variation of carbon emissions due to inertinite abundance in some commercially available bituminous coal. An additional 0.9 kg C/net GJ variation of carbon emissions is expected due to the extent of coalification through the bituminous rank stages. Each percentage of sulfur in bituminous coal reduces carbon emissions by about 0.08 kg C/net GJ. Other factors, such as mineral content, liptinite abundance and individual macerals, also influence carbon emissions, but their quantitative effect is less certain. The large range of carbon emissions within the bituminous rank class suggests that rank- specific carbon emission factors are provincial rather than global. Although carbon emission factors that better account for this provincial variation might be calculated, we show that the data used for this calculation may vary according to the methods used to sample and analyze coal. Provincial variation of carbon emissions and the use of different coal sampling and analytical methods complicate the verification of national greenhouse gas inventories. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Coal desulfurization by low temperature chlorinolysis, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalvinskas, J. J.; Hsu, G. C.; Ernest, J. B.; Andress, D. F.; Feller, D. R.

1977-01-01

The reported activity covers laboratory scale experiments on twelve bituminous, sub-bituminous and lignite coals, and preliminary design and specifications for bench-scale and mini-pilot plant equipment.

Synergistic effect on thermal behavior during co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass model components blend with bituminous coal.

PubMed

Wu, Zhiqiang; Wang, Shuzhong; Zhao, Jun; Chen, Lin; Meng, Haiyu

2014-10-01

Co-thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass and coal has been investigated as an effective way to reduce the carbon footprint. Successful evaluating on thermal behavior of the co-pyrolysis is prerequisite for predicting performance and optimizing efficiency of this process. In this paper, pyrolysis and kinetics characteristics of three kinds of lignocellulosic biomass model components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) blended with a kind of Chinese bituminous coal were explored by thermogravimetric analyzer and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose method. The results indicated that the addition of model compounds had different synergistic effects on thermal behavior of the bituminous coal. The cellulose showed positive synergistic effects on the thermal decomposition of the coal bituminous coal with lower char yield than calculated value. For hemicellulose and lignin, whether positive or negative synergistic was related to the mixed ratio and temperature range. The distribution of the average activation energy values for the mixtures showed nonadditivity performance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation and modeling of coal pore accessibility using small angle neutron scattering

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

Zhang, Rui; Liu, Shimin; Bahadur, Jitendra

Gas diffusion in coal is controlled by nano-structure of the pores. The interconnectivity of pores not only determines the dynamics of gas transport in the coal matrix but also influences the mechanical strength. In this study, small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was employed to quantify pore accessibility for two coal samples, one of sub-bituminous rank and the other of anthracite rank. Moreover, a theoretical pore accessibility model was proposed based on scattering intensities under both vacuum and zero average contrast (ZAC) conditions. Our results show that scattering intensity decreases with increasing gas pressure using deuterated methane (CD 4) at lowmore » Q values for both coals. Pores smaller than 40 nm in radius are less accessible for anthracite than sub-bituminous coal. On the contrary, when the pore radius is larger than 40 nm, the pore accessibility of anthracite becomes larger than that of sub-bituminous coal. Only 20% of pores are accessible to CD 4 for anthracite and 37% for sub-bituminous coal, where the pore radius is 16 nm. For these two coals, pore accessibility and pore radius follows a power-law relationship.« less

Estimation and modeling of coal pore accessibility using small angle neutron scattering

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Rui; Liu, Shimin; Bahadur, Jitendra; ...

2015-09-04

Gas diffusion in coal is controlled by nano-structure of the pores. The interconnectivity of pores not only determines the dynamics of gas transport in the coal matrix but also influences the mechanical strength. In this study, small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was employed to quantify pore accessibility for two coal samples, one of sub-bituminous rank and the other of anthracite rank. Moreover, a theoretical pore accessibility model was proposed based on scattering intensities under both vacuum and zero average contrast (ZAC) conditions. Our results show that scattering intensity decreases with increasing gas pressure using deuterated methane (CD 4) at lowmore » Q values for both coals. Pores smaller than 40 nm in radius are less accessible for anthracite than sub-bituminous coal. On the contrary, when the pore radius is larger than 40 nm, the pore accessibility of anthracite becomes larger than that of sub-bituminous coal. Only 20% of pores are accessible to CD 4 for anthracite and 37% for sub-bituminous coal, where the pore radius is 16 nm. For these two coals, pore accessibility and pore radius follows a power-law relationship.« less

Performance of PAHs emission from bituminous coal combustion.

PubMed

Yan, Jian-Hua; You, Xiao-Fang; Li, Xiao-Dong; Ni, Ming-Jiang; Yin, Xue-Feng; Cen, Ke-Fa

2004-12-01

Carcinogenic and mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) generated in coal combustion have caused great environmental health concern. Seventeen PAHs (16 high priority PAHs recommended by USEPA plus Benzo[e]pyrene) present in five raw bituminous coals and released during bituminous coal combustion were studied. The effects of combustion temperature, gas atmosphere, and chlorine content of raw coal on PAHs formation were investigated. Two additives (copper and cupric oxide) were added when the coal was burned. The results indicated that significant quantities of PAHs were produced from incomplete combustion of coal pyrolysis products at high temperature, and that temperature is an important causative factor of PAHs formation. PAHs concentrations decrease with the increase of chlorine content in oxygen or in nitrogen atmosphere. Copper and cupric oxide additives can promote PAHs formation (especially the multi-ring PAHs) during coal combustion.

Results of coal bed methane drilling, Mylan Park, Monongalia County, West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppert, Leslie F.; Fedorko, Nick; Warwick, Peter D.; Grady, William C.; Crangle, Robert D.; Britton, James Q.

2004-01-01

The Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory funded drilling of a borehole (39.64378 deg E , -80.04376 deg N) to evaluate the potential for coal bed methane and carbon dioxide sequestration at Mylan Park, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The drilling commenced on September 23, 2002 and was completed on November 14, 2002. The 2,525 ft deep hole contained 1,483.41 ft of Pennsylvanian coal-bearing strata, 739.67 feet of Mississippian strata, and 301.93 ft. of Devonian strata. The drill site was located directly over abandoned Pittsburgh and Sewickley coal mines. Coal cores from remaining mine pillars were cut and retrieved for desorption from both mines. In addition, coals were cored and desorbed from the Pittsburgh Roof, Little Pittsburgh, Elk Lick, Brush Creek, Upper Kittanning, Middle Kittanning, Clarion, Upper Mercer, Lower Mercer, and Quakertown coal beds. All coals are Pennsylvanian in age and are high-volatile-A bituminous in rank. A total of 34.75 ft of coal was desorbed over a maximum period of 662 days, although most of the coal was desorbed for about 275 days. This report is provided in Adobe Acrobat format. Appendix 3 is provided in Excel format.

Alaska coal geology, resources, and coalbed methane potential

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, Romeo M.; Stricker, Gary D.; Kinney, Scott A.

2004-01-01

Estimated Alaska coal resources are largely in Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks distributed in three major provinces. Northern Alaska-Slope, Central Alaska-Nenana, and Southern Alaska-Cook Inlet. Cretaceous resources, predominantly bituminous coal and lignite, are in the Northern Alaska-Slope coal province. Most of the Tertiary resources, mainly lignite to subbituminous coal with minor amounts of bituminous and semianthracite coals, are in the other two provinces. The combined measured, indicated, inferred, and hypothetical coal resources in the three areas are estimated to be 5,526 billion short tons (5,012 billion metric tons), which constitutes about 87 percent of Alaska's coal and surpasses the total coal resources of the conterminous United States by 40 percent. Coal mining has been intermittent in the Central Alaskan-Nenana and Southern Alaska-Cook Inlet coal provinces, with only a small fraction of the identified coal resource having been produced from some dozen underground and strip mines in these two provinces. Alaskan coal resources have a lower sulfur content (averaging 0.3 percent) than most coals in the conterminous United States are within or below the minimum sulfur value mandated by the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. The identified resources are near existing and planned infrastructure to promote development, transportation, and marketing of this low-sulfur coal. The relatively short distances to countries in the west Pacific Rim make them more exportable to these countries than to the lower 48 States of the United States. Another untapped but potential resource of large magnitude is coalbed methane, which has been estimated to total 1,000 trillion cubic feet (28 trillion cubic meters) by T.N. Smith 1995, Coalbed methane potential for Alaska and drilling results for the upper Cook Inlet Basin: Intergas, May 15 - 19, 1995, Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama, p. 1 - 21.

Process for removing pyritic sulfur from bituminous coals

DOEpatents

Pawlak, Wanda; Janiak, Jerzy S.; Turak, Ali A.; Ignasiak, Boleslaw L.

1990-01-01

A process is provided for removing pyritic sulfur and lowering ash content of bituminous coals by grinding the feed coal, subjecting it to micro-agglomeration with a bridging liquid containing heavy oil, separating the microagglomerates and separating them to a water wash to remove suspended pyritic sulfur. In one embodiment the coal is subjected to a second micro-agglomeration step.

Hydrocarbon source potential and maturation in eocene New Zealand vitrinite-rich coals: Insights from traditional coal analyses, and Rock-Eval and biomarker studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newman, J.; Price, L.C.; Johnston, J.H.

1997-01-01

The results of traditional methods of coal characterisation (proximate, specific energy, and ultimate analyses) for 28 Eocene coal samples from the West Coast of New Zealand correspond well with biomarker ratios and Rock-Eval analyses. Isorank variations in vitrinite fluorescence and reflectance recorded for these samples are closely related to their volatile-matter content, and therefore indicate that the original vitrinite chemistry is a key controlling factor. By contrast, the mineral-matter content and the proportion of coal macerals present appear to have had only a minor influence on the coal samples' properties. Our analyses indicate that a number of triterpane biomarker ratios show peak maturities by high volatile bituminous A rank; apparent maturities are then reversed and decline at the higher medium volatile bituminous rank. The Rock-Eval S1 +S2 yield also maximizes by high volatile bituminous A rank, and then declines; however, this decline is retarded in samples with the most hydrogen-rich (perhydrous) vitrinites. These Rock-Eval and biomarker trends, as well as trends in traditional coal analyses, are used to define the rank at which expulsion of gas and oil occurs from the majority of the coals. This expulsion commences at high volatile A bituminous rank, and persists up to the threshold of medium volatile bituminous rank (c. 1.1% Ro ran. or 1.2% Ro max in this sample set), where marked hydrocarbon expulsion from perhydrous vitrinites begins to take place.

Formation and retention of methane in coal

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

Hucka, V.J.; Bodily, D.M.; Huang, H.

1992-05-15

The formation and retention of methane in coalbeds was studied for ten Utah coal samples, one Colorado coal sample and eight coal samples from the Argonne Premium Coal Sample Bank.Methane gas content of the Utah and Colorado coals varied from zero to 9 cm{sup 3}/g. The Utah coals were all high volatile bituminous coals. The Colorado coal was a gassy medium volatile bituminous coal. The Argonne coals cover a range or rank from lignite to low volatile bituminous coal and were used to determine the effect of rank in laboratory studies. The methane content of six selected Utah coal seamsmore » and the Colorado coal seam was measured in situ using a special sample collection device and a bubble desorbometer. Coal samples were collected at each measurement site for laboratory analysis. The cleat and joint system was evaluated for the coal and surrounding rocks and geological conditions were noted. Permeability measurements were performed on selected samples and all samples were analyzed for proximate and ultimate analysis, petrographic analysis, {sup 13}C NMR dipolar-dephasing spectroscopy, and density analysis. The observed methane adsorption behavior was correlated with the chemical structure and physical properties of the coals.« less

Formation and retention of methane in coal. Final report

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

Hucka, V.J.; Bodily, D.M.; Huang, H.

1992-05-15

The formation and retention of methane in coalbeds was studied for ten Utah coal samples, one Colorado coal sample and eight coal samples from the Argonne Premium Coal Sample Bank.Methane gas content of the Utah and Colorado coals varied from zero to 9 cm{sup 3}/g. The Utah coals were all high volatile bituminous coals. The Colorado coal was a gassy medium volatile bituminous coal. The Argonne coals cover a range or rank from lignite to low volatile bituminous coal and were used to determine the effect of rank in laboratory studies. The methane content of six selected Utah coal seamsmore » and the Colorado coal seam was measured in situ using a special sample collection device and a bubble desorbometer. Coal samples were collected at each measurement site for laboratory analysis. The cleat and joint system was evaluated for the coal and surrounding rocks and geological conditions were noted. Permeability measurements were performed on selected samples and all samples were analyzed for proximate and ultimate analysis, petrographic analysis, {sup 13}C NMR dipolar-dephasing spectroscopy, and density analysis. The observed methane adsorption behavior was correlated with the chemical structure and physical properties of the coals.« less

Trees for strip-mined lands

Treesearch

George Hart; William R. Byrnes

1960-01-01

Open-pit or strip mining has become an important method of mining bituminous coal in Pennsylvania. In 1958 some 19.5 million tons of soft coal - 29 percent of the total bituminous production in the State - were produced by this method.

Partitioning of selected trace elements in coal combustion products from two coal-burning power plants in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swanson, Sharon M.; Engle, Mark A.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Affolter, Ronald H.; Jones, Kevin B.

2013-01-01

Samples of feed coal (FC), bottom ash (BA), economizer fly ash (EFA), and fly ash (FA) were collected from power plants in the Central Appalachian basin and Colorado Plateau to determine the partitioning of As, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Se in coal combustion products (CCPs). The Appalachian plant burns a high-sulfur (about 3.9 wt.%) bituminous coal from the Upper Pennsylvanian Pittsburgh coal bed and operates with electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), with flue gas temperatures of about 163 °C in the ESPs. At this plant, As, Pb, Hg, and Se have the greatest median concentrations in FA samples, compared to BA and EFA. A mass balance (not including the FGD process) suggests that the following percentages of trace elements are captured in FA: As (48%), Cr (58%), Pb (54%), Se (20%), and Hg (2%). The relatively high temperatures of the flue gas in the ESPs and low amounts of unburned C in FA (0.5% loss-on-ignition for FA) may have led to the low amount of Hg captured in FA. The Colorado Plateau plant burns a blend of three low-S (about 0.74 wt.%) bituminous coals from the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation and operates with fabric filters (FFs). Flue gas temperatures in the baghouses are about 104 °C. The elements As, Cr, Pb, Hg, and Se have the greatest median concentrations in the fine-grained fly ash product (FAP) produced by cyclone separators, compared to the other CCPs at this plant. The median concentration of Hg in FA (0.0983 ppm) at the Colorado Plateau plant is significantly higher than that for the Appalachian plant (0.0315 ppm); this higher concentration is related to the efficiency of FFs in Hg capture, the relatively low temperatures of flue gas in the baghouses (particularly in downstream compartments), and the amount of unburned C in FA (0.29% loss-on-ignition for FA).

PILOT-SCALE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION CATALYST ON MERCURY SPECIATION IN ILLINOIS AND POWDER RIVER BASIN COAL COMBUSTION FLUE GASES

EPA Science Inventory

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst on mercury (Hg) speciation in bituminous and subbituminous coal combustion flue gases. Three different Illinois Basin bituminous coals (from high to low sulfur and chlorine) and one Po...

Coal resources of the Fruitland Formation in part of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation, San Juan County, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roberts, Laura N. Robinson

1991-01-01

The coal-bearing Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation occupies an area of about 14 square miles in the extreme southeast corner of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation in San Juan County, New Mexico. In this area, the Fruitland Formation contains an estimated 252 million short tons of coal in beds that range from 1.2 to 14 feet thick. About 100 million short tons of coal occur under less than 500 feet of overburden in the Ute Canyon, Upper Main, and Main coal beds. These three coal beds reach a cumulative coal thickness of about 18 feet in a stratigraphic interval that averages about 120 feet thick in the prospecting permit area, which is located in the extreme southwestern part of the study area. The southwestern part of the study area is probably best suited for surface mining, although steep dips may reduce minability locally. A major haul road that was recently constructed across the eastern half of the study area greatly improves the potential for surface mining. Core sample analyses indicate that the apparent rank of the Ute Canyon, Upper Main, and Main coal beds is high-volatile C bituminous. Average heat-of-combustion on an as-received basis is 10,250 British thermal units per pound, average ash content is 15.5 percent, and average sulfur content is 1.0 percent.

Distribution of trace elements in selected pulverized coals as a function of particle size and density

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, C.L.; Zeng, T.; Che, J.; Ames, M.R.; Sarofim, A.F.; Olmez, I.; Huggins, Frank E.; Shah, N.; Huffman, G.P.; Kolker, A.; Mroczkowski, S.; Palmer, C.; Finkelman, R.

2000-01-01

Trace elements in coal have diverse modes of occurrence that will greatly influence their behavior in many coal utilization processes. Mode of occurrence is important in determining the partitioning during coal cleaning by conventional processes, the susceptibility to oxidation upon exposure to air, as well as the changes in physical properties upon heating. In this study, three complementary methods were used to determine the concentrations and chemical states of trace elements in pulverized samples of four US coals: Pittsburgh, Illinois No. 6, Elkhorn and Hazard, and Wyodak coals. Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) was used to measure the absolute concentration of elements in the parent coals and in the size- and density-fractionated samples. Chemical leaching and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy were used to provide information on the form of occurrence of an element in the parent coals. The composition differences between size-segregated coal samples of different density mainly reflect the large density difference between minerals, especially pyrite, and the organic portion of the coal. The heavy density fractions are therefore enriched in pyrite and the elements associated with pyrite, as also shown by the leaching and XAFS methods. Nearly all the As is associated with pyrite in the three bituminous coals studied. The sub-bituminous coal has a very low content of pyrite and arsenic; in this coal arsenic appears to be primarily organically associated. Selenium is mainly associated with pyrite in the bituminous coal samples. In two bituminous coal samples, zinc is mostly in the form of ZnS or associated with pyrite, whereas it appears to be associated with other minerals in the other two coals. Zinc is also the only trace element studied that is significantly more concentrated in the smaller (45 to 63 ??m) coal particles.

Preliminary evaluation of the coalbed methane potential of the Gulf Coastal Plain, USA and Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Barker, Charles E.; SanFilipo, John R.; Schwochow, S.D.; Nuccio, V.F.

2002-01-01

Several areas in the Gulf Coast have potential for coalbed gas accumulations. These areas include parts of southern Alabama and Mississippi, north-central Louisiana, northeast, east-central and south Texas and northeastern Mexico. The coal deposits in these areas vary in rank, thickness, lateral extent and gas content, and range in age from Late Cretaceous to Eocene.Gas desorption tests conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on shallow (2,000 ft [609 m]) Paleocene (Wilcox-Midway Groups) coals of southeastern Mississippi indicate that the coalbeds contain some methane. Measured gas contents range from 0 to 19 scf/ton (0.19 to 0.59 cc/g; dry, ash-free) and average about 15 scf/ton (0.5 cc/g). These coals have apparent ranks of lignite to subbituminous (vitrinite reflectance of 0.3 to 0.4% Romax) at shallow depths and subbituminous to bituminous (0.5 to 0.6% Romax) in the deeper parts of the basin. Adsorption isotherm data indicate that Wilcox Group coals are undersaturated and have methane gas-storage capacities similar to those of the subbituminous coals in the Powder River basin, Wyoming. In the primary areas where Wilcox Group coalbeds are mined and subsurface data are available, net coal thickness ranges from about 10 to 50 ft (3 to 15 m), which is much less than coal thickness in the Powder River basin, which can be 300 ft (91 m).Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene-Eocene coals of south Texas and northeastern Mexico are subbituminous to bituminous rank (up to 0.6% Romax). Some methane has been produced commercially from thin coal beds (13 ft [4 m] net) and associated sandstone at shallow depths (

Development of clean coal and clean soil technologies using advanced agglomeration techniques

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

Ignasiak, B.; Ignasiak, T.; Szymocha, K.

1990-01-01

Three major topics are discussed in this report: (1) Upgrading of Low Rank Coals by the Agflotherm Process. Test data, procedures, equipment, etc., are described for co-upgrading of subbituminous coals and heavy oil; (2) Upgrading of Bituminous Coals by the Agflotherm Process. Experimental procedures and data, bench and pilot scale equipments, etc., for beneficiating bituminous coals are described; (3) Soil Clean-up and Hydrocarbon Waste Treatment Process. Batch and pilot plant tests are described for soil contaminated by tar refuse from manufactured gas plant sites. (VC)

Liquefaction of sub-bituminous coal

DOEpatents

Schindler, Harvey D.; Chen, James M.

1986-01-01

Sub-bituminous coal is directly liquefied in two stages by use of a liquefaction solvent containing insoluble material as well as 850.degree. F.+ material and 850.degree. F.- material derived from the second stage, and controlled temperature and conversion in the second stage. The process is in hydrogen balance.

Critical Elements in Fly Ash from the Combustion of Bituminous Coal in Major Polish Power Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bielowicz, Barbara; Botor, Dariusz; Misiak, Jacek; Wagner, Marian

2018-03-01

The concentration of critical elements, including such REE as Fe, Co, W, Zn, Cr, Ni, V, Mn, Ti, Ag, Ga, Ta, Sr, Li, and Cu, in the so-called fly ash obtained from the 9 Polish power plants and 1 thermal power station has been determined. The obtained values, compared with the global average concentration in bituminous coal ash and sedimentary rocks (Clarke values), have shown that the enrichment of fly ash in the specified elements takes place in only a few bituminous coal processing sites in Poland. The enrichment factor (EF) is only slightly higher (the same order of magnitude) than the Clarke values. The enrichment factor in relation to the Clarke value in the Earth's crust reached values above 10 in all of the examined ashes for the following elements: Cr, Ni, V, W, and, in some ash samples, also Cu and Zn. The obtained values are low, only slightly higher than the global average concentrations in sedimentary rocks and bituminous coal ashes. The ferromagnetic grains (microspheres) found in bituminous coal fly ashes seem to be the most economically prospective in recovery of selected critical elements. The microanalysis has shown that iron cenospheres and plerospheres in fly ash contain, in addition to enamel and iron oxides (magnetite and hematite), iron spinels enriched in Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, W, and Zn.

Kansas coal distribution, resources, and potential for coalbed methane

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brady, L.L.

2000-01-01

100 ft (>30 m)] determined from 32 different coal beds. Strippable coal resources at a depth Kansas has large amounts of bituminous coal both at the surface and in the subsurface of eastern Kansas. Preliminary studies indicate at least 53 billion tons (48 billion MT) of deep coal [>100 ft (>30 m)] determined from 32 different coal beds. Strippable coal resources at a depth < 100 ft (<30 m) total 2.8 billion tons (2.6 billion MT), and this total is determined from 17 coals. Coal beds present in the Cherokee Group (Middle Pennsylvanian) represent most of these coal resource totals. Deep coal beds with the largest resource totals include the Bevier, Mineral, "Aw" (unnamed coal bed), Riverton, and Weir-Pittsburg coals, all within the Cherokee Group. Based on chemical analyses, coals in the southeastern part of the state are generally high volatile A bituminous, whereas coals in the east-central and northeastern part of the state are high-volatile B bituminous coals. The primary concern of coal beds in Kansas for deep mining or development of coalbed methane is the thin nature [<2 ft (0.6 m)] of most coal beds. Present production of coalbed methane is centered mainly in the southern Wilson/northern Montgomery County area of southeastern Kansas where methane is produced from the Mulky, Weir-Pittsburg, and Riverton coals.

Characterization of Gas-Phase Organics Using Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: Residential Coal Combustion.

PubMed

Klein, Felix; Pieber, Simone M; Ni, Haiyan; Stefenelli, Giulia; Bertrand, Amelie; Kilic, Dogushan; Pospisilova, Veronika; Temime-Roussel, Brice; Marchand, Nicolas; El Haddad, Imad; Slowik, Jay G; Baltensperger, Urs; Cao, Junji; Huang, Ru-Jin; Prévôt, André S H

2018-03-06

Residential coal combustion is a significant contributor to particulate urban air pollution in Chinese mega cities and some regions in Europe. While the particulate emission factors and the chemical characteristics of the organic and inorganic aerosol from coal combustion have been extensively studied, the chemical composition and nonmethane organic gas (NMOG) emission factors from residential coal combustion are mostly unknown. We conducted 23 individual burns in a traditional Chinese stove used for heating and cooking using five different coals with Chinese origins, characterizing the NMOG emissions using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The measured emission factors range from 1.5 to 14.1 g/kg coal for bituminous coals and are below 0.1 g/kg coal for anthracite coals. The emission factors from the bituminous coals are mostly influenced by the time until the coal is fully ignited. The emissions from the bituminous coals are dominated by aromatic and oxygenated aromatic compounds with a significant contribution of hydrocarbons. The results of this study can help to improve urban air pollution modeling in China and Eastern Europe and can be used to constrain a coal burning factor in ambient gas phase positive matrix factorization studies.

Eocene bituminous coal deposits of the Claiborne group, Webb County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

2011-01-01

Two bituminous coal zones, the San Pedro and the Santo Tomas, in the middle Eocene Claiborne Group of Webb County, south Texas (Figure 1), are among the coal resources that are not evaluated quantitatively as part of the current Gulf Coastal Plain coal resource assessment. Coal beds within these zones were mined by underground methods northwest of Laredo until 1939 and have been intermittently mined at the surface since 1979. These coals have long been regarded as unique within the Gulf Coast Tertiary coal-bearing section because they are high-volatile C bituminous in rank and because their physical characteristics resemble upper Carboniferous cannel coals of the Appalachians and Europe.Discontinuous exposures of the Santo Tomas and the underlying San Pedro coal zone extend northwestward from Dolores for approximately 15 to 21 mi along the breaks of the Rio Grande and its tributaries in Webb County (Figure 1). This part of south Texas lies along the southwestern flank of the Rio Grande Embayment, which extends south and southeastwardly through the Mexican States of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas (Figure 1). Within the embayment, the lower to middle part of the Claiborne Group consists of marine mudstones (Reklaw Formation) in the east and northeast and sandstones and mudstones (Bigford Formation) in the south and southwest (Figure 2). The marine mudstones coarsen upward into fluvial-deltaic sandstones (Queen City Sand) that prograded gulfward across eastern and central Texas (Guevara and Garcia, 1972). To the west and southwest, the interval overlying the Bigford Formation becomes less sandy, and claystones (El Pico Clay) predominate. Although the San Pedro coal zone has been placed traditionally near the top of the Bigford Formation and the Santo Tomas coal zone near the base of the El Pico Clay, recent work has failed to validate a mappable contact between these formations (Warwick and Hook, 1995). The coal beds dip northeast at less than 2 degrees towards the synclinal axis of the basin.The following summary is based upon published and unpublished reports; drillhole records (geophysical logs, descriptions of cores and cuttings); coal-quality data obtained from the permit files of the Railroad Commission of Texas and recent sampling by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); a preliminary review of proprietary data acquired recently by the USGS; and field work conducted by the USGS since 1994. A total of approximately 200 drillhole records was examined.

Potential of water-washing of rape straw on thermal properties and interactions during co-combustion with bituminous coal.

PubMed

Ma, Qiulin; Han, Lujia; Huang, Guangqun

2017-06-01

The aim of this work was to study the thermal properties and interactions during co-combustion of rape straw (RS) before and after water-washing with bituminous coal. A series of experiments was conducted to investigate the properties and interactions during co-combustion of RS with bituminous coal (at 10, 20, 40 and 60% RS). The feasibility and potential of water-washing as an RS pre-treatment was also explored. Reactivity and the amount of heat released followed a quadratic trend, while changes to the degree of interactions between the fuels conformed to a cosine curve. Water-washing increased the ignition and burn-out temperatures and slightly decreased reactivity. Demineralization negatively affected the previously synergistic co-firing relationship, nevertheless, the amount of heat released increased by 10.28% and the average activation energy (146kJ/mol) was lower than that of the unwashed blend (186kJ/mol). Overall, water-washing of RS could prove a useful pre-treatment before co-combustion with bituminous coal. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Young, B.C.; Musich, M.A.

A fixed-bed reactor system with continuous Hg{sup 0} analysis capabilities was used to evaluate commercial carbon sorbents for the removal of elemental mercury from simulated flue gas. The objectives of the program were to compare the sorbent effectiveness under identical test conditions and to identify the effects of various flue gas components on elemental mercury sorption. Sorbents tested included steam-activated lignite, chemically activated hardwood, chemically activated bituminous coal, iodated steam-activated coconut shell, and sulfur-impregnated steam-activated bituminous coal. The iodated carbon was the most effective sorbent, showing over 99% mercury removal according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 101A. Datamore » indicate that adding O{sub 2} at 4 vol% reduced the effectiveness of the steam-activated lignite, chemically activated hardwood, and sulfur- impregnated steam-activated bituminous coal. Adding SO{sub 2} at 500 ppm improved the mercury removal of the sulfur-impregnated carbon. Further, the presence of HCl gas (at 50 ppm) produced an order of magnitude increase in mercury removal with the chemically activated and sulfur-impregnated bituminous coal-based carbons.« less

Organic emissions from coal pyrolysis: mutagenic effects.

PubMed Central

Braun, A G; Wornat, M J; Mitra, A; Sarofim, A F

1987-01-01

Four different types of coal have been pyrolyzed in a laminar flow, drop tube furnace in order to establish a relationship between polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) evolution and mutagenicity. Temperatures of 900K to 1700K and particle residence times up to 0.3 sec were chosen to best simulate conditions of rapid rate pyrolysis in pulverized (44-53 microns) coal combustion. The specific mutagenic activity (i.e., the activity per unit sample weight) of extracts from particulates and volatiles captured on XAD-2 resin varied with coal type according to the order: subbituminous greater than high volatile bituminous greater than lignite greater than anthracite. Total mutagenic activity (the activity per gram of coal pyrolyzed), however, varied with coal type according to the order: high volatile bituminous much greater than subbituminous = lignite much greater than anthracite, due primarily to high organic yield during high volatile bituminous coal pyrolysis. Specific mutagenic activity peaked in a temperature range of 1300K to 1500K and generally appeared at higher temperatures and longer residence times than peak PAC production. PMID:3311724

Petrographic and Vitrinite Reflectance Analyses of a Suite of High Volatile Bituminous Coal Samples from the United States and Venezuela

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hackley, Paul C.; Kolak, Jonathan J.

2008-01-01

This report presents vitrinite reflectance and detailed organic composition data for nine high volatile bituminous coal samples. These samples were selected to provide a single, internally consistent set of reflectance and composition analyses to facilitate the study of linkages among coal composition, bitumen generation during thermal maturation, and geochemical characteristics of generated hydrocarbons. Understanding these linkages is important for addressing several issues, including: the role of coal as a source rock within a petroleum system, the potential for conversion of coal resources to liquid hydrocarbon fuels, and the interactions between coal and carbon dioxide during enhanced coalbed methane recovery and(or) carbon dioxide sequestration in coal beds.

Mercury content and petrographic composition in Pennsylvanian coal beds of Indiana, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Drobniak, A.; Filippelli, G.

2006-01-01

A suite of high volatile bituminous coals of Pennsylvanian age from Indiana has been studied for their mercury (Hg) concentration and relationship between mercury content and maceral and lithotype composition. The coals ranged in Hg content from 0.02 in the Danville Coal Member to 0.31 ppm in the Upper Block Coal Member. Our study indicates that relationships between petrographic composition of coal and mercury content are site specific. This lack of a consistent relationship is explained by the fact that most Hg occurs in pyrite and not in the organic matter itself. Comparison of Hg content in durain/vitrain pairs shows that durain has more frequently a higher Hg content than vitrain, but the difference in frequency is inconsequential and shows no consistent pattern for a single coal bed or a single location. We suggest that increased concentration of Hg in vitrain is related to the presence of epigenetic pyrite in cleats. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adsorption of SO2 on bituminous coal char and activated carbon fiber prepared from phenol formaldehyde

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeBarr, Joseph A.; Lizzio, Anthony A.; Daley, Michael A.

1996-01-01

Carbon-based materials are used commercially to remove SO2 from coal combustion flue gases. Historically, these materials have consisted of granular activated carbons prepared from lignite or bituminous coal. Recent studies have reported that activated carbon fibers (ACFs) may have potential in this application due to their relatively high SO2 adsorption capacity. In this paper, a comparison of SO2 adsorption for both coal-based carbons and ACFs is presented, as well as ideas on carbon properties that may influence SO2 adsorption

Simulation of one-dimensional heat transfer system based on the blended coal combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Y. G.; Li, W. B.; Cheng, Z. S.; Cheng, J. W.; liu, Y.

2017-12-01

In this paper, the supercritical boiler thermodynamic calculation model is studied. Three types of heat exchangers are proposed, namely furnace (total radiation type), semi-radiation and convection, and discussed. Two cases were simulated - mixing of two bituminous coals and mixing of a bituminous coal and lignite- order to analyze the performance on the flue gas side. The study shows that the influence of flue air leakage and gas distribution coefficient on the system.

Thermal analysis and kinetics of coal during oxy-fuel combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosowska-Golachowska, Monika

2017-08-01

The pyrolysis and oxy-fuel combustion characteristics of Polish bituminous coal were studied using non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis. Pyrolysis tests showed that the mass loss profiles were almost similar up to 870°C in both N2 and CO2 atmospheres, while further mass loss occurred in CO2 atmosphere at higher temperatures due to char-CO2 gasification. Replacement of N2 in the combustion environment by CO2 delayed the combustion of bituminous coal. At elevated oxygen levels, TG/DTG profiles shifted through lower temperature zone, ignition and burnout temperatures decreased and mass loss rate significantly increased and complete combustion was achieved at lower temperatures and shorter times. Kinetic analysis for the tested coal was performed using Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) method. The activation energies of bituminous coal combustion at the similar oxygen content in oxy-fuel with that of air were higher than that in air atmosphere. The results indicated that, with O2 concentration increasing, the activation energies decreased.

Co-pyrolysis characteristic of biomass and bituminous coal.

PubMed

Li, Shuaidan; Chen, Xueli; Liu, Aibin; Wang, Li; Yu, Guangsuo

2015-03-01

Co-pyrolysis characteristics of biomass and bituminous coal have been studied in this work. The temperature was up to 900°C with the heating rates of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C/min. Rice straw, saw dust, microcrystalline cellulose, lignin and Shenfu bituminous coal were chosen as samples. Six different biomass ratios were used. The individual thermal behavior of each sample was obtained. The experimental weight fractions of the blended samples and the calculated values were compared. The results show that the weight fractions of the blended samples behave differently with calculated ones during the co-pyrolysis process. With the increasing biomass ratio, relative deviations between experimental weight fractions and calculated ones are larger. H/C molar ratio, heat transfer properties of biomass would affect to the interaction between biomass and coal. The maximum degradation rates are slower than the calculated ones. The activation energy distributions also changed by adding some biomass into coal. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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).

A geochemical study of macerals from a Miocene lignite and an Eocene bituminous coal, Indonesia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stankiewicz, B.A.; Kruge, M.A.; Mastalerz, Maria

1996-01-01

Optical and chemical studies of maceral concentrates from a Miocene lignite and an Eocene high-volatile bituminous C coal from southeastern Kalimantan, Indonesia were undertaken using pyro-Lysis, optical, electron microprobe and FTIR techniques Pyrolysis products of vitrinite from bituminous coal were dominated by straight-chain aliphatics and phenols. The huminite of the Miocene lignite produced mostly phenolic compounds upon pyrolysis. Differences in the pyrolysis products between the huminite and vitrinite samples reflect both maturation related and paleobotanical differences. An undefined aliphatic source and/or bacterial biomass were the likely contributors of n-alkyl moieties to the vitrinite. The resinite fraction in the lignite yielded dammar-derived pyrolysis products, as well as aliphatics and phenols as the products of admixed huminite and other liptinites. The optically defined resinite-rich fraction of the bituminous coal from Kalimantan produced abundant n-aliphatic moieties upon pyrolysis, but only two major resin markers (cadalene and 1,6-dimethylnaphthalene). This phenomenon is likely due to the fact that Eocene resins were not dammar-related. Data from the electron microprobe and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry strongly support the results obtained by Py GC MS and microscopy.

Mercury emissions during cofiring of sub-bituminous coal and biomass (chicken waste, wood, coffee residue, and tobacco stalk) in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed combustor

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

Yan Cao; Hongcang Zhou; Junjie Fan

Four types of biomass (chicken waste, wood pellets, coffee residue, and tobacco stalks) were cofired at 30 wt % with a U.S. sub-bituminous coal (Powder River Basin Coal) in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed combustor. A cyclone, followed by a quartz filter, was used for fly ash removal during tests. The temperatures of the cyclone and filter were controlled at 250 and 150{sup o}C, respectively. Mercury speciation and emissions during cofiring were investigated using a semicontinuous mercury monitor, which was certified using ASTM standard Ontario Hydra Method. Test results indicated mercury emissions were strongly correlative to the gaseous chlorine concentrations, butmore » not necessarily correlative to the chlorine contents in cofiring fuels. Mercury emissions could be reduced by 35% during firing of sub-bituminous coal using only a quartz filter. Cofiring high-chlorine fuel, such as chicken waste (Cl = 22340 wppm), could largely reduce mercury emissions by over 80%. When low-chlorine biomass, such as wood pellets (Cl = 132 wppm) and coffee residue (Cl = 134 wppm), is cofired, mercury emissions could only be reduced by about 50%. Cofiring tobacco stalks with higher chlorine content (Cl = 4237 wppm) did not significantly reduce mercury emissions. Gaseous speciated mercury in flue gas after a quartz filter indicated the occurrence of about 50% of total gaseous mercury to be the elemental mercury for cofiring chicken waste, but occurrence of above 90% of the elemental mercury for all other cases. Both the higher content of alkali metal oxides or alkali earth metal oxides in tested biomass and the occurrence of temperatures lower than 650{sup o}C in the upper part of the fluidized bed combustor seemed to be responsible for the reduction of gaseous chlorine and, consequently, limited mercury emissions reduction during cofiring. 36 refs., 3 figs. 1 tab.« less

Selected elements in major minerals from bituminous coal as determined by INAA: Implications for removing environmentally sensitive elements from coal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Palmer, C.A.; Lyons, P.C.

1996-01-01

The four most abundant minerals generally found in Euramerican bituminous coals are quartz, kaolinite, illite and pyrite. These four minerals were isolated by density separation and handpicking from bituminous coal samples collected in the Ruhr Basin, Germany and the Appalachian basin, U.S.A. Trace-element concentrations of relatively pure (??? 99+%) separates of major minerals from these coals were determined directly by using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). As expected, quartz contributes little to the trace-element mass balance. Illite generally has higher trace-element concentrations than kaolinite, but, for the concentrates analyzed in this study, Hf, Ta, W, Th and U are in lower concentrations in illite than in kaolinite. Pyrite has higher concentrations of chalcophile elements (e.g., As and Se) and is considerably lower in lithophile elements as compared to kaolinite and illite. Our study provides a direct and sensitive method of determining trace-element relationships with minerals in coal. Mass-balance calculations suggest that the trace-element content of coal can be explained mainly by three major minerals: pyrite, kaolinite and illite. This conclusion indicates that the size and textural relationships of these major coal minerals may be a more important consideration as to whether coal cleaning can effectively remove the most environmentally sensitive trace elements in coal than what trace minerals are present.

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

Yao, S.C.; Manwani, P.

Coal-water slurries have been regarded as a potential substitute for heavy fuel oil. Various demonstrations of coal-water slurry combustion have been performed; however, a fundamental understanding of how the combustion process of a slurry fuel is enhanced is still not adequate. The combustion of coal-water mixture droplets suspended on microthermocouples has been investigated. It was found that droplets of lignite coal (which is a noncaking coal) burn effectively; however, droplets of bituminous coal (which is a caking coal) are relatively difficult to burn. During the heat-up of bituminous coal-water slurry droplets may turn to ''popcorn'' and show significant agglomeration. Themore » incomplete combustion of coal-water slurry droplets in furnaces has been reported, and this is a drawback of this process. The objective of the present study is to explore the possibility of enhancing the combustion of coal-water slurry droplets with the use of a combustible emulsified oil.« less

Regulation of coal polymer degradation by fungi. Tenth Quartery report, October 1996--December 1996

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

Irvine, R.L.; Bumpus, J.A.

1997-01-28

It has long been known that low rank coal such as leonardite can be solubilized by strong base (>pH 12). Recent discoveries have also shown that leonardite is solubilized by Lewis bases at considerably lower pH values and by fungi that secrete certain Lewis bases (i.e., oxalate ion). During the current reporting period we have studied the ability of a strong base (sodium hydroxide, pH 12), and two fungi, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor, to solubilize Argonne Premium Coals. In general, Argonne Premium Coals were relatively resistant to base mediated solubilization. However, when these coals were preoxidized (150{degrees}C for sevenmore » days), substantial amounts of several coals were solubilized. Most affected were the Lewiston-Stockton bituminous coal, the Beulah-Zap lignite, the Wyodak-Anderson subbituminous coal and the Blind Canyon bituminous coal. Argonne Premium Coals were previously shown by us to be relatively resistant to solubilization by sodium oxalate. When preoxidized coals were treated with sodium oxalate, only the Beulah-Zap lignite was substantially solubilized. Although very small amounts of the other preoxidized coals were solubilized by treatment with oxalate, the small amount of solubilization that did take place was generally increased relative to that observed for coals that were not preoxidized. None of the Argonne Premium Coals were solubilized by P. chrysosporium or T. versicolor. Of considerable interest, however, is the observation that P. chrysosporium and T. versicolor mediated extensive solubilization of Lewiston-Stockton bituminous coal, the Beulah-Zap lignite and the Wyodak-Anderson subbituminous coal.« less

Characterization of coal-derived hydrocarbons and source-rock potential of coal beds, San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rice, D.D.; Clayton, J.L.; Pawlewicz, M.J.

1989-01-01

Coal beds are considered to be a major source of nonassociated gas in the Rocky Mountain basins of the United States. In the San Juan basin of northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado, significant quantities of natural gas are being produced from coal beds of the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation and from adjacent sandstone reservoirs. Analysis of gas samples from the various gas-producing intervals provided a means of determining their origin and of evaluating coal beds as source rocks. The rank of coal beds in the Fruitland Formation in the central part of the San Juan basin, where major gas production occurs, increases to the northeast and ranges from high-volatile B bituminous coal to medium-volatile bituminous coal (Rm values range from 0.70 to 1.45%). On the basis of chemical, isotopic and coal-rank data, the gases are interpreted to be thermogenic. Gases from the coal beds show little isotopic variation (??13C1 values range -43.6 to -40.5 ppt), are chemically dry (C1/C1-5 values are > 0.99), and contain significant amounts of CO2 (as much as 6%). These gases are interpreted to have resulted from devolatilization of the humic-type bituminous coal that is composed mainly of vitrinite. The primary products of this process are CH4, CO2 and H2O. The coal-generated, methane-rich gas is usually contained in the coal beds of the Fruitland Formation, and has not been expelled and has not migrated into the adjacent sandstone reservoirs. In addition, the coal-bed reservoirs produce a distinctive bicarbonate-type connate water and have higher reservoir pressures than adjacent sandstones. The combination of these factors indicates that coal beds are a closed reservoir system created by the gases, waters, and associated pressures in the micropore coal structure. In contrast, gases produced from overlying sandstones in the Fruitland Formation and underlying Pictured Cliffs Sandstone have a wider range of isotopic values (??13C1 values range from -43.5 to -38.5 ppt), are chemically wetter (C1/C1-5 values range from 0.85 to 0.95), and contain less CO2 (< 2%). These gases are interpreted to have been derived from type III kerogen dispersed in marine shales of the underlying Lewis Shale and nonmarine shales of the Fruitland Formation. In the underlying Upper Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone and Tocito Sandstone Lentil of the Mancos Shale, another gas type is produced. This gas is associated with oil at intermediate stages of thermal maturity and is isotopically lighter and chemically wetter at the intermediate stage of thermal maturity as compared with gases derived from dispersed type III kerogen and coal; this gas type is interpreted to have been generated from type II kerogen. Organic matter contained in coal beds and carbonaceous shales of the Fruitland Formation has hydrogen indexes from Rock-Eval pyrolysis between 100 and 350, and atomic H:C ratios between 0.8 and 1.2. Oxygen indexes and atomic O:C values are less than 24 and 0.3, respectively. Extractable hydrocarbon yields are as high as 7,000 ppm. These values indicate that the coal beds and carbonaceous shales have good potential for the generation of liquid hydrocarbons. Voids in the coal filled with a fluorescent material that is probably bitumen is evidence that liquid hydrocarbon generation has taken place. Preliminary oil-source rock correlations based on gas chromatography and stable carbon isotope ratios of C15+ hydrocarbons indicate that the coals and (or) carbonaceous shales in the Fruitland Formation may be the source of minor amounts of condensate produced from the coal beds at relatively low levelsof thermal maturity (Rm=0.7). ?? 1989.

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

The Republic of the Philippines coalbed methane assessment: based on seventeen high pressure methane adsorption isotherms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, Romeo M.; Stricker, Gary D.; Papasin, Ramon F.; Pendon, Ronaldo R.; del Rosario, Rogelio A.; Malapitan, Ruel T.; Pastor, Michael S.; Altomea, Elmer A.; Cuaresma, Federico; Malapitan, Armando S.; Mortos, Benjamin R.; Tilos, Elizabeth N.

2006-01-01

Introduction: The Republic of the Philippines has some 19 coal districts that contain coal deposits ranging from Eocene to Pleistocene in age. These coal districts include: (1) Catanduanes (Eocene); (2) Cebu, Zamboanga Sibuguey, Bukidnon, Maguindanao, Sarangani, and Surigao (Oligocene to Miocene); (3) Batan Island, Masbate, Semirara (including Mindoro), and Quezon-Polilio (lower-upper Miocene); (4) Davao, Negros, and Sorsogon (middle-upper Miocene); (5) Cotabato (lower Miocene-lower Pliocene), Cagayan-Isabella, and Quirino (upper Miocene-Pliocene); (6) Sultan Kudarat (upper Miocene-Pleistocene); and (7) Samar-Leyte (lower Pliocene-Pleistocene). In general, coal rank is directly related to the age of the deposits - for example, the Eocene coal is semi-anthracite and the Pliocene-Pleistocene coal is lignite. Total coal resources in these 19 coal districts, which are compiled by the Geothermal and Coal Resources Development Division (GCRDD) of the Department of Energy of the Philippines, are estimated at a minimum of 2,268.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) (approximately 2.3 billion metric tones). The largest resource (550 MMT) is the subbituminous coal in the Semirara (including Mindoro) coal district, and the smallest (0.7 MMT) is the lignite-subbituminous coal in the Quirino coal district. The combined lignite and subbituminous coal resources, using the classification by GCRDD and including Semirara and Surigao coal districts, are about 1,899.2 MMT, which make up about 84 percent of the total coal resources of the Philippines. The remaining resources are composed of bituminous and semi-anthracite coal. The subbituminous coal of Semirara Island in the Mindoro- Semirara coal district (fig. 2) is known to contain coalbed methane (CBM), with the coal being comparable in gas content and adsorption isotherms to the coal of the Paleocene Fort Union Formation in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, USA (Flores and others, 2005). As a consequence, the presence of CBM in the Semirara coal led to the present study of determining the adsorption isotherms, or gas (CBM) holding or storage capacity, of coal beds of various ages from selected coal districts in the Philippines. Samples for the study were collected from the Batan Island, Catanduanes, Cagayan-Isabella, Cebu, Negros, Samar, Semirara, Cotabato, Surigao, and Malangas coalfield of the Zamboanga Sibuguey coal districts by five field geology teams from the GCRDD.

Characteristics of Pyrolytic Topping in Fluidized Bed for Different Volatile Coals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, R.; Dong, L.; Xu, G. W.

Coal is generally combusted or gasified directly to destroy completely the chemical structures, such as aromatic rings containing in volatile coals including bituminite and lignite. Coal topping refers to a process that extracts chemicals with aromatic rings from such volatile coals in advance of combustion or gasification and thereby takes advantage of the value of coal as a kind of chemical structure resource. CFB boiler is the coal utilization facility that can be easily retrofitted to implement coal topping. A critical issue for performing coal topping is the choice of the pyrolytic reactor that can be different types. The present study concerns fluidized bed reactor that has rarely been tested for use in coal topping. Two different types of coals, one being Xiaolongtan (XLT) lignite and the other Shanxi (SX) bituminous, were tested to clarify the yield and composition of pyrolysis liquid and gas under conditions simulating actual operations. The results showed that XLT lignite coals had the maximum tar yield in 823-873K and SX bituminite realized its highest tar yield in 873-923K. Overall, lignite produced lower tar yield than bituminous coal. The pyrolysis gas from lignite coals contained more CO and CO2 and less CH4, H2 and C2+C3 (C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, C3H8) components comparing to that from bituminous coal. TG-FTIR analysis of tars demonstrated that for different coals there are different amounts of typical chemical species. Using coal ash of CFB boiler, instead of quartz sand, as the fluidized particles decreased the yields of both tar and gas for all the tested coals. Besides, pyrolysis in a reaction atmosphere simulating the pyrolysis gas (instead of N2) resulted also in higher production of pyrolysis liquid.

Impact of arterial blood gas analysis in disability evaluation of the bituminous coal miner with simple pneumoconiosis

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

Fields, C.L.; Roy, T.M.; Dow, F.T.

1992-04-01

The Department of Labor has set guidelines for the use of resting arterial blood gas analysis in determination of total and permanent disability for coal workers' pneumoconiosis. To determine the prevalence with which bituminous coal miners fall below the arterial tensions of both oxygen and carbon dioxide published in the Federal Register, we studied 1012 miners who had both reproducible spirometry and arterial blood gas analysis as part of their disability evaluation. Eighty-seven percent of impaired miners could be identified by the spirometric criteria. Thirteen percent of impaired bituminous coal miners had acceptable pulmonary function but were eligible for blackmore » lung benefits by the blood gas guidelines. This population would have been missed if blood gas analysis were excluded from the evaluation process. On the other hand, approximately 25% of the blood gas analyses that were performed could be eliminated if a policy was adopted to do this test only on miners with spirometry that exceed the federal guidelines.« less

Effect of organic calcium compounds on combustion characteristics of rice husk, sewage sludge, and bituminous coal: thermogravimetric investigation.

PubMed

Zhang, Lihui; Duan, Feng; Huang, Yaji

2015-04-01

Experiments were conducted in a thermogravimetric analyzer to assess the enhancement of combustion characteristics of different solid fuels blended with organic calcium compounds (OCCs). Rice husk, sewage sludge, and bituminous coal, and two OCC were used in this study. Effect of different mole ratios of calcium to sulfur (Ca/S ratio) on the combustion characteristics were also investigated. Results indicated that combustion performance indexes for bituminous coal impregnated by OCC were improved, however, an inverse trend was found for sewage sludge because sewage sludge has lower ignition temperature and higher volatile matter content compared to those of OCC. For rice husk, effect of added OCC on the combustion characteristics is not obvious. Different solid fuels show different combustion characteristics with increases of Ca/S ratio. The maximum combustion performance indexes appear at Ca/S ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 for OCC blended with Shenhua coal, rice husk, and sewage sludge, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental and computational study and development of the bituminous coal entrained-flow air-blown gasifier for IGCC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abaimov, N. A.; Osipov, P. V.; Ryzhkov, A. F.

2016-10-01

In the paper the development of the advanced bituminous coal entrained-flow air- blown gasifier for the high power integrated gasification combined cycle is considered. The computational fluid dynamics technique is used as the basic development tool. The experiment on the pressurized entrained-flow gasifier was performed by “NPO CKTI” JSC for the thermochemical processes submodel verification. The kinetic constants for Kuznetsk bituminous coal (flame coal), obtained by thermal gravimetric analysis method, are used in the model. The calculation results obtained by the CFD model are in satisfactory agreements with experimental data. On the basis of the verified model the advanced gasifier structure was suggested which permits to increase the hydrogen content in the synthesis gas and consequently to improve the gas turbine efficiency. In order to meet the specified requirements vapor is added on the second stage of MHI type gasifier and heat necessary for air gasification is compensated by supplemental heating of the blasting air.

Co-combustion characteristics and blending optimization of tobacco stem and high-sulfur bituminous coal based on thermogravimetric and mass spectrometry analyses.

PubMed

Zhang, Kaihua; Zhang, Kai; Cao, Yan; Pan, Wei-ping

2013-03-01

Despite much research on co-combustion of tobacco stem and high-sulfur coal, their blending optimization has not been effectively found. This study investigated the combustion profiles of tobacco stem, high-sulfur bituminous coal and their blends by thermogravimetric analysis. Ignition and burnout performances, heat release performances, and gaseous pollutant emissions were also studied by thermogravimetric and mass spectrometry analyses. The results indicated that combustion of tobacco stem was more complicated than that of high-sulfur bituminous coal, mainly shown as fixed carbon in it was divided into two portions with one early burning and the other delay burning. Ignition and burnout performances, heat release performances, and gaseous pollutant emissions of the blends present variable trends with the increase of tobacco stem content. Taking into account the above three factors, a blending ratio of 0–20% tobacco stem content is conservatively proposed as optimum amount for blending. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution of potentially hazardous trace elements in coals from Shanxi province, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhang, J.Y.; Zheng, C.G.; Ren, D.Y.; Chou, C.-L.; Liu, J.; Zeng, R.-S.; Wang, Z.P.; Zhao, F.H.; Ge, Y.T.

2004-01-01

Shanxi province, located in the center of China, is the biggest coal base of China. There are five coal-forming periods in Shanxi province: Late Carboniferous (Taiyuan Formation), Early Permian (Shanxi Formation), Middle Jurassic (Datong Formation), Tertiary (Taxigou Formation), and Quaternary. Hundred and ten coal samples and a peat sample from Shanxi province were collected and the contents of 20 potentially hazardous trace elements (PHTEs) (As, B, Ba, Cd, Cl, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Th, U, V and Zn) in these samples were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis, atomic absorption spectrometry, cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry, ion chromatography spectrometry, and wet chemical analysis. The result shows that the brown coals are enriched in As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, F and Zn compared with the bituminous coals and anthracite, whereas the bituminous coals are enriched in B, Cl, Hg, and the anthracite is enriched in Cl, Hg, U and V. A comparison with world averages and crustal abundances (Clarke values) shows that the Quaternary peat is highly enriched in As and Mo, Tertiary brown coals are highly enriched in Cd, Middle Jurassic coals, Early Permian coals and Late Carboniferous coals are enriched in Hg. According to the coal ranks, the bituminous coals are highly enriched in Hg, whereas Cd, F and Th show low enrichments, and the anthracite is also highly enriched in Hg and low enrichment in Th. The concentrations of Cd, F, Hg and Th in Shanxi coals are more than world arithmetic means of concentrations for the corresponding elements. Comparing with the United States coals, Shanxi coals show higher concentrations of Cd, Hg, Pb, Se and Th. Most of Shanxi coals contain lower concentrations of PHTEs. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Multi-Attribute Selection of Coal Center Location: A Case Study in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuakunrittiwong, T.; Ratanakuakangwan, S.

2016-11-01

Under Power Development Plan 2015, Thailand has to diversify its heavily gas-fired electricity generation. The main owner of electricity transmission grids is responsible to implement several coal-fired power plants with clean coal technology. To environmentally handle and economically transport unprecedented quantities of sub-bituminous and bituminous coal, a coal center is required. The location of such facility is an important strategic decision and a paramount to the success of the energy plan. As site selection involves many criteria, Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process or Fuzzy-AHP is applied to select the most suitable location among three candidates. Having analyzed relevant criteria and the potential alternatives, the result reveals that engineering and socioeconomic are important criteria and Map Ta Phut is the most suitable site for the coal center.

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.

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.

Pelletizing/reslurrying as a means of distributing and firing clean coal. Final quarterly technical progress report No. 5, July 1, 1991--September 30, 1991

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

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of ancient buried wood-II. Observations on the origin of coal from lignite to bituminous coal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatcher, P.G.; Breger, I.A.; Szeverenyi, N.; Maciel, G.E.

1982-01-01

Coalified logs ranging in age from Late Pennsylvania to Miocene and in rank from lignite B to bituminous coal were analyzed by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) utilizing the cross-polarization, magic-angle spinning technique, as well as by infrared spectroscopy. The results of this study indicate that at least three major stages of coalification can be observed as wood gradually undergoes transformation to bituminous coal. The first stage involves hydrolysis and loss of cellulose from wood with retention and differential concentration of the resistant lignin. The second stage involves conversion of the lignin residues directly to coalified wood of lignitic rank, during which the oxygen content of intermediate diagenetic products remains constant as the hydrogen content and the carbon content increases. These changes are thought to involve loss of methoxyl groups, water, and C3 side chains from the lignin. In the third major stage of coalification, the coalified wood increases in rank to subbituminous and bituminous coal; during this stage the oxygen content decreases, hydrogen remains constant, and the carbon content increases. These changes are thought to result from loss of soluble humic acids that are rich in oxygen and that are mobilized during compaction and dewatering. Relatively resistant resinous substances are differentially concentrated in the coal during this stage. The hypothesis that humic acids are formed as mobile by-products of the coalification of lignin and function only as vehicles for removal of oxygen represents a dramatic departure from commonly accepted views that they are relatively low-molecular-weight intermediates formed during the degradation of lignin that then condense to form high-molecular-weight coal structures. ?? 1982.

Nonspecific airway hyperreactivity in nonsmoking bituminous coal miners demonstrated by quantitative methacholine inhalation challenge

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

Hudgel, D.W.; Roe, R.

Because nonsmoking underground bituminous coal miners often have symptoms of chronic bronchitis and because a high proportion of patients with chronic bronchitis have nonspecific airway hyperreactivity, we hypothesized that coal miners would have a higher prevalence of nonspecific airway hyperreactivity than nonminer nonsmoking control subjects. By use of a quantitative methacholine provocative inhalation challenge test, we evaluated 22 underground bituminous coal miners and 41 nonminer age- and sex-matched control subjects from the same community. We found that a significantly higher proportion of miners had reactivity to inhalation of 100 mg/ml or less of methacholine, X2 = 6.19, p less thanmore » 0.02. The slope of phase III of the single-breath nitrogen washout test was higher in the reactive miners than in the nonreactive miners and reactive control subjects, even though the reactive miners had only been working underground 8 +/- 3 (SEM) years. Within the reactive miner subgroup, the higher the reactivity to methacholine, the more abnormal the slope of phase III of the single-breath nitrogen test, r = 0.79. Miners had more symptoms than controls; the presence of methacholine reactivity was not associated with increased symptoms. We conclude that the bituminous coal miners in our study had an increased prevalence of nonspecific airway hyperreactivity and that within the reactive miner subgroup there was evidence of early airways disease. We speculate that the nonspecific airway hyperreactivity may be related to, and also be an indicator of, lung injury in coal miners.« less

Coalbed methane, Cook Inlet, south-central Alaska: A potential giant gas resource

USGS Publications Warehouse

Montgomery, S.L.; Barker, C.E.

2003-01-01

Cook Inlet Basin of south-central Alaska is a forearc basin containing voluminous Tertiary coal deposits with sufficient methane content to suggest a major coalbed gas resource. Coals ranging in thickness from 2 to 50 ft (0.6 to 15 m) and in gas content from 50 to 250 scf/ton (1.6 to 7.8 cm2/g) occur in Miocene-Oligocene fluvial deposits of the Kenai Group. These coals have been identified as the probable source of more than 8 tcf gas that has been produced from conventional sandstone reservoirs in the basin. Cook Inlet coals can be divided into two main groups: (1) those of bituminous rank in the Tyonek Formation that contain mainly thermogenic methane and are confined to the northeastern part of the basin (Matanuska Valley) and to deep levels elsewhere; and (2) subbituminous coals at shallow depths (<5000 ft [1524 m]) in the Tyonek and overlying Beluga formations, which contain mainly biogenic methane and cover most of the central and southern basin. Based on core and corrected cuttings-desorption analyses, gas contents average 230 scf/ton (7.2 cm2/g) for bituminous coals and 80 scf/ton (2.5 cm2/g) for subbituminous coals. Isotherms constructed for samples of both coal ranks suggest that bituminous coals are saturated with respect to methane, whereas subbituminous coals at shallow depths along the eroded west-central basin margin are locally unsaturated. A preliminary estimate of 140 tcf gas in place is derived for the basin.

ANALYSIS OF RESIDENTIAL COAL STOVE EMISSIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of an evaluation, in cooperation with the State of Vermont's Agency of Environmental Conservation, of emissions generated by anthracite and bituminous coal used for residential heating. A residential coal stove was operated with both coals, while comparin...

Co-combustion of tannery sludge in a commercial circulating fluidized bed boiler.

PubMed

Dong, Hao; Jiang, Xuguang; Lv, Guojun; Chi, Yong; Yan, Jianhua

2015-12-01

Co-combusting hazardous wastes in existing fluidized bed combustors is an alternative to hazardous waste treatment facilities, in shortage in China. Tannery sludge is a kind of hazardous waste, considered fit for co-combusting with coal in fluidized bedboilers. In this work, co-combustion tests of tannery sludge and bituminous coal were conducted in a power plant in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. Before that, the combustion behavior of tannery sludge and bituminous were studied by thermogravimetric analysis. Tannery sludge presented higher reactivity than bituminous coal. During the co-combustion tests, the emissions of harmful gases were monitored. The results showed that the pollutant emissions met the Chinese standard except for NOx. The Concentrations of seven trace elements (As, Cr, Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, Mn) in three exit ash flows (bottom ash in bed, fly ash in filter, and submicrometer aerosol in flue gas) were analyzed. The results of mono-combustion of bituminous coal were compared with those of co-combustion with tannery sludge. It was found that chromium enriched in fly ash. At last, the leachability of fly ash and bottom ash was analyzed. The results showed that most species were almost equal to or below the limits except for As in bottom ashes and Cr in the fly ash of co-combustion test. The concentrations of Cr in leachates of co-combustion ashes are markedly higher than that of coal mono-combustion ashes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Did the Middlesboro, Kentucky, bolide impact event influence coal rank?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hower, J.C.; Greb, S.F.; Kuehn, K.W.; Eble, C.F.

2009-01-01

The Middlesboro Basin, southeastern Kentucky, occurs on the Cumberland Overthrust Sheet and includes a ca. 5.5-km diameter impact structure. The Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian coal-bearing strata are faulted, with some evidence for shock metamorphism. The event post-dated the latest-Pennsylvanian-early-Permian thrusting and was likely prior to late-Mesozoic entrenchment of drainages. The impact of a 0.5-km meteor traveling at ca. 60,000??km/h would release about 1??EJ, the approximate equivalent of the instantaneous combustion of 30??Mt of coal. The coal rank, while increased slightly above the regional level, still is within the upper portion of the high volatile A bituminous rank range. This helps to constrain the depth of burial at the time of the impact. The coal would have had to have been at a depth of a few kilometers to have avoided a more substantial rank increase. In addition, it is possible that some of the coal rank increase might be attributable to movements along the cross-cutting Rocky Face fault, unrelated to the impact. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Basic magnetic properties of bituminous coal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alexander, C.C.; Thorpe, A.N.; Senftle, F.E.

1979-01-01

Magnetic susceptibility and other static magnetic parameters have been measured on a number of bituminous coals from various locations in the United States. The paramagnetic Curie constant correlates negatively with carbon concentration on a moisture-free basis. The major contribution to the total paramagnetism comes from the mineral matter rather than from free radicals or broken bonds. Analysis of the data indicates that the specific paramagnetism is generally lower in the mineral matter found in high-ash compared to low-ash coal. A substantial number of the coal specimens tested also had a ferromagnetic susceptibility which appeared to be associated with magnetite. Magnetite and ??-iron spherules, possibly of meteoritic or volcanic origin, were found in several specimens. ?? 1979.

SUBMICROSCOPIC ( less than 1 mu m) MINERAL CONTENTS OF VITRINITES IN SELECTED BITUMINOUS COAL BEDS.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minkin, J.A.; Chao, E.C.T.; Thompson, C.L.; Wandless, M.-V.; Dulong, F.T.; Larson, R.R.; Neuzil, S.G.; ,

1983-01-01

An important aspect of the petrographic description of coal is the characterization of coal quality, including chemical attributes. For geologic investigations, data on the concentrations, distribution, and modes of occurrence of minor and trace elements provide a basis for reconstructing the probable geochemical environment of the swamp material that was converted into peat, and the geochemical conditions that prevailed during and subsequent to coalification. We have been using electron (EPMA) and proton (PIXE) microprobe analytical methods to obtain data on the chemical characteristics of specific coal constituents in their original associations within coal samples. The present study is aimed at evaluation of the nature of mineral occurrences and heterogeneous elemental concentrations within vitrinites. Vitrinites are usually the most abundant, and therefore most important, maceral group in bituminous coal. 8 refs.

Analysis of coals and biomass pyrolysis using the distributed activation energy model.

PubMed

Li, Zhengqi; Liu, Chunlong; Chen, Zhichao; Qian, Juan; Zhao, Wei; Zhu, Qunyi

2009-01-01

The thermal decomposition of coals and biomass was studied using thermogravimetric analysis with the distributed activation energy model. The integral method resulted in Datong bituminous coal conversions of 3-73% at activation energies of 100-486 kJ/mol. The corresponding frequency factors were e(19.5)-e(59.0)s(-1). Jindongnan lean coal conversions were 8-52% at activation energies of 100-462 kJ/mol. Their corresponding frequency factors were e(13.0)-e(55.8)s(-1). The conversion of corn-stalk skins were 1-84% at activation energies of 62-169 kJ/mol with frequency factors of e(10.8)-e(26.5)s(-1). Datong bituminous coal, Jindongnan lean coal and corn-stalk skins had approximate Gaussian distribution functions with linear ln k(0) to E relationships.

Product evaluation : bituminous pavement rejuvenator

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-07-03

This report contains a product evaluation of K.A.E. Paving Consultant's Bituminous Pavement Rejuvenator (BPR). BPR is a coal tar product consisting of a low viscosity blend of aromatic oils designed to penetrate the asphalt, and rejuvenate and plasti...

Particle size distribution of fly ash from co-incineration of bituminous coal with municipal solid waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cieślik, Ewelina; Konieczny, Tomasz; Bobik, Bartłomiej

2018-01-01

One of the source of air pollutants is emission from local coal-fired boiler-houses and domestic heating boilers. The consequence of incineration of municipal waste is the introduction of additional pollutants into the atmosphere, including fly ash. The aim of this work was to evaluate the particle size distribution of fly ash emitted by coal combustion and co-incineration of coal with municipal waste in a domestic 18 kW central heating boiler equipped with an automatic fuel feeder. Mixtures of bituminous coal with different types of solid waste (5, 10 and 15% of mass fraction) were used. Solid waste types consisted of: printed, colored PE caps, fragmented cable trunking, fragmented car gaskets and shredded tires from trucks. During the incineration of a given mixture of municipal waste with bituminous coal, the velocity of exhaust gas was specified, the concentration and mass flow of fly ash were determined together with the physico-chemical parameters of the exhaust gas, the samples of emitted fly ash were taken as the test material. Particle size analysis of fly ash was performed using laser particle sizer Fritch Analysette 22. The PM10 share from all fly ashes from incineration of mixtures was about 100%. Differences were noted between PM2.5 and PM1.

Study on coal char ignition by radiant heat flux.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korotkikh, A. G.; Slyusarskiy, K. V.

2017-11-01

The study on coal char ignition by CO2-continuous laser was carried out. The coal char samples of T-grade bituminous coal and 2B-grade lignite were studied via CO2-laser ignition setup. Ignition delay times were determined at ambient condition in heat flux density range 90-200 W/cm2. The average ignition delay time value for lignite samples were 2 times lower while this difference is larger in high heat flux region and lower in low heat flux region. The kinetic constants for overall oxidation reaction were determined using analytic solution of simplified one-dimensional heat transfer equation with radiant heat transfer boundary condition. The activation energy for lignite char was found to be less than it is for bituminous coal char by approximately 20 %.

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

Malhotra, Vivak

The USA is embarking upon tackling the serious environmental challenges posed to the world by greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2). The dimension of the problem is daunting. In fact, according to the Energy Information Agency, nearly 6 billion metric tons of CO2 were produced in the USA in 2007 with coal-burning power plants contributing about 2 billion metric tons. To mitigate the concerns associated with CO2 emission, geological sequestration holds promise. Among the potential geological storage sites, unmineable coal seams and shale formations in particular show promise because of the probability of methane recovery while sequestering the CO2. However.more » the success of large-scale sequestration of CO2 in coal and shale would hinge on a thorough understanding of CO2's interactions with host reservoirs. An important parameter for successful storage of CO2 reservoirs would be whether the pressurized CO2 would remain invariant in coal and shale formations under reasonable internal and/or external perturbations. Recent research has brought to the fore the potential of induced seismicity, which may result in caprock compromise. Therefore, to evaluate the potential risks involved in sequestering CO2 in Illinois bituminous coal seams and shale, we studied: (i) the mechanical behavior of Murphysboro (Illinois) and Houchin Creek (Illinois) coals, (ii) thermodynamic behavior of Illinois bituminous coal at - 100oC ≤ T ≤ 300oC, (iii) how high pressure CO2 (up to 20.7 MPa) modifies the viscosity of the host, (iv) the rate of emission of CO2 from Illinois bituminous coal and shale cores if the cores, which were pressurized with high pressure (≤ 20.7 MPa) CO2, were exposed to an atmospheric pressure, simulating the development of leakage pathways, (v) whether there are any fractions of CO2 stored in these hosts which are resistance to emission by simply exposing the cores to atmospheric pressure, and (vi) how compressive shockwaves applied to the coal and shale cores, which were pressurized with high pressure CO2, determine the fate of sequestered CO2 in these cores. Our results suggested that Illinois bituminous coal in its unperturbed state, i.e., when not pressurized with CO2, showed large variations in the mechanical properties. Modulus varied from 0.7 GPa to 3.4 GPa even though samples were extracted from a single large chunk of coal. We did not observe any glass transition for Illinois bituminous coal at - 100oC ≤ T ≤ 300oC, however, when the coal was pressurized with CO2 at ambient ≤ P ≤ 20.7 MPa, the viscosity of the coal decreased and inversely scaled with the CO2 pressure. The decrease in viscosity as a function of pressure could pose CO2 injection problems for coal as lower viscosity would allow the solid coal to flow to plug the fractures, fissures, and cleats. Our experiments also showed a very small fraction of CO2 was absorbed in coal; and when CO2 pressurized coals were exposed to atmospheric conditions, the loss of CO2 from coals was massive. Half of the sequestered gas from the coal cores was lost in less than 20 minutes. Our shockwave experiments on Illinois bituminous coal, New Albany shale (Illinois), Devonian shale (Ohio), and Utica shale (Ohio) presented clear evidence that the significant emission of the sequestered CO2 from these formations cannot be discounted during seismic activity, especially if caprock is compromised. It is argued that additional shockwave studies, both compressive and transverse, would be required for successfully mapping the risks associated with sequestering high pressure CO2 in coal and shale formations.« less

An Organic Geochemical Assessment of CO2-Coal Interactions During Sequestration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolak, Jonathan J.; Burruss, Robert A.

2003-01-01

Three well-characterized coal samples of varying rank were extracted with supercritical CO2 to determine the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that could be mobilized during simulated CO2 injection/sequestration in deep coal beds. The supercritical CO2 extractions were conducted at 40?C and 100 bars, roughly corresponding to a depth of 1 km. The greatest amount of PAHs was extracted from the high-volatile C bituminous coal sample. Extracts from the subbituminous C and anthracite coal samples contained lower concentrations of these compounds. The effectiveness of supercritical CO2 in liberating PAHs from the coal sample was evaluated in a comparison with a parallel series of Soxhlet extractions using 100% dichloromethane. More PAHs were extracted from the lower rank coal samples with dichloromethane than with supercritical CO2. The results from this investigation indicate that, regardless of coal rank, CO2 injection into deep coal beds may mobilize PAHs from the coal matrix. However, more PAHs could be mobilized during CO2 sequestration in a high-volatile C bituminous coal bed than in either of the other two coal ranks studied.

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

For more than two decades, Alstom Power Inc. (Alstom) has developed a range of low cost, infurnace technologies for NOx emissions control for the domestic U.S. pulverized coal fired boiler market. This includes Alstom's internally developed TFS 2000{trademark} firing system, and various enhancements to it developed in concert with the U.S. Department of Energy. As of the date of this report, more than 270 units representing approximately 80,000 MWe of domestic coal fired capacity have been retrofit with Alstom low NOx technology. Best of class emissions range from 0.18 lb/MMBtu for bituminous coal to 0.10 lb/MMBtu for subbituminous coal, withmore » typical levels at 0.24 lb/MMBtu and 0.13 lb/MMBtu, respectively. Despite these gains, NOx emissions limits in the U.S. continue to ratchet down for new and existing boiler equipment. On March 10, 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). CAIR requires 25 Eastern states to reduce NOx emissions from the power generation sector by 1.7 million tons in 2009 and 2.0 million tons by 2015. Low cost solutions to meet such regulations, and in particular those that can avoid the need for a costly selective catalytic reduction system (SCR), provide a strong incentive to continue to improve low NOx firing system technology to meet current and anticipated NOx control regulations. The overall objective of the work is to develop an enhanced combustion, low NOx pulverized coal burner, which, when integrated with Alstom's state-of-the-art, globally air staged low NOx firing systems will provide a means to achieve: Less than 0.15 lb/MMBtu NOx emissions when firing a high volatile Eastern or Western bituminous coal, Less than 0.10 lb/MMBtu NOx emissions when firing a subbituminous coal, NOx reduction costs at least 25% lower than the costs of an SCR, Validation of the NOx control technology developed through large (15 MWt) pilot scale demonstration, and Documentation required for 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 predicted to be the most challenging of the three coals, with the Western bituminous coal predicted to behave in-between the subbituminous coal and the Midwest bituminous coal. CFD modeling was used to gain insight into the mechanisms governing nozzle tip performance with respect to NOx emissions. The CFD simulations were run as steady state, turbulent, non-reacting flow with heat transfer and focused on predicting the near field mixing and particle dispersion rates. CFD results were used to refine the proposed tip concepts before they were built, as well as to help identify and evaluate possible improvements to the tips for subsequent test weeks.« less

Combustion characteristics of Malaysian oil palm biomass, sub-bituminous coal and their respective blends via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

PubMed

Idris, Siti Shawalliah; Rahman, Norazah Abd; Ismail, Khudzir

2012-11-01

The combustion characteristics of Malaysia oil palm biomass (palm kernel shell (PKS), palm mesocarp fibre (PMF) and empty fruit bunches (EFB)), sub-bituminous coal (Mukah Balingian) and coal/biomass blends via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were investigated. Six weight ratios of coal/biomass blends were prepared and oxidised under dynamic conditions from temperature 25 to 1100°C at four heating rates. The thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the EFB and PKS evolved additional peak besides drying, devolatilisation and char oxidation steps during combustion. Ignition and burn out temperatures of blends were improved in comparison to coal. No interactions were observed between the coal and biomass during combustion. The apparent activation energy during this process was evaluated using iso-conversional model free kinetics which resulted in highest activation energy during combustion of PKS followed by PMF, EFB and MB coal. Blending oil palm biomass with coal reduces the apparent activation energy value. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizing thermogenic coalbed gas from Polish coals of different ranks by hydrous pyrolysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kotarba, M.J.; Lewan, M.D.

2004-01-01

To provide a better characterization of origin and volume of thermogenic gas generation from coals, hydrous pyrolysis experiments were conducted at 360??C for 72 h on Polish coals ranging in rank from lignite (0.3% R r) to semi-anthracite (2.0% Rr). Under these conditions, the lignites attained a medium-volatile bituminous rank (1.5% Rr), high-volatile bituminous coals attained a low-volatile bituminous rank (1.7% Rr), and the semi-anthracite obtained an anthracite rank (4.0% R r). Hydrous pyrolysis of a coal, irrespective of rank, provides a diagnostic ??13C value for its thermogenic hydrocarbon gases. This value can be used quantitatively to interpret mixing of indigenous thermogenic gas with microbial methane or exogenous thermogenic gas from other sources. Thermogenic methane quantities range from 20 dm3/kg of lignite (0.3% Rr) to 0.35 dm3/kg of semi-anthracite (2.0% Rr). At a vitrinite reflectance of 1.7% Rr, approximately 75% of the maximum potential for a coal to generate thermogenic methane has been expended. At a vitrinite reflectance of 1.7% Rr, more than 90% of the maximum potential for a coal to generate CO2 has been expended. Assuming that these quantities of generated CO2 remain associated with a sourcing coal bed as uplift or erosion provide conditions conducive for microbial methanogenesis, the resulting quantities of microbial methane generated by complete CO2 reduction can exceed the quantities of thermogenic methane generated from the same coal bed by a factor of 2-5. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mercury in coal and the impact of coal quality on mercury emissions from combustion systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolker, A.; Senior, C.L.; Quick, J.C.

2006-01-01

The proportion of Hg in coal feedstock that is emitted by stack gases of utility power stations is a complex function of coal chemistry and properties, combustion conditions, and the positioning and type of air pollution control devices employed. Mercury in bituminous coal is found primarily within Fe-sulfides, whereas lower rank coal tends to have a greater proportion of organic-bound Hg. Preparation of bituminous coal to reduce S generally reduces input Hg relative to in-ground concentrations, but the amount of this reduction varies according to the fraction of Hg in sulfides and the efficiency of sulfide removal. The mode of occurrence of Hg in coal does not directly affect the speciation of Hg in the combustion flue gas. However, other constituents in the coal, notably Cl and S, and the combustion characteristics of the coal, influence the species of Hg that are formed in the flue gas and enter air pollution control devices. The formation of gaseous oxidized Hg or particulate-bound Hg occurs post-combustion; these forms of Hg can be in part captured in the air pollution control devices that exist on coal-fired boilers, without modification. For a given coal type, the capture efficiency of Hg by pollution control systems varies according to type of device and the conditions of its deployment. For bituminous coal, on average, more than 60% of Hg in flue gas is captured by fabric filter (FF) and flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. Key variables affecting performance for Hg control include Cl and S content of the coal, the positioning (hot side vs. cold side) of the system, and the amount of unburned C in coal ash. Knowledge of coal quality parameters and their effect on the performance of air pollution control devices allows optimization of Hg capture co-benefit. ?? 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abundances of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 14 chinese and american coals and their relation to coal rank and weathering

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, R.; Liu, Gaisheng; Zhang, Jiahua; Chou, C.-L.; Liu, J.

2010-01-01

The abundances of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the priority list of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) have been determined in 14 Chinese and American coals. The ranks of the samples range from lignite, bituminous coal, anthracite, to natural coke. Soxhlet extraction was conducted on each coal for 48 h. The extract was analyzed on a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results show that the total PAH content ranged from 0.31 to 57.6 ??g/g of coal (on a dry basis). It varied with coal rank and is highest in the maturity range of bituminous coal rank. High-molecular-weight (HMW) PAHs are predominant in low-rank coals, but low-molecular-weight (LMW) PAHs are predominant in high-rank coals. The low-sulfur coals have a higher PAH content than high-sulfur coals. It may be explained by an increasing connection between disulfide bonds and PAHs in high-sulfur coal. In addition, it leads us to conclude that the PAH content of coals may be related to the depositional environment. ?? 2010 American Chemical Society.

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

Young, B.C.; Musich, M.A.

A fixed-bed reactor system with continuous Hg{sup 0} analysis capabilities was used to evaluate commercial carbon sorbents for the removal of elemental mercury from simulated flue gas. The objectives of the program were to compare the sorbent effectiveness under identical test conditions and to identify the effects of various flue gas components on elemental mercury sorption. Sorbents tested included steam-activated lignite, chemical-activated hardwood and bituminous coal, iodated steam-activated coconut shell, and sulfur-impregnated steam-activated bituminous coal. The iodated carbon was the most effective carbon, showing over 99% mercury removal according to EPA Method 101A. Data indicate that O{sub 2} (4 vol%)more » and SO{sub 2} (500 ppm) improved the mercury removal of the other carbons for tests at 150{degrees}C using 100 {mu}g/m{sup 3} Hg{sup 0}. Further, the presence of HCl (at 50 ppm) produced a magnitude increase in mercury removal for the steam-activated and sulfur-impregnated bituminous coal-based carbons.« less

MEASUREMENT OF MERCURY IN CHINESE UTILITY COAL

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of analyzing representative samples of 20 Chinese utility coals for mercury content, and proximate, ultimate, and heating values. The data for these bituminous coals, obtained from China with the cooperation of the Chinese University of Mining Technology,...

Filtering coal-derived oil through a filter media precoated with particles partially solubilized by said oil

DOEpatents

Rodgers, Billy R.; Edwards, Michael S.

1977-01-01

Solids such as char, ash, and refractory organic compounds are removed from coal-derived liquids from coal liquefaction processes by the pressure precoat filtration method using particles of 85-350 mesh material selected from the group of bituminous coal, anthracite coal, lignite, and devolatilized coals as precoat materials and as body feed to the unfiltered coal-derived liquid.

Numerical study of bituminous coal combustion in a boiler furnace with bottom blowing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zroychikov, N. A.; Kaverin, A. A.

2016-11-01

Results obtained by the numerical study of a solid fuel combustion scheme with bottom blowing using Ekibastuz and Kuznetsk bituminous coals of different fractional makeup are presented. Furnace chambers with bottom blowing provide high-efficiency combustion of coarse-grain coals with low emissions of nitrogen oxides. Studying such a combustion scheme, identification of its technological capabilities, and its further improvement are topical issues. As the initial object of study, we selected P-57-R boiler plant designed for burning of Ekibastuz bituminous coal in a prismatic furnace with dry-ash (solid slag) removal. The proposed modernization of the furnace involves a staged air inflow under the staggered arrangement of directflow burners (angled down) and bottom blowing. The calculation results revealed the specific aerodynamics of the flue gases, the trajectories of solid particles in the furnace chamber, and the peculiarities of the fuel combustion depending on the grinding fineness. It is shown that, for coal grinding on the mill, the overall residue on the screen plate of 90 µm ( R 90 ≤ 27% for Ekibastuz coal and R 90 ≤ 15% for Kuznetsk coal) represents admissible values for fuel grind coarsening in terms of economic efficiency and functional reliability of a boiler. The increase in these values leads to the excess of regulatory heat losses and unburned combustible losses. It has been established that the change in the grade of the burned coal does not significantly affect the flow pattern of the flue gases, and the particles trajectory is essentially determined by the elemental composition of the fuel.

Coal extrusion in the plastic state

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, C.; Ryason, P. R.

1977-01-01

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 425 C. Coal is then fed, much in the manner of common thermoplastics, using screw extruders. Data on the viscosity and extruder parameters for extrusion of Illinois No. 6 coal are presented.

Petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry of mined coals, western Venezuela

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hackley, Paul C.; Warwick, Peter D.; González, Eligio

2005-01-01

Upper Paleocene to middle Miocene coal samples collected from active mines in the western Venezuelan States of Táchira, Mérida and Zulia have been characterized through an integrated geochemical, mineralogical and petrographic investigation. Proximate, ultimate, calorific and forms of sulfur values, major and trace element, vitrinite reflectance, maceral concentrations and mineral matter content have been determined for 16 channel samples from 14 mines. Ash yield generally is low, ranging from < 1 to 17 wt.% (mean = 5 wt.%) on a dry basis (db). Total sulfur content is low to moderate, ranging from 1 to 6 wt.%, db (average = 1.7 wt.%). Calorific value ranges from 25.21 to 37.21 MJ/kg (10,840–16,000 Btu/lb) on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis (average = 33.25 MJ/kg, 14,300 Btu/lb), placing most of the coal samples in the apparent rank classification of high-volatile bituminous. Most of the coal samples exhibit favorable characteristics on the various indices developed to predict combustion and coking behavior and concentrations of possible environmentally sensitive elements (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Co, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Th and U) generally are similar to the concentrations of these elements in most coals of the world, with one or two exceptions. Concentrations of the liptinite maceral group range from < 1% to 70 vol.%. Five samples contain > 20 vol.% liptinite, dominated by the macerals bituminite and sporinite. Collotelinite dominates the vitrinite group; telinite was observed in quantities of ≤ 1 vol.% despite efforts to better quantify this maceral by etching the sample pellets in potassium permanganate and also by exposure in an oxygen plasma chamber. Inertinite group macerals typically represent < 10 vol.% of the coal samples and the highest concentrations of inertinite macerals are found in distantly spaced (> 400 km) upper Paleocene coal samples from opposite sides of Lago de Maracaibo, possibly indicating tectonic controls on subsidence related to construction of the Andean orogen. Values of maximum reflectance of vitrinite in oil (Ro max) range between 0.42% and 0.85% and generally are consistent with the high-volatile bituminous rank classification obtained through ASTM methods. X-ray diffraction analyses of low-temperature ash residues indicate that kaolinite, quartz, illite and pyrite dominate the inorganic fraction of most samples; plagioclase, potassium feldspar, calcite, siderite, ankerite, marcasite, rutile, anatase and apatite are present in minor or trace concentrations. Semiquantitative values of volume percent pyrite content show a strong correlation with pyritic sulfur and some sulfide-hosted trace element concentrations (As and Hg). This work provides a modern quality dataset for the western Venezuela coal deposits currently being exploited and will serve as the foundation for an ongoing coal quality research program in Venezuela.

Utilization of western coal fly ash in construction of highways in the Midwest

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-03-01

Coal burning utilities in the Midwest are increasingly using sub-bituminous coal from Wyoming. These utilities typically produce fly ash, which, because of its high calcium oxide content, may be classified as Class C fly ash. These ashes are characte...

49 CFR 387.301 - Surety bond, certificate of insurance, or other securities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... in bulk. Cement, building blocks. Charcoal. Chemical fertilizer. Cinder blocks. Cinders, coal. Coal. Coke. Commercial fertilizer. Concrete materials and added mixtures. Corn cobs. Cottonseed hulls... nitrate of soda. Anhydrous ammonia—used as a fertilizer only. Ashes, wood or coal. Bituminous concrete...

Investigation of coal properties and airborne respirable dust generation. Report of investigations/1998

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

Organiscak, J.A.; Page, S.J.

1998-10-01

Laboratory crushing experiments were conducted on a range of low- to high-volatile bituminous coals to investigate the various factors influencing airborne respirable dust (ARD) generation. This research was conducted to identify the principles of ARD liberation from the coal product. Five U.S. bituminous coals were uniformly prepared and processed through a double roll crusher located in a low-velocity wind tunnel. Experimental factors studied included inherent coal seam constituents, coal grindability, specific energy of crushing, product size characteristics, dust cloud electrostatic field, and specific ARD generated. The results of this investigation indicate that a combination of several factors are associated withmore » ARD generation. One factor is the effect of coal rank, described by the inherent moist fuel ratio, on the product size characteristics, defined by Schuhmann size function parameters. Another key factor is the effect of air dry loss (ADL) moisture in the coal seam on the breakage-induced electrostatic field of airborne dust. The effect of these factors is that different percentages of <10-micrometers coal particles are dispersed as ARD. A discussion of electrostatic field principles, coal ADL, and its effect on ARD generation is presented.« less

Combustion characteristics and arsenic retention during co-combustion of agricultural biomass and bituminous coal.

PubMed

Zhou, Chuncai; Liu, Guijian; Wang, Xudong; Qi, Cuicui; Hu, Yunhu

2016-08-01

A combination of thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and laboratory-scale circulated fluidized bed combustion experiment was conducted to investigate the thermochemical, kinetic and arsenic retention behavior during co-combustion bituminous coal with typical agricultural biomass. Results shown that ignition performance and thermal reactivity of coal could be enhanced by adding biomass in suitable proportion. Arsenic was enriched in fly ash and associated with fine particles during combustion of coal/biomass blends. The emission of arsenic decreased with increasing proportion of biomass in blends. The retention of arsenic may be attributed to the interaction between arsenic and fly ash components. The positive correlation between calcium content and arsenic concentration in ash suggesting that the arsenic-calcium interaction may be regarded as the primary mechanism for arsenic retention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phenols as chemical fossils in coals. [Book chapter

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

Bimer, J.; Given, P.H.; Raj, S.

It is generally considered that vitrinite, the principal maceral in most coals, represents coalified, partly decayed wood. Hence lignin should be one of the important precursors to the vitrinites in coals. Accordingly, it would be interesting to know whether any chemical fossils related to lignin could be found in coals. The purpose of this paper is to report what we believe to be a successful search for such fossils. The experimental approach exploited a degradation reaction developed in a study of soil humic acids by Burges et al. This reaction involves a reductive degradation with sodium amalgam and hot water.more » Thin layer chromatography of the ether soluble part of the product (yield, about 20%) showed the presence of a number of phenols and phenolic acids, most of whose structures bore obvious relationships to known microbial and chemical degradation products of lignin but some to the A ring of flavonoids. Humic acids can be extracted from peats and lignites but not from bituminous coals. However, oxidation of bituminous coals with aqueous performic acid generates in high yield (80 to 110% by weight) materials that closely resemble humic acids. The Burges reductive degradation was applied to humic acids extracted from some peats and lignites, and produced by oxidation of a number of bituminous coals. A number of identifications of products were made originally by gas chromatography with co-injection of standards. In this preliminary publication the experimental procedures are described and a sufficient selection of the data are given to show what was found by co-injection and later confirmed by mass spectrometry.« less

Filtration of micron-sized particles for coal liquids: carbonaceous precoats. [5 refs

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

Rodgers, B.R.

Carbonaceous precoats, such as bituminous coal and char from hydrocarbonization, are shown to be effective, inexpensive substitutes for traditional diatomaceous earth materials, both at laboratory-scale and bench-scale. Model equations are developed for filtration of Solvent Refined Coal-Unfiltered Oil (SRC-UFO).

Devolatilization of coal particles in a flat flame -- Experimental and modeling study

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

Therssen, E.; Gourichon, L.; Delfosse, L.

1995-10-01

Pulverized coals have been tested under the conditions of industrial flames, with high heating rate and high temperatures. The chars were collected after different pyrolysis times. For eight coals, the devolatilized fraction of coal has been measured, as well as those of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. During pyrolysis, the evolution of the texture of the grains has been studied by measurement of their microporous surface area, which undergoes a large increase, depending on coal rank. The composition of the volatiles, as deduced from the ultimate and proximate analysis of chars, showed high volatile bituminous coals to essentially produce tars withmore » an aromatic structure. Low and medium volatile bituminous coals produced light hydrocarbons on devolatilization and the char`s surface area continued increasing slowly during the whole of devolatilization, according to the slow increase of the fraction of hydrogen devolatilized. The char`s reactivity with oxygen was followed by measurements of Active Surface Area (ASA). It was shown that the ASA continuously decreases during devolatilization. Five models of devolatilization in the literature were tested and compared to the experimental results, assuming first-order reactions with respect to the remaining volatile matter. Badzioch`s model correctly fitted the experimental results and values of the rate constant obtained by computer trial and error adjustment were higher for lower ranks of the four bituminous coals. Anthony`s model also fits the measurements, provided an adjustment of the preexponential factor of activation energy for which it is shown that an infinite number of such pairs is suitable. If the model is run isothermally at the flame`s peak temperature, it also correctly fits the experimental results.« less

Nitrogen conversion under rapid pyrolysis of two types of aquatic biomass and corresponding blends with coal.

PubMed

Yuan, Shuai; Chen, Xue-li; Li, Wei-feng; Liu, Hai-feng; Wang, Fu-chen

2011-11-01

Rapid pyrolysis of two types of aquatic biomass (blue-green algae and water hyacinth), and their blends with two coals (bituminous and anthracite) was carried out in a high-frequency furnace. Nitrogen conversions during rapid pyrolysis of the two biomass and the interactions between the biomass and coals on nitrogen conversions were investigated. Results show that little nitrogen retained in char after the biomass pyrolysis, and NH(3) yields were higher than HCN. During co-pyrolysis of biomass and coal, interactions between biomass and coal decreased char-N yields and increased volatile-N yields, but the total yields of NH(3)+HCN in volatile-N were decreased in which HCN formations were decreased consistently, while NH(3) formations were only decreased in the high-temperature range but promoted in the low-temperature range. Interactions between blue-green algae and coals are stronger than those between water hyacinth and coal, and interactions between biomass and bituminous are stronger than those between biomass and anthracite. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Field Testing of a Wet FGD Additive for Enhanced Mercury Control - Pilot-Scale Test Results

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

Gary M. Blythe

2006-03-01

This Topical Report summarizes progress on Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-04NT42309, ''Field Testing of a Wet FGD Additive.'' The objective of the project is to demonstrate the use of a flue gas desulfurization (FGD) additive, Degussa Corporation's TMT-15, to prevent the reemissions of elemental mercury (Hg{sup 0}) in flue gas exiting wet FGD systems on coal-fired boilers. Furthermore, the project intends to demonstrate that the additive can be used to precipitate most of the mercury (Hg) removed in the wet FGD system as a fine TMT salt that can be separated from the FGD liquor and bulk solid byproducts for separate disposal.more » The project will conduct pilot and full-scale tests of the TMT-15 additive in wet FGD absorbers. The tests are intended to determine required additive dosage requirements to prevent Hg{sup 0} reemissions and to separate mercury from the normal FGD byproducts for three coal types: Texas lignite/Power River Basin (PRB) coal blend, high-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal, and low-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal. The project team consists of URS Group, Inc., EPRI, TXU Generation Company LP, Southern Company, and Degussa Corporation. TXU Generation has provided the Texas lignite/PRB co-fired test site for pilot FGD tests, Monticello Steam Electric Station Unit 3. Southern Company is providing the low-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal host site for wet scrubbing tests, as well as the pilot and full-scale jet bubbling reactor (JBR) FGD systems to be tested. A third utility, to be named later, will provide the high-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal full-scale FGD test site. Degussa Corporation is providing the TMT-15 additive and technical support to the test program. The project is being conducted in six tasks. Of the six project tasks, Task 1 involves project planning and Task 6 involves management and reporting. The other four tasks involve field testing on FGD systems, either at pilot or full scale. The four tasks include: Task 2 - Pilot Additive Testing in Texas Lignite Flue Gas; Task 3 - Full-scale FGD Additive Testing in High Sulfur Eastern Bituminous Flue Gas; Task 4 - Pilot Wet Scrubber Additive Tests at Yates; and Task 5 - Full-scale Additive Tests at Plant Yates. This topical report presents the results from the Task 2 and Task 4 pilot-scale additive tests. The Task 3 and Task 5 full-scale additive tests will be conducted later in calendar year 2006.« less

Study on the coal mixing ratio optimization for a power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Y. A.; Cheng, J. W.; Bai, Q.; Li, W. B.

2017-12-01

For coal-fired power plants, the application of blended coal combustion has been a great issue due to the shortage and rising prices of high-rank coal. This paper describes the optimization of blending methods between Xing'an lignite coal, Shaltala lignite coal, Ura lignite coal, and Inner Mongolia bituminous coal. The multi-objective decision-making method based on fuzzy mathematics was used to determine the optimal blending ratio to improve the power plant coal-fired economy.

Sorption of the monoterpenes α-pinene and limonene to carbonaceous geosorbents including biochar.

PubMed

Hale, Sarah E; Endo, Satoshi; Arp, Hans Peter H; Zimmerman, Andrew R; Cornelissen, Gerard

2015-01-01

The sorption of two monoterpenes, α pinene and limonene to the carbonaceous geosorbents graphite, bituminous coal, lignite coke, biochar and Pahokee peat was quantified. Polyethylene (PE) passive samplers were calibrated for the first time for these compounds by determining the PE-water partitioning coefficients and used as a tool to determine sorption to the carbonaceous geosorbents. Log KPE-water values were 3.49±0.58 for α pinene and 4.08±0.27 for limonene. The sorption of limonene to all materials was stronger than that for α pinene (differences of 0.2-1.3 log units between distribution coefficients for the monoterpenes). Placing Kd values in increasing order for α pinene gave biochar≈Pahokee peat≈bituminous coal≈lignite coke

Chemistry of thermally altered high volatile bituminous coals from southern Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, R.; Mastalerz, Maria; Brassell, S.; Elswick, E.; Hower, J.C.; Schimmelmann, A.

2007-01-01

The optical properties and chemical characteristics of two thermally altered Pennsylvanian high volatile bituminous coals, the non-coking Danville Coal Member (Ro = 0.55%) and the coking Lower Block Coal Member (Ro = 0.56%) were investigated with the purpose of understanding differences in their coking behavior. Samples of the coals were heated to temperatures of 275????C, 325????C, 375????C and 425????C, with heating times of up to one hour. Vitrinite reflectance (Ro%) rises with temperature in both coals, with the Lower Block coal exhibiting higher reflectance at 375????C and 425????C compared to the Danville coal. Petrographic changes include the concomitant disappearance of liptinites and development of vesicles in vitrinites in both coals, although neither coal developed anisotropic coke texture. At 375????C, the Lower Block coal exhibits a higher aromatic ratio, higher reflectance, higher carbon content, and lower oxygen content, all of which indicate a greater degree of aromatization at this temperature. The Lower Block coal maintains a higher CH2/CH3 ratio than the Danville coal throughout the heating experiment, indicating that the long-chain unbranched aliphatics contained in Lower Block coal liptinites are more resistant to decomposition. As the Lower Block coal contains significant amounts of liptinite (23.6%), the contribution of aliphatics from these liptinites appears to be the primary cause of its large plastic range and high fluidity. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Market assessment of PFBC ash use

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

Bland, A. E.; Brown, T. H., Western Research Institute

1998-01-01

Pressurized fluidized bed combustion (PFBC) of coal is undergoing demonstration in the United States, as well as throughout the world. American Electric Power`s (AEP`s) bubbling PFBC 70 MWe Tidd demonstration program in Ohio and pilot-scale development at Foster Wheeler Energia Oy 10 MWth circulating PFBC at Karhula, Finland, have demonstrated the advantages of PFBC technology. Further technology development in the US is planned with the deployment of the technology at the MacIntosh Clean Coal project in Lakeland, Florida. Development of uses for solid wastes from PFBC coal-fired power systems is being actively pursued as part of the demonstration of PFBCmore » technologies. Ashes collected from Foster Wheeler Energia Oy pilot circulating PFBC tests in Karhula, Finland, operating on (1) low sulfur subbituminous and (2) high sulfur bituminous coal; and ash from the AEP`s high-sulfur bituminous coal-fired bubbling PFBC in Brilliant, Ohio, were evaluated in laboratory and pilot-scale ash use testing at Western Research Institute (WRI).« less

Coal char oxidation kinetics in air medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slyusarskiy, K. V.; Jankovskiy, S. A.; Korotkikh, A. G.; Sorokin, I. V.

2017-01-01

Research on oxidation in air medium process of three different coal chars with various carbon content was presented. The anthracite, T-grade bituminous coal and 2B-grade lignite char powders with particle size less than 80 µm were studied. The coal char oxidation was studied by isothermal method using coupled TG-DSC analyzer Netzsch STA 449 Jupiter F3 in the temperature range 1000-1200 °C. Experiments were carried out at ambient pressure. Volumetric flow rate of oxidation medium into analyzer chamber was 250 ml/min and consisted of oxygen and argon with volumetric ratio 24:1. Based on experimental data, the average rate of carbon oxidation reaction values were defined at each temperature. Kinetic constants (frequency factor and activation energy) of reaction were defined as well via 1st order Arrhenius equation. Activation energy values are in good agreement with the data presented in the literature. Activation energy values for anthracite char are 1.6-1.7 times higher than those for bituminous coal and lignite chars, respectively.

Microbial desulfurization of coal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dastoor, M. N.; Kalvinskas, J. J.

1978-01-01

Experiments indicate that several sulfur-oxidizing bacteria strains have been very efficient in desulfurizing coal. Process occurs at room temperature and does not require large capital investments of high energy inputs. Process may expand use of abundant reserves of high-sulfur bituminous coal, which is currently restricted due to environmental pollution. On practical scale, process may be integrated with modern coal-slurry transportation lines.

Field Testing of a Wet FGD Additive for Enhanced Mercury Control - Task 5 Full-Scale Test Results

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

Gary Blythe; MariJon Owens

2007-12-01

This Topical Report summarizes progress on Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-04NT42309, 'Field Testing of a Wet FGD Additive'. The objective of the project is to demonstrate the use of two flue gas desulfurization (FGD) additives, Evonik Degussa Corporation's TMT-15 and Nalco Company's Nalco 8034, to prevent the re-emission of elemental mercury (Hg{sup 0}) in flue gas exiting wet FGD systems on coal-fired boilers. Furthermore, the project intends to demonstrate whether the additive can be used to precipitate most of the mercury (Hg) removed in the wet FGD system as a fine salt that can be separated from the FGD liquor and bulkmore » solid byproducts for separate disposal. The project is conducting pilot- and full-scale tests of the additives in wet FGD absorbers. The tests are intended to determine required additive dosages to prevent Hg{sup 0} re-emissions and to separate mercury from the normal FGD byproducts for three coal types: Texas lignite/Powder River Basin (PRB) coal blend, high-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal, and low-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal. The project team consists of URS Group, Inc., EPRI, Luminant Power (was TXU Generation Company LP), Southern Company, IPL (an AES company), Evonik Degussa Corporation and the Nalco Company. Luminant Power has provided the Texas lignite/PRB co-fired test site for pilot FGD tests and cost sharing. Southern Company has provided the low-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal host site for wet scrubbing tests, as well as the pilot- and full-scale jet bubbling reactor (JBR) FGD systems tested. IPL provided the high-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal full-scale FGD test site and cost sharing. Evonik Degussa Corporation is providing the TMT-15 additive, and the Nalco Company is providing the Nalco 8034 additive. Both companies are also supplying technical support to the test program as in-kind cost sharing. The project is being conducted in six tasks. Of the six project tasks, Task 1 involves project planning and Task 6 involves management and reporting. The other four tasks involve field testing on FGD systems, either at pilot or full scale. The four tasks include: Task 2 - Pilot Additive Testing in Texas Lignite Flue Gas; Task 3 - Full-scale FGD Additive Testing in High-sulfur Eastern Bituminous Flue Gas; Task 4 - Pilot Wet Scrubber Additive Tests at Plant Yates; and Task 5 - Full-scale Additive Tests at Plant Yates. The pilot-scale tests and the full-scale test using high-sulfur coal were completed in 2005 and 2006 and have been previously reported. This topical report presents the results from the Task 5 full-scale additive tests, conducted at Southern Company's Plant Yates Unit 1. Both additives were tested there.« less

Brown coal maceral distributions in a modern domed tropical Indonesian peat and a comparison with maceral distributions in Middle Pennsylvanian–age Appalachian bituminous coal beds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grady, William C.; Eble, Cortland F.; Neuzil, Sandra G.

1993-01-01

Analyses of modern Indonesian peat samples reveal that the optical characteristics of peat constituents are consistent with the characteristics of macerals observed in brown coal and, as found by previous workers, brown-coal maceral terminology can be used in the analysis of modern peat. A core from the margin and one from near the center of a domed peat deposit in Riau Province, Sumatra, reveal that the volume of huminite macerals representing well-preserved cell structures (red, red-gray, and gray textinite; ulminite; and corpo/textinite) decreases upward. Huminite macerals representing severely degraded (<20 microns) cellular debris (degraded textinite, attrinite, and densinite) increase uniformly from the base to the surface. Greater degradation of the huminite macerals in the upper peat layers in the interior of the deposit is interpreted to be the result of fungal activity that increased in response to increasingly aerobic conditions associated with the doming of the peat deposit. Aerobic conditions concurrent with the activities of fungi may result in incipient oxidation of the severely degraded huminite macerals. This oxidation could lead to the formation of degradosemifusinite, micrinite, and macrinite maceral precursors in the peat, which may become evident only upon coalification. The core at the margin was petrographically more homogeneous than the core from the center and was dominated by well-preserved huminite macerals except in the upper 1 m, which showed signs of aerobic degradation and was similar to the upper 1 m of the peat in the interior of the deposit.The Stockton and other Middle Pennsylvanian Appalachian coal beds show analogous vertical trends in vitrinite maceral composition. The succession from telocollinite-rich, bright coal lithotypes in the lower benches upward to thin-banded/matrix collinite and desmocollinite in higher splint coal benches is believed to reflect a progression similar to that from the well-preserved textinite macerals in the lower portions of the peat cores to severely fragmented and degraded cellular materials (degraded textinite, attrinite, and densinite) in the upper portions of the cores. This petrographic sequence from bright to splint coal in the Stockton and other Middle Pennsylvanian coal beds supports previous interpretations of an upward transition from planar to domed swamp accumulations.

Petrographic and geochemical contrasts and environmentally significant trace elements in marine-influenced coal seams, Yanzhou mining area, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu, Gaisheng; Yang, P.; Peng, Z.; Chou, C.-L.

2004-01-01

The Yanzhou mining area in west Shandong Province, China contains coals of Permian and Carboniferous age. The 31 and 32 seams of the Permian Shanxi Formation and seams 6, 15-17 of the Carboniferous Taiyuan Formation were analyzed for coal petrology, mineralogy and geochemical parameters. The parameters indicate that the coal is high volatile bituminous in rank. The coal is characterized by high vitrinite and low to medium inertinite and liptinite contents. These properties may be related to evolution of the coal forming environment from more reducing conditions in a marine influenced lower delta plain environment for the early Taiyuan coals to more oxidizing paleoenvironments in an upper delta plain for the upper Shanxi coal seams. The major mineral phases present in the coal are quartz, kaolinite, pyrite and calcite. Sulfur is one of the hazardous elements in coal. The major forms of sulfur in coal are pyritic, organic and sulfate sulfur. Pyritic and organic sulfur generally account for the bulk of the sulfur in coal. Elemental sulfur also occurs in coal, but only in trace to minor amounts. In this paper, the distribution and concentration of sulfur in the Yanzhou mining district are analyzed, and the forms of sulfur are studied. The sulfur content of the Taiyuan coal seams is considerably higher than that of the Shanxi coals. Organic sulfur content is positively correlated to total and pyritic sulfur. The vertical variation of Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Th, U and sulfur contents in coal seam 3 of the Shanxi Formation in the Xinglongzhuang mine show that all these trace elements, with the exception of Th, are enriched in the top and bottom plies of the seam, and that their concentrations are also relatively high in the dirt bands within the seam. The pyritic sulfur is positively correlated with total sulfur, and both are enriched in the top, bottom and parting plies of the seam. The concentrations of the trace elements are closely related to sulfur and ash contents. Most of the trace elements are correlated with the ash content, and may be associated with the mineral matter in the coal. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-coal-particle combustion in O{sub 2}/N{sub 2} and O{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} environments

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

Bejarano, Paula A.; Levendis, Yiannis A.

A fundamental investigation has been conducted on the combustion of single particles of a bituminous coal (45-53, 75-90, and 150-180 {mu}m), of a lignite coal (45-53 and 75-90 {mu}m), and of spherical and monodisperse synthetic chars (43 {mu}m) at increasing O{sub 2} mole fractions in either N{sub 2} or CO{sub 2} balance gases. The synthetic particles were used to facilitate the observation of combustion phenomena with minimum distractions from particle-to-particle variabilities. The laboratory setup consisted of a drop-tube furnace operated at temperatures of 1400 and 1600 K. A calibrated three-color pyrometer, interfaced with the furnace, recorded luminous particle temperature-time profiles.more » Experimental results revealed that coal particles burned at higher mean temperatures and shorter combustion times in O{sub 2}/N{sub 2} than in O{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} environments at analogous oxygen mole fractions. In the case of the bituminous coal used herein and for the experimental combustion conditions tested, measured volatile and char temperatures as in air (21% O{sub 2}) were attained with an oxygen content in the CO{sub 2} mixtures in the neighborhood of 30%. Bituminous coal volatile and char burnout times comparable to those in air (21% O{sub 2}) were attained with oxygen content in the CO{sub 2} mixtures in the range of 30-35%. In the case of the lignite coal burned, the corresponding differences in oxygen mole fractions, which result in similar particle temperatures and burnout times in the two different gas mixtures, were less pronounced. (author)« less

20 CFR 725.101 - Definition and use of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... the surface of such land by any person, used in, or to be used in, or resulting from, the work of... means or method, and in the work of preparing the coal so extracted, and includes custom coal..., mixing, storing and loading of bituminous coal, lignite or anthracite, and such other work of preparing...

Co-combustion of bituminous coal and biomass fuel blends: Thermochemical characterization, potential utilization and environmental advantage.

PubMed

Zhou, Chuncai; Liu, Guijian; Wang, Xudong; Qi, Cuicui

2016-10-01

The thermochemical characteristics and gaseous trace pollutant behaviors during co-combustion medium-to-low ash bituminous coal with typical biomass residues (corn stalk and sawdust) were investigated. Lowering of ignition index, burnout temperature and activation energy in the major combustion stage are observed in the coal/biomass blends. The blending proportion of 20% and 30% are regarded as the optimum blends for corn stalk and sawdust, respectively, in according the limitations of heating value, activation energy, flame stability and base/acid ratio. The reductions of gaseous As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) were 4.5%, 7.8%, 6.3%, 9.8%, 9.4% and 17.4%, respectively, when co-combustion coal with 20% corn stalk. The elevated capture of trace elements were found in coal/corn stalk blend, while the coal/sawdust blend has the better PAHs control potential. The reduction mechanisms of gaseous trace pollutants were attributed to the fuel property, ash composition and relative residence time during combustion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Desulfurizing Coal With an Alkali Treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravindram, M.; Kalvinskas, J. J.

1987-01-01

Experimental coal-desulfurization process uses alkalies and steam in fluidized-bed reactor. With highly volatile, high-sulfur bituminous coal, process removed 98 percent of pyritic sulfur and 47 percent of organic sulfur. Used in coal liquefaction and in production of clean solid fuels and synthetic liquid fuels. Nitrogen or steam flows through bed of coal in reactor. Alkalies react with sulfur, removing it from coal. Nitrogen flow fluidizes bed while heating or cooling; steam is fluidizing medium during reaction.

Fall may be imminent for Kansas Cherokee basin coalbed gas output

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newell, K. David

2010-01-01

Natural gas production in the Kansas portion of the Cherokee basin, Southeastern Kansas, for 2008 was 49.1 bcf. The great majority of Cherokee basin gas production is now coal-bed methane (CBM). The major producers are Quest Energy LLC, Dart Cherokee Basin Operating Co. LLC, and Layne Energy Operating LLC. Most CBM in Southeastern Kansas is from Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian high-volatile B and A rank bituminous coals at 800 to 1,200 ft depth. Rates of decline for the CBM wells generally decrease the longer a well produces. A gentler collective decline of 13.8% is calculated by averaging the number of new producing wells in a given year with that of the previous year. By the calculations using the gentler overall 13.8% decline rate, if more than 918 successful CBM wells are drilled in 2009, then gas production will increase from 2008 to 2009.

40 CFR 74.23 - 1985 Allowable SO 2 emissions rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

....00 1.00 Coal Unit with Federal Limit, but Averaging Time Not Specified 0.93 0.89 (2) Calendar year... Bituminous coal Subbituminous coal Lignite coal Oil lbs Sulfur/mmBtu 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 % Sulfur in fuel 1.66 2... year as defined under § 74.23(a)(2). (ii) Citation of statute, regulations, and any other authority...

40 CFR 74.23 - 1985 Allowable SO 2 emissions rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

....00 1.00 Coal Unit with Federal Limit, but Averaging Time Not Specified 0.93 0.89 (2) Calendar year... Bituminous coal Subbituminous coal Lignite coal Oil lbs Sulfur/mmBtu 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 % Sulfur in fuel 1.66 2... year as defined under § 74.23(a)(2). (ii) Citation of statute, regulations, and any other authority...

Semi-coke briquettes: towards reducing emissions of primary PM2.5, particulate carbon, and carbon monoxide from household coal combustion in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qing; Li, Xinghua; Jiang, Jingkun; Duan, Lei; Ge, Su; Zhang, Qi; Deng, Jianguo; Wang, Shuxiao; Hao, Jiming

2016-01-01

Direct household use of unprocessed raw coals for cooking and heating without any air pollution control device has caused serious indoor and outdoor environment problems by emitting particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants. This study examined household emission reduction by switching from unprocessed bituminous and anthracite coals to processed semi-coke briquettes. Two typical stoves were used to test emission characteristics when burning 20 raw coal samples commonly used in residential heating activities and 15 semi-coke briquette samples which were made from bituminous coals by industrial carbonization treatment. The carbonization treatment removes volatile compounds from raw coals which are the major precursors for PM formation and carbon emission. The average emission factors of primary PM2.5, elemental carbon, organic carbon, and carbon monoxide for the tested semi-coke briquettes are much lower than those of the tested raw coals. Based on the current coal consumption data in China, switching to semi-coke briquettes can reduce average emission factors of these species by about 92%, 98%, 91%, and 34%, respectively. Additionally, semi-coke briquette has relatively lower price and higher burnout ratio. The replacement of raw coals with semi-coke briquettes is a feasible path to reduce pollution emissions from household activities.

Coal deposits of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

John, Nelson W.

1987-01-01

The coal fields of the Unites States can be divided into six major provinces. The Appalachian and Interior Provinces contain dominantly bituminous coal in strata of Pennsylvanian age. The coal seams are relatively thin and are mined both by surface and underground methods. Sulfyur content is low to moderate in the Appalachian Province, generally high in the Interior province. The Gulf Coastal Plain Province, in Texas and neighboring states, contains lignite of Eocene age. The seams are 3-25 ft (0.9-7.5 m) thick and are minded in large open pits. The Northern Great Plains Province has lignite and subbituminous coal of Cretaceous, Paleocene and Eocene age. The coal, largely very low in sulfur, occurs in beds up to 100 ft (30 m) thick and is strip-mined. The Rocky Mountain Province contains a great variety of coal deposits in numerous separate intermontane basins. Most of it is low-sulfur subbituminous to bituminous coal iof Creatceous and early Tertiary age. The seams range from a few feet to over 100 ft (30 m) thick. Strip-mining dominates but underground mines are important in Utah and Colorado. The Pacific Coast Province, which includes Alaska, contains enormous cola resources but has seen little mining. The coal is highly diverse in physical character and geologic setting. ?? 1987.

Mode of occurrence of chromium in four US coals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huggins, Frank E.; Shah, N.; Huffman, G.P.; Kolker, A.; Crowley, S.; Palmer, C.A.; Finkelman, R.B.

2000-01-01

The mode of occurrence of chromium in three US bituminous coals and one US subbituminous has been examined using both X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and a selective leaching protocol supplemented by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron microprobe measurements. A synthesis of results from both methods indicates that chromium occurs principally in two forms in the bituminous coals: the major occurrence of chromium is associated with the macerals and is not readily leached by any reagent, whereas a second, lesser occurrence, which is leachable in hydrofluoric acid (HF), is associated with the clay mineral, illite. The former occurrence is believed to be a small particle oxyhydroxide phase (CrO(OH)). One coal also contained a small fraction (<5%) of the chromium in the form of a chromian magnetite, and the leaching protocol indicated the possibility of a similar small fraction of chromium in sulfide form in all three coals. There was little agreement between the two techniques on the mode of occurrence of chromium in the subbituminous coal; however, only a limited number of subbituminous coals have been analyzed by either technique. The chromium in all four coals was trivalent as no evidence was found for the Cr6+ oxidation state in any coal.

Semi-coke briquettes: towards reducing emissions of primary PM2.5, particulate carbon, and carbon monoxide from household coal combustion in China

PubMed Central

Li, Qing; Li, Xinghua; Jiang, Jingkun; Duan, Lei; Ge, Su; Zhang, Qi; Deng, Jianguo; Wang, Shuxiao; Hao, Jiming

2016-01-01

Direct household use of unprocessed raw coals for cooking and heating without any air pollution control device has caused serious indoor and outdoor environment problems by emitting particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants. This study examined household emission reduction by switching from unprocessed bituminous and anthracite coals to processed semi-coke briquettes. Two typical stoves were used to test emission characteristics when burning 20 raw coal samples commonly used in residential heating activities and 15 semi-coke briquette samples which were made from bituminous coals by industrial carbonization treatment. The carbonization treatment removes volatile compounds from raw coals which are the major precursors for PM formation and carbon emission. The average emission factors of primary PM2.5, elemental carbon, organic carbon, and carbon monoxide for the tested semi-coke briquettes are much lower than those of the tested raw coals. Based on the current coal consumption data in China, switching to semi-coke briquettes can reduce average emission factors of these species by about 92%, 98%, 91%, and 34%, respectively. Additionally, semi-coke briquette has relatively lower price and higher burnout ratio. The replacement of raw coals with semi-coke briquettes is a feasible path to reduce pollution emissions from household activities. PMID:26782059

Ignition and Combustion of Pulverized Coal and Biomass under Different Oxy-fuel O2/N2 and O2/CO2 Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khatami Firoozabadi, Seyed Reza

This work studied the ignition and combustion of burning pulverized coals and biomasses particles under either conventional combustion in air or oxy-fuel combustion conditions. Oxy-fuel combustion is a 'clean-coal' process that takes place in O2/CO2 environments, which are achieved by removing nitrogen from the intake gases and recirculating large amounts of flue gases to the boiler. Removal of nitrogen from the combustion gases generates a high CO2-content, sequestration-ready gas at the boiler effluent. Flue gas recirculation moderates the high temperatures caused by the elevated oxygen partial pressure in the boiler. In this study, combustion of the fuels took place in a laboratory laminar-flow drop-tube furnace (DTF), electrically-heated to 1400 K, in environments containing various mole fractions of oxygen in either nitrogen or carbon-dioxide background gases. The experiments were conducted at two different gas conditions inside the furnace: (a) quiescent gas condition (i.e., no flow or inactive flow) and, (b) an active gas flow condition in both the injector and furnace. Eight coals from different ranks (anthracite, semi-snthracite, three bituminous, subbituminous and two lignites) and four biomasses from different sources were utilized in this work to study the ignition and combustion characteristics of solid fuels in O2/N2 or O2/CO2 environments. The main objective is to study the effect of replacing background N2 with CO2, increasing O2 mole fraction and fuel type and rank on a number of qualitative and quantitative parameters such as ignition/combustion mode, ignition temperature, ignition delay time, combustion temperatures, burnout times and envelope flame soot volume fractions. Regarding ignition, in the quiescent gas condition, bituminous and sub-bituminous coal particles experienced homogeneous ignition in both O2/N 2 and O2/CO2 atmospheres, while in the active gas flow condition, heterogeneous ignition was evident in O2/CO 2. Anthracite, semi-anthracite and lignites mostly experienced heterogeneous ignition in either O2/N2 or O2/CO2 atmospheres in both flow conditions. Replacing the N2 by CO 2 slightly increased the ignition temperature (30--40K). Ignition temperatures increased with the enhancement of coal rank in either air or oxy-fuel combustion conditions. However, increasing oxygen mole fraction decreased the ignition temperature for all coals. The ignition delay of coal particles was prolonged in the slow-heating O2/CO2 atmospheres, relative to the faster-heating O2/N2 atmospheres, particularly at high-diluent mole fractions. At higher O2 mole fractions, ignition delays decreased in both environments. Higher rank fuels such as anthracite and semi-anthracite experienced higher ignition delays while lower rank fuels such as lignite and biomasses experienced lower igniton delay times. In combustion, fuel particles were observed to burn in different modes, such as two-mode, or in one-mode combustion, depending on their rank and the furnace conditions. Strong tendencies were observed for all fuels to burn in one-mode when N2 was replaced by CO2, and when O 2 mole fraction increased in both environments. Moreover, increasing the coal rank, from lignite to bituminous, enhanced the tendency of coal particles to exhibit a two-mode combustion behavior. Particle luminosity, fragmentation and deduced temperatures were higher in O2/N2 than in O2/CO2 atmospheres, and corresponding burnout times were shorter, at the same O2 mole fractions. Particle luminosity and temperatures increased with increasing O2 mole fractions in both N2 and in CO2 background gases, and corresponding burnout times decreased with increasing O2 mole fractions. Bituminous coal particles swelled, whereas sub-bituminous coal particles exhibited limited fragmentation prior to and during the early stages of combustion. Lignite coal particles fragmented extensively and burned in one-mode regardless of the O2 mole fraction and the background gas. The timing of fragmentation (prior or after ignition) and the number of fragments depended on the type of the lignite and on the particle shape. Temperatures and burnout times of particles were also affected by the combustion mode. In nearly all bituminous and biomass particles combustion, sooty envelope flames were formed around the particles. Replacement of background N 2 by CO2 gas decreased the average soot volume fraction, fv, whereas increasing O2 from 20% to 30--40% increased the fv and then further increasing O2 to 100% decreased the soot volume fraction drastically. bituminous coal particle flames generated lower soot volume fractions in the range 2x10 -5--9x10-5, depending on O2 mole fraction. Moreover, biomass particle flames were optically thin and of equal-sized at all O2 mole fractions. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Changes in optical properties, chemistry, and micropore and mesopore characteristics of bituminous coal at the contact with dikes in the Illinois Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Drobniak, A.; Schimmelmann, A.

2009-01-01

Changes in high-volatile bituminous coal (Pennsylvanian) near contacts with two volcanic intrusions in Illinois were investigated with respect to optical properties, coal chemistry, and coal pore structure. Vitrinite reflectance (Ro) increases from 0.62% to 5.03% within a distance of 5.5??m from the larger dike, and from 0.63% to 3.71% within 3.3??m from the small dike. Elemental chemistry of the coal shows distinct reductions in hydrogen and nitrogen content close to the intrusions. No trend was observed for total sulfur content, but decreases in sulfate content towards the dikes indicate thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). Contact-metamorphism has a dramatic effect on coal porosity, and microporosity in particular. Around the large dike, the micropore volume, after a slight initial increase, progressively decreases from 0.0417??cm3/g in coal situated 4.7??m from the intrusive contact to 0.0126??cm3/g at the contact. Strongly decreasing mesopore and micropore volumes in the altered zone, together with frequent cleat and fracture filling by calcite, indicate deteriorating conditions for both coalbed gas sorption and gas transmissibility. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[In vitro toxicity of naturally occurring silica nanoparticles in C1 coal in bronchial epithelial cells].

PubMed

Li, Guangjian; Huang, Yunchao; Liu, Yongjun; Guo, Lv; Zhou, Yongchun; Yang, Kun; Chen, Ying; Zhao, Guangqiang; Lei, Yujie

2012-10-01

China's Xuan Wei County in Yunnan Province have the world's highest incidence of lung cancer in nonsmoking women-20 times higher than the rest of China. Previous studies showed, this high lung cancer incidence may be associated with the silica particles embedded in the production combustion from the C1 coal. The aim of this study is to separate the silica particles from production combustion from the C1 bituminous coal in Xuan Wei County of Yunnan Province, and study in vitro toxicity of naturally occurring silica particles on BEAS-2B. ①Separating the silica particles from combustion products of C1 bituminous coal by physical method, observing the morphology by Scanning Electron Microscope, analysis elements by SEM-EDX, observed the single particle morphology by Transmission Electron Microscope, analyed its particle size distribution by Laser particle size analyzer, the surface area of silica particles were determined by BET nitrogen adsorption analysis; ②Cell viability of the experimental group (silica; naturally occurring), control group (silica; industrial produced and crystalline silica) was detected by assay used the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined after 24 h-72 h exposed to these particles. ①The physical method can separate silica particles from production combustion from the C1 bituminous coal, which have different size, and from 30 nm to 120 nm particles accounted for 86.8%, different morphology, irregular surface area and containing trace of aluminum, calcium and iron and other elements; ②Under the same concentration, the experiment group have higher toxicity on BEAS-2B than control groups. Physical method can separate silica particles from production combustion from the C1 bituminous coal and not change the original morphology and containing trace; ②Naturally occurring silica nanoparticles have irregular morphology, surface area, and containing complex trace elements may has greater toxicity than the silica nanoparticle of industrial produced and crystalline silica.

Chemical activation of bituminous coal for hampering oligomerization of organic contaminants.

PubMed

Yan, Liang; Sorial, George A

2011-12-15

Activated carbons prepared by KOH activation of bituminous coal were studied for hampering oligomerization of phenolic compounds on its surface. A total of 24 activated carbons with different microporosity and BET surface area were created. The effect of the different variables of the activation process (KOH/bituminous coal ratio, heating temperature, activation time, and flow rate of nitrogen gas) on critical carbon parameters was analyzed. The impact of activated carbon on oligomerization was examined by conducting isotherm experiments at a neutral pH on Carbon(exp) produced with optimal characteristics and granular activated carbon (GAC) F400 for phenol, 2-methylphenol and 2-ethylphenol. These isotherms were collected under anoxic (absence of molecular oxygen) and oxic (presence of molecular oxygen) conditions. The single solute adsorption of phenol, 2-methylphenol and 2-ethylphenol on Carbon(exp) showed no obvious differences between oxic and anoxic environment, which indicated that the Carbon(exp) sample is very effective in hampering the oligomerization of phenolic compounds under oxic conditions. On the other hand, F400, which have lower micropore percentage and BET surface area, significant increases in the adsorptive capacity had been observed when molecular oxygen was present. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of hydrocarbon source rock potential of Polish bituminous coals and carbonaceous shales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kotarba, M.J.; Clayton, J.L.; Rice, D.D.; Wagner, M.

2002-01-01

We analyzed 40 coal samples and 45 carbonaceous shale samples of varying thermal maturity (vitrinite reflectance 0.59% to 4.28%) from the Upper Carboniferous coal-bearing strata of the Upper Silesian, Lower Silesian, and Lublin basins, Poland, to evaluate their potential for generation and expulsion of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons. We evaluated source rock potential based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis yield, elemental composition (atomic H/C and O/C), and solvent extraction yields of bitumen. An attempt was made to relate maceral composition to these source rock parameters and to composition of the organic matter and likely biological precursors. A few carbonaceous shale samples contain sufficient generation potential (pyrolysis assay and elemental composition) to be considered potential source rocks, although the extractable hydrocarbon and bitumen yields are lower than those reported in previous studies for effective Type III source rocks. Most samples analysed contain insufficient capacity for generation of hydrocarbons to reach thresholds required for expulsion (primary migration) to occur. In view of these findings, it is improbable that any of the coals or carbonaceous shales at the sites sampled in our study would be capable of expelling commercial amounts of oil. Inasmuch as a few samples contained sufficient generation capacity to be considered potential source rocks, it is possible that some locations or stratigraphic zones within the coals and shales could have favourable potential, but could not be clearly delimited with the number of samples analysed in our study. Because of their high heteroatomic content and high amount of asphaltenes, the bitumens contained in the coals are less capable of generating hydrocarbons even under optimal thermal conditions than their counterpart bitumens in the shales which have a lower heteroatomic content. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Outdoor, indoor, and personal black carbon exposure from cookstoves burning solid fuels

PubMed Central

Downward, George S.; Hu, Wei; Rothman, Nat; Reiss, Boris; Wu, Guoping; Wei, Fusheng; Xu, Jun; Seow, Wei Jie; Brunekreef, Bert; Chapman, Robert S.; Qing, Lan; Vermeulen, Roel

2015-01-01

Background Black carbon (BC) emissions from solid fuel combustion are associated with increased morbidity and mortality and are important drivers of climate change. We studied BC measurements, approximated by particulate matter (PM2.5) absorbance, in rural Yunnan province, China whose residents use a variety of solid fuels for cooking and heating including: bituminous and anthracite coal, and wood. Methods Measurements were taken over 2 consecutive 24 h periods from 163 households in 30 villages. PM2.5 absorbance (PMabs) was measured using an EEL 043 Smoke Stain Reflectometer. Results PMabs measurements were higher in wood burning households (16.3 × 10−5 m−1) than bituminous and anthracite coal households (12 and 5.1 × 10−5 m−1 respectively). Among bituminous coal users, measurements varied by a factor of two depending on the coal source. Portable stoves (which are lit outdoors and brought indoors for use) were associated with reduced PMabs levels, but no other impact of stove design was observed. Outdoor measurements were positively correlated with and approximately half the level of indoor measurements (r= 0.49, p<0.01). Conclusion Measurements of BC (as approximated by PMabs) in this population are modulated by fuel type and source. This provides valuable insight into potential morbidity, mortality and climate change contributions of domestic usage of solid fuels. PMID:26452237

Field Testing of a Wet FGD Additive for Enhanced Mercury Control - Task 3 Full-scale Test Results

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

Gary Blythe

2007-05-01

This Topical Report summarizes progress on Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-04NT42309, 'Field Testing of a Wet FGD Additive'. The objective of the project is to demonstrate the use of a flue gas desulfurization (FGD) additive, Degussa Corporation's TMT-15, to prevent the reemission of elemental mercury (Hg{sup 0}) in flue gas exiting wet FGD systems on coal-fired boilers. Furthermore, the project intends to demonstrate whether the additive can be used to precipitate most of the mercury (Hg) removed in the wet FGD system as a fine TMT salt that can be separated from the FGD liquor and bulk solid byproducts for separate disposal.more » The project is conducting pilot- and full-scale tests of the TMT-15 additive in wet FGD absorbers. The tests are intended to determine required additive dosages to prevent Hg{sup 0} reemissions and to separate mercury from the normal FGD byproducts for three coal types: Texas lignite/Power River Basin (PRB) coal blend, high-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal, and low-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal. The project team consists of URS Group, Inc., EPRI, TXU Generation Company LP, Southern Company, and Degussa Corporation. TXU Generation has provided the Texas lignite/PRB cofired test site for pilot FGD tests, Monticello Steam Electric Station Unit 3. Southern Company is providing the low-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal host site for wet scrubbing tests, as well as the pilot- and full-scale jet bubbling reactor (JBR) FGD systems to be tested. IPL, an AES company, provided the high-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal full-scale FGD test site and cost sharing. Degussa Corporation is providing the TMT-15 additive and technical support to the test program as cost sharing. The project is being conducted in six tasks. Of the six project tasks, Task 1 involves project planning and Task 6 involves management and reporting. The other four tasks involve field testing on FGD systems, either at pilot or full scale. The four tasks include: Task 2 - Pilot Additive Testing in Texas Lignite Flue Gas; Task 3 - Full-scale FGD Additive Testing in High-sulfur Eastern Bituminous Flue Gas; Task 4 - Pilot Wet Scrubber Additive Tests at Plant Yates; and Task 5 - Full-scale Additive Tests at Plant Yates. The pilot-scale tests were completed in 2005 and have been previously reported. This topical report presents the results from the Task 3 full-scale additive tests, conducted at IPL's Petersburg Station Unit 2. The Task 5 full-scale additive tests will be conducted later in calendar year 2007.« less

Macromolecular structure of coals. 6. Mass spectroscopic analysis of coal-derived liquids

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

Hooker, D.T.; Lucht, L.M.; Peppas, N.A.

1986-02-01

The macromolecular structure of coal networks was analyzed by depolymerizing coal samples using the Sternberg reductive alkylation and the Miyake alkylation techniques. Electron impact mass spectra showed peaks of greater abundance of 125-132, 252-260, 383-391, and 511-520 m/z ratios. Based on analysis of the patterns of the spectra, the cluster size of the cross-linked structure of bituminous coals was determined as 126-130. Various chemical species were identified.

Field Testing of a Wet FGD Additive for Enhanced Mercury Control

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

Gary Blythe; MariJon Owens

2007-12-31

This document is the final report for DOE-NETL Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-04NT42309, 'Field Testing of a Wet FGD Additive'. The objective of the project has been to demonstrate the use of two flue gas desulfurization (FGD) additives, Evonik Degussa Corporation's TMT-15 and Nalco Company's Nalco 8034, to prevent the re-emission of elemental mercury (Hg{sup 0}) in flue gas exiting wet FGD systems on coal-fired boilers. Furthermore, the project was intended to demonstrate whether such additives can be used to precipitate most of the mercury (Hg) removed in the wet FGD system as a fine salt that can be separated from themore » FGD liquor and bulk solid byproducts for separate disposal. The project involved pilot- and full-scale tests of the additives in wet FGD absorbers. The tests were intended to determine required additive dosages to prevent Hg{sup 0} re-emissions and to separate mercury from the normal FGD byproducts for three coal types: Texas lignite/Powder River Basin (PRB) coal blend, high-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal, and low-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal. The project team consists of URS Group, Inc., EPRI, Luminant Power (was TXU Generation Company LP), Southern Company, IPL (an AES company), Evonik Degussa Corporation and the Nalco Company. Luminant Power provided the Texas lignite/PRB co-fired test site for pilot FGD tests and project cost sharing. Southern Company provided the low-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal host site for wet scrubbing tests, the pilot- and full-scale jet bubbling reactor (JBR) FGD systems tested, and project cost sharing. IPL provided the high-sulfur Eastern bituminous coal full-scale FGD test site and cost sharing. Evonik Degussa Corporation provided the TMT-15 additive, and the Nalco Company provided the Nalco 8034 additive. Both companies also supplied technical support to the test program as in-kind cost sharing. The project was conducted in six tasks. Of the six tasks, Task 1 involved project planning and Task 6 involved management and reporting. The other four tasks involved field testing on FGD systems, either at pilot or full scale. These four tasks included: Task 2 - Pilot Additive Testing in Texas Lignite Flue Gas; Task 3 - Full-scale FGD Additive Testing in High-sulfur Eastern Bituminous Flue Gas; Task 4 - Pilot Wet Scrubber Additive Tests at Plant Yates; and Task 5 - Full-scale Additive Tests at Plant Yates. The pilot-scale tests were completed in 2005 and the full-scale test using high-sulfur coal was completed in 2006; only the TMT-15 additive was tested in these efforts. The Task 5 full-scale additive tests conducted at Southern Company's Plant Yates Unit 1 were completed in 2007, and both the TMT-15 and Nalco 8034 additives were tested.« less

Intrinsic and extrinsic defects in a family of coal-derived graphene quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singamaneni, Srinivasa Rao; van Tol, Johan; Ye, Ruquan; Tour, James M.

2015-11-01

In this letter, we report on the high frequency (239.2 and 336 GHz) electron spin resonance (ESR) studies performed on graphene quantum dots (GQDs), prepared through a wet chemistry route from three types of coal: (a) bituminous, (b) anthracite, and (c) coke; and from non-coal derived GQDs. The microwave frequency-, power-, and temperature-dependent ESR spectra coupled with computer-aided simulations reveal four distinct magnetic defect centers. In bituminous- and anthracite-derived GQDs, we have identified two of them as intrinsic carbon-centered magnetic defect centers (a broad signal of peak to peak width = 697 (10-4 T), g = 2.0023; and a narrow signal of peak to peak width = 60 (10-4 T), g = 2.003). The third defect center is Mn2+ (6S5/2, 3d5) (signal width = 61 (10-4 T), g = 2.0023, Aiso = 93(10-4 T)), and the fourth defect is identified as Cu2+ (2D5/2, 3d9) (g⊥ = 2.048 and g‖ = 2.279), previously undetected. Coke-derived and non-coal derived GQDs show Mn2+ and two-carbon related signals, and no Cu2+ signal. The extrinsic impurities most likely originate from the starting coal. Furthermore, Raman, photoluminescence, and ESR measurements detected no noticeable changes in the properties of the bituminous GQDs after one year. This study highlights the importance of employing high frequency ESR spectroscopy in identifying the (magnetic) defects, which are roadblocks for spin relaxation times of graphene-based materials. These defects would not have been possible to probe by other spin transport measurements.

Mercury capture by selected Bulgarian fly ashes: Influence of coal rank and fly ash carbon pore structure on capture efficiency

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kostova, I.J.; Hower, J.C.; Mastalerz, Maria; Vassilev, S.V.

2011-01-01

Mercury capture by fly ash C was investigated at five lignite- and subbituminous-coal-burning Bulgarian power plants (Republika, Bobov Dol, Maritza East 2, Maritza East 3, and Sliven). Although the C content of the ashes is low, never exceeding 1.6%, the Hg capture on a unit C basis demonstrates that the low-rank-coal-derived fly ash carbons are more efficient in capturing Hg than fly ash carbons from bituminous-fired power plants. While some low-C and low-Hg fly ashes do not reveal any trends of Hg versus C, the 2nd and, in particular, the 3rd electrostatic precipitator (ESP) rows at the Republika power plant do have sufficient fly ash C range and experience flue gas sufficiently cool to capture measurable amounts of Hg. The Republika 3rd ESP row exhibits an increase in Hg with increasing C, as observed in other power plants, for example, in Kentucky power plants burning Appalachian-sourced bituminous coals. Mercury/C decreases with an increase in fly ash C, suggesting that some of the C is isolated from the flue gas stream and does not contribute to Hg capture. Mercury capture increases with an increase in Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and micropore surface area. The differences in Hg capture between the Bulgarian plants burning low-rank coal and high volatile bituminous-fed Kentucky power plants suggests that the variations in C forms resulting from the combustion of the different ranks also influence the efficiency of Hg capture. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Thermolysis of phenethyl phenyl ether: A model of ether linkages in low rank coal

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

Britt, P.F.; Buchanan, A.C. III; Malcolm, E.A.

Currently, an area of interest and frustration for coal chemists has been the direct liquefaction of low rank coal. Although low rank coals are more reactive than bituminous coals, they are more difficult to liquefy and offer lower liquefaction yields under conditions optimized for bituminous coals. Solomon, Serio, and co-workers have shown that: in the pyrolysis and liquefaction of low rank coals, a low temperature cross-linking reaction associated with oxygen functional groups occurs before tar evolution. A variety of pretreatments (demineralization, alkylation, and ion-exchange) have been shown to reduce these retrogressive reactions and increase tar yields, but the actual chemicalmore » reactions responsible for these processes have not been defined. In order to gain insight into the thermochemical reactions leading to cross-linking in low rank coal, we have undertaken a study of the pyrolysis of oxygen containing coal model compounds. Solid state NMR studies suggest that the alkyl aryl ether linkage may be present in modest amounts in low rank coal. Therefore, in this paper, we will investigate the thermolysis of phenethyl phenyl ether (PPE) as a model of 0-aryl ether linkages found in low rank coal, lignites, and lignin, an evolutionary precursor of coal. Our results have uncovered a new reaction channel that can account for 25% of the products formed. The impact of reaction conditions, including restricted mass transport, on this new reaction pathway and the role of oxygen functional groups in cross-linking reactions will be investigated.« less

78 FR 52973 - ICG Knott County, LLC, a Subsidiary of ICG, Inc., a Subsidiary of Arch Coal, Inc.; Including On...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-27

... negative determination based on the findings that worker separations were not attributable to increased... subject firm were impacted by the operations of the parent company, Arch Coal, Inc., and the purchasing... bituminous coal by customers of the subject firm and customers of the parent company led to production...

Strategies for rational utilization of bituminous coal deposits in the German Federal Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erasmus, F. C.; Lenhartz, R.

1980-09-01

The status and economic conditions for coal mining in the GFR are examined, and the production of the individual coal regions is reviewed. Exploratory work, conducted in the light of inevitable production increases in the future, is noted. Some changes in the present coal production and utilization strategies which may be needed to meet future requirements and at the same time optimize the mining procedures are discussed.

PULMONARY TOXICITY OF SIZE-CLASSIFIED COAL FLY ASH PARTICLES OF VARYING CARBON CONTENT

EPA Science Inventory

Epidemiological studies have shown that morbidity and mortality increase along with concentration of particulate matter (PM) in many different countries and regions despite great variations in the chemical makeup of the PM. In this study, Illinois bituminous coal with high sulfur...

30 CFR 71.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... is located. (g) MRE instrument means the gravimetric dust sampler with a four channel horizontal... in the earth by any means or method, and the work of preparing the coal so extracted, including... bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite from its natural deposits underground by any means or method, and the...

VARIATION OF ELEMENT SPECIATION IN COAL COMBUSTION AEROSOLS WITH PARTICLE SIZE

EPA Science Inventory

The speciation of sulfur, iron and key trace elements (Cr, As, Se, Zn) in combustion ash aerosols has been examined as a function of size from experimental combustion units burning Utah and Illinois bituminous coals. Although predominantly present as sulfate, sulfur was also pre...

Developmental geology of coalbed methane from shallow to deep in Rocky Mountain basins and in Cook Inlet-Matanuska Basin, Alaska, USA and Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, R.C.; Flores, R.M.

1998-01-01

The Rocky Mountain basins of western North America contain vast deposits of coal of Cretaceous through early Tertiary age. Coalbed methane is produced in Rocky Mountain basins at depths ranging from 45 m (150 ft) to 1981 m (6500 ft) from coal of lignite to low-volatile bituminous rank. Although some production has been established in almost all Rocky Mountain basins, commercial production occurs in only a few. despite more than two decades of exploration for coalbed methane in the Rocky Mountain region, it is still difficult to predict production characteristics of coalbed methane wells prior to drilling. Commonly cited problems include low permeabilities, high water production, and coals that are significantly undersaturated with respect to methane. Sources of coalbed gases can be early biogenic, formed during the early stages of coalification, thermogenic, formed during the main stages of coalification, or late stage biogenic, formed as a result of the reintroduction of methane-gnerating bacteria by groundwater after uplift and erosion. Examples of all three types of coalbed gases, and combinations of more than one type, can be found in the Rocky Mountain region. Coals in the Rocky Mountain region achieved their present ranks largely as a result of burial beneath sediments that accumulated during the Laramide orogeny (Late Cretaceous through the end of the eocene) or shortly after. Thermal events since the end of the orogeny have also locally elevated coal ranks. Coal beds in the upper part of high-volatile A bituminous rank or greater commonly occur within much more extensive basin-centered gas deposits which cover large areas of the deeper parts of most Rocky Mountain basins. Within these basin-centered deposits all lithologies, including coals, sandstones, and shales, are gas saturated, and very little water is produced. The interbedded coals and carbonaceous shales are probably the source of much of this gas. Basin-centered gas deposits become overpressured from hydrocarbon generation as they form, and this overpressuring is probably responsible for driving out most of the water. Sandstone permeabilities are low, in part because of diagenesis caused by highly reactive water given off during the early stages of coalification. Coals within these basin-centered deposits commonly have high gas contents and produce little water, but they generally occur at depths greater than 5000 ft and have low permeabilities. Significant uplift and removal of overburden has occurred throughout the Rocky Mountain region since the end of the Eocene, and much of this erosion occurred after regional uplift began about 10 Ma. The removal of overburden generally causes methane saturation levels in coals to decrease, and thus a significant drop in pressure is required to initiate methane production. The most successful coalbed methane production in the Rocky Mountain region occurs in areas where gas contents were increased by post-Eocene thermal events and/or the generation of late-stage biogenic gas. Methane-generating bacteria were apparently reintroduced into the coals in some areas after uplift and erosion, and subsequent changes in pressure and temperature, allowed surface waters to rewater the coals. Groundwater may also help open up cleat systems making coals more permeable to methane. If water production is excessive, however, the economics of producing methane are impacted by the cost of water disposal.The Rocky Mountain basins of western North America contain vast deposits of coal of Cretaceous through early Tertiary age. Coalbed methane is produced in Rocky Mountain basins at depths ranging from 45 to 1981 m from coal of lignite to low volatile bituminous rank. Despite more than two decades of exploration for coalbed methane in Rocky Mountain region, it is still difficult to predict production characteristics of coalbed methane wells prior to drilling. Sources of coalbed gases can be early biogenic, formed during the main stages of coa

Coalbed methane resource potential and current prospects in Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markowski, A.K.

1998-01-01

Coalbed methane gas content analyses from exploratory coal cores and existing data indicate that gas content generally increases with increasing depth and rank. The coal beds studied are from the Main Bituminous field of Pennsylvania (which currently contains 24 coalbed methane pools) and the Northern and Southern Anthracite coal fields. They range from the Middle Pennsylvanian Allegheny Group to the Late Pennsylvanian-Early Permian Dunkard Group. Previous US Bureau of Mines studies revealed gas contents from 0.4 to 13.8 cm3/g at depths of 99 to 432 m for the bituminous coal beds of the Allegheny Group. More recent core data from the Allegheny Group yielded gas contents from 2.2 to 8.9 cm3/g at depths from 167 to 387 m. In the Anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania, the little data that are available show that gas content is anomalously high or low. Gas yields from test holes in eastern Pennsylvania are low with or without artificial stimulation mainly due to the lack of a good cleat system. Overall estimates of coalbed methane resources indicate there may be 1.7 Tm3 (61 Tcf) of gas-in-place contained in the Northern Appalachian coal basin. The amount of technically recoverable coalbed methane resources is projected by the US Geological Survey National Oil and Gas Resource Assessment Team [US Geological Survey National Oil and Gas Resource Assessment Team, 1996. 1995 National assessment of United States oil and gas resources-results, methodology, and supporting data, US Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS-30, CD-ROM, Denver, CO, 80 pp.] and Lyons [Lyons, P.C., 1997. Central-northern Appalachian coalbed methane flow grows. Oil and Gas Journal 95 (27) 76-79] at 0.3 Tm3 (11.48 Tcf). This includes portions of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and a small part of Maryland. Consequently, a mapping investigation was conducted to evaluate the regional geology of the bituminous coal-bearing intervals in southwestern Pennsylvania and its influence on coalbed methane potential. Phase I of this study involved the entire Pennsylvanian coal-bearing interval of southwestern Pennsylvania. Phase II focused on a stratigraphic delineation and evaluation of Allegheny Group coal beds and associated sandstones. Several prospective coal beds and associated facies relationships with channel-fill sandstones were determined. Possible non-coal scenarios for coalbed methane include erosional contacts between coal beds and overlying channel-fill sandstones and areas of stacked channel-fill sandstones. Repetitive sequences of coal accumulation are stacked, commonly with shale interburden, and are also potential coalbed methane targets. Additional Pennsylvania Geological Survey drilling/coalbed methane sampling occurred in Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Greene, Lawrence, Somerset, and Washington Counties. Raw coalbed methane desorption data tables/graphical displays of gas contents versus depth, thickness, and time, and average composition and heating values from coal beds of the Allegheny Group to the Dunkard Group are available at the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. Further information on cross-sections, isopleth maps, isopach maps, raw drillhole data, and ownership issues can also be obtained from the same source.A mapping of the regional geology of the bituminous coal-bearing intervals in southwestern Pennsylvania reveal several prospective coal beds and associated facies relationships with channel-fill sandstones. Possible non-coal scenarios for coalbed methane include erosional contacts between coalbeds and overlying channel-fill sandstones and areas of stacked channel-fill sandstones. Repetitive sequences of coal accumulation are stacked, commonly with shale interburden. and are also potential coalbed methane targets.

Diagenetic trends of a tertiary low-rank coal series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boudou, Jean-Paul; Durand, Bernard; Oudin, Jean-Louis

1984-10-01

The Mahakam delta (Kalimantan, Indonesia) coals represent all the evolution stages between freshly-deposited plant/peat material, lignites and bituminous coals. The geochemical techniques used to study this coal series included elemental analysis, extraction of humic compounds, infrared spectroscopy and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance of the total coal. The main mechanisms of early maturation in this series are loss of oxygenated compounds, aromatisation and condensation of the organic matter. These changes, which have already been suggested for other coal series and partially reported for sedimentary organic matter, were confirmed and described in more detail for the Mahakam coal series.

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.

Active methods of mercury removal from flue gases.

PubMed

Marczak, Marta; Budzyń, Stanisław; Szczurowski, Jakub; Kogut, Krzysztof; Burmistrz, Piotr

2018-03-23

Due to its adverse impact on health, as well as its global distribution, long atmospheric lifetime and propensity for deposition in the aquatic environment and in living tissue, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has classified mercury and its compounds as a severe air quality threat. Such widespread presence of mercury in the environment originates from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Global anthropogenic emission of mercury is evaluated at 2000 Mg year -1 . According to the National Centre for Emissions Management (Pol. KOBiZE) report for 2014, Polish annual mercury emissions amount to approximately 10 Mg. Over 90% of mercury emissions in Poland originate from combustion of coal.The purpose of this paper was to understand mercury behaviour during sub-bituminous coal and lignite combustion for flue gas purification in terms of reduction of emissions by active methods. The average mercury content in Polish sub-bituminous coal and lignite was 103.7 and 443.5 μg kg -1 . The concentration of mercury in flue gases emitted into the atmosphere was 5.3 μg m -3 for sub-bituminous coal and 17.5 μg m -3 for lignite. The study analysed six low-cost sorbents with the average achieved efficiency of mercury removal from 30.6 to 92.9% for sub-bituminous coal and 22.8 to 80.3% for lignite combustion. Also, the effect of coke dust grain size was examined for mercury sorptive properties. The fine fraction of coke dust (CD) adsorbed within 243-277 μg Hg kg -1 , while the largest fraction at only 95 μg Hg kg -1 . The CD fraction < 0.063 mm removed almost 92% of mercury during coal combustion, so the concentration of mercury in flue gas decreased from 5.3 to 0.4 μg Hg m -3 . The same fraction of CD had removed 93% of mercury from lignite flue gas by reducing the concentration of mercury in the flow from 17.6 to 1.2 μg Hg m -3 . The publication also presents the impact of photochemical oxidation of mercury on the effectiveness of Hg vapour removal during combustion of lignite. After physical oxidation of Hg in the flue gas, its effectiveness has increased twofold.

Studies of the fate of sulfur trioxide in coal-fired utility boilers based on modified selected condensation methods.

PubMed

Cao, Yan; Zhou, Hongcang; Jiang, Wu; Chen, Chien-Wei; Pan, Wei-Ping

2010-05-01

The formation of sulfur trioxide (SO(3)) in coal-fired utility boilers can have negative effects on boiler performance and operation, such as fouling and corrosion of equipment, efficiency loss in the air preheater (APH), increase in stack opacity, and the formation of PM(2.5). Sulfur trioxide can also compete with mercury when bonding with injected activated carbons. Tests in a lab-scale reactor confirmed there are major interferences between fly ash and SO(3) during SO(3) sampling. A modified SO(3) procedure to maximize the elimination of measurement biases, based on the inertial-filter-sampling and the selective-condensation-collecting of SO(3), was applied in SO(3) tests in three full-scale utility boilers. For the two units burning bituminous coal, SO(3) levels starting at 20 to 25 ppmv at the inlet to the selective catalytic reduction (SCR), increased slightly across the SCR, owing to catalytic conversion of SO(2) to SO(3,) and then declined in other air pollutant control device (APCD) modules downstream to approximately 5 ppmv and 15 ppmv at the two sites, respectively. In the unit burning sub-bituminous coal, the much lower initial concentration of SO(3) estimated to be approximately 1.5 ppmv at the inlet to the SCR was reduced to about 0.8 ppmv across the SCR and to about 0.3 ppmv at the exit of the wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD). The SO(3) removal efficiency across the WFGD scrubbers at the three sites was generally 35% or less. Reductions in SO(3) across either the APH or the dry electrostatic precipitator (ESP) in units burning high-sulfur bituminous coal were attributed to operating temperatures being below the dew point of SO(3).

Effects of low-temperature catalytic pretreatments on coal structure and reactivity in liquefaction. Final technical report, Volume 1 - effects of solvents, catalysts and temperature conditions on conversion and structural changes of low-rank coals

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

Huang, Lili; Schobert, Harold H.; Song, Chunshan

1998-01-01

The main objectives of this project were to study the effects of low-temperature pretreatments on coal structure and their impacts on subsequent liquefaction. The effects of pretreatment temperatures, catalyst type, coal rank, and influence of solvent were examined. Specific objectives were to identify the basic changes in coal structure induced by catalytic and thermal pretreatments, and to determine the reactivity of the catalytically and thermally treated coals for liquefaction. In the original project management plan it was indicated that six coals would be used for the study. These were to include two each of bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite rank. Formore » convenience in executing the experimental work, two parallel efforts were conducted. The first involved the two lignites and one subbituminous coal; and the second, the two bituminous coals and the remaining subbituminous coal. This Volume presents the results of the first portion of the work, studies on two lignites and one subbituminous coal. The remaining work accomplished under this project will be described and discussed in Volume 2 of this report. The objective of this portion of the project was to determine and compare the effects of solvents, catalysts and reaction conditions on coal liquefaction. Specifically, the improvements of reaction conversion, product distribution, as well as the structural changes in the coals and coal-derived products were examined. This study targeted at promoting hydrogenation of the coal-derived radicals, generated during thermal cleavage of chemical bonds, by using a good hydrogen donor-solvent and an effective catalyst. Attempts were also made in efforts to match the formation and hydrogenation of the free radicals and thus to prevent retrogressive reaction.« less

Coal-mine spoil banks offer good potential for timber and wildlife production

Treesearch

Grant Davis; Walter H. Davidson

1968-01-01

More than 300,000 acres have been strip-mined for coal in the Anthracite and Bituminous Regions of Pennsylvania—most of this since World War II. And an additional 10,000 to 15,000 acres are strip-mined each year. Since 1945 coal operators have been required to revegetate the areas disturbed by mining. Although the primary purpose of revegetation is to provide permanent...

Coal-to-methanol: an engineering evaluation of Texaco gasification and ICI methanol-synthesis route. Final report

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

Buckingham, P.A.; Cobb, D.D.; Leavitt, A.A.

1981-08-01

This report presents the results of a technical and economic evaluation of producing methanol from bituminous coal using Texaco coal gasification and ICI methanol synthesis. The scope of work included the development of an overall configuration for a large plant comprising coal preparation, air separation, coal gasification, shift conversion, COS hydrolysis, acid gas removal, methanol synthesis, methanol refining, and all required utility systems and off-site facilities. Design data were received from both Texaco and ICI while a design and cost estimate were received from Lotepro covering the Rectisol acid gas removal unit. The plant processes 14,448 tons per day (drymore » basis) of Illinois No. 6 bituminous coal and produces 10,927 tons per day of fuel-grade methanol. An overall thermal efficiency of 57.86 percent was calculated on an HHV basis and 52.64 percent based on LHV. Total plant investment at an Illinois plant site was estimated to be $1159 million dollars in terms of 1979 investment. Using EPRI's economic premises, the first-year product costs were calculated to $4.74 per million Btu (HHV) which is equivalent to $30.3 cents per gallon and $5.37 per million Btu (LHV).« less

Fluidized bed coal desulfurization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravindram, M.

1983-01-01

Laboratory scale experiments were conducted on two high volatile bituminous coals in a bench scale batch fluidized bed reactor. Chemical pretreatment and posttreatment of coals were tried as a means of enhancing desulfurization. Sequential chlorination and dechlorination cum hydrodesulfurization under modest conditions relative to the water slurry process were found to result in substantial sulfur reductions of about 80%. Sulfur forms as well as proximate and ultimate analyses of the processed coals are included. These studies indicate that a fluidized bed reactor process has considerable potential for being developed into a simple and economic process for coal desulfurization.

Bituminous coal production in the Appalachian Basin; past, present, and future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milici, R.C.

1999-01-01

This report on Appalachian basin coal production consists of four maps and associated graphs and tables, with links to the basic data that were used to construct the maps. Plate 1 shows the time (year) of maximum coal production, by county. For illustration purposes, the years of maximum production are grouped into decadal units. Plate 2 shows the amount of coal produced (tons) during the year of maximum coal production for each county. Plate 3 illustrates the cumulative coal production (tons) for each county since about the beginning of the 20th century. Plate 4 shows 1996 annual production by county. During the current (third) cycle of coal production in the Appalachian basin, only seven major coal-producing counties (those with more than 500 million tons cumulative production), including Greene County, Pa.; Boone, Kanawha, Logan, Mingo, and Monongalia Counties, W.Va.; and Pike County, Ky., exhibit a general increase in coal production. Other major coal-producing counties have either declined to a small percentage of their maximum production or are annually maintaining a moderate level of production. In general, the areas with current high coal production have large blocks of coal that are suitable for mining underground with highly efficient longwall methods, or are occupied by very large scale, relatively low cost surface mining operations. The estimated cumulative production for combined bituminous and anthracite coal is about 100 billion tons or less for the Appalachian basin. In general, it is anticipated that the remaining resources will be progressively of lower quality, will cost more to mine, and will become economical only as new technologies for extraction, beneficiation, and consumption are developed, and then only if prices for coal increase.

20 CFR 410.110 - General definitions and use of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Section 410.110 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL COAL MINE HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT... Health and Safety Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-173), enacted December 30, 1969, as amended by the Black Lung... be used in, or resulting from, the work of extracting in such area bituminous coal, lignite, or...

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.

Application of infiltrated LSCM-GDC oxide anode in direct carbon/coal fuel cells.

PubMed

Yue, Xiangling; Arenillas, Ana; Irvine, John T S

2016-08-15

Hybrid direct carbon/coal fuel cells (HDCFCs) utilise an anode based upon a molten carbonate salt with an oxide conducting solid electrolyte for direct carbon/coal conversion. They can be fuelled by a wide range of carbon sources, and offer higher potential chemical to electrical energy conversion efficiency and have the potential to decrease CO2 emissions compared to coal-fired power plants. In this study, the application of (La, Sr)(Cr, Mn)O3 (LSCM) and (Gd, Ce)O2 (GDC) oxide anodes was explored in a HDCFC system running with two different carbon fuels, an organic xerogel and a raw bituminous coal. The electrochemical performance of the HDCFC based on a 1-2 mm thick 8 mol% yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte and the GDC-LSCM anode fabricated by wet impregnation procedures was characterized and discussed. The infiltrated oxide anode showed a significantly higher performance than the conventional Ni-YSZ anode, without suffering from impurity formation under HDCFC operation conditions. Total polarisation resistance (Rp) reached 0.8-0.9 Ω cm(2) from DCFC with an oxide anode on xerogel and bituminous coal at 750 °C, with open circuit voltage (OCV) values in the range 1.1-1.2 V on both carbon forms. These indicated the potential application of LSCM-GDC oxide anode in HDCFCs. The chemical compatibility of LSCM/GDC with carbon/carbonate investigation revealed the emergence of an A2BO4 type oxide in place of an ABO3 perovskite structure in the LSCM in a reducing environment, due to Li attack as a result of intimate contact between the LSCM and Li2CO3, with GDC being stable under identical conditions. Such reaction between LSCM and Li2CO3 was not observed on a LSCM-YSZ pellet treated with Li-K carbonate in 5% H2/Ar at 700 °C, nor on a GDC-LSCM anode after HDCFC operation. The HDCFC durability tests of GDC-LSCM oxide on a xerogel and on raw bituminous coal were performed under potentiostatic operation at 0.7 V at 750 °C. The degradation mechanisms were addressed, especially on raw coal.

Estimation of the tangible costs of black lung disease related disability to the bituminous coal mine operators of Appalachia

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

Cameron, R.B.

1976-06-15

The early work on estimating the contribution of black lung disability to the costs of coal production consisted of an extensive survey of the medical literature: To determine what black lung disease is and how it may be related to the process of mining coal; and to determine the nature of any disability which may result. The disease itself is not well defined, there being a multiplicity of disorders associated with what is loosely called black lung disease. It was evident, however, that there is excessive lung-disease-related disability among underground bituminous coal miners. The data tape of the Appalachian Laboratorymore » for Occupational Respiratory Disease (ALFORD) 1969 to 1971 coal workers' pneumoconiosis prevalence study includes substantial medical information on some 10,000 miners and served as the sample for the disability cost estimates. Because of incompleteness of data clinical criteria could not be used to determine the presence of disability. The ALFORD tape, however, includes information by which miners could be categorized subjectively according to complaints of shortness of breath, dyspnea, which was chosen as the indicator of disability. The decision to use dyspnea as a criterion for disability is supported by: First, shortness of breath, to a large extent, is responsible for the inability of diseased miners to work at the rate of their healthy peers; and, secondly, the ALFORD dyspnea data are consistent with the Public Health Service 1963 study. The cost estimates include: (1) Estimate of the increase in output which might be expected to occur with the elimination of black lung disability; or (2) estimate of a discounted income stream lost because of the disability. Each of these estimates yield a range of costs from one to five percent of the annual total product revenue of the bituminous coal industry.« less

Chemistry and origin of minor and trace elements in vitrinite concentrates from a rank series from the eastern United States, England, and Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, P.C.; Palmer, C.A.; Bostick, N.H.; Fletcher, J.D.; Dulong, F.T.; Brown, F.W.; Brown, Z.A.; Krasnow, M.R.; Romankiw, L.A.

1989-01-01

A rank series consisting of twelve vitrinite concentrates and companion whole-coal samples from mined coal beds in the eastern United States, England, and Australia were analyzed for C, H, N, O, ash, and 47 trace and minor elements by standard elemental, instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), and direct-current-arc spectrographic (DCAS) techniques. The reflectance of vitrinite, atomic H:C and O:C, and ash-free carbon data were used to determine ranks that range from high-volatile C bituminous coal to meta-anthracite. A van Krevelen (atomic H:C vs. O:C) diagram of the vitrinite concentrates shows a smooth curve having its lowest point at H:C = 0.18 and O:C = 0.01. This improves the van Krevelen diagram by the addition of our vitrinite concentrate from meta-anthracite from the Narragansett basin of New England. Boron content (400-450 ppm) in two Illinois basin vitrinite concentrates was about an order of magnitude higher than B contents in other concentrates analyzed. We attribute this to marine origin or hydrothermal activity. The alkaline-earth elements Ca, Mg and Ba (DCAS) have higher concentrations in our vitrinite concentrates from bituminous coals of the Appalachian basin, than they do in vitrinite concentrates from the marine-roofed bituminous coals of the Illinois basin; therefore, a nonmarine origin for these alkaline-earth elements is postulated for the Appalachian basin coals. An ion-exchange mechanism due to high concentrations of these elements as ions in diagenetic water, but probably not recent ground water, may be responsible for the relatively high values of these elements in Appalachian concentrates. Higher concentrations of Ni and Cr in one of the English vitrinite concentrates and of Zr in the Australian concentrate probably indicate organic association and detrital influence, respectively. ?? 1989.

Underfed stoker boiler for burning bituminous coal and other solid fuel particles

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

Marcotte, R.P.; Dumont, J.W. Jr.

1987-10-06

An automatic stoker boiler is described for space or process heating with steam or hot water. The boiler includes a heat transfer compartment having a water inlet and an outlet for steam or hot water, an exhaust, a combustion chamber, a transverse partition in the chamber, drive and driven shafts below the chamber, sprockets supported by the shaft and an endless belt of the link type trained about the sprockets. There are also means to deliver underfire air upwardly through the upper course. The upper portion has a throat opening adjacent to the second end, heat exchanging passageways extending throughmore » the compartment, means to deliver overfire air into the chamber, means to deliver solid fuel particles to the upper course adjacent to the first end, means in the exhaust operable to induce draft in the upper portion and control means operable to effect the advance of the belt. There are means operable to deliver solid fuel to the upper course in predetermined, proportional increments, means to vary the induced draft by predetermined, proportional increments and means to adjust the underfire air volume by predetermined, proportional increments.« less

Effect of fuels and domestic heating appliance types on emission factors of selected organic pollutants.

PubMed

Šyc, Michal; Horák, Jiří; Hopan, František; Krpec, Kamil; Tomšej, Tomáš; Ocelka, Tomáš; Pekárek, Vladimír

2011-11-01

This study reports on the first complex data set of emission factors (EFs) of selected pollutants from combustion of five fuel types (lignite, bituminous coal, spruce, beech, and maize) in six different domestic heating appliances of various combustion designs. The effect of fuel as well as the effect of boiler type was studied. In total, 46 combustion runs were performed, during which numerous EFs were measured, including the EFs of particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), hexachlorobenzene (HxCBz), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/F), etc. The highest EFs of nonchlorinated pollutants were measured for old-type boilers with over-fire and under-fire designs and with manual stoking and natural draft. Emissions of the above-mentioned pollutants from modern-type boilers (automatic, downdraft) were 10 times lower or more. The decisive factor for emission rate of nonchlorinated pollutants was the type of appliance; the type of fuel plays only a minor role. Emissions of chlorinated pollutants were proportional mainly to the chlorine content in fuel, but the type of appliance also influenced the rate of emissions significantly. Surprisingly, higher EFs of PCDD/F from combustion of chlorinated bituminous coal were observed for modern-type boilers (downdraft, automatic) than for old-type ones. On the other hand, when bituminous coal was burned, higher emissions of HxCBz were found for old-type boilers than for modern-type ones.

Apparatus for entrained coal pyrolysis

DOEpatents

Durai-Swamy, Kandaswamy

1982-11-16

This invention discloses a process and apparatus for pyrolyzing particulate coal by heating with a particulate solid heating media in a transport reactor. The invention tends to dampen fluctuations in the flow of heating media upstream of the pyrolysis zone, and by so doing forms a substantially continuous and substantially uniform annular column of heating media flowing downwardly along the inside diameter of the reactor. The invention is particularly useful for bituminous or agglomerative type coals.

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

Germanium and uranium in coalified wood bom upper Devonian black shale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breger, I.A.; Schopf, J.M.

1955-01-01

Microscopic study of black, vitreous, carbonaceous material occurring in the Chattanooga shale in Tennessee and in the Cleveland member of the Ohio shale in Ohio has revealed coalified woody plant tissue. Some samples have shown sufficient detail to be identified with the genus Cauixylon. Similar material has been reported in the literature as "bituminous" or "asphaltic" stringers. Spectrographic analyses of the ash from the coalified wood have shown unusually high percentages of germanium, uranium, vanadium, and nickel. The inverse relationship between uranium and germanium in the ash and the ash content of various samples shows an association of these elements with the organic constituents of the coal. On the basis of geochemical considerations, it seems most probable that the wood or coalified wood was germanium-bearing at the time logs or woody fragmenta were floated into the basins of deposition of the Chattanooga shale and the Cleveland member of the Ohio shale. Once within the marine environment, the material probably absorbed uranium with the formation of organo-uranium compounds such as exist in coals. It is suggested that a more systematic search for germaniferous coals in the vicinity of the Chattanooga shale and the Cleveland member of the Ohio shale might be rewarding. ?? 1955.

A model for lignin alteration - Part II: Numerical model of natural gas generation and application to the Piceance Basin, Western Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payne, D.F.; Ortoleva, P.J.

2001-01-01

The model presented here simulates a network of parallel and sequential reactions that describe the structural and chemical transformation of lignin-derived sedimentary organic matter (SOM) and the resulting generation of mobile species from shallow burial to approximately low-volatile bituminous rank. The model is calibrated to the Upper Cretaceous Williams Fork Formation coal of the Piceance Basin at the Multi-Well Experiment (MWX) Site, assuming this coal is largely derived from lignin. The model calculates the content of functional groups on the residual molecular species, C, H, and O elemental weight percents of the residual species, and moles of residual molecular species and mobile species (including components of natural gas) through time. The model is generally more sensitive to initial molecular structure of the lignin-derived molecule and the H2O content of the system than to initial temperature, as the former affect the fundamental reaction paths. The model is used to estimate that a total of 314 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of methane is generated by the Williams Fork coal over the basin history. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding selected trace elements behavior in a coal-fired power plant in Malaysia for assessment of abatement technologies.

PubMed

Mokhtar, Mutahharah M; Taib, Rozainee M; Hassim, Mimi H

2014-08-01

The Proposed New Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulation 201X (Draft), which replaces the Malaysia Environmental Quality (Clean Air) 1978, specifies limits to additional pollutants from power generation using fossil fuel. The new pollutants include Hg, HCl, and HF with limits of 0.03, 100, and 15 mg/N-m3 at 6% O2, respectively. These pollutants are normally present in very small concentrations (known as trace elements [TEs]), and hence are often neglected in environmental air quality monitoring in Malaysia. Following the enactment of the new regulation, it is now imperative to understand the TEs behavior and to assess the capability of the existing abatement technologies to comply with the new emission limits. This paper presents the comparison of TEs behavior of the most volatile (Hg, Cl, F) and less volatile (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Ni, Se, Pb) elements in subbituminous and bituminous coal and coal combustion products (CCP) (i.e., fly ash and bottom ash) from separate firing of subbituminous and bituminous coal in a coal-fired power plant in Malaysia. The effect of air pollution control devices configuration in removal of TEs was also investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of abatement technologies used in the plant. This study showed that subbituminous and bituminous coals and their CCPs have different TEs behavior. It is speculated that ash content could be a factor for such diverse behavior In addition, the type of coal and the concentrations of TEs in feed coal were to some extent influenced by the emission of TEs in flue gas. The electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and seawater flue gas desulfurization (FGD) used in the studied coal-fired power plant were found effective in removing TEs in particulate and vapor form, respectively, as well as complying with the new specified emission limits. Implications: Coals used by power plants in Peninsular Malaysia come from the same supplier (Tenaga Nasional Berhad Fuel Services), which is a subsidiary of the Malaysia electricity provider (Tenaga Nasional Berhad). Therefore, this study on trace elements behavior in a coal-fired power plant in Malaysia could represent emission from other plants in Peninsular Malaysia. By adhering to the current coal specifications and installation of electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and flue gas desulfurization, the plants could comply with the limits specified in the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE) Scheduled Waste Guideline for bottom ash and fly ash and the Proposed New Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulation 201X (Draft).

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

Nabeel, A.; Khan, M.A.; Husain, S.

Coal is the most abundant source of energy. However, there is a need to develop cleaner, and more efficient, economical, and convenient coal conversion technologies. It is important to understand the organic chemical structure of coal for achieving real breakthroughs in the development of such coal conversion technologies. A novel computer-assisted modeling technique based on the analysis of {sup 13}C NMR and gel permeation chromatography has been applied to predict the average molecular structure of the acetylated product of a depolymerized bituminous Indian coal. The proposed molecular structure may be of practical use in understanding the mechanism of coal conversionsmore » during the processes of liquefaction, gasification, combustion, and carbonization.« less

Appalachian basin bituminous coal: sulfur content and potential sulfur dioxide emissions of coal mined for electrical power generation: Chapter G.5 in Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trippi, Michael H.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Attanasi, E.D.; Milici, Robert C.; Freeman, P.A.

2014-01-01

Data from 157 counties in the Appalachian basin of average sulfur content of coal mined for electrical power generation from 1983 through 2005 show a general decrease in the number of counties where coal mining has occurred and a decrease in the number of counties where higher sulfur coals (>2 percent sulfur) were mined. Calculated potential SO2 emissions (assuming no post-combustion SO2 removal) show a corresponding decrease over the same period of time.

Petrography of Permian "Gondwana" coals from boreholes in northwestern Bangladesh, based on semiautomated reflectance scanning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bostick, N.H.; Betterton, W.J.; Gluskoter, H.J.; Nazrul, Islam M.

1991-01-01

Drilling through Quaternary alluvium and Tertiary cover at low-gravity anomalies in northwestern Bangladesh showed the presence of Permian sedimentary rocks in depressions that may be as much as a thousand meters deep in the crystalline basement. These Permian strata include low-sulfur, high-volatile bituminous coals in beds as thick as 15 m. The maceral group composition of these coals was determined by semiautomated reflectance scanning with a motorized microscope stage, rather than by point counting. This method was chosen to give objectively recorded raw analytical data and to provide a graphical picture of each sample. The coals are mostly "Gondwana" type (poorly layered "plum pudding" with abundant minerals and inertinite in a vitrinite groundmass) that would be classed as semi-dull (inerto-gelitite) coals. However, six samples have more than 70% vitrinite. None of the samples would be classed as sapropelic (liptinitic). The upper, middle, and lower main seams in borehole GDH-45 were sampled in 10 benches (0.1-3 m thick) each. Inertinite ranges from 7 to 100 vol% (mineral free basis) in individual benches, but composite seam averages are 41, 54 and 67%. Inertinite increases toward the top of two main seams so the bottom would yield the most valuable first mine slices. Some benches with extremely high inertinite content, such as the top 7 m of the lower thick seam, might be mined specially for blending with foreign low-inert coals to increase coke strength. The free swelling index reaches 7.5 in several vitrinite-rich benches, which can indicate good coking coal. Much of the vitrinite is fluorescent, which indicates secondary bituminization characteristic of vitrinite in good coking coals. Ash yields range from 8 to 52%, with composite seam averages of 15, 14 and 24%. Rare visible pyrite is in veinlets or small nodules; framboids and dispersed pyrite are absent. In borehole GDH-40 near Barapukuria (200-500 m depth), the mean random reflectance of vitrinite "A" ranges from 0.60 to 0.80% Ro and vitrinite "B" ranges from 0.55 to 0.65%. In borehole GDH-45 near Khalaspir (287-442 m), the reflectance of vitrinite ranges from 0.79 to 0.94%. In individual cases, the vitrinite is difficult to define because of semivitrinite at higher reflectance (forming a separate peak on several reflectograms) and because of surface bitumen films or resinous (?) inclusions at lower reflectance. On the basis of vitrinite reflectance, the coals can be considered to have entered the "main phase of bitumen generation" of organic thermal maturation as understood in petroleum geochemistry. ?? 1991.

Application of reflectance micro-Fourier Transform infrared analysis to the study of coal macerals: An example from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous coals of the Mist Mountain Formation, British Columbia, Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Bustin, R.M.

1996-01-01

The applicability of the reflectance micro-Fourier Transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) technique for analyzing the distribution of functional groups in coal macerals is discussed. High quality of spectra, comparable to those obtained using other FTIR techniques (KBr pellet and transmission micro-FTIR), indicate this technique can be applied to characterizing functional groups under most conditions. The ease of sample preparation, the potential to analyze large intact samples, and ability to characterize organic matter in areas as small as 20 ??m are the main advantages of reflectance micro-FTIR. The quantitative aspects of reflectance micro-FTIR require further study. The examples from the coal seams of the Mist Mountain Formation, British Columbia show that at high volatile bituminous rank, reflectance micro-FTIR provides valuable information on the character of aliphatic chains of vitrinite and liptinite macerals. Because the character of aliphatic chains influences bond disassociation energies, such information is useful from a hydrocarbon generation viewpoint. In medium volatile bituminous coal liptinite macerals are usually not detectable but this technique can be used to study the degree of oxidation and reactivity of vitrinite and semifusinite.

Fatality rates and regulatory policies in bituminous coal mining, United States, 1959-1981.

PubMed

Weeks, J L; Fox, M

1983-11-01

In the eleven years prior to the passage of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, fatality rates changed little for underground miners and were increasing for surface miners. Following implementation of the 1969 Act, both rates decreased. Beginning in 1979, and continuing into the first six months of 1982, both rates increased. These associations suggest that current relaxation of regulations and policies for coal mine safety are unwarranted.

Entrained-flow gasification at elevated pressure: Volume 1: Final technical report, March 1, 1985-April 30,1987

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

Hedman, P.O.; Smoot, L.D.; Smith, P.J.

1987-10-15

The general purpose of this research program was to develop a basic understanding of the physical and chemical processes in entrained coal gasification and to use the results to improve and evaluate an entrained gasification computer model. The first task included the collection and analysis of in-situ gasifier data at elevated pressures with three coal types (North Dakota lignite, Wyoming subbituminous and Illinois bituminous), the design, construction, and testing of new coal/oxygen/steam injectors with a fourth coal type (Utah bituminous), the collection of supporting turbulent fluid dynamic (LDV) data from cold-flow studies, and the investigation of the feasibility of usingmore » laser-based (CARS) daignostic instruments to make measurements in coal flames. The second task included improvements to the two-dimensional gasifier submodels, tabulation and evaluation of new coal devolatilization and char oxidation data for predictions, fundamental studies of turbulent particle dispersion, the development of improved numerical methods, and validation of the comprehensive model through comparison of predictions with experimental results. The third task was to transfer technical advances to industry and to METC through technical seminars, production of a detailed data book, code placement, and publication of results. Research results for these three tasks are summarized briefly here and presented in detail in the body of the report and in supporting references. 202 refs., 73 figs., 23 tabs.« less

Development of an advanced, continuous mild gasification process for the production of co-products. Quarterly report, October 30, 1991--January 2, 1992

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

O`Neal, G.W.

1991-12-31

During this quarter the work on Task 3, char upgrading, was in two areas; upgrading Penelec char made from Penelec filter cake to blast furnace formed coke, and evaluating various bituminous pitch binders. The formed coke from Penelec filter cake was of good quality with a high crush strength of 3000 pounds. The reactivity was not equal to that of conventional coke but it is felt that it could be made to equal conventional coke with further study, specifically by adding binder coal to the raw material recipe. The work evaluating bituminous pitch binders confirmed earlier thinking that will bemore » valuable to a commercial scale-up. Asphalt binders are compatible with coal tar binders and produce a coke of equal quality. Hence asphalt binders can be used to supply deficiencies of tar production in units employing coals with insufficient volatile matter to supply enough tar for the coking process. Asphalt binders have about a 50% savings from coal tar pitch. During the 4th Quarter of 1991, a total of 15 Continuous Mild Gasification Unit (CMGU) test runs were made. Efforts continued to determine the optimum forward/reverse ratio to maximize coal feed rate. The success of these efforts has been limited with a maximum coal feed rate of 400 lbs/hr obtainable with a caking coal. The handicap of not having screw shaft heaters cannot be overcome by adjustment of the forward/reverse ratio.« less

Development of an advanced, continuous mild gasification process for the production of co-products

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

O'Neal, G.W.

1991-01-01

During this quarter the work on Task 3, char upgrading, was in two areas; upgrading Penelec char made from Penelec filter cake to blast furnace formed coke, and evaluating various bituminous pitch binders. The formed coke from Penelec filter cake was of good quality with a high crush strength of 3000 pounds. The reactivity was not equal to that of conventional coke but it is felt that it could be made to equal conventional coke with further study, specifically by adding binder coal to the raw material recipe. The work evaluating bituminous pitch binders confirmed earlier thinking that will bemore » valuable to a commercial scale-up. Asphalt binders are compatible with coal tar binders and produce a coke of equal quality. Hence asphalt binders can be used to supply deficiencies of tar production in units employing coals with insufficient volatile matter to supply enough tar for the coking process. Asphalt binders have about a 50% savings from coal tar pitch. During the 4th Quarter of 1991, a total of 15 Continuous Mild Gasification Unit (CMGU) test runs were made. Efforts continued to determine the optimum forward/reverse ratio to maximize coal feed rate. The success of these efforts has been limited with a maximum coal feed rate of 400 lbs/hr obtainable with a caking coal. The handicap of not having screw shaft heaters cannot be overcome by adjustment of the forward/reverse ratio.« less

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

20 CFR 410.110 - General definitions and use of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... be used in, or resulting from, the work of extracting in such area bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite from its natural deposits in the earth by any means or method, and the work of preparing the coal... who performs the services, not only as to the result to be accomplished by the work but also as to the...

Characteristic Study of Shenmu Bituminous Coal Combustion with Online TG-MS-FTIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Guanfu

2018-01-01

The combustion characteristics of Shenmu bituminous pulverized coal (SBC) were comprehensively investigated with a combined TG-MS-FTIR system by considering the effect of particle size, heating rate and total flowrate. The combustion products were accurately quantified by normalization and numerical analysis of MS results. The results indicate that the decrease of the particle size, heating rate and total flowrate result in lower ignition and burnout temperatures. The activation energy tends to be lower with smaller particle size, lower heating rate and total flowrate. The MS and FTIR results demonstrate that lower concentrations of different products, such as NO, NO2, HCN, CH4 and SO2 were produced with smaller particle size, slower heating rate and lower total flowrate. The decrease of particle size would lead to more contact area with oxygen and slower heating rate could provide more sufficient time for the diffusion. High total flowrate would reduce the oxygen adsorbability on the coal particle surface and shorten the residence time of oxygen, which makes the ignition difficult to occur. This work will guide to understand the combustion kinetics of pulverized coals and be beneficial to control the formation of pollutants.

Gasification of high ash, high ash fusion temperature bituminous coals

DOEpatents

Liu, Guohai; Vimalchand, Pannalal; Peng, WanWang

2015-11-13

This invention relates to gasification of high ash bituminous coals that have high ash fusion temperatures. The ash content can be in 15 to 45 weight percent range and ash fusion temperatures can be in 1150.degree. C. to 1500.degree. C. range as well as in excess of 1500.degree. C. In a preferred embodiment, such coals are dealt with a two stage gasification process--a relatively low temperature primary gasification step in a circulating fluidized bed transport gasifier followed by a high temperature partial oxidation step of residual char carbon and small quantities of tar. The system to process such coals further includes an internally circulating fluidized bed to effectively cool the high temperature syngas with the aid of an inert media and without the syngas contacting the heat transfer surfaces. A cyclone downstream of the syngas cooler, operating at relatively low temperatures, effectively reduces loading to a dust filtration unit. Nearly dust- and tar-free syngas for chemicals production or power generation and with over 90%, and preferably over about 98%, overall carbon conversion can be achieved with the preferred process, apparatus and methods outlined in this invention.

Mercury emission trend influenced by stringent air pollutants regulation for coal-fired power plants in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pudasainee, Deepak; Kim, Jeong-Hun; Seo, Yong-Chil

2009-12-01

Regulatory control of mercury emission from anthropogenic sources has become a global concern in the recent past. Coal-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of anthropogenic mercury emission into the atmosphere. This paper summarizes the current reducing trend of mercury emission as co-beneficial effect by more stringent regulation changes to control primary air pollutants with introducing test results from the commercial coal-fired facilities and suggesting a guideline for future regulatory development in Korea. On average, mercury emission concentrations ranged 16.3-2.7 μg Sm -3, 2.4-1.1 μg Sm -3, 3.1-0.7 μg Sm -3 from anthracite coal-fired power plants equipped with electrostatic precipitator (ESP), bituminous coal-fired power plants with ESP + flue gas desulphurization (FGD) and bituminous coal-fired power plants with selective catalytic reactor (SCR) + cold side (CS) - ESP + wet FGD, respectively. Among the existing air pollution control devices, the best configuration for mercury removal in coal-fired power plants was SCR + CS - ESP + wet FGD, which were installed due to the stringent regulation changes to control primary air pollutants emission such as SO 2, NOx and dust. It was estimated that uncontrolled and controlled mercury emission from coal-fired power plants as 10.3 ton yr -1 and 3.2 ton yr -1 respectively. After the installation of ESP, FGD and SCR system, following the enforcement of the stringent regulation, 7.1 ton yr -1 of mercury emission has been reduced (nearly 69%) from coal-fired power plants as a co-benefit control. Based on the overall study, a sample guideline including emission limits were suggested which will be applied to develop a countermeasure for controlling mercury emission from coal-fired power plants.

Catalytic multi-stage liquefaction of coal at HTI: Bench-scale studies in coal/waste plastics coprocessing

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

Pradhan, V.R.; Lee, L.K.; Stalzer, R.H.

1995-12-31

The development of Catalytic Multi-Stage Liquefaction (CMSL) at HTI has focused on both bituminous and sub-bituminous coals using laboratory, bench and PDU scale operations. The crude oil equivalent cost of liquid fuels from coal has been curtailed to about $30 per barrel, thus achieving over 30% reduction in the price that was evaluated for the liquefaction technologies demonstrated in the late seventies and early eighties. Contrary to the common belief, the new generation of catalytic multistage coal liquefaction process is environmentally very benign and can produce clean, premium distillates with a very low (<10ppm) heteroatoms content. The HTI Staff hasmore » been involved over the years in process development and has made significant improvements in the CMSL processing of coals. A 24 month program (extended to September 30, 1995) to study novel concepts, using a continuous bench scale Catalytic Multi-Stage unit (30kg coal/day), has been initiated since December, 1992. This program consists of ten bench-scale operations supported by Laboratory Studies, Modelling, Process Simulation and Economic Assessments. The Catalytic Multi-Stage Liquefaction is a continuation of the second generation yields using a low/high temperature approach. This paper covers work performed between October 1994- August 1995, especially results obtained from the microautoclave support activities and the bench-scale operations for runs CMSL-08 and CMSL-09, during which, coal and the plastic components for municipal solid wastes (MSW) such as high density polyethylene (HDPE)m, polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polythylene terphthlate (PET) were coprocessed.« less

Intrinsic and extrinsic defects in a family of coal-derived graphene quantum dots

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

Singamaneni, Srinivasa Rao, E-mail: ssingam@ncsu.edu, E-mail: tour@rice.edu; Department of Material Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; Tol, Johan van

In this letter, we report on the high frequency (239.2 and 336 GHz) electron spin resonance (ESR) studies performed on graphene quantum dots (GQDs), prepared through a wet chemistry route from three types of coal: (a) bituminous, (b) anthracite, and (c) coke; and from non-coal derived GQDs. The microwave frequency-, power-, and temperature-dependent ESR spectra coupled with computer-aided simulations reveal four distinct magnetic defect centers. In bituminous- and anthracite-derived GQDs, we have identified two of them as intrinsic carbon-centered magnetic defect centers (a broad signal of peak to peak width = 697 (10{sup −4} T), g = 2.0023; and a narrow signal of peak tomore » peak width = 60 (10{sup −4} T), g = 2.003). The third defect center is Mn{sup 2+} ({sup 6}S{sub 5/2}, 3d{sup 5}) (signal width = 61 (10{sup −4} T), g = 2.0023, A{sub iso} = 93(10{sup −4} T)), and the fourth defect is identified as Cu{sup 2+} ({sup 2}D{sub 5/2}, 3d{sup 9}) (g{sub ⊥} = 2.048 and g{sub ‖} = 2.279), previously undetected. Coke-derived and non-coal derived GQDs show Mn{sup 2+} and two-carbon related signals, and no Cu{sup 2+} signal. The extrinsic impurities most likely originate from the starting coal. Furthermore, Raman, photoluminescence, and ESR measurements detected no noticeable changes in the properties of the bituminous GQDs after one year. This study highlights the importance of employing high frequency ESR spectroscopy in identifying the (magnetic) defects, which are roadblocks for spin relaxation times of graphene-based materials. These defects would not have been possible to probe by other spin transport measurements.« less

Bioassay for estimating the biogenic methane-generating potential of coal samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Elizabeth J.P.; Voytek, Mary A.; Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.; Cohn, Alexander G.; Bunnell, Joseph E.; Clark, Arthur C.; Orem, William H.

2008-01-01

Generation of secondary biogenic methane in coal beds is likely controlled by a combination of factors such as the bioavailability of coal carbon, the presence of a microbial community to convert coal carbon to methane, and an environment supporting microbial growth and methanogenesis. A set of treatments and controls was developed to bioassay the bioavailability of coal for conversion to methane under defined laboratory conditions. Treatments included adding a well-characterized consortium of bacteria and methanogens (enriched from modern wetland sediments) and providing conditions to support endemic microbial activity. The contribution of desorbed methane in the bioassays was determined in treatments with bromoethane sulfonic acid, an inhibitor of microbial methanogenesis. The bioassay compared 16 subbituminous coal samples collected from beds in Texas (TX), Wyoming (WY), and Alaska (AK), and two bituminous coal samples from Pennsylvania (PA). New biogenic methane was observed in several samples of subbituminous coal with the microbial consortium added, but endemic activity was less commonly observed. The highest methane generation [80 µmol methane/g coal (56 scf/ton or 1.75 cm3/g)] was from a south TX coal sample that was collected from a non-gas-producing well. Subbituminous coals from the Powder River Basin, WY and North Slope Borough, AK contained more sorbed (original) methane than the TX coal sample and generated 0–23 µmol/g (up to 16 scf/ton or 0.5 cm3/g) new biogenic methane in the bioassay. Standard indicators of thermal maturity such as burial depth, nitrogen content, and calorific value did not explain differences in biogenic methane among subbituminous coal samples. No original methane was observed in two bituminous samples from PA, nor was any new methane generated in bioassays of these samples. The bioassay offers a new tool for assessing the potential of coal for biogenic methane generation, and provides a platform for studying the mechanisms involved in this economically important activity.

Variations in pore characteristics in high volatile bituminous coals: Implications for coal bed gas content

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Drobniak, A.; Strapoc, D.; Solano-Acosta, W.; Rupp, J.

2008-01-01

The Seelyville Coal Member of the Linton Formation (Pennsylvanian) in Indiana was studied to: 1) understand variations in pore characteristics within a coal seam at a single location and compare these variations with changes occurring between the same coal at different locations, 2) elaborate on the influence of mineral-matter and maceral composition on mesopore and micropore characteristics, and 3) discuss implications of these variations for coal bed gas content. The coal is high volatile bituminous rank with R0 ranging from 0.57% to 0.60%. BET specific surface areas (determined by nitrogen adsorption) of the coals samples studied range from 1.8 to 22.9??m2/g, BJH adsorption mesopore volumes from 0.0041 to 0.0339??cm3/g, and micropore volumes (determined by carbon dioxide adsorption) from 0.0315 to 0.0540??cm3/g. The coals that had the largest specific surface areas and largest mesopore volumes occur at the shallowest depths, whereas the smallest values for these two parameters occur in the deepest coals. Micropore volumes, in contrast, are not depth-dependent. In the coal samples examined for this study, mineral-matter content influenced both specific surface area as well as mesopore and micropore volumes. It is especially clear in the case of micropores, where an increase in mineral-matter content parallels the decrease of micropore volume of the coal. No obvious relationships were observed between the total vitrinite content and pore characteristics but, after splitting vitrinite into individual macerals, we see that collotelinite influences both meso- and micropore volume positively, whereas collodetrinite contributes to the reduction of mesopore and micropore volumes. There are large variations in gas content within a single coal at a single location. Because of this variability, the entire thickness of the coal must be desorbed in order to determine gas content reliably and to accurately calculate the level of gas saturation. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Decaking of coal or oil shale during pyrolysis in the presence of iron oxides

DOEpatents

Khan, M. Rashid

1989-01-01

A method for producing a fuel from the pyrolysis of coal or oil shale in the presence of iron oxide in an inert gas atmosphere. The method includes the steps of pulverizing feed coal or oil shale, pulverizing iron oxide, mixing the pulverized feed and iron oxide, and heating the mixture in a gas atmosphere which is substantially inert to the mixture so as to form a product fuel, which may be gaseous, liquid and/or solid. The method of the invention reduces the swelling of coals, such as bituminous coal and the like, which are otherwise known to swell during pyrolysis.

Organic intermediates in the anaerobic biodegradation of coal to methane under laboratory conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orem, William H.; Voytek, Mary A.; Jones, Elizabeth J.; Lerch, Harry E.; Bates, Anne L.; Corum, Margo D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Clark, Arthur C.

2010-01-01

Organic intermediates in coal fluids produced by anaerobic biodegradation of geopolymers in coal play a key role in the production of methane in natural gas reservoirs. Laboratory biodegradation experiments on sub-bituminous coal from Texas, USA, were conducted using bioreactors to examine the organic intermediates relevant to methane production. Production of methane in the bioreactors was linked to acetate accumulation in bioreactor fluid. Long chain fatty acids, alkanes (C19–C36) and various low molecular weight aromatics, including phenols, also accumulated in the bioreactor fluid and appear to be the primary intermediates in the biodegradation pathway from coal-derived geopolymers to acetate and methane.

Sulfur compounds in coal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Attar, A.; Corcoran, W. H.

1977-01-01

The literature on the chemical structure of the organic sulfur compounds (or functional groups) in coal is reviewed. Four methods were applied in the literature to study the sulfur compounds in coal: direct spectrometric and chemical analysis, depolymerization in drastic conditions, depolymerization in mild conditions, and studies on simulated coal. The data suggest that most of the organic sulfur in coal is in the form of thiophenic structures and aromatic and aliphatic sulfides. The relative abundance of the sulfur groups in bituminous coal is estimated as 50:30:20%, respectively. The ratio changes during processing and during the chemical analysis. The main effects are the transformation during processing of sulfides to the more stable thiophenic compounds and the elimination of hydrogen sulfide.

Resource targets for advanced underground coal extraction systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoag, J. H.; Whipple, D. W.; Habib-Agahi, H.; Lavin, M. L.

1982-01-01

Resource targets appropriate for federal sponsorship of research and development of advanced underground coal mining systems are identified. A comprehensive examination of conventional and unconventional coals with particular attention to exceptionally thin and thick seams, steeply dipping beds, and multiple seam geometry was made. The results indicate that the resource of primary importance is flat lying bituminous coal of moderate thickness, under moderate cover, and located within the lower 48 states. Resources of secondary importance are the flat lying multiple seams and thin seams (especially those in Appalachia). Steeply dipping coals, abandoned pillars, and exceptionally thick western coals may be important in some regions of subregions, but the limited tonnage available places them in a position of tertiary importance.

Functional group and individual maceral chemistry of high volatile bituminous coals from southern Indiana: Controls on coking

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, R.; Mastalerz, Maria

2004-01-01

The individual maceral chemistries of two Pennsylvanian, high volatile bituminous coals, the Danville Coal Member (Dugger Formation, R o=0.55%) and the Lower Block Coal Member (Brazil Formation, R o=0.56%) of Indiana, were investigated using electron microprobe and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) techniques, with the purpose of understanding differences in their coking behavior. Microprobe results reveal that carbon contents are highest in inertinite and sporinite, followed by desmocollinite and telocollinite. Oxygen and organic nitrogen are most abundant in telocollinite and desmocollinite; sporinite and inertinite contain lesser amounts of these two elements. Organic sulfur contents are highest in sporinite, lowest in inertinite, and intermediate in desmocollinite and telocollinite. Vitrinites within the Danville and Lower Block coals are very similar in elemental composition, while Lower Block inertinites and sporinites have higher carbon, lower oxygen, and sulfur contents which, when combined with the inertinite-and sporinite-rich composition of the Lower Block seam, strongly influences its whole coal chemistry. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry revealed greater aromatic hydrogen in the Lower Block coal, along with higher CH2/CH3 ratios, which suggest that liptinites contribute considerable amounts of long-chain, unbranched aliphatics to the overall kerogen composition of the Lower Block coal. Long-chain, unbranched aliphatics crack at higher temperatures, producing tar and oily byproducts during coking; these may help increase Lower Block plasticity. Electron microprobe and FTIR results indicate that individual maceral chemistries, combined with the maceral composition of the seam, are the primary control of better coking properties of the Lower Block coal. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biodegradation and bioconversion of coals by fungi: Technical report No. 6 for the period December 1, 1986-February 28, 1987. [Candida sp. , Cunninghamella sp. , Acremonium sp. , and Trametes versicolor

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

Ward, B.

We continued our tests for biosolubilization activity on lignite, subbituminous, and bituminous coals, using both surface solubilization and agar diffusion assays for selected lignite-solubilizing strains challenged with untreated and treated coals shown in earlier tests to be resistant to biosolubilization. These latter were subjected to treatments with heat or pressurized oxygen atmosphere, or to combinations of the same. We have observed biosolubilization of some weathered high-rank coals by some of the fungal isolates tested. 1 tab.

Bituminous coal production in the Appalachian basin: past, present, and future: Chapter D.3 in Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milici, Robert C.; Polyak, Désirée E.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Ryder, Robert T.

2014-01-01

This report on Appalachian basin coal production consists of four plates and associated graphs and tables that were used to construct the maps. Figure 1 shows the decade of greatest coal production by county. Figure 2 shows the amount of coal produced for each county (in thousands of short tons) during the year of greatest coal production. These data are sorted by decade. Figure 3 illustrates the cumulative coal production (in thousands of short tons) for each county since about the beginning of the 20th century. Figure 4 shows 2003 production by county in thousands of short tons.

30 CFR 90.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... old section 203(b) program (36 FR 20601, October 27, 1971), or under § 90.3 (Part 90 option; notice of... area bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite from its natural deposits in the earth by any means or...

30 CFR 90.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... old section 203(b) program (36 FR 20601, October 27, 1971), or under § 90.3 (Part 90 option; notice of... area bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite from its natural deposits in the earth by any means or...

30 CFR 90.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... old section 203(b) program (36 FR 20601, October 27, 1971), or under § 90.3 (Part 90 option; notice of... area bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite from its natural deposits in the earth by any means or...

30 CFR 90.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... old section 203(b) program (36 FR 20601, October 27, 1971), or under § 90.3 (Part 90 option; notice of... area bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite from its natural deposits in the earth by any means or...

30 CFR 90.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... old section 203(b) program (36 FR 20601, October 27, 1971), or under § 90.3 (Part 90 option; notice of... area bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite from its natural deposits in the earth by any means or...

Emission characteristics for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from solid fuels burned in domestic stoves in rural China

PubMed Central

SHEN, Guofeng; TAO, Shu; Chen, Yuanchen; Zhang, Yanyan; Wei, Siye; Xue, Miao; Wang, Bin; WANG, Rong; LV, Yan; LI, Wei; SHEN, Huizhong; HUANG, Ye; CHEN, Han

2014-01-01

Emission characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from residential combustion of crop residues, woody material, coal, and biomass pellets in domestic stoves in rural China are compared in term of emission factors (EFs), influencing factors, composition profiles, isomer ratios and phase distributions. The EFs of PAHs vary by two orders of magnitude among fuel types suggesting that a detailed fuel categorization is useful in the development of an emission inventory and potential in emission abatement of PAHs by replacing dirty fuels with relatively cleaner ones. The influence of fuel moisture in biomass burning is non-linear. Biofuels with very low moisture display relatively high emissions as do fuels with very high moisture. Bituminous coals and brushwood yield relatively large fractions of high molecular PAHs. The emission factor of Benzo(a)pyrene equivalent quantity for raw bituminous coal is as high as 52 mg/kg, which is 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than the other fuels. For source diagnosis, high molecular weight isomers are more informative than low molecular weight ones and multiple ratios could be used together whenever possible. PMID:24245776

Rapid co-pyrolysis of rice straw and a bituminous coal in a high-frequency furnace and gasification of the residual char.

PubMed

Yuan, Shuai; Dai, Zheng-hua; Zhou, Zhi-jie; Chen, Xue-li; Yu, Guang-suo; Wang, Fu-chen

2012-04-01

Rapid pyrolysis of rice straw (RS) and Shenfu bituminous coal (SB) separately, and rapid co-pyrolysis of RS/SB blends (mass ratio 1:4, 1:4, and 4:1), were carried out in a high-frequency furnace which can ensure both high heating rate and satisfying contact of fuel particles. Synergies between RS and SB during rapid co-pyrolysis were investigated. Intrinsic and morphological structures of residual char from co-pyrolysis, and their effects on gasification characteristics were also studied. Synergies occurred during rapid co-pyrolysis of RS and SB (RS/SB=1:4) resulting in decreasing char yields and increasing volatile yields. Synergies also happened during gasification of the char derived from co-pyrolysis of RS and SB with mass ratio of 1:4. The increased mass ratio of RS to SB did not only weaken synergies during co-pyrolysis, but significantly reduced the gasification rates of the co-pyrolysis char compared to the calculated values. Results can help to optimize co-conversion process of biomass/coal. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of fly ashes from circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) boilers cofiring coal and petroleum coke

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

Feihu Li; Jianping Zhai; Xiaoru Fu

2006-08-15

The chemistry, mineralogy, morphology, and particle size distribution were investigated in fly ashes from the burning of Datong (ShanXi, China) bituminous coal and the cofiring of Mideast high-sulfur petroleum coke (PC) with 30:70 (cal %) and 50:50 (cal %) blends of Datong bituminous coal in two commercial CFBC boilers. With the exception of CaO, the amounts of major oxides in the fly ashes from cofiring PC and coal were close to those of the common coal fly ashes. The PC-coal fly ashes were enriched in Ni, V, and Mo, implying these trace elements were mainly derived from PC. Ni andmore » V, along with several other elements, such as Cr, Cu, Se, Pb, U, Th, and possibly As and Cd, increased in content with a decrease in temperature of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP). The results of chemistry, mineralogy, and morphology studies suggested that the desulfurization rate of the CFBC boilers at current conditions was low, and the PC tends to coarsen the fly ash particles and increase the loss on ignition (LOI) values, making these fly ashes unsuitable for use as a cement additive or a mineral admixture in concrete. Further studies on the combustion status of the CFBC boilers are needed if we want to be able to increase the desulfurization rate and produce high-quality fly ashes for broader and full utilization. 22 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Ultra-Low Carbon Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants through Bio-Oil Co-Firing and Biochar Sequestration.

PubMed

Dang, Qi; Mba Wright, Mark; Brown, Robert C

2015-12-15

This study investigates a novel strategy of reducing carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants through co-firing bio-oil and sequestering biochar in agricultural lands. The heavy end fraction of bio-oil recovered from corn stover fast pyrolysis is blended and co-fired with bituminous coal to form a bio-oil co-firing fuel (BCF). Life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per kWh electricity produced vary from 1.02 to 0.26 kg CO2-eq among different cases, with BCF heavy end fractions ranging from 10% to 60%, which corresponds to a GHG emissions reduction of 2.9% to 74.9% compared with that from traditional bituminous coal power plants. We found a heavy end fraction between 34.8% and 37.3% is required to meet the Clean Power Plan's emission regulation for new coal-fired power plants. The minimum electricity selling prices are predicted to increase from 8.8 to 14.9 cents/kWh, with heavy end fractions ranging from 30% to 60%. A minimum carbon price of $67.4 ± 13 per metric ton of CO2-eq was estimated to make BCF power commercially viable for the base case. These results suggest that BCF co-firing is an attractive pathway for clean power generation in existing power plants with a potential for significant reductions in carbon emissions.

Investigation of reactions in a fluidized bed reactor during chemical looping combustion of coal/steam with copper oxide-iron oxide-alumina oxygen carrier

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

Siriwardane, Ranjani; Benincosa, William; Riley, Jarrett

This paper presents data on conversion of two different coals with a chemical looping oxygen carrier, CuO-Fe 2O 3-alumina, and over a range of conditions including steam and various levels of reduction of the oxygen carrier. Reactions of coal/steam/CuO-Fe 2O 3-alumina oxygen carrier and coal/steam/partially reduced CuO-Fe 2O 3-alumina oxygen carrier were investigated with Wyodak coal and Illinois #6 coal in a fluidized bed reactor. Temperature programmed reaction studies indicated that the oxygen carrier enhanced the steam gasification/combustion rates of both coals. Rates of gasification/combustion were higher with Wyodak coal (sub bituminous) than that with Illinois #6 coal (bituminous). Inmore » addition to the increase in reaction rates, the total moles of carbon that were gasified and combusted from coal/steam increased in the presence of the oxygen carrier. The reduced oxygen carrier promoted the water-gas shift reaction when reacted with synthesis gas in the presence of steam, but the reverse water gas shift reaction was observed when steam was not present. The partially reduced oxygen carrier enhanced the production of H 2 from coal/steam, which was different from the observations with un-reduced oxygen carrier. Water splitting reaction to produce H 2 was also observed with the reduced oxygen carrier. CuO-Fe 2O 3-alumina reacted with coal during the temperature ramp to 850 °C even in the absence of steam due to the chemical-looping oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) reaction. Here, the fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) analysis indicated the presence of volatile aromatics during the temperature ramp and these may have also contributed to the reactions with the oxygen carrier in the absence of steam. Increasing steam concentration had a negative effect on the CLOU reaction.« less

Investigation of reactions in a fluidized bed reactor during chemical looping combustion of coal/steam with copper oxide-iron oxide-alumina oxygen carrier

DOE PAGES

Siriwardane, Ranjani; Benincosa, William; Riley, Jarrett; ...

2016-10-06

This paper presents data on conversion of two different coals with a chemical looping oxygen carrier, CuO-Fe 2O 3-alumina, and over a range of conditions including steam and various levels of reduction of the oxygen carrier. Reactions of coal/steam/CuO-Fe 2O 3-alumina oxygen carrier and coal/steam/partially reduced CuO-Fe 2O 3-alumina oxygen carrier were investigated with Wyodak coal and Illinois #6 coal in a fluidized bed reactor. Temperature programmed reaction studies indicated that the oxygen carrier enhanced the steam gasification/combustion rates of both coals. Rates of gasification/combustion were higher with Wyodak coal (sub bituminous) than that with Illinois #6 coal (bituminous). Inmore » addition to the increase in reaction rates, the total moles of carbon that were gasified and combusted from coal/steam increased in the presence of the oxygen carrier. The reduced oxygen carrier promoted the water-gas shift reaction when reacted with synthesis gas in the presence of steam, but the reverse water gas shift reaction was observed when steam was not present. The partially reduced oxygen carrier enhanced the production of H 2 from coal/steam, which was different from the observations with un-reduced oxygen carrier. Water splitting reaction to produce H 2 was also observed with the reduced oxygen carrier. CuO-Fe 2O 3-alumina reacted with coal during the temperature ramp to 850 °C even in the absence of steam due to the chemical-looping oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) reaction. Here, the fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) analysis indicated the presence of volatile aromatics during the temperature ramp and these may have also contributed to the reactions with the oxygen carrier in the absence of steam. Increasing steam concentration had a negative effect on the CLOU reaction.« less

Germanium and uranium in coalified wood from Upper Devonian black shale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breger, Irving A.; Schopf, James M.

1954-01-01

Microscopic study of black, vitreous, carbonaceous material occurring in the Chattanooga shale in Tennessee and in the Cleveland member of the Ohio shale in Ohio has revealed coalified woody plant tissue. Some samples have shown sufficient detail to be identified with the genus Callixylon. Similar material has been reported in the literature as "bituminous" or "asphaltic" stringers. Spectrographic analyses of the ash from the coalified wood have shown unusually high percentages of germanium, uranium, vanadium, and nickel. The inverse relationship between uranium and germanium in the ash and the ash content of various samples shows an association of these elements with the organic constituents of the coal. On the basis of geochemical considerations, it seems most probable that the wood or coalified wood was germanium-bearing at the time logs or woody fragments were floated into the basins of deposition of the Chattanooga shale and the Cleveland member of the Ohio shale. Once within the marine environment, the material probably absorbed uranium with the formation of organo-uranium compounds such as have been found to exist in coals. It is suggested that a more systematic search for germaniferous coals in the vicinity of the Chattanooga shale and the Cleveland member of the Ohio shale might be rewarding.

EERC pilot-scale CFBC evaluation facility Project CFB test results. Topical report, Task 7.30

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

Mann, M.D.; Hajicek, D.R.; Henderson, A.K.

Project CFB was initiated at the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) in May 1988. Specific goals of the project were to (1) construct a circulating fluidized-bed combustor (CFBC) facility representative of the major boiler vendors` designs with the capability of producing scalable data, (2) develop a database for use in making future evaluations of CFBC technology, and (3) provide a facility for evaluating fuels, free of vendor bias for use in the - energy industry. Five coals were test-burned in the 1-MWth unit: North Dakota and Asian lignites, a Wyoming subbituminous, and Colorado and Pennsylvaniamore » bituminous coats. A total of 54 steady-state test periods were conducted, with the key test parameters being the average combustor temperature, excess air, superficial gas velocity, calcium-to-sulfur molar ratio, and the primary air-to-secondary air split. The capture for a coal fired in a CFBC is primarily dependent upon the total alkali-to-sulfur ratio. The required alkali-to ratio for 90% sulfur retention ranged from 1.4 to 4.9, depending upon coal type. While an alkali-to-ratio of 4.9 was required to meet 90% sulfur retention for the Salt Creek coal versus 1.4 for the Asian lignite, the total amount of sorbent addition required is much less for the Salt Creek coal, 4.2 pound sorbent per million Btu coal input, versus 62 pound/million Btu for the Asian lignite. The bituminous coals tested show optimal capture at combustor temperatures of approximately 1550{degree}F, with low-rank coals having optimal sulfur capture approximately 100{degree}F lower.« less

EERC pilot-scale CFBC evaluation facility Project CFB test results

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

Mann, M.D.; Hajicek, D.R.; Henderson, A.K.

Project CFB was initiated at the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) in May 1988. Specific goals of the project were to (1) construct a circulating fluidized-bed combustor (CFBC) facility representative of the major boiler vendors' designs with the capability of producing scalable data, (2) develop a database for use in making future evaluations of CFBC technology, and (3) provide a facility for evaluating fuels, free of vendor bias for use in the - energy industry. Five coals were test-burned in the 1-MWth unit: North Dakota and Asian lignites, a Wyoming subbituminous, and Colorado and Pennsylvaniamore » bituminous coats. A total of 54 steady-state test periods were conducted, with the key test parameters being the average combustor temperature, excess air, superficial gas velocity, calcium-to-sulfur molar ratio, and the primary air-to-secondary air split. The capture for a coal fired in a CFBC is primarily dependent upon the total alkali-to-sulfur ratio. The required alkali-to ratio for 90% sulfur retention ranged from 1.4 to 4.9, depending upon coal type. While an alkali-to-ratio of 4.9 was required to meet 90% sulfur retention for the Salt Creek coal versus 1.4 for the Asian lignite, the total amount of sorbent addition required is much less for the Salt Creek coal, 4.2 pound sorbent per million Btu coal input, versus 62 pound/million Btu for the Asian lignite. The bituminous coals tested show optimal capture at combustor temperatures of approximately 1550[degree]F, with low-rank coals having optimal sulfur capture approximately 100[degree]F lower.« less

Chemical and physical characteristics of coal and carbonaceous shale samples from the Salt Range coal field, Punjab Province, Pakistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Shakoor, T.; Javed, Shahid; Mashhadi, S.T.A.; Hussain, H.; Anwar, M.; Ghaznavi, M.I.

1990-01-01

Sixty coal and carbonaceous shale samples collected from the Paleocene Patala Formation in the Salt Range coal field, Punjab Province, Pakistan, were analyzed to examine the relationships between coal bed chemical and physical characteristics and depositional environments. Results of proximate and ultimate analyses, reported on an as received basis, indicate that coal beds have an average ash yield of 24.23 percent, average sulfur content of 5.32 percent, average pyritic sulfur content of 4.07 percent, and average calorific value of 8943 Btu (4972 kcal/kg). Thirty five coal samples, analyzed on a whole coal, dry basis for selected trace elements and oxides, have anomalously high average concentrations of Ti, at O.3& percent; Zr, at 382 ppm; and Se, at 11.4 ppm, compared to world wide averages for these elements in coal.Some positive correlation coefficients, significant at a 0.01 level, are those between total sulfur and As, pyritic sulfur and As, total sulfur and sample location, organic sulfur and Se, calorific value (Btu) and sample location, and coal bed thickness and Se. Calorific values -for the samples, calculated on a moist, mineral matter free basis, indicate that the apparent rank of the coal is high volatile C bituminous.Variations observed in the chemical and physical characteristics of the coal beds may be related to depositional environments. Total ash yields and concentrations of Se and organic sulfur increase toward more landward depositional environments and may be related to an increase of fluvial influence on peat deposition. Variations in pyritic sulfur concentrations may be related to post-peat pyrite filled burrows commonly observed in the upper part of the coal bed. The thickest coal beds that have the lowest ash content, and highest calorific values, formed from peats deposited in back barrier, tidal flat environments of the central and western parts of the coal field. The reasons for correlations between Se and coal bed thickness and Se and ash content are not clear and may be a product of averaging.

Inorganic chemistry, petrography and palaeobotany of Permian coals in the Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holdgate, G.R.; McLoughlin, S.; Drinnan, A.N.; Finkelman, R.B.; Willett, J.C.; Chiehowsky, L.A.

2005-01-01

Sampled outcrops of Permian coal seams of the Bainmedart Coal Measures in the Lambert Graben, eastern Antarctica, have been analysed for their proximates, ultimates, ash constituents and trace elements. A similar series of samples has been analysed for their principle maceral and microlithotype components and vitrinite reflectance. The coals are sub-bituminous to high volatile bituminous in rank; maturity increases markedly in southern exposures around Radok Lake where the oldest part of the succession is exposed and some strata have been intruded by mafic dykes and ultramafic sills. The coal ash is mostly silica and aluminium oxides, indicating that the mineral ash component is mostly quartz and various clay minerals. The ratio of silica to aluminium oxides appears to increase in an upward stratigraphic direction. The coal macerals include a relatively high liptinite content (mainly sporinite) that is significantly higher than for typical Gondwana coals. Greater degrees of weathering within the floodbasin/peat mire environments associated with climatic drying towards the end of the Permian might account for both preferential sporopollenin preservation and increased silica:aluminium oxide ratios up-section. Correlation of the coal maceral components to adjacent peninsula India coals indicates the closest comparative coals of similar age and rank occur within the Godavari Basin, rather then the Mahanadi Basin, which is traditionally interpreted to have been contiguous with the Lambert Graben before Gondwanan breakup. The petrological characteristics suggest that either previous interpretations of Palaeozoic basin alignments between Antarctica and India are incorrect, or that environmental settings and post-Permian burial histories of these basins were strongly independent of their tectonic juxtaposition. A permineralized peat bed within the succession reveals that the coals predominantly comprise wood- and leaf-rich debris derived from low-diversity forest-mire communities dominated by glossopterid and noeggerathiopsid gymnosperms. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Composition and trace element content of coal in Taiwan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tsai, L.-Y.; Chen, C.-F.; Finkelman, R.B.

2005-01-01

To investigate the trace element contents of local coal, four coal samples were collected from operating mines in NW Taiwan. Detailed petrographic and chemical characterization analyses were then conducted. Analytical results indicate that (1) the samples were high volatile bituminous coal in rank with ash content ranging from 4.2 to 14.4% and with moisture content ranging from 2.7 to 4.6%; (2) the macerals were mostly composed of vitrinite with vitrinite reflectance less than 0.8%; (3) the sample of Wukeng mine has the highest Fe2O3 (29.5%), TI (54.8 ppm), Zn (140 ppm), and As (697 ppm) contents in ash and Hg (2.3 ppm) in the coal. If used properly, these coals should not present health hazards.

Decaking of coal or oil shale during pyrolysis in the presence of iron oxides

DOEpatents

Rashid Khan, M.

1988-05-05

A method for producing a fuel from the pyrolysis of coal or oil shale in the presence of iron oxide in an inert gas atmosphere is described. The method includes the steps of pulverizing feed coal or oil shale, pulverizing iron oxide, mixing the pulverized feed and iron oxide, and heating the mixture in a gas atmosphere which is substantially inert to the mixture so as to form a product fuel, which may be gaseous, liquid and/or solid. The method of the invention reduces the swelling of coals, such as bituminous coal and the like, which are otherwise known to swell during pyrolysis. 4 figs., 8 tabs.

Specific Types of Coal Macerals from Orzesze and Ruda Beds from "Pniówek" Coal Mine (Upper Silesian Coal Basin - Poland) as a Manifestation of Thermal Metamorphism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamczyk, Zdzisław; Komorek, Joanna; Lewandowska, Małgorzata

2014-03-01

Subject of the research were coal samples from the seams of Orzesze and Ruda beds from "Pniówek" coal mine. All samples represent methabituminous coal B, which present high vitrinite content (V mmf > 60%). Optical character of vitrinite from all analyzed coal samples is biaxial negative and it is characterized by low differentiation of bireflectance. The experiments have shown that the coal rank of investigated samples is generally decreasing with increasing both depth of coal seams and the distance between sampling point and the Carboniferous roof. It may suggests inversion of coalification. Specific types of macerals, typical for thermally metamorphosed coals have been found for all analysed coal samples. It was found, presence of such components like: fluorescing bituminous substance (FBS) filling of cellular spaces in semifusinite, fusinite, and funginite; pseudomorphs after megaspores exhibiting strong bireflectance, and anisotropic semifusinite. Petrographic components with a structure similar to structure of coke and pyrolytic carbon were observed rarely. Presence of colotelinite grains which are visible darker, impregnated with bituminous substance and exhibiting weak fluorescence may be related with influence of temperature on coal. Carbonates occur as filling of cellular spaces in semifusinite, in examined coal samples and there are the effect of thermal alteration of coal. Przedmiotem badań były próbki węgla z pokładów warstw orzeskich i rudzkich KWK Pniówek. Badane próbki reprezentują węgiel średniouwęglony typu B (metabitumiczny), wysokowitrynitowy. Stwierdzono, że witrynit z badanych próbek ma dwuosiowy ujemny charakter optyczny i wykazuje małe zróżnicowanie w wartościach dwójodbicia. Przeprowadzone badania wykazały, że stopień uwęglenia badanych próbek generalnie maleje wraz ze wzrostem głębokości występowania pokładów węgla oraz ze wzrostem odległości miejsca opróbowania od stropu karbonu co może wskazywać na inwersję uwęglenia. We wszystkich analizowanych próbkach węgla stwierdzono występowanie specyficznych odmian macerałów typowych dla węgli zmetamorfizowanych termicznie. W próbkach stwierdzono obecność takich składników jak: fluoryzująca substancja bitumiczna (FBS) wypełniająca przestrzenie komórkowe w semifuzynicie, fuzynicie i funginicie; pseudomorfozy po makrosporach wykazujące silne dwójodbicie oraz anizotropowy semifuzynit. Rzadziej obserwowano składniki petrograficzne o strukturze wykazującej podobieństwo do struktury koksu i węgiel pirolityczny. Z oddziaływaniem temperatury na badany węgiel można wiązać także obecność w analizowanych próbkach wyraźnie ciemniejszych, przesyconych substancją bitumiczną, wykazujących słabą fluorescencję ziaren kolotelinitu. Przejawem przemian termicznych obserwowanych w badanych próbkach węgla może być także obecność węglanów najczęściej wypełniających przestrzenie komórkowe w semifuzynicie.

HIGH PRESSURE COAL COMBUSTON KINETICS PROJECT

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

Stefano Orsino

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) initiative to improve the efficiency of coal-fired power plants and reduce the pollution generated by these facilities, DOE has funded the High-Pressure Coal Combustion Kinetics (HPCCK) Projects. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted on selected pulverized coals at elevated pressures with the specific goals to provide new data for pressurized coal combustion that will help extend to high pressure and validate models for burnout, pollutant formation, and generate samples of solid combustion products for analyses to fill crucial gaps in knowledge of char morphology and fly ash formation. Two seriesmore » of high-pressure coal combustion experiments were performed using SRI's pressurized radiant coal flow reactor. The first series of tests characterized the near burner flame zone (NBFZ). Three coals were tested, two high volatile bituminous (Pittsburgh No.8 and Illinois No.6), and one sub-bituminous (Powder River Basin), at pressures of 1, 2, and 3 MPa (10, 20, and 30 atm). The second series of experiments, which covered high-pressure burnout (HPBO) conditions, utilized a range of substantially longer combustion residence times to produce char burnout levels from 50% to 100%. The same three coals were tested at 1, 2, and 3 MPa, as well as at 0.2 MPa. Tests were also conducted on Pittsburgh No.8 coal in CO2 entrainment gas at 0.2, 1, and 2 MPa to begin establishing a database of experiments relevant to carbon sequestration techniques. The HPBO test series included use of an impactor-type particle sampler to measure the particle size distribution of fly ash produced under complete burnout conditions. The collected data have been interpreted with the help of CFD and detailed kinetics simulation to extend and validate devolatilization, char combustion and pollutant model at elevated pressure. A global NOX production sub-model has been proposed. The submodel reproduces the performance of the detailed chemical reaction mechanism for the NBFZ tests.« less

Experimental study on NOx emission and unburnt carbon of a radial biased swirl burner for coal combustion

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

Shan Xue; Shi'en Hui; Qulan Zhou

Pilot tests were carried out on a 1 MW thermal pulverized coal fired testing furnace. Symmetrical combustion was implemented by use of two whirl burners with dual air adjustment. The burnout air device was installed in various places at the top of the main burner, which consists of a primary air pipe with a varying cross-section and an impact ring. In the primary air pipe, the air pulverized coal (PC) stream was separated into a whirling stream that was thick inside and thin outside, thus realizing the thin-thick distribution at the burner nozzle in the radial direction. From the comparativemore » combustion tests of three coals with relatively great characteristic differences, Shaanbei Shenhua high rank bituminous coal (SH coal), Shanxi Hejin low rank bituminous coal (HJ coal), and Shanxi Changzhi meager coal (CZ coal), were obtained such test results as the primary air ratio, inner secondary air ratio, outer secondary air ratio, impact of the change of outer secondary air, change of the relative position for the layout of burnout air, change of the swirling intensity of the primary air and secondary air, etc., on the NOx emission, and unburnt carbon content in fly ash (CFA). At the same time, the relationship between the NOx emission and burnout ratio and affecting factors of the corresponding test items on the combustion stability and economic results were also acquired. The results may provide a vital guiding significance to engineering designs and practical applications. According to the experimental results, the influence of each individual parameter on NOx formation and unburned carbon in fly ash agrees well with the existing literature. In this study, the influences of various combinations of these parameters are also examined, thus providing some reference for the design of the radial biased swirl burner, the configuration of the furnace, and the distribution of the air. 23 refs., 14 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Variations in coal characteristics and their possible implications for CO2 sequestration: Tanquary injection site, southeastern Illinois, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morse, D.G.; Mastalerz, Maria; Drobniak, A.; Rupp, J.A.; Harpalani, S.

2010-01-01

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Regional Sequestration Partnership program, the potential for sequestering CO2 in the largest bituminous coal reserve in United States - the Illinois Basin - is being assessed at the Tanquary site in Wabash County, southeastern Illinois. To accomplish the main project objectives, which are to determine CO2 injection rates and storage capacity, we developed a detailed coal characterization program. The targeted Springfield Coal occurs at 274m (900ft) depth, is 2.1m (7ft) thick, and is of high volatile B bituminous rank, having an average vitrinite reflectance (Ro) of 0.63%. Desorbed Springfield Coal gas content in cores from four wells ~15 to ~30m (50 to 100ft) apart varies from 4.7-6.6cm3/g (150 to 210scf/ton, dmmf) and consists, generally, of >92% CH4 with lesser amounts of N2 and then CO2. Adsorption isotherms indicate that at least three molecules of CO2 can be stored for each displaced CH4 molecule. Whole seam petrographic composition, which affects sequestration potential, averages 76.5% vitrinite, 4.2% liptinite, 11.6% inertinite, and 7.7% mineral matter. Sulfur content averages 1.59%. Well-developed coal cleats with 1 to 2cm spacing contain partial calcite and/or kaolinite fillings that may decrease coal permeability. The shallow geophysical induction log curves show much higher resistivity in the lower part of the Springfield Coal than the medium or deep curves because of invasion by freshwater drilling fluid, possibly indicating higher permeability. Gamma-ray and bulk density vary, reflecting differences in maceral, ash, and pyrite content. Because coal properties vary across the basin, it is critical to characterize injection site coals to best predict the potential for CO2 injection and storage capacity. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Pyrolysis process and apparatus

DOEpatents

Lee, Chang-Kuei

1983-01-01

This invention discloses a process and apparatus for pyrolyzing particulate coal by heating with a particulate solid heating media in a transport reactor. The invention tends to dampen fluctuations in the flow of heating media upstream of the pyrolysis zone, and by so doing forms a substantially continuous and substantially uniform annular column of heating media flowing downwardly along the inside diameter of the reactor. The invention is particularly useful for bituminous or agglomerative type coals.

Biogas production from various coal types using beef cattle rumen's liquid as a source of microorganisms consortium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurnani, Tubagus Benito Achmad; Harlia, Ellin; Hidayati, Yuli Astuti; Marlina, Eulis Tanti; Sugiarto, A. N.; Rahmah, K. N.; Joni, I. M.

2018-02-01

Nowadays, Indonesia is developing Coal-Bed Methane (CBM) production, but its production is not sufficient yet. Basically, CBM is produced naturally along with coal formation, i.e. through the activity of indigenous microorganisms. In this regard, to increase the production of CBM, adding a consortium of microorganisms into the coal deposit can be an option. One source of a consortium of bacteria available in nature is the rumen contents of ruminant livestock such as beef cattle. The purpose of this research was to know the capability of bacteria in rumen contents of beef cattle to produce CBM from various types of coal. In addition, to get a better concentration of bacteria than previous research so that it can be used as a reference for CBM production in the future. This explorative research used an experimental method with descriptive explanation. CBM production was performed using Hungate tube as a digester with three coal substrates, namely lignite, sub-bituminous and bituminous. This experiment also used 10-7 diluted rumen content of beef cattle as a source. The parameters measured were bacterial density, the amount of CBM, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide on day 2, 5, 10 and 14. The treatment and parameters measurement were carried out in triplicates. This study finding showed that the highest bacterial density in all three types of coal was obtained on day 10 as well as the amount of CBM, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. These results are higher than the results from previous research therefore, this treatment can be used as an inoculant in a solid form for easy distribution.

32 CFR 643.35 - Policy-Mineral leasing on lands controlled by the Department of the Army.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... lease deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, potassium and sulfur which are within..., oil, oil shale, native asphalt, solid and semi-solid bitumen, bituminous rock and gas located on...

32 CFR 643.35 - Policy-Mineral leasing on lands controlled by the Department of the Army.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... lease deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, potassium and sulfur which are within..., oil, oil shale, native asphalt, solid and semi-solid bitumen, bituminous rock and gas located on...

32 CFR 643.35 - Policy-Mineral leasing on lands controlled by the Department of the Army.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... lease deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, potassium and sulfur which are within..., oil, oil shale, native asphalt, solid and semi-solid bitumen, bituminous rock and gas located on...

32 CFR 643.35 - Policy-Mineral leasing on lands controlled by the Department of the Army.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... lease deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, potassium and sulfur which are within..., oil, oil shale, native asphalt, solid and semi-solid bitumen, bituminous rock and gas located on...

32 CFR 643.35 - Policy-Mineral leasing on lands controlled by the Department of the Army.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... lease deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, potassium and sulfur which are within..., oil, oil shale, native asphalt, solid and semi-solid bitumen, bituminous rock and gas located on...

Prediction of coal grindability from exploration data

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

Gomez, M.; Hazen, K.

1970-08-01

A general prediction model for the Hardgrove grindability index was constructed from 735 coal samples using the proximate analysis, heating value, and sulfur content. The coals used to develop the general model ranged in volatile matter from 12.8 to 49.2 percent, dry basis, and had grindability indexes ranging from 35 to 121. A restricted model applicable to bituminous coals having grindabilities in the 40 to 110 range was developed from the proximate analysis and the petrographic composition of the coal. The prediction of coal grindability within a single seam was also investigated. The results reported support the belief that mechanicalmore » properties of the coal are related to both chemical and petrographic factors of the coal. The mechanical properties coal may be forecast in advance of mining, because the variables used as input to the prediction models can be measured from drill core samples collected during exploration.« less

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

Shi-chune, Y.; Liu, L.

The evaporation, heating, and burning of single coal-water slurry droplets are studied. The coal selected in this study is Pittsburgh Seam number 8 coal which is a medium volatile caking bituminous coal. The droplet is suspended on a microthermocouple and exposed to a hot gas stream. Temperature measurement and microscopic observation are performed in the parametric studies. The duration of water evaporation in CWS droplets decreases with the reduction of the droplet size, increasing of coal weight fraction, and increasing of gas temperature and velocity. The duration of heat-up is always significant due to the agglomeration. The CWS droplets aremore » generally observed to swell like popcorn during heating. A model for the formation of the popped swelling is proposed and discussed.« less

Oxidation of pyrite in coal to magnetite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorpe, A.N.; Senftle, F.E.; Alexander, C.C.; Dulong, F.T.

1984-01-01

When bituminous coal is heated in an inert atmosphere (He) containing small amounts of oxygen at 393-455 ??C, pyrite (FeS2) in coal is partially converted to magnetite (Fe304). The maximum amount of Fe304 formed during the time of heating corresponds to 5-20% of the total pyrite present, depending on the coal sample. The magnetite forms as an outer crust on the pyrite grains. The fact that the magnetic properties of the pyrite grains are substantially increased by the magnetite crust suggests that pyrite can be separated from coal by use of a low magnetic field. In a laboratory test, 75% removal is obtained by means of a 500 Oe magnet on three samples, and 60% on a fourth sample. ?? 1984.

Depositional controls on coal distribution and quality in the Eocene Brunner Coal Measures, Buller Coalfield, South Island, New Zealand

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, R.M.; Sykes, R.

1996-01-01

The Buller Coalfield on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand, contains the Eocene Brunner Coal Measures. The coal measures unconformably overlie Paleozoic-Cretaceous basement rocks and are conformably overlain by, and laterally interfinger with, the Eocene marine Kaiata Formation. This study examines the lithofacies frameworks of the coal measures in order to interpret their depositional environments. The lower part of the coal measures is dominated by conglomeratic lithofacies that rest on a basal erosional surface and thicken in paleovalleys incised into an undulating peneplain surface. These lithofacies are overlain by sandstone, mudstone and organic-rich lithofacies of the upper part of the coal measures. The main coal seam of the organic-rich lithofacies is thick (10-20 m), extensive, locally split, and locally absent. This seam and associated coal seams in the Buller Coalfield are of low- to high-volatile bituminous rank (vitrinite reflectance between 0.65% and 1.75%). The main seam contains a variable percentage of ash and sulphur. These values are related to the thickening and areal distribution of the seam, which in turn, were controlled by the nature of clastic deposition and peat-forming mire systems, marine transgression and local tidal incursion. The conglomeratic lithofacies represent deposits of trunk and tributary braided streams that rapidly aggraded incised paleovalleys during sea-level stillstands. The main seam represents a deposit of raised mires that initially developed as topogenous mires on abandoned margins of inactive braidbelts. Peat accumulated in mires as a response to a rise in the water table, probably initially due to gradual sea-level rise and climate, and the resulting raised topography served as protection from floods. The upper part of the coal measures consists of sandstone lithofacies of flu vial origin and bioturbated sandstone, mudstone and organic-rich lithofacies, which represent deposits of paralic (deltaic, barrier shoreface, tidal and mire) and marine environments. The fluvial sandstone lithofacies accumulated in channels during a sea-level stillstand. The channels were infilled by coeval braided and meandering streams prior to transgression. Continued transgression, ranging from tidal channel-estuarine incursions to widespread but uneven paleoshoreline encroachment, accompanied by moderate basin subsidence, is marked by a stacked, back-stepping geometry of bioturbated sandstone and marine mudstone lithofacies. Final retrogradation (sea-level highstand) is marked by backfilling of estuaries and by rapid landward deposition of the marine Kaiata Formation in the late Eocene.

The Mesaba Energy Project: Clean Coal Power Initiative, Round 2

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

Stone, Richard; Gray, Gordon; Evans, Robert

2014-07-31

The Mesaba Energy Project is a nominal 600 MW integrated gasification combine cycle power project located in Northeastern Minnesota. It was selected to receive financial assistance pursuant to code of federal regulations (?CFR?) 10 CFR 600 through a competitive solicitation under Round 2 of the Department of Energy?s Clean Coal Power Initiative, which had two stated goals: (1) to demonstrate advanced coal-based technologies that can be commercialized at electric utility scale, and (2) to accelerate the likelihood of deploying demonstrated technologies for widespread commercial use in the electric power sector. The Project was selected in 2004 to receive a totalmore » of $36 million. The DOE portion that was equally cost shared in Budget Period 1 amounted to about $22.5 million. Budget Period 1 activities focused on the Project Definition Phase and included: project development, preliminary engineering, environmental permitting, regulatory approvals and financing to reach financial close and start of construction. The Project is based on ConocoPhillips? E-Gas? Technology and is designed to be fuel flexible with the ability to process sub-bituminous coal, a blend of sub-bituminous coal and petroleum coke and Illinois # 6 bituminous coal. Major objectives include the establishment of a reference plant design for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (?IGCC?) technology featuring advanced full slurry quench, multiple train gasification, integration of the air separation unit, and the demonstration of 90% operational availability and improved thermal efficiency relative to previous demonstration projects. In addition, the Project would demonstrate substantial environmental benefits, as compared with conventional technology, through dramatically lower emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and mercury. Major milestones achieved in support of fulfilling the above goals include obtaining Site, High Voltage Transmission Line Route, and Natural Gas Pipeline Route Permits for a Large Electric Power Generating Plant to be located in Taconite, Minnesota. In addition, major pre-construction permit applications have been filed requesting authorization for the Project to i) appropriate water sufficient to accommodate its worst case needs, ii) operate a major stationary source in compliance with regulations established to protect public health and welfare, and iii) physically alter the geographical setting to accommodate its construction. As of the current date, the Water Appropriation Permits have been obtained.« less

An update on blast furnace granular coal injection

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

Hill, D.G.; Strayer, T.J.; Bouman, R.W.

1997-12-31

A blast furnace coal injection system has been constructed and is being used on the furnace at the Burns Harbor Division of Bethlehem Steel. The injection system was designed to deliver both granular (coarse) and pulverized (fine) coal. Construction was completed on schedule in early 1995. Coal injection rates on the two Burns Harbor furnaces were increased throughout 1995 and was over 200 lbs/ton on C furnace in September. The injection rate on C furnace reached 270 lbs/ton by mid-1996. A comparison of high volatile and low volatile coals as injectants shows that low volatile coal replaces more coke andmore » results in a better blast furnace operation. The replacement ratio with low volatile coal is 0.96 lbs coke per pound of coal. A major conclusion of the work to date is that granular coal injection performs very well in large blast furnaces. Future testing will include a processed sub-bituminous coal, a high ash coal and a direct comparison of granular versus pulverized coal injection.« less

40 CFR 60.251 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... continuously monitor relative particulate matter loadings. (c) Bituminous coal means solid fossil fuel... units constructed, reconstructed, or modified on or before May 27, 2009, all solid fossil fuels... § 60.17). (2) For units constructed, reconstructed, or modified after May 27, 2009, all solid fossil...

40 CFR 60.251 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... continuously monitor relative particulate matter loadings. (c) Bituminous coal means solid fossil fuel... units constructed, reconstructed, or modified on or before May 27, 2009, all solid fossil fuels... § 60.17). (2) For units constructed, reconstructed, or modified after May 27, 2009, all solid fossil...

40 CFR 60.251 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... continuously monitor relative particulate matter loadings. (c) Bituminous coal means solid fossil fuel... units constructed, reconstructed, or modified on or before May 27, 2009, all solid fossil fuels... § 60.17). (2) For units constructed, reconstructed, or modified after May 27, 2009, all solid fossil...

40 CFR 60.251 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... continuously monitor relative particulate matter loadings. (c) Bituminous coal means solid fossil fuel... units constructed, reconstructed, or modified on or before May 27, 2009, all solid fossil fuels... § 60.17). (2) For units constructed, reconstructed, or modified after May 27, 2009, all solid fossil...

40 CFR 60.251 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... continuously monitor relative particulate matter loadings. (c) Bituminous coal means solid fossil fuel... units constructed, reconstructed, or modified on or before May 27, 2009, all solid fossil fuels... § 60.17). (2) For units constructed, reconstructed, or modified after May 27, 2009, all solid fossil...

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.

Fifth symposium on surface mining and reclamation. NCA/BCR coal conference and Expo IV

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

None

1977-01-01

The Fifth Symposium on Surface Mining and Reclamation, sponsored by the National Coal Association and Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., was held at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, Kentucky, October 18-20, 1977. Twenty-six papers from the proceedings have been entered individually into EDB and ERA. Topics covered include spoil bank revegetation, use of aerial photography, reclamation for row crop production, hydrology, computer programs related to this work, subirrigated alluvial valley floors, reclamation on steep slopes, mountain top removal, surface mine road design, successional processes involved in reclamation, land use planning, etc. (LTN)

Coal desulfurization by low temperature chlorinolysis, phase 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalvinskas, J. J.; Rohatgi, N. K.; Ernest, J.

1981-01-01

Laboratory scale, bench scale batch reactor, and minipilot plant tests were conducted on 22 bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coals. Chemical pretreatment and post treatment of coals relative to the chlorination were tried as a means of enhancing desulfurization by the chlorinolysis process. Elevated temperature (500-700 C) hydrogen treatment of chlorinolysis-processed coal at atmospheric pressure was found to substantially increase coal desulfurization up to 90 percent. Sulfur forms, proximate and ultimate analyses of the processed coal are included. Minipilot plant operation indicates that the continuous flow reactor provides coal desulfurization results comparable to those obtained in the batch reactor. Seven runs were conducted at coal feed rates of 1.5 to 8.8 kg per hour using water and methylchloroform solvents, gaseous chlorine feed of 3 to 31.4 SCFH at 21 to 70 C, and atmospheric pressure for retention times of 20 to 120 minutes.

Petrography, geochemistry, and depositional setting of the San Pedro and Santo Tomas coal zones: Anomalous algae-rich coals in the middle part of the Claiborne Group (Eocene) of Webb County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Hook, Robert W.

1995-01-01

Two coal zones, the San Pedro and the overlying Santo Tomas, are present for nearly 35 km in outcrop, surface and underground mines, and shallow drill holes along the strike of the middle part of the Claiborne Group (Eocene) in Webb County, Texas. A sandstone-dominated interval of 25 to 35 m separates the two coal zones, which range up to 3 m in thickness. Each coal zone contains carbonaceous shales, thin (<0.75 m) impure coal beds, and thin (<0.85 m) but commercially significant nonbanded coal beds. The nonbanded coals are different from other Tertiary coals of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain: unlike lignites that are typical of the older Wilcox Group (Paleocene-Eocene) and younger Jackson Group (Eocene), nonbanded coals of the Claiborne Group have high vitrinite-reflectance values (0.53 Rmax) and high calorific yields (average 6670 kcal/kg or 12,000 Btu, dry basis). The coals are weakly agglomerating (free-swelling index is 1.5–2.0) and have an apparent rank of high-volatile bituminous.The coal-bearing portion of the middle Claiborne Group in the Rio Grande area represents a fining-upward transition from sandstone-dominated, marine-influenced, lower delta plain depositional environments to more inland, mudstone-rich, predominantly freshwater deltaic settings. Discontinuities within the San Pedro coal zone are attributed mainly to the influence of contemporaneous deposition of distributary mouth-bar sand bodies. The less variable nature of the Santo Tomas coal zone reflects its origin in the upper part of an interlobe basin that received only minor clastic influx.Petrographic attributes of the nonbanded coals indicate that they formed subaqueously in fresh to possibly brackish waters. A highly degraded groundmass composed of eugelinite is the main petrographic component (approximately 71%, mineral-matter-free basis). An enriched liptinite fraction (approximately 23%) probably accounts for unusually high calorific values. There is negligible inertinite. Petrographic study of polished blocks indicates that approximately 10 percent of the nonbanded coal from both coal zones is composed of green algae fructifications, which also occur in clastic rocks of the coal-bearing interval. Such algal material cannot be identified or quantified by conventional coal petrographic techniques that utilize particle pellets or by palynological analyses that include acid preparation.

Emission factors and light absorption properties of brown carbon from household coal combustion in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jianzhong; Zhi, Guorui; Hitzenberger, Regina; Chen, Yingjun; Tian, Chongguo; Zhang, Yayun; Feng, Yanli; Cheng, Miaomiao; Zhang, Yuzhe; Cai, Jing; Chen, Feng; Qiu, Yiqin; Jiang, Zhiming; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Mo, Yangzhi

2017-04-01

Brown carbon (BrC) draws increasing attention due to its effects on climate and other environmental factors. In China, household coal burned for heating and cooking purposes releases huge amounts of carbonaceous particles every year; however, BrC emissions have rarely been estimated in a persuasive manner due to the unavailable emission characteristics. Here, seven coals jointly covering geological maturity from low to high were burned in four typical stoves as both chunk and briquette styles. The optical integrating sphere (IS) method was applied to measure the emission factors (EFs) of BrC and black carbon (BC) via an iterative process using the different spectral dependence of light absorption for BrC and BC and using humic acid sodium salt (HASS) and carbon black (CarB) as reference materials. The following results have been found: (i) the average EFs of BrC for anthracite coal chunks and briquettes are 1.08 ± 0.80 and 1.52 ± 0.16 g kg-1, respectively, and those for bituminous coal chunks and briquettes are 8.59 ± 2.70 and 4.01 ± 2.19 g kg-1, respectively, reflecting a more significant decline in BrC EFs for bituminous coals than for anthracites due to briquetting. (ii) The BrC EF peaks at the middle of coal's geological maturity, displaying a bell-shaped curve between EF and volatile matter (Vdaf). (iii) The calculated BrC emissions from China's residential coal burning amounted to 592 Gg (1 Gg = 109 g) in 2013, which is nearly half of China's total BC emissions. (iv) The absorption Ångström exponents (AAEs) of all coal briquettes are higher than those of coal chunks, indicating that the measure of coal briquetting increases the BrC / BC emission ratio and thus offsets some of the climate cooling effect of briquetting. (v) In the scenario of current household coal burning in China, solar light absorption by BrC (350-850 nm in this study) accounts for more than a quarter (0.265) of the total absorption. This implies the significance of BrC to climate modeling.

Petrographic, mineralogical, and chemical characterization of certain Alaskan coals and washability products. Final report, July 11, 1978-October 11, 1980

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

Rao, P.D.; Wolff, E.N.

1981-05-01

Petrological, mineralogical and chemical characterization provides basic information needed for proper utilization of coals. Since many of these coals are likely to be beneficiated to reduce ash, the influence of coal washing on the characteristics of the washed product is important. Twenty samples of Alaskan coal seams were used for this study. The coals studied ranged in rank from lignite to high volatile A bituminous with vitrinite/ulminite reflectance ranging from 0.25 to 1.04. Fifteen raw coals were characterized for proximate and ultimate analysis reflectance rank, petrology, composition of mineral matter, major oxides and trace elements in coal ash. Washability productsmore » of three coals from Nenana, Beluga and Matanuska coal fields were used for characterization of petrology, mineral matter and ash composition. Petrological analysis of raw coals and float-sink products showed that humodetrinite was highest in top seam in a stratigraphic sequence« less

Collective Bargaining and Labor-Management Relations in 1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruben, George

1989-01-01

Reviews labor contracts renegotiated during 1988, placing emphasis on labor-management relations. Provides information on negotiations in the following industries: (1) trucking, (2) air transportation, (3) automobile manufacturing, (4) steel and other metals, (5) rubber, (6) bituminous coal, (7) forest products, and (8) shipbuilding. Covers…

Study on co-pyrolysis characteristics of rice straw and Shenfu bituminous coal blends in a fixed bed reactor.

PubMed

Li, Shuaidan; Chen, Xueli; Liu, Aibin; Wang, Li; Yu, Guangsuo

2014-03-01

Co-pyrolysis behaviors of rice straw and Shenfu bituminous coal were studied in a fixed bed reactor under nitrogen atmosphere. The pyrolysis temperatures were 700°C, 800°C and 900°C, respectively. Six different biomass ratios were used. Gas, tar components were analyzed by a gas chromatograph and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry respectively. Under co-pyrolysis conditions, the gas volume yields are higher than the calculated values. Co-pyrolysis tar contains more phenolics, less oxygenate compounds than calculated values. The addition of biomass changes the atmosphere during the pyrolysis process and promotes tar decomposition. The SEM results show that the differences between the blended char and their parents char are not significant. The results of char yields and ultimate analysis also show that no significant interactions exist between the two kinds of particles. The changes of gas yield and components are caused by the secondary reactions and tar decomposition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-gasification of bituminous coal and hydrochar derived from municipal solid waste: Reactivity and synergy.

PubMed

Wei, Juntao; Guo, Qinghua; He, Qing; Ding, Lu; Yoshikawa, Kunio; Yu, Guangsuo

2017-09-01

In this work, the influences of gasification temperature and blended ratio on co-gasification reactivity and synergy of Shenfu bituminous coal (SF) and municipal solid waste-derived hydrochar (HTC) were investigated using TGA. Additionally, active alkaline and alkaline earth metal (AAEM) transformation during co-gasification was quantitatively analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer for correlating synergy on co-gasification reactivity. The results showed that higher char gasification reactivity existed at higher HTC char proportion and gasification temperature, and the main synergy behaviour on co-gasification reactivity was performed as synergistic effect. Enhanced synergistic effect at lower temperature was mainly resulted from more obviously inhibiting the primary AAEM (i.e. active Ca) transformation, and weak synergistic effect still existed at higher temperature since more active K with prominent catalysis was retained. Furthermore, more active HTC-derived AAEM remaining in SF sample during co-gasification would lead to enhanced synergistic effect as HTC char proportion increased. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maps showing coal resources in the Crumpler Quadrangle, Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties, West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stricker, Gary D.

1980-01-01

Coal Geology The Crumpler quadrangle lies in the Appalachian Plateaus province, with the coal bearing Pocahontas and New River Formations of Pennsylvanian age having a gentle dip toward the northwest. Coal bed maps were prepared (figures 1-7) and resources were estimated (table 1) for seven of the many coal beds in the Crumpler quadrangle (Stricker, 1980, lists the names of the various coal beds in the quadrangle) following methods established by U.S. Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey, 1976. All of these coal beds crop out at the surface in the quadrangle, have a maximum thickness thickness of over-burden of less than 300 meters, and have been mined at the surface, or under-ground, or both. Resource estimates were not calculated for other coal beds in the Pocahontas and New River Formations, either because of insufficient data of because of the beds are too thin. Figure 8 is a generalized stratigraphic column of the coal-bearing sequence in the Crumpler quadrangle showing thickness and relative positions of the various coal beds. The Crumpler quadrangle originally contained about 498 million metric tons of coal. Approximately 326 million metric tons have been mined, or lost in mining, leaving remaining resources of 172 million metric tons. Analyses of the mined coal beds in the Crumpler and adjacent quadrangle show the coal is medium - to low volatile bituminous (most are low volatile bituminous), containing 14-27 percent volatile matter (with an arithmetic mean of 18 percent), 2.1-22.4 percent ash (with an arithmetic mean of 7 percent), and 0.5-1.8 percent total sulfur (with an arithmetic mean of 0.8 percent). Heating values range from 6,380 to 8,610 Kcal/kg on an as-received basis. Trace element and major and minor oxide composition, of both whole coal and laboratory ash, for 59 samples within or near the quadrangle were obtained from USCHEM (Geochemical Data File or National Coal Resources Data System), (Kozey and others, 1980.) Neither elements of environmental concern such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium nor potentially valuable elements such as germanium, uranium and thorium were found in significant amounts in the coal.

Analytical modeling of mercury injection in high-rank coalbed methane reservoirs based on pores and microfractures: a case study of the upper carboniferous Taiyuan Formation in the Heshun block of the Qinshui Basin, central China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Yang; Ding, Wenlong; Yin, Shuai; Wang, Ruyue; Mei, Yonggui; Liu, Jianjun

2017-03-01

The coalbed gas reservoirs in the Qinshui Basin in central China are highly heterogeneous; thus, the reservoir characteristics are difficult to assess. Research on the pore structure of a reservoir can provide a basis for understanding the occurrence and seepage mechanisms of coal reservoirs, rock physics modeling and the formulation of rational development plans. Therefore, the pore structure characteristics of the coalbed gas reservoirs in the high rank bituminous coal in the No. 15 coal seam of the Carboniferous Taiyuan Group in the Heshun coalbed methane (CBM) blocks in the northeastern Qinshui Basin were analyzed based on pressure mercury and scanning electron microscopy data. The results showed that the effective porosity system of the coal reservoir was mainly composed of pores and microfractures and that the pore throat configuration of the coal reservoir was composed of pores and microthroats. A model was developed based on the porosity and microfractures of the high rank coal rock and the mercury injection and drainage curves. The mercury injection curve model and the coal permeability are well correlated and were more reliable for the analysis of coal and rock pore system connectivity than the mercury drainage curve model. Coal rocks with developed microfractures are highly permeable; the production levels are often high during the initial drainage stages, but they decrease rapidly. A significant portion of the natural gas remains in the strata and cannot be exploited; therefore, the ultimate recovery is rather low. Coal samples with underdeveloped microfractures have lower permeabilities. While the initial production levels are lower, the production cycle is longer, and the ultimate recovery is higher. Therefore, the initial production levels of coal reservoirs with poorly developed microfractures in some regions of China may be low. However, over the long term, due to their higher ultimate recoveries and longer production cycles, the total gas production levels will increase. This understanding can provide an important reference for developing appropriate CBM development plans.

[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

[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

Impacts of halogen additions on mercury oxidation, in a slipstream selective catalyst reduction (SCR), reactor when burning sub-bituminous coal.

PubMed

Cao, Yan; Gao, Zhengyang; Zhu, Jiashun; Wang, Quanhai; Huang, Yaji; Chiu, Chengchung; Parker, Bruce; Chu, Paul; Pant, Wei-Ping

2008-01-01

This paper presents a comparison of impacts of halogen species on the elemental mercury (Hg(0)) oxidation in a real coal-derived flue gas atmosphere. It is reported there is a higher percentage of Hg(0) in the flue gas when burning sub-bituminous coal (herein Powder River Basin (PRB) coal) and lignite, even with the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The higher Hg(0)concentration in the flue gas makes it difficult to use the wet-FGD process for the mercury emission control in coal-fired utility boilers. Investigation of enhanced Hg(0) oxidation by addition of hydrogen halogens (HF, HCl, HBr, and HI) was conducted in a slipstream reactor with and without SCR catalysts when burning PRB coal. Two commercial SCR catalysts were evaluated. SCR catalyst no. 1 showed higher efficiencies of both NO reduction and Hg(0) oxidation than those of SCR catalyst no. 2. NH3 addition seemed to inhibit the Hg(0) oxidation, which indicated competitive processes between NH3 reduction and Hg(0) oxidation on the surface of SCR catalysts. The hydrogen halogens, in the order of impact on Hg(0) oxidation, were HBr, HI, and HCl or HF. Addition of HBr at approximately 3 ppm could achieve 80% Hg(0) oxidation. Addition of HI at approximately 5 ppm could achieve 40% Hg(0) oxidation. In comparison to the empty reactor, 40% Hg(0) oxidation could be achieved when HCl addition was up to 300 ppm. The enhanced Hg(0) oxidation by addition of HBr and HI seemed not to be correlated to the catalytic effects by both evaluated SCR catalysts. The effectiveness of conversion of hydrogen halogens to halogen molecules or interhalogens seemed to be attributed to their impacts on Hg(0) oxidation.

Plane flame furnace combustion tests on JPL desulfurized coal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuther, J. J.; Kim, H. T.; Lima, J. G. H.

1982-01-01

The combustion characteristics of three raw bituminous (PSOC-282 and 276) and subbituminous (PSOC-230) coals, the raw coals partially desulfurized (ca -60%) by JPL chlorinolysis, and the chlorinated coals more completely desulfurized (ca -75%) by JPL hydrodesulfurization were determined. The extent to which the combustion characteristics of the untreated coals were altered upon JPL sulfur removal was examined. Combustion conditions typical of utility boilers were simulated in the plane flame furnace. Upon decreasing the parent coal voltaile matter generically by 80% and the sulfur by 75% via the JPL desulfurization process, ignition time was delayed 70 fold, burning velocity was retarded 1.5 fold, and burnout time was prolonged 1.4 fold. Total flame residence time increased 2.3 fold. The JPL desulfurization process appears to show significant promise for producing technologically combustible and clean burning (low SO3) fuels.

Coal desulfurization by low temperature chlorinolysis, phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalvinskas, J. J.; Grohmann, K.; Rohatgi, N.; Ernest, J.; Feller, D.

1980-01-01

An engineering scale reactor system was constructed and operated for the evaluation of five high sulfur bituminous coals obtained from Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois. Forty-four test runs were conducted under conditions of 100 by 200 mesh coal,solvents - methlychloroform and water, 60 to 130 C, 0 to 60 psig, 45 to 90 minutes, and gaseous chlorine flow rate of up to 24 SCFH. Sulfur removals demonstrated for the five coals were: maximum total sulfur removal of 46 to 89% (4 of 5 coals with methylchloroform) and 0 to 24% with water. In addition, an integrated continuous flow mini-pilot plant was designed and constructed for a nominal coal rate of 2 kilograms/hour which will be operated as part of the follow-on program. Equipment flow sheets and design drawings are included for both the batch and continuous flow mini-pilot plants.

Thermal behaviour and microanalysis of coal subbituminus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heriyanti; Prendika, W.; Ashyar, R.; Sutrisno

2018-04-01

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) is used to study the thermal behaviour of sub-bituminous coal. The DSC experiment was performed in air atmosphere up to 125 °C at a heating rate of 25 °C min1. The DSC curve showed that the distinct transitional stages in the coal samples studied. Thermal heating temperature intervals, peak and dissociation energy of the coal samples were also determined. The XRD analysis was used to evaluate the diffraction pattern and crystal structure of the compounds in the coal sample at various temperatures (25-350 °C). The XRD analysis of various temperatures obtained compounds from the coal sample, dominated by quartz (SiO2) and corundum (Al2O3). The increase in temperature of the thermal treatment showed a better crystal formation.

An overview of the Permian (Karoo) coal deposits of southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cairncross, B.

2001-08-01

The coal deposits of southern Africa (Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) are reviewed. The coal seams formed during two periods, the Early Permian (Artinskian-Kungurian) and the Late Permian (Ufimian-Kazanian). The coals are associated with non-marine terrestrial clastic sedimentary sequences, most commonly mudrock and sandstones, assigned to the Karoo Supergroup. The Early Permian coals are most commonly sandstone-hosted while the younger coals typically occur interbedded with mudstones. The sediments were deposited in varying tectono-sedimentary basins such as foreland, intracratonic rifts and intercratonic grabens and half-grabens. The depositional environments that produced the coal-bearing successions were primarily deltaic and fluvial, with some minor shoreline and lacustrine settings. Coals vary in rank from high-volatile bituminous to anthracite and characteristically have a relatively high inertinite component, and medium- to high-ash content. In countries where coal is mined, it is used for power generation, coking coal, synfuel generation, gasification and for (local) domestic household consumption.

Sequential solvent extraction for forms of antimony in five selected coals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qi, C.; Liu, Gaisheng; Kong, Y.; Chou, C.-L.; Wang, R.

2008-01-01

Abundance of antimony in bulk samples has been determined in five selected coals, three coals from Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui, China, and two from the Illinois Basin in the United States. The Sb abundance in these samples is in the range of 0.11-0.43 ??g/g. The forms of Sb in coals were studied by sequential solvent extraction. The six forms of Sb are water soluble, ion changeable, organic matter bound, carbonate bound, silicate bound, and sulfide bound. Results of sequential extraction show that silicate-bound Sb is the most abundant form in these coals. Silicate- plus sulfide-bound Sb accounts for more than half of the total Sb in all coals. Bituminous coals are higher in organic matterbound Sb than anthracite and natural coke, indicating that the Sb in the organic matter may be incorporated into silicate and sulfide minerals during metamorphism. ?? 2008 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

Refining and end use study of coal liquids II - linear programming analysis

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

Lowe, C.; Tam, S.

1995-12-31

A DOE-funded study is underway to determine the optimum refinery processing schemes for producing transportation fuels that will meet CAAA regulations from direct and indirect coal liquids. The study consists of three major parts: pilot plant testing of critical upgrading processes, linear programming analysis of different processing schemes, and engine emission testing of final products. Currently, fractions of a direct coal liquid produced form bituminous coal are being tested in sequence of pilot plant upgrading processes. This work is discussed in a separate paper. The linear programming model, which is the subject of this paper, has been completed for themore » petroleum refinery and is being modified to handle coal liquids based on the pilot plant test results. Preliminary coal liquid evaluation studies indicate that, if a refinery expansion scenario is adopted, then the marginal value of the coal liquid (over the base petroleum crude) is $3-4/bbl.« less

Particle and gas emissions from a simulated coal-burning household fire pit.

PubMed

Tian, Linwei; Lucas, Donald; Fischer, Susan L; Lee, S C; Hammond, S Katharine; Koshland, Catherine P

2008-04-01

An open fire was assembled with firebricks to simulate the household fire pit used in rural China, and 15 different coals from this area were burned to measure the gaseous and particulate emissions. Particle size distribution was studied with a microorifice uniform-deposit impactor (MOUDI). Over 90% of the particulate mass was attributed to sub-micrometer particles. The carbon balance method was used to calculate the emission factors. Emission factors for four pollutants (particulate matter, CO2, total hydrocarbons, and NOx) were 2-4 times higherfor bituminous coals than for anthracites. In past inventories of carbonaceous emissions used for climate modeling, these two types of coal were not treated separately. The dramatic emission factor difference between the two types of coal warrants attention in the future development of emission inventories.

Evaluating the suitability of different environmental samples for tracing atmospheric pollution in industrial areas.

PubMed

Francová, Anna; Chrastný, Vladislav; Šillerová, Hana; Vítková, Martina; Kocourková, Jana; Komárek, Michael

2017-01-01

Samples of lichens, snow and particulate matter (PM 10 , 24 h) are used for the source identification of air pollution in the heavily industrialized region of Ostrava, Upper Silesia, Czech Republic. An integrated approach that uses different environmental samples for metal concentration and Pb isotope analyses was applied. The broad range of isotope ratios in the samples indicates a combination of different pollution sources, the strongest among them being the metallurgical industry, bituminous coal combustion and traffic. Snow samples are proven as the most relevant indicator for tracing metal(loid)s and recent local contamination in the atmosphere. Lichens can be successfully used as tracers of the long-term activity of local and remote sources of contamination. The combination of PM 10 with snow can provide very useful information for evaluation of current pollution sources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of an igneous intrusion on the inorganic geochemistry of a bituminous coal from Pitkin County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finkelman, R.B.; Bostick, N.H.; Dulong, F.T.; Senftle, F.E.; Thorpe, A.N.

1998-01-01

Although the effects of igneous dikes on the organic matter in coal have been observed at many localities there is virtually no information on the effects of the intrusions of the inorganic constituents in the coal. Such a study may help to elucidate the behavior of trace elements during in situ gasification of coal and may provide insights into the resources potential for coal and coke affected by the intrusion. To determine the effects of an igneous intrusion on the inorganic chemistry of a coal we used a series of 11 samples of coal and natural coke that had been collected at intervals from 3 to 106 cm from a dike that intruded the bituminous Dutch Creek coal in Pitkin, CO. The samples were chemically analyzed for 66 elements. SEM-EDX and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed on selected samples. Volatile elements such as F, Cl, Hg, and Se are not depleted in the samples (coke and coal) nearest the dike that were exposed to the highest temperatures. Their presence in these samples is likely due to secondary enrichment following volatilization of the elements inherent in the coal. Equilibration with ground water may account for the uniform distribution of Na, B, and Cl. High concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Sr, and CO2 in the coke region are attributed to the reaction of CO and CO2 generated during the coking of the coal with fluids from the intrusion, resulting in the precipitation of carbonates. Similarly, precipitation of sulfide minerals in the coke zone may account for the relatively high concentrations of Ag, Hg, Cu, Zn, and Fe. Most elements are concentrated at the juncture of the fluidized coke and the thermally metamorphosed coal. Many of the elements enriched in this region (for example, Ga, Ge, Mo, Rb, U, La, Ce, Al, K, and Si) may have been adsorbed on either the clays or the organic matter or on both.Although the effects of igneous dikes on the organic matter in coal have been observed at many localities there is virtually no information on the effects of the intrusions on the inorganic constituents in the coal. Such a study may help to elucidate the behavior of trace elements during in situ gasification of coal and may provide insights into the resource potential of coal and coke affected by the intrusion. To determine the effects of an igneous intrusion on the inorganic chemistry of a coal we used a series of 11 samples of coal and natural coke that had been collected at intervals from 3 to 106 cm from a dike that intruded the bituminous Dutch Creek coal in Pitkin, CO. The samples were chemically analyzed for 66 elements. SEM-EDX and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed on selected samples. Volatile elements such as F, Cl, Hg, and Se are not depleted in the samples (coke and coal) nearest the dike that were exposed to the highest temperatures. Their presence in these samples is likely due to secondary enrichment following volatilization of the elements inherent in the coal. Equilibration with ground water may account for the uniform distribution of Na, B, and Cl. High concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Sr, and CO2 in the coke region are attributed to the reaction of CO and CO2 generated during the coking of the coal with fluids from the intrusion, resulting in the precipitation of carbonates. Similarly, precipitation of sulfide minerals in the coke zone may account for the relatively high concentrations of Ag, Hg, Cu, Zn, and Fe. Most elements are concentrated at the juncture of the fluidized coke and the thermally metamorphosed coal. Many of the elements enriched in this region (for example, Ga, Ge, Mo, Rb, U, La, Ce, Al, K, and Si) may have been adsorbed on either the clays or the organic matter or on both.

Steric effects on diffusion into bituminous coals

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

John W. Larsen; Doyoung Lee

2006-02-01

The reactions of maleic anhydride, cis-maleate esters, and acetylenedicarboxylate esters with Pittsburgh No. 8 or Illinois No. 6 coal using o-xylene or o-dichlorobenzene solvent are diffusion controlled. Diffusion is Fickian in all cases. The measured activation energies are between 5.4 and 7.6 kcal/mol. Diffusion rates decrease slowly with increasing alkyl chain length and sharply with branching. Diffusion rates are slightly faster with o-xylene than when o-dichlorobenzene is used. 40 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.

Petrographic And Geochemical Relationships And Environmentally Significant Trace Element Contents Of Miocene Coals in The Çayirli (Erzincan) Area, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yalcin Erik, Nazan

2014-05-01

This study has done related to the petrographic, coal-quality and the environmental influences of the Çayırlı coal field in the Eastern Anatolia. The region is one of the best examples of a continental collision zone in the world and located in a North-south converging collision zone between the Eurasian and the Arabian Plates. The geological units on the North of the basin are the peridotites and on the South, the Upper Triassic to Lower Cretaceous limestone. Tertiary sedimentary units also occupy a significant part of the geological features. Lower Miocene sediments include recifal limestone, marls, green clay and coal seams. The Çayırlı mining area in Eastern Anatolia region, contains these Miocene aged coals. These coals is characterized by high vitrinite and inertinite and low liptinite contents. The coals are Bituminous coal rank, with vitrinite reflectance ranging from 0.53 to 0.58%. Chemically, the coal in this study is characterised by low moisture, ash yield and sulfur content. The Çayırlı coal consist mainly of SiO2 and CaO, with secondary Fe2O3, Al2O3, and minor proportions of TiO2, P2O5 and other oxides. Several trace elements of environmental concern namely As, U and Be in Çayırlı coal are above the world averages, while Ni and Pb concentrations are less than the world average. However, As, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, U and V contents of this coal are below Turkish averages. It can clearly observed that the concentration of the elements is highest in the high ash coal levels. Among the potentially hazardous trace elements, Be, Co, Ni, Se and U may be of little or no health and environmental concerns, wheras As, Pb, Sb, and Th require further examination for their potential health and environmental concerns. These properties may be related to evaluation of the coal forming environment from more reducing contitions in a marine influenced lower delta plain environment for investigated coals. On the basis of analytical data, there is no possibility that the Çayırlı coals could be used for residential heating or industrial applications; when used, they cause significant of air pollution and healt problems.

Mineral resources of the Desolation Canyon, Turtle Canyon, and Floy Canyon Wilderness Study Areas, Carbon Emery, and Grand counties, Utah

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

Cashion, W.B.; Kilburn, J.E.; Barton, H.N.

1990-09-01

This paper reports on the Desolation Canyon, Turtle Canyon, and Floy Canyon Wilderness Study Areas which include 242,000 acres, 33,690 acres, and 23,140 acres. Coal deposits underlie all three study areas. Coal zones in the Blackhawk and Nelsen formations have identified bituminous coal resources of 22 million short tons in the Desolation Canyon Study Area, 6.3 million short tons in the Turtle Canyon Study Area, and 45 million short tons in the Floy Canyon Study Area. In-place inferred oil shale resources are estimated to contain 60 million barrels in the northern part of the Desolation Canyon area. Minor occurrences ofmore » uranium have been found in the southeastern part of the Desolation Canyon area and in the western part of the Floy Canyon area. Mineral resource potential for the study areas is estimated to be for coal, high for all areas, for oil and gas, high for the northern tract of the Desolation Canyon area and moderate for all other tracts, for bituminous sandstone, high for the northern part of the Desolation Canyon area, and low for all other tracts, for oil shale, low in all areas, for uranium, moderate for the Floy Canyon area and the southeastern part of the Desolation Canyon area and low for the remainder of the areas, for metals other than uranium, bentonite, zeolites, and geothermal energy, low in all areas, and for coal-bed methane unknown in all three areas.« less

The impact of anaerobic microorganisms activities in ruminant waste and coal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlia, Ellin; Hamdani, H.; Winantris, Kurnani, Tb. B. A.; Hidayati, Y. A.; Marlina, E. T.; Rahmah, K. N.; Arief, H.; Ridwan, R.; Joni, I. M.

2018-02-01

Ruminant (dairy cattle, beef cattle and buffalo) waste from intensive farming concentrated in highly populated areas when stacked and accumulated in certain heights and in anaerobic condition, may produce Green House Gases (GHGs) which lead to global warming. This condition is generated through fermentation by microorganism contained in livestock waste and biogenic activities on coal. The GHGs include CH4 (methane), CO2 (carbon dioxide) and N2O (nitrous oxide). The GHG emission should be early monitored to minimize greater problems. In the other hand, methane can be utilized as an environmental friendly energy after stored as biogas on digester. The aim of this research is to detect how much GHGs formed from ruminant waste and biogenic activities on coal, which can be utilized as an alternative energy. This research conducted as an explorative study utilizing dairy cattle feces, beef cattle feces, buffalo feces and three types of coal: lignite, bituminous and sub-bituminous, which is separately added into medium 98-5 made from mixture of agar medium and chemical components in powder and crystal form diluted with distilled water and rumen liquid, with six repetitions. Each sample was stored into 250 mL anaerobic digester, observed weekly for period of 4 weeks, analyzed by Gas Chromatography (GC-A14). The result showed that GHGs: CH4, CO2 and N2O were found in all samples. Anticipation of GHGs formation to avoid air pollution is by utilizing livestock waste and coal in aerobic condition or in anaerobic condition through digester.

Breaking the limits of structural and mechanical imaging of the heterogeneous structure of coal macerals

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

Collins, L.; Tselev, A.; Jesse, S.

The correlation between local mechanical (elasto-plastic) and structural (composition) properties of coal presents significant fundamental and practical interest for coal processing and the development of rheological models of coal to coke transformations and for advancing novel approaches. Here, we explore the relationship between the local structural, chemical composition and mechanical properties of coal using a combination of confocal micro-Raman imaging and band excitation atomic force acoustic microscopy (BE-AFAM) for a bituminous coal. This allows high resolution imaging (10s of nm) of mechanical properties of the heterogeneous (banded) architecture of coal and correlating them to the optical gap, average crystallite size,more » the bond-bending disorder of sp2 aromatic double bonds and the defect density. This methodology hence allows the structural and mechanical properties of coal components (lithotypes, microlithotypes, and macerals) to be understood, and related to local chemical structure, potentially allowing for knowledge-based modelling and optimization of coal utilization processes.« less

Coking properties of coal under pressure and their influence on moving-bed gasification. Final report

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

Lancet, M.S.; Curran, G.P.; Sim, F.A.

1982-08-01

The coking properties of seven bituminous coals, including three Eastern US coals, one Midwestern US coal, a Western US coal and two from the UK were studied with respect to the possible utilization of these coals in moving bed gasifier systems. Complete physical, chemical and petrographic analyses were obtained for each coal in addition to the highly specialized CCDC simulated gasifier coking test data. The effects of total pressure, hydrogen partial pressure, heating rate and the addition of gob and tar on the fluidity and swelling properties of each coal was studied. Samples of each coal were shock heated undermore » pressure to simulate coking in the top of a Lurgi gasifier. The resultant cokes were tested for various physical properties and the product yields were determined. Gas release patterns during pressurized pyrolysis were obtained in several instances. The data obtained in this work should provide a valuable data base for future gasifier feedstock evaluation programs.« less

Horizontal hydraulic conductivity estimates for intact coal barriers between closed underground mines

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

Mccoy, K.J.; Donovan, J.J.; Leavitt, B.R.

2006-08-15

Unmined blocks of coal, called barriers, separate and restrict horizontal leakage between adjacent bituminous coal mines. Understanding the leakage rate across such barriers is important in planning mine closure and strongly affects recharge calculations for postmining flooding. This study presents upper-limit estimates for hydraulic conductivity (K) of intact barriers in two closed mines at moderate depth (75-300 m) in the Pittsburgh coal basin. The estimates are based on pumping rates from these mines for the years ranging from 1992 to 2000. The two mines do not approach the outcrop and are sufficiently deep that vertical infiltration is thought to bemore » negligible. Similarly, there are no saturated zones on the pumped mines' side of shared barriers with other mines, and therefore pumping is the only outflow. Virtually all of the pumping is attributed to leakage across or over the top of barriers shared with upgradient flooded mines. The length of shared barriers totals 24 km for the two mines, and the barriers range in thickness from 15 to 50 m. K values calculated independently for each of the 9 years of the pumping record ranged from 0.037 m/d to 0.18 m/d using an isotropic model of barrier flow. Using an anisotropic model for differential K in the face cleat (K{sub f}) and butt cleat (K{sub b}) directions, results range from 0.074 to 0.34 m/d for K{sub f} and from 0.022 to 0.099 m/d for K{sub b}.« less

Comparison of coal reactivityduring conversion into different oxidizing medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korotkikh, A. G.; Slyusarskiy, K. V.; Larionov, K. B.; Osipov, V. I.

2016-10-01

Acoal conversion process of different coal samples into three different types of oxidizing medium (argon, air and steam) were studied by means of thermogravimetry. Two coal types with different metamorphism degree (lignite and bituminous coal) were used. The experimental procedure was carried out in non-isothermal conditions in temperature range from 373 K to 1273 K with 20 K/min heating rate. Purge gas consisted of argon and oxidizer with volumetric ratio 1:24 and had 250 ml/min flow rate.The ignition and burnout indexes were calculated to evaluate sample reactivity at different oxidizing mediums. The highest reactivity coefficient values in same atmosphere were obtained for lignite. It was caused by higher particle special surface area and volatile matter content.

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

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

Defense Energy Support Center Fact Book: Providing Energy Solutions Worldwide

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-20

2011.through.fiscal. 2017 .. • Merging.System.Analysis.and.Program. Development.Oil.and.GAS.with.EBS.in.fiscal.2010...Wright.Patterson.Air.Force.Base,.OH Rock.Island.Arsenal,.IL Red.River.Army.Depot,. Texarkana ,.TX Malmstrom.Air.Force.Base,.MT Sub-Bituminous Coal: Ft..Wainwright,.AK

THE EFFECT OF ACTIVATED CARBON SURFACE MOISTURE ON LOW TEMPERATURE MERCURY ADSORPTION

EPA Science Inventory

Experiments with elemental mercury (Hg0) adsorption by activated carbons were performed using a bench-scale fixed-bed reactor at room temperature (27 degrees C) to determine the role of surface moisture in capturing Hg0. A bituminous-coal-based activated carbon (BPL) and an activ...

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

Experimental Study of the Influence of the Concentration of Organic Water-Coal Fuel Components on the Integral Ignition Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vershinina, K. Yu.; Kuznetsov, G. V.; Strizhak, P. A.

2017-01-01

To enlarge the power raw material base, the processes of stable initiation of combustion of drops of organic watercoal fuels have been investigated. For the main components, we used filter cakes (coal processing waste), anthracite, bituminous and brown coals of brands D and B2, water, and spent machine, turbine, and transformer oils. We have established the influence of concentrations of components on the minimum (limiting) ignition temperatures of organic water-coal fuels and the ignition delay times of drops of fuel components with initial sizes of 0.25-1.5 mm. Investigations were carried out for oxidizer temperatures of 600-1100 K and its velocities of 0.5-5 m/s characteristic of units, aggregates, and large and small power plants. We have determined the characteristic differences of organic water-coal fuel from water-coal fuel and the close laws of the investigated processes for these fuels.

Wabash River coal gasification repowering project -- first year operation experience

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

Troxclair, E.J.; Stultz, J.

1997-12-31

The Wabash River Coal Gasification Repowering Project (WRCGRP), a joint venture between Destec Energy, Inc. and PSI Energy, Inc., began commercial operation in November of 1995. The Project, selected by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) under the Clean Coal Program (Round IV) represents the largest operating coal gasification combined cycle plant in the world. This Demonstration Project has allowed PSI Energy to repower a 1950`s vintage steam turbine and install a new syngas fired combustion turbine to provide 262 MW (net) of electricity in a clean, efficient manner in a commercial utility setting while utilizing locally mined highmore » sulfur Indiana bituminous coal. In doing so, the Project is also demonstrating some novel technology while advancing the commercialization of integrated coal gasification combined cycle technology. This paper discusses the first year operation experience of the Wabash Project, focusing on the progress towards achievement of the demonstration objectives.« less

Part 1. The effect of microwave receptors on the liquefaction of Turkish coals by microwave energy in a hydrogen donor solvent

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

Emine Yagmur; Taner Togrul

2005-12-01

The effects of microwave receptors to coal (receptor/coal) ratio and the period of heating by microwave energy on the solubilization of Turkish coals (Tuncbilek, Mugla-Yatagan, Beypazari lignites, and Zonguldak bituminous coal) in tetralin have been investigated. V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and TiO{sub 2} were used as microwave receptors. The changes of liquid product yield indicated that it depended significantly on the type and amount of receptor and the type of coal. A significant increase in the lignite conversions to oil fractions was observed by the addition of the V{sub 2}O{sub 5} receptor. The use of TiO{sub 2} receptor decreased the yieldmore » of THF soluble coal products. However, both V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and TiO{sub 2} receptors decreased the yield of preasphaltene (PAS) and asphaltene (AS) due to their catalytic effect on the coal liquefaction. 15 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.« less

Adsorptive removal of direct azo dye from aqueous phase onto coal based sorbents: a kinetic and mechanistic study.

PubMed

Venkata Mohan, S; Chandrasekhar Rao, N; Karthikeyan, J

2002-03-01

This communication presents the results pertaining to the investigation conducted on color removal of trisazo direct dye, C.I. Direct Brown 1:1 by adsorption onto coal based sorbents viz. charfines, lignite coal, bituminous coal and comparing results with activated carbon (Filtrasorb-400). The kinetic sorption data indicated the sorption capacity of the different coal based sorbents. The sorption interaction of direct dye on to coal based sorbents obeys first-order irreversible rate equation and activated carbon fits with the first-order reversible rate equation. Intraparticle diffusion studies revealed the dye sorption interaction was complex and intraparticle diffusion was not only the rate limiting step. Isothermal data fit well with the rearranged Langmuir adsorption model. R(L) factor revealed the favorable nature of the isotherm of the dye-coal system. Neutral solution pH yielded maximum dye color removal. Desorption and interruption studies further indicated that the coal based sorbents facilitated chemisorption in the process of dye sorption while, activated carbon resulted in physisorption interaction.

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

Study of coal and graphite specimens by means of Raman and cathodoluminescence.

PubMed

Kostova, Irena; Tormo, Laura; Crespo-Feo, Elena; Garcia-Guinea, Javier

2012-06-01

The weak luminescence shown by coals has been attributed to accessorial minerals and poly-nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, such as exinite, vitrinite or inertinite, while the luminescence quenching has been found in asphaltenes produced by coal hydrogenation or in pyridine extracts. Nowadays, the spatial resolution and the improved luminescence efficiency of the modern spectrometers allow some details of the luminescent emission centers to be explained. We have selected museum historical coal specimens with different rank, i.e., peat, lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and anthracite to be analyzed by their spectra from cathodoluminescence probe (CL) of an environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), with an energy dispersive spectrometry analyzer (EDS). Additional analytical controls were also performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Raman spectrometries. We conclude that coals may display different luminescence emission features coming from several different sources, as follows: (i) broadband of intense luminescence from polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, (ii) weakly visible broadband luminescence attributed to band-tail states caused by variations in the energy gap of individual sp(2) carbon clusters, which are different in size and/or shape, (iii) silicate impurities causing the common luminescence peak at 325 nm observed in coals. This peak is due to non-bridging oxygen hole centres (≡Si-O·) probably generated by precursor Si-O-C species formed by ≡Si-O· defects and carbon atoms; (iv) a 710 nm CL emission commonly detected also in wood and ivory, which has been correlated with hydrocarbon groups of chlorophyll or lignine. Coals are very complex rocks, composed by both organic and inorganic phases with variable and complex spectra. More analyses are necessary and carbonaceous standards of graphite, silicon carbide, stuffed carbon silica and diamond at variable experimental conditions have to be developed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electric Pulse Discharge Activated Carbon Supercapacitors for Transportation Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Subhadarshi; Agrawal, Jyoti

2012-03-01

ScienceTomorrow is developing a high-speed, low-cost process for synthesizing high-porosity electrodes for electrochemical double-layer capacitors. Four types of coal (lignite, subbituminous, bituminous, and anthracite) were used as precursor materials for spark discharge activation with multiscale porous structure. The final porosity and pore distribution depended, among other factors, on precursor type. The high gas content in low-grade carbon resulted in mechanical disintegration, whereas high capacitance was attained in higher-grade coal. The properties, including capacitance, mechanical robustness, and internal conductivity, were excellent when the cost is taken into consideration.

Comparison of Novel Carboneous Structures to Treat Nitroaromatic Impacted Water

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

MS-15-D-047 Abstract Carboneous materials such as carbon nanotube (CNT), granular activated carbon (GAC), and biochar are promising materials...TECHNOLOGIES ...................................................49 A.3 GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC) ............................................50 A.4...GENERAL ISSUE In this study, we compared the adsorptive capacity of bituminous-coal based granular activated carbon (GAC) versus pristine novel

30 CFR 75.325 - Air quantity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Air quantity. 75.325 Section 75.325 Mineral... SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Ventilation § 75.325 Air quantity. (a)(1) In bituminous and lignite mines the quantity of air shall be at least 3,000 cubic feet per minute reaching each working face...

30 CFR 75.325 - Air quantity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Air quantity. 75.325 Section 75.325 Mineral... SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Ventilation § 75.325 Air quantity. (a)(1) In bituminous and lignite mines the quantity of air shall be at least 3,000 cubic feet per minute reaching each working face...

30 CFR 75.325 - Air quantity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Air quantity. 75.325 Section 75.325 Mineral... SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Ventilation § 75.325 Air quantity. (a)(1) In bituminous and lignite mines the quantity of air shall be at least 3,000 cubic feet per minute reaching each working face...

TRACE ELEMENT PARTITIONING AND TRANSFORMATIONS DURING COMBUSTION OF BITUMINOUS AND SUBBITUMINOUS U.S. COALS IN A 7-KW COMBUSTION SYSTEM. (R827649)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

30 CFR 75.325 - Air quantity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Air quantity. 75.325 Section 75.325 Mineral... SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Ventilation § 75.325 Air quantity. (a)(1) In bituminous and lignite mines the quantity of air shall be at least 3,000 cubic feet per minute reaching each working face...

30 CFR 75.325 - Air quantity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Air quantity. 75.325 Section 75.325 Mineral... SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Ventilation § 75.325 Air quantity. (a)(1) In bituminous and lignite mines the quantity of air shall be at least 3,000 cubic feet per minute reaching each working face...

75 FR 70950 - Request for Certification of Compliance-Rural Industrialization Loan and Grant Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-19

... buildings, purchase mining equipment, and to create working capital. The office and mine are to be located... enterprise is: 212112 Bituminous Coal Underground Mining. DATES: All interested parties may submit comments... process. Comments should address the two bases for certification and, if possible, provide data to assist...

Revegetation of surface-mined lands in Pennsylvania

Treesearch

G. Nevin Strock

1980-01-01

The reforestation of surface mines in Pennsylvania became prevalent in the middle 1940's with enactment of state legislation to regulate surface mining of bituminous coal. Though this early legislation did not provide for intensive environment protection standards in comparison to state legislation which followed in the early 1960's and early 1970's and...

Natural gas storage with activated carbon from a bituminous coal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sun, Jielun; Rood, M.J.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Lizzio, A.A.

1996-01-01

Granular activated carbons ( -20 + 100 mesh; 0.149-0.84 mm) were produced by physical activation and chemical activation with KOH from an Illinois bituminous coal (IBC-106) for natural gas storage. The products were characterized by BET surface area, micropore volume, bulk density, and methane adsorption capacities. Volumetric methane adsorption capacities (Vm/Vs) of some of the granular carbons produced by physical activation are about 70 cm3/cm3 which is comparable to that of BPL, a commercial activated carbon. Vm/Vs values above 100 cm3/cm3 are obtainable by grinding the granular products to - 325 mesh (<0.044 mm). The increase in Vm/Vs is due to the increase in bulk density of the carbons. Volumetric methane adsorption capacity increases with increasing pore surface area and micropore volume when normalizing with respect to sample bulk volume. Compared with steam-activated carbons, granular carbons produced by KOH activation have higher micropore volume and higher methane adsorption capacities (g/g). Their volumetric methane adsorption capacities are lower due to their lower bulk densities. Copyright ?? 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Thermogravimetric analysis of the behavior of sub-bituminous coal and cellulosic ethanol residue during co-combustion.

PubMed

Buratti, C; Barbanera, M; Bartocci, P; Fantozzi, F

2015-06-01

The influence of the addition of cellulosic ethanol residue (CER) on the combustion of Indonesian sub-bituminous coal was analyzed by non isothermal thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of blends ratio (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%), interaction mechanism, and heating rate (5°C/min, 10°C/min, 15°C/min, 20°C/min) on the combustion process was studied. The results show that the increase of the blending ratio allows to achieve the increase of the combustibility index from 7.49E-08 to 5.26E-07 at the blending ratio of 20%. Two types of non-isothermal kinetic analysis methods (Ozawa-Flynn-Wall and Vyazovkin) were also applied. Results indicate that the activation energy of the blends decreases with increasing the conversion rate. In particular, the blending ratio of 20% confirms to have the better combustion performance, with the average value of the activation energy equal to 41.10 kJ/mol obtained by Ozawa-Flynn-Wall model and 31.17 kJ/mol obtained by Vyazovkin model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of advanced coal gasification processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccarthy, J.; Ferrall, J.; Charng, T.; Houseman, J.

1981-01-01

A technical assessment of the following advanced coal gasification processes is presented: high throughput gasification (HTG) process; single stage high mass flux (HMF) processes; (CS/R) hydrogasification process; and the catalytic coal gasification (CCG) process. Each process is evaluated for its potential to produce synthetic natural gas from a bituminous coal. Key similarities, differences, strengths, weaknesses, and potential improvements to each process are identified. The HTG and the HMF gasifiers share similarities with respect to: short residence time (SRT), high throughput rate, slagging, and syngas as the initial raw product gas. The CS/R hydrogasifier is also SRT, but is nonslagging and produces a raw gas high in methane content. The CCG gasifier is a long residence time, catalytic, fluidbed reactor producing all of the raw product methane in the gasifier.

Block coals from Indiana: Inferences on changing depositional environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Padgett, P.L.; Eble, C.F.

2000-01-01

Significant differences in coal petrography, palynology and coal quality were found between the Lower Block and Upper Block Coal Members (Brazil Formation, Pennsylvanian) in Daviess County, Indiana. The Lower Block Coal Member ranges in thickness from 51 to 74 cm and the Upper Block Coal Member ranges from 20 to 65 cm. Average sulfur content and ash yield of the Lower Block coal (0.98%, 7.65%) are lower than in the Upper Block coal. Megascopically, the coals show distinct differences. The Lower Block is a banded coal with numerous thin fusain horizons and a thin clay parting in the lower third of the seam. The Upper Block coal has a dulling-upward trend, with a bright clarain found at the base that grades into a clarain and then into a durain in the upper portion of the seam. Vitrinite content of the Lower Block coal ranges from 63% to 78%, with the highest vitrinite content found in the middle portion of the seam. In the Upper Block coal, vitrinite content ranges from 40% to 83%, with the highest values found in the lower part of the seam. Ash yield is higher in the upper part of the Upper Block coal, reaching up to 40%. The Lower Block coal is dominated by lycopod trees and tree ferns. The Upper Block coal shows marked differences in spore assemblages between lower and upper parts of the seam. The lower half is dominated by large lycopod trees and tree ferns, similar to the Lower Block coal. The upper half is dominated by small lycopods, mainly Densosporites and Radiizonates. These differences between the Lower Block and Upper Block Coal Members are significant correlation tools applicable to mining exploration and chronostratigraphy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.Significant differences in coal petrography, palynology and coal quality were found between the Lower Block and Upper Block Coal Members (Brazil Formation, Pennsylvanian) in Daviess County, Indiana. The Lower Block Coal Member ranges in thickness from 51 to 74 cm and the Upper Block Coal Member ranges from 20 to 65 cm. Average sulfur content and ash yield of the Lower Block coal (0.98%, 7.65%) are lower than in the Upper Block coal. Megascopically, the coals show distinct differences. The Lower Block is a banded coal with numerous thin fusain horizons and a thin clay parting in the lower third of the seam. The Upper Block coal has a dulling-upward trend, with a bright clarain found at the base that grades into a clarain and then into a durain in the upper portion of the seam. Vitrinite content of the Lower Block coal ranges from 63% to 78%, with the highest vitrinite content found in the middle portion of the seam. In the Upper Block coal, vitrinite content ranges from 40% to 83%, with the highest values found in the lower part of the seam. Ash yield is higher in the upper part of the Upper Block coal, reaching up to 40%. The Lower Block coal is dominated by lycopod trees and tree ferns. The Upper Block coal shows marked differences in spore assemblages between lower and upper parts of the seam. The lower half is dominated by large lycopod trees and tree ferns, similar to the Lower Block coal. The upper half is dominated by small lycopods, mainly Densosporites and Radiizonates. These differences between the Lower Block and Upper Block Coal members are significant correlation tools applicable to mining exploration and chronostratigraphy.

Thermal maturity and organic composition of Pennsylvanian coals and carbonaceous shales, north-central Texas: Implications for coalbed gas potential

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hackley, P.C.; Guevara, E.H.; Hentz, T.F.; Hook, R.W.

2009-01-01

Thermal maturity was determined for about 120 core, cuttings, and outcrop samples to investigate the potential for coalbed gas resources in Pennsylvanian strata of north-central Texas. Shallow (< 600??m; 2000??ft) coal and carbonaceous shale cuttings samples from the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian Strawn, Canyon, and Cisco Groups in Archer and Young Counties on the Eastern Shelf of the Midland basin (northwest and downdip from the outcrop) yielded mean random vitrinite reflectance (Ro) values between about 0.4 and 0.8%. This range of Ro values indicates rank from subbituminous C to high volatile A bituminous in the shallow subsurface, which may be sufficient for early thermogenic gas generation. Near-surface (< 100??m; 300??ft) core and outcrop samples of coal from areas of historical underground coal mining in the region yielded similar Ro values of 0.5 to 0.8%. Carbonaceous shale core samples of Lower Pennsylvanian strata (lower Atoka Group) from two deeper wells (samples from ~ 1650??m; 5400??ft) in Jack and western Wise Counties in the western part of the Fort Worth basin yielded higher Ro values of about 1.0%. Pyrolysis and petrographic data for the lower Atoka samples indicate mixed Type II/Type III organic matter, suggesting generated hydrocarbons may be both gas- and oil-prone. In all other samples, organic material is dominated by Type III organic matter (vitrinite), indicating that generated hydrocarbons should be gas-prone. Individual coal beds are thin at outcrop (< 1??m; 3.3??ft), laterally discontinuous, and moderately high in ash yield and sulfur content. A possible analog for coalbed gas potential in the Pennsylvanian section of north-central Texas occurs on the northeast Oklahoma shelf and in the Cherokee basin of southeastern Kansas, where contemporaneous gas-producing coal beds are similar in thickness, quality, and rank.

Interaction and its induced inhibiting or synergistic effects during co-gasification of coal char and biomass char.

PubMed

Ding, Liang; Zhang, Yongqi; Wang, Zhiqing; Huang, Jiejie; Fang, Yitian

2014-12-01

Co-gasification of coal char and biomass char was conducted to investigate the interactions between them. And random pore model (RPM) and modified random pore model (MRPM) were applied to describe the gasification behaviors of the samples. The results show that inhibiting effect was observed during co-gasification of corn stalk char with Hulunbeier lignite coal char, while synergistic effects were observed during co-gasification of corn stalk char with Shenmu bituminous coal char and Jincheng anthracite coal char. The inhibiting effect was attributed to the intimate contact and comparable gasification rate between biomass char and coal char, and the loss of the active form of potassium caused by the formation of KAlSiO4, which was proved to be inactive during gasification. While the synergistic effect was caused by the high potassium content of biomass char and the significant difference of reaction rate between coal char and biomass char during gasification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Macromolecular structural changes in bituminous coals during extraction and solubilization. Annual technical progress report, September 1, 1980-August 31, 1981

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

Peppas, N.A.; Hill-Lievense, M.E.; Hooker, D.T. II

1981-01-01

Seven coal samples ranging from a lignite with 69.95% carbon to an anthracite with 94.17% carbon on a dry mineral matter-free (dmmf) basis were extracted with pyridine at its reflux temperature for two weeks. The coal matrices obtained were subjected to two degradation techniques, the Sternberg reductive alkylation technique and the Miyake alkylation technique. Gel permeation chromatographic analysis of pyridine-extracted liquids of the alkylated coal showed average molecular weights smaller than those of the original coal extracts. Electron impact mass spectrometry was used to obtain the mass spectra of these alkylated coal samples. Based on investigation of the recurring patternmore » of the peaks of the mass spectra of these products it was concluded that a cluster size of 126 to 130 is characteristic of the crosslinked structure of the coal studied. In addition, several chemical compounds in the range of m/e 78-191 were identified.« less

Energy generation potential from coals of the Charqueadas Coalfield, RS, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correa da Silva, Z. C.; Heemann, R.; Castro, L.; Ketzer, J. M.

2009-04-01

Three coal seams, I2B (Inferior 2), I1F (Inferior 1) and MB, from the Charqueadas Coalfield located in the central-east region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil were studied on the basis of geological, petrographic, chemical and geochemical techniques and correlated to the SR1, SR2 and SR3 coal seams from the Santa Rita Coalfield. The Charqueadas Coalfield reserves reach 2,993x106 metric tons of coal distributed in six coal seams. The study of sedimentary and organic facies is made on the subsurface data from five boreholes drilled in the area. There show a well marked lateral facies change from sub aquatic to sub aerial environment, conditioned by both the water level variations and the irregular palaeotopography of the basement. The coals change from limnic to forest-terrestrial moor types characterized by variations of composition in terms of macerals, microlithotypes and mineral matter. The coals are rich in mineral matter (28 to 40%); the vitrinite content reaches 50 %, inertinite 44 % and liptinite varies from 10 to 30 %, in mineral matter free basis. Among the microlithotypes carbominerite and vitrite are predominant. Rank studies carried out by different methods (vitrinite reflectance, max and red-green quotient among others) gave conflicting results, which are explained by the strong bituminization of the vitrinite. However, agreement between fluorescence measurements and organic geochemical parameters (e.g. CPI values) confirm that the coals are of a High Volatile Bituminous B/C (ASTM) or Gasflammkohle (DIN) rank. Based on these characteristics, the Charqueadas coal seams show great potential for use in Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) and Enhanced Coalbed Methane (ECBM) projects. Nowadays the state of Rio Grande do Sul is rapidly growing and needs to increase the energy efficiency to attend the industrial demands, filling the gap between supply and energy generation. As with conventional IGCC, UCG gas can be used to generate electricity with efficiency as high as 55% and overall UCG-IGCC process efficiency reaching 43%. Regarding to environmental problems the UCG minimize environmental impacts (waste piles/acid mine drainage) and reduce CO2 emissions because syngas contains CO2 that can be captured with relatively low-energy penalty. The Clean Coal Technologies (CCT), especially UCG and ECBM projects, will be a key factor to maintain the annual state's economy expansion associated with energy efficiency improvement programs.

Carbon dioxide and methane sorption in high volatile bituminous coals from Indiana, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Gluskoter, Harold J.; Rupp, J.

2004-01-01

Samples of coals from several coalbeds in Indiana were analyzed for CO2 and CH4 sorption capacity using a high-pressure adsorption isotherm technique. Coal quality and petrographic composition of the coals were determined to study their relationships to the volume of CO2 and CH4 that could be sorbed into the coal. At the temperature of 17 ??C and 400 psi (??? 2.8 MPa), the coals can sorb (on dry ash-free basis) from 4 to 6.3 m3/ton (128-202 scf/ton) of CH4 and 19.5-24.6 m3/ton4 (624 to 788 scf/ton) of CO2. The ratio of CO2/CH4 at these conditions ranges from 3.5 to 5.3 and decreases with an increasing pressure for all coals. The coals studied are of a very similar coal rank (Ro from 0.48 to 0.62%) but of varying petrographic composition, and CO2 sorption volumes appear to be positively correlated to the content of maceral telocollinite. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Chunshan Song; Hatcher, P.G.; Saini, A.K.

It has been indicated by DOE COLIRN panel that low-temperature catalytic pretreatment is a promising approach to the development of an improved liquefaction process. This work is a fundamental study on effects of pretreatments on coal structure and reactivity in liquefaction. The main objectives of this project are to study the coal structural changes induced by low-temperature catalytic and thermal pretreatments by using spectroscopic techniques; and to clarify the pretreatment-induced changes in reactivity or convertibility of coals. As the second volume of the final report, here we summarize our work on spectroscopic characterization of four raw coals including two subbituminousmore » coals and two bituminous coals, tetrahydrofuran (THF)-extracted but unreacted coals, the coals (THF-insoluble parts) that have been thermally pretreated. in the absence of any solvents and in the presence of either a hydrogen-donor solvent or a non-donor solvent, and the coals (THF-insoluble parts) that have been catalytically pretreated in the presence of a dispersed Mo sulfide catalyst in the absence of any solvents and in the presence of either a hydrogen-donor solvent or a non-donor solvent.« less

Structural analysis of geochemical samples by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Role of paramagnetic material

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vassallo, A.M.; Wilson, M.A.; Collin, P.J.; Oades, J.M.; Waters, A.G.; Malcolm, R.L.

1987-01-01

An examination of coals, coal tars, a fulvic acid, and soil fractions by solid-state 13C NMR spectrometry has demonstrated widely differing behavior regarding quantitative representation in the spectrum. Spin counting experiments on coal tars and the fulvic acid show that almost all the sample carbon is observed in both solution and solid-state NMR spectra. Similar experiments on two coals (a lignite and a bituminous coal) show that most (70-97%) of the carbon is observed; however, when the lignite is ion exchanged with 3% (w/w) Fe3+, the fraction of carbon observed drops to below 10%. In additional experiments signal intensity from soil samples is enhanced by a simple dithionite treatment. This is illustrated by 13C, 27Al, and 29Si solid-state NMR experiments on soil fractions. ?? 1987 American Chemical Society.

Hydrology of area 51, northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain coal provinces, Wyoming and Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, David A.; Mora, K.L.; Lowry, Marlin E.; Rankl, James G.; Wilson, James F.; Lowham, H.W.; Ringen, Bruce H.

1987-01-01

This report is one of a series designed to characterize the hydrology of drainage basins within coal provinces, nationwide. Area 51 (in the Rocky Mountain Coal Province) includes all or part of the Shoshone, Bighorn, Greybull, Wind, and Popo Agie River drainage basins - a total of 11,800 sq mi. Area 51 contains more than 18 million tons of strippable bituminous coal and extensive deposits of subbituminous coal, in the arid and semiarid basins. The report represents a summary of results of water resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey, some of which were conducted in cooperation with State and other Federal agencies. More than 30 individual topics are discussed in brief texts that are accompanied by maps, graphs, photographs , and illustrations. Primary topics in the reports are physiography, resources and economy, surface-water quantity and quality, and groundwater. (USGS)

Clean coal initiatives in Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowen, B.H.; Irwin, M.W.; Sparrow, F.T.; Mastalerz, Maria; Yu, Z.; Kramer, R.A.

2007-01-01

Purpose - Indiana is listed among the top ten coal states in the USA and annually mines about 35 million short tons (million tons) of coal from the vast reserves of the US Midwest Illinois Coal Basin. The implementation and commercialization of clean coal technologies is important to the economy of the state and has a significant role in the state's energy plan for increasing the use of the state's natural resources. Coal is a substantial Indiana energy resource and also has stable and relatively low costs, compared with the increasing costs of other major fuels. This indigenous energy source enables the promotion of energy independence. The purpose of this paper is to outline the significance of clean coal projects for achieving this objective. Design/methodology/approach - The paper outlines the clean coal initiatives being taken in Indiana and the research carried out at the Indiana Center for Coal Technology Research. Findings - Clean coal power generation and coal for transportation fuels (coal-to-liquids - CTL) are two major topics being investigated in Indiana. Coking coal, data compilation of the bituminous coal qualities within the Indiana coal beds, reducing dependence on coal imports, and provision of an emissions free environment are important topics to state legislators. Originality/value - Lessons learnt from these projects will be of value to other states and countries.

Quality of selected coal seams from Indiana: Implications for carbonization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, R.; Mastalerz, Maria; Padgett, P.

2001-01-01

The chemical properties of two high-volatile bituminous coals, the Danville Coal Member of the Dugger Formation and the Lower Block Coal Member of the Brazil Formation from southern Indiana, were compared to understand the differences in their coking behavior. It was determined that of the two, the Lower Block has better characteristics for coking. Observed factors that contribute to the differences in the coking behavior of the coals include carbon content, organic sulfur content, and oxygen/carbon (O/C) ratios. The Lower Block coal has greater carbon content than the Danville coal, leading to a lower O/C ratio, which is more favorable for coking. Organic sulfur content is higher in the Lower Block coal, and a strong correlation was found between organic sulfur and plasticity. The majority of the data for both seams plot in the Type III zone on a van Krevelen diagram, and several samples from the Lower Block coal plot into the Type II zone, suggesting a perhydrous character for those samples. This divergence in properties between the Lower Block and Danville coals may account for the superior coking behavior of the Lower Block coal. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Quality of Selected Hungarian Coals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landis, E.R.; Rohrbacher, T.J.; Gluskoter, H.J.; Fodor, B.; Gombar, G.

2007-01-01

As part of a program conducted jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Hungarian Geological Survey under the auspices of the United States-Hungarian Science and Technology Fund, a total of 39 samples from five coal mines in Hungary were selected for analysis. The mine areas sampled represent most of the coal mined recently in Hungary. Almost all the coal is used to generate electricity. Coals from the five mines (four underground, one surface) reflect differences in age, depositional setting, organic and inorganic components of the original sediments, and deformational history. Classified according to the ranking system of the American Society for Testing and Materials, the coals range in rank from lignite B (Pliocene[?] coals) to high volatile A bituminous (Jurassic coals). With respect to grade classification, based on seam-weighted averages of moisture, ash, and sulfur contents: (1) all contain high moisture (more than 10 percent), (2) all except the Eocene coals are high (more than 15 percent) in ash yield, and (3) two (Jurassic and Eocene coals) are high in sulfur (more than 3 percent) and three (Cretaceous, Miocene, and Pliocene coals) have medium sulfur contents (1 to 3 percent). Average heat values range from 4,000 to 8,650 British thermal units per pound.

An analysis of burn-off impact on the structure microporous of activated carbons formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiatkowski, Mirosław; Kopac, Türkan

2017-12-01

The paper presents the results on the application of the LBET numerical method as a tool for analysis of the microporous structure of activated carbons obtained from a bituminous coal. The LBET method was employed particularly to evaluate the impact of the burn-off on the obtained microporous structure parameters of activated carbons.

THE EFFECT OF WATER (VAPOR-PHASE) AND CARBON ON ELEMENTAL MERCURY REMOVAL IN A FLOW REACTOR

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of studying the effect of vapor-phase moisture on elemental mercury (Hgo) removal by activated carbon (AC) in a flow reactor. tests involved injecting AC into both a dry and a 4% moisture nitrogen (N2) /Hgo gas stream. A bituminous-coal-based AC (Calgon WP...

Research on solvent-refined coal. Quarterly technical progress report, July 1-September 30, 1981

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

Not Available

1982-07-01

This report describes progress on the Research on Solvent Refined Coal project by The Pittsburg and Midway Coal Mining Company's Merriam Laboratory during the third quarter of 1981. A four-part experiment was conducted with subbituminous Edna coal, pyrite and/or bituminous Ireland coal at 457/sup 0/C and 1800 psig or 450/sup 0/C and 2250 psig. The purpose was to determine the conditions appropriate for processing a 50/50 by weight blend of these coals. A total of four runs (11 experiments) discussed this quarter were directed toward the study of disposable catalysts. Subbituminous coals from the Edna and Belle Ayr Mines weremore » processed in the SRC II mode. Additives investigated were pyrite, ferric oxide, molybdenum doped ferric oxide and iron dispersed on silica-alumina. The level and type of sulfur added in conjunction with ferric oxide catalysts was also explored as well as addition of sulfur by itself. Two solvent hydrogenation runs and five SRC I runs were directed toward a preliminary investigation of short residence time processing of western (Belle Ayr) coals.« less

Effects of coal storage in air on physical and chemical properties of coal and on gas adsorption

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Solano-Acosta, W.; Schimmelmann, A.; Drobniak, A.

2009-01-01

This paper investigates changes in the high-volatile bituminous Lower Block Coal Member from Indiana owing to moisture availability and oxidation in air at ambient pressure and temperature over storage time. Specifically, it investigates changes in chemistry, in surface area, and pore structure, as well as changes in methane and carbon dioxide adsorption capacities. Our results document that the methane adsorption capacity increased by 40%, whereas CO2 adsorption capacity increased by 18% during a 13-month time period. These changes in adsorption are accompanied by changes in chemistry and surface area of the coal. The observed changes in adsorption capacity indicate that special care must be taken when collecting samples and preserving coals until adsorption characteristics are measured in the laboratory. High-pressure isotherms from partially dried coal samples would likely cause overestimation of gas adsorption capacities, lead to a miscalculation of coal-bed methane prospects, and provide deceptively optimistic prognoses for recovery of coal-bed methane or capture of anthropogenic CO2. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modes of occurrence of potentially hazardous elements in coal: levels of confidence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finkelman, R.B.

1994-01-01

The modes of occurrence of the potentially hazardous elements in coal will be of significance in any attempt to reduce their mobilization due to coal combustion. Antimony and selenium may be present in solid solution in pyrite, as minute accessory sulfides dispersed throughout the organic matrix, or in organic association. Because of these modes of occurrence it is anticipated that less than 50% of these elements will be routinely removed by conventional coal cleaning procedures. Arsenic and mercury occur primarily in late-stage coarse-grained pyrite therefore physical coal cleaning procedures should be successful in removing substantial proportions of these elements. Cadmium occurs in sphalerite and lead in galena. Both of these minerals exhibit a wide range of particle sizes and textural relations. Depending on the particle size and textural relations, physical coal cleaning may remove as little as 25% of these elements or as much as 75%. Manganese in bituminous coal occurs in carbonates, especially siderite. Physical coal cleaning should remove a substantial proportion of this element. More information is needed to elucidate the modes of occurrence of beryllium, chromium, cobalt, and nickel. ?? 1994.

The carbon dioxide gasification characteristics of biomass char samples and their effect on coal gasification reactivity during co-gasification.

PubMed

Mafu, Lihle D; Neomagus, Hein W J P; Everson, Raymond C; Okolo, Gregory N; Strydom, Christien A; Bunt, John R

2018-06-01

The carbon dioxide gasification characteristics of three biomass char samples and bituminous coal char were investigated in a thermogravimetric analyser in the temperature range of 850-950 °C. Char SB exhibited higher reactivities (R i , R s , R f ) than chars SW and HW. Coal char gasification reactivities were observed to be lower than those of the three biomass chars. Correlations between the char reactivities and char characteristics were highlighted. The addition of 10% biomass had no significant impact on the coal char gasification reactivity. However, 20 and 30% biomass additions resulted in increased coal char gasification rate. During co-gasification, chars HW and SW caused increased coal char gasification reactivity at lower conversions, while char SB resulted in increased gasification rates throughout the entire conversion range. Experimental data from biomass char gasification and biomass-coal char co-gasification were well described by the MRPM, while coal char gasification was better described by the RPM. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement and control of electrostatic charges on solids in a gaseous suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieh, S.; Nguyen, T.

1985-10-01

Measurements of mean particle charges and charge distributions on Medium Volatile Bituminous (MVB) coals and Lignite A (LIGA) coals in a 51 mm ID grounded copper pipe loop have been made with the upgraded Faraday cage system. Both negative and positive charges were found for coals in all experiments. The dual polarities of charges are believed to be due to the nonuniform materials and chemical composition contained in coals. As expected, increasing velocity or decreasing air humidity has a significant effect to increase the mean particle charge and the standard deviation of distribution. Charge elimination by the addition of coal fines has been explored. Effective suppression of particle charges was achieved by adding 0.1% by mass of minus 1 micron coal dust into the pipe flow. A neutralization mechanism was proposed to interpret the measured results. The results of charge control obtained to date has been significant and encouraging. More work is needed to validate the proposed mechanism.

Experimental laboratory measurement of thermophysical properties of selected coal types

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lloyd, W. G.

1979-01-01

A number of bituminous coals of moderate to high plasticity were examined, along with portions of their extrudates from the JPL 1.5-inch 850 F screw extruder. Portions of the condensed pyrolysis liquids released during extrusion, and of the gaseous products formed during extrusion were also analyzed. In addition to the traditional determinations, the coals and extrudates were examined in terms of microstructure (especially extractable fractions), thermal analysis (especially that associated with the plastic state), and reactivity towards thermal and catalyzed hydroliquefaction. The process of extrusion increases the fixed carbon content of coals by about 5% and tends to increase the surface area. Coals contaning 25% or more DMF-extractable material show an increase in extractables as a result of extrusion; those initially containing less than 20% extractables show a decrease as a result of extrusion. Both the raw and extruded samples of Kentucky #9 coal are highly reactive towards hydroliquefaction, undergoing conversions of 75 to 80% in 15 min and 85-94% in 60 min in a stirred clave.

Hydrology of area 25, Eastern Region, Interior Coal Province, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zuehls, E.E.; Ryan, G.L.; Peart, D.B.; Fitzgerald, K.K.

1981-01-01

The eastern region of the Interior Coal Province has been divided into 11 hydrologic study areas. Area 25, located in west-central Illinois, includes the Spoon River and small tributaries to the Illinois River. Pennsylvanian age rocks underlie most of the study area. Illinois, with the largest reserves of bituminous coal, is second only to Montana in total coal reserves. Loess soils cover most of the study area. Agriculture is the dominant land use. Surface water provides 97% of all the water used. Precipitation averages 34 to 35 inches. Water-quality data has been collected at over 31 sites. Analysis for specific conductance, pH, alkalinity, iron, manganese, sulfate and many trace elements and other water-quality constituents have been completed. These data are available from computer storage through the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE). (USGS)

CHEAT MOUNTAIN ROADLESS AREA, WEST VIRGINIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Englund, K.J.; Behum, P.T.

1984-01-01

A mineral-resource survey determined that coal is the most important mineral resource in the Cheat Mountain Roadless Area, West Virginia. It is tentatively ranked as high-volatile A to medium-volatile bituminous similar to coal in nearby mining areas, and is primarily of coking quality. Demonstrated coal resources are estimated to total about 11. 6 million short tons in beds more than 28 in. thick in areas of substantiated resource potential and an additional 32. 7 million short tons in beds between 14 and 28 in. thick have been identified. Limestone, shale, clay, and sandstone occur in the area but these commodities are readily available outside the roadless area. Available information suggests little promise for the occurrence of metallic mineral or other energy resources in the area.

Production of carbon molecular sieves from illinois coals. An assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lizzio, Anthony A.; Rostam-Abadi, Massoud

1991-01-01

Chars were produced from an Illinois No. 2 bituminous coal under various pyrolysis and activation conditions and tested for their molecular sieve properties. The amount of N2 compared to the amount of CO2 adsorbed by each char was used as a preliminary indicator of its molecular sieve properties. This relatively simple, but apparently useful test was confirmed by successfully characterizing the well-known molecular sieve properties of a commercial zeolite and molecular sieve carbon. In addition, coal chars having relatively high surface areas (800-1800 m2/g) were produced and tested for their molecular sieving capabilities. These carbon materials, which have high adsorption capacities and relatively narrow pore size distributions, should be ideal candidates for the commercial production of CMS.

Organic geochemistry of resins from modern Agathis australis and Eocene resins from New Zealand: Diagenetic and taxonomic implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, P.C.; Mastalerz, Maria; Orem, W.H.

2009-01-01

A maturation series of resins and fossil resins from New Zealand, ranging in age from Modern to Eocene and ranging from uncoalified to high volatile C bituminous coal, were analyzed by elemental, pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC), Fourier Transform infrared (FTir), and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) techniques. For comparison, four resin samples from the Latrobe Valley, Australia, were analyzed. All of the resins and fossil resins of this study show very high H/C atomic ratios, and are characterized by dominant peaks in the 10-60??ppm range of solid-state 13C NMR spectra and prominent bands in the aliphatic stretching region (2800-3000??cm- 1) of FTir spectra, all indicating a highly aliphatic molecular structure. The 13C NMR and FTir data indicate a diterpenoid structure for these resins. There is an abrupt loss of oxygen that occurs at the Lignite A/Subbituminous C stage, which is attributed to a dramatic loss of carboxyl (COOH) from the diterpenoid molecule. This is a new finding in the diagenesis of resins. This important loss in oxygenated functional groups is attributed to a maturation change. Also, there is a progressive loss of exomethylene (CH2) groups with increasing degree of maturation, as shown by both 13C NMR and FTir data. This change has been noted by previous investigators. Exomethylene is absent in the fossil resins from the Eocene high volatile C bituminous coals. This progressive loss is characteristic of Class I resinites. FTir data indicate that the oxygenated functional groups are strong in all the resin samples except the fossil resin from high volatile C bituminous coal. This important change in oxygenated functional groups is attributed to maturation changes. The 13C NMR and FTir data indicate there are minor changes in the Agathis australis resin from the living tree and soil, which suggests that alteration of A. australis resins begins shortly after deposition in the soil for as little as 1000??years. The Morwell and Yallourn fossil resins from brown coal (lignite B) Australia do not have some of the FTir characteristics of the New Zealand resins, which most likely indicates they have a different plant source because different degrees of oxidation and weathering and changes due to fires (i.e., charring) can be ruled out. Our results have implications for studies of the maturation, provenance, and botanical sources of fossil resins and resinites in Eocene and Miocene coals and sediments of New Zealand and Australia. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization and modes of occurrence of elements in feed coal and fly ash; an integrated approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brownfield, M.E.

2002-01-01

Despite certain environmental concerns, coal is likely to remain an important component of the United States energy supply, partly because it is the most abundant domestically available fossil fuel. One of the concerns about coal combustion for electricity production is the potential release of elements from coal and coal combustion products (CCPs) - fly ash - to the environment. This concern prompted the need for accurate, reliable, and comprehensive information on the contents and modes of occurrence of selected elements in power-plant feed coal and fly ash. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is collaborating with several electric utilities to determine the chemical and mineralogical properties of feed coal and fly ash. Our first study analyzed coal and fly ash from a Kentucky power plant, which uses many different bituminous coals from the Appalachian and Illinois Basins. Sulfur content of these feed coals rangedfrom 2.5 to 3.5 percent. The second study analyzed coal and fly ash from an Indiana power plant, which uses subbituminous coal from the Powder River Basin (fig. 1). Sulfur content of this feed coal ranged from 0.23 to 0.47 percent. A summary of important aspects of our approach and results are presented in this report. 

Proceedings: Fourteenth annual EPRI conference on fuel science

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

Not Available

1990-05-01

EPRI's Fourteenth Annual Contractors' Conference on Fuel Science was held on May 18--19, 1989 in Palo Alto, CA. The conference featured results of work on coal science, coal liquefaction, methanol production, and coal oil coprocessing and coal upgrading. The following topics were discussed: recent development in coal liquefaction at the Wilsonville Clean Coal Research Center; British coal's liquid solvent extraction (LSE) process; feedstock reactivity in coal/oil co-processing; utility applications for coal-oil coprocessed fuels; effect of coal rank and quality on two-stage liquefaction; organic sulfur compounds in coals; the perchloroethylene refining process of high-sulfur coals; extraction of sulfur coals; extraction ofmore » sulfur from coal; agglomeration of bituminous and subbituminous coals; solubilization of coals by cell-free extracts derived from polyporus versicolor; remediation technologies and services; preliminary results from proof-of-concept testing of heavy liquid cyclone cleaning technology; clean-up of soil contaminated with tarry/oily organics; midwest ore processing company's coal benefication technology: recent prep plant, scale and laboratory activities; combustion characterization of coal-oil agglomerate fuels; status report on the liquid phase methanol project; biomimetic catalysis; hydroxylation of C{sub 2} {minus} C{sub 3} and cycloc{sub 6} hydrocarbons with Fe cluster catalysts as models for methane monooxygenase enzyme; methanol production scenarios; and modeling studies of the BNL low temperature methanol catalyst. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases.« less

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.

Developing methanogenic microbial consortia from diverse coal sources and environments

DOE PAGES

Fuertez, John; Boakye, Richard; McLennan, John; ...

2017-08-18

Biogenic gas production is a promising alternative or supplement to conventional methane extraction from coalbeds. Adsorbed and free gas, generated over geologic time, can be supplemented with biogenic gas during short-term engineering operations. There are two generic protocols for doing this. The first is to contact the coal with nutrients to support native bacterial development. The second approach is to inject appropriately cultured ex-situ consortia into subsurface coal accumulations. Research has mainly focused on the former: in-situ stimulation of native microbial communities with added nutrients. Relatively few studies have been conducted on the strategies for enriching ex-situ microbial populations undermore » initial atmospheric exposure for subsequent injection into coal seams to stimulate biodegradation, and methanogenesis. In order to evaluate the feasibility of ex-situ cultivation, natural microbial populations were collected from various hydrocarbon-rich environments and locations characterized by natural methanogenesis. Different rank coals (i.e., lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous), complex hydrocarbon sources (i.e., oil shale, waxy crude), hydrocarbon seeps, and natural biogenic environments were incorporated in the sampling. Three levels of screening (down-selection to high grade the most productive consortia) allowed selection of microbial populations, favorable nutrient amendments, sources of the microbial community, and quantification of methane produced from various coal types. Incubation periods of up to twenty-four weeks were evaluated at 23 °C. Headspace concentrations of CH 4 and CO 2 were analyzed by gas chromatography. After a two-week incubation period of the most promising microbes, generated headspace gas concentrations reached 873,400 ppm (154 sft 3/ton or 4.8 scm 3/g) for methane and 176,370 ppm (31 sft 3/ton or 0.9 scm 3/g) for carbon dioxide. Rudimentary statistical assessments – variance analysis (ANOVA) of a single factor - were used to identify trends and levels of significance or impact of the consortia enrichment. We then demonstrated that microbial communities from coal and lake sediments can be enriched and adapted to effectively generate methane under initial atmospheric exposure. The development and enrichment of these methanogenic consortia is described.« less

Developing methanogenic microbial consortia from diverse coal sources and environments

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

Fuertez, John; Boakye, Richard; McLennan, John

Biogenic gas production is a promising alternative or supplement to conventional methane extraction from coalbeds. Adsorbed and free gas, generated over geologic time, can be supplemented with biogenic gas during short-term engineering operations. There are two generic protocols for doing this. The first is to contact the coal with nutrients to support native bacterial development. The second approach is to inject appropriately cultured ex-situ consortia into subsurface coal accumulations. Research has mainly focused on the former: in-situ stimulation of native microbial communities with added nutrients. Relatively few studies have been conducted on the strategies for enriching ex-situ microbial populations undermore » initial atmospheric exposure for subsequent injection into coal seams to stimulate biodegradation, and methanogenesis. In order to evaluate the feasibility of ex-situ cultivation, natural microbial populations were collected from various hydrocarbon-rich environments and locations characterized by natural methanogenesis. Different rank coals (i.e., lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous), complex hydrocarbon sources (i.e., oil shale, waxy crude), hydrocarbon seeps, and natural biogenic environments were incorporated in the sampling. Three levels of screening (down-selection to high grade the most productive consortia) allowed selection of microbial populations, favorable nutrient amendments, sources of the microbial community, and quantification of methane produced from various coal types. Incubation periods of up to twenty-four weeks were evaluated at 23 °C. Headspace concentrations of CH 4 and CO 2 were analyzed by gas chromatography. After a two-week incubation period of the most promising microbes, generated headspace gas concentrations reached 873,400 ppm (154 sft 3/ton or 4.8 scm 3/g) for methane and 176,370 ppm (31 sft 3/ton or 0.9 scm 3/g) for carbon dioxide. Rudimentary statistical assessments – variance analysis (ANOVA) of a single factor - were used to identify trends and levels of significance or impact of the consortia enrichment. We then demonstrated that microbial communities from coal and lake sediments can be enriched and adapted to effectively generate methane under initial atmospheric exposure. The development and enrichment of these methanogenic consortia is described.« less

A geochemical investigation into the effect of coal rank on the potential environmental effects of CO2 sequestration in deep coal beds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolak, Jonathan J.; Burruss, Robert A.

2005-01-01

Coal samples of different rank were extracted in the laboratory with supercritical CO2 to evaluate the potential for mobilizing hydrocarbons during CO2 sequestration or enhanced coal bed methane recovery from deep coal beds. The concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons mobilized from the subbituminous C, high-volatile C bituminous, and anthracite coal samples were 41.2, 43.1, and 3.11 ?g g-1 dry coal, respectively. Substantial, but lower, concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were mobilized from these samples: 2.19, 10.1, and 1.44 ?g g-1 dry coal, respectively. The hydrocarbon distributions within the aliphatic and aromatic fractions obtained from each coal sample also varied with coal rank and reflected changes to the coal matrix associated with increasing degree of coalification. Bitumen present within the coal matrix may affect hydrocarbon partitioning between coal and supercritical CO2. The coal samples continued to yield hydrocarbons during consecutive extractions with supercritical CO2. The amount of hydrocarbons mobilized declined with each successive extraction, and the relative proportion of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons increased during successive extractions. These results demonstrate that the potential for mobilizing hydrocarbons from coal beds, and the effect of coal rank on this process, are important to consider when evaluating coal beds for CO2 storage.

Carbon dioxide emission factors for U.S. coal by origin and destination

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quick, J.C.

2010-01-01

This paper describes a method that uses published data to calculate locally robust CO2 emission factors for U.S. coal. The method is demonstrated by calculating CO2 emission factors by coal origin (223 counties, in 1999) and destination (479 power plants, in 2005). Locally robust CO2 emission factors should improve the accuracy and verification of greenhouse gas emission measurements from individual coal-fired power plants. Based largely on the county origin, average emission factors for U.S. lignite, subbituminous, bituminous, and anthracite coal produced during 1999 were 92.97,91.97,88.20, and 98.91 kg CO2/GJgross, respectively. However, greater variation is observed within these rank classes than between them, which limits the reliability of CO2 emission factors specified by coal rank. Emission factors calculated by destination (power plant) showed greater variation than those listed in the Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID), which exhibit an unlikely uniformity that is inconsistent with the natural variation of CO2 emission factors for U.S. coal. ?? 2010 American Chemical Society.

An important missing source of atmospheric carbonyl sulfide: Domestic coal combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Qianqian; Zhang, Chenglong; Mu, Yujing; Cheng, Ye; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Liu, Chengtang; Song, Min; Tian, Di; Liu, Pengfei; Liu, Junfeng; Xue, Chaoyang; Ye, Can

2016-08-01

Carbonyl sulfide (COS), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions generated from prevailing domestic coal stoves fueled with raw bituminous coal were studied under alternation cycles of flaming and smoldering combustion. The measurements in the laboratory and the farmer's house indicated that COS and CO emissions mainly occurred under the condition of flame extinguishment after coal loading, whereas SO2 emissions were mainly generated through combustion with flame. The COS emission factors for the domestic stoves in the laboratory and the farmer's house were recorded as 0.57 ± 0.10 g COS kg-1 and 1.43 ± 0.32 g COS kg-1, being approximately a factor of 50 and 125 greater than that generated from coal power plants, respectively. Based on the COS emission factors measured in this study, COS emission from only domestic coal combustion in China would be at least 30.5 ± 5.6 Gg S yr-1 which was 1 magnitude greater than the current COS estimation from the total coal combustion in China.

78 FR 1936 - Tongue River Railroad Company, Inc.-Rail Construction and Operation-In Custer, Powder River and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-09

... the proposed line is to transport low sulfur sub-bituminous coal from mine sites in the Otter Creek... October 16, 2012, but modified the project in a December 17, 2012 supplemental application that supersedes... River and Rosebud Cntys., Mont. (Tongue River I), FD 30186 (ICC served Sept. 4, 1985), modified (ICC...

Coal upgrading program for Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic: Task 8.3. Topical report, October 1994--August 1995

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

Young, B.C.; Musich, M.A.

1995-10-01

Coal has been a major energy source in the Czech Republic given its large coal reserves, especially brown coal and lignite (almost 4000 million metric tons) and smaller reserves of hard, mainly bituminous, coal (over 800 million tons). Political changes since 1989 have led to the reassessment of the role of coal in the future economy as increasing environmental regulations affect the use of the high-sulfur and high-ash brown coal and lignite as well as the high-ash hard coal. Already, the production of brown coal has declined from 87 million metric tons per year in 1989 to 67 million metricmore » tons in 1993 and is projected to decrease further to 50 million metric tons per year of brown coal by the year 2000. As a means of effectively utilizing its indigenous coal resources, the Czech Republic is upgrading various technologies, and these are available at different stages of development, demonstration, and commercialization. The purpose of this review is to provide a database of information on applicable technologies that reduce the impact of gaseous (SO{sub 2}, NO{sub x}, volatile organic compounds) and particulate emissions from the combustion of coal in district and residential heating systems.« less

Trace elemental analysis of bituminuos coals using the Heidelberg proton microprobe

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, J.R.; Kneis, H.; Martin, B.; Nobiling, R.; Traxel, K.; Chao, E.C.T.; Minkin, J.A.

1981-01-01

Trace elements in coal can occur as components of either the organic constituents (macerals) or the inorganic constituents (minerals). Studies of the concentrations and distribution of the trace elements are vital to understanding the geochemical millieu in which the coal was formed and in evaluating the attempts to recover rare but technologically valuable metals. In addition, information on the trace element concentrations is important in predicting the environmental impact of burning particular coals, as many countries move toward greater utilization of coal reserves for energy production. Traditionally, the optical and the electron microscopes and more recently the electron microprobe have been used in studying the components of coal. The proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) microprobe offers a new complementary approach with an order of magnitude or more better minimum detection limit. We present the first measurements with a PIXE microprobe of the trace element concentrations of bituminous coal samples. Elemental analyses of the coal macerals-vitrinite, exinite, and inertinite-are discussed for three coal samples from the Eastern U.S.A., three samples from the Western U.S.A., and one sample from the Peoples Republic of China. ?? 1981.

Torrefaction of landfill food waste for possible application in biomass co-firing.

PubMed

Pahla, G; Ntuli, F; Muzenda, E

2018-01-01

Greenhouse gas emissions and municipal solid waste management have presented challenges globally. This study aims to produce a high-quality biochar with properties close to bituminous coal from landfill food waste (FW). FW was analyzed by proximate and ultimate analyses to determine its fuel properties and elemental composition before torrefaction. Temperature was varied from 200 to 300 °C at a constant residence time of 40 min and 10 °C/min heating rate. Calorific value, mass yield, energy yield and energy density were computed and used to determine the quality of the resulting biochar. Quality of raw food waste was also determined by elemental analysis. Thermal evolution was then investigated using hyphenated Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectrometry (FTIR). Torrefaction was done at 225 °C, 275 °C and 300 °C. The calorific value was upgraded from 19.76 MJ/kg for dried raw food waste to 26.15 MJ/kg for torrefied food waste at the appropriate conditions which were 275 °C, 40 min and 10 °C/min. The higher heating value was comparable to that of bituminous coal from Anglo Mafube in South Africa. Elemental analysis of biochar showed an increase in carbon content with temperature due to loss of oxygen containing volatiles. This agreed with TG curves and FTIR spectra which confirmed release of H 2 O, CO and CO 2 . This resulted in a more hydrophobic solid fuel with high energy density. Food waste can therefore be upgraded to a biochar with similar fuel properties as pulverized coal used in coal fired boilers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Field Testing of Cryogenic Carbon Capture

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

Sayre, Aaron; Frankman, Dave; Baxter, Andrew

Sustainable Energy Solutions has been developing Cryogenic Carbon Capture™ (CCC) since 2008. In that time two processes have been developed, the External Cooling Loop and Compressed Flue Gas Cryogenic Carbon Capture processes (CCC ECL™ and CCC CFG™ respectively). The CCC ECL™ process has been scaled up to a 1TPD CO2 system. In this process the flue gas is cooled by an external refrigerant loop. SES has tested CCC ECL™ on real flue gas slip streams from subbituminous coal, bituminous coal, biomass, natural gas, shredded tires, and municipal waste fuels at field sites that include utility power stations, heating plants, cementmore » kilns, and pilot-scale research reactors. The CO2 concentrations from these tests ranged from 5 to 22% on a dry basis. CO2 capture ranged from 95-99+% during these tests. Several other condensable species were also captured including NO2, SO2 and PMxx at 95+%. NO was also captured at a modest rate. The CCC CFG™ process has been scaled up to a .25 ton per day system. This system has been tested on real flue gas streams including subbituminous coal, bituminous coal and natural gas at field sites that include utility power stations, heating plants, and pilot-scale research reactors. CO2 concentrations for these tests ranged from 5 to 15% on a dry basis. CO2 capture ranged from 95-99+% during these tests. Several other condensable species were also captured including NO2, SO2 and PMxx at 95+%. NO was also captured at 90+%. Hg capture was also verified and the resulting effluent from CCC CFG™ was below a 1ppt concentration. This paper will focus on discussion of the capabilities of CCC, the results of field testing and the future steps surrounding the development of this technology.« less

DOLLY SODS WILDERNESS, WEST VIRGINIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Englund, Kenneth J.; Hill, James J.

1984-01-01

Coal, the principal mineral resource of the Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia is in at least seven beds of low- to medium-volatile bituminous rank. Of these beds, four are of sufficient thickness, quality, and extent to contain demonstrated coal resources which are estimated to total about 15. 5 million short tons in areas of substantiated coal resource potential. A Small-scale development of the coal resources of the Dolly Sods Wilderness has been by several shallow adits which provided fuel for locomotives during early logging operations and by a one truck mine. All mine entries are now abandoned. Peat, shale, clay, and sandstone, occur in the area but because of remoteness of markets and inaccessability they are not classified as resources in this report. Natural gas may occur in rocks underlying the area, but because of a lack of subsurface information an estimate of resource potential has not been made. No evidence of metallic-mineral resources was found during this investigation.

Mercury in Eastern Kentucky coals: Geologic aspects and possible reduction strategies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hower, J.C.; Eble, C.F.; Quick, J.C.

2005-01-01

Mercury emissions from US coal-fired power plants will be regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) before the end of the decade. Because of this, the control of Hg in coal is important. Control is fundamentally based on the knowledge of the amounts of Hg in mined, beneficiated, and as-fired coal. Eastern Kentucky coals, on a reserve district level, have Hg contents similar to the USA average for coal at mines. Individual coals show greater variation at the bench scale, with Hg enrichment common in the top bench, often associated with enhanced levels of pyritic sulfur. Some of the variation between parts of eastern Kentucky is also based on the position relative to major faults. The Pine Mountain thrust fault appears to be responsible for elemental enrichment, including Hg, in coals on the footwall side of the thrust. Eastern Kentucky coals shipped to power plants in 1999, the year the USEPA requested coal quality information on coal deliveries, indicate that coals shipped from the region have 0.09 ppm Hg, compared to 0.10 ppm for all delivered coals in the USA. On an equal energy basis, and given equal concentrations of Hg, the high volatile bituminous coals from eastern Kentucky would emit less Hg than lower rank coals from other USA regions. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

The porosity and pore size distribution of coals determine many of their properties, from gas release to their behavior on carbonization, and yet most methods of determining pore size distribution can only examine a restricted size range. Even then, only accessible pores can be investigated with these methods. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultra small-angle neutron scattering (USANS) are increasingly used to characterize the size distribution of all of the pores non-destructively. Here we have used USANS/SANS to examine 24 well-characterized bituminous and subbituminous coals: three from the eastern US, two from Poland, one from New Zealand and the restmore » from the Sydney and Bowen Basins in Eastern Australia, and determined the relationships of the scattering intensity corresponding to different pore sizes with other coal properties. The range of pore radii examinable with these techniques is 2.5 nm to 7 {micro}m. We confirm that there is a wide range of pore sizes in coal. The pore size distribution was found to be strongly affected by both rank and type (expressed as either hydrogen or vitrinite content) in the size range 250 nm to 7 {micro}m and 5 to 10 nm, but weakly in intermediate regions. The results suggest that different mechanisms control coal porosity on different scales. Contrast-matching USANS and SANS were also used to determine the size distribution of the fraction of the pores in these coals that are inaccessible to deuterated methane, CD{sub 4}, at ambient temperature. In some coals most of the small ({approx} 10 nm) pores were found to be inaccessible to CD{sub 4} on the time scale of the measurement ({approx} 30 min - 16 h). This inaccessibility suggests that in these coals a considerable fraction of inherent methane may be trapped for extended periods of time, thus reducing the effectiveness of methane release from (or sorption by) these coals. Although the number of small pores was less in higher rank coals, the fraction of 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

Influence of different types of coals and stoves on the emissions of parent and oxygenated PAHs from residential coal combustion in China.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Xu, Yue; Chen, Yingjun; Tian, Chongguo; Feng, Yanli; Chen, Tian; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan

2016-05-01

To evaluate the influence of coal property and stove efficiency on the emissions of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs) and oxygenated PAHs (oPAHs) during the combustion, fifteen coal/stove combinations were tested in this study, including five coals of different geological maturities in briquette and chunk forms burned in two residential stoves. The emission factors (EFs) of pPAHs and oPAHs were in the range of 0.129-16.7 mg/kg and 0.059-0.882 mg/kg, respectively. The geological maturity of coal significantly affected the emissions of pPAHs and oPAHs with the lower maturity coals yielding the higher emissions. The chunk-to-briquette transformation of coal dramatically increased the emissions of pPAHs and oPAHs during the combustion of anthracite, whereas this transformation only elevated the emissions of high molecular weight PAHs for bituminous coals. The influence of stove type on the emissions of pPAHs and oPAHs was also geological-maturity-dependent. High efficiency stove significantly reduced the emissions of PAHs from those relatively high-maturity coals, but its influences on low-maturity coals were inconstant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial solubilization of coals

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

Campbell, J.A.; Fredrickson, J.K.; Stewart, D.L.

1988-11-01

Microbial solubilization of coal may serve as a first step in a process to convert low-rank coals or coal-derived products to other fuels or products. For solubilization of coal to be an economically viable technology, a mechanistic understanding of the process is essential. Leonardite, a highly oxidized, low-rank coal, has been solubilized by the intact microorganism, cell-free filtrate, and cell-free enzyme of /ital Coriolus versicolor/. A spectrophotometric conversion assay was developed to quantify the amount of biosolubilized coal. In addition, a bituminous coal, Illinois No. 6, was solubilized by a species of /ital Penicillium/, but only after the coal hadmore » been preoxidized in air. Model compounds containing coal-related functionalities have been incubated with the leonardite-degrading fungus, its cell-free filtrate, and purified enzyme. The amount of degradation was determined by gas chromatography and the degradation products were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. We have also separated the cell-free filtrate of /ital C. versicolor/ into a <10,000 MW and >10,000 MW fraction by ultrafiltration techniques. Most of the coal biosolubilization activity is contained in the <10,000 MW fraction while the model compound degradation occurs in the >10,000 MW fraction. The >10,000 MW fraction appears to contain an enzyme with laccase-like activity. 10 refs., 8 figs., 5 tabs.« less

The environmental status of coal ash produced in Israel

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

Metzger, L.A.

1996-12-31

From the 6.1 million tons of coal ash produced by Israeli power stations during the 1982--95 period, 65% were utilized for cement production, 18% served to construct embankments around the Hadera coastal power station, and the remaining 17% were disposed to the sea, according to permits issued by the governmental authorities. The coal imported to Israel is typically low-sulfur, beneficiated bituminous coal, and ash produced from it is alkaline and characterized by low concentrations of trace elements. According to the results of leaching tests, the potential release of trace elements from the ash is low, thus there is only amore » minor risk of contaminating groundwater under disposal or utilization sites. However, while the annual ash production increases and is planned to reach one million tons in the year 2000, the promotion of ash employment for new applications, for example as a road base material or for shore extension projects, is still prevented by the absence of regulations fixing the environmental status of coal ash.« less

CRANBERRY WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, WEST VIRGINIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meissner, Charles R.; Mory, P.C.

1984-01-01

The Cranberry Wilderness Study Area, West Virginia contains a large demonstrated resource of bituminous coal of coking quality. Demonstrated coal resources in beds more than 14 in. thick are about 110 million short tons of which 56. 5 million tons are in beds more than 28 in. thick in areas of substantiated coal resource potential. Other mineral resources in the study area include peat, shale and clay suitable for building brick and lightweight aggregate, sandstone suitable for low-quality glass sand, and sandstone suitable for construction material. These commodities are found in abundance in other areas throughout the State. Study of the drill-hole data did not reveal indications of a potential for oil and gas resources in the study area. Evidence of metallic mineral potential was not found during this investigation.

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

Vorres, K S

The overall accomplishments of the HYGAS program to date are that it has demonstrated the key process concepts and integrated unit operations of coal gasification. It has also demonstrated several methods of hydrogen generation, including catalytic steam reforming of natural gas, electrothermal gasification, and also steam-oxygen gasification. A total of 37 tests with lignite, including a total of 5500 tons of lignite processed, demonstrated the technical feasibility of a gasification process using lignite. A total of 17 tests with bituminous coal involved a total of 3100 tons. Some specific objectives of the HYGAS program for fiscal 1977 include tests tomore » be conducted with subbituminous coal. Data will be collected for use in the design of an effluent treatment and water reuse cycles in a commercial plant. New methanation catalysts will be tested. Materials testing will continue.« less

An investigation into the relationship between coal workers' pneumoconiosis and dust exposure in U.S. coal miners.

PubMed

Attfield, M D; Morring, K

1992-08-01

The National Study of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (NSCWP) is a large, continuing epidemiologic study of the respiratory health of U.S. coal miners. By using information from the study, prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) was related to indexes of dust exposure obtained from research and compliance sampling data. Clear relationships between prevalences of both simple CWP and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) and estimated dust exposure were seen. Additional effects independently associated with coal rank (% carbon) and age were also seen. Logistic model fitting indicated that between 2% and 12% of miners exposed to a 2-mg/m3 dust environment in bituminous coal mines would be expected to have Category 2 or greater CWP after a 40-yr working life; PMF would be expected for between 1.3% and 6.7%. The risks for anthracite miners appeared to be greater. There was a suggestion of a background level of abnormality, not associated with dust exposure, but increasing with age. Although there are certain weaknesses in the data used to derive these exposure estimates, the results are in general agreement with, but somewhat greater than, some recent findings for British coal miners.

Deer prefer pine seedlings growing near black locust

Treesearch

Walter H. Davidson

1970-01-01

The presence of volunteer black locust seems to make some pine species on a bituminous coal spoil more palatable to white-tailed deer. Seedlings of jack pine, pitch pine, and Austrian pine were browsed more heavily when within 10 feet of a black locust than when farther away. The nitrogen produced by the black locust may have caused more succulent tissue in the pines....

Mercury in Bituminous Coal Used in Polish Power Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burmistrz, Piotr; Kogut, Krzysztof

2016-09-01

Poland is a country with the highest anthropogenic mercury emission in the European Union. According to the National Centre for Emissions Management (NCEM) estimation yearly emission exceeds 10 Mg. Within that approximately 56% is a result of energetic coal combustion. In 121 studied coal samples from 30 coal mines an average mercury content was 112.9 ppb with variation between 30 and 321 ppb. These coals have relatively large contents of chlorine and bromine. Such chemical composition is benefitial to formation of oxidized mercury Hg2+, which is easier to remove in Air Pollution Control Devices. The Hgr/Qir (mercury content to net calorific value in working state) ratio varied between 1.187 and 13.758 g Hg · TJ-1, and arithmetic mean was 4.713 g Hg · TJ-1. Obtained results are close to the most recent NCEM mercury emission factor of 1.498 g Hg · TJ-1. Value obtained by us is more reliable that emission factor from 2011 (6.4 g Hg · TJ-1), which caused overestimation of mercury emission from energetic coal combustion.

Investigation on thermochemical behaviour of low rank Malaysian coal, oil palm biomass and their blends during pyrolysis via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

PubMed

Idris, Siti Shawalliah; Abd Rahman, Norazah; Ismail, Khudzir; Alias, Azil Bahari; Abd Rashid, Zulkifli; Aris, Mohd Jindra

2010-06-01

This study aims to investigate the behaviour of Malaysian sub-bituminous coal (Mukah Balingian), oil palm biomass (empty fruit bunches (EFB), kernel shell (PKS) and mesocarp fibre (PMF)) and their respective blends during pyrolysis using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The coal/palm biomass blends were prepared at six different weight ratios and experiments were carried out under dynamic conditions using nitrogen as inert gas at various heating rates to ramp the temperature from 25 degrees C to 900 degrees C. The derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) results show that thermal decomposition of EFB, PMF and PKS exhibit one, two and three distinct evolution profiles, respectively. Apparently, the thermal profiles of the coal/oil palm biomass blends appear to correlate with the percentage of biomass added in the blends, thus, suggesting lack of interaction between the coal and palm biomass. First-order reaction model were used to determine the kinetics parameters for the pyrolysis of coal, palm biomass and their respective blends. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geology, coal quality, and resources of the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, north-central Armenia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, B.S.; Martirosyan, A.; Malkhasian, G.; Harutunian, S.; Harutunian, G.

2001-01-01

The Antaramut-Kurta-Dzoragukh (AKD) coal deposit is a previously unrecognized coal field in north-central Armenia. Coal has been known to exist in the general vicinity since the turn of the century, but coal was thought to be restricted to a small (1 km2) area only near the village of Antaramut. However, through detailed field work and exploratory drilling, this coal deposit has been expanded to at least 20 km2, and thus renamed the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, for the three villages that the coal field encompasses. The entire coal-bearing horizon, a series of tuffaceous sandstones, siltstones, and claystones, is approximately 50 m thick. The AKD coal field contains two coal beds, each greater than 1 m thick, and numerous small rider beds, with a total resource of approximately 31,000,000 metric tonnes. The coals are late Eocene in age, high volatile bituminous in rank, relatively high in ash yield (approximately 40%, as-determined basis) and moderate in sulfur content (approximately 3%, as-determined basis). The two coal beds (No. 1 and No. 2), on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis, have high calorific values of 32.6 MJ/kg (7796 cal/g) and 36.0 MJ/kg (8599 cal/g), respectively. Coal is one of the few indigenous fossil fuel resources occurring in Armenia and thus, the AKD coal field could potentially provide fuel for heating and possibly energy generation in the Armenian energy budget. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Experimental study on the minimum ignition temperature of coal dust clouds in oxy-fuel combustion atmospheres.

PubMed

Wu, Dejian; Norman, Frederik; Verplaetsen, Filip; Van den Bulck, Eric

2016-04-15

BAM furnace apparatus tests were conducted to investigate the minimum ignition temperature of coal dusts (MITC) in O2/CO2 atmospheres with an O2 mole fraction from 20 to 50%. Three coal dusts: Indonesian Sebuku coal, Pittsburgh No.8 coal and South African coal were tested. Experimental results showed that the dust explosion risk increases significantly with increasing O2 mole fraction by reducing the minimum ignition temperature for the three tested coal dust clouds dramatically (even by 100°C). Compared with conventional combustion, the inhibiting effect of CO2 was found to be comparatively large in dust clouds, particularly for the coal dusts with high volatile content. The retardation effect of the moisture content on the ignition of dust clouds was also found to be pronounced. In addition, a modified steady-state mathematical model based on heterogeneous reaction was proposed to interpret the observed experimental phenomena and to estimate the ignition mechanism of coal dust clouds under minimum ignition temperature conditions. The analysis revealed that heterogeneous ignition dominates the ignition mechanism for sub-/bituminous coal dusts under minimum ignition temperature conditions, but the decrease of coal maturity facilitates homogeneous ignition. These results improve our understanding of the ignition behaviour and the explosion risk of coal dust clouds in oxy-fuel combustion atmospheres. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coal-bed methane potential in Montana

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

Campen, E.

1991-06-01

Montana's coal resources are the second largest of the US, with coal underlying approximately 35% of the state. These resources are estimated at 478 billion tons. Associated coal-bed methane resources are estimated to be 14 tcf. The coals of Montana range from Jurassic to early Tertiary in age and from lignite to low-volatile bituminous in rank. Thickness, rank, maceral composition, and proximate and ultimate analyses all vary vertically and laterally. The state contains eight major coal resource areas. A large percentage of Montana's coal consists of the Paleocene Fort Union lignites of eastern Montana, generally considered of too low amore » rank to contain significant methane resources. Most of the state's other coal deposits are higher in rank and contain many recorded methane shows. During Cretaceous and Tertiary times, regressive-transgressive cycles resulted in numerous coal-bearing sequences. Major marine regressions allowed the formation of large peat swamps followed by transgressions which covered the swamps with impervious marine shales, preventing the already forming methane from escaping. About 75% of Montana's coal is less than 1,000 ft below the ground's surface, making it ideal for methane production. Associated water appears to be fresh, eliminating environmental problems. Pipelines are near to most of the major coal deposits. Exploration for coal-bed methane in Montana is still in its infancy but at this time shows commercial promise.« less

Coal Rank and Stratigraphy of Pennsylvanian Coal and Coaly Shale Samples, Young County, North-Central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guevara, Edgar H.; Breton, Caroline; Hackley, Paul C.

2007-01-01

Vitrinite reflectance measurements were made to determine the rank of selected subsurface coal and coaly shale samples from Young County, north-central Texas, for the National Coal Resources Database System State Cooperative Program conducted by the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin. This research is the continuation of a pilot study that began in adjacent Archer County, and forms part of a larger investigation of the coalbed methane resource potential of Pennsylvanian coals in north-central Texas. A total of 57 samples of coal and coaly shale fragments were hand-picked from drill cuttings from depths of about 2,000 ft in five wells, and Ro determinations were made on an initial 10-sample subset. Electric-log correlation of the sampled wells indicates that the collected samples represent coal and coaly shale layers in the Strawn (Pennsylvanian), Canyon (Pennsylvanian), and Cisco (Pennsylvanian-Permian) Groups. Coal rank in the initial sample subset ranges from lignite (Ro=0.39), in a sample from the Cisco Group at a depth of 310 to 320 ft, to high volatile bituminous A coal (Ro=0.91) in a sample from the lower part of the Canyon Group at a depth of 2,030 to 2,040 ft.

Deployment of coal briquettes and improved stoves: possibly an option for both environment and climate.

PubMed

Zhi, Guorui; Peng, Conghu; Chen, Yingjun; Liu, Dongyan; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

2009-08-01

The use of coal briquettes and improved stoves by Chinese households has been encouraged by the government as a means of reducing air pollution and health impacts. In this study we have shown that these two improvements also relate to climate change. Our experimental measurements indicate that if all coal were burned as briquettes in improved stoves, particulate matter (PM), organic carbon (OC), and black carbon (BC) could be annually reduced by 63 +/- 12%, 61 +/- 10%, and 98 +/- 1.7%, respectively. Also, the ratio of BC to OC (BC/OC) could be reduced by about 97%, from 0.49 to 0.016, which would make the primary emissions of household coal combustion more optically scattering. Therefore, it is suggested that the government consider the possibility of: (i) phasing out direct burning of bituminous raw-coal-chunks in households; (ii) phasing out simple stoves in households; and, (iii) financially supporting the research, production, and popularization of improved stoves and efficient coal briquettes. These actions may have considerable environmental benefits by reducing emissions and mitigating some of the impacts of household coal burning on the climate. International cooperation is required both technologically and financially to accelerate the emission reduction in the world.

Evolution of Submicrometer Organic Aerosols during a Complete Residential Coal Combustion Process.

PubMed

Zhou, Wei; Jiang, Jingkun; Duan, Lei; Hao, Jiming

2016-07-19

In the absence of particulate matter (PM) control devices, residential coal combustion contributes significantly to ambient PM pollution. Characterizing PM emissions from residential coal combustion with high time resolution is beneficial for developing control policies and evaluating the environmental impact of PM. This study reports the evolution of submicrometer organic aerosols (OA) during a complete residential coal combustion process, that is, from fire start to fire extinction. Three commonly used coal types (bituminous, anthracite, and semicoke coals) were evaluated in a typical residential stove in China. For all three types of coal, the OA emission exhibited distinct characteristics in the four stages, that is, ignition, fierce combustion, relatively stable combustion, and ember combustion. OA emissions during the ignition stage accounted for 58.2-85.4% of the total OA emission of a complete combustion process. The OA concentration decreased rapidly during the fierce combustion stage and remained low during the relatively stable combustion stage. During these two stages, a significant ion peak of m/z 73 from organic acids were observed. The degree of oxidation of the OA increased from the first stage to the last stage. Implications for ambient OA source-apportionment and residential PM emission characterization and control are discussed.

Mapping and prediction of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis with bioavailable iron content in the bituminous coals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huang, X.; Li, W.; Attfield, M.D.; Nadas, A.; Frenkel, K.; Finkelman, R.B.

2005-01-01

Based on the first National Study of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (CWP) and the U.S. Geological Survey database of coal quality, we show that the prevalence of CWP in seven coal mine regions correlates with levels of bioavailable iron (BAI) in the coals from that particular region (correlation coefficient r = 0.94, p < 0.0015). CWP prevalence is also correlated with contents of pyritic sulfur (r = 0.91, p < 0.0048) or total iron (r = 0.85, p < 0.016) but not with coal rank (r = 0.59, p < 0.16) or silica (r = 0.28, p < 0.54). BAI was calculated using our model, taking into account chemical interactions of pyrite, sulfuric acid, calcite, and total iron. That is, iron present in coals can become bioavailable by pyrite oxidation, which produces ferrous sulfate and sulfuric acid. Calcite is the major component in coals that neutralizes the available acid and inhibits iron's bioavailabiity. Therefore, levels of BAI in the coals are determined by the available amounts of acid after neutralization of calcite and the amount of total iron in the coals. Using the linear fit of CWP prevalence and the calculated BAI in the seven coal mine regions, we have derived and mapped the pneumoconiotic potencies of 7,000 coal samples. Our studies indicate that levels of BAI in the coals may be used to predict coal's toxicity, even before large-scalen mining.

Geochemical investigation of the potential for mobilizing non-methane hydrocarbons during carbon dioxide storage in deep coal beds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolak, J.J.; Burruss, R.C.

2006-01-01

Coal samples of different rank (lignite to anthracite) were extracted in the laboratory with supercritical CO2 (40 ??C; 10 MPa) to evaluate the potential for mobilizing non-methane hydrocarbons during CO2 storage (sequestration) or enhanced coal bed methane recovery from deep (???1-km depth) coal beds. The total measured alkane concentrations mobilized from the coal samples ranged from 3.0 to 64 g tonne-1 of dry coal. The highest alkane concentration was measured in the lignite sample extract; the lowest was measured in the anthracite sample extract. Substantial concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were also mobilized from these samples: 3.1 - 91 g tonne-1 of dry coal. The greatest amounts of PAHs were mobilized from the high-volatile bituminous coal samples. The distributions of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons mobilized from the coal samples also varied with rank. In general, these variations mimicked the chemical changes that occur with increasing degrees of coalification and thermal maturation. For example, the amount of PAHs mobilized from coal samples paralleled the general trend of bitumen formation with increasing coal rank. The coal samples yielded hydrocarbons during consecutive extractions with supercritical CO2, although the amount of hydrocarbons mobilized declined with each successive extraction. These results demonstrate that the potential for supercritical CO2 to mobilize non-methane hydrocarbons from coal beds, and the effect of coal rank on this process, are important to consider when evaluating deep coal beds for CO2 storage.

Cranberry Wilderness study area, West Virginia

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

Meissner, C.R. Jr.; Mory, P.C.

1984-01-01

The Cranberry Wilderness study area contains a large demonstrated resource of bituminous coal of coking quality according to studies made in 1977. Demonstrated coal resources in beds more than 14 in. thick are about 110 million short tons of which 56.5 million tons are in beds more than 28 in. thick in areas of substantiated coal resource potential. Other mineral resources in the study area include peat, shale and clay suitable for building brick and lightweight aggregate, sandstone suitable for low-quality glass sand, and sandstone suitable for construction material. These commodities are found in abundance in other areas throughout themore » State. Study of the drill-hole data did not reveal indications of a potential for oil and gas resources in the study area. Evidence of metallic mineral potential was not found during this investigation.« less

Supplement a to compilation of air pollutant emission factors. Volume 1. Stationary point and area sources. Fifth edition

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

NONE

1996-02-01

This Supplement to AP-42 addresses pollutant-generating activity from Bituminous and Subbituminous Coal Combustion; Anthracite Coal Combustion; Fuel Oil Combustion; Natural Gas Combustion; Wood Waste Combustion in Boilers; Lignite Combustion; Waste Oil Combustion: Stationary Gas Turbines for Electricity Generation; Heavy-duty Natural Gas-fired Pipeline Compressor Engines; Large Stationary Diesel and all Stationary Dual-fuel engines; Natural Gas Processing; Organic Liquid Storage Tanks; Meat Smokehouses; Meat Rendering Plants; Canned Fruits and Vegetables; Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables; Pickles, Sauces and Salad Dressing; Grain Elevators and Processes; Cereal Breakfast Foods; Pasta Manufacturing; Vegetable Oil Processing; Wines and Brandy; Coffee Roasting; Charcoal; Coal Cleaning; Frit Manufacturing; Sandmore » and Gravel Processing; Diatomite Processing; Talc Processing; Vermiculite Processing; paved Roads; and Unpaved Roads. Also included is information on Generalized Particle Size Distributions.« less

The Wasatch Plateau coal field, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spieker, Edmund M.

1931-01-01

The Wasatch Plateau, the northeasternmost of the great group of high plateaus in central and southern Utah, is underlain by a succession of Cretaceous rocks that, contain valuable coal beds, and the eastern part of the plateau, in which the coal is accessible, is generally known as the Wasatch Plateau coal field. This field and its continuation east of Price River the Book Cliffs coal field contain excellent coal of bituminous rank and together form the largest and most productive coal area in Utah. Coal from these fields has long been highly esteemed by users of western fuels and commands an important position in the fuel markets of the West.Mining of the coal began in a small way with the earliest settlements in this part of Utah. As population increased and transcontinental railroads were built, large mines were, opened and commercial development has advanced until at the present time most of the places accessible by existing railroads are the scenes of large mining enterprises, and the volume of coal passing out to the fuel-consuming centers of the West has reached an annual average of about 4,800,000 tons. The area now undergoing exploitation, however, is small compared with the part yet undeveloped, and the present examination of the field has shown clearly that the great bulk of its coal remains, constituting a reserve of many millions of tons.

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

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.

Mapping and Prediction of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis with Bioavailable Iron Content in the Bituminous Coals

PubMed Central

Huang, Xi; Li, Weihong; Attfield, Michael D.; Nádas, Arthur; Frenkel, Krystyna; Finkelman, Robert B.

2005-01-01

Based on the first National Study of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP) and the U.S. Geological Survey database of coal quality, we show that the prevalence of CWP in seven coal mine regions correlates with levels of bioavailable iron (BAI) in the coals from that particular region (correlation coefficient r = 0.94, p < 0.0015). CWP prevalence is also correlated with contents of pyritic sulfur (r = 0.91, p < 0.0048) or total iron (r = 0.85, p < 0.016) but not with coal rank (r = 0.59, p < 0.16) or silica (r = 0.28, p < 0.54). BAI was calculated using our model, taking into account chemical interactions of pyrite, sulfuric acid, calcite, and total iron. That is, iron present in coals can become bioavailable by pyrite oxidation, which produces ferrous sulfate and sulfuric acid. Calcite is the major component in coals that neutralizes the available acid and inhibits iron’s bioavailability. Therefore, levels of BAI in the coals are determined by the available amounts of acid after neutralization of calcite and the amount of total iron in the coals. Using the linear fit of CWP prevalence and the calculated BAI in the seven coal mine regions, we have derived and mapped the pneumoconiotic potencies of 7,000 coal samples. Our studies indicate that levels of BAI in the coals may be used to predict coal’s toxicity, even before large-scale mining. PMID:16079064

Structural features of a bituminous coal and their changes during low-temperature oxidation and loss of volatiles investigated by advanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mao, J.-D.; Schimmelmann, A.; Mastalerz, Maria; Hatcher, P.G.; Li, Y.

2010-01-01

Quantitative and advanced 13C solid-state NMR techniques were employed to investigate (i) the chemical structure of a high volatile bituminous coal, as well as (ii) chemical structural changes of this coal after evacuation of adsorbed gases, (iii) during oxidative air exposure at room temperature, and (iv) after oxidative heating in air at 75 ??C. The solid-state NMR techniques employed in this study included quantitative direct polarization/magic angle spinning (DP/MAS) at a high spinning speed of 14 kHz, cross polarization/total sideband suppression (CP/TOSS), dipolar dephasing, CH, CH2, and CHn selection, 13C chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) filtering, two-dimensional (2D) 1H-13C heteronuclear correlation NMR (HETCOR), and 2D HETCOR with 1H spin diffusion. With spectral editing techniques, we identified methyl CCH 3, rigid and mobile methylene CCH2C, methine CCH, quaternary Cq, aromatic CH, aromatic carbons bonded to alkyls, small-sized condensed aromatic moieties, and aromatic C-O groups. With direct polarization combined with spectral-editing techniques, we quantified 11 different types of functional groups. 1H-13C 2D HETCOR NMR experiments indicated spatial proximity of aromatic and alkyl moieties in cross-linked structures. The proton spin diffusion experiments indicated that the magnetization was not equilibrated at a 1H spin diffusion time of 5 ms. Therefore, the heterogeneity in spatial distribution of different functional groups should be above 2 nm. Recoupled C-H long-range dipolar dephasing showed that the fraction of large charcoal-like clusters of polycondensed aromatic rings was relatively small. The exposure of this coal to atmospheric oxygen at room temperature for 6 months did not result in obvious chemical structural changes of the coal, whereas heating at 75 ??C in air for 10 days led to oxidation of coal and generated some COO groups. Evacuation removed most volatiles and caused a significant reduction in aliphatic signals in its DP/MAS spectrum. DP/MAS, but not CP/MAS, allowed us to detect the changes during low-temperature oxidation and loss of volatiles. These results demonstrate the applicability of advanced solid-state NMR techniques in chemical characterization of coal. ?? 2010 American Chemical Society.

Predicting Water Quality Problems Associated with Coal Fly Ash Disposal Facilities Using a Trace Element Partitioning Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, S.; Donahoe, R. J.; Graham, E. Y.

2006-12-01

For much of the U.S., coal-fired power plants are the most important source of electricity for domestic and industrial use. Large quantities of fly ash and other coal combustion by-products are produced every year, the majority of which is impounded in lagoons and landfills located throughout the country. Many older fly ash disposal facilities are unlined and have been closed for decades. Fly ash often contains high concentrations of toxic trace elements such as arsenic, boron, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, lead, strontium and vanadium. Trace elements present in coal fly ash are of potential concern due to their toxicity, high mobility in the environment and low drinking water MCL values. Concern about the potential release of these toxic elements into the environment due to leaching of fly ash by acid rain, groundwater or acid mine drainage has prompted the EPA to develop national standards under the subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to regulate ash disposal in landfills and surface impoundments. An attempt is made to predict the leaching of toxic elements into the environment by studying trace element partitioning in coal fly ash. A seven step sequential chemical extraction procedure (SCEP) modified from Filgueiras et al. (2002) is used to determine the trace element partitioning in seven coal fly ash samples collected directly from electric power plants. Five fly ash samples were derived from Eastern Bituminous coal, one derived from Western Sub-bituminous coal and the other derived from Northern Lignite. The sequential chemical extraction procedure gives valuable information on the association of trace elements: 1) soluble fraction, 2) exchangeable fraction, 3) acid soluble fraction, 4) easily reducible fraction, 5) moderately reducible fraction, 6) poorly reducible fraction and 7) oxidizable organics/sulfide fraction. The trace element partitioning varies with the composition of coal fly ash which is influenced by the type of coal burned. Preliminary studies show that in some fly ash samples, significant amounts of As, B, Mo, Se, Sr and V are associated with the soluble and exchangeable fraction, and thus would be highly mobile in the environment. Lead, on the other hand, is mainly associated with the amorphous Fe and Mn oxide fractions and would be highly immobile in oxidizing conditions, but mobile in reducing conditions. Ni and Cr show different associations in different fly ash samples. In most fly ash samples, significant amounts of the trace elements are associated with more stable fractions that do not threaten the environment. The study of trace element partitioning in coal fly ash thus helps us to predict their leaching behavior under various conditions.

Chemical quality of surface water in the Allegheny River basin, Pennsylvania and New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarren, Edward F.

1967-01-01

The Allegheny River is the principal source of water to many industries and to communities in the upper Ohio River Valley. The river and its many tributaries pass through 19 counties in northwestern and western Pennsylvania. The population in these counties exceeds 3 million. A major user of the Allegheny River is the city of Pittsburgh, which has a population greater than The Allegheny River is as basic to the economy of the upper Ohio River Valley in western Pennsylvania as are the rich deposits of bituminous coal, gas, and oil that underlie the drainage basin. During the past 5 years many streams that flow into the Allegheny have been low flowing because of droughts affecting much of the eastern United States. Consequently, the concentration of solutes in some streams has been unusually high because of wastes from coal mines and oil wells. These and other water-quality problems in the Allegheny River drainage basin are affecting the economic future of some areas in western Pennsylvania. Because of environmental factors such as climate, geology, and land and water uses, surface-water quality varies considerably throughout the river basin. The natural quality of headwater streams, for example, is affected by saltwater wastes from petroleum production. One of the streams most affected is Kinzua Creek, which had 2,900 parts per million chloride in a sample taken at Westline on September 2, 1959. However, after such streams as the Conewango, Brokenstraw, Tionesta, Oil, and French Creeks merge with the Allegheny River, the dissolved-solids and chloride concentrations are reduced by dilution. Central segments of the main river receive water from the Clarion River, Redbank, Mahoning, and Crooked Creeks after they have crossed the coal fields of west-central Pennsylvania. At times, therefore, these streams carry coal-mine wastes that are acidic. The Kiskiminetas River, which crosses these coal fields, discharged sulfuric acid into the Allegheny at a rate of 299 tons a day during the 1962 water year (October 1, 1961, to September 30, 1962). Mine water affects the quality of the Allegheny River most noticeably in its lower part where large withdrawals are made by the Pittsburgh Water Company at Aspinwall and the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority at Nadine. At these places raw river water is chemically .treated in modern treatment plants to control such objectionable characteristics as acidity and excessive concentrations of iron and manganese. Dissolved-solids content in the river varies along its entire length. In its upper reaches the water of the Allegheny River is a sodium chloride type, and at low flow, the sodium chloride is more than half the dissolved solids. In its lower reaches the water is a calcium sulfate .type, and at low flow the calcium sulfate is more than half the dissolved solids. In middle segments of the river from Franklin to Kittanning, water is more dilute and of a mixed type. Many small and several larger streams in the upper basin--such as the Conewango, Brokenstraw, Kinzua, Tionesta, and French Creeks--support large populations of game-fish. Even in segments of the Clarion River, Mahoning, and Redbank Creeks, which are at times affected by coal-mine wastes, fish are present. Although different species withstand varying amounts of contaminants in water, the continued presence of the fish indicates that the water is relatively pure and suitable for recreation and many other uses.

CO2 Adsorption in Low-Rank Coals: Progress Toward Assessing the National Capacity to Store CO2 in the Subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanton, R. W.; Burruss, R. C.; Flores, R. M.; Warwick, P. D.

2001-05-01

Subsurface environments for geologic storage of CO2 from combustion of fossil fuel include saline formations, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and unmineable coalbeds. Of these environments, storage in petroleum reservoirs and coal beds offers a potential economic benefit of enhanced recovery of energy resources. Meaningful assessment of the volume and geographic distribution of storage sites requires quantitative estimates of geologic factors that control storage capacity. The factors that control the storage capacity of unmineable coalbeds are poorly understood. In preparation for a USGS assessment of CO2 storage capacity we have begun new measurements of CO2 and CH4 adsorption isotherms of low-rank coal samples from 4 basins. Initial results for 13 samples of low-rank coal beds from the Powder River Basin (9 subbituminous coals), Greater Green River Basin (1 subbituminous coal), Williston Basin (2 lignites) and the Gulf Coast (1 lignite) indicate that their adsorption capacity is up to 10 times higher than it is for CH4. These values contrast with published measurements of the CO2 adsorption capacity of bituminous coals from the Fruitland Formation, San Juan basin, and Gates Formation, British Columbia, that indicate about twice as much carbon dioxide as methane can be adsorbed on coals. Because CH4 adsorption isotherms are commonly measured on coals, CO2 adsorption capacity can be estimated if thecorrect relationship between the gases is known. However, use a factor to predict CO2 adsorption that is twice that of CH4 adsorption, which is common in the published literature, grossly underestimates the storage capacity of widely distributed, thick low-rank coal beds. Complete petrographic and chemical characterization of these low-rank coal samples is in progress. Significant variations in adsorption measurements among samples are depicted depending on the reporting basis used. Properties were measured on an "as received" (moist) basis but can be converted to a dry basis, ash-free basis (moist), or dry ash-free basis to emphasize the property having the greatest effect on the adsorption isotherm. Initial results show that moisture content has a strong effect on CO2 adsorption. Our current sample base covers a limited range of coal rank and composition. Full characterization of the storage capacity of coalbeds in the US will require additional samples that cover a broader range of coal compositions, ranks, and depositional environments. Even at this preliminary stage, we can use results from the recent USGS assessment of the Powder River Basin (Wyoming and Montana) to examine the impact of these new measurements on estimates of storage capacity. At depths greater than 500 feet, the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone contains 360 billion metric tons of coal. Using the new measurements of CO2 storage capacity, this coal zone could, theoretically, sequester about 290 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of CO2. This estimate contrasts sharply with an estimated capacity of 70 TCF based on the published values for bituminous coals.

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

Catalysts and process development for two-stage liquefaction. First quarterly report, January 1, 1992--March 31, 1992

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

Cronauer, D.C.; Swanson, A.J.; Sajkowski, D.J.

Research under way in this project centers upon developing and evaluating catalysts and process improvements for coal liquefaction in the two-stage, close-coupled catalytic process. The project is being carried out under contract to the United States Department of Energy. As discussed in the previous quarterly report, promising results were obtained by liquefying Illinois No. 6 bituminous and Black Thunder subbituminous coals using oil-soluble catalysts Molyvan L and molybdenum octoate. In this quarter, the liquefaction of Black Thunder coal was continued. Runs were made in catalytic/thermal (C/T) mode with supported AMOCAT{trademark} 1C (NiMo) and AMOCAT{trademark} 1B (Mo) catalysts. Although the initialmore » performance in these runs was good (90% conversion with no resid production), both catalysts deactivated rapidly. Spent catalysts showed severe coke deposition as well as formation of a calcium-rich shell on the catalyst surface. Overall, C/T liquefaction is not a good process option for Black Thunder coal.« less

Mineralogy of ash of some American coals: variations with temperature and source

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mitchell, R.S.; Gluskoter, H.J.

1976-01-01

Ten samples of mineral-matter residue were obtained by the radio-frequency low-temperature ashing of subbituminous and bituminous coals. The low-temperature ash samples were then heated progressively from 400 ??C to 1400 ??C at 100 ??C intervals. Mineral phases present at each temperature interval were determined by X-ray diffraction analyses. The minerals originally present in the coals (quartz, kaolinite, illite, pyrite, calcite, gypsum, dolomite, and sphalerite) were all altered to higher temperature phases. Several of these phases, including kaolinite, metakaolinite, mullite, anhydrite, and anorthite, were found only in limited temperature ranges. Therefore the temperature of formation of the ashes in which they occur may be determined. Mineralogical differences were observed between coal samples from the Rocky Mountain Province, the Illinois Basin, and the Appalachians; and as a result of these mineralogical differences, different high-temperature phases resulted as the samples were heated. However, regional generalizations cannot be made until a greater number of samples have been studied. ?? 1976.

Combustion properties, water absorption and grindability of raw/torrefied biomass pellets and Silantek coal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matali, Sharmeela; Rahman, Norazah Abdul; Idris, Siti Shawaliah; Yaacob, Nurhafizah

2017-12-01

Torrefaction, also known as mild pyrolysis, is proven to convert raw biomass into a value-added energy commodity particularly for application in combustion and co-firing systems with improved storage and handling properties. This paper aims to compare the characteristics of Malaysian bituminous coal i.e. Silantek coal with raw and torrefied biomass pellet originated from oil palm frond and fast growing tree species, Leucaena Leucocephala. Biomass samples were initially torrefied at 300 °C for 60 minutes. Resulting torrefied biomass pellets were analysed using a number of standard fuel characterisation analyses i.e. elemental analysis, proximate analysis and calorific content (high heating values) experiments. Investigations on combustion characteristics via dynamic thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), grindability and moisture uptake tests were also performed on the torrefied biomass pellets. Better quality bio-chars were produced as compared to its raw forms and with optimal process conditions, torrefaction may potentially produces a solid fuel with combustion reactivity and porosity equivalent to raw biomass while having compatible energy density and grindability to coal.

Production and Optimization of Direct Coal Liquefaction derived Low Carbon-Footprint Transportation Fuels

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

Steven Markovich

This report summarizes works conducted under DOE Contract No. DE-FC26-05NT42448. The work scope was divided into two categories - (a) experimental program to pretreat and refine a coal derived syncrude sample to meet transportation fuels requirements; (b) system analysis of a commercial scale direct coal liquefaction facility. The coal syncrude was derived from a bituminous coal by Headwaters CTL, while the refining study was carried out under a subcontract to Axens North America. The system analysis included H{sub 2} production cost via six different options, conceptual process design, utilities requirements, CO{sub 2} emission and overall plant economy. As part ofmore » the system analysis, impact of various H{sub 2} production options was evaluated. For consistence the comparison was carried out using the DOE H2A model. However, assumptions in the model were updated using Headwaters database. Results of Tier 2 jet fuel specifications evaluation by the Fuels & Energy Branch, US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RZPF) located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio) are also discussed in this report.« less

Coprocessing of plastics with coal and petroleum resid

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

Joo, H.; Curtis, C.W.

1995-12-31

Waste plastics have become an increasing problem in the United States since land filling is no longer considered a feasible disposal method. Since plastics are petroleum-derived materials, coprocessing then with coal to produce transportation fuels is a feasible alternative. In this study, catalytic coprocessing reactions were performed using Blind Canyon bituminous coal, Manji petroleum resid, and waste plastics. Model polymers including polystyrene, low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene tereplithalare (PET) were selected because they represent a substantial portion of the waste plastics generated in the United States. Coprocessing reactions of coal, resid, and polymer as well as reactions of individualmore » components and combinations of two components were performed at 430{degrees}C for one hour with an initial H{sub 2} pressure of 8.5 MPa introduced at ambient temperature with presulfided NiMo/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} as catalyst. Coprocessing all three materials resulted in a substantial improvement in the total conversion compared to the coal plus polymer reaction and slightly less conversion than the resid plus polymer combinations.« less

Coal derived fuel gases for molten carbonate fuel cells

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

Not Available

1979-11-01

Product streams from state-of-the-art and future coal gasification systems are characterized to guide fuel cell program planners and researchers in establishing performance goals and developing materials for molten carbonate fuel cells that will be compatible with gasifier product gases. Results are presented on: (1) the range of gasifier raw-gas compositions available from the major classes of coal gasifiers; (2) the degree of gas clean-up achievable with state-of-the-art and future gas clean-up systems; and (3) the energy penalties associated with gas clean-up. The study encompasses fixed-bed, fluid-bed, entrained-bed, and molten salt gasifiers operating with Eastern bituminous and Western subbituminous coals. Gasifiersmore » operating with air and oxygen blowing are evaluated, and the coal gasification product streams are characterized with respect to: (1) major gas stream constituents, e.g., CO, H/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/, N/sub 2/, H/sub 2/O; (2) major gas stream contaminants, e.g., H/sub 2/S, COS, particulates, tars, etc.; and (3) trace element contaminants, e.g., Na, K, V, Cl, Hg, etc.« less

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

Yao, S.C.

The combustion of single coal-water slurry droplet with oil as combustion additive (CWOM) has been studied. In this study, the droplet is suspended on a fine quartz fiber and is exposed to the hot combustion product of propane (C/sub 3/H/sub 8/) and air. The results are documented in a movie series. The combustion of CWOM with various combinations of concentrations are compared with that of coal-water slurry and water-oil mixture droplets. The combustion of coal-water slurry is enhanced significantly due to the presence of emulsified kerosene. The enhancement is also dependent upon the mixing procedure during preparation of CWOM. Themore » presence of emulsified kerosene induces local boil-off and combustion that coal particles are splashed as fire works during the early evaporation stage of droplet heat-up. After particle splashing, blow-holes appear on the droplet surface. The popcorn and swelling phenomena usually occurred in coal-water-slurry combustion is greatly reduced. Significant combustion enhancement occurs with the use of kerosene in an amount of about 15 percent of the overall CWOM. This process of using kerosene as combustion additive may provide obvious advantage for the combustion of bituminous coal-water slurry. 4 references, 6 figures.« less

Sulfur and ash reduction potential and selected chemical and physical properties of United States coals. [Contains glossary

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

Cavallaro, J.A.; Deurbrouck, A.W.; Killmeyer, R.P.

1991-02-01

This report presents the washability and comprehensive characterization results of 184 raw coal channel samples, including anthracite, bituminous and lignite coals, collected from the Central Region of the United States. This is the second of a three volume report on the coals of the United States. All the data are presented in six appendices. Statistical techniques and definitions are presented in Appendix A, and a glossary of terms is presented in Appendix B. The complete washability data and an in-depth characterization of each sample are presented alphabetically by state in Appendix C. In Appendix D, a statistical evaluation is givenmore » for the composited washability data, selected chemical and physical properties and washability data interpolated at various levels of Btu recovery. This presentation is shown by state, section, and region where four or more samples were collected. Appendix E presents coalbed codes and names for the Central Region coals. Graphical summations are presented by state, section and region showing the effects of crushing on impurity reductions, and the distribution of raw and clean coal samples meeting various levels of SO{sub 2} emissions. 35 figs., 5 tabs.« less

The Effect Of Local Coal And Smelting Sponge Iron On Iron Content Of Pig Iron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oediyani, Soesaptri; Juwita Sari, Pramita; Hadi P, Djoko

2018-03-01

The new regulation on mineral resources was announced by Ministry of Energy and Mineral resources (ESDM) of Indonesia at 2014 which it called Permen ESDM No 1/2014. Therefore, this research was conducted to add the value of local iron ores by using smelting technology. The objective of the research is to produce pig iron that meet the requirement of the new regulation of mineral resources such as 90% Fe. First, iron ores and coal mixed together with lime as a flux, then smelted in a Electric Arc Furnace at 1800°C. The process variables are (1; 1.25; 1.5; 1.75; 2.0) and the composition of coal (0.8%, 1.6%, 3.0%). The type of coal that used in this research was bituminous coal from Kalimantan and also the iron ores from Kalimantan. The products of the smelting technology are Pig iron and slag. Both pig iron and slag then analyzed by SEM-EDS to measure the iron content. The result shows that the maximum iron content on pig iron is about 95.04% meanwhile the minimum iron content on slag is about 3.66%. This result achieved at 1.6% coal and 2.0.

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

Progressive Oxidation of Pyrite in Five Bituminous Coal Samples: An As XANES and 57Fe Mossbauer Spectroscopic Study

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

Kolker,A.; Huggins, F.

2007-01-01

Naturally occurring pyrite commonly contains minor substituted metals and metalloids (As, Se, Hg, Cu, Ni, etc.) that can be released to the environment as a result of its weathering. Arsenic, often the most abundant minor constituent in pyrite, is a sensitive monitor of progressive pyrite oxidation in coal. To test the effect of pyrite composition and environmental parameters on the rate and extent of pyrite oxidation in coal, splits of five bituminous coal samples having differing amounts of pyrite and extents of As substitution in the pyrite, were exposed to a range of simulated weathering conditions over a period ofmore » 17 months. Samples investigated include a Springfield coal from Indiana (whole coal pyritic S = 2.13 wt.%; As in pyrite = detection limit (d.l.) to 0.06 wt.%), two Pittsburgh coal samples from West Virginia (pyritic S = 1.32-1.58 wt.%; As in pyrite = d.l. to 0.34 wt.%), and two samples from the Warrior Basin, Alabama (pyritic S = 0.26-0.27 wt.%; As in pyrite = d.l. to 2.72 wt.%). Samples were collected from active mine faces, and expected differences in the concentration of As in pyrite were confirmed by electron microprobe analysis. Experimental weathering conditions in test chambers were maintained as follows: (1) dry Ar atmosphere; (2) dry O{sub 2} atmosphere; (3) room atmosphere (relative humidity {approx}20-60%); and (4) room atmosphere with samples wetted periodically with double-distilled water. Sample splits were removed after one month, nine months, and 17 months to monitor the extent of As and Fe oxidation using As X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and {sup 57}Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy, respectively. Arsenic XANES spectroscopy shows progressive oxidation of pyritic As to arsenate, with wetted samples showing the most rapid oxidation. {sup 57}Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy also shows a much greater proportion of Fe{sup 3+} forms (jarosite, Fe{sup 3+} sulfate, FeOOH) for samples stored under wet conditions, but much less difference among samples stored under dry conditions in different atmospheres. The air-wet experiments show evidence of pyrite re-precipitation from soluble ferric sulfates, with As retention in the jarosite phase. Extents of As and Fe oxidation were similar for samples having differing As substitution in pyrite, suggesting that environmental conditions outweigh the composition and amount of pyrite as factors influencing the oxidation rate of Fe sulfides in coal.« less

Research on Reasonable Particle Size of Coal Blends for Blast Furnace Injection: Semi Coke and Bituminous Coal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haiyang; Xu, Runsheng; Song, Tengfei; Zhang, Pengcheng

Semi coke, a byproduct in the chemical industry, is a new fuel for blast furnace injection in China. In this study, semi coke and bitumite were milled into different size, ranged from 0.147mm to under 0.074mm. The content of volatile matter and ash, which affect the combustibility of semi coke, were measured using muffle furnace. The mixture, in which the proportion of coal in different sizes changed, was blend by semi coke and bitumite with different size. Activation energy calculation and the comprehensive combustion characteristic index of all kinds of blends was also discussed. The result obtained by Thermogravimetry -Derivative Thermogravimetry curves indicates that the smaller the size of mixture is, the lower for the characteristic temperature, and the better for its combustibility, Semi coke can be a substitute for anthracite in blast furnace injection.

Distribution and Fate of Mercury in Pulverized Bituminous Coal-Fired Power Plants in Coal Energy-Dominant Huainan City, China.

PubMed

Chen, Bingyu; Liu, Guijian; Sun, Ruoyu

2016-05-01

A better understanding on the partitioning behavior of mercury (Hg) during coal combustion in large-scale coal-fired power plants is fundamental for drafting Hg-emission control regulations. Two large coal-fired utility boilers, equipped with electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and a wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) system, respectively, in coal energy-dominant Huainan City, China, were selected to investigate the distribution and fate of Hg during coal combustion. In three sampling campaigns, we found that Hg in bottom ash was severely depleted with a relative enrichment (RE) index <7 %, whereas the RE index for fly ash (9-54%) was comparatively higher and variable. Extremely high Hg was concentrated in gypsum (≤4500 ng/g), which is produced in the WFGD system. Mass balance calculation shows that the shares of Hg in bottom ash, fly ash, WFGD products (gypsum, effluents, sludge), and stack emissions were <2, 17-32, 7-22, and 54-82%, respectively. The Hg-removal efficiencies of ESPs, WFGD, and ESPs + WFGD were 17-32, 10-29, and 36-46%, respectively. The Hg-emission factor of studied boilers was in a high range of 0.24-0.29 g Hg/t coal. We estimated that Hg emissions in all Huainan coal-fired power plants varied from 1.8 Mg in 2003 to 7.3 Mg in 2010.

Coal-oil coprocessing at HTI - development and improvement of the technology

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

Stalzer, R.H.; Lee, L.K.; Hu, J.

1995-12-31

Co-Processing refers to the combined processing of coal and petroleum-derived heavy oil feedstocks. The coal feedstocks used are those typically utilized in direct coal liquefaction: bituminous, subbituminous, and lignites. Petroleum-derived oil, is typically a petroleum residuum, containing at least 70 W% material boiling above 525{degrees}C. The combined coal and oil feedstocks are processed simultaneously with the dual objective of liquefying the coal and upgrading the petroleum-derived residuum to lower boiling (<525{degrees}C) premium products. HTI`s investigation of the Co-Processing technology has included work performed in laboratory, bench and PDU scale operations. The concept of co-processing technology is quite simple and amore » natural outgrowth of the work done with direct coal liquefaction. A 36 month program to evaluate new process concepts in coal-oil coprocessing at the bench-scale was begun in September 1994 and runs until September 1997. Included in this continuous bench-scale program are provisions to examine new improvements in areas such as: interstage product separation, feedstock concentrations (coal/oil), improved supported/dispersed catalysts, optimization of reactor temperature sequencing, and in-line hydrotreating. This does not preclude other ideas from DOE contracts and other sources that can lead to improved product quality and economics. This research work has led to important findings which significantly increased liquid yields, improved product quality, and improved process economics.« less

Direct comparison of XAFS spectroscopy and sequential extraction for arsenic speciation in coal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huggins, Frank E.; Huffman, G.P.; Kolker, A.; Mroczkowski, S.; Palmer, C.A.; Finkelman, R.B.

2000-01-01

The speciation of arsenic in an Ohio bituminous coal and a North Dakota lignite has been examined by the complementary methods of arsenic XAFS spectroscopy and sequential extraction by aqueous solutions of ammonium acetate, HCl, HF, and HNO3. In order to facilitate a more direct comparison of the two methods, the arsenic XAFS spectra were obtained from aliquots of the coal prepared after each stage of the leaching procedure. For the aliquots, approximately linear correlations (r2 > 0.98 for the Ohio coal, > 0.90 for the ND lignite) were observed between the height of the edge-step in the XAFS analysis and the concentration of arsenic measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Results from the leaching sequence indicate that there are two major arsenic forms present in both coals; one is removed by leaching with HCl and the other by HNO3. Whereas the XAFS spectral signatures of the arsenic leached by HCl are compatible with arsenate for both coals, the arsenic leached by HNO3 is identified as arsenic associated with pyrite for the Ohio coal and as an As3+ species for the North Dakota lignite. Minor arsenate forms persist in both coals after the final leaching with nitric acid. The arsenate forms extracted in HCl are believed to be oxidation products derived from the other major arsenic forms upon exposure of the pulverized coals to air.

Organic petrology of Paleocene Marcelina Formation coals, Paso Diablo mine, western Venezuela: Tectonic controls on coal type

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hackley, P.C.; Martinez, M.

2007-01-01

About 7??Mt of high volatile bituminous coal are produced annually from the four coal zones of the Upper Paleocene Marcelina Formation at the Paso Diablo open-pit mine of western Venezuela. As part of an ongoing coal quality study, we have characterized twenty-two coal channel samples from the mine using organic petrology techniques. Samples also were analyzed for proximate-ultimate parameters, forms of sulfur, free swelling index, ash fusion temperatures, and calorific value. Six of the samples represent incremental benches across the 12-13??m thick No. 4 bed, the stratigraphically lowest mined coal, which is also mined at the 10??km distant Mina Norte open-pit. Organic content of the No. 4 bed indicates an upward increase of woody vegetation and/or greater preservation of organic material throughout the life of the original mire(s). An upward increase in telovitrinite and corresponding decrease in detrovitrinite and inertinite illustrate this trend. In contrast, stratigraphically higher coal groups generally exhibit a 'dulling upward' trend. The generally high inertinite content, and low ash yield and sulfur content, suggest that the Paso Diablo coals were deposited in rain-fed raised mires, protected from clastic input and subjected to frequent oxidation and/or moisture stress. However, the two thinnest coal beds (both 0.7??m thick) are each characterized by lower inertinite and higher telovitrinite content relative to the rest of Paso Diablo coal beds, indicative of less well-established raised mire environments prior to drowning. Foreland basin Paleocene coals of western Venezuela, including the Paso Diablo deposit and time-correlative coal deposits of the Ta??chira and Me??rida Andes, are characterized by high inertinite and consistently lower ash and sulfur relative to Eocene and younger coals of the area. We interpret these age-delimited coal quality characteristics to be due to water availability as a function of the tectonic control of subsidence rate. It is postulated that slower subsidence rates dominated during the Paleocene while greater foreland basin subsidence rates during the Eocene-Miocene resulted from the loading of nappe thrust sheets as part of the main construction phases of the Andean orogen. South-southeastward advance and emplacement of the Lara nappes during the oblique transpressive collision of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates in the Paleocene was further removed from the sites of peat deposition, resulting in slower subsidence rates. Slower subsidence in the Paleocene may have favored the growth of raised mires, generating higher inertinite concentrations through more frequent moisture stress. Consistently low ash yield and sulfur content would be due to the protection from clastic input in raised mires, in addition to the leaching of mineral matter by rainfall and the development of acidic conditions preventing fixation of sulfur. In contrast, peat mires of Eocene-Miocene age encountered rapid subsidence due to the proximity of nappe emplacement, resulting in lower inertinite content, higher and more variable sulfur content, and higher ash yield.

Evaluation of the SKC DPM cassette for monitoring diesel particulate matter in coal mines.

PubMed

Noll, James D; Birch, Eileen

2004-12-01

In a previous study, the efficacy of commercial and prototype impactors for sampling diesel particulate matter (DPM) in coal mines was investigated. Laboratory and field samples were collected on quartz-fiber filters and analyzed for organic and elemental carbon. Coal dust contributed a minimal amount of elemental carbon when commercial cascade impactors and prototype impactors, designed by the University of Minnesota (UMN) and the US Bureau of Mines (BOM), were used to collect submicrometer dust fractions. Other impactors were not as effective at excluding coal dust. The impactors evaluated in that study were either not commercially available or were multi-stage, expensive, and difficult to use for personal measurements. A commercial version of the BOM impactor, called the DPM Cassette, was recently introduced by SKC. Tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the DPM Cassette for measuring diesel-source elemental carbon in the presence of coal dust. Bituminous coals from three mines in two different coal provinces were examined. The dust particle diameters were small and the coal dust contained a high percentage of carbon, thereby giving a worst-case condition for non-anthracite coal mines. Results for the DPM Cassette were essentially identical to those obtained by the BOM impactors in a previous study. At a respirable coal dust concentration of 5.46 mg m(-3), which is 3.8 times the regulatory limit, the DPM Cassette collected only 34 microg m(-3) of coal-source elemental carbon.

Potentially hazardous elements in coal: Modes of occurrence and summary of concentration data for coal components

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolker, A.; Finkelman, R.B.

1998-01-01

Mode-of-occurrence data are summarized for 13 potentially hazardous elements (Be, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Hg, Pb, Th, U) in coal. Recent work has refined mode-of-occurrence data for Ni, Cr, and As, as compared to previous summaries. For Cr, dominant modes of occurrence include the clay mineral illite, an amorphous CrO(OH) phase, and Cr-bearing spinels. Nickel is present in Fe-sulfides (pyrite and marcasite) and is also organically bound. Arsenic-bearing pyrite may be the dominant host of As in bituminous coals. Concentration data for the 13 HAPs, obtained primarily by quantitative microanalysis techniques, are compiled for mineral and organic portions of coal. HAPs element concentrations are greatest in Fe-sulfides, and include maxima of 2,300 ppm (Co), 4,500 ppm (Ni), 4.9wt.% (As), 2,000 ppm (Se), 171 ppm (Hg), and 5,500 ppm (Pb). Trace-element microanalysis is a significant refinement over bulk methods, and shows that there is considerable trace-element variation on a fine scale for a given coal, and from one coal to another. ?? 1998 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V. Published by license under the Gordon and Breach Science Publishers imprint.

Gas recirculation flash drying of filtercake as a safe and economic alternative to fluidized bed drying

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

Kalb, G.W.; Sisti, D.

1996-12-31

Although approximately 50% of the thermal coal dryers in North America have been idled or demolished in the past twelve years, thermal coal dryers are currently operating at the highest yearly evaporative load in their history. This is due to the combination of idling/demolishing the marginally required thermal dryers, and replacing the evaporative capacity with more efficient centrifugal dryers while operating the remaining thermal dryers at significantly higher evaporative loads for a greater number of hours. Although previously unheard of in this industry, many of the remaining thermal coal dryers are operating at and above their design evaporative capacity. Thermalmore » coal dryers are used to meet the common moisture specifications of 6.0% in the United States and 7.5 to 8.0% in Canada and are normally required when (1) the Hardgrove grindability exceeds 90, (2) the preparation plant feed topsize is less than 1 {1/2}-inch and/or (3) for transportation reasons in northern climates. It is anticipated that thermal coal drying will be rejuvenated as a result of (1) addressing inherent moisture in low raw coals, (2) the Australian need to address their 10% moisture bituminous coal shipments, and (3) the increased ash and sulfur liberation with decreasing topsize of preparation plant feeds.« less

Results of coalbed-methane drilling, Mylan Park, Monongalia County, West Virginia: Chapter G.3 in Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppert, Leslie F.; Fedorko, Nick; Warwick, Peter D.; Grady, William C.; Britton, James Q.; Schuller, William A.; Crangle, Robert D.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Ryder, Robert T.

2014-01-01

High-pressure carbon-dioxide adsorption isotherms were measured on composite coal samples of the Upper Kittanning coal bed and the Middle Kittanning and Clarion coal zones. Assuming that the reservoir pressure in the Mylan Park coals is equivalent to the normal hydrostatic pressure, the estimated maximum carbon-dioxide adsorption pressures range from a low of about 300 pounds per square inch (lb/in2 ) in coals from the Clarion coal zone to 500 lb/in2 for coals from the Upper Kittanning coal bed. The estimated maximum methane adsorption isotherms show that the coals from the Upper Kittanning coal bed and the Middle Kittanning coal zone are undersaturated in methane, but coals from the Clarion coal zone are close to saturation.

Selected annotated bibliography of the geology of uraniferous and radioactive native bituminous substances, exclusive of coals, in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Harriet Nell

1956-01-01

Native bituminous substances are divided into two groups, 1) bitumens and, 2) pyrobitumens. Bitumens are composed principally of hydrocarbons substantially free from oxygenated bodies, are fusible, and are soluble in carbon disulfide. Native bitumens occur in liquid and solid forms. The native liquid bitumens include all petroleums or crude oils. Native solid bitumens include native waxes such as ozocerite, asphalts or petroleum tars, and asphaltites such as gilsonite and grahamite. Pyrobitumens are composed principally of hydrocarbons which may contain oxygenated bodies. They are infusible and are insoluble, or nearly insoluble, in carbon disulfide. Native pyrobitumens are divided into an oxygen-containing group including peats, lignites, and coals, and an essentially oxygen-free, asphaltic group including such substances as wurtzilite, albertite, impsonite, and ingramite. Thucholites, which are carbonaceous substances that may contain uranium, thorium, and rare earths, commonly are considered to be pyrobitumens. Their compositions are variable and may fall into either the oxygen-containing or oxygen-free group. All varieties of native bituminous substances may be associated with mineral matter. The nomenclature of bitumens and pyrobitumens is used very loosely in the literature. This circumstance arises from the difficulty in recognizing many of these substances by visual examination, and because many of them can be identified accurately only by chemical methods. Inasmuch as some of the chemical procedures are time-consuming and satisfactory analytical methods have not been devised for all these substances, geologists generally have not obtained precise identifications but rather have used names that appeared most appropriate to the circumstances. It is expected that future research will show many substances called "asphaltite," "thucholite," etc., to be incorrectly identified. The nomenclature used by the authors of the various references of this bibliography is followed without deviation or further discussion. The stratigraphic nomenclature also is that used by the authors. In this bibliography emphasis is placed on reports dealing with the uranium contents and radioactivity of native bituminous substances rather than on mineralogical and chemical studies of these substances. The distribution of the substances described in the references is shown on the accompanying map. The indicated presence of these substances does not infer that they contain sufficient radioactive elements to constitute ores.

Mercury speciation and distribution in a 660-megawatt utility boiler in Taiwan firing bituminous coals.

PubMed

Hsi, Hsing-Cheng; Lee, Hsiu-Hsia; Hwang, Jyh-Feng; Chen, Wang

2010-05-01

Mercury speciation and distribution in a 660-MW tangential-fired utility boiler in Taiwan burning Australian and Chinese bituminous coal blends was investigated. Flue gases were simultaneously sampled at the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) inlet, the SCR outlet, the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) outlet, and the stack. Samplings of coal, lime, bottom ash/slag, fly ash, and gypsum slurry were also conducted. Results indicated that flue gases at the inlet to SCR contained a great potion of particle-bound mercury (Hg(p)), 59-92% of the total mercury. Removal of mercury was not observed for the SCR system. However, repartitioning of mercury species across the SCR occurred that significantly increased the portion of elemental mercury (Hg0) to up to 29% and oxidized mercury (Hg2+) to up to 33% in the SCR outlet gas. Overreporting of Hg(p) at the inlet of SCR may cause the observed repartitioning; the high ammonia/nitric oxide circumstance in the SCR unit was also speculated to cause the mercury desorption from ash particles and subsequent reentrance into the gas phase. ESP can remove up to 99% of Hg(p), and wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) can remove up to 84% of Hg2+. Mercury mass balances were calculated to range between 81 and 127.4%, with an average of 95.7% wherein 56-82% was in ESP fly ash, 8.7-18.6% was retained in the FGD gypsum, and 6.2-26.1% was emitted from the stack. Data presented here suggest that mercury removal can be largely enhanced by increasing the conversion of Hg0 into Hg(p) and Hg2+.

Cost Reductions for Wastewater Treatment Utilizing Water Management at Holston Army Ammunition Plant

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-05-01

says that the granular carbon used is made from bituminous coal. As the waste stream pass through a bed of carbon granules, com- pounds are adsorbed to...findings of laboratory-scale reactor studies conducted at Purdue University for * Clark, Dietz and Associates. The original recommendations and cost...Pretreatment Denitrification by Submerged Anaerbbic I ilters I ~ Trickling Filters S F ,2al Clarification "•’i Pump - ~ Sludge ,Treatment Dual Media Filh:ration

Mercury concentration in coal - Unraveling the puzzle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Toole-O'Neil, B.; Tewalt, S.J.; Finkelman, R.B.; Akers, D.J.

1999-01-01

Based on data from the US Geological Survey's COALQUAL database, the mean concentration of mercury in coal is approximately 0.2 ??gg-1. Assuming the database reflects in-ground US coal resources, values for conterminous US coal areas range from 0.08 ??gg-1 for coal in the San Juan and Uinta regions to 0.22 ??gg-1 for the Gulf Coast lignites. Recalculating the COALQUAL data to an equal energy basis unadjusted for moisture differences, the Gulf Coast lignites have the highest values (36.4 lb of Hg/1012 Btu) and the Hams Fork region coal has the lowest value (4.8 lb of Hg/1012Btu). Strong indirect geochemical evidence indicates that a substantial proportion of the mercury in coal is associated with pyrite occurrence. This association of mercury and pyrite probably accounts for the removal of mercury with the pyrite by physical coal cleaning procedures. Data from the literature indicate that conventional coal cleaning removes approximately 37% of the mercury on an equal energy basis, with a range of 0% to 78%. When the average mercury reduction value is applied to in-ground mercury values from the COALQUAL database, the resulting 'cleaned' mercury values are very close to mercury in 'as-shipped' coal from the same coal bed in the same county. Applying the reduction fact or for coal cleaning to eastern US bituminous coal, reduces the mercury input load compared to lower-rank non-deaned western US coal. In the absence of analytical data on as-shipped coal, the mercury data in the COALQUAL database, adjusted for deanability where appropriate, may be used as an estimator of mercury contents of as-shipped coal. ?? 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flow in Coal Seams: An Unconventional Challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, R. T.; Mostaghimi, P.; Jing, Y.; Gerami, A.

2016-12-01

A significant unconventional resource for energy is the methane gas stored in shallow coal beds, known as coal seam gas. An integrated imaging and modelling framework is developed for analysing petrophysical behaviour of coals. X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is applied using a novel contrast agent method for visualising micrometer-sized fractures in coal. The technique allows for the visualisation of coal features not visible with conventional imaging methods. A Late Permian medium volatile bituminous coal from Moura Coal Mine (Queensland, Australia) is imaged and the resulting three-dimensional coal fracture system is extracted for fluid flow simulations. The results demonstrate a direct relationship between coal lithotype and permeability. Scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) together with X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods are used for identifying mineral matters at high resolution. SEM high-resolution images are also used to calibrate the micro-CT images and measure the exact aperture size of fractures. This leads to a more accurate estimation of permeability using micro-CT images. To study the significance of geometry and topology of the fracture system, a fracture reconstruction method based on statistical properties of coal is also developed. The network properties including the frequency, aperture size distribution, length, and spacing of the imaged coal fracture system. This allows for a sensitivity analysis on the effects that coal fracture topology and geometry has on coal petrophysical properties. Furthermore, we generate microfluidic chips based on coal fracture observations. The chip is used for flow experiments to visualise multi-fluid processes and measure recovery of gas. A combined numerical and experimental approach is applied to obtain relative permeability curves for different regions of interest. A number of challenges associated with coal samples are discussed and insights are provided for better understanding of these complex porous media systems.

Sampling and analysis method for measuring airborne coal dust mass in mixtures with limestone (rock) dust.

PubMed

Barone, T L; Patts, J R; Janisko, S J; Colinet, J F; Patts, L D; Beck, T W; Mischler, S E

2016-01-01

Airborne coal dust mass measurements in underground bituminous coal mines can be challenged by the presence of airborne limestone dust, which is an incombustible dust applied to prevent the propagation of dust explosions. To accurately measure the coal portion of this mixed airborne dust, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed a sampling and analysis protocol that used a stainless steel cassette adapted with an isokinetic inlet and the low temperature ashing (LTA) analytical method. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) routinely utilizes this LTA method to quantify the incombustible content of bulk dust samples collected from the roof, floor, and ribs of mining entries. The use of the stainless steel cassette with isokinetic inlet allowed NIOSH to adopt the LTA method for the analysis of airborne dust samples. Mixtures of known coal and limestone dust masses were prepared in the laboratory, loaded into the stainless steel cassettes, and analyzed to assess the accuracy of this method. Coal dust mass measurements differed from predicted values by an average of 0.5%, 0.2%, and 0.1% for samples containing 20%, 91%, and 95% limestone dust, respectively. The ability of this method to accurately quantify the laboratory samples confirmed the validity of this method and allowed NIOSH to successfully measure the coal fraction of airborne dust samples collected in an underground coal mine.

Sampling and analysis method for measuring airborne coal dust mass in mixtures with limestone (rock) dust

PubMed Central

Barone, T. L.; Patts, J. R.; Janisko, S. J.; Colinet, J. F.; Patts, L. D.; Beck, T. W.; Mischler, S. E.

2016-01-01

Airborne coal dust mass measurements in underground bituminous coal mines can be challenged by the presence of airborne limestone dust, which is an incombustible dust applied to prevent the propagation of dust explosions. To accurately measure the coal portion of this mixed airborne dust, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed a sampling and analysis protocol that used a stainless steel cassette adapted with an isokinetic inlet and the low temperature ashing (LTA) analytical method. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) routinely utilizes this LTA method to quantify the incombustible content of bulk dust samples collected from the roof, floor, and ribs of mining entries. The use of the stainless steel cassette with isokinetic inlet allowed NIOSH to adopt the LTA method for the analysis of airborne dust samples. Mixtures of known coal and limestone dust masses were prepared in the laboratory, loaded into the stainless steel cassettes, and analyzed to assess the accuracy of this method. Coal dust mass measurements differed from predicted values by an average of 0.5%, 0.2%, and 0.1% for samples containing 20%, 91%, and 95% limestone dust, respectively. The ability of this method to accurately quantify the laboratory samples confirmed the validity of this method and allowed NIOSH to successfully measure the coal fraction of airborne dust samples collected in an underground coal mine. PMID:26618374

Enhancing the use of coals by gas reburning-sorbent injection. Volume 3, Gas reburning-sorbent injection at Edwards Unit 1, Central Illinois Light Company

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

NONE

1994-10-01

Design work has been completed for a Gas Reburning-Sorbent Injection (GR-SI) system to reduce emissions of NO{sub x}, and SO{sub 2} from a wall fired unit. A GR-SI system was designed for Central Illinois Light Company`s Edwards Station Unit 1, located in Bartonville, Illinois. The unit is rated at 117 MW(e) (net) and is front wall fired with a pulverized bituminous coal blend. The goal of the project was to reduce emissions of NO{sub x} by 60%, from the ``as found`` baseline of 0.98 lb/MBtu (420 mg/MJ), and to reduce emissions of S0{sub 2} by 50%. Since the unit currentlymore » fires a blend of high sulfur Illinois coal and low sulfur Kentucky coal to meet an S0{sub 2} limit Of 1.8 lb/MBtu (770 mg/MJ), the goal at this site was amended to meeting this limit while increasing the fraction of high sulfur coal to 57% from the current 15% level. GR-SI requires injection of natural gas into the furnace at the level of the top burner row, creating a fuel-rich zone in which NO{sub x} formed in the coal zone is reduced to N{sub 2}. The design natural gas input corresponds to 18% of the total heat input. Burnout (overfire) air is injected at a higher elevation to burn out fuel combustible matter at a normal excess air level of 18%. Recycled flue gas is used to increase the reburning fuel jet momentum, resulting in enhanced mixing. Recycled flue gas is also used to cool the top row of burners which would not be in service during GR operation. Dry hydrated lime sorbent is injected into the upper furnace to react with S0{sub 2}, forming solid CaSO{sub 4} and CaSO{sub 3}, which are collected by the ESP. The SI system design was optimized with respect to gas temperature, injection air flow rate, and sorbent dispersion. Sorbent injection air flow is equal to 3% of the combustion air. The design includes modifications of the ESP, sootblowing, and ash handling systems.« less

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

Elmore, B.B.

As an alternative to post-combustion desulfurization of coal and pre-combustion desulfurization using physicochemical techniques, the microbial desulfurization of coal may be accomplished through the use of microbial cultures that, in an application of various microbial species, may remove both the pyritic and organic fractions of sulfur found in coal. Organisms have been isolated that readily depyritize coal but often at prohibitively low rates of desulfurization. Microbes have also been isolated that may potentially remove the organic-sulfur fraction present in coal (showing promise when acting on organic sulfur model compounds such as dibenzothiophene). The isolation and study of microorganisms demonstrating amore » potential for removing organic sulfur from coal has been undertaken in this project. Additionally, the organisms and mechanisms by which coal is microbially depyritized has been investigated. Three cultures were isolated that grew on dibenzothiophene (DBT), a model organic-sulfur compound, as the sole sulfur source. These cultures (UMX3, UMX9, and IGTS8) also grew on coal samples as the sole sulfur source. Numerous techniques for pretreating and ``cotreating`` coal for depyritization were also evaluated for the ability to improve the rate or extent of microbial depyritization. These include prewashing the coal with various solvents and adding surfactants to the culture broth. Using a bituminous coal containing 0.61% (w/w) pyrite washed with organic solvents at low slurry concentrations (2% w/v), the extent of depyritization was increased approximately 25% in two weeks as compared to controls. At slurry concentrations of 20% w/v, a tetrachloroethylene treatment of the coal followed by depyritization with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans increased both the rate and extent of depyritization by approximately 10%.« less

Trace element geochemistry and mineralogy of coal from Samaleswari open cast coal block (S-OCB), Eastern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Debasree; Chatterjee, Debashis; Chakravarty, Sanchita; Mazumder, Madhurina

2018-04-01

Coal samples of Samaleswari open cast coal block (S-OCB) are high ash (Aad, mean value 35.43%) and low sulphur content (St, on dry basis, mean value 0.91% < 1%) in quality. The stratigraphic variation of volatile matter and fixed carbon (dry ash-free) reflect a progress of coal metamorphism with depth that accordance to the coal rank variation from lignite to high volatile bituminous in the studied borehole. The younger coal seams have greater detrital minerals (quartz, illite, rutile) influence whereas older coal seams have greater authigenic mineral (kaolinite, dolomite, siderite, apatite) contribution that are possibly due to subsidence and sediment transportation. In S-OCB coal trace elements affinities in-between mineral and organic fraction are identified with statistical hierarchical cluster analysis. The work is further supported by the use of chemical fractionation experiment that reveals the multi mode of occurrence of several environmentally concern and interested trace elements (Sb, As, Be, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn). Among the analysed trace elements Co, Mn and Zn have major silicate association along with significant carbonate/oxide/monosulfide association. Whereas As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Ni have dominant pyritic association with notable silicate and carbonate/oxide/monosulfide association. The rest three elements (Sb, Be, Cr) have principally organic association with minor silicate and carbonate/oxide/monosulfide association. The stratigraphic variation of organo-mineral matrix content and detrital-authigenic mineral ratio are primarily related to coal rank. Geochemical character of coal also reflects a light towards proper utilisation of S-OCB coal from technical and environmental view point.

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

Risk of lung cancer associated with domestic use of coal in Xuanwei, China: retrospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Chapman, Robert S; Silverman, Debra T; He, Xinghzhou; Hu, Wei; Vermeulen, Roel; Ning, Bofu; Fraumeni, Joseph F; Rothman, Nathaniel; Lan, Qing

2012-01-01

Objective To estimate the risk of lung cancer associated with the use of different types of coal for household cooking and heating. Setting Xuanwei County, Yunnan Province, China. Design Retrospective cohort study (follow-up 1976-96) comparing mortality from lung cancer between lifelong users of “smoky coal” (bituminous) and “smokeless coal” (anthracite). Participants 27 310 individuals using smoky coal and 9962 individuals using smokeless coal during their entire life. Main outcome measures Primary outcomes were absolute and relative risk of death from lung cancer among users of different types of coal. Unadjusted survival analysis was used to estimate the absolute risk of lung cancer, while Cox regression models compared mortality hazards for lung cancer between smoky and smokeless coal users. Results Lung cancer mortality was substantially higher among users of smoky coal than users of smokeless coal. The absolute risks of lung cancer death before 70 years of age for men and women using smoky coal were 18% and 20%, respectively, compared with less than 0.5% among smokeless coal users of both sexes. Lung cancer alone accounted for about 40% of all deaths before age 60 among individuals using smoky coal. Compared with smokeless coal, use of smoky coal was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer death (for men, hazard ratio 36 (95% confidence interval 20 to 65); for women, 99 (37 to 266)). Conclusions In Xuanwei, the domestic use of smoky coal is associated with a substantial increase in the absolute lifetime risk of developing lung cancer and is likely to represent one of the strongest effects of environmental pollution reported for cancer risk. Use of less carcinogenic types of coal could translate to a substantial reduction of lung cancer risk. PMID:22936785

Method development for mass spectrometry based molecular characterization of fossil fuels and biological samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahat, Rajendra K.

In an analytical (chemical) method development process, the sample preparation step usually determines the throughput and overall success of the analysis. Both targeted and non-targeted methods were developed for the mass spectrometry (MS) based analyses of fossil fuels (coal) and lipidomic analyses of a unique micro-organism, Gemmata obscuriglobus. In the non-targeted coal analysis using GC-MS, a microwave-assisted pressurized sample extraction method was compared with the traditional extraction method, such as Soxhlet. On the other hand, methods were developed to establish a comprehensive lipidomic profile and to confirm the presence of endotoxins (a.k.a. lipopolysaccharides, LPS) in Gemmata.. The performance of pressurized heating techniques employing hot-air oven and microwave irradiation were compared with that of Soxhlet method in terms of percentage extraction efficiency and extracted analyte profiles (via GC-MS). Sub-bituminous (Powder River Range, Wyoming, USA) and bituminous (Fruitland formation, Colorado, USA) coal samples were tested. Overall 30-40% higher extraction efficiencies (by weight) were obtained with a 4 hour hot-air oven and a 20 min microwave-heating extraction in a pressurized container when compared to a 72 hour Soxhlet extraction. The pressurized methods are 25 times more economic in terms of solvent/sample amount used and are 216 times faster in term of time invested for the extraction process. Additionally, same sets of compounds were identified by GC-MS for all the extraction methods used: n-alkanes and diterpanes in the sub-bituminous sample, and n-alkanes and alkyl aromatic compounds in the bituminous coal sample. G. obscuriglobus, a nucleated bacterium, is a micro-organism of high significances from evolutionary, cell and environmental biology standpoints. Although lipidomics is an essential tool in microbiological systematics and chemotaxonomy, complete lipid profile of this bacterium is still lacking. In addition, the presence of LPS and thus outer membrane (OM) in Gemmata is unknown. Global lipidomic analysis of G. obscuriglobus showed fatty acids (FAs) in the range C14 - C22, with octadecanoic and cis-9 hexadecenoic acids (C18:0 and ωc9 C16:1) being the two most abundant FAs. Thirteen different Gram-negative specific 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-HOFAs) and eukaryote specific sterols (C30; four in number) were identified. Additionally, like a eukaryotic cell, a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA; tent. ω3 C27:3) has also been discovered. The targeted lipidomic study found a series of novel biomarkers in G. obscuriglobus. Compositional analysis of LPS confirmed eight different 3-HOFAs and a sugar-acid, 2-keto 3-deoxy-D-manno -octulosonic acid (Kdo). These two groups of compounds, being unique to a Gram-negative LPS, confirmed the presence of OM in G. obscuriglobus. Moreover, compositional analyses by GC-MS also confirmed glucosamine and hexose and heptose sugars in the LPS. These compositional information obtained from GC-MS analyses were combined with molecular/structural information collected from Matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) MS. The MALDI-TOF MS showed a cluster of ions separated by 14 u, from m/z 2017.16 to 2143.28. For the most intense ion at m/z 2087.22, a tentative hexa-acylated lipid A structure has been proposed. Identifications of multiple 3-HOFAs by GC-MS and a cluster of ions in MALDI suggest presence of multiple lipid A species, i.e., heterogeneous lipid A molecule, in G. obscuriglobus..

Israeli co-retorting of coal and oil shale would break even at 22/barrel

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

Not Available

Work is being carried out at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on co-retorting of coal and oil shale. The work is funded under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Energy. The project is exploring the conversion of US eastern high-sulfur bituminous coal in a split-stage, fluidized-bed reactor. Pyrolysis occurs in the first stage and char combustion in the second stage. These data for coal will be compared with similar data from the same reactor fueled by high-sulfur eastern US oil shale and Israeli oil shales. The project includes research at three major levels: pyrolysis in lab-scale fluidized-bed reactor;more » retorting in split-stage, fluidized-bed bench-scale process (1/4 tpd); and scale-up, preparation of full-size flowchart, and economic evaluation. In the past year's research, a preliminary economic evaluation was completed for a scaled-up process using a feed of high-sulfur coal and carbonate-containing Israeli oil shale. A full-scale plant in Israel was estimated to break even at an equivalent crude oil price of $150/ton ($22/barrel).« less

Effects of carbonization and solvent-extraction on change in fuel characteristics of sewage sludge.

PubMed

Park, Sang-Woo; Jang, Cheol-Hyeon

2011-09-01

Urban sewage sludge was carbonized at 300-500°C for 1h, and combustible components were extracted through the solvent-extraction process. N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) was used as the solvent for extraction, and the extraction temperature was fixed at 360°C. The atomic ratios of the solvent-extracted sludge of CS300 (ECS300) were shown to be 1.04 for H/C and 0.11 for O/C, which represented the characteristics of its coal band. Thus, its coal band was similar to that of a high-rank fuel such as bituminous coal. FT-IR analysis showed that the absorbance band of ECS300 was considerably different from that of dried sludge (RS) or the carbonized sludge at 300°C (CS300) but similar to that of coal, although the ash content absorbance band of 800-1200 cm(-1) was of very low intensity. The combustion profile showed that combustion of ESC300 occurred at a temperature higher than the ignition temperature (T(i)) or maximum weight loss rate (DTG(max)) of coal. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The United Mine Workers of American and the recognition of occupational respiratory diseases, 1902-1968.

PubMed

Derickson, A

1991-06-01

This study examines the early efforts of the United Mine Workers of America to illuminate the problem of occupational respiratory diseases in the coal fields. The union used the hearings of the US Anthracite Coal Strike Commission of 1902-3 to draw public attention to "miners' asthma." In 1915, it began to agitate for the provision of workers' compensation benefits for victims of this disorder. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the union's Welfare and Retirement Fund disseminated information on advances in understanding chronic pulmonary diseases of mining. In particular, the miners' fund promoted the British conceptualization of a distinctive coal workers' pneumoconiosis. At the same time, the staff of the union health plan pressed the US Public Health Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Health to investigate the prevalence of occupational respiratory diseases among bituminous miners. Taken together, these endeavors contributed significantly to growing recognition of the severity and extent of this important public health problem and thus helped lay the foundation for the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.

Co-pyrolysis behaviors of saw dust and Shenfu coal in drop tube furnace and fixed bed reactor.

PubMed

Li, Shuaidan; Chen, Xueli; Wang, Li; Liu, Aibin; Yu, Guangsuo

2013-11-01

Co-pyrolysis behaviors of saw dust (SD) and Shenfu bituminous coal (SF) were studied in a drop tube furnace and a fixed bed reactor at different temperatures respectively. Six different biomass/coal ratios (B:C) were used. Compared the results with the calculated value obtained by the additional behavior, CO volume yields were lower while H2, CH4, CO2, volume yields were higher. Blend char yields had a good agreement with the calculated values, and their structures remained similar with SD and SF char's. Synergy effect occurred in gaseous phase, which was mainly caused by the secondary reactions. Compared the blend char yields in the drop tube furnace with those in the fixed bed reactor, the results showed the contacting way of biomass and coal particles had little influence on char yield in co-pyrolysis process. The reactivity index of blend char achieved the minimum at B:C=40:60 and the maximum at B:C=80:20. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The United Mine Workers of American and the recognition of occupational respiratory diseases, 1902-1968.

PubMed Central

Derickson, A

1991-01-01

This study examines the early efforts of the United Mine Workers of America to illuminate the problem of occupational respiratory diseases in the coal fields. The union used the hearings of the US Anthracite Coal Strike Commission of 1902-3 to draw public attention to "miners' asthma." In 1915, it began to agitate for the provision of workers' compensation benefits for victims of this disorder. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the union's Welfare and Retirement Fund disseminated information on advances in understanding chronic pulmonary diseases of mining. In particular, the miners' fund promoted the British conceptualization of a distinctive coal workers' pneumoconiosis. At the same time, the staff of the union health plan pressed the US Public Health Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Health to investigate the prevalence of occupational respiratory diseases among bituminous miners. Taken together, these endeavors contributed significantly to growing recognition of the severity and extent of this important public health problem and thus helped lay the foundation for the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. Images p784-a p787-a PMID:1827571

Geology of the fushun coalfield, Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, E.A.

1990-01-01

The Fushun coalfield is located in Liaoning Province 45 km east of Shenyang in a relatively small east-west-trending exposure of Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks surrounded by Precambrian terrane. The coal is included in a sequence of early Tertiary rocks consisting of Paleocene basalt and tuff, and Eocene coal, oil shale and mudstone. These units have been folded into a syncline that plunges gently to the east. The overturned north limb of this fold has been partly removed by a thrust fault. The principal coal beds are low-sulfur subbituminous and bituminous in rank, are of limnic origin, and are contained in the 55-m-thick Eocene Guchengzi Formation. The field, which has been active since the turn of the century, has both open pit and underground mines. The largest operation is the West Open Pit mine, which measures 2.0 km wide, 6.6 km long, and 300 m deep. Coal is mined by means of power shovels, trucks, and an electric rail system. Oil shale from the Eocene Jijuntun Formation is also mined. ?? 1990.

Advanced liquefaction using coal swelling and catalyst dispersion techniques. Quarterly progress report, July--September 1993

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

Curtis, C.W.; Gutterman, C.; Chander, S.

The overall objective of this project is to develop a new approach for the direct liquefaction of coal to produce an all-distillate product slate at a sizable cost reduction over current technology. The approach integrates coal selection, pretreatment, coal swelling with catalyst impregnation, liquefaction, product recovery with characterization, alternate bottoms processing, and carrying out a technical assessment including an economic evaluation. The primary coal of this program, Black Thunder subbituminous coal, can be effectively beneficiated to about 3.5 wt % ash using aqueous sulfurous acid pretreatment. This treated coal can be further beneficiated to about 2 wt % ash usingmore » commercially available procedures. All three coals used in this study (Black Thunder, Burning Star bituminous, and Martin Lake lignite) are effectively swelled by a number of solvents. The most effective solvents are those having hetero-functionality. laboratory- and bench-scale liquefaction experimentation is underway using swelled and catalyst impregnated coal samples. Higher coal conversions were observed for the SO{sub 2}-treated subbituminous coal than the raw coal, regardless of catalyst type. Conversions of swelled coal were highest when Molyvan L, molybdenum naphthenate, and nickel octoate, respectively, were added to the liquefaction solvent. The study of bottoms processing consists of combining the ASCOT process which consists of coupling solvent deasphalting with delayed coking to maximize the production of coal-derived liquids while rejecting solids within the coke drum. The asphalt production phase has been completed; representative product has been evaluated. The solvent system for the deasphalting process has been established. Two ASCOT tests produced overall liquid yields (63.3 wt % and 61.5 wt %) that exceeded the combined liquid yields from the vacuum tower and ROSE process.« less

Selective Adsorption and Selective Transport Diffusion of CO2-CH4 Binary Mixture in Coal Ultramicropores.

PubMed

Zhao, Yongliang; Feng, Yanhui; Zhang, Xinxin

2016-09-06

The adsorption and diffusion of the CO2-CH4 mixture in coal and the underlying mechanisms significantly affect the design and operation of any CO2-enhanced coal-bed methane recovery (CO2-ECBM) project. In this study, bituminous coal was fabricated based on the Wiser molecular model and its ultramicroporous parameters were evaluated; molecular simulations were established through Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and Molecular Dynamic (MD) methods to study the effects of temperature, pressure, and species bulk mole fraction on the adsorption isotherms, adsorption selectivity, three distinct diffusion coefficients, and diffusivity selectivity of the binary mixture in the coal ultramicropores. It turns out that the absolute adsorption amount of each species in the mixture decreases as temperature increases, but increases as its own bulk mole fraction increases. The self-, corrected, and transport diffusion coefficients of pure CO2 and pure CH4 all increase as temperature or/and their own bulk mole fractions increase. Compared to CH4, the adsorption and diffusion of CO2 are preferential in the coal ultramicropores. Adsorption selectivity and diffusivity selectivity were simultaneously employed to reveal that the optimal injection depth for CO2-ECBM is 800-1000 m at 308-323 K temperature and 8.0-10.0 MPa.

Characteristics of carbonized sludge for co-combustion in pulverized coal power plants

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

Park, Sang-Woo; Jang, Cheol-Hyeon, E-mail: jangch@hanbat.ac.kr

2011-03-15

Co-combustion of sewage sludge can destabilize its combustion profile due to high volatility, which results in unstable flame. We carried out fuel reforming for sewage sludge by way of carbonization at pyrolysis temperature of 300-500 deg. C. Fuel characteristics of carbonized sludge at each temperature were analyzed. As carbonization temperature increased, fuel ratio increased, volatile content reduced, and atomic ratio relation of H/C and O/C was similar to that of lignite. The analysis result of FT-IR showed the decrease of aliphatic C-H bond and O-C bond in carbonization. In the analysis result of TG-DTG, the thermogravimetry reduction temperature of carbonizedmore » sludge (CS400) was proven to be higher than that of dried sludge, but lower than that of sub-bituminous coal. Hardgrove grindability index increased in proportion to fuel ratio increase, where the carbonized sludge value of 43-110 was similar or higher than the coal value of 49-63. As for ash deposits, slagging and fouling index were higher than that of coal. When carbonized sludge (CS400) and coal were co-combusted in 1-10% according to calorific value, slagging tendency was low in all conditions, and fouling tendency was medium or high according to the compositions of coal.« less

Characteristics of carbonized sludge for co-combustion in pulverized coal power plants.

PubMed

Park, Sang-Woo; Jang, Cheol-Hyeon

2011-03-01

Co-combustion of sewage sludge can destabilize its combustion profile due to high volatility, which results in unstable flame. We carried out fuel reforming for sewage sludge by way of carbonization at pyrolysis temperature of 300-500°C. Fuel characteristics of carbonized sludge at each temperature were analyzed. As carbonization temperature increased, fuel ratio increased, volatile content reduced, and atomic ratio relation of H/C and O/C was similar to that of lignite. The analysis result of FT-IR showed the decrease of aliphatic C-H bond and O-C bond in carbonization. In the analysis result of TG-DTG, the thermogravimetry reduction temperature of carbonized sludge (CS400) was proven to be higher than that of dried sludge, but lower than that of sub-bituminous coal. Hardgrove grindability index increased in proportion to fuel ratio increase, where the carbonized sludge value of 43-110 was similar or higher than the coal value of 49-63. As for ash deposits, slagging and fouling index were higher than that of coal. When carbonized sludge (CS400) and coal were co-combusted in 1-10% according to calorific value, slagging tendency was low in all conditions, and fouling tendency was medium or high according to the compositions of coal. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical looping coal gasification with calcium ferrite and barium ferrite via solid--solid reactions

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

Siriwardane, Ranjani; Riley, Jarrett; Tian, Hanjing

Coal gasification to produce synthesis gas by chemical looping was investigated with two oxygen carriers, barium ferrite (BaFe2O4) and calcium ferrite (CaFe2O4). Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and fixed-bed flow reactor data indicated that a solid–solid interaction occurred between oxygen carriers and coal to produce synthesis gas. Both thermodynamic analysis and experimental data indicated that BaFe2O4 and CaFe2O4 have high reactivity with coal but have a low reactivity with synthesis gas, which makes them very attractive for the coal gasification process. Adding steam increased the production of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), but carbon dioxide (CO2) remained low because these oxygenmore » carriers have minimal reactivity with H2 and CO. Therefore, the combined steam–oxygen carrier produced the highest quantity of synthesis gas. It appeared that neither the water–gas shift reaction nor the water splitting reaction promoted additional H2 formation with the oxygen carriers when steam was present. Wyodak coal, which is a sub-bituminous coal, had the best gasification yield with oxygen carrier–steam while Illinois #6 coal had the lowest. The rate of gasification and selectivity for synthesis gas production was significantly higher when these oxygen carriers were present during steam gasification of coal. The rates and synthesis gas yields during the temperature ramps of coal–steam with oxygen carriers were better than with gaseous oxygen.« less

Proceedings of the International Symposium on Shock Tubes and Waves (13th), Niagara Falls, July 6-9, 1981.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

266 The Blast-Noise Environment of Recoilless Rifles. AD-POOO 267 Shock-Excited hission Spectrum of Tungsten Oxide . AD-POO0 268 Rotational...Absorption Measurements of Atom Concentrations in Reacting Gas Mixtures. 9. Measurements of 0 Atoms in Oxidation of H2 and D2. AD-POOO 283 Direct Measurements...PuIverized Lignite in a Single-Pulse Shock-Tube. AD-POOO 306 Short Residence-Time Pyrolysis and Oxidative Pyrolysis of Bituminous Coals. AD-POOO 307 Shock

Biogeochemical interactions between of coal mine water and gas well cement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulliver, D. M.; Gardiner, J. B.; Kutchko, B. G.; Hakala, A.; Spaulding, R.; Tkach, M. K.; Ross, D.

2017-12-01

Unconventional natural gas wells drilled in Northern Appalachia often pass through abandoned coal mines before reaching the Marcellus or Utica formations. Biogeochemical interactions between coal mine waters and gas well cements have the potential to alter the cement and compromise its sealing integrity. This study investigates the mineralogical, geochemical, and microbial changes of cement cores exposed to natural coal mine waters. Static reactors with Class H Portland cement cores and water samples from an abandoned bituminous Pittsburgh coal mine simulated the cement-fluid interactions at relevant temperature for time periods of 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Fluids were analyzed for cation and anion concentrations and extracted DNA was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun sequencing. Cement core material was evaluated via scanning electron microscope. Results suggest that the sampled coal mine water altered the permeability and matrix mineralogy of the cement cores. Scanning electron microscope images display an increase in mineral precipitates inside the cement matrix over the course of the experiment. Chemistry results from the reaction vessels' effluent waters display decreases in dissolved calcium, iron, silica, chloride, and sulfate. The microbial community decreased in diversity over the 6-week experiment, with Hydrogenophaga emerging as dominant. These results provide insight in the complex microbial-fluid-mineral interactions of these environments. This study begins to characterize the rarely documented biogeochemical impacts that coal waters may have on unconventional gas well integrity.

Sulfur and ash reduction potential and selected chemical and physical properties of United States coals. [Contains glossary

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

Cavallaro, J.A.; Deurbrouck, A.W.; Killmeyer, R.P.

1991-06-01

This report presents the washability and comprehensive characterization results of 247 raw coal channel samples, including anthracite, bituminous and lignite coals, collected from the Western Region of the United States. Although the Western Region includes Alaska, coal data from this state will often be cited apart from the Western Region data from the lower United States. This is the third of a three volume report on the coals of the United States. All the data are presented in six appendices. Statistical techniques and definitions are presented in Appendix A, and a glossary of terms is presented in Appendix B. Themore » complete washability data and an in-depth characterization of each sample are presented alphabetically by state in Appendix C. In Appendix D, a statistical evaluation is given for the composited washability data, selected chemical and physical properties, and washability data interpolated at various levels of Btu recovery. This presentation is shown by state, section, and region where four or more samples were collected. Appendix E presents coalbed codes and names for the Western Region coals. Graphical summations are presented by state, rank, and region showing the effects of crushing on impurity reductions, and the distribution of raw and clean coal samples meeting various levels of SO{sub 2} emissions. 35 figs., 3 tabs.« less

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

Bartke, T.C.

Under the US Department of Energy's Underground-Coal-Conversion program, four field tests were completed in 1979 and preparations were begun in 1980 for two additional field tests to be operated in 1981. The Laramie Energy Technology Center (LETC) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) completed Hanna IV, an air gasification test in Wyoming subbituminous coal. The Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) completed Pricetown 1, an air gasification test in West Virginia bituminous coal. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) completed Hoe Creek 3, a steam-oxygen gasification test in Wyoming subbituminous coal. Gulf Research and Development Co. completed Steeply Dipping Beds (SDB) Test 1,more » primarily an air gasification test in Wyoming subbituminous coal and the first SDB test in the US. In 1980, Gulf R and D Co. began preparation of SDB Test 2, scheduled for operation in the fall of 1981. The DOE project teams at LETC, METC, LLNL, and SNL, in association with the Washington Irrigation and Development Co. (WIDCo), Washington Water Power (WWP), and the State of Washington, are preparing a field test site in the Centralia-Chehalis coal district of Washington. A series of large coal block tests will be completed prior to the field test, scheduled for operation in 1982 or 1983. This field test will utilize a directionally drilled link and steam-oxygen gasification system. This paper summarizes the results of the four recently completed field tests and the plans for additional tests.« less

Low-rank coal study : national needs for resource development. Volume 2. Resource characterization

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

Not Available

1980-11-01

Comprehensive data are presented on the quantity, quality, and distribution of low-rank coal (subbituminous and lignite) deposits in the United States. The major lignite-bearing areas are the Fort Union Region and the Gulf Lignite Region, with the predominant strippable reserves being in the states of North Dakota, Montana, and Texas. The largest subbituminous coal deposits are in the Powder River Region of Montana and Wyoming, The San Juan Basin of New Mexico, and in Northern Alaska. For each of the low-rank coal-bearing regions, descriptions are provided of the geology; strippable reserves; active and planned mines; classification of identified resources bymore » depth, seam thickness, sulfur content, and ash content; overburden characteristics; aquifers; and coal properties and characteristics. Low-rank coals are distinguished from bituminous coals by unique chemical and physical properties that affect their behavior in extraction, utilization, or conversion processes. The most characteristic properties of the organic fraction of low-rank coals are the high inherent moisture and oxygen contents, and the correspondingly low heating value. Mineral matter (ash) contents and compositions of all coals are highly variable; however, low-rank coals tend to have a higher proportion of the alkali components CaO, MgO, and Na/sub 2/O. About 90% of the reserve base of US low-rank coal has less than one percent sulfur. Water resources in the major low-rank coal-bearing regions tend to have highly seasonal availabilities. Some areas appear to have ample water resources to support major new coal projects; in other areas such as Texas, water supplies may be constraining factor on development.« less

Studies of coupled chemical and catalytic coal conversion methods

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

Stock, L.M.

1988-01-01

Liquefaction of coal by depolymerization in an organic solvent has been studied for several years. The liquefied coal extract which results from such a process is far more suitable for conversion into liquid fuel by hydrogenolysis than is the untreated coal. Investigations on the chemical structure and the reactive sites of coal can help to select useful reactions for the production of liquids from coal. Sternberg et al. demonstrated that the reductive alkylation method transforms bituminous coal into an enormously soluble substance, irrespective of the mild reaction conditions. The effectiveness of newly introduced alkyl groups for the disruption of intermolecularmore » hydrogen bonds and pi-pi interactions between the aromatic sheets in coal macromolecules has been recognized. It has been reported by Ignasiak et al. that a C-alkylabon reaction using sodium or potassium amide in liquid ammonia can be used to introduce alkyl groups at acidic carbon sites. A method has been developed recently in this laboratory for the solubilization of high rank coals. In the previous reports it was shown that n-butyl lithium and potassium t-butoxide in refluxing heptane produced coal anions which could be alkylated with different alkyl halides. Such alkylated coals were soluble up to 92% in solvents like pyridine. Though the solubilization of coal depended very much on the length of the alkyl group, it also depended very much on the nature of the base used. Strong bases like n-butyl lithium (pKa=42) can cause proton abstraction from aromatic structures, if the more acidic benzylic protons are absent. The utility of this procedure, initially developed and used by Miyake and Stock, has now been tested with the high oxygen containing, low rank Illinois No. 6 and Wyodak coals.« less

Studies of coupled chemical and catalytic coal conversion methods. Fifth quarterly report, October--December 1988

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

Stock, L.M.

1988-12-31

Liquefaction of coal by depolymerization in an organic solvent has been studied for several years. The liquefied coal extract which results from such a process is far more suitable for conversion into liquid fuel by hydrogenolysis than is the untreated coal. Investigations on the chemical structure and the reactive sites of coal can help to select useful reactions for the production of liquids from coal. Sternberg et al. demonstrated that the reductive alkylation method transforms bituminous coal into an enormously soluble substance, irrespective of the mild reaction conditions. The effectiveness of newly introduced alkyl groups for the disruption of intermolecularmore » hydrogen bonds and pi-pi interactions between the aromatic sheets in coal macromolecules has been recognized. It has been reported by Ignasiak et al. that a C-alkylabon reaction using sodium or potassium amide in liquid ammonia can be used to introduce alkyl groups at acidic carbon sites. A method has been developed recently in this laboratory for the solubilization of high rank coals. In the previous reports it was shown that n-butyl lithium and potassium t-butoxide in refluxing heptane produced coal anions which could be alkylated with different alkyl halides. Such alkylated coals were soluble up to 92% in solvents like pyridine. Though the solubilization of coal depended very much on the length of the alkyl group, it also depended very much on the nature of the base used. Strong bases like n-butyl lithium (pKa=42) can cause proton abstraction from aromatic structures, if the more acidic benzylic protons are absent. The utility of this procedure, initially developed and used by Miyake and Stock, has now been tested with the high oxygen containing, low rank Illinois No. 6 and Wyodak coals.« less

Catalysts and process developments for two-stage liquefaction. Final technical report, October 1, 1989--September 30, 1992

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

Cronauer, D.C.; Swanson, A.J.; Sajkowski, D.J.

1992-12-31

Research in this project centered upon developing and evaluating catalysts and process improvements for coal liquefaction in the two-stage, close-coupled catalytic process. The major results are summarized here and they are described in more detail under each Task. In tasks for coal pretreatment and beneficiation, it was shown for coal handling that drying of both lignite or subbituminous coals using warm air, vacuum oven or exposing to air for long time was detrimental to subsequent liquefaction. Both laboratory and bench-scale beneficiations indicated that in order to achieve increased liquefaction yield for Illinois No. 6 bituminous coal, size separation with inmore » sink-float technique should be used. For subbituminous coal, the best beneficiation was aqueous SO{sub 2} treatment, which reduced mineral matter. In the case of lignite, the fines should be rejected prior to aqueous SO{sub 2} treatment and sink-float gravity separation. In liquefying coals with supported catalysts in both first and second stages, coal conversion was highest (93%) with Illinois No. 6 coal, which also had the highest total liquid yield of 80%, however, the product contained unacceptably high level of resid (30%). Both low rank coals gave lower conversion (85--87%) and liquid yields (57--59%), but lighter products (no resid). The analysis of spent first stage catalysts indicated significant sodium and calcium deposits causing severe deactivation. The second stage catalysts were in better condition showing high surface areas and low coke and metal deposits. The use of dispersed catalyst in the first stage would combat the severe deactivation.« less

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.

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).

Co-gasification of pine and oak biochar with sub-bituminous coal in carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Beagle, E; Wang, Y; Bell, D; Belmont, E

2018-03-01

Pine and oak biochars derived as byproducts of demonstration-scale pyrolysis, and blends of these two feedstocks with Powder River Basin coal, were gasified in a carbon dioxide environment using a modified drop tube reactor (MDTR) and a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The impact of gasification temperature on conversion kinetics was evaluated from the temporal evolution of major product gases in the MDTR as measured using a mass spectrometer. Random pore modeling was conducted to simulate gasification in the MDTR with favorable results. The MDTR and TGA were used to conduct gasification for assessment of non-linear additive effects in the blends. Additive analysis of the blends showed deviation from the experimental blend results, indicating inhibiting effects of co-gasifying the biochar and coal. Inhibitory effects are more significant for oak than pine and more pronounced in the TGA at lower gasification temperatures. Results are discussed in the context of feedstock and reactor type. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concentration and recovery of coliphages from water with bituminous coal.

PubMed

Dafale, Nishant; Lakhe, Shrikumar; Yadav, Krishnakant; Purohit, Hemant; Chakrabarti, Tapan

2008-03-01

Coliphages represent a process indicator for fecal pollution. The coal bed concentration method prepared for enterovirus was refined for a concentration of coliphages. A bed made from 1.5 g of 120-mesh coal powder was used for concentrating coliphage from 200 mL of a water sample with or without the addition of aluminum chloride at different pH values. The isolated E. coli strain EC-R8 was found to be more susceptible to the desired coliphage and showed significant coliphage-coliform response, with clear plaque used for further studies. The complete coliphage adsorption was achieved with the addition of 0.0005 M AlCl3 at pH 6.0. Adsorbed coliphages were eluted with 3% beef extract in Mcllvaine buffer at pH 7.1, with an average recovery of 78.74%. This concentration technique was applied for the detection of coliphages from the well water of Nagpur city (India) and found to contain coliphages in the range of 2 to 28 plaque-forming units per liter (PFU/L).

Production of Substitute Natural Gas from Coal

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

Andrew Lucero

2009-01-31

The goal of this research program was to develop and demonstrate a novel gasification technology to produce substitute natural gas (SNG) from coal. The technology relies on a continuous sequential processing method that differs substantially from the historic methanation or hydro-gasification processing technologies. The thermo-chemistry relies on all the same reactions, but the processing sequences are different. The proposed concept is appropriate for western sub-bituminous coals, which tend to be composed of about half fixed carbon and about half volatile matter (dry ash-free basis). In the most general terms the process requires four steps (1) separating the fixed carbon frommore » the volatile matter (pyrolysis); (2) converting the volatile fraction into syngas (reforming); (3) reacting the syngas with heated carbon to make methane-rich fuel gas (methanation and hydro-gasification); and (4) generating process heat by combusting residual char (combustion). A key feature of this technology is that no oxygen plant is needed for char combustion.« less

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

The direct liquefaction proof of concept program

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

Comolli, A.G.; Lee, L.K.; Pradhan, V.R.

1995-12-31

The goal of the Proof of Concept (POC) Program is to develop Direct Coal Liquefaction and associated transitional technologies towards commercial readiness for economically producing premium liquid fuels from coal in an environmentally acceptable manner. The program focuses on developing the two-stage liquefaction (TSL) process by utilizing geographically strategic feedstocks, commercially feasible catalysts, new prototype equipment, and testing co-processing or alternate feedstocks and improved process configurations. Other high priority objectives include dispersed catalyst studies, demonstrating low rank coal liquefaction without solids deposition, improving distillate yields on a unit reactor volume basis, demonstrating ebullated bed operations while obtaining scale-up data, demonstratingmore » optimum catalyst consumption using new concepts (e.g. regeneration, cascading), producing premium products through on-line hydrotreating, demonstrating improved hydrogen utilization for low rank coals using novel heteroatom removal methods, defining and demonstrating two-stage product properties for upgrading; demonstrating efficient and economic solid separation methods, examining the merits of integrated coal cleaning, demonstrating co-processing, studying interactions between the preheater and first and second-stage reactors, improving process operability by testing and incorporating advanced equipment and instrumentation, and demonstrating operation with alternate coal feedstocks. During the past two years major PDU Proof of Concept runs were completed. POC-1 with Illinois No. 6 coal and POC-2 with Black Thunder sub-bituminous coal. Results from these operations are continuing under review and the products are being further refined and upgraded. This paper will update the results from these operations and discuss future plans for the POC program.« less

Mercury capture by native fly ash carbons in coal-fired power plants

PubMed Central

Hower, James C.; Senior, Constance L.; Suuberg, Eric M.; Hurt, Robert H.; Wilcox, Jennifer L.; Olson, Edwin S.

2013-01-01

The control of mercury in the air emissions from coal-fired power plants is an on-going challenge. The native unburned carbons in fly ash can capture varying amounts of Hg depending upon the temperature and composition of the flue gas at the air pollution control device, with Hg capture increasing with a decrease in temperature; the amount of carbon in the fly ash, with Hg capture increasing with an increase in carbon; and the form of the carbon and the consequent surface area of the carbon, with Hg capture increasing with an increase in surface area. The latter is influenced by the rank of the feed coal, with carbons derived from the combustion of low-rank coals having a greater surface area than carbons from bituminous- and anthracite-rank coals. The chemistry of the feed coal and the resulting composition of the flue gas enhances Hg capture by fly ash carbons. This is particularly evident in the correlation of feed coal Cl content to Hg oxidation to HgCl2, enhancing Hg capture. Acid gases, including HCl and H2SO4 and the combination of HCl and NO2, in the flue gas can enhance the oxidation of Hg. In this presentation, we discuss the transport of Hg through the boiler and pollution control systems, the mechanisms of Hg oxidation, and the parameters controlling Hg capture by coal-derived fly ash carbons. PMID:24223466

The thermal history of the Karoo Moatize-Minjova Basin, Tete Province, Mozambique: An integrated vitrinite reflectance and apatite fission track thermochronology study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, Paulo; Cogné, Nathan; Chew, David M.; Rodrigues, Bruno; Jorge, Raul C. G. S.; Marques, João; Jamal, Daud; Vasconcelos, Lopo

2015-12-01

The Moatize-Minjova Basin is a Karoo-aged rift basin located in the Tete Province of central Mozambique along the present-day Zambezi River valley. In this basin the Permian Moatize and Matinde formations consist of interbedded carbonaceous mudstones and sandstones with coal seams. The thermal history has been determined using rock samples from two coal exploration boreholes (ca. 500 m depth) to constrain the burial and exhumation history of the basin. Organic maturation levels were determined using vitrinite reflectance and spore fluorescence/colour. Ages and rates of tectonic uplift and denudation have been assessed by apatite fission track analysis. The thermal history was modelled by inverse modelling of the fission track and vitrinite reflectance data. The Moatize Formation attained a coal rank of bituminous coals with low to medium volatiles (1.3-1.7%Rr). Organic maturation levels increase in a linear fashion downhole in the two boreholes, indicating that burial was the main process controlling peak temperature maturation. Calculated palaeogeothermal gradients range from 59 °C/km to 40 °C/km. According to the models, peak burial temperatures were attained shortly (3-10 Ma) after deposition. Apatite fission track ages [146 to 84 Ma (Cretaceous)] are younger than the stratigraphic age. Thermal modelling indicates two episodes of cooling and exhumation: a first period of rapid cooling between 240 and 230 Ma (Middle - Upper Triassic boundary) implying 2500-3000 m of denudation; and a second period, also of rapid cooling, from 6 Ma (late Miocene) onwards implying 1000-1500 m of denudation. The first episode is related to the main compressional deformation event within the Cape Fold Belt in South Africa, which transferred stress northwards on pre-existing transtensional fault systems within the Karoo rift basins, causing tectonic inversion and uplift. During the Mesozoic and most of the Cenozoic the basin is characterized by very slow cooling. The second period of fast cooling and denudation during the Pliocene was likely related to the southward propagation of the East African Rift System into Mozambique.

Regional characterization and resource evaluation of Paleocene and Eocene coal-bearing rocks in Pakistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Durrani, N.A.; Warwick, Peter D.

1991-01-01

Field work drilling, and other related studies carried out from 1985 to 1988 to assess the quantity and quality of the coal resources of southern Sindh. Sixty-eight holes drilled in the Lakhra/Jherruck, Thatta, and Indus East coal fields indicate that presently known and mined coal fields in southern Sindh are not isolated coal occurrences. Rather, much of southern Sindh, including the Thar Desert, is underlain by strata that contain coal beds.More than 400 core and mine samples were collected for proximate and ultimate analysis and determination of major, minor and trace elements; also, lithologie logs were prepared from description of rock cuttings and core. Original coal resources of 1,080 million tones have been estimated for 7 out of 9 coal zones in parts of the Lakhra area, where coal-bed thicknesses range from a few centimeters to 5 m. In the Sonda/Jherruk area, 3,700 million tones of coal have been identified, the thickest coal bed intercepted being 6.3 meters. The apparent rank of the coal in these fields ranges from lignite A to sub-bituminous C. Averaged analytical results on an as received basis indicate the coal beds contain 28.4 % moisture, 18,3 % ash, 4.7 % sulfur, 25,2 % fixed carbon, 27.9 % volatile matter, and 33.1% oxygen. Average calorific value for Lakhra coal samples is about 3,660 Kcal/kg, whereas that of Sonda/Jherruk samples is about 3,870 Kcal/kg. Geophysical logs were obtained for the drill holes, and cores and rock cuttings are available from the GSP for further study and reference.The second phase of the project began in 1987 with surface exploration in the Salt Range coal field of Punjab Province, the Sor Range and Khost-Sharig-Harnai coal fields of Baluchistan, and the Makarwal and Cherat coal fields of NWFP. These are briefly discussed here.

Characterization of Malaysian coals for carbon dioxide sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abunowara, M.; Bustam, M. A.; Sufian, S.; Eldemerdash, U.

2016-06-01

Coal samples from Mukah-Balingian and Merit-Pila coal mines were characterized with ultimate, approximate, petrographic analysis, FT-IR spectra patterns, FESEM images and BET measurements to obtain information on the chemical composition and chemical structure in the samples. Two coal samples were obtained from Merit-Pila coal mine namely sample1 (S1) and sample2 (S2). The other two coal samples were obtained from Mukah-Balingian coal mine namely sample3 (S3) and sample4 (S4), Sarawak, Malaysia. The results of ultimate analysis show that coal S1 has the highest carbon percentage by 54.47%, the highest hydrogen percentage by 10.56% and the lowest sulfur percentage by 0.19% and the coal S4 has the highest moisture content by 31.5%. The coal S1 has the highest fixed carbon percentage by 42.6%. The coal S4 has BET surface area by 2.39 m2/g and Langmuir surface area by 3.0684 m2/g respectively. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis of all coal samples shows a presence of oxygen containing functional groups which considered are as active sites on coal surface. The oxygen functional groups are mainly carboxyl (-COOH), hydroxyl (-OH), alkyl (-CH, -CH2, -CH3), aliphatic (C-O-C stretching associated with -OH), amino (-NH stretching vibrations), (-NH stretching vibrations), aromatic (C=C), vinylic (C=C) and clay minerals. In all FE-SEM images of coal samples matrix, it can be seen that there are luminous and as non luminous features which refer to the existence of various minerals types distributed in the coal organic matrix. The bright luminosity is due to the presence of sodium, potassium or aluminium. According to petrographic analysis, all coal sample samples are range in vitrinite reflectance from 0.38% to 56% (VRr) are sub-bituminous coals.

U and Th in some brown coals of Serbia and Montenegro and their environmental impact.

PubMed

Zivotić, Dragana; Grzetić, Ivan; Lorenz, Hans; Simić, Vladimir

2008-03-01

The objective of this paper is to determine and compare the concentrations of U and Th in soft to hard brown (lignite to sub-bituminous) coals of Serbia and Montenegro. It also presents comparison of the obtained data on U and Th concentrations with the published data on coals located in some other countries of the world. Almost the whole coal production of Serbia and Montenegro is used as feed coals for combustion in thermal power plants. Channel samples from open pit and underground mines and core samples were collected for hard and soft brown coals. For the analysis the samples were decomposed using microwave technique. Obtained solutions containing U and Th were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) using NIST standards. Concentration of U from the investigated basins and the corresponding mine fields ranges within 0.60-70.10 mg/kg, 0.65-3.20 mg/kg, 0.95-6.59 mg/kg, 1.20-6.05 mg/kg, 0.80-6.66 mg/kg, 0.18-89.90 mg/kg, 0.19-4.14 mg/kg, and 0.28-3.52 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. Concentration of Th ranges within 0.20-2.60 mg/kg, 0.84-6.57 mg/kg, 1.48-6.48 mg/kg, 0.12-2.71 mg/kg, 0.13-4.95 mg/kg, 0.14-3.48 mg/kg, 0.29-3.56 mg/kg, and 0.17-1.89 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. Brown coal from Senje-Resavica, Kolubara, Kostolac and Pljevlja is characterized by low U concentration. Coals form the Krepoljin, Soko Banja and Sjenica basins have slightly higher U concentrations than the mentioned group. The highest concentration of U is characteristic for the coal from the Bogovina East field. Concentration of Th in coals from Serbia and Montenegro has proved to be low. Out of all investigated coal basins, only the coal from the Krepoljin and Kolubara basins has high concentration of Th. The hydrothermally altered rocks of the Timok dacite-andesite complex, representing the basement of the Bogovina basin, could be a potential source of U, especially at the bottom part of the Lower seam of the Bogovina East field. This study shows that brown coals in Serbia and Montenegro (soft to hard brown coals or lignite to sub-bituminous) contain low levels of U (5.30 mg/kg, average value and 2.10 mg/kg geometric mean value) and Th (1.80 mg/kg, average value and 1.12 mg/kg geometric mean value). There are some obvious differences in concentration of U and Th in coals from different basins in Serbia and Montenegro. The approximate value for U and Th release mainly from power plants was 644.33 t and 983.46 t, respectively within the period 1965-2000 for the studied mines in Serbia, and 23.76 t and 15.05 t for the Potrlica mine (Montenegro) within the period 1965-1997. The coals in Serbia and Montenegro show no identifiable unfavourable impact on the surrounding environment, due to low natural radioactive concentration of U and Th, but further investigations concerning human health should be performed. Preliminary research revealed that in some Serbian coals (and, particularly, parts of the coal seam) U and Th content are rather high. Such coals should be carefully studied, as well as U and Th concentrations in ash, fly ash, waste disposals, nearby soil and ground water. Further studies should include determination of the radioactivity of all these products, and estimation of possible health impact.

Relationships between sedimentation, depositional environments, and coal quality: upper Potomac coalfield, West Virginia and Maryland

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

Jake, T.R.

1987-09-01

Evaluations were made of sedimentation patterns and depositional environments from approximately 450 core logs and 225 surface exposures in the Upper Potomac coalfield. The relationships between the clastic depositional facies and the distribution and quality of the Bakerstown and upper Freeport coals were also investigated. Data from 61 Bakerstown and 35 upper Freeport coal samples from selected cores indicate a change from uniform coal quality to highly variable coal quality when moving from related interchannel and bay-fill facies to channel, channel-fill, levee, and crevasse-splay facies. Areas of uniform coal quality range from 20-26% ash and 55-62% fixed carbon (weight percent,more » dry basis), whereas areas of highly variable coal quality range from 26-54% ash and 33-55% fixed carbon. The channel and related facies represent areas where increased fresh water was introduced into the topogenous swamp system, causing increased microbial degradation and the concentration of authigenic minerals within the peat material. These conditions, combined with the introduction of detrital minerals, resulted in areas of lower quality coal.« less

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 effect on adiabatic flame temperature.

Emission of volatile organic compounds from domestic coal stove with the actual alternation of flaming and smoldering combustion processes.

PubMed

Liu, Chengtang; Zhang, Chenglong; Mu, Yujing; Liu, Junfeng; Zhang, Yuanyuan

2017-02-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions from the chimney of a prevailing domestic stove fuelled with raw bituminous coal were measured under flaming and smoldering combustion processes in a farmer's house. The results indicated that the concentrations of VOCs quickly increased after the coal loading and achieved their peak values in a few minutes. The peak concentrations of the VOCs under the smoldering combustion process were significantly higher than those under the flaming combustion process. Alkanes accounted for the largest proportion (43.05%) under the smoldering combustion, followed by aromatics (28.86%), alkenes (21.91%), carbonyls (5.81%) and acetylene (0.37%). The emission factors of the total VOCs under the smoldering combustion processes (5402.9 ± 2031.8 mg kg -1 ) were nearly one order of magnitude greater than those under the flaming combustion processes (559.2 ± 385.9 mg kg -1 ). Based on the VOCs emission factors obtained in this study and the regional domestic coal consumption, the total VOCs emissions from domestic coal stoves was roughly estimated to be 1.25 × 10 8  kg a -1 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spanish jet: something more than gemstone with magical properties

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

Suarez-Ruiz, I.; Iglesias, M.J.

The first reference to the existence of jet in Spain dates back to the 7th century. Due to the magical powers attributed to this stone, it has always been considered a mysterious gem. Spanish jet is now a scarce natural resource. The article gives scientific explanation for the magical properties of Spanish jet. It is a humic coal, black in colour, bright, carves and polishes well and has a remarkably stability on exposure to the air, for centuries. Its composition is almost exclusively organic and FTIR analysis shows a high proportion of aliphatic over condensed aromatic structures. The conventional rankmore » parameters are not applicable as the results are contradictory. Carbon content and rank of organic matter suggest it is a high volatile bituminous coal, which agrees with the reflectance for phlobaphinite, the other maceral of the huminite/vitrinite group in this coal. These contradictory characteristics of Spanish jet are derived from an anomalous high enrichment of hydrogen. During coalification there is an increase in aromaticity which is responsible for the variation in coal rank parameters, carbon content and responsible for the variation in coal rank parameters, carbon content and vitrinite reflectance. The remarkable stability is attributed to the adsorbed hydrocarbons preventing easy access of oxygen. 2 figs.« less

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure in Household Air Pollution from Solid Fuel Combustion among the Female Population of Xuanwei and Fuyuan Counties, China

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from burning “smoky” (bituminous) coal has been implicated as a cause of the high lung cancer incidence in the counties of Xuanwei and Fuyuan, China. Little is known about variations in PAH exposure from throughout the region nor how fuel source and stove design affects exposure. Indoor and personal PAH exposure resulting from solid fuel combustion in Xuanwei and Fuyuan was investigated using repeated 24 h particle bound and gas-phase PAH measurements, which were collected from 163 female residents of Xuanwei and Fuyuan. 549 particle bound (283 indoor and 266 personal) and 193 gas phase (all personal) PAH measurements were collected. Mixed effect models indicated that PAH exposure was up to 6 times higher when burning smoky coal than smokeless coal and varied by up to a factor of 3 between different smoky coal geographic sources. PAH measurements from unventilated firepits were up to 5 times that of ventilated stoves. Exposure also varied between different room sizes and season of measurement. These findings indicate that PAH exposure is modulated by a variety of factors, including fuel type, coal source, and stove design. These findings may provide valuable insight into potential causes of lung cancer in the area. PMID:25393345

Source Apportionment of Elemental Carbon in Beijing, China: Insights from Radiocarbon and Organic Marker Measurements.

PubMed

Zhang, Yan-Lin; Schnelle-Kreis, Jürgen; Abbaszade, Gülcin; Zimmermann, Ralf; Zotter, Peter; Shen, Rong-rong; Schäfer, Klaus; Shao, Longyi; Prévôt, André S H; Szidat, Sönke

2015-07-21

Elemental carbon (EC) or black carbon (BC) in the atmosphere has a strong influence on both climate and human health. In this study, radiocarbon ((14)C) based source apportionment is used to distinguish between fossil fuel and biomass burning sources of EC isolated from aerosol filter samples collected in Beijing from June 2010 to May 2011. The (14)C results demonstrate that EC is consistently dominated by fossil-fuel combustion throughout the whole year with a mean contribution of 79% ± 6% (ranging from 70% to 91%), though EC has a higher mean and peak concentrations in the cold season. The seasonal molecular pattern of hopanes (i.e., a class of organic markers mainly emitted during the combustion of different fossil fuels) indicates that traffic-related emissions are the most important fossil source in the warm period and coal combustion emissions are significantly increased in the cold season. By combining (14)C based source apportionment results and picene (i.e., an organic marker for coal emissions) concentrations, relative contributions from coal (mainly from residential bituminous coal) and vehicle to EC in the cold period were estimated as 25 ± 4% and 50 ± 7%, respectively, whereas the coal combustion contribution was negligible or very small in the warm period.

Adsorption of SO2 on bituminous coal char and activated carbon fiber

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeBarr, Joseph A.; Lizzio, Anthony A.; Daley, Michael A.

1997-01-01

The SO2 adsorption behaviors of activated carbons produced from Illinois coal and of commercially prepared activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were compared. There was no relation between surface area of coal-based carbons and SO2 adsorption, whereas adsorption of SO2 on the series of ACFs was inversely proportional to N2 BET surface area. Higher surface area ACFs had wider pores and adsorbed less SO2; thus, pore size distribution is thought to play a significant role in SO2 adsorption for these materials. Oxidation with HNO3 and/or H2SO4, followed by heat treatment at 700−925°C to remove carbon−oxygen complexes, resulted in increased SO2 adsorption for both coal chars and ACFs. This behavior was explained by an increase in the available number of free sites, previously occupied by oxygen and now available for SO2 adsorption. The use of nitrogen-containing functional groups on ACFs of proper pore size shows promise for further increasing SO2 adsorption capacities. Knowledge of the relationship among the number of free sites, pore size, and surface chemistry on corresponding SO2 adsorption should lead to the development of more efficient adsorbents prepared from either coal or ACFs.

Assessment of Advanced Coal Gasification Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCarthy, John; Ferrall, Joseph; Charng, Thomas; Houseman, John

1981-01-01

This report represents a technical assessment of the following advanced coal gasification processes: AVCO High Throughput Gasification (HTG) Process; Bell Single-Stage High Mass Flux (HMF) Process; Cities Service/Rockwell (CS/R) Hydrogasification Process; Exxon Catalytic Coal Gasification (CCG) Process. Each process is evaluated for its potential to produce SNG from a bituminous coal. In addition to identifying the new technology these processes represent, key similarities/differences, strengths/weaknesses, and potential improvements to each process are identified. The AVCO HTG and the Bell HMF gasifiers share similarities with respect to: short residence time (SRT), high throughput rate, slagging and syngas as the initial raw product gas. The CS/R Hydrogasifier is also SRT but is non-slagging and produces a raw gas high in methane content. The Exxon CCG gasifier is a long residence time, catalytic, fluidbed reactor producing all of the raw product methane in the gasifier. The report makes the following assessments: 1) while each process has significant potential as coal gasifiers, the CS/R and Exxon processes are better suited for SNG production; 2) the Exxon process is the closest to a commercial level for near-term SNG production; and 3) the SRT processes require significant development including scale-up and turndown demonstration, char processing and/or utilization demonstration, and reactor control and safety features development.

Development and use of Fourier self deconvolution and curve-fitting in the study of coal oxidation

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

Pierce, J.A.

1986-01-01

Techniques have been developed for modeling highly overlapped band multiplets. The method is based on a least-squares fit of spectra by a series of bands of known shape. Using synthetic spectra, it was shown that when bands are separated by less than their full width at half height (FWHH), valid analytical data can only be obtained after the width of each component band is narrowed by Fourier self deconvolution (FSD). The optimum method of spectral fitting determined from the study of synthetic spectra was then applied to the characterization of oxidized coals. A medium volatile bituminous coal which was airmore » oxidized at 200/sup 0/C for different lengths of time, was extracted with chloroform. A comparison of the infrared spectra of the whole coal and the extract indicated that the extracted material contains a smaller amount of carbonyl, ether, and ester groups, while the aromatic content is much higher. Oxidation does not significantly affect the aromatic content of the whole cola. Most of the aromatic groups in the CHCl/sub 3/ extract show evidence of reaction, however. The production of relatively large amounts of intramolecular aromatic anhydrides is seen in the spectrum of the extract of coals which have undergone extensive oxidation,while there is only a slight indication of this anhydride in the whole coal.« less

DEVELOPMENT OF A VALIDATED MODEL FOR USE IN MINIMIZING NOx EMISSIONS AND MAXIMIZING CARBON UTILIZATION WHEN CO-FIRING BIOMASS WITH COAL

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

Larry G. Felix; P. Vann Bush

2002-10-26

This is the eighth Quarterly Technical Report for DOE Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-00NT40895. A statement of the project objectives is included in the Introduction of this report. The final biomass co-firing test burn was conducted during this quarter. In this test (Test 14), up to 20% by weight dry switchgrass was comilled with Jim Walters No.7 mine coal and injected through the single-register burner. Jim Walters No.7 coal is a low-volatility, low-sulfur ({approx}0.7% S) Eastern bituminous coal. The results of this test are presented in this quarterly report. Progress has continued to be made in implementing a modeling approach tomore » combine reaction times and temperature distributions from computational fluid dynamic models of the pilot-scale combustion furnace with char burnout and chemical reaction kinetics to predict NO{sub x} emissions and unburned carbon levels in the furnace exhaust. The REI Configurable Fireside Simulator (CFS) is now in regular use. Presently, the CFS is being used to generate CFD calculations for completed tests with Powder River Basin coal and low-volatility (Jim Walters No.7 Mine) coal. Niksa Energy Associates will use the results of these CFD simulations to complete their validation of the NOx/LOI predictive model. Work has started on the project final report.« less

Household air pollution and lung cancer in China: a review of studies in Xuanwei.

PubMed

Seow, Wei Jie; Hu, Wei; Vermeulen, Roel; Hosgood Iii, H Dean; Downward, George S; Chapman, Robert S; He, Xingzhou; Bassig, Bryan A; Kim, Christopher; Wen, Cuiju; Rothman, Nathaniel; Lan, Qing

2014-10-01

Over half of the world's population is exposed to household air pollution from the burning of solid fuels at home. Household air pollution from solid fuel use is a leading risk factor for global disease and remains a major public health problem, especially in low- and mid-income countries. This is a particularly serious problem in China, where many people in rural areas still use coal for household heating and cooking. This review focuses on several decades of research carried out in Xuanwei County, Yunnan Province, where household coal use is a major source of household air pollution and where studies have linked household air pollution exposure to high rates of lung cancer. We conducted a series of case-control and cohort studies in Xuanwei to characterize the lung cancer risk in this population and the factors associated with it. We found lung cancer risk to vary substantially between different coal types, with a higher risk associated with smoky (i.e., bituminous) coal use compared to smokeless (i.e., anthracite) coal use. The installation of a chimney in homes resulted in a substantial reduction in lung cancer incidence and mortality. Overall, our research underscores the need among existing coal users to improve ventilation, use the least toxic fuel, and eventually move toward the use of cleaner fuels, such as gas and electricity.

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

Investigation of selective catalytic reduction impact on mercury speciation under simulated NOx emission control conditions.

PubMed

Lee, Chun W; Srivastava, Ravi K; Ghorishi, S Behrooz; Hastings, Thomas W; Stevens, Frank M

2004-12-01

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology increasingly is being applied for controlling emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from coal-fired boilers. Some recent field and pilot studies suggest that the operation of SCR could affect the chemical form of mercury (Hg) in coal combustion flue gases. The speciation of Hg is an important factor influencing the control and environmental fate of Hg emissions from coal combustion. The vanadium and titanium oxides, used commonly in the vanadia-titania SCR catalyst for catalytic NOx reduction, promote the formation of oxidized mercury (Hg2+). The work reported in this paper focuses on the impact of SCR on elemental mercury (Hg0) oxidation. Bench-scale experiments were conducted to investigate Hg0 oxidation in the presence of simulated coal combustion flue gases and under SCR reaction conditions. Flue gas mixtures with different concentrations of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for simulating the combustion of bituminous coals and subbituminous coals were tested in these experiments. The effects of HCl and SO2 in the flue gases on Hg0 oxidation under SCR reaction conditions were studied. It was observed that HCl is the most critical flue gas component that causes conversion of Hg0 to Hg2+ under SCR reaction conditions. The importance of HCl for Hg0 oxidation found in the present study provides the scientific basis for the apparent coal-type dependence observed for Hg0 oxidation occurring across the SCR reactors in the field.

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

Not Available

The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy Underground Coal Conversion (UCC) program is to develop the technology to produce clean fuels from coal deposits unsuitable for commercial exploitation by conventional mining techniques. The highest priority is to develop and demonstrate, in conjunction with industry, a commercially feasible process for underground gasification of low-rank coal in the 1985--1987 time period. The program will also attempt to develop cost-effective technologies to utilize steeply dipping seams and bituminous coal by UCC. Results of the program to date indicate that, while UCC is technically feasible, it still contains some process unknowns, environmental risks,more » and economic risks that require R and D. In order to contribute to the national energy goals, a strong DOE program which incorporates maximum industry involvement is planned. Major projects are described in some detail. Finally, a strong program of supporting activities will address specific problems identified in the field testing and will seek to advance UCC technology. In summary, the program's strategy is to remove the high-risk elements of UCC by resolving those technical, environmental, and economic uncertainties that remain, and to enable industry to assume responsibility for commercialization of the process.« less

Refining and end use study of coal liquids I - pilot plant studies

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

Erwin, J.; Moulton, D.S.

1995-12-31

The Office of Fossil Energy, Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center is examining the ways in which coal liquids may best be integrated into the refinery of the 2000-2015 time frame and what performance and emission properties will prevail among the slate of fuels produced. The study consists of a Basic Program administered by Bechtel Group, Inc. to build a linear programming refinery model and provide processing and fuel properties data through subcontractors Southwest Research Institute, Amoco Oil R&D, and M.W. Kellogg Company. The model will be used in an Option 1 to devise a slate of test fuels meeting advanced specifications,more » which will be produced and tested for physical ASTM-type properties, engine performance, and vehicle emissions. Three coal liquids will be included: a direct liquid from bituminous coal, another from subbituminous, and a Fischer-Tropsch indirect liquefaction product. This paper reports the work to date on fractions of the first direct liquid including naphtha hydrotreating, heavy distillate hydrotreating, FCC of the heavy distillate hydrotreater products. Also reported are the first stages of work on the indirect liquefaction wax including feed preparation and FCC tests of blends with petroleum FCC feed.« less

Supplement B to compilation of air pollutant emission factors, volume 1. Stationary point and area sources

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

NONE

This document contains emission factors and process information for more than 200 air pollution source categories. This Supplement to AP-42 addresses pollutant-generating activity from Bituminous And Subbituminous Coal Combustion, Anthracite Coal Combustion, Fuel Oil Combustion, Natural Gas Combustion, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Combustion, Wood Waste Combustion In Boilers, Lignite Combustion, Bagasse Combustion In Sugar Mills, Residential Fireplaces, Residential Wood Stoves, Waste Oil Combustion, Stationary Gas Turbines For Electricity Generation, Heavy-duty Natural Gas-fired Pipeline Compressor Engines And Turbines, Gasoline and Diesel Industrial Engines, Large Stationary Diesel And All Stationary Dual-fuel Engines, Adipic Acid, Cotton Ginning, Alfafalfa Dehydrating, Malt Beverages, Ceramic Products Manufacturing,more » Electroplating, Wildfires And Prescribed Burning, Emissions From Soils-Greenhouse Gases, Termites-Greenhouse Gases, and Lightning Emissions-Greenhouse Gases.« less

Chemical Compositional Analysis of Catalytic Hydroconversion Products of Heishan Coal Liquefaction Residue

PubMed Central

Wu, Yajun; Zhang, Shuangquan; Yang, Xiaoqin; Wei, Xianyong

2017-01-01

Liquefaction residue of Heishan bituminous coal (HLR) was subject to two hydroconversion reactions under 5 MPa initial pressure of hydrogen at 300°C for 3 h, without catalyst and with acid supported catalyst (ASC), respectively. The reaction products were analyzed with gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The results show that 222 organic compounds were detected totally in the products and they can be divided into alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons (AHCs), phenols, ketones, ethers, and other species (OSs). The yield of hydroconversion over the ASC is much higher than that without catalyst. The most abundant products are aromatic hydrocarbons in the reaction products from both catalytic and noncatalytic reactions of HLR. The yield of aromatic hydrocarbons in the reaction product from hydroconversion with the ACS is considerably higher than that from hydroconversion without a catalyst. PMID:28250770

Metalliferous coals of the Westphalian A Joggins Formation, Cumberland basin, Nova Scotia, Canada: Petrology, geochemistry, and palynology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hower, J.C.; Calder, J.H.; Eble, C.F.; Scott, A.C.; Robertson, J.D.; Blanchard, L.J.

2000-01-01

Five coals of Westphalian A (early Middle Pennsylvanian) age were sampled from the Joggins Formation section exposed along Chignecto Bay at Joggins, Nova Scotia. Coal beds along the bay were mined beginning in the early 17th century, yet there have been few detailed published investigation of the coal beds of this classic section. The lowermost coal, the Upper Coal 28 (Upper Fundy), is a high-vitrinite coal with a spore assemblage dominated by arboreous lycopsid spores with tree ferns subdominant. The upper portions of the coal bed have the highest ratio of well-preserved to poorly-preserved telinite of any of the coals investigated. Coal 19 ('clam coal') has 88% total vitrinite but, unlike the Fundy coal bed, the telinite has a poor preservation ratio and half the total vitrinite population comprises gelocollinite and vitrodetrinite. The latter coal bed is directly overlain by a basin-wide limestone bed. The Lower Kimberly coal shows good preservation of vitrinite with relatively abundant telinite among the total vitrinite. The Middle Kimberly coal, which underlies the tetrapod-bearing lycopsid trees found by Lyell and Dawson in 1852, exhibits an upward decrease in arboreous lycopod spores and an upward increase in the tree fern spore Punctatisporites minutus. Telinite preservation increases upwards in the Middle Kimberly but overall is well below the preservation ratio of the Upper Fundy coal bed. The coals all have high sulfur contents, yielding up to 13.7% total sulfur for the lower lithotype of the Upper Fundy coal bed. The Kimberly coals are not only high in total and pyritic sulfur, but also have high concentrations of chalcophile elements. Zinc, ranging up to 15,000 ppm (ash basis), is present as sphalerite in fusain lumens. Arsenic and lead each exceed 6000 ppm (ash basis) in separate lithotypes of the Kimberly coals. Together these data are consistent with elevated pH in planar mires. The source of the elemental enrichment in this presumed continental section is enigmatic. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.Five coals of Westphalian A (early Middle Pennsylvanian) age were sampled from the Joggins Formation section exposed along Chigneto Bay at Joggins, Nova Scotia. All the coals were found to have high sulfur contents. Overall, the data obtained are consistent with elevated pH in planar mires.

Dike intrusions into bituminous coal, Illinois Basin: H, C, N, O isotopic responses to rapid and brief heating

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schimmelmann, A.; Mastalerz, Maria; Gao, L.; Sauer, P.E.; Topalov, K.

2009-01-01

Unlike long-term heating in subsiding sedimentary basins, the near-instantaneous thermal maturation of sedimentary organic matter near magmatic intrusions is comparable to artificial thermal maturation in the laboratory in terms of short duration and limited extent. This study investigates chemical and H, C, N, O isotopic changes in high volatile bituminous coal near two Illinois dike contacts and compares observed patterns and trends with data from other published studies and from artificial maturation experiments. Our study pioneers in quantifying isotopically exchangeable hydrogen and measuring the D/H (i.e., 2H/1H) ratio of isotopically non-exchangeable organic hydrogen in kerogen near magmatic contacts. Thermal stress in coal caused a reduction of isotopically exchangeable hydrogen in kerogen from 5% to 6% in unaltered coal to 2-3% at contacts, mostly due to elimination of functional groups (e.g., {single bond}OH, {single bond}COOH, {single bond}NH2). In contrast to all previously published data on D/H in thermally matured organic matter, the more mature kerogen near the two dike contacts is D-depleted, which is attributed to (i) thermal elimination of D-enriched functional groups, and (ii) thermal drying of hydrologically isolated coal prior to the onset of cracking reactions, thereby precluding D-transfer from relatively D-enriched water into kerogen. Maxima in organic nitrogen concentration and in the atomic N/C ratio of kerogen at a distance of ???2.5 to ???3.5 m from the thicker dike indicate that reactive N-compounds had been pyrolytically liberated at high temperature closer to the contact, migrated through the coal seam, and recombined with coal kerogen in a zone of lower temperature. The same principle extends to organic carbon, because a strong ??13Ckerogen vs. ??15Nkerogen correlation across 5.5 m of coal adjacent to the thicker dike indicates that coal was functioning as a flow-through reactor along a dynamic thermal gradient facilitating back-reactions between mobile pyrolysis products from the hot zone as they encounter less hot kerogen. Vein and cell filling carbonate is most abundant in highest rank coals where carbonate ??13CVPDB and ??18OVSMOW values are consistent with thermal generation of 13C-depleted and 18O-enriched CO2 from decarboxylation and pyrolysis of organic matter. Lower background concentrations of 13C-enriched carbonate in thermally unaffected coal may be linked to 13C-enrichment in residual CO2 in the process of CO2 reduction via microbial methanogenesis. Our compilation and comparison of available organic H, C, N isotopic findings on magmatic intrusions result in re-assessments of majors factors influencing isotopic shifts in kerogen during magmatic heating. (i) Thermally induced shifts in organic ??D values of kerogen are primarily driven by the availability of water or steam. Hydrologic isolation (e.g., near Illinois dikes) results in organic D-depletion in kerogen, whereas more common hydrologic connectivity results in organic D-enrichment. (ii) Shifts in kerogen (or coal) ??13C and ??15N values are typically small and may follow sinusoidal patterns over short distances from magmatic contacts. Laterally limited sampling strategies may thus result in misleading and non-representative data. (iii) Fluid transport of chemically active, mobile carbon and nitrogen species and recombination reactions with kerogen result in isotopic changes in kerogen that are unrelated to the original, autochthonous part of kerogen. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the combustion reactivity of TGA and drop tube furnace chars from a bituminous coal

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

Katherine Le Manquais; Colin Snape; Ian McRobbie

This paper compares the reactivity of chars generated in a drop tube furnace (DTF) to those from TGA. The implications of devolatilization temperature, heating rate and residence time are considered. For the smaller particle size ranges of the bituminous coal investigated (ATC), optimized devolatilization procedures were used to generate corresponding TGA burnout rates between the two char types. However, with fractions of >75 {mu}m, the DTF chars showed an increased burnout propensity when moving from combustion regime II to combustion regime III. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and internal surface areas indicate that this is because of incompatible char morphologies.more » Thus, while chars produced under the conditions of TGA pyrolysis strongly resemble raw coal and display an undeveloped pore network; the DTF chars are highly porous, extensively swollen and possess considerably larger internal surface areas. Subsequently, char burnout variability was quantified, with the reactivity distribution for the DTF samples found to be up to an order of magnitude more significant than for the TGA chars. This is attributed to a fluctuating devolatilization environment on the DTF. Finally, a TGA study observed a robust particle size based compensation effect for the TGA chars, with the relative reaction rates and activation energies demonstrating the presence of internal diffusion control. However this phenomenon was partly alleviated for the DTF chars, since their higher porosities reduce mass transfer restrictions. Moreover, it should be realized that DTF char fractions of <38 {mu}m, including those required to ensure true intrinsic control under the investigated burnout conditions, cannot be produced directly. This is because of bridging and sloughing in the DTF's screw-feeder. Instead, such samples must be created by grinding larger particles, which destroys the char's existing porosity. 60 refs., 9 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Adsorbed natural gas storage with activated carbons made from Illinois coals and scrap tires

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sun, Jielun; Brady, T.A.; Rood, M.J.; Lehmann, C.M.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Lizzio, A.A.

1997-01-01

Activated carbons for natural gas storage were produced from Illinois bituminous coals (IBC-102 and IBC-106) and scrap tires by physical activation with steam or CO2 and by chemical activation with KOH, H3PO4, or ZnCl2. The products were characterized for N2-BET area, micropore volume, bulk density, pore size distribution, and volumetric methane storage capacity (Vm/Vs). Vm/Vs values for Illinois coal-derived carbons ranged from 54 to 83 cm3/cm3, which are 35-55% of a target value of 150 cm3/cm3. Both granular and pelletized carbons made with preoxidized Illinois coal gave higher micropore volumes and larger Vm/Vs values than those made without preoxidation. This confirmed that preoxidation is a desirable step in the production of carbons from caking materials. Pelletization of preoxidized IBC-106 coal, followed by steam activation, resulted in the highest Vm/Vs value. With roughly the same micropore volume, pelletization alone increased Vm/Vs of coal carbon by 10%. Tire-derived carbons had Vm/Vs values ranging from 44 to 53 cm3/cm3, lower than those of coal carbons due to their lower bulk densities. Pelletization of the tire carbons increased bulk density up to 160%. However, this increase was offset by a decrease in micropore volume of the pelletized materials, presumably due to the pellet binder. As a result, Vm/Vs values were about the same for granular and pelletized tire carbons. Compared with coal carbons, tire carbons had a higher percentage of mesopores and macropores.

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 regime in the coal fire zone 18. The occurrence of various thermal alteration products indicates temperatures in the range of 500-700°C.

Results of coalbed-methane drilling, Meadowfill Landfill, Harrison County, West Virginia: Chapter G.4 in Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppert, Leslie F.; Trippi, Michael H.; Fedorko, Nick; Grady, William C.; Eble, Cortland F.; Schuller, William A.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Ryder, Robert T.

2014-01-01

Methane contents of desorbed gas from coal samples in the Meadowfill Landfill study area ranged from 14.87 to 98.73 percent (corrected for air contamination) for the Harlem coal bed and Clarion coal zone, respectively. Proportions of methane to the sum of the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons ranged from about 40 to 340 as the desorbed gas contained only a small percentage of higher weight hydrocarbons. Coalbed methane from the Upper Kittanning upper split and the Upper Kittanning coal beds is thermogenic in origin with isotopic composition of carbon (carbon 13, 13C) in methane (expressed as δ13C in units of parts per thousand (per mil) relative to the Vienna Peedee belemnite (VPDB) standard) ranging from -46.6 to -48.7 per mil. Coalbed methane from the Brush Creek and Upper Freeport coal beds and the Clarion coal zone contains some biogenic methane with δ13C values ranging from -51.05 to -51.56 per mil.

Composition and quality of coals in the Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zheng, Lingyun; Liu, Gaisheng; Wang, L.; Chou, C.-L.

2008-01-01

The Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui Province, China, is one of the largest coalfields in China. The coals of Permian age are used mainly for power generation. Coal compositions and 47 trace elements of the No. 10 Coal of the Shanxi Formation, the No. 7, 5, and 4 Coals of the Lower Shihezi Formation, and the No. 3 Coal of the Upper Shihezi Formation from the Huaibei Coalfield were studied. The results indicate that the Huaibei coals have low ash, moisture, and sulfur contents, but high volatile matter and calorific value. The ash yield increases stratigraphically upwards, but the volatile matter and total sulfur contents show a slight decrease from the lower to upper seams. Magmatic intrusion into the No. 5 Coal resulted in high ash, volatile matter, and calorific value, but low moisture value in the coal. Among the studied 47 trace elements, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Th, U, V, and Zn are of environmental concerns. Four elements Hg, Mo, Zn, and Sb are clearly enriched in the coals as compared with the upper continental crust. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gene-expression profiling of buccal epithelium among non-smoking women exposed to household air pollution from smoky coal

PubMed Central

Wang, Teresa W.; Vermeulen, Roel C.H.; Hu, Wei; Liu, Gang; Xiao, Xiaohui; Alekseyev, Yuriy; Xu, Jun; Reiss, Boris; Steiling, Katrina; Downward, George S.; Silverman, Debra T.; Wei, Fusheng; Wu, Guoping; Li, Jihua; Lenburg, Marc E.; Rothman, Nathaniel; Spira, Avrum; Lan, Qing

2015-01-01

In China’s rural counties of Xuanwei and Fuyuan, lung cancer rates are among the highest in the world. While the elevated disease risk in this population has been linked to the usage of smoky (bituminous) coal as compared to smokeless (anthracite) coal, the underlying molecular changes associated with this exposure remains unclear. To understand the physiologic effects of smoky coal exposure, we analyzed the genome-wide gene-expression profiles in buccal epithelial cells collected from healthy, non-smoking female residents of Xuanwei and Fuyuan who burn smoky (n = 26) and smokeless (n = 9) coal. Gene-expression was profiled via microarrays, and changes associated with coal type were correlated to household levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Expression levels of 282 genes were altered with smoky versus smokeless coal exposure (P < 0.005), including the 2-fold increase of proinflammatory IL8 and decrease of proapoptotic CASP3. This signature was more correlated with carcinogenic PAHs (e.g. Benzo[a]pyrene; r = 0.41) than with non-carcinogenic PAHs (e.g. Fluorene; r = 0.08) or PM2.5 (r = 0.05). Genes altered with smoky coal exposure were concordantly enriched with tobacco exposure in previously profiled buccal biopsies of smokers and non-smokers (GSEA, q < 0.05). This is the first study to identify a signature of buccal epithelial gene-expression that is associated with smoky coal exposure, which in part is similar to the molecular response to tobacco smoke, thereby lending biologic plausibility to prior epidemiological studies that have linked this exposure to lung cancer risk. PMID:26468118

Gene-expression profiling of buccal epithelium among non-smoking women exposed to household air pollution from smoky coal.

PubMed

Wang, Teresa W; Vermeulen, Roel C H; Hu, Wei; Liu, Gang; Xiao, Xiaohui; Alekseyev, Yuriy; Xu, Jun; Reiss, Boris; Steiling, Katrina; Downward, George S; Silverman, Debra T; Wei, Fusheng; Wu, Guoping; Li, Jihua; Lenburg, Marc E; Rothman, Nathaniel; Spira, Avrum; Lan, Qing

2015-12-01

In China's rural counties of Xuanwei and Fuyuan, lung cancer rates are among the highest in the world. While the elevated disease risk in this population has been linked to the usage of smoky (bituminous) coal as compared to smokeless (anthracite) coal, the underlying molecular changes associated with this exposure remains unclear. To understand the physiologic effects of smoky coal exposure, we analyzed the genome-wide gene-expression profiles in buccal epithelial cells collected from healthy, non-smoking female residents of Xuanwei and Fuyuan who burn smoky (n = 26) and smokeless (n = 9) coal. Gene-expression was profiled via microarrays, and changes associated with coal type were correlated to household levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Expression levels of 282 genes were altered with smoky versus smokeless coal exposure (P < 0.005), including the 2-fold increase of proinflammatory IL8 and decrease of proapoptotic CASP3. This signature was more correlated with carcinogenic PAHs (e.g. Benzo[a]pyrene; r = 0.41) than with non-carcinogenic PAHs (e.g. Fluorene; r = 0.08) or PM2.5 (r = 0.05). Genes altered with smoky coal exposure were concordantly enriched with tobacco exposure in previously profiled buccal biopsies of smokers and non-smokers (GSEA, q < 0.05). This is the first study to identify a signature of buccal epithelial gene-expression that is associated with smoky coal exposure, which in part is similar to the molecular response to tobacco smoke, thereby lending biologic plausibility to prior epidemiological studies that have linked this exposure to lung cancer risk. Published by Oxford University Press 2015.

The big ban on bituminous coal sales revisited: Serious epidemics and pronounced trends feign excess mortality previously attributed to heavy black-smoke exposure

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

Wittmaack, K.

The effect of banning bituminous coal sales on the black-smoke concentration and the mortality rates in Dublin, Ireland, has been analyzed recently. Based on the application of standard epidemiological procedures, the authors concluded that, as a result of the ban, the total nontrauma death rate was reduced strongly (-8.0% unadjusted, -5.7% adjusted). The purpose of this study was to reanalyze the original data with the aim of clarifying the three most important aspects of the study, (a) the effect of epidemics, (b) the trends in mortality rates due to advances in public health care, and (c) the correlation between mortalitymore » rates and black-smoke concentrations. Particular attention has been devoted to a detailed evaluation of the time dependence of mortality rates, stratified by season. Death rates were found to be strongly enhanced during three severe pre-ban winter-spring epidemics. The cardiovascular mortality rates exhibited a continuous decrease over the whole study period, in general accordance with trends in the rest of Ireland. These two effects can fully account for the previously identified apparent correlation between reduced mortality and the very pronounced ban-related lowering of the black-smoke concentration. The third important finding was that in nonepidemic pre-ban seasons even large changes in the concentration of black smoke had no detectable effect on mortality rates. The reanalysis suggests that epidemiological studies exploring the effect of ambient particulate matter on mortality require improved tools allowing proper adjustment for epidemics and trends.« less

Physico-chemical properties and gasification reactivity of co-pyrolysis char from different rank of coal blended with lignocellulosic biomass: Effects of the cellulose.

PubMed

Wu, Zhiqiang; Wang, Shuzhong; Luo, Zhengyuan; Chen, Lin; Meng, Haiyu; Zhao, Jun

2017-07-01

In this paper, the influence of cellulose on the physicochemical properties and the gasification reactivity of co-pyrolysis char was investigated. A specific surface area analyzer and an X-ray diffraction system were used to characterize the pore structure and the micro-crystalline structure of char. Fractal theory and deconvolution method were applied to quantitatively investigate the influence of cellulose on the structure of co-pyrolysis char. The results indicate that the improvements in the pore structure due to the presence of cellulose are more pronounced in the case of anthracite char with respect to bituminous char. Cellulose promotes the ordering of micro-scale structure and the uniformity of both anthracite and bituminous char, while the negative synergetic effect was observed during gasification of co-pyrolysis char. The exponential relationships between fractal dimension and specific surface area were determined, along with the relations between the gasification reactivity index and the microcrystalline structure parameter. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coal fly ash based carbons for SO2 removal from flue gases.

PubMed

Rubio, B; Izquierdo, M T

2010-07-01

Two different coal fly ashes coming from the burning of two coals of different rank have been used as a precursor for the preparation of steam activated carbons. The performance of these activated carbons in the SO(2) removal was evaluated at flue gas conditions (100 degrees C, 1000 ppmv SO(2), 5% O(2), 6% H(2)O). Different techniques were used to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of the samples in order to explain the differences found in their behaviour. A superior SO(2) removal capacity was shown by the activated carbon obtained using the fly ash coming from a sub-bituminous-lignite blend. Experimental results indicated that the presence of higher amount of certain metallic oxides (Ca, Fe) in the carbon-rich fraction of this fly ash probably has promoted a deeper gasification in the activation with steam. A more suitable surface chemistry and textural properties have been obtained in this case which explains the higher efficiency shown by this sample in the SO(2) removal. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coal resources for part of the Wilcox group (Paleocene through Eocene), central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Aubourg, Claire E.; Suitt, Stephen E.; Podwysocki, Steven M.; Schultz, Adam C.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

2011-01-01

The Wilcox Group of central Texas contains shallow (less than 500 ft) coal deposits that are mined for use in mine-mouth electric power generating plants. These coal deposits range in apparent rank from lignite to sub-bituminous (Pierce et al., 2011) and are similar in rank and composition to shallow coal deposits in the northeast and south Texas areas (Figure 1). The coal zones and associated strata in the central Texas assessment area generally dip to the southeast toward the Gulf of Mexico coastline and basin center. The central Texas resource assessment area includes parts of eight counties (Figure 2). The assessment area was selected to encompass current mining areas and areas with available subsurface stratigraphic data. The assessment area is roughly 160 miles long and 5 to 25 miles wide and generally follows the outcrop of the Paleocene to Eocene Wilcox Group in central Texas (Figures 1, 2). Approximately 1800 subsurface stratigraphic records from rotary and core drill holes were used to assess the resources of the central Texas assessment area. Of the 1800 drill holes, only 167 are public data points and are primarily located in the areas that have been permitted for surface mining (Figure 2; Appendix 1). The remaining 1632 drill holes, which are distributed throughout the assessment area, were provided to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on a confidential basis by various coal companies for use in regional studies.

Phosphorus minerals in tonstein; coal seam 405 at Sośnica-Makoszowy coal mine, Upper Silesia, southern Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokowska-Pawłowska, Magdalena; Nowak, Jacek

2013-06-01

Kokowska-Pawłowska, M. and Nowak, J. 2013. Phosphorus minerals in tonstein; coal seam 405 at Sośnica- Makoszowy coal mine, Upper Silesia, southern Poland. Acta Geologica Polonica, 63 (2), 271-281. Warszawa. The paper presents results of research on tonstein, which constitutes an interburden in coal seam 405 at the Sośnica- Makoszowy coal mine, Makoszowy field (mining level 600 m), Upper Silesia, southern Poland. The mineral and chemical compositions of the tonstein differ from the typical compositions described earlier for tonsteins from Upper Silesia Coal Basin area. Additionally, minerals present in the tonsteins include kaolinite, quartz, kaolinitised biotite and feldspars. The presence of the phosphatic minerals apatite and goyazite has been recognized. The presence of gorceixite and crandallite is also possible. The contents of CaO (5.66 wt%) and P2O5 (6.2 wt%) are remarkably high. Analysis of selected trace elements demonstrated high contents of Sr (4937 ppm) and Ba (4300 ppm), related to the phosphatic minerals. On the basis of mineral composition the tonstein has been identified as a crystalline tonstein, transitional to a multiplied one.

Adsorptive performance of coal-based magnetic activated carbon for cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes from landfill leachate.

PubMed

Zhang, Chunhui; Jiang, Shan; Zhang, Wenwen

2018-02-01

Bituminous coal-based magnetic activated carbon (MAC) was prepared, characterized, and used successfully for removal of cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (cVMSs) from treated landfill leachate. Batch adsorption studies were performed at different adsorption dosages and contact times. With adsorptive dosage of 0.75 g/L and contact time of 60 min, the removal efficiencies achieved by MAC for octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D 4 ), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D 5 ), and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D 6 ) are 100, 82.8, and 71.4%, respectively. The specific magnetization coefficients of MAC before and after adsorption are 4.6 × 10 -7 and 5.2 × 10 -7  m 3 /kg, between 1.26 × 10 -7 and 3.8 × 10 -5  m 3 /kg, which suggests that MAC can be recycled by the high-intensity magnetic separators.

Investigation of Coal-biomass Catalytic Gasification using Experiments, Reaction Kinetics and Computational Fluid Dynamics

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

Battaglia, Francine; Agblevor, Foster; Klein, Michael

A collaborative effort involving experiments, kinetic modeling, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to understand co-gasification of coal-biomass mixtures. The overall goal of the work was to determine the key reactive properties for coal-biomass mixed fuels. Sub-bituminous coal was mixed with biomass feedstocks to determine the fluidization and gasification characteristics of hybrid poplar wood, switchgrass and corn stover. It was found that corn stover and poplar wood were the best feedstocks to use with coal. The novel approach of this project was the use of a red mud catalyst to improve gasification and lower gasification temperatures. An important resultsmore » was the reduction of agglomeration of the biomass using the catalyst. An outcome of this work was the characterization of the chemical kinetics and reaction mechanisms of the co-gasification fuels, and the development of a set of models that can be integrated into other modeling environments. The multiphase flow code, MFIX, was used to simulate and predict the hydrodynamics and co-gasification, and results were validated with the experiments. The reaction kinetics modeling was used to develop a smaller set of reactions for tractable CFD calculations that represented the experiments. Finally, an efficient tool was developed, MCHARS, and coupled with MFIX to efficiently simulate the complex reaction kinetics.« less

Production of activated char from Illinois coal for flue gas cleanup

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lizzio, A.A.; DeBarr, J.A.; Kruse, C.W.

1997-01-01

Activated chars were produced from Illinois coal and tested in several flue gas cleanup applications. High-activity chars that showed excellent potential for both SO2 and NOx removal were prepared from an Illinois No. 2 bituminous coal. The SO2 (120 ??C) and NOx (25 ??C) removal performance of one char compared favorably with that of a commercial activated carbon (Calgon Centaur). The NOx removal performance of the same char at 120 ??C exceeded that of the Centaur carbon by more than 1 order of magnitude. Novel char preparation methods were developed including oxidation/thermal desorption and hydrogen treatments, which increased and preserved, respectively, the active sites for SO2 and NOx adsorption. The results of combined SO2/NOx removal tests, however, suggest that SO2 and NOx compete for similar adsorption sites and SO2 seems to be more strongly adsorbed than NO. A low-activity, low-cost char was also developed for cleanup of incinerator flue gas. A three-step method involving coal preoxidation, pyrolysis, and CO2 activation was used to produce the char from Illinois coal. Five hundred pounds of the char was tested on a slipstream of flue gas from a commercial incinerator in Germany. The char was effective in removing >97% of the dioxins and furans present in the flue gas; mercury levels were below detectable limits.

Thermo-optical properties of residential coals and combustion aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pintér, Máté; Ajtai, Tibor; Kiss-Albert, Gergely; Kiss, Diána; Utry, Noémi; Janovszky, Patrik; Palásti, Dávid; Smausz, Tomi; Kohut, Attila; Hopp, Béla; Galbács, Gábor; Kukovecz, Ákos; Kónya, Zoltán; Szabó, Gábor; Bozóki, Zoltán

2018-04-01

In this study, we present the inherent optical properties of carbonaceous aerosols generated from various coals (hard through bituminous to lignite) and their correlation with the thermochemical and energetic properties of the bulk coal samples. The nanoablation method provided a unique opportunity for the comprehensive investigation of the generated particles under well controlled laboratory circumstances. First, the wavelength dependent radiative features (optical absorption and scattering) and the size distribution (SD) of the generated particulate matter were measured in-situ in aerosol phase using in-house developed and customised state-of-the-art instrumentation. We also investigated the morphology and microstructure of the generated particles using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Electron Diffraction (ED). The absorption spectra of the measured samples (quantified by Absorption Angström Exponent (AAE)) were observed to be distinctive. The correlation between the thermochemical features of bulk coal samples (fixed carbon (FC) to volatile matter (VM) ratio and calorific value (CV)) and the AAE of aerosol assembly were found to be (r2 = 0.97 and r2 = 0.97) respectively. Lignite was off the fitted curves in both cases most probably due to its high optically inactive volatile material content. Although more samples are necessary to be investigated to draw statistically relevant conclusion, the revealed correlation between CV and Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) implies that climatic impact of coal combusted aerosol could depend on the thermal and energetic properties of the bulk material.

Palynology of the Lost Branch Formation of Kansas - New insights on the major floral transition at the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peppers, R.A.

1997-01-01

Palynological assemblages from two outcrops of the upper part of the Memorial Formation, the Lost Branch Formation, and the overlying Hepler unit in Kansas were examined to discover which stratigraphic interval marks the change from the lycopod-dominated coal swamp floras of Middle Pennsylvanian (Westphalian D) age to the fern-dominated coal swamp floras of Late Pennsylvanian (Stephanian) age. The Lost Branch Formation underlies the Pleasanton Group, whose base is recognized as the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary in the Midcontinent. The outcrops include the youngest Middle Pennsylvanian coal (Dawson), just below the Lost Branch Formation, and the oldest Upper Pennsylvanian coal ('Hepler') within the Pleasanton Group. Lycospora dominates the spore assemblage in the Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) Dawson coal in the Memorial Shale and is abundant in shale between the coal and just below the Glenpool limestone bed at the top of the Lost Branch Formation. It is rare between the limestone and the Upper Pennsylvanian (Missourian) 'Hepler' coal. Granasporites medius and Thymospora pseudothiessenii disappear below the limestone. The 'Hepler' coal is dominated by fern and seed fern spores Cyclogranisporites and Apiculatasporites, and the sphenopsid spore Calamospora is third in abundance. Florinites, Potonieisporites and other gymnospermic monosaccate pollen are abundant between the two coals. Bisaccate conifer-like pollen, such as Protohaploxipinus, are most common between the Dawson coal and Glenpool limestone, but Wilsonites, which is thought to have been produced by seed ferns, is very abundant from the Glenpool limestone to the 'Hepler' coal. On the basis of macroinvertebrate evidence, the Glenpool limestone is Middle Pennsylvanian in age, but the palynological evidence indicates that the floral change took place slightly before deposition of the limestone. Thus, the major change in climate that occurred near the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary apparently affected the floras earlier than the faunas. The floral change cannot be explained as resulting from a major marine regression and hiatus because the change is recorded in a marine section within a single transgressive-regressive sequence.

Plastic wastes as modifiers of the thermoplasticity of coal

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

M.A. Diez; C. Barriocanal; R. Alvarez

2005-12-01

Plastic waste recycling represents a major challenge in environmental protection with different routes now available for dealing with mechanical, chemical, and energy recycling. New concepts in plastic waste recycling have emerged so that now such wastes can be used to replace fossil fuels, either as an energy source or as a secondary raw material. Our objective is to explore the modification of the thermoplastic properties of coal in order to assess the possibility of adding plastic waste to coal for the production of metallurgical coke. Two bituminous coals of different rank and thermoplastic properties were used as a base componentmore » of blends with plastic wastes such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and acrilonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). In all cases, the addition of plastic waste led to a reduction in Gieseler maximum fluidity, the extent of the reduction depending on the fluidity of the base coal, and the amount, the molecular structure, and the thermal behavior of the polymer. As a consequence, the amount of volatile matter released by the plastic waste before, during, and after the maximum fluidity of the coal and the hydrogen-donor and hydrogen-acceptor capacities of the polymer were concluded to be key factors in influencing the extent of the reduction in fluidity and the development of anisotropic carbons. The incorporation of the plastic to the carbon matrix was clearly established in semicokes produced from blends of a high-fluid coal and the plastic tested by SEM examination. 42 refs., 10 figs., 7 tabs.« less

London's historic pea-soupers''

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

Urbinato, D.

Americans may think smog was invented in Los Angeles. Not so. In fact, a Londoner coined the term smog'' in 1905 to describe the city's insidious combination of natural fog and coal smoke. By then, the phenomenon was part of London history, and dirty, acrid smoke-filled pea-soupers'' were as familiar to Londoners as Big Ben and Westminster Abby. Smog in London predates Shakespeare by four centuries. Until the 12th century, most Londoners burned wood for fuel. But as the city grew and the forests shrank, wood became scarce and increasingly expensive. Large deposits of sea-coal'' off the northeast coast providedmore » a cheap alternative. Soon, Londoners were burning the soft, bituminous coal to heat their homes and fuel their factories. Sea-coal was plentiful, but it didn't burn efficiently. A lot of its energy was spent making smoke, not heat. Coal smoke drifting through thousands of London chimneys combined with clean natural fog to make smog. If the weather conditions were right, it would last for days. Early on, no one had the scientific tools to correlate smog with adverse health effects, but complaints about the smoky air as an annoyance date back to at least 1272, when King Edward I, on the urging of important noblemen and clerics, banned the burning of sea-coal. Anyone caught burning or selling the stuff was to be tortured or executed. The first offender caught was summarily put to death. This deterred nobody. Of necessity, citizens continued to burn sea-coal in violation of the law, which required the burning of wood few could afford.« less

Mode of occurrence of arsenic in feed coal and its derivative fly ash, Black Warrior Basin, Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zielinski, R.A.; Foster, A.L.; Meeker, G.P.; Brownfield, I.K.

2007-01-01

An arsenic-rich (As = 55 ppm) bituminous feed coal from the Black Warrior Basin, Alabama and its derivative fly ash (As = 230 ppm) were selected for detailed investigation of arsenic residence and chemical forms. Analytical techniques included microbeam analysis, selective extraction, and As K-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Most As in the coal is contained in a generation of As-bearing pyrite (FeS2) that formed in response to epigenetic introduction of hydrothermal fluids. XAFS results indicate that approximately 50% of the As in the coal sample occurs as the oxidized As(V) species, possibly the result of incipient oxidation of coal and pyrite prior to our analysis. Combustion of pyrite and host coal produced fly ash in which 95% of As is present as As(V). Selective extraction of the fly ash with a carbonate buffer solution (pH = 10) removed 49% of the As. A different extraction with an HCl-NH2OH mixture, which targets amorphous and poorly crystalline iron oxides, dissolved 79% of the As. XAFS spectroscopy of this highly acidic (pH = 3.0) fly ash indicated that As is associated with some combination of iron oxide, oxyhydroxide, or sulfate. In contrast, a highly alkaline (pH = 12.7) fly ash from Turkey shows most As associated with a phase similar to calcium orthoarsenate (Ca3(AsO4)2). The combined XAFS results indicate that fly ash acidity, which is determined by coal composition and combustion conditions, may serve to predict arsenic speciation in fly ash.

Identification and significance of accessory minerals from a bituminous coal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finkelman, R.B.; Stanton, R.W.

1978-01-01

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been used to study the in situ accessory minerals in polished blocks and pellets of petrographically analysed samples of the Waynesburg coal (hvb). Individual grains from the low-temperature ash (LTA) of the same coal were also studied. The visual resolution of the SEM permitted the detection of submicron mineral grains, which could then be analysed by the attached energy-dispersive system. Emphasis was placed on the highly reflective grains in the carbominerite bands. Among the most abundant accessory minerals observed were rutile, zircon, and rare-earth-bearing minerals. Small (1-5 ??m) particles of what may be authigenic iron-rich chromite and a nickel silicate form rims on quartz grains. The SEM also permits the observation of grain morphology and mineral intergrowths. These data are useful in determining authigenicity and diagenic alteration. Substances in density splits of LTA include authigenic, detrital, extraterrestrial magnetite, tourmaline, and evaporite (?) minerals, and a fluorine-bearing amphibole. This analytical approach allows the determination of specific sites for many of the trace elements in coals. In the Waynesburg coal, most of the chromium is in the iron-chromium rims, the fluorine is in the amphibole, and the rare-earth elements are in rare-earth-bearing minerals. The ability to relate trace-element data to specific minerals will aid in predicting the behaviour of elements in coal during combustion, liquefaction, gasification, weathering, and leaching processes. This ability also permits insight into the degree of mobility of these elements in coal and provides clues to sedimentological and diagenetic conditions. ?? 1978.

Some peat deposits in Penobscot County, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cameron, Cornelia Clermont; Anderson, Walter A.

1979-01-01

Twenty of the peat deposits in Penobscot County, Maine contain an estimated 29,282,000 short tons air-dried peat. The peat is chiefly sphagnum moss and reed-sedge of high quality according to ASTM standards for agricultural and horticultural use. Analyses show that this same volume has high fuel value, low sulfur and high hydrogen contents compared with lignite and sub-bituminous coal, which may indicate that it also has potential for fuel use. On the basis of the metallic trace element content, one area within the region containing the 20 deposits has been delineated for further bedrock studies.

PULSE COMBUSTOR DESIGN QUALIFICATION TEST AND CLEAN COAL FEEDSTOCK TEST - VOLUME I AND VOLUME II

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

Unknown

For this Cooperative Agreement, the pulse heater module is the technology envelope for an indirectly heated steam reformer. The field of use of the steam reformer pursuant to this Cooperative Agreement with DOE is for the processing of sub-bituminous coals and lignite. The main focus is the mild gasification of such coals for the generation of both fuel gas and char--for the steel industry is the main focus. An alternate market application for the substitution of metallurgical coke is also presented. This project was devoted to qualification of a 253-tube pulse heater module. This module was designed, fabricated, installed, instrumentedmore » and tested in a fluidized bed test facility. Several test campaigns were conducted. This larger heater is a 3.5 times scale-up of the previous pulse heaters that had 72 tubes each. The smaller heater has been part of previous pilot field testing of the steam reformer at New Bern, North Carolina. The project also included collection and reduction of mild gasification process data from operation of the process development unit (PDU). The operation of the PDU was aimed at conditions required to produce char (and gas) for the Northshore Steel Operations. Northshore Steel supplied the coal for the process unit tests.« less

The Oligocene flora from the Uricani coalfield, Petrosani Basin, Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirnea, Roxana; Popa, Mihai E.

2017-04-01

The Petrosani Basin is a typical Oligocene - Miocene intramontaneous basin located in the South Carpathians. It has a SW-NE orientation and is 48-km long; its width is varying between 10 and 2 km, and it overlays the Danubian and Getic basements. The Oligocene sequences are filling the basin, with a thickness ranging between 300 and 500 m. They consist of clays, marls, bituminous shales, microconglomerates and limestones, including 22 coal beds. One essential feature of the Petrosani Basin is the occurrence of thick coal seams and the remains of a rich, 28 milion years old ecosystem. The studied material was collected from Uricani coal mine, from the „Lower Productive Horizon", Chattian in age (Upper Oligocene), and from Uricani coal waste dumps. The Lower Productive Horizon, also described as the Dalja-Uricani Formation, includes several coal seams and crops out in several areas (Buia et al., 2014). Collecting fossil plants from underground mining horizons represents a unique method for detailed understanding of coal bearing formations in a three-dimensional approach (Popa, 2011). Although the plant remains are represented by a large number of species, most specimens belong to the Family Lauraceae. The fossil flora is very well preserved, some of the leaves preserving their cuticles. The fossil plants from Uricani coal mine, Petro?ani Basin, are described, illustrated and discussed based on leaf impressions. The associated macroflora of Uricani coal mine comprises various leaf species of Daphnogene, Laurophyllum, Ocotea, Smilax and Alnus. Most of the studied woody plants are mesophytic, like Lauraceae (narrow-leaved Daphnogene, Laurophyllum), but the affinities of the plant remains from Uricani coalfield have not been clarified yet. Nonetheless, the taxonomic composition of the studied flora from Uricani coalfield points to a semi-tropical climate. The overall character of the depositional conditions of Petrosani Basin fit best to a flatland with surrounding uplands, within a typical intramontaneous depression. The fossil flora of the Petrosani Basin was first cited by Stur (1863). Pop (1975) contributed with a study on the geology of the Uricani mining field, with special emphasis on coalbeds. A paleobotanical overview of the plant remains from Petrosani Basin related to coal deposits was also published by Givulescu (1996). This paper refers to the Oligocene fossil flora of Uricani coalfield, as a part of the Petrosani Basin and to the reconstruction of its paleoenvironment. References: Buia, G., et al. (2014). Role of Jiu valley hard coal deposits between eastern and western european energetic constraints. 6th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Symposium „Universitaria Simpro 2014". Petrosani: 22-27. Givulescu, R. (1996). Flora Oligocena Superioara din Bazinul Petrosani (Flora fosila a Bazinului Vaii Jiului). Cluj-Napoca, Casa Cartii de Stiinta. Pop, E. (1975). Studiul geologic al campului minier Uricani cu privire speciala asupra caracteristicilor distinctive ale stratelor de carbuni si asupra tectonicii zacamantului: 206. Popa, M.E., 2011. Field and laboratory techniques in plant compressions: an integrated approach. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 7, 279-283. Stur, D. (1863). Bericht über die geoloische Übersichtsaufnahme des südliches Siebenbürgen im Sommer 1860. Jb. k.k. Geol. R.A. 13: 33-120.

23. PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGEMENT OF UPPER PHOTOGRAPH ON PAGE 986 IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

23. PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGEMENT OF UPPER PHOTOGRAPH ON PAGE 986 IN Keystone Coal Buyers Catalog, 1922, VIEW SOUTH, COMMUNITY OF ETHEL; ETHEL COAL COMPANY MINE SUPPLY BUILDING IS LOCATED IN MID-GROUND IN CENTER PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY ROOF OF HOUSE IN FOREGROUND - Ethel Coal Company & Supply Building, Left fork of Dingess Run (Ethel Hollow), Ethel, Logan County, WV

Huminite reflectance measurements of Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous coals from borehole cuttings, Zavala and Dimmit counties, South Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hackley, Paul C.; Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.

2005-01-01

The reflectance of huminite in 19 cuttings samples was determined in support of ongoing investigations into the coal bed methane potential of subsurface Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous coals of South Texas. Coal cuttings were obtained from the Core Research Center of the Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin. Geophysical logs, mud-gas logs, driller's logs, completion cards, and scout tickets were used to select potentially coal-bearing sample suites and to identify specific sample depths. Reflectance measurements indicate coals of subbituminous rank are present in a wider area in South Texas than previously recognized.

Change in the magnetic properties of bituminous coal intruded by an igneous dike, Dutch Creek Mine, Pitkin County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorpe, A.N.; Senftle, F.E.; Finkelman, R.B.; Dulong, F.T.; Bostick, N.H.

1998-01-01

Magnetization measurements have been made on natural coke-coal samples collected at various distances from a felsic porphyry dike in a coal seam in Dutch Creek Mine, Colorado to help characterize the nature and distribution of the iron-bearing phases. The magnetization passes through a maximum at the coke-to-coal transition about 31 cm from the dike contact. The magnetic measurements support the geochemical data indicating that magmatic fluids along with a high-temperature gas pulse moved into the coal bed. Interaction of the magmatic fluids with the coal diminished the reducing power of the thermal gas pulse from the dike to a point about 24 cm into the coal. The hot reducing gas penetrated further and produced a high temperature (~400-525??C) zone (at about 31 cm) just ahead of the magmatic fluids. Metallic iron found in this zone is the principal cause of the observed high magnetization. Beyond this zone, the temperature was too low to alter the coal significantly.Magnetization measurements have been made on natural coke-coal samples collected at various distances from a felsic porphyry dike in a coal seam in Dutch Creek Mine, Colorado to help characterize the nature and distribution of the iron-bearing phases. The magnetization passes through a maximum at the coke-to-coal transition about 31 cm from the dike contact. The magnetic measurements support the geochemical data indicating that magmatic fluids along with a high-temperature gas pulse moved into the coal bed. Interaction of the magmatic fluids with the coal diminished the reducing power of the thermal gas pulse from the dike to a point about 24 cm into the coal. The hot reducing gas penetrated further and produced a high temperature (approximately 400-525 ??C) zone (at about 31 cm) just ahead of the magmatic fluids. Metallic iron found in this zone is the principal cause of the observed high magnetization. Beyond this zone, the temperature was too low to alter the coal significantly.

Water-quality data for two surface coal mines reclaimed with alkaline waste or urban sewage sludge, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, May 1983 through November 1989

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dugas, D.L.; Cravotta, C.A.; Saad, D.A.

1993-01-01

Water-quality and other hydrologic data for two surface coal mines in Clarion County, Pa., were collected during 1983-89 as part of studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. Water samples were collected from streams, seeps, monitor wells, and lysimeters on a monthly basis to evaluate changes in water quality resulting from the addition of alkaline waste or urban sewage sludge to the reclaimed mine-spoil surface. The mines are about 3.5 miles apart and were mined for bituminous coal of the upper and lower Clarion seams of the Allegheny Group of Pennsylvanian age. The coal had high sulfur (greater than 2 weight percent) concentrations. Acidic mine drainage is present at both mines. At one mine, about 8 years after mining was completed, large quantities (greater than 400 tons per acre) of alkaline waste consisting of limestone and lime-kiln flue dust were applied on two 2.5-acre plots within the 65-acre mine area. Water-quality data for the alkaline-addition plots and surrounding area were collected for 1 year before and 3 years after application of the alkaline additives (May 1983-July 1987). Data collected for the alkaline-addition study include ground-water level, surface-water discharge rate, temperature, specific conductance, pH, and concentrations of alkalinity, acidity, sulfate, iron (total and ferrous), manganese, aluminum, calcium, and magnesium. At the other mine, about 3.5 years after mining was completed, urban sewage sludge was applied over 60 acres within the 150-acre mine area. Waterquality data for the sludge-addition study were collected for 3.5 years after the application of the sludge (June 1986-December 1989). Data collected for the sludge-addition study include the above constituents plus dissolved oxygen, redox potential (Eh), and concentrations of dissolved solids, phosphorus, nitrogen species, sulfide, chloride, silica, sodium, potassium, cyanide, arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, strontium, and zinc. Climatic data, including monthly average temperature and cumulative precipitation, from a nearby weather station for the period January 1983 through December 1989 also are reported.

22. PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGEMENT OF UPPER PHOTOGRAPH ON PAGE 986 IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

22. PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGEMENT OF UPPER PHOTOGRAPH ON PAGE 986 IN Keystone Coal Buyers Catalog, 1922, VIEW SOUTH, COMMUNITY OF ETHEL; ETHEL COAL COMPANY MINE SUPPLY BUILDING IS LOCATED IN MID-GROUND LEFT OF CENTER PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY ROOF OF HOUSE IN FOREGROUND - Ethel Coal Company & Supply Building, Left fork of Dingess Run (Ethel Hollow), Ethel, Logan County, WV

Application of a spectrum standardization method for carbon analysis in coal using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

PubMed

Li, Xiongwei; Wang, Zhe; Fu, Yangting; Li, Zheng; Liu, Jianmin; Ni, Weidou

2014-01-01

Measurement of coal carbon content using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is limited by its low precision and accuracy. A modified spectrum standardization method was proposed to achieve both reproducible and accurate results for the quantitative analysis of carbon content in coal using LIBS. The proposed method used the molecular emissions of diatomic carbon (C2) and cyanide (CN) to compensate for the diminution of atomic carbon emissions in high volatile content coal samples caused by matrix effect. The compensated carbon line intensities were further converted into an assumed standard state with standard plasma temperature, electron number density, and total number density of carbon, under which the carbon line intensity is proportional to its concentration in the coal samples. To obtain better compensation for fluctuations of total carbon number density, the segmental spectral area was used and an iterative algorithm was applied that is different from our previous spectrum standardization calculations. The modified spectrum standardization model was applied to the measurement of carbon content in 24 bituminous coal samples. The results demonstrate that the proposed method has superior performance over the generally applied normalization methods. The average relative standard deviation was 3.21%, the coefficient of determination was 0.90, the root mean square error of prediction was 2.24%, and the average maximum relative error for the modified model was 12.18%, showing an overall improvement over the corresponding values for the normalization with segmental spectrum area, 6.00%, 0.75, 3.77%, and 15.40%, respectively.

Research needs of the power industry

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

DeSollar, R.W.

1996-12-31

Most utilities have boilers that were designed to burn a specific fuel and, in most cases, the fuel was a high sulfur, high Btu, bituminous coal. With fuel switching many boilers are now being required to burn a fuel that is drastically different than that for which the boiler was designed. This is leading to a whole range of new problems. Fuel engineers now are more concerned with the slagging, fouling, corrosion and erosion that can take place in the boiler, and not only how the fuel burns. Utilities now look not only at the Btu of the fuel butmore » are concerned with the ash chemistry, grindability, and the ultimate analysis, especially nitrogen and oxygen that is inherent in the coal. Many utilities are not geared for and do not have the people and expertise necessary for all of the studies and evaluation that must be done. Some areas that need to be addressed by research are slagging and fouling indices for western coals and blends of eastern and western coals. Corrosion indices are needed which pertain not only to the high temperature superheater and reheat areas of the boilers, but also to the backpasses, the economizer, air heater, and especially the precipitator. The effects of chlorine in a boiler and hazardous air pollutants need to be addressed. Fuel switching has also caused precipitator problems. Work needs to be done on identifying coals that are difficult to collect as well as those coals that will not accept flue gas conditioning, and why the ash won`t condition.« less

Organic compounds in water extracts of coal: links to Balkan endemic nephropathy.

PubMed

Maharaj, S V M; Orem, W H; Tatu, C A; Lerch, H E; Szilagyi, D N

2014-02-01

The Pliocene lignite hypothesis is an environmental hypothesis that has been proposed to explain the etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN). Aqueous leaching experiments were conducted on a variety of coal samples in order to simulate groundwater leaching of organic compounds, and to further test the role of the Pliocene lignite hypothesis in the etiology of BEN. Experiments were performed on lignite coal samples from endemic BEN areas in Romania and Serbia, and lignite and bituminous coals from nonendemic regions in Romania and the USA. Room temperature, hot water bath, and Soxhlet aqueous extraction experiments were conducted between 25 and 80 °C, and from 5 to 128 days in duration. A greater number of organic compounds and in higher concentrations were present in all three types of leaching experiments involving endemic area Pliocene lignite samples compared to all other coals examined. A BEN causing molecule or molecules may be among phenols, PAHs, benzenes, and/or lignin degradation compounds. The proposed transport pathway of the Pliocene lignite hypothesis for organic compound exposure from endemic area Pliocene lignite coals to well and spring drinking water, is likely. Aromatic compounds leached by groundwater from Pliocene lignite deposits in the vicinity of endemic BEN areas may play a role in the etiology of the disease. A better understanding of organic compounds leached by groundwater from Pliocene lignite deposits may potentially lead to the identification and implementation of effective strategies for the prevention of exposure to the causative agent(s) for BEN, and in turn, prevention of the disease.

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.

Use of Molecular Modeling to Determine the Interaction and Competition of Gases within Coal for Carbon Dioxide Sequestration

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

Jeffrey D. Evanseck; Jeffry D. Madura

A 3-dimensional coal structural model for the Argonne Premium Coal Pocahontas No. 3 has been generated. The model was constructed based on the wealth of structural information available in the literature with the enhancement that the structural diversity within the structure was represented implicitly (for the first time) based on image analysis of HRTEM in combination with LDMS data. The complex and large structural model (>10,000 carbon atoms) will serve as a basis for examining the interaction of gases within this low volatile bituminous coal. Simulations are of interest to permit reasonable simulations of the host-guest interactions with regard tomore » carbon dioxide sequestration within coal and methane displacement from coal. The molecular structure will also prove useful in examining other coal related behavior such as solvent swelling, liquefaction and other properties. Molecular models of CO{sub 2} have been evaluated with water to analyze which classical molecular force-field parameters are the most reasonable to predict the interactions of CO{sub 2} with water. The comparison of the molecular force field models was for a single CO{sub 2}-H{sub 2}O complex and was compared against first principles quantum mechanical calculations. The interaction energies and the electrostatic interaction distances were used as criteria in the comparison. The ab initio calculations included Hartree-Fock, B3LYP, and Moeller-Plesset 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order perturbation theories with basis sets up to the aug-cc-pvtz basis set. The Steele model was the best literature model, when compared to the ab initio data, however, our new CO{sub 2} model reproduces the QM data significantly better than the Steele force-field model.« less

Geologic controls on thermal maturity patterns in Pennsylvanian coal-bearing rocks in the Appalachian basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppert, L.F.; Hower, J.C.; Ryder, R.T.; Levine, J.R.; Trippi, M.H.; Grady, W.C.

2010-01-01

Thermal maturation patterns of Pennsylvanian strata in the Appalachian basin were determined by compiling and contouring published and unpublished vitrinite reflectance (VR) measurements. VR isograd values range from 0.6% in eastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky (western side of the East Kentucky coal field) to greater than 5.5% in eastern Pennsylvania (Southern Anthracite field, Schuylkill County), corresponding to ASTM coal rank classes of high volatile C bituminous to meta-anthracite. VR isograds show that thermal maturity of Pennsylvanian coals generally increases from west to east across the basin. The isograds patterns, which are indicative of maximum temperatures during burial, can be explained by variations in paleodepth of burial, paleogeothermal gradient, or a combination of both. However, there are at least four areas of unusually high-rank coal in the Appalachian basin that depart from the regional trends and are difficult to explain by depth of burial alone: 1) a west-northwestward salient centered in southwestern Pennsylvania; 2) an elliptically-shaped, northeast-trending area centered in southern West Virginia and western Virginia; 3) the eastern part of Black Warrior coal field, Alabama; and 4) the Pennsylvania Anthracite region, in eastern Pennsylvania. High-rank excursions in southwest Pennsylvania, the Black Warrior coal field, and the Pennsylvania Anthracite region are interpreted here to represent areas of higher paleo-heat flow related to syntectonic movement of hot fluids towards the foreland, associated with Alleghanian deformation. In addition to higher heat flow from fluids, the Pennsylvania Anthracite region also experienced greater depth of burial. The high-rank excursion in southwest Virginia was probably primarily controlled by overburden thickness, but may also have been influenced by higher geothermal gradients.

Differentiation of pre-existing trapped methane from thermogenic methane in an igneous-intruded coal by hydrous pyrolysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dias, Robert F.; Lewan, Michael D.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Kotarba, Maciej J.

2014-01-01

So as to better understand how the gas generation potential of coal changes with increasing rank, same-seam samples of bituminous coal from the Illinois Basin that were naturally matured to varying degrees by the intrusion of an igneous dike were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis (HP) conditions of 360 °C for 72 h. The accumulated methane in the reactor headspace was analyzed for δ13C and δ2H, and mol percent composition. Maximum methane production (9.7 mg/g TOC) occurred in the most immature samples (0.5 %Ro), waning to minimal methane values at 2.44 %Ro (0.67 mg/g TOC), and rebounding to 3.6 mg/g TOC methane in the most mature sample (6.76 %Ro). Methane from coal with the highest initial thermal maturity (6.76 %Ro) shows no isotopic dependence on the reactor water and has a microbial δ13C value of −61‰. However, methane from coal of minimal initial thermal maturity (0.5 %Ro) shows hydrogen isotopic dependence on the reaction water and has a δ13C value of −37‰. The gas released from coals under hydrous pyrolysis conditions represents a quantifiable mixture of ancient (270 Ma) methane (likely microbial) that was generated in situ and trapped within the rock during the rapid heating by the dike, and modern (laboratory) thermogenic methane that was generated from the indigenous organic matter due to thermal maturation induced by hydrous pyrolysis conditions. These findings provide an analytical framework for better assessment of natural gas sources and for differentiating generated gas from pre-existing trapped gas in coals of various ranks.

Mineralogy and geochemistry of a superhigh-organic-sulfur coal, Yanshan Coalfield, Yunnan, China: Evidence for a volcanic ash component and influence by submarine exhalation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dai, S.; Ren, D.; Zhou, Y.; Chou, C.-L.; Wang, X.; Zhao, L.; Zhu, Xudong

2008-01-01

The mineralogy and geochemistry of a superhigh-organic-sulfur (SHOS) coal of Late Permian age from the Yanshan Coalfield, Yunnan Province, southwestern China, have been studied using optical microscope, low-temperature ashing plus X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, a sequential chemical extraction procedure, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The M9 Coal from the Yanshan Coalfield is a SHOS coal that has a total sulfur content of 10.12%-11.30% and an organic sulfur content of 8.77%-10.30%. The minerals in the coal consist mainly of high-temperature quartz, sanidine, albite, muscovite, illite, pyrite, and trace amounts of kaolinite, plagioclase, akermanite, rutile, and dawsonite. As compared with ordinary worldwide (bituminous coals and anthracite) and Chinese coals, the M9 Coal is remarkably enriched in B (268????g/g), F (841????g/g), V (567????g/g), Cr (329????g/g), Ni (73.9????g/g), Mo (204????g/g), and U (153????g/g). In addition, elements including Se (25.2????g/g), Zr (262????g/g), Nb (20.1????g/g), Cd (2.07????g/g), and Tl (2.03????g/g) are also enriched in the coal. Occurrence of high-temperature quartz, sanidine, muscovite, and illite in the M9 Coal is evidence that there is a volcanic ash component in the coal that was derived from acid volcanic ashes fallen into the swamp during peat accumulation. Occurrence of albite and dawsonite in the coal and strong enrichment of some elements, including F, S, V, Cr, Ni, Mo and U, are attributed to the influence by submarine exhalation which invaded along with seawater into the anoxic peat swamp. Abundances of lithophile elements, including rare earth elements, Nb, Y, Zr, and TiO2, indicate that the silicate minerals in the coal were derived from the northern Vietnam Upland to the south of the basin. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Palynomorphs of Permian Gondwana coal from borehole GDH-38, Barapukuria Coal Basin, Bangladesh

USGS Publications Warehouse

Akhtar, A.; Kosanke, R.M.

2000-01-01

Thirty-two core samples of Permian Gondwana coal from three coal beds of borehole GDH-38, Barapukuria Coal Basin, Dinajpur, the north-northwestern part of Bangladesh, have been collected for palynological analysis. All samples except one yielded palynomorphs and some samples contain well-preserved and abundant palynomorphs of the gymnospermal and cryptogamic groups that are considered to be useful for future correlation studies. The lower coal bed (331.6-372.5 m) can easily be differentiated from the upper two coal beds by the presence of Alisporites, Cordaitina, Corisaccites, Hamiapollenites, Leuckisporites, Nuskoisporites, Tumoripollenites, Vestgisporites and Vittatina. It is difficult to palynologically differentiate the middle (198.1-208 m) and upper (162.3-172.9 m) coal beds as they contain a very limited number of specimens by which they can be identified. The middle bed is distinguished by the presence of Microbaculispora and Weylandites and the upper bed by the presence of a single taxon Acanthotriletes. Some of the vesiculate or saccate taxa extracted from these coal beds are typical of those occurring in Permian strata of Gondwana in India, South Africa, South America, Russia, Australia and Antarctica. They are thought to be derived from Glossopteris flora, which is characterised by an abundance of Pteridospermic plants of the gymnosperm group. ?? 2000 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.

Anatomically preserved marattiales from coal swamps of the Desmoinesian and Missourian of the midcontinent United States: Systematics, ecology and evolution

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

Lesnikowska, A.D.

1989-01-01

Eleven species-level assemblages of stems, frond members and fertile foliage of anatomically preserved Marattiales are proposed, based on specimens in coal balls from 16 coals in the Desmoinesian and Missourian (Westphalian D and Stephanian) of the Illinois, Forest City and Arkoma Basins. Four new combinations, Psaronius calicifolius (Millay) Lesnikowska, and Psaronius gnomus (Lesnikowska Millay) Lesnikowska, Psaronius illinoensis (Eqart) Lesnikowska, and Psaronius minor (Hoskins) Lesnikowska are made to accommodate well documented assemblages and seven are treated informally. The taxonomy of the fertile foliage is revised as follows: Scolecopteris dispora Lesnikowska sp. nov. is described from an Iowa coal and Scolecopteris parkerensismore » Lesnikowska sp. nov. from the Parker Coal of Indiana. Scolecopteris fragilis is made a synonym of S. mamayi, and S. revoluta, and S. saharaensis synonyms of S. minor. The type and Middle Pennsylvanian specimens of Scolecopteris parvifolia belong in S. minor but the Upper Pennsylvanian specimens are S. illinoensis. Only one species occurs in both the Middle and the Upper Pennsylvanian; the extinction event near the Middle/Upper Pennsylvanian boundary extended to coal-swamp Marattiales as well as tree lycopods. The Upper Pennsylvanian tree ferns are interpreted as derived from clastic-swamp species that recolonized the coal-swamp habitat after this extinction. Upper Pennsylvanian tree ferns were significantly larger than Middle Pennsylvanian ones and were characterized by a massive root mantle whereas as least one Middle Pennsylvanian species lacked a root mantle and had a scrambling habit. Biomass allocation to reproduction was significantly greater in the Middle Pennsylvanian species.« less

Dissolved metals and associated constituents in abandoned coal-mine discharges, Pennsylvania, USA. Part 2: Geochemical controls on constituent concentrations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cravotta, C.A.

2008-01-01

Water-quality data for discharges from 140 abandoned mines in the Anthracite and Bituminous Coalfields of Pennsylvania reveal complex relations among the pH and dissolved solute concentrations that can be explained with geochemical equilibrium models. Observed values of pH ranged from 2.7 to 7.3 in the coal-mine discharges (CMD). Generally, flow rates were smaller and solute concentrations were greater for low-pH CMD samples; pH typically increased with flow rate. Although the frequency distribution of pH was similar for the anthracite and bituminous discharges, the bituminous discharges had smaller median flow rates; greater concentrations of SO4, Fe, Al, As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Sr; comparable concentrations of Mn, Cd, Zn and Se; and smaller concentrations of Ba and Pb than anthracite discharges with the same pH values. The observed relations between the pH and constituent concentrations can be attributed to (1) dilution of acidic water by near-neutral or alkaline ground water; (2) solubility control of Al, Fe, Mn, Ba and Sr by hydroxide, sulfate, and/or carbonate minerals; and (3) aqueous SO4-complexation and surface-complexation (adsorption) reactions. The formation of AlSO4+ and AlHSO42 + complexes adds to the total dissolved Al concentration at equilibrium with Al(OH)3 and/or Al hydroxysulfate phases and can account for 10-20 times greater concentrations of dissolved Al in SO4-laden bituminous discharges compared to anthracite discharges at pH of 5. Sulfate complexation can also account for 10-30 times greater concentrations of dissolved FeIII concentrations at equilibrium with Fe(OH)3 and/or schwertmannite (Fe8O8(OH)4.5(SO4)1.75) at pH of 3-5. In contrast, lower Ba concentrations in bituminous discharges indicate that elevated SO4 concentrations in these CMD sources could limit Ba concentrations by the precipitation of barite (BaSO4). Coprecipitation of Sr with barite could limit concentrations of this element. However, concentrations of dissolved Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn, and most other trace cations in CMD samples were orders of magnitude less than equilibrium with sulfate, carbonate, and/or hydroxide minerals. Surface complexation (adsorption) by hydrous ferric oxides (HFO) could account for the decreased concentrations of these divalent cations with increased pH. In contrast, increased concentrations of As and, to a lesser extent, Se with increased pH could result from the adsorption of these oxyanions by HFO at low pH and desorption at near-neutral pH. Hence, the solute concentrations in CMD and the purity of associated "ochres" formed in CMD settings are expected to vary with pH and aqueous SO4 concentration, with potential for elevated SO4, As and Se in ochres formed at low pH and elevated Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn in ochres formed at near-neutral pH. Elevated SO4 content of ochres could enhance the adsorption of cations at low pH, but decrease the adsorption of anions such as As. Such information on environmental processes that control element concentrations in aqueous samples and associated precipitates could be useful in the design of systems to reduce dissolved contaminant concentrations and/or to recover potentially valuable constituents in mine effluents.

Use of molecular modeling to determine the interaction and competition of gases within coal for carbon dioxide sequestration

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

Jeffrey D. Evanseck; Jeffry D. Madura; Jonathan P. Mathews

2006-04-21

Molecular modeling was employed to both visualize and probe our understanding of carbon dioxide sequestration within a bituminous coal. A large-scale (>20,000 atoms) 3D molecular representation of Pocahontas No. 3 coal was generated. This model was constructed based on a the review data of Stock and Muntean, oxidation and decarboxylation data for aromatic clustersize frequency of Stock and Obeng, and the combination of Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry data with HRTEM, enabled the inclusion of a molecular weight distribution. The model contains 21,931 atoms, with a molecular mass of 174,873 amu, and an average molecular weight of 714 amu, with 201more » structural components. The structure was evaluated based on several characteristics to ensure a reasonable constitution (chemical and physical representation). The helium density of Pocahontas No. 3 coal is 1.34 g/cm{sup 3} (dmmf) and the model was 1.27 g/cm{sup 3}. The structure is microporous, with a pore volume comprising 34% of the volume as expected for a coal of this rank. The representation was used to visualize CO{sub 2}, and CH{sub 4} capacity, and the role of moisture in swelling and CO{sub 2}, and CH{sub 4} capacity reduction. Inclusion of 0.68% moisture by mass (ash-free) enabled the model to swell by 1.2% (volume). Inclusion of CO{sub 2} enabled volumetric swelling of 4%.« less

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

Effect of surface area and chemisorbed oxygen on the SO2 adsorption capacity of activated char

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lizzio, A.A.; DeBarr, J.A.

1996-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether activated char produced from Illinois coal could be used effectively to remove sulfur dioxide from coal combustion flue gas. Chars were prepared from a high-volatile Illinois bituminous coal under a wide range of pyrolysis and activation conditions. A novel char preparation technique was developed to prepare chars with SO2 adsorption capacities significantly greater than that of a commercial activated carbon. In general, there was no correlation between SO2 adsorption capacity and surface area. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) was used to determine the nature and extent of carbon-oxygen (C-O) complexes formed on the char surface. TPD data revealed that SO2 adsorption was inversely proportional to the amount of C-O complex. The formation of a stable C-O complex during char preparation may have served only to occupy carbon sites that were otherwise reactive towards SO2 adsorption. A fleeting C(O) complex formed during SO2 adsorption is postulated to be the reaction intermediate necessary for conversion of SO2 to H2SO4. Copyright ?? 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Development of advanced, continuous mild gasification process for the production of co-products

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

Ness, R.O. Jr.; Aulich, T.R.

1991-05-01

The current objective of the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) mild gasification project is to optimize reaction char and marketable liquids production on a 100-lb/hr scale using Wyodak subbituminous and Indiana No. 3 bituminous coals. Tests performed using the EERC 100-lb/hr process development unit (PDU) include a refractory-cure (Test P001), a test using petroleum coke (Test P002), and tests using Wyodak and Indiana coals. The reactor system used for the 11 PDU tests conducted to date consists of a spouted, fluid-bed carbonizer equipped with an on-line condensation train that yields three boiling point fractions ofmore » coal liquids ranging in volatility from about (77{degrees}--750{degrees}F) (25{degrees}--400{degrees}C). The September--December 1990 quarterly report described reaction conditions and the bulk of the analytical results for Tests P010 and P011. This report describes further P010 and P011 analytical work, including the generation of simulated distillation curves for liquid samples on the basis of sulfur content, using gas chromatography coupled with atomic emission detection (GC/AED) analysis. 13 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Ex-miners in the classrooms, the dedication to safety is total

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

Carroll, W.

1979-04-01

Since October 1976, the National Mine Health and Safety Academy has trained nearly 16,000 persons from Federal and state governments, industry, labor and educational institutions in a variety of subjects bearing on the safety and health of coal and metal and nonmetal miners. The Academy's modern hilltop complex, located in one of the country's most important bituminous coal producing areas, is made up of six buildings with 278,000 square feet of floor space containing about $2.5 million in equipment and furnishings. Classrooms and laboratories can accommodate 600 students, and there is dormitory space for 340 persons. Other facilities include amore » learning resource center, a mine machinery laboratory equipped with a full power panel for operating heavy mining equipment and furnishings. A Department of the Interior agency, the Academy has a civil service staff of 84 and a maintenance staff of 70. From the start, the primary mission of the Academy has been to train Federal coal and metal and nonmetal mine safety and health inspectors. The goal is to support efforts of MSHA and others to reduce mining fatalities, injuries and illnesses by making Academy programs available to the widest possible audience.« less

Method of operating a coal gasifier

DOEpatents

Blaskowski, Henry J.

1979-01-01

A method of operating an entrained flow coal gasifier which comprises the steps of firing coal at two levels in a combustion zone with near stoichiometric air, removing molten ash from the combustion zone, conveying combustion products upwardly from the combustion zone through a reduction zone, injecting additional coal into the combustion products in the reduction zone and gasifying at least a portion of the coal to form low BTU gas, conveying the gas to a point of use, including also reducing gasifier output by modifying the ratio of air to coal supplied to the upper level of the combustion zone so that the ratio becomes increasingly substoichiometric thereby extending the gasification of coal from the reduction zone into the upper level of the combustion zone, and maintaining the lower level of coal in the combustion zone at near stoichiometric conditions so as to provide sufficient heat to maintain effective slagging conditions.

The upper pennsylvanian pittsburgh coal bed: Resources and mine models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watson, W.D.; Ruppert, L.F.; Tewalt, S.J.; Bragg, L.J.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey recently completed a digital coal resource assessment model of the Upper Pennsylvanian Pittsburgh coal bed, which indicates that after subtracting minedout coal, 16 billion short tons (14 billion tonnes) remain of the original 34 billion short tons (31 billion tonnes) of coal. When technical, environmental, and social restrictions are applied to the remaining Pittsburgh coal model, only 12 billion short tons (11 billion tonnes) are available for mining. Our assessment models estimate that up to 0.61 billion short tons (0.55 billion tonnes), 2.7 billion short tons (2.4 billion tonnes), and 8.5 billion short tons (7.7 billion tonnes) could be available for surface mining, continuous mining, and longwall mining, respectively. This analysis is an example of a second-generation regional coal availability study designed to model recoverability characteristics for all the major coal beds in the United States. ?? 2001 International Association for Mathematical Geology.

Coal depositional models in some Tertiary and Cretaceous coal fields in the U.S. Western Interior

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, R.M.

1979-01-01

Detailed stratigraphic and sedimentological studies of the Tertiary Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, and the Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation and Star Point Sandstone in the Wasatch Plateau, Utah, indicate that the depositional environments of coal played a major role in controlling coal thickness, lateral continuity, potential minability, and type of floor and roof rocks. The potentially minable, thick coal beds of the Tongue River Member were primarily formed in long-lived floodbasin backswamps of upper alluvial plain environment. Avulsion of meandering fluvial channels contributed to the erratic lateral extent of coals in this environment. Laterally extensive coals formed in floodbasin backswamps of a lower alluvial plain environment; however, interruption by overbank and crevasse-splay sedimentation produced highly split and merging coal beds. Lacustrine sedimentation common to the lower alluvial plain, similar to the lake-covered lower alluvial valley of the Atchafalaya River Basin, is related to a high-constructive delta. In contrast to these alluvial coals are the deltaic coal deposits of the Blackhawk Formation. The formation consists of three coal populations: upper delta plain, lower delta plain, and 'back-barrier'. Coals of the lower delta plain are thick and laterally extensive, in contrast to those of the upper delta plain and 'back-barrier', which contain abundant, very thin and laterally discontinuous carbonaceous shale partings. The reworking of the delta-front sediments of the Star Point Sandstone suggests that the Blackhawk-Star Point delta was a high-destructive system. ?? 1979.

High Time- and Size-Resolved Measurements of PM and Chemical Composition from Coal Combustion: Implications for the EC Formation Process.

PubMed

Han, Yong; Chen, Yingjun; Ahmad, Saud; Feng, Yanli; Zhang, Fan; Song, Wenhuai; Cao, Fang; Zhang, Yanlin; Yang, Xin; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan

2018-06-05

Inefficient coal combustion is a significant source of elemental carbon (EC) air pollution in China, but there is a limited understanding of EC's formation processes. In this study, high time-resolved particle number size distributions (PNSDs) and size-resolved chemical compositions were obtained from the combustion of four bituminous coals burned in a quartz tube furnace at 500 and 800 °C. Based on the distinct characteristics of PNSD, the flaming stage was divided into the first-flaming stage (with a PNSD peak at 0.3-0.4 μm) and the second-flaming stage (with a PNSD peak at 0.1-0.15 μm). For the size-segregated EC and OC measurements, more soot-EC was observed in particles larger than 0.3 μm, whereas the smaller ones possessed more char-EC. The results indicated that gas-phase and direct-conversion EC generation mechanisms dominate different burning stages. The analysis of 16 parent PAHs showed more high-molecular-weight PAHs in the second-flaming stage particles, which supports the idea of different formation processes for char-EC and soot-EC. For all four coals, the PNSD and chemical compositions shared a similar trend, confirming that the different formation processes of EC in different flaming stages were common. This study provides novel information concerning EC formation.