Although products of coal combustion (PCCs) such as coal ash are currently exempted from classification as a hazardous waste in the United States under the 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now revising a proposed rule to modify disposal practices for these materials in order to prevent contamination of ground- and surface water sources by leached trace elements. This paper analyzes several aspects of EPA’s scientific reasoning for instating the rule, with the intent of answering the following questions: 1) Are EPA’s cited values for PCC production and disposal accurate estimates of annual totals?; 2) In what ways can EPA’s leaching risk modeling assessment be improved?; 3) What is the total quantity of trace elements contained within all PCCs disposed annually?; and 4) What would be the potential costs and feasibility of reclassifying PCCs not under RCRA, but under existing NRC regulations as low-level radioactive waste (LLRW)? Among the results of my calculations, I found that although EPA estimates for annual PCC disposal are 20% larger than industry statistics, these latter values appear to be closer to reality. Second, EPA appears to have significantly underestimated historical PCC disposal: my projections indicate that EPA’s maximum estimate for the quantity of fly ash landfilled within the past 90 years was likely met by production in the last 30 years alone, if not less. Finally, my analysis indicates that while PCCs may potentially meet the criteria for reclassification as low-level radioactive waste by NRC, the cost of such regulation would be many times that of the EPA June proposed disposal rule ($220-302 billion for PCCs disposed in 2008 alone, versus $1.47 billion per year for the Subtitle C option and $236-587 million for Subtitle D regulatory options). / text

The Permo-Carboniferous Dwyka Group and Vryheid Formation of the Karoo. Sequence in the Highveld Coalfield are analysed to determine the depositional systems operative during sedimentation. The investigation involves the processing of "629" borehole cores and logs in an area of 860km2.[Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / AC2017

ABSTRACT MONITORING AND STATISTICAL MODELLING OF DUST CONCENTRATION OF SOME TURKISH LIGNITES UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS Karakas, Ahmet Ph.D., Department of Mining Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Tevfik G&uuml / yag&uuml / ler September 2010, 171 pages Although technological developments enable maximum safety, high dust formation is still a crucial problem in coal mining sector. This study is aimed to investigate the relationship between amount of coal dust produced during cutting operation and some important coal properties together with cutting parameters for different particle size ranges in laboratory conditions. For this purpose, six Turkish lignite samples were used in the experiments. Two experiment sets were designed to generate coal dust by using cutting action of the saw. First group of experiments were conducted in large scale saw system by using saws having three different diameters and dust concentration measurements were done for three group of particle size namely: 0-2.5 &mu / m, 0-5 &mu / m and 0-10 &mu / m. Second group of experiments were done in small scale saw system by changing the table advancing speed and tip speed of the system. For this group of experiments, only one type of lignite samples were used. These measurements were carried out only 0-10 &mu / m particle size range by using a saw with 30 cm in diamater. In this study, to characterize the lignite samples / proximate, petrographic and grindability analysis (HGI) were made. During the experiments, dust concentrations were measured by using Microdust Pro real time dust monitoring equipment. At the end of the study, the relationship between coal dust concentration and some coal properties and cutting operating parameters were expressed by using four different regression equations. Also it has been found that tip speed of saw, fixed carbon, ash and huminite content, vitrinite reflectance and hardgrove grindability index are very important parameters in coal dust generation. Keywords: Respirable Coal Dust, Dust Generation, Real Time Dust Sampler, Coal Dust Diseases, Coal Cutting Operation.

Les émissions de CO2 dans l'atmosphère sont reconnues comme ayant un effet significatif sur le réchauffement climatique. Le stockage géologique de CO2 est largement considéré comme une approche essentielle pour réduire l'impact de telles émissions sur l'environnement. De plus, injecter du dioxyde de carbone dans les veines de charbon remplies de méthane présent naturellement facilite la récupération de ce méthane, un processus connu sous le nom de récupération assistée du méthane des veines de charbon (ECBM en anglais). Mais le gonflement de la matrice de charbon induite par l'adsorption préférentielle de dioxyde de carbone par rapport au méthane conduit à la fermeture du système de cleats (un ensemble de petites fractures naturelles) du réservoir et donc à une perte d'injectivité. Cette thèse de doctorat est consacrée à l'étude de comment cet injectivité évolue en présence de fluides. Nous dérivons deux modèles poromécaniques à double porosité pour une veine de charbon saturée par un liquide pur. Les équations constitutives obtenues permettent de mieux comprendre et modéliser le lien entre injectivité de la veine de charbon et gonflement du charbon induit par l'adsorption. Pour les deux modèles, on considère l'espace poreux du réservoir comme divisé en les cleats macroporeuses et les pores de la matrice de charbon. Les deux modèles diffèrent dans la manière dont l'adsorption de fluide est prise en compte : le premier modèle est limité à une adsorption surfacique, tandis que le deuxième modèle peut être appliqué à l'adsorption dans un milieu possédant un réseau poreux générique, et donc dans un milieu microporeux comme le charbon, pour lequel l'adsorption se déroule principalement par remplissage de micropores. Le second modèle est calibré sur deux charbons avec des propriétés de sorption et de gonflement différentes. Nous effectuons alors des simulations à différentes échelles (du Volume Élémentaire Représentatif, de l'échantillon de charbon, la veine de charbon). En particulier, nous validons notre modèle sur des données expérimentales de variations de perméabilité de charbon induites par l'adsorption. Nous effectuons aussi des simulations de veines dont le méthane serait produit (un processus connu sous le nom de CBM en anglais) ou de veines sans méthane dans lesquelles du CO2 serait injecté. Nous étudions l'effet de différents paramètres tels que les conditions aux limites, la compressibilité de la matrice de charbon, ou la cinétique de transfert de liquide entre les cleats et la matrice de charbon. Dans une dernière partie, le modèle dérivé est étendu aux cas pour lesquels le charbon est en présence de mélanges fluides binaires tels que les mélanges de méthane et le dioxyde de carbone. Nous calibrons entièrement calibré ce modèle étendu sur des données disponibles obtenues expérimentalement et par simulations moléculaires. Des calculs sont alors effectués à l'échelle d'un Volume Élémentaire Représentatif pour prévoir comment sa porosité et sa perméabilité varient en présence de mélanges fluides de méthane et de dioxyde de carbone / CO2 emissions into the atmosphere are recognized to have a significant effect on global warming. Geological storage of CO2 is widely regarded as an essential approach to reduce the impact of such emissions on the environment. Moreover, injecting carbon dioxide in coal bed methane reservoirs facilitates the recovery of the methane naturally present, a process known as enhanced coal bed methane recovery (ECBM). But the swelling of the coal matrix induced by the preferential adsorption by coal of carbon dioxide over the methane in place leads to a closure of the cleat system (a set of small natural fractures) of the reservoir and therefore to a loss of injectivity. This PhD thesis is dedicated to a study of how this injectivity evolves in presence of fluids. We derive two poromechanical dual-porosity models for a coal bed reservoir saturated by a pure fluid. The resulting constitutive equations enable to better understand and model the link between the injectivity of a coal seam and the adsorption-induced swelling of coal. For both models, the pore space of the reservoir is considered to be divided into the macroporous cleats and the pores of the coal matrix. The two models differ by how adsorption of fluid is taken into account: the first model is restricted to surface adsorption, while the second model can be applied for adsorption in a medium with a generic pore size distribution and thus in a microporous medium such as coal, in which adsorption mostly occurs by micropore filling. The latter model is calibrated on two coals with different sorption and swelling properties. We then perform simulations at various scales (Representative Elementary Volume, coal sample, coal seam). In particular, we validate our model on experimental data of adsorption-induced variations of permeability of coal. We also perform simulations of seams from which methane would be produced (CBM) or of methane-free seams into which CO2 would be injected. We study the effect of various parameters such as boundary conditions, compressibility of the coal matrix, or kinetics of transfer of fluid between cleats and coal matrix. In a final part, the derived model is extended to cases for which coal is in presence of fluid binary mixtures such as mixtures of methane and carbon dioxide. We fully calibrate this extended model on available data obtained experimentally and by molecular simulations. Calculations are then performed at the scale of a Representative Elementary Volume in order to predict how its porosity and its permeability vary in presence of fluid mixtures of methane and carbon dioxide

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / The future of energy in South Africa depends on coal as it is one of the cheapest and most affordable sources of energy; however, some of the coal is uneconomical to mine due to the thickness and depth of the coal seams. For many years the coal resources of the Soutpansberg Coalfield remained untapped and limitedly researched and with the coal resources running out in the other coalfields, the Soutpansberg Coalfield remained the bright coalfield of tomorrow in South Africa. Coal seams in the Soutpansberg Coalfield occur within the Madzaringwe Formation. Three coal basins have been identified in this coalfield, are the Venda-Pafuri, Tshipise and Mopane. Sedimentological basin analysis of the coal stratigraphy and characterisation of the Soutpansberg Coalfield in the Makhado area, Limpopo Province was investigated within the farms of Rissik, Fannie, Duel, and Lurkin. The main purpose of the study was to establish the variation of the coal stratigraphy and how coal influenced the stratigraphy within the area. Fieldwork involved core logging and core sampling from the different farms within the Makhado coal area, while laboratory work included petrographic studies, investigation of the physical and chemical properties of coal. Core logging revealed the occurrence of coal zones where coal seams were intercalating with mudstones, but rarely with siltstone that formed the footwall of coal. Rarely was coal intruded by dolerite dyke as was the case along borehole W6610001. Core logging further revealed the sedimentary structures in the lithologies and the depth at which different lithologies were intersected. From these sedimentary structures, the environment of coal deposition was deduced supported by the geochemical analysis of major oxides and trace elements. Correlation of boreholes along the strike showed that the shale and mudrock were the predominant rocks within the coal horizon leading to the conclusion that these were the coal host rocks. Whole rock geochemical analysis was undertaken, using X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy in order to establish the rock types and their trace element contents. The collected samples were analysed at the University of Venda, Department of Mining and Environmental Geology Laboratory, Siza Coal Services in Secunda and Council for Geoscience. The study indicated that the coal seams of the Soutpansberg Coalfield were deposited within the floodplain of a mixed-load fluvio-deltaic (fluvial and braided) systems. This sedimentary channel has been the major influence on the development of the coal seams. Locational changes in sedimentary facies above and below the coal seams within the study area has caused variations in the rates of compaction and subsidence which influenced the coal basin morphology and the coalification pattern. These two parameters (variations in the rates of compaction and subsidence) controlled the coal quality parameters, and coal seam thickness as well as the coal composition. The study confirmed that coal quality and thickness vary markedly from place to place in this coalfield due to varying local depositional environments. Most of the drill holes intersected mainly 3 coal seams, although in some cases either 2 or 5 seams were intersected. The thickest coal seam (borehole F578002) was 8 m. It was concluded that the coal was sub-bituminous to bituminous coal rank class (medium-volatile bituminous coal rank class). The coal had low moisture content ranging from 0.7-0.8%, and ash content ranging from 21.4-32%. The fixed carbon and volatile matter values of the coal samples ranged from 42.5 to 50.4% and from 25.2 to 27.4% respectively. The carbon and hydrogen were the main principal combustible elements in coal, however; carbon is the predominant one based on weight, constituting about 5.3% (the lowest) to 70.3% (highest) of the total. Due to the nature and thickness of the coal seams we conclude that this coal was economical to be mined and can be used for electricity generation and in cement grinding plants. A graph of coal gas concentrations over combustion time showed that methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) had high gas concentrations, amounting to 1.75% and 1.70% respectively. / NRF

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Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1966 J6 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1978 H77 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 P63 / Master of Science