Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The feasibility study was conducted on a model project in Vietnam, aimed at solving the environmental pollution problems resulting from use of coal by demonstrating and disseminating the Japan's environmental technologies in the Southeast Asian countries. The feasibility study was conducted for the Cua Ong Coal Preparation Enterprise, which has the largest coal preparation capacity in Vietnam and port facilities. It is treating raw coal from 10 coal mines for classification and preparation, and shipping coal of various types that meet the standards for domestic use and export. The survey results point out that unrecovered coal remains in waste water discharged from the coal preparation plants to pollute the sea area, and that quantity of the refuse increases because of the unrecovered coal it contains. The environmental technologies needed to introduce include modification to variable wave pattern type jigging separator, refuse height measuring instrument and automatic ...

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Coal demineralization mechanism and its optimum condition were studied by hydrothermal reaction between Ca(OH)2 and quartz as a coal demineralization model. In experiment, the mixture of powder quartz and Ca(OH)2 water slurry was subjected to reaction in an autoclave under spontaneous pressure at 175-340{degree}C. After dried in N2 gas atmosphere at 105{degree}C, the reaction product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, thermo-balance and differential thermal analysis. In measurement of quartz conversion, the specimen was analyzed by X-ray diffraction after removal of bound water by heat treatment at 850{degree}C. The mixture of clean coal deashed by NaOH and a fixed amount of quartz was also used as specimen for experiment. As the experimental result, dicalcium silicate hydrate was mainly produced at 175{degree}C, and the product changed into xonotlite through tobermorite by longer treatment at higher temperature. For complete reaction of quartz, heat treatments for 7 and 5 hours at 300 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To use such sites very effectively, pile foundations will be used for soil stabilization and for important structures for the prevention of subsidence. Negative friction that may ensue from the differential settlement of the soil has to be prevented. Measures against gas will include gas collecting and exhausting facilities in the lower parts of structures, natural and forced exhaust systems, and gas detection/warning units. For revegetation, plants strong against bad soil should be selected, they should be protected from generated gas with protecting sheets or the like, and a thick layer of vegetation-capable soil needs to be laid. Replacement, compaction, and solidification are the fundamentals of soil improvement at wastes final treatment locations and of soil-related pollution prevention in the vicinity of the newly produced sites. Across the country, the service life expectancy is approximately 7-8 years for general wastes and approximately 2.3 years for industrial wastes, and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

With an objective to use reproducible vegetable oil as a substitute fuel, studies were performed to use emulsified rapeseed oil at an optimal mixing ratio with water in a direct injection diesel engine. The experiment used a water cooled, lateral installation, single-cylinder, direct injection, four-cycle diesel engine, and the tested fuel used an emulsified rapeseed oil fuel with rapeseed oil added with water at a rate of 20% by weight. As a result of the experiment using the emulsified rapeseed oil, it was found that reducing the injection opening diameter smaller than the standard opening diameter improves the engine performance and simultaneously reduces concentrations of HC, CO and exhaust smoke. The optimal opening diameter was about 0.22 mm. Increasing the valve opening pressure reduced the NOx concentration, but increased the HC concentration. Using the emulsified rapeseed oil fuel accumulated more carbon below the head, but much smaller amount on the piston side than with ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Features particular to the technology of using a blast furnace for the recycling of plastic waste are reported, and the behavior of plastic waste injected into a blast furnace is described. The plastic waste is injected into the furnace borne on a 1200degC hot blast through the tuyere. The plastic is converted into a reducing gas in the furnace, and the gas on its way up in the furnace is utilized as a reducing agent in the iron ore reducing reaction. The process is described below. All kinds of plastic waste may be utilized in this fashion, with the exception of polyvinyl chloride. As for polyvinyl chloride, efforts are under way to develop a technology to recycle this plastic. The method using the blast furnace tolerates a wide range of impurities, and the plastic waste is only to be crushed and granulated before use in the furnace. Plastic waste coarsely granulated but not pulverized may be completely gasified when the blast furnace raceway function is utilized. Since plastic waste ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Introduction of geothermal heat pump systems, which depend on temperature differential, is investigated for urban areas, which have large energy demands. Results of the surveys on the current situations of geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems indicate that they have already numbered 300,000 units in USA and totaled more than 50,000 units in Switzerland and Northern European countries, and that they are increasing at an annual rate of higher than 10%. The results also indicate that introduction of these systems are well feasible in Japan, which generally has better topographical conditions than American and European countries, and the GHP system with vertical ground heat exchanger is investigated for its topographical and environmental considerations. These systems could annually abate approximately 52 million tons of CO2 (4.3% decrease), if disseminated to all households. They are also expected to help control the heat island phenomenon, and reduce peak power consumption. The ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The behavior and properties of associated bodies were studied through measurement of surface tension considering acetone-soluble fraction relatively light among various solvent extracts of coal. In experiment, the acetone-soluble fraction was extracted from the substances extracted from Upper Freeport coal as standard specimen using the mixed solvent of carbon disulfide (CS2) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), and it was dissolved into NMP after drying. Surface tension was measured by Wilhelmy method. The experimental results are as follows. Equilibrium surface tension is equal to the surface tension of pure solvent in a low concentration range of solution, and decreases with an increase in concentration approaching a fixed value at 0 in log concentration, nearly showing an S curve. Adsorption of species with non-polar aromatic ring of the acetone-soluble fraction on a solution surface probably decreases surface tension. Change with time in surface tension is observed which suggests ...

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Process solvent was hydrogenated in the brown coal liquefaction, to investigate the influence of it on the prethermal treatment and liquefaction. Consequently, it was found that the n-hexane soluble (HS) yield was improved. In this study, capacity of hydrogen transfer from solvent during prethermal treatment and effects of catalyst were investigated. Since prethermal treatment in oil was effective for improving the oil yield in the presence of hydrogen/catalyst or high hydrogen-donor solvent, influence of hydrogen-donor performance of solvent or addition of catalyst on the hydrogenation behavior of coal and the characteristics of products during prethermal treatment were investigated in relation to successive liquefaction results. As a result, it was found that the increase of HS yield was due to the acceleration of conversion of THF-insoluble using high hydrogen-donor solvent and/or by adding catalyst. It was also found that the use of high hydrogen-donor solvent and highly active ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Concerning the coal liquefaction research under way at the National Institute for Resources and Development, its purpose, contents, achievements, problems, future tasks, etc., are recapitulated. At the meeting, the coal liquefaction research is explained and discussed. Study tours are conducted to a liquefaction plant site, hydrolytic liquefaction facilities, and liquefaction facilities involving ultra-strong acid. Explanations are given on sub-themes of research in and after fiscal 1992 and the future prospects, and discussion is held on general matters. Various views and opinions are expressed by the committee members. Some ask what the chemical structure of coal is and what the model substance that represents coal is. Another insists that basic research on coal structure and reactivity be reconstructed. Those whose goal is to put the technology to practical use express their opinions that a clear position be given the liquefaction technology in the industrial community, that the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The paper reported on an experiment on measurement of concentration of highly concentrated coal slurry using microwaves carried out at Miike coal preparation works. The purpose of the experiment was to investigate applicability of microwave moisture content measurement of slurry of a mixture of coal and coal particles and to use it to the control of process such as coal preparation and processing. In the experiment, a method for measuring the slurry concentration was adopted in which the container filled with highly concentrated coal slurry was irradiated with microwaves and the damping of strength of the penetrating microwaves was detected. As a result of the experiment, it was found out that there was a big correlation between the capacitive concentration of slurry and the damping ratio of microwaves. When irradiating slurry with microwaves of 1GHz frequency, a big correlation between the concentration and the damping ratio was seen in capacitive concentration of water of 40-100%. To ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

For developing coal liquefaction processes, it is an important problem to improve the light oil yield with increased oil yield. It was previously reported that distillate mainly containing lighter fraction can be produced with high oil yield by reducing the iron/sulfur catalyst addition in slurry, by recycling gas in the process operation, by utilizing these effects, and by using heavy oil as recycling solvent. In this study, the maximum distillate yield of Victorian brown coal was investigated through continuous liquefaction using a bench scale unit. In addition, operation conditions for obtaining sufficient oil yield were investigated under the reduced catalyst addition into one-third. Consequently, it was confirmed that the maximum content of lighter fraction in distillate product was obtained with reduced catalyst addition by using heavy oil as recycling solvent, by adopting new catalyst, and by utilizing effects of CLB recycling and gas recycling in maximum. It was also revealed ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

It was previously reported that the tritium tracer method is useful for the quantitative consideration of hydrogen behavior in coal during coal liquefaction reaction. Tetralin is excellent hydrogen donating solvent, and is considered as one of the model compounds of coal. In this study, effects of H2S and H2O on the hydrogen exchange reaction between tetralin and gaseous hydrogen labeled by tritium were investigated. It was suggested that the conversion of tetralin and the hydrogen exchange reaction between gaseous hydrogen and tetralin proceed through the radical reaction mechanism with a tetralyl radical as an intermediate product. When H2S existed in this reaction, the hydrogen exchange yield increased drastically without changing the conversion yield. This suggested that the hydrogen exchange reaction proceeds even in the reaction where radical does not give any effect. In the case of H2O addition, the conversion yield and hydrogen exchange rate decreased into a half or one-third. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the wide range from brown coal to anthracite, an investigation was made of effects of heat treatment on physical/chemical properties and of coal rank dependence. For the experiment, 12 kinds of coal samples were used, and for heat treatment, the fluidized bed heated by the electric furnace and the infrared-ray gold image furnace were used. To examine characteristics of the heat-treated coal char, conducted were oxygen gasification, TPD measurement, XRD measurement, alkali metal measurement, and pore distribution measurement. The following were obtained from the experiment. The gasification reaction rate of the char heat-treated in the temperature range between 900{degree}C to 1700{degree}C decreases with a rise of the temperature of heat treatment, and the degree of decrease in the rate depends on coal rank. The order of gasification rate between coal ranks depends on the temperature of heat treatment, and the lower the heat treatment temperature is, the more largely the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The computer aided coal structure construction system is proposed, and a computational construction example is presented. The coal structure construction engine of this system fabricates molecular structure by connecting fragments sequentially inputted through a user interface. The best structure candidate is determined using construction knowledge and partial energy evaluation every addition of one fragment, and this process is subsequently repeated. The structure evaluation engine analyzes the 3-D conformation candidate by molecular dynamics, and evaluates the conformation by determining the energy value of an optimum structure. As an example, this system was applied to construction of coal molecular structure based on the actual data of partial structure composed of 26 structures from 2l kinds of aromatic cluster structures, 27 bonds from 2 kinds of bridged bonds, and 16 groups from 2 kinds of terminal substitutional groups. As a result, this system could construct a superior ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An investigation was given on the relationship between methanol adsorbing behavior of reformed coal surface and oxygen containing functional groups in coal. Akabira bituminous coal was air-oxidized or Yallourn brown coal was decarbonated in oil as a reformation treatment. Both of the treated and untreated coals showed an adsorption heat curve of the Langmuir type. The Akabira coal had its oxygen content and the adsorption heat increased as a result of the air oxidizing reformation treatment. The Yallourn coal had its oxygen content and adsorption heat decreased as a result decarbonation reformation treatment. Oxygen containing functional groups act as strong adsorption sites for methanol, and the maximum adsorption amount depends on oxygen content in the coals. Since the coal surface is non-uniform in terms of energy, methanol is adsorbed first into sites with higher molar adsorption heat, and then into lower sites sequentially. Therefore, distribution of the molar adsorption heat can ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Three typical Japanese coals of non-coking coal, coking coal and anthracite were heat-treated with KOH, and change in their pore structure was examined by absorption of N2, X-ray diffraction and TEM observation. In addition, the relation between a coal rank and pore structure was also studied by absorption experiment of N2. In experiment, the mixture of coal and KOH in a nickel holder was heat-treated in N2 gas flow at heating rate of 2{degree}C/min, and held at a fixed temperature for one hour. To clarify the pore structure, N2 absorption isotherms were measured at -196{degree}C under nearly 76cmHg using a commercially available full-automatic absorption measurement equipment. Based on the X-ray diffraction and TEM observation results on activated coals, the relation between the N2 absorption and pore structure was studied. The results are summarized as follows: (1) The yield and absorption ability of coals increase with a coal rank, (2) The specific surface area of coals reaches its ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Investigations and studies are conducted seeking for a CO2 fixation method improved by utilizing the photosynthesizing function of higher vegetation. Details of higher vegetation genes are being disclosed thanks to the rapid progress of studies making use of molecular biological techniques, and the application of the genetic mechanism to scientific and technological fields is becoming increasingly feasible. In particular, the role of the CO2 fixation enzyme RuBisCO has been elucidated almost completely. It has been learned that, in terms of photosynthesizing capability, the C{sub 4} plants (corn etc.) are 2-3 times higher than the C{sub 3} plants (rice, wheat, etc.), and 5-10 times higher than the CAM plants (cactuses etc.). Studies are also under way about the rice genome so that a photosynthesizing capability so high as that of the C{sub 4} plants may be endowed the rice plant. The metabolism and control of useful substances produced in the CO2 fixation process etc. in the higher ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The R and D were carried out of a detecting system for measurement of data on the bottom of geothermal well, data transmission and signal processing, and an analysis system for well drilling trajectory control and well assessment while geothermal well drilling based on the data obtained by the detecting system. The paper reported the results of the technology development in fiscal 1996. In the development of the detecting system, improvement/design were conducted on a mud pulse generator constituting sonde, well bottom signal processing equipment, mode switch and inclined information sensor, and the system equivalent to the actual one was manufactured to conduct a running test at high temperature/pressure. Moreover, a test to confirm heat resistance of electronic parts was made for further improvement in heat resistance of the sonde, in order to obtain the data. In the development of an analysis system, conducted were enhancement of operability of the planning/indication portions of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

At COP3 in 1997, an agreement was made to the innovative technical development/promotion by international cooperation, and the promotion of transfer of environmental technology to developing countries. Under the agreement, a feasibility study of international cooperation was made, and especially a study was conducted of the utilization/development of solar energy by the innovative solar thermochemical process. The main reason for global warming is emissions of a large amount of CO2 caused by the direct combustion of fossil fuels. Therefore, a CO2 recycle system taken up in the study enables a more substantial decline in CO2 emission (kg/kWh) per unit generation than the conventional thermal power system by composing solar methanol or solar dimethyl ether using fossil fuels including coal, water, CO2, etc. as raw materials and using solar energy as heat source, and by using this as fuel (solar fuel). CO2 can be reduced by 13% to 14% by substituting solar methanol or solar dimethyl ether ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to discuss effectiveness of physical exploration in the Sakonishi prospect in the Hida area, physical exploration was carried out by utilizing bored wells. This area contains the Kamioka mine, one of the major base metal mines in Japan, where electrical exploration has been attempted several times in the past. No effective results have been obtained, however, because specific resistance contrast between mine beds and base rocks is too small, and the topography is too steep making site workability inferior. As part of the investigations on geological structures over wide areas, electrical logging (specific resistance and natural potential) was performed in fiscal 1995 and 1996 by utilizing the boreholes. Induced polarization logging was also conducted on the same boreholes. A traverse line on the ground with a length of 600 m and boreholes were used to execute specific resistance tomography. Clear extraction was possible on a fault structure which is thought related with ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

With an objective to clarify the interactions between micropore structure of coal and solvent reagents, a sorption experiment was carried out under solvent saturated vapor pressure. Low-volatile bituminous coal, Pocahontas No. 3 coal, has the aromatic ring structure developed, and makes solvent more difficult to diffuse into coal, hence sorption amount is small. Methanol has permeated since its polarity is high. High-volatile bituminous coal, Illinois No. 6 coal, makes solvent penetrate easily, and the sorption amount was large with both of aromatic and polar solvents. Since brown coal, Beulah Zap coal, contains a large amount of oxygen, and hydrogen bonding is predominant, sorption amount of cyclohexane and benzene having no polarity is small. Methanol diffuses while releasing hydrogen bond due to its polarity, and its sorption amount is large. A double sorption model is available, which expresses the whole sorption amount as a sum of physical sorption amount and amount of permeation ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper discusses spectral change in brown coal and bituminous coal as a result of low-temperature drying. The experiment used a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy disposed with an in-situ diffuse reflector as a water content measuring method. The FT-IR spectra of coal showed the existence of two types of adsorbed water. One of the two spectral peaks was thought to have been caused by isolated water molecules which may have been hydrogen bonded to hydrocarbon in the coal molecules and weakly bound. The other peak was thought to have been caused by water which may have been hydrogen bonded to functional groups such as hydroxyl groups in the coal molecules and strongly bound. Drying behavior in brown coal and bituminous coal showed the absorption peak at 3640 cm[sup -1] reducing faster than the absorption peak at 3360cm[sup -1]. Depressurized drying was found to be more effective than flowing nitrogen gas. The extent of absorption strength restoration in bituminous coal ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Co-processing of Battle River coal and Cold Lake oil sand bitumen from Canada was carried out in the presence of Ni-Mo, Co-Mo and red-mud/sulfur catalysts under reaction conditions of 400-450{degree}C, 10-120 min and 22-23 MPa of reaction hydrogen pressure by using a 500 ml shaking-type autoclave. The conversion of Battle River coal during the reprocessing was 97.1 wt% (daf) at 450{degree}C for 121 min with Ni-Mo catalyst, higher than 95.7 wt% (daf) at 450{degree}C for 120 min with red-mud/sulfur catalyst and anthracite oil. Cold lake oil sand bitumen was excellent solvent to liquefy Battle River coal comparing with anthracite on. In the presence of Ni-Mo catalyst during the coprocessing, the hydrogen consumption was nearly the same as that with red-mud/sulfur catalyst. Ni-Mo catalyst gave higher conversion of Battle River coal in the initial stage of the reaction than red-mud/sulfur catalyst. Ni-Mo catalyst also showed good activities for removal of asphaltene and heteroatoms from ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

With an objective to learn mechanisms in low-rank coal reformation processes, change of properties on coal surface was discussed. Difficulty in handling low-rank coal is attributed to large intrinsic water content. Since it contains highly volatile components, it has a danger of spontaneous ignition. The hot water drying (HWD) method was used for reformation. Coal which has been dry-pulverized to a grain size of 1 mm or smaller was mixed with water to make slurry, heated in an autoclave, cooled, filtered, and dried in vacuum. The HWD applied to Loy Yang and Yallourn coals resulted in rapid rise in pressure starting from about 250{degree}C. Water content (ANA value) absorbed into the coal has decreased largely, with the surface made hydrophobic effectively due to high temperature and pressure. Hydroxyl group and carbonyl group contents in the coal have decreased largely with rising reformation treatment temperature (according to FT-IR measurement). Specific surface area of the original ...