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US 4,377,356 AGranted
Method and apparatus for moving coal including one or more intermediate periods of storage
AssigneeArthur D. Little, Inc.
InventorChakra J. Santhanam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Finely divided coal is slurried with liquid carbon dioxide and pumped from a source (mine, dump, railway car, etc.) to a loading pier where, after deslurrying, the coal is pneumatically carried by gaseous carbon dioxide into a storage facility or directly to a waterborne carrier. The coal is maintained under a blanket of carbon dioxide gas during storage and transport. When the waterborne carrier, which may be an ocean going vessel or an inland waterway vessel, reaches its destination, the coal is removed using carbon dioxide gas and then delivered to storage or a use point. If the use point is some distance away, the coal may be reslurried with liquid carbon dioxide and pumped to its final destination.
Claims43
A method of transporting coal including one or more intermediate periods of storage, comprising the steps of
- (a) providing coal in finely divided particulate form;
- (b) storing said finely divided coal in a storage space under a protective blanket of gaseous carbon dioxide;
- (c) introducing said coal into said storage space by pneumatically pumping it with gaseous carbon dioxide;
- and
- (d) slurrying said coal with liquid carbon dioxide;
- (e) pumping the coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry of step (d) to the vicinity of said storage space before said introducing of said coal into said storage space;
- and
- (f) deslurrying said coal from the coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry comprising reducing the pressure on said slurry to that level at which essentially all of said liquid carbon dioxide is vaporized out of said slurry and, while reducing the pressure, introducing into said slurry sufficient heat to replace that lost by reducing said pressure on said slurry and prevent the formation of any appreciable quantity of solid carbon dioxide.
5 more elements
A method of loading coal onto a waterborne carrier, comprising the steps of
- (a) providing coal in finely divided particulate form in a coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry;
- (b) deslurrying said coal from said liquid carbon dioxide slurry comprising reducing the pressure on said slurry to that level at which essentially all of said liquid carbon dioxide is vaporized out of said slurry and, while reducing the pressure, introducing into said slurry sufficient heat to replace that lost by reducing said pressure on said slurry and prevent the formation of any appreciable quantity of solid carbon dioxide;
- (c) pneumatically pumping said coal onto a waterborne carrier;
- and
- (d) maintaining a protective gaseous blanket over said coal in said carrier.
2 more elements
A method of unloading coal from a waterborne carrier comprising the steps of
- (a) providing coal in a finely divided particulate form;
- (b) storing said finely divided coal in a storage space in said carrier under a protective blanket of gaseous carbon dioxide;
- (c) withdrawing said coal from said storage space by pneumatically pumping it with gaseous carbon dioxide;
- (d) slurrying said coal with liquid carbon dioxide;
- (e) pumping the coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry at step (d) from the vicinity of said storage space after said withdrawing of said coal from said storage space;
- and
- (f) deslurrying said coal from the coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry located in the vicinity of an anchorage for said carrier, said deslurrying comprising reducing the pressure on said slurry to that level at which essentially all of said liquid carbon dioxide is vaporized out of said slurry and, while reducing the pressure, introducing into said slurry sufficient heat to replace that lost by reducing said pressure on said slurry and prevent the formation of any appreciable quantity of solid carbon dioxide.
4 more elements
A system for the transportation of coal including one or more intermediate periods of storage, comprising in combination
- (a) storage means to store coal in finely divided particulate form under a protective blanket of gaseous carbon dioxide;
- (b) pneumatic pumping means arranged to convey said coal by pneumatically pumping it with gaseous carbon dioxide;
- (c) slurrying means arranged to form a pumpable coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry;
- (d) deslurrying means arranged to separate said coal from said slurry comprising, in combination, means to reduce the pressure on said slurry to that level at which all of said carbon dioxide is vaporized out of said slurry and, means to introduce into said slurry, during the reduction in pressure sufficient heat to replace that lost by reducing said pressure on said slurry and prevent the formation of any appreciable quantity of solid carbon dioxide;
- and
- (e) slurry pumping means arranged to pump said slurry from said slurrying means to said deslurrying means;
- the order of said means in said system being said slurry means;
- said slurry pumping means;
- said deslurrying means;
- and said pneumatic pumping means, to convey said coal into said storage means, and said pneumatic pumping means, said slurrying means, said slurry pumping means and said deslurrying means to withdraw said coal from said storage means.
7 more elements
Apparatus for loading coal onto a waterborne carrier, comprising in combination
- (a) coal supply means to provide coal in finely divided particulate form;
- (b) slurrying means arranged to form a pumpable liquid carbon dioxide slurry with said coal;
- (c) deslurrying means arranged to separate said coal from said slurry and located in the vicinity of an anchorage for said carrier, said deslurrying means comprising in combination, means to reduce the pressure of the coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry to the level at which all of said liquid carbon dioxide is vaporized from said slurry and means to introduce into said slurry during the reduction in pressure, sufficient heat to replace that lot from reducing said pressure on said slurry and prevent the formation of any appreciable quantity of solid carbon dioxide;
- (d) slurry pumping means arranged to pump said slurry from said slurrying means to said deslurrying means under conditions of temperature and pressure to maintain said carbon dioxide in liquid form;
- and
- (e) pneumatic pumping means arranged to convey said coal in gaseous carbon dioxide from said deslurrying means onto said waterborne carrier.
3 more elements
Apparatus for unloading coal from a waterborne carrier, comprising in combination
- (a) coal supply means to provide coal in finely divided particulate form;
- (b) storage means including storage space in said carrier for storing said finely divided particulate form of coal under a blanket of gaseous carbon dioxide;
- (c) pumping means to pneumatically pump said coal from said storage means within said carrier;
- (d) slurrying means arranged to form a pumpable slurry of liquid carbon dioxide and said coal;
- (e) deslurrying means arranged to separate said coal from said slurry and located in the vicinity of an anchorage for said waterborne carrier comprising, in combination, means to reduce the pressure of the coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry to the level at which all said liquid carbon dioxide is vaporized from said slurry and means to introduce into said slurry during the reduction on pressure, sufficient heat to replace that lost from reducing said pressure in said slurry and prevent the formation of any appreciable quantity of solid carbon dioxide;
- (f) slurry pumping means arranged to pump said slurry from said slurrying means to said deslurrying means under temperature and pressure conditions that maintains the carbon dioxide in liquid form.
3 more elements
A method of transporting coal including one or more intermediate periods of storage, comprising the steps of
- (a) providing coal in finely divided particulate form;
- (b) storing said finely divided coal in a storage space under a protective blanket of gaseous carbon dioxide;
- (c) withdrawing said coal from said storage space by pneumatically pumping it with gaseous carbon dioxide;
- and
- (d) pumping said coal as a coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry from the vicinity of said storage space after said withdrawing of said coal from said storage space.
- (e) deslurrying said coal from the coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry said deslurrying comprising reducing the pressure on said coal/liquid carbon dioxide slurry to the level at which essentially all of said liquid carbon dioxide is vaporized from said slurry and, while reducing the pressure, introducing into said slurry sufficient heat to replace that lost by reducing said pressure on said slurry and prevent the formation of any appreciable quantity of solid carbon dioxide.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.