An evaluation of alternative methods of transporting coal using slurry pipelines
An economic analysis of five different alternatives, carried out for the transport of 15 or 30 million tons/yr of Western subbituminous coal with 28Vertical Bar3< moisture over 500, 1000, or 1500 mi of flat terrain, showed that conventional slurry transport is the cheapest alternative under all conditions, providing that water costs are below $2000/acre-ft. At higher water costs, water recycle, which would require a second smaller pipeline to return the water to the source, might be more economical for distances Vertical Bar3; 1000 mi, whereas at longer distances, coal upgrading to reduce the moisture content prior to transport, which would allow higher solids content in the slurry and reduce water requirements, would be best, provided upgrading costs are under $4/ton. The other two alternatives, dense-phase transport, which would involve laminar flow of a coarse slurry with high solids content, and use of a coal/fuel oil slurry, calculated on the assumption that fuel oil is available at $0.50/gal and that 10Vertical Bar3< of the oil would be lost by adsorption on the coal, were never competitive.
- Research Organization:
- Bechtel Inc.
- OSTI ID:
- 6378165
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-790389-
- Journal Information:
- Oil Gas J.; (United States), Vol. 77:35; Conference: 4. international technical conference on slurry transportation, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 28 Mar 1979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Direct Combustion of Fine Coal from Coal Waste
OTA (U. S. Office of Technology Assessment) cites savings of coal-slurry lines
Related Subjects
SLURRY PIPELINES
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
SUBBITUMINOUS COAL
HYDRAULIC TRANSPORT
COST
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
FUEL OILS
FUEL SLURRIES
SOLIDS
WATER REMOVAL
WATER REQUIREMENTS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
DISPERSIONS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FREIGHT PIPELINES
FUELS
LIQUID FUELS
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PIPELINES
REMOVAL
SLURRIES
SUSPENSIONS
TRANSPORT
013000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Transport
Handling
& Storage