Laboratory and field analysis of factors affecting quality of leachate from coal storage piles
It is the purpose of this research to investigate the potential environmental problems associated with the runnoff from coal storage facilities and to suggest methods of circumventing the acidic leachate. Specifically, controlled laboratory and field-scale experiments have been carried out which identify and investigate various factors believed to be influential in determining leachate quality. These factors, including coal type (high or low sulfur content), exposed coal surface area, storage moisture conditions, rainfall intensity, frequency, and duration have all been suggested as being important in determining leachate quality and are discussed in detail. An examination of reported data from Illinois Number 6 and Montana Rosebud coals indicates that a direct comparison of leachate from laboratory-scale column leaching experiments does not adequately predict the quality of leachate which occurs from larger volumes of the same type of coal stored under natural field conditions. Comparisons of leachate quality between laboratory and field-scale experiments could only be made after the data had been normalized, based on the weight of coal in storage and the ratio of rainfall volume to unit coal surface area. It is recommended, therefore, that in laboratory experiments designed to simulate the leachate from actual coal storage piles, the rainfall volume per unit time be identical to expected field conditions and the exposed coal surface area be adjusted so that the ratio of rainfall volume to unit area of coal surface be similar to that occurring in the actual coal pile.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 6668068
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-7337
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis. Submitted by E.C. Davis to Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COAL
LEACHING
STORAGE
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FIELD TESTS
RUNOFF
STOCKPILES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DATA
DISSOLUTION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INFORMATION
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TESTING
013000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Transport
Handling
& Storage
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects