Thermoelectric power plants use large volumes of water for condenser cooling and other plant operations. Traditionally, this water has been withdrawn from the cleanest water available in streams and rivers. However, as demand for electrical power increases it places increasing demands on freshwater resources resulting in conflicts with other off stream water users. In July 2002, NETL and the Governor of Pennsylvania called for the use of water from abandoned mines to replace our reliance on the diminishing and sometimes over allocated surface water resource. In previous studies the National Mine Land Reclamation Center (NMLRC) at West Virginia University has demonstrated that mine water has the potential to reduce the capital cost of acquiring cooling water while at the same time improving the efficiency of the cooling process due to the constant water temperatures associated with deep mine discharges. The objectives of this project were to develop and demonstrate a user-friendly computer based design aid for assessing the costs, technical and regulatory aspects and potential environmental benefits for using mine water for thermoelectric generation. The framework provides a systematic process for evaluating the hydrologic, chemical, engineering and environmental factors to be considered in using mine water as an alternative to …

Liquefaction of coal by depolymerization in an organic solvent has been studied for several years. The liquefied coal extract which results from such a process is far more suitable for conversion into liquid fuel by hydrogenolysis than is the untreated coal. Investigations on the chemical structure and the reactive sites of coal can help to select useful reactions for the production of liquids from coal. Sternberg et al. demonstrated that the reductive alkylation method transforms bituminous coal into an enormously soluble substance, irrespective of the mild reaction conditions. The effectiveness of newly introduced alkyl groups for the disruption of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and pi-pi interactions between the aromatic sheets in coal macromolecules has been recognized. It has been reported by Ignasiak et al. that a C-alkylabon reaction using sodium or potassium amide in liquid ammonia can be used to introduce alkyl groups at acidic carbon sites. A method has been developed recently in this laboratory for the solubilization of high rank coals. In the previous reports it was shown that n-butyl lithium and potassium t-butoxide in refluxing heptane produced coal anions which could be alkylated with different alkyl halides. Such alkylated coals were soluble up to 92% in solvents like …

This report summarizes an investigation of the potential impacts associated with the utilization of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems at coal-fired power plants. The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Emission Control By-Products Consortium, Dominion Generation, the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research and GAI Consultants, Inc. SCR systems are effective in reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions as required by the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments. However, there may be potential consequences associated with ammonia contamination of stack emissions and combustion by-products from these systems. Costs for air quality, landfill and pond environmental compliance may increase significantly and the marketability of ash may be seriously reduced, which, in turn, may also lead to increased disposal costs. The potential impacts to air, surface water, groundwater, ash disposal, ash utilization, health and safety, and environmental compliance can not be easily quantified based on the information presently available. The investigation included: (1) a review of information and data available from published and unpublished sources; (2) baseline ash characterization testing of ash samples produced from several central Appalachian high-volatile bituminous coals from plants that do not currently employ SCR systems in order to characterize the ash prior to ammonia …

This report contains the following information on the center for beam physics: Facilities; Organizational Chart; Roster; Profiles of Staff; Affiliates; Center Publications (1991--1993); and 1992 Summary of Activities.