Abstract This invention relates to the art of transporting coal with water through a pipeline. More particularly, it relates to a method which includes preparing a vehicle comprising an aqueous slurry of an inorganic finely divided water insoluble solid carrier such as magnetite, coal ash, coal of a selected size or various clays. Coal in particulate form is then suspended in the vehicle. The insoluble solid carrier must be finely divided as compared to the particulate coal to ensure that the two can be separated by screening or hydraulic sizing. In this connection, the solid carrier should all be finer than 100 microns while the particulate coal should all be larger than 500 microns. After the slurry is formed, it is then pumped through a pipeline to a location many miles away where, after being separated from the vehicle, the coal is utilized and the coal-free vehicle is collected. This operation is continued for a period of several days at the end of which pumping of the slurry is discontinued and the pipeline is flushed with water. Upon completion of the flushing, the coal-free vehicle is pumped back through the pipeline to the point at which the coal slurry is prepared, the vehicle being reused. The water filling the pipeline is returned to the preparation point by the return of the vehicle. In this manner, it is possible to achieve transportation of the coal and reutilization of the vehicle with but a single pipeline.
Inventors
👤 E Wasp
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-02 21:37
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G53/00; B65G53/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of transporting coal from a coal slurry preparation site through a main pipeline to a point of use comprising preparing at such site a slurry of coarse comminuted coal in a vehicle comprising water and a water insoluble solid carrier in finely divided form, pumping said slurry through said pipeline to said point of use whereat the coarse comminuted coal and the vehicle are separated and are separately collected, discontinuing pumping of the slurry through said pipeline, pumping the coarse coal-free vehicle through the pipeline from the point of use of the coal to the slurry preparation site, and storing said vehicle at said site for further transportation of coarse coal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of transporting coal from a coal slurry preparation site through a main pipeline to a point of use comprising preparing at such site a slurry of coarse comminuted coal in a vehicle comprising water and a water insoluble solid carrier in finely divided form, pumping said slurry through said pipeline to said point of use whereat the coarse comminuted coal and the vehicle are separated and are separately collected, discontinuing pumping of the slurry through said pipeline, pumping the coarse coal-free vehicle through the pipeline from the point of use of the coal to the slurry preparation site, and storing said vehicle at said site for further transportation of coarse coal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the comminuted coal is separated into a coarse fraction and a fines fraction and each fraction is thereafter formed into a separate slurry which is pumped separately through the pipeline to the point of use.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 2 wherein following pumping of both fractions the pipeline is flushed with water following which the collected coarse coal free vehicle is pumped to the site forcing the water in the pipeline ahead of it.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier is superfine coal and the slurry is separated at the point of use into a coarse coal fraction free of water and a fines fraction which is ground and thickened to provide a superfine coal fraction which is thereafter returned to the slurry preparation site.