COAL LOG PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY - AN OVERVIEW

Coal log pipeline (CLP) technology, invented and patented in the Unite d States in 1990, has undergone extensive research and development at the Capsule Pipeline Research Center, University of Missouri-Columbia. Areas explored thoroughly involve capsule flow hydrodynamics, compact ion of coal logs, wear of coal logs in the pipeline, automatic control of the CLP, cost of coal log transportation through the pipeline, tre atment of CLP effluents at power plants, and legal research concerning coal pipelines. This paper gives a brief review of some of these area s, and the state of development of this emerging technology. Implicati ons for electric utilities, coal companies and the general public are also discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.