COMPUTERIZED SOLUTIONS TO MINE PLANNING AND BLENDING PROBLEMS (COAL).
AuthorLONERGAN, JAMES EDWARD.
AdvisorKim, Y. C.
MetadataShow full item record
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
AbstractCoal quality plays a crucial role both economically and environmentally in the operation of a coal-fired power plant. These plants are designed to operate most efficiently when coal of consistently good quality is used as the feed. For example, the ash content should be monitored to control slagging problems in the burners. For emission control purposes the sulfur content of the feed should be carefully scrutinized. This realization of the importance of coal quality to the end-user has made the prediction of coal quality an important concern. Computerized mine planning systems can be used to help suppliers predict the quality of future coal shipments. One such system was implemented at an underground coal mine to determine its performance in an operating environment. Following some extensive revisions to the system, the results of the implementation exercise showed the ability of this mine planning system to account for coal quality while producing a workable short-range plan. To be of direct use to the end-user, the mine planning results should be adjusted to account for mining dilution and subsequent beneficiation of the run-of-mine coal. To help power plant owners in predicting the quality of the power plant feed a computer program was developed to solve the blending problem faced by plants dependent on multiple sources of supply. This interactive program utilizes the predictions from the mine planning system to obtain a goal programming formulation of the blending problem. This type of problem formulation gives the program the flexibility needed to solve the blending problem in both long and short term time frames. Use of the program in both planning scenarios was illustrated by examples. The results showed the ability of the program to determine the best blend possible based on a set of user-specified objectives. Use of this interactive blending program in conjunction with the mine planning system provides the capability of computerized prediction of coal quality from mine mouth to blended plant feed. Implementation of these planning aids on a routine basis will assist the owners of coal-fired power plants in their attempts to maximize plant efficiency and maintain environmental standards.
Degree ProgramMining and Geological Engineering