Coal transportation generally has 5 types, which are truck transportation, rail transportation, barge transportation, conveyor belt transportation and slurry pipeline transportation. In the following article, we will describe the five modes of coal transportation in detail.
Coal is an important source of energy in any country. It can be used to generate electricity and heat. Coal is commonly used for industrial purposes, such as in iron mills, steel mills, fertilizers and chemicals.
How to transport coal?
- Transportation by truck;
- Rail transport;
- Transportation by barge;
- Conveyor belt transport;
- Slurry pipeline transport;
How is coal formed?
Coal was formed when ancient plants were not buried in the ground before decomposing, remained isolated from the air for a long time, under high temperature and pressure, as well as a series of complex physical and chemical changes and other factors, and finally formed a combustible sedimentary rock, i.e. coal.
How is coal extracted?
There are two types of coal mining. One is open pit mining, which refers to coal mines less than 200 feet below the surface, and the other is subway mining, which is used more than 200 feet below the surface.
In open-pit mining, large machines are used to remove layers of rock from the overburden to expose the coal seam. The coal is then mined with excavators, etc. And when the coal is mined, the surface is treated in other ways. The cost of surface mining is much lower than the cost of subway mining.
Subway mining is also called deep mining. Some subway mines can reach thousands of feet. To excavate a coal mine, miners ride a hoist down into a deep mine and use large machinery to extract the coal.
Coal treatment
Whether open-pit mining or deep mining, coal certainly contains rocks, dirt, ash, sulfur and other unwanted impurities. Therefore, we need to process the coal after it is transported. First, we wash the coal with water to remove some impurities attached to it, and then we put the remaining coal into the water, and the stone will sink in the water. And the coal will float in the water, and finally we put the wet coal into the dehydrator for treatment, and finally we get the coal which can be used.
Coal transportation
Coal transportation has the following common species of transportation modes: truck transportation, rail transportation, barge transportation, conveyor belt transportation and slurry pipeline transportation. In different countries, the transportation modes used are also very different. In some developed countries, such as the United States and Europe, rail transport is the most commonly used, while in some African countries, truck transport is the most common.
Transport by truck
The most commonly used semitrailers for transporting coal are the dump semi-trailer and the dump semi-trailer. Transportation by truck is very convenient, and the quantity of each transport is relatively large. For some countries with poor road conditions and rough mountainous roads, the dump semi-trailer is the best way to transport coal at relatively low cost.
Coal is loaded into the dump semi-trailer or in the side dump semi-trailer with excavators or other large machinery, and then it is transported to the destination, lifted with a hydraulic system and then unloaded at the designated location.
Rail transport
The processed coal is finally placed in large storage bins. Coal trains then stop under the bins, and controllers open pipelines so that each car underneath is filled with six to ten tons of coal. Fully loaded coal trains can transport 8,000 to 12,000 tons of coal to various regional power stations and other locations.
Rail transport is more efficient, but the cost of manufacturing railroad tracks is relatively high.
Barge transportation
Barge transportation is also one of the important forms of coal transportation, especially for coal export, where only barge export can be chosen. The disadvantage of barge transportation is that it is slow. For coal to be exported or shipped to other cities, the waterways are often winding, leading to slower delivery times. But barge transport can be cost-effective.
Conveyor belt transport
Conveyors generally transport coal from mines to barge terminals, but also a small amount directly from mines to locations such as power plants. This is judged by distance. If the mine is close to the power plant, you can directly use the conveyor belt to transport coal to the power plant, which can save a lot of costs. Larger conveyor belts can transport 2,000 to 5,000 tons per hour. Compared with barge and truck transportation, the belt conveyor can easily pass through some complex terrains and has the advantage of continuous transportation.
Slurry pipeline transport
The slurry is a mixture of crushed coal and liquid such as water or oil. It consists of 50% of coal and 50% of liquid by weight. So-called heavy coal slurry or slurry fuel consists of 65 to 75 percent coal, with the remainder water, methanol or oil. Coal slurry, unlike sludge, does not need to separate the water from the coal, and coal slurry can be burned directly from the boiler.
Aspects to take into account when transporting coal
In mass transportation, loose coal has the ability to self-heat, leading to ignition points, so we need to take some protective measures, including ventilation, avoiding open flames, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is coal stored?
In coal storage, coal piles should be turned as much as possible to dissipate heat. The risk of spontaneous combustion is great, especially for some low quality sub-bituminous coals and lignite.
Conclusion
There are 5 conventional modes of coal transportation. Different countries and regions adopt different transportation modes. We should choose different modes of transportation according to the terrain. If you need trucking and don't know about trucking, please leave us a comment below and we will help you figure it out.
References:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/coal-transport
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/coal/mining-and-transportation.php
http://www.undergroundcoal.com.au/fundamentals/01_associated_2ctrans.aspx
