Multi-parameter on-line coal bulk analysis

This was a four-year grant that was given a no cost extension for one more year. The purpose of the grant was to develop a pulsed neutron-based technique that could measure on-line all the major and minor elements in coal. Such measurements would allow the continuous monitoring of bulk parameters such as coal heating value (BTU/lb), volatile matter, moisture etc., deemed important to the coal industry. Such parameters, along with the continuous measurement of elements such as sulfur and sodium, are of major economic and environmental concern, and their measurement would assist in a more efficient use of the coal-fired boilers, as well as limiting emissions controlled by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. It was hoped that this study would lead to the development of a technique able to create a marketable product, an On-Line Elemental Coal Analyzer. The study was separated in the following major parts: (1) Devise an efficient system for the detection of gamma rays; (2) Prior to experimentation, perform modeling and simulations for items such as detector shielding, coal sample configuration, and neutron tube collimation; (3) Develop a computer code for data reduction and analysis; (4) Measure the elemental composition of various coal samples; and (5) Design a prototype, on-line elemental coal analyzer, based on the PFTNA principle