Geological Engineering Commons^™

Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of Feed Coals And Combustion Residues From Tunçbilek And Seyitömer Coal-Fired Power Plants In Western Turkey, Ali Ihsan Karayigit, Ozlem Yigitler, Seda Iserli, Xavier Querol, Maria Mastalerz, Riza Gorkem Oskay, James C. Hower

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

This study focuses on the enrichment of elements in feed coal (FC) and combustion residues, namely, fly ash (FA) and bottom ash (BA) samples, picked up from the Tunçbilek and Seyitömer coal-fired power plants in western Turkey. The FCs in both plants have generally similar mineralogical compositions, although siderite and dolomite are more prominent in Tunçbilek and feldspar and pyrite are more abundant in Seyitömer. Minerals in the FA from both power plants are mainly quartz, hematite, magnetite, anhydrite, and mullite. Along with quartz, the Fe-oxides are dominant phases in the BA samples. Accessory minerals in the FCs, FAs, and …

Phaselous Vulgaris Growth Under The Influence Of Manufactured Coal Ash Aggregates, Sangchul Hwang, Imiraily Hernandez, Isomar Latorre, Sahid Rosado

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Manufactured coal ash aggregates (MAs) are a 2:1 (w/w) solidified composite of fly and bottom ash. The current study assessed the feasibility of beneficial utilization of MAs as a subsoil substitute for open-pit restoration to phyto-viable land. A series of indoor and outdoor experiments examined Phaselous vulgaris growth under the influence of MAs in the soil environment. With the MAs layer below the topsoil, P. vulgaris showed enhanced growth with respect to shoot height, leaf number, and leaf chlorophyll intensity. Similar growth enhancement was observed when the MAs were mixed with topsoil or applied as a micronutrient source over the …

Using The Conceptual Site Model To Efficiently And Effectively Implement Groundwater Monitoring And Corrective Action At Coal Combustion Residual Sites†, Carla Landrum, Jim Feild, Tim Glover, Alison Dunn

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

On 19 October 2015, the Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals (CCRs) for Electric Utilities final rule (CCR Rule), issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) under Subtitle D of the Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA), became effective. The Groundwater Monitoring and Corrective Action subsections of the CCR Rule (40 CFR §§ 257.90–257.98) set out strict requirements for groundwater monitoring at the detection and assessment levels, followed by (if necessary) groundwater characterization in support of corrective measures assessment. Since the federal CCR Rule was implemented, the US EPA has proposed and finalized some amendments, and some states have proposed …

The Role Of Ash Mineralogy On Breakthrough Pressure And Contact Angle: A Statistical Evaluation, Jenberu L. Feyyisa, John L. Daniels

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

One method to minimize contaminant leaching from coal fly ash (CFA) involves modifying its surface to become water repellent. Five types of CFA, CFA-1, CFA-2, CFA-3, CFA-5, and CFA-6, were modified by three organosilane (OS) products at different mix ratios. Multiple breakthrough pressure (BP) experiments were conducted for different samples at different mix ratios to identify the performance of the modified surface to resist a positive water entry pressure. The contribution of oxides and minerals in CFA to form a water-repellent surface were analyzed without considering OS effects. Results showed that semi-log–transformed regression models can effectively establish the relationship between …

South Africa’S Power Producer’S Revised Coal Ash Strategy And Implementation Progress, Kelley Reynolds-Clausen, Nico Singh

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The South African electricity public utility Eskom has embarked on a process to increase utilisation of the ash produced through the electricity generation process at its coal-fired power stations. In the 2014–2015 financial year, 119.2 million tons of coal was consumed, producing 34.4 million tons (28.9%) of ash. About 7% of the Eskom ash is sold from 6 of the 13 coal-fired power stations. Many stations are currently running out of ash storage space, and expansion of the ash disposal facilities is required, which could affect security of supply because of limited ashing areas. Additionally, legislative requirements lead to extra …

Evaluation Of Naturally Occurring And Anthropogenic Contamination In Missouri Streams, Christina Jane Sehrt

Masters Theses

"The goal of this study is to observe the values and variability of water quality parameters and benthic macroinvertebrates in watersheds with very little anthropogenic impact and to compare these values with those acquired in watersheds with more anthropogenic impact. The following five HUC 12-digit watersheds had very little anthropogenic impact and were considered "pristine": Rogers Creek, Mill Creek, Middle West Fork-Black River, Bee Fork, and Ottery Creek. Five largely urban sub-basins were also considered; these basins are: Grand Glaize Creek, Glaize Creek, Sugar Creek, Hominy Creek, and Grindstone Creek. For each watershed, both water quality parameters and benthic macroinvertebrates …

Electroósmosis: Un Método Para Mejorar El Suelo, Yenni Mariana Ramírez Mazo, Juan Pablo Osorio, Sergio Agudelo Florez

Articles

El suelo, ese que pisamos, recorremos, sobre el que construimos nuestras casas, escuelas, calles… ese en el que nos dicen que pongamos los pies cuando estamos algo distraídos, es más que simplemente tierra.

An Overview Of Smartwater Management System: Strategic Potential In Bangladesh, Muhammad Qumrul Hassan, Mir F. Karim, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Jowaher Raza

Publications and Research

Water loss management is becoming an increasingly important as supplies are stressed by population growth or water scarcity. A SmartWater system ensures optimum consumption and prediction of future water use. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries due to global climate change considering its rapid urbanization, inequitable land use, low income and greater reliance on climate sensitive sectors, particularly agriculture. Agricultural lands used for cropping and livestock rearing are more susceptible to degradation than non-agricultural lands. Most farmers irrigate through flooding, losing up to 75% of water to evaporation and creating a substantial drawdown of much needed water for …

Demonstration Of The Gas Assisted Gravity Drainage (Gagd) Process In Carbonate Rocks., Alok Jiteshkumar Shah

LSU Master's Theses

The Gas Assisted Gravity Drainage (GAGD) process was developed and patented by Dr. Rao at LSU in the early 2000s. The process involves the use of several existing or new vertical injection wells to inject gas and use the natural segregation of reservoir fluids from the density difference and the gravitational forces to displace the trapped oil and mobilize the oil downwards to be produced by a horizontal producing well. The GAGD process can be implemented as a secondary or tertiary oil recovery method. Several physical model experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the GAGD process for …

Hawai'i Wildlife Fund V. County Of Maui, Lowell J. Chandler

Public Land & Resources Law Review

In Hawai’i Wildlife Fund v. County of Maui, the Ninth Circuit held that the plain language of the Clean Water Act provides jurisdiction over indirect discharges of pollutants from a point source into groundwater that is shown to be connected to navigable waters. The court found that studies confirmed pollutants entering the Pacific Ocean were fairly traceable to the County of Maui’s sewage disposal wells. In affirming the district court’s ruling, the Ninth Circuit held that Maui County violated the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants into a navigable water without the required permit. The court also concluded the …

The Role Of Dense Slurry In Achieving Zero Liquid Discharge, D.M. Timmons, Istvan Kovacsics

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) and Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) rules pose significant technical and economic challenges for ash management and for treatment and discharge of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater at coal-fired power plants. Beneficial use is always a priority for ash, but only about half is being reused on a national basis, and the rest is destined for disposal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified biological treatment as the baseline treatment technology for FGD wastewater in the ELGs. However, it is becoming evident that bioreactors exhibit high capital and operating costs, occupy significant space, and are sensitive to …

Compressibility Of Fly Ash Under Ko Loading: Strain Rate Effects In Constant Rate Of Strain Testing, Jaime A. Mercado, Luis G. Arboleda-Monsalve, Tarunjit S. Butalia, Pedro J. Amaya

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Coal combustion processes produce large volumes of fly ash. The compressibility of fly ash was studied using moist tamping and drypluviation methods to achieve different void ratios before subjecting the material to compressive oedometric Ko loading (i.e., zero lateral deformation throughout the test). The class F fly ash used in this research was produced at a Midwest U.S. power plant. The material was initially characterized with hydrometer and specific gravity tests, and maximum and minimum realizable void ratios were determined. The compressibility characteristics of the fly ash material were studied at four strain rates, 1%/h, 10%/h, 40%/h, and 100%/h, and …

Influence Of Flow Rate On Leachability, John L. Daniels, Gautham P. Das

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The leaching potential of coal fly ash is often approximated with laboratory-based methods that expose columns of compacted material to synthetic precipitation. While this procedure can simulate aspects of the field condition, it remains difficult to replicate site-specific thermodynamic and kinetic constraints on geochemical processes. This article explores one aspect that contributes to the field/laboratory disparity, namely, the influence of flow rate and intermittency. Seven column-based leaching experiments were conducted with the same ash but with different flow rates and intermittency (i.e., infiltration pulsing), and results were evaluated in terms of aqueous sodium, calcium, and chromium concentrations in the effluent. …

Kinetic And Thermodynamic Parameters For The Adsorption Of Methylene Blue Using Fly Ash Under Batch, Column, And Heap Leaching Configurations, J.H. Potgieter, S. Pearson, C. Pardesi

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

In this article, the use of fly ash, a low-cost adsorbent, for the removal of a toxic cationic dye, methylene blue (MB), from aqueous solution has been investigated. Fly ash is a waste by-product generated from coal combustion. Contrary to many other reported investigations, the fly ash was not treated prior to the experiments for this investigation. The study was done in order to ascertain the viability of using the waste material to remove cationic dyes from wastewater. While MB adsorption has been described often in batch studies, batch, column, and heap leaching studies were carried out under the same …

Universal And Excavatable Controlled Low Strength Material Using High Loss On Ignition Fly Ash And Limestone Screenings†, James T. Locum, L.K. Crouch, Daniel Badoe

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Limestone screenings and high loss on ignition (LOI) fly ash are by-products that are stockpiling because of their unintentional production and the negative effects when utilized in portland cement concretes. The research objective was to investigate whether these by-products could produce controlled low strength materials (CLSMs) meeting the three types of Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) 204.06 flowable fill specifications. TDOT defines these CLSMs as the following: general use, excavatable, and early strength. Each type is required to have an inverted slump flow of not less than 15 inches (38.1 cm) while meeting ASTM International D6024 at 24 hours. Because …

Three-Dimensional Modeling Of Nitrate-N Transport In Vadose Zone: Roles Of Soil Heterogeneity And Groundwater Flux, Simin Akbariyeh, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Xu Li, Zhenghong Tang, Yusong Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Contamination of groundwater from nitrogen fertilizers in agricultural lands is an important environmental and water quality management issue. It is well recognized that in agriculturally intensive areas, fertilizers and pesticides may leach through the vadose zone and eventually reach groundwater. While numerical models are commonly used to simulate fate and transport of agricultural contaminants, few models have considered a controlled field work to investigate the influence of soil heterogeneity and groundwater flow on nitrate-N distribution in both root zone and deep vadose zone.

In this work, a numerical model was developed to simulate nitrate-N transport and transformation beneath a center …

Modelling Tree Contribution In Susceptibility Analysis Of Shallow Llandslides, Roberto José Marín Sánchez, Juan Pablo Osorio

Articles

In this paper an assessment of shallow landslides susceptibility in a tropical and mountainous terrain is made. A method that allows to model slope stability over large areas is used. Tree contribution is quantified by means of three parameters: rainfall interception, root reinforcement and tree surcharge. A rainfall interception model is used to determine the rain available for infiltration and its temporal distribution during the simulation. The hydrological models included in TRIGRS are described, which allows to determine the pore water pressure depending on the initial conditions. This pore water pressure is used in the revised infinite slope stability model, …

Fate And Impacts Of Priority Pollutant Metals In Coal Fly Ash–Soil–Switchgrass Plant Mesocosms, Olushola M. Awoyemi, E. Kudjo Dzantor

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Coal fly ash (CFA) is a coal combustion by-product containing heavy metals (HMs) that can enter and accumulate in environmental matrices. The current study assessed the fate and effects of HMs contained in CFA on Armour silt loam (ASL) soil, switchgrass plant, and leachate. Soil impact indices compared levels of HMs in the CFA-soil admixtures to control soil (without CFA). These indices include contamination factor (*C*~f~), modified degree of contamination (m*C*~d~), and pollution load index (PLI). The ratio of the levels of HMs in switchgrass root and shoot tissues to their levels in the CFA-soil admixtures were used to determine …

Geopolymerization Of Coal Ash To Produce Cementless Binders, Hamid Akbari, Robert Mensah-Biney, Jonathan Simms

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The main objective of this study was to evaluate geopolymer concrete made from coal combustion by-products, disposed of in landfills, as a potential substitute for the ordinary Portland cement (OPC), which is responsible for 5-8% of the total CO2 emissions in the world. In this study, a coal fly ash sample from the Carolinas was used in a chemical process known as geopolymerization to produce a “geopolymer” binder. The developed geopolymer binder could competently substitute the OPC binder in regular concrete applications. An experimental design program was conducted to optimize parameters of the geopolymerization affecting the strength of the final …

Groundwater Monitoring And Data Analysis Under The Coal Combustion Residuals Rule, Bruce Hensel

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

No abstract provided.

Ponded And Landfilled Fly Ash As A Source Of Rare Earth Elements From A Kentucky Power Plant, James C. Hower, John G. Groppo, Kevin R. Henke, Uschi M. Graham, Madison M. Hood, Prakash Joshi, Dorin V. Preda

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Twenty samples, with one composite sample built out of the 20 individual samples, of ponded ash were collected at a Kentucky power plant. The coal feed throughout the history of the power plant was central eastern Kentucky low- to moderate-S high volatile A bituminous coal. The pond was in the process of being excavated, with the ash moved to a landfill on another company property. In spite of the long history of the pond and the expected variation in coal supply, and perhaps because of the mixing due to the excavation, there is little variation in ash-basis rare earth elements …

Rare Earth Element Distribution In Fly Ash Derived From The Fire Clay Coal, Kentucky, Madison M. Hood, Ross K. Taggart, Ryan C. Smith, Heileen Hsu-Kim, Kevin R. Henke, Uschi Graham, John G. Groppo, Jason M. Unrine, James C. Hower

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Fly ash was collected from individual mechanical and electrostatic precipitator (ESP) hoppers at a 130-MW pulverized-coal utility unit burning a southeastern Kentucky moderate- to high-S Pennsylvanian Fire Clay coal. The fly ash particle size is generally similar within each row of the mechanical and ESP hoppers, with the mean particle diameter decreasing from >36 μmin the mechanical hoppers to 6 μm in the last ESP row. Rare earth element (REE)–bearing phases occur within fine minerals and, possibly, as part of the fly ash glass phase. Transmission electron microscopy was used to identify Y-Ce-Nd-La–bearing regions within a glassy matrix. Y- and …

The Relative Impact Framework For Evaluating Coal Combustion Residual Surface Impoundment Closure Options: Applications And Lessons Learned, Ari S. Lewis, Andrew B. Bittner

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

In response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new rule regarding the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCRs), many utilities need to re-examine their waste disposal practices and make decisions regarding if and how unlined surface impoundments (SIs) should be closed. The two primary options for closing SIs are in-place closure, with capping and engineering controls, and excavation of the CCR for transport to and re-disposal in a lined landfill. To help inform closure option decisions, we supported the Electric Power Research Institute’s development of a practical, science-based decision framework that comprehensively evaluates the potential impacts to human health and …

The Use Of Ceramic Water Filters Under Pressure In An In-Line Water Pumping System, Travis Dean Gardner

Masters Theses

"Ceramic pot filters (CPFs) have proven an effective point of use (POU) filter due to their relative low cost, ease to manufacture, and effectiveness at treating contaminated water. These filters are used by individual homes, and sometimes multiple filters are needed for each home in order to produce enough water for the family's household. If these filters could be used in-line with a pumping system or elevated storage tank, water could be filtered and used on demand for a community in an economically feasible way. However, CPFs are too fragile to use under pressure due to the weak points where …

Characteristics And Composition Of Magnetic Concentrates Of Bottom Ash Samples From Two Types Of Thermal Power Plants In Odisha, India, Subir Kumar Das

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Aluminosilicate bottom ash samples were examined from a thermal power plant in Talcher (sample NT-BA) and in Sambalpur (sample HR-BA), Odisha, India, to determine magnetic particle morphology, internal structure, mineralogy, mineral chemistry, ash fusion temperature, chemical composition, and leaching characteristics. The Talcher plant has adopted pulverized coal combustion, whereas the Sambalpur plant uses circulating fluidized bed combustion boiler technology. For NT-BA, most magnetic particles were ideal solid spheres (ferrospheres) with diverse morphological features (smooth, granular, dendritic and skeletal, porous, spotted, polygonal, and hollow [magnetite cenospheres]). For HR-BA, magnetic particles were subspherical, oval, and angular and showed widely varying surface morphologies, …

Distribution Of Uranium And Other Radionuclides In Coal And Coal Combustion Products, With Discussion Of Occurrences Of Combustion Products In Kentucky Power Plants, James C. Hower, Shifeng Dai, Greta Eskenazy

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Uranium and thorium are part of the mineral assemblages within coals. Uranium can also occur in organic associations, particularly in low-rank coals. While the average U concentration in coals is 2.9 ppm for low-rank coals and 1.9 ppm for bituminous and higher rank coals, high concentrations are known from certain low-rank and thin coals and from coals in areas associated with U mineralization. No high-U coals are mined for power production in the United States. Uranium and Th in coal combustion products are found in amounts more or less in proportion to their concentrations in the feed coal. Not being …

Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Studies On Fly Ash Zeolites, Denitza Zgureva

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

In this study, the potential of fly ash zeolites (FAZ) Linde (LTA) and faujasite (FAU) to adsorb carbon dioxide (CO2) was investigated in view of the results of implementation in postcombustion carbon-capture technologies. Adsorption isotherms of selected samples were measured at 273.15 K by a Micromeritics Tristar II 3020 surface analyzer. The highest adsorption capacity was obtained for FAZ with a FAU structure synthesized by a two-stage fusion hydrothermal process from fly ash (FA) that was composed of 65 wt% amorphous components. The adsorption capacity for this sample reached a value of 136.40 mg CO2/g FAZ at atmospheric pressure, a …

Analysis Of Scientific Investigations Related To Reclamation Of Surface Mining Control And Reclamation Act Permitted Coal Mines With Coal Combustion By-Products, Kimery C. Vories

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

In the United states, the placement of coal combustion by-products (CCBs) (i.e., fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, flue gas desulfurization material, and fluidized bed combustion material) in coal mines has been an area of controversy. Federal and state governments, universities, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, and industrial research organizations have taken an active role in encouraging and promoting technological advances, research, and technology transfer related to the use of CCBs at coal mines. CCBs have been placed at Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) permitted mines since 1977 to serve the following purposes: (1) a seal …

Coal Ash By-Product From Shanxi Province, China, For The Production Of Portland–Calcium Sulfoaluminate, Tristana Y. Duvallet, Thomas L. Robl, Kevin R. Henke, Yongmin Zhou, David Harris

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Twenty bulk samples were collected from ponded coal combustion ash in Shanxi Province, China, as part of an investigation of their beneficiation potential. The samples were shipped to the University of Kentucky, where they were chemically analyzed. The samples were highly consistent in chemistry, falling within the ASTM C-618 class F compositional range. The particle size of the ponded ash was relatively coarse, with only ,7% by weight on average, falling below 200 mesh (75 mm) particle size. The bulk of the material (.80%) was within 50 by 200 mesh (equivalent to 300 by 75 mm). X-ray diffraction investigation combined …

Effect Of Coal Fly Ash Leachate On The Bioluminescence Intensity Of Vibrio Fischeri, Shiro Ikeda, Irena Kostova, Hideaki Sekine, Yoshika Sekine

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Coal fly ash is a residue of coal-fired thermoelectric power plants (TPPs) and is mostly dumped in ash ponds or landfill sites, even though it potentially contains significant amounts of water-soluble hazardous contaminants. Bioassay using the bioluminescent bacterium *Vibrio fischeri* is known to be applicable for assessing the short-term and sublethal toxicity of complex mixtures without the need for precise chemical characterization. However, this type of bioassay is potentially adversely influenced by the pH-induced protein denaturation of cells. Because coal fly ash leachates often have alkaline or acidic properties, when applying the *V. fischeri*-based bioassay to the samples, we need …