Current SIU Research funded by ICCI

The following list includes research projects currently underway in the SIU community and funded by the Illinois Clean Coal Institute.  (To read more about individual projects, follow this link.)

DIRECT COAL LIQUEFACTION VIA NON-CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION IN SUPERCRITICAL CO2
Principal Investigator: Mondal
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:13/7A-1 Scheduled Completion:2014-09-30
The proposed project aims at developing and characterizing a low temperature (<150 oC) non catalytic process using a hydrogen transfer agent (instead of molecular hydrogen) for coal dissolution in super ....  

A HYBRID REVERSE OSMOSIS/ELECTRODIALYSIS PROCESS FOR OHD PRODUCT EXTRACTION
Principal Investigator: Mondal
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:13/7B-1 Scheduled Completion:2014-09-30
This research will address the separation and concentration of organics from the product mixture obtained during the Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD) process. The product mixture consists predominantly of water with small amounts of dissolved organics and in ....

INCREASING EFFICIENCY OF AN EXISTING PC BOILER USING VFDS AND IMPROVED HEAT EXCHANGERS
Principal Investigator: Mathias
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:13/5A-1 Scheduled Completion:2014-07-31
This proposal identifies ways to increase the overall efficiency of coal fired power plants by decreasing the auxiliary power used during operation, mostly through Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), and increasing efficiency of the power cycle by improving heat exchange ....


A NEW AIR-TABLE AND FLIP-FLOW SCREEN FOR DRY SEPARATION OF ILLINOIS FINE COAL
Principal Investigator: Mohanty
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:13/4B-2 Scheduled Completion:2014-06-30
Dry coal cleaning has generated renewed interest in the scientific and operating coal communities alike due to water scarcity in many parts of the world and negative environmental impacts of traditional wet coal preparation methods. The commercially available dry separa ....  

UNDERSTANDING AND IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF RESIN GROUTED BOLTS
Principal Investigator: Spearing
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:13/3A-1 Scheduled Completion:2014-04-30
Rock related safety remains one of the main sources of accidents in underground mines. The weak roof strata that is typically above a coal seam is prone to skin failure and massive failure in some cases. In addition, there are over 1,500 roof falls that occur every year ....  

ROCK MASS CHARACTERIZATION - FIRST STEP TO DESIGN SAFETY MEASURES AND CONTROL ROOF FALLS
Principal Investigator: Osouli
Institution:Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
ICCI Project:13/ER-8 Scheduled Completion:2014-04-30
Roof rock mass characterization is the critical element for evaluating roof conditions and designing roof support systems in underground coal mines. Coal Mine Roof Rating (CMRR) is the most internationally used and empirical-based rock mass classification system which w ....  


AN ANALYSIS OF THE WATER QUALITY DATA FOR SELECTED TRACE ELEMENTS FROM ACTIVE COAL MINING RELATED NPDES OUTFALLS IN ILLINOIS
Principal Investigator: Chugh
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:11/US-18 Scheduled Completion:2013-12-31
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has suggested that a scientific study be performed of Mine Effluents Quality for the period 2000 to 2011 to assess if there is credible evidence of the presence of zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), and selenium (Se) metals i ....  

WETTING BEHAVIOR AND CONTROL OF QUARTZ AND COAL DUSTS FROM ILLINOIS BASIN MINES - PHASE 4
Principal Investigator: Chugh
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:12/US-2 Scheduled Completion:2013-12-31
Increased productivity and high out-of-seam dilution (15-20%) mining in Illinois Basin coal mines have generated dust control problems. There is need to implement more efficient dust control technologies. Several mines are facing reduced dust standards due to high respi ....  

OHD PROCESS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND PILOT PLANT CONSTRUCTION
Principal Investigator: Derek Perry
Institution:Thermaquatica Inc.
ICCI Project:DEV11-3 Scheduled Completion:2013-12-31
Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD) is a novel coal conversion technology developed at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) with funding support from the Illinois Clean Coal Institute. This processing technology is an entirely novel approach to convert c ....  


AN INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY-GOVERNMENT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH ON FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF DUST CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR CONTINUOUS MINER SECTIONS
Principal Investigator: Chugh
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:DEV12-3 Scheduled Completion:2013-10-30
Several mines in Illinois experience significant dust control problems in partial extraction room-and-pillar mining areas utilizing wet-head continuous miners. One mining company in southern Illinois has agreed to work cooperatively with SIUC to develop and demonstrate ....  


DEVELOPMENT AND FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF ALTERNATE STABLE MINING GEOMETRIES FOR SET-UP AND RECOVERY ROOMS IN ILLINOIS
Principal Investigator: Chugh
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:DEV11-5 Scheduled Completion:2013-08-31
Illinois longwall mining operations experience significant ground control problems (roof falls, rib sloughing, floor heave) and safety issues within set-up rooms (SR) layout and around the T-junctions of recovery rooms (RR). The SR problems rooms are concentrated around ....  

IN-PLANT DEMONSTRATION OF A LOW COST AUTOMATION SYSTEM FOR COAL SPIRALS
Principal Investigator: Mohanty
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:12/4A-4 Scheduled Completion:2013-07-31
Spiral concentrators are widely used in coal preparation plants in Illinois and elsewhere to generally clean 1 mm x 150 micron particle size coal fraction. Compound spirals are capable of providing excellent clean coal recovery at reasonably low ash content. The splitte ....  

INFLUENCE OF MACERAL AND MINERAL COMPOSITION ON OHD PROCESSING OF ILLINOIS COAL
Principal Investigator: Rimmer
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:12/7A-3 Scheduled Completion:2013-07-31
This proposal will address the influence pure coal macerals on the Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD) process, specifically how different macerals influence reaction rate and product, and similarly how mineral components react during the OHD process. OHD is a nove ....  


CHARACTERIZATION AND CONTROL OF QUARTZ DUST FROM ILLINOIS COAL MINES
Principal Investigator: Chugh
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:10/3C-3 Scheduled Completion:2013-05-31
Several coal mines in Illinois are currently facing reduced respirable dust compliance standards since the dust samples contain more than 5% respirable quartz. Some of the reasons for this situation are: 1) High production rates, 2) About 15-20 % out-of-seam mining and ....  

THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN AND FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF A ROOM AND PILLAR MINE USING PASTE BACKFILLING
Principal Investigator: Spearing
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:12/3A-1 Scheduled Completion:2013-05-31
Backfilling using coal plant waste on coal mines may become the most viable disposal method when the new legislation is finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as surface disposal costs could increase significantly (Spearing, 2010). Earlier research by th ....  

FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF ALTERNATE COAL PROCESSING WASTE DISPOSAL TECHNOLOGY
Principal Investigator: Lefticariu
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:12/4C-5 Scheduled Completion:2013-05-31
The main objective of the proposed study is to demonstrate through field-scale column leaching experiments and geochemical testing, that co-disposal of coarse coal processing waste (CCPW) and fine coal processing waste (FCPW) will provide both the geotechnical stability ....

FISCHER-TROPSCH ON CARBON NANOTUBE CARALYST - MECHANISTIC AND REACTOR DESIGN STUDIES
Principal Investigator: Talapatra
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:12/7D-2 Scheduled Completion:2013-05-31
This proposal builds upon the past successful research performed by the PIs through funding received from ICCI, in which the PIs have unequivocally established that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can act as very efficient Fisher-Tropsch catalyst. The superior performance of th ....


MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF ILLINOIS COAL AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF SEQUESTERED CO2
Principal Investigator: Malhotra
Institution:Southern Illinois University
ICCI Project:11/US-2 Scheduled Completion:2012-05-31
The USA is embarking upon tackling the serious environmental challenges posed to the world by greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2). The dimension of the problem is daunting. In fact, according to the Energy Information Agency (US Department o ....

2013 Energy Photo Contest

The SIU Coal Research Center is sponsoring a photo contest for SIU students this spring semester.  Give it your best shot!

WHY

The Energy Photo Contest will help raise awareness of energy and energy research in the SIU Community.  The contest is organized by the Coal Research Center, SIU’s home of coal and energy research and development.  The winning photos of this contest will win prizes and be exhibited in the Administrative Building of the Coal Development Park (CDP, http://cdp.siu.edu). 

WHO

This contest is open to currently enrolled SIU Carbondale students (undergraduate, graduate, etc.). 

WHAT

Photos should relate to the theme: Energy, Society and the Future.  It is up to the contestants to interpret the theme. 

HOW

1.      Submit up to three photos per person to crcinfo@siu.edu from a valid siu@edu email address by March 29, 2013.  Limit one submission (of 3 photos) per person.  Photos should be high resolution (e.g. 300dpi) and scalable to 11" x 14".  Include 1) photographer name and one-sentence bio, 2) a photo title, and 3) a one-sentence description with each photo about how it relates to the theme.  Traditional photography, digital and alternative process work will all be considered. PHOTOS NOT ADHERING TO THESE REQUIREMENTS WILL BE REJECTED.

2.      Approved photos received in the manner of #1 above will be displayed online at the 2013 SIU Energy Photo Contest Google+ page (https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/activity/cs5so0arfcc6ahbhd92ja1hqaqs) from April 1-13. The top ten finalists will be determined from a mix of +1's from the general public and panel of judges (i.e. top ten +1 vote getters may not all advance to finals).

3.      The top ten photos (determined by a combination of online and judges’ votes) will be displayed at the Research Town Meeting on April 16, 2013, and a final vote taken via event visitors.

4.      The top three photos will win cash prizes (1^st: $100, 2^nd: $75, 3^rd: $50), and all top 10 will be set up as an exhibition at the Coal Development Park Administrative Building (photo available at Google+ link above) in Carterville, IL.

By submitting photos, you agree to abide by these rules.  SIU has the sole authority to approve or reject submissions for any reason at any time, and to use name and email address to confirm current enrollment or employment.  Participants who submit photos for the contest agree to allow SIU to post the photos online, use in promotional materials, and make printed copies (with minimum photographer name as reference).  SIU makes no guarantees and takes no liability for material or other damages incurred due to participation or association with the event, and rules are subject to change.  Pictures must be the sole property of the person who submits them; copyright/watermarks are acceptable as a means for photographer protection of their photos, but they will need to be eventually removed, if necessary, for printing.

Questions/Comments/Problems

Amy McMorrow Hunter, (618) 453-4556, crcinfo@siu.edu

Download these rules (PDF).

Information/Report Request Received

Occasionally we receive requests for information or collaboration.  Recently we received an email at CRC requesting a report on the "benefits of low ash coal over shale gas."  For more information, please email crcinfo@siu.edu.

Clean Coal on the Radio

Just in case you missed Dr. Wiltowski on the radio yesterday, here is the link:
http://will.illinois.edu/focus/interview/focus120614a/

Dr. Wiltowski to discuss clean coal on the radio at 10:00 a.m. today

WILL AM 580 - Today on Focus: http://will.illinois.edu/focus/

Courtesy of the WILL website:

Clean Coal: Pipedream or Reality?

Chris Hamby, Reporter at the Center for Public Integrity

Evan Tracey, Senior Vice President for Communications at the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity

Tomasz Wiltowski, Director of the Coal Research Center at Southern Illinois University

There are a number of clean coal projects underway in Illinois, but what does “clean coal” really mean? Is there such a thing? This hour on Focus, we’ll talk with Evan Tracey of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity about clean coal technology, how it works and what’s in the future for the clean coal power in Illinois. We’ll also talk with Chris Hamby, a reporter at the Center for Public Integrity and Tomasz Wiltowski, the Director of the Coal Research Center at Southern Illinois University, who is working to improve the methods we use to extract coal.

What questions do you have about clean coal? Join our conversation on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Focus580 and Twitter @Focus580.

Growing Need for Coal Could Boost Local Economy - WSIL TV

 

 

Sent to you by Coal via Google Reader:

 

 

Growing Need for Coal Could Boost Local Economy - WSIL TV

via illinois coal - Google News on 1/29/13

Growing Need for Coal Could Boost Local Economy WSIL TV "Illinois has huge coal resources," said Anderson, "There is more energy under Illinois in the form of coal than there is energy under Saudi Arabia in the form of oil." Illinois Coal Association President Phil Gonat says the state is already taking ... and more »

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to illinois coal - Google News using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

Shimkus and Enyart co-chair Coal Caucus - The Southern

 

 

Sent to you by Coal via Google Reader:

 

 

Shimkus and Enyart co-chair Coal Caucus - The Southern

via illinois coal - Google News on 1/30/13

Shimkus and Enyart co-chair Coal Caucus The Southern John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, and Bill Enyart, D-Belleville, announced Tuesday they will co-chair the Congressional Coal Caucus to promote Southern Illinois coal and jobs in the industry. The lawmakers said Illinois reported a record year for coal ...

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to illinois coal - Google News using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites