Abstract: Services, such as electricity and water, are supplied through conduits to moving machinery such as a longwall mining machine which moves along a conveyor or other fixed path. A channel having an open mouth which is flexibly sealed is disposed alongside the path and contains supply conduits for the machine. A sleeve projects through the channel seals into the body of the channel and guides the conduits to the machine. A gas may be fed to the machine via the channel and sleeve. As the machine moves the conduits bend over themselves.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for hydrocracking SGE of carbonaceous material to produce light distillate, including chemical feedstocks and transport fuels.A mixture of crushed coal and a solvent is fed to an extractor 1 wherein the solvent is heated and pressurized to form a supercritical gas. Carbonaceous material is extracted from the coal into the gas. The unextracted coal, including ash and some carbonaceous material, is separated from the SGE in solution in the supercritical solvent in a separation stage 2. The SGE in the solvent is maintained in the supercritical state and fed to a hydrocracking stage 3 wherein it is mixed with excess hydrogen. After hydrocracking, the SGE in supercritical solution is passed through a pressure let-down valve 4 to a distillation stage 5 wherein the product of the hydrocracking stage 3 is separated into gases, solvent for recycling, light distillate and material boiling above 350.degree. C.

Abstract: Minerals, especially coals for power generation, can be subjected to froth flotation using as a collector a liquid which contains at least 21% aromatics or at least 41% naphthenes. Improvements in froth yield and ash-in-tailings compared with commercial products are demonstrated.

Abstract: A rotary cutter head for a mining machine comprises a hub assembly drivably mounted on a drive section of the mining machine and a barrel component secured around and co-axial with the hub assembly, the barrel component supporting cutter tool-carrying loading vanes. Ventilation means provided on the cutter head comprise air flow inducing means for inducing air flow along a first path section within the barrel component and in a general direction towards the mining machine side of the cutter head, and along a second path section outside the barrel component and in a general direction away from the mining machine side of the cutter head. Air flow deflector means are provided for urging at least a portion of the induced air flow flowing along the first path section towards the air flow flowing along the second path section.

Abstract: Combustion and heating equipment includes a body with an underfeed stoker located in the lower part thereof. A jacket surrounds the body to define a heating space, different parts of which are interconnected by triangular ducts disposed in the gas pass. A screwfeeder is provided for the retort of the stoker and extends right through the body terminating in an inlet 36. A mobile hopper has an outlet for registry with the inlet and is refillable and interchangeable.

Abstract: Coal is extracted using a mixed solvent which includes a substantially aromatic component and a substantially naphthenic component, at a temperature of 400.degree. to 500.degree. C. Although neither component is an especially good solvent for coal by itself, the use of mixed solvent gives greater flexibility to the process and offers efficiency gains.

Abstract: A rotary cutter head drivably mountable on a rotary drive shaft of a mining machine comprises a hub assembly drivably mountable on the drive shaft and a barrel component secured around the hub assembly. Ventilating means comprising tubular elements are mounted within the barrel component and define passages along which air flow inducing sprays are directed from nozzles. The nozzles are mounted on a distributor block constituting part of the fluid feed system for the cutter head.

Abstract: Amorphous silica-alumina catalysts, having a layer of an aluminum compound chemically bonded onto the surface of a silica xerogel and having protons as the electrical charge balancing species, have been found to give surprising selectivity in the conversion of water/methanol mixtures to toluene.

Abstract: Caking coals can be solvent extracted in high yields without agglomeration by a first stage extraction of 380.degree. C. to 420.degree. C. and at a pressure above the critical pressure of the solvent, followed by a second stage at a temperature above the critical temperature of the solvent in the range 440.degree. C. to 490.degree. C. Conveniently, the extraction is done by a cocurrent flow, using a hydrogen donor solvent.

Abstract: A fluid supply system for a rotary cutter head for a mining machine, comprises a relatively low pressure feed arrangement for feeding relatively low pressure fluid to discharge nozzles directing fluid sprays towards the cutting zone of the cutter head, and a relatively high pressure feed arrangement for feeding relatively high pressure fluid to discharge nozzles emitting air flow inducing sprays.

Abstract: A drill pipe section enables electrical information signals to be transmitted along a borehole to feed information generated by instruments situated adjacent to the drilling bit along the drill string to monitoring and/indication equipment situated adjacent to the drilling machine. The section comprises a generally cylindrical housing member and a liner member fixedly mounted inside the housing member with an air gap defined between the two members. An electrically conductive element extends between two electrically conductive, annular coupling components one of which defines a radially inwardly directed coupling margin and the other of which defines a radially outwardly directed coupling margin.

Abstract: Coal extracts from hydrogenative liquid extraction of coals can be more easily and more quickly filtered if the extraction is carried out at a temperature over 420.degree. C. and the resulting extract is fractionated using a cut point in the range 200.degree. to 300.degree. C. to remove low boiling material. The product is then filtered to give a filtrate containing less than 0.1% by weight of mineral matter.

Abstract: A portable gas analyzer uses a pump to take a gas sample and pump it through a carbon monoxide sensing cell, an oxygen-sensing cell and a methane-sensing pellister. Concentrations of these gases are displayed continuously on LCD displays. The gas analyzer is particularly useful in underground coal mines and offers the possibility of replacing many different gas analyzers with a simple convenient apparatus which gives continuous readings of all the critical gas concentrations.

Abstract: The ash content of a granular coal sample having a moisture content greater than 10% by weight is sensed by bombarding it with primary radiation comprising at least two spectrums of energies (46 KeV and 9-17 KeV) to cause radiative reactions in the coal, sensing the secondary radiation generated by the radiative reactions caused by one of the two spectrums of energies (46 KeV), sensing the secondary radiations at a characteristic fluorescent energy of at least one element (e.g. iron) in the coal sample, the characteristic fluorescent energy being excited by the other of the two spectrums of energies (9-17 KeV), and using the sensed secondary radiations to determine the ash content of the coal.

Abstract: Dust filter apparatus comprises a first, coarse dust removal stage constituted by a plurality of swirl chamber devices into which a liquid is sprayed and a second, fine dust removal stage constituted by a wetted filter panel.

Abstract: Drilling equipment for steering relatively long boreholes in rock strata comprises an adaptor for installation adjacent to the drill bit, the adaptor having an inner rotary component drivably connected between the drill rod assembly and the drill bit and a relatively outer component. Releasable latch means are provided having two operational modes in the first of which the inner and outer components are fixedly engaged for rotary motion and in the second mode of which the inner component can rotate relative to the outer component. Also actuatable means are provided for controlling the operational mode of the releasable latch means.

Abstract: In the froth flotation of coal, especially coking coal, improved results are observed when using as a collector an oil distillate cut within the range 80.degree. to 250.degree. C., containing less than 20% by weight of naphthenes, less than 20% by weight of aromatic content and more than 60% by weight of n-alkanes and branched-alkanes. Preferably, the collector is used with a polyglycol ether "frother".

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for the production of gases free from particulate contaminants, for use in driving gas turbines without causing fouling or corrosion of the blading.The method comprises feeding a gas contaminated with particulate material, for instance produced by the combustion or gasification of coal, and a tackifying material, such as a crackable hydrocarbon or an inorganic compound, to a collection medium, preferably a fluidized particle bed, maintained at a temperature whereat the tackifying material becomes sticky and is deposited on the collection medium. The contaminants are removed by becoming stuck thereon.

Abstract: An improved catalyst for conversion of oxygen-containing aliphatics to hydrocarbons is a silica xerogel having a layer of an aluminum compound chemically bonded onto its surface, having a maximum pore diameter of 1.1 nm and having substantially only protons and/or transition metal cations as electrical charge balancing species. The catalyst is very specific for the production of aromatics.

Abstract: A rotary cutter head for a coal mining machine comprises sensor means for sensing a preselected state, as for example, the methane concentration in the vicinity of the cutter head and for deriving a signal indicative of the sensed preselected state.