Abstract: An apparatus for facilitating solids transport in a pneumatic conveying l. The apparatus reduces the velocity of a gas within the pneumatic conveying line. The following describes a preferred embodiment. An inner cylinder is spliced into the line. An upper portion of the inner cylinder is made of a porous material. An outer cylinder having a diameter larger than the inner cylinder encircles the inner cylinder and defines a cavity therebetween. Two solenoid valves are associated with the outer cylinder; one for purging the gas and the other for introducing a reverse jet of gas to dislodge particles from the porous material. A pressure transducer measures fluctuations across the top of the inner cylinder and is connected to a control unit which, in turn, controls the valves.

Abstract: The high temperature particle velocity meter is comprised of a pair of spaced apart conducting portions having disposed on each of their upstream edges a first and second non-conducting portion. The bombardment of the particles on the conducting and non-conducting portions creates charged particles in the pneumatically transported material. These particles discharge an electric current through the conducting portions to respective conductors and then to respective signal generating means. The signal generating means convert the electric discharges to an electronic signal. The electronic signals from each of the signal generating means are fed into a calculating means which calculate the particle velocity of the material based on the respective electronic signals. In another embodiment, the device can be used in a ceramic pipeline or a metal pipeline having its inner surface ceramically lined. In this embodiment, the device does not include the non-conducting portions as the pipe is already non-conducting.

Abstract: A process for removing mineral matter from feed coal employing liquid carbon dioxide. A water slurry of pulverized feed coal is mixed with liquid carbon dioxide. Demineralized coal is collected in the liquid carbon dioxide phase while separated mineral matter concentrates in the water phase. The two liquid phases are separately drawn off and their solid contents recovered.