Coal Technologies

CQ began its history as a designer, implementer, and operator of coal processing technologies — most often geared toward turning otherwise unsuitable coals or coal byproducts into valuable fuels. Break-through developments involving CQ include:

GranuFlow™ Process — Increases cleaning plant profits

CQ Inc.’s commercial-scale tests show that DOE’s GranuFlow™ technology can raise coal cleaning plant profits significantly. For example, at a froth flotation concentrate production rate of 75 tons per hour of GranuFlow-treated feed followed by screen-bowl centrifuges, annual pretax profits are projected to increase by $500,000 in the first four years and $580,000 in subsequent years.

GranuFlow technology adds a coal binding agent such as an asphalt emulsion to coal before dewatering, which makes it practical to capture fine and even ultrafine coal rather than sending these particles to landfills or impoundments. For more information, please contact David Akers (dakers@cq-inc.com).

E-Fuel® Pellets — Offer a technology breakthrough

CQ Inc. developed E-Fuel, a highly successful first-of-a-kind technology that combines paper-making byproducts with cleaned coal to make a clean-burning pellet. This fuel was deployed in 1995 at Westvaco Corporation’s paper-making plant in Tyrone, PA. Byproducts from the plant went into the pellets, which then fired the plant’s boilers using 80,000 tons of pellets a year.

E-Fuel has won numerous technology awards:

• Environmental & Energy Achievement Award, American Forest Products Inc.
• American Pulp and Paper Association Award for Innovative Recycling
• 1997 PA Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence
• Three Rivers Environmental Award for Environmental Stewardship (Finalist)

For more information, please contact Clark Harrison (clarkh@cq-inc.com).

CQ Inc. Pipe Sampler — An industry breakthrough

Our in-line slurry sampling device (patent pending) extracts repetitive samples across the full diameter of a pipe. The device takes samples from a pipe without interrupting the flow of material or starving downstream processes, without deluging the sampling personnel and sample containers with high volumes of slurry, and while preserving plant cleanliness. The device can be mounted inexpensively in multiple locations throughout a coal cleaning plant or other industrial facility that pipes slurries. Operators can then manually activate the sampler to take sample cuts at any desired frequency and over any desired time period.

The particle portion of slurry flowing in a pipe is generally stratified by particle size and density. In a vertical pipe, the larger, denser particles are driven to the outside of the pipe by centrifugal force. In a sloping pipe, the larger, denser particles tend to move toward the bottom of the pipe under the force of gravity. If there are any bends in a sloping pipe, centrifugal force also acts to stratify the particles. The CQ Inc. Pipe Sampler collects slurry across the full diameter of a pipe so that the entire size and density distribution of the stratified particles are captured in the sample. This device is offered for sale through this website. Ordering information and additional information about the pipe sampler can be obtained by downloading the PDF. Please direct questions to David Akers (dakers@cq-inc.com).

Waste Coal Recovery

CQ began its history as a designer, implementer, and operator of coal processing technologies — most often geared toward turning otherwise unsuitable coals or coal byproducts into valuable fuels. Most recent examples include pond fine recovery operations at our Ginger Hill and Pleasant Ridge facilities in Western Pennsylvania. Another example: periodic contracts to recover marketable coal from waste coals (gob).

These competencies led to CQ’s selection as the contract project developer and plant operator of choice for Western Greenbrier’s planned gob processing facility near Rainelle, West Virginia. CQ will provide the plant configuration and then, starting in 2009, will process roughly 1.0 to 1.2 million tons of gob per year to produce fuel suitable as feed for a nearby power plant. For more information, please contact David Benson (dbenson@cq-inc.com).