Michael L Best

US Patent:

61372943, Oct 24, 2000

Filed:

Jan 21, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/234920

Inventors:

Michael Howard Best - Monroeville PA
David Michael Rohaus - Harrison City PA

Assignee:

USX Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

G01R 2704

US Classification:

324640

Abstract:

A method for predicting the bulk density of coal after it is dropped from a known height into a container from measurements of bulk density and moisture content of the coal before it is dropped into the container. The method includes obtaining a plurality of samples of coal, measuring the bulk density of each coal sample by directing nuclear radiation through the coal, subsequently dropping each sample from said known height in a test facility and measuring the bulk density of each coal sample after drop, measuring the moisture content of each coal sample, determining a correlation between the bulk density of said coal samples after drop with the bulk density determined before drop and the moisture content, and predicting the bulk density of coal after drop into a container from subsequent measurement of the bulk density and moisture content and the previously determined correlation from test facility measurements.