Coal Car Wash

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The Coal Car Wash by Al Marsh

Barack Obama leads 110th US Congress in supporting clean-coal initiatives and alternative energy.

Best accompanied by music from the movie "Car Wash (Sound Track)" or “Coal Car Wash” and music from

plus "Broadway ( CD1or CD2 or CD3 ) ".

Did you ever wonder what is going on when the seemingly endless miles of freight train cars go by filled with pre-pulverized coal? Not big chunks of coal but smaller coal, lets say three inches or less across each chunk? Here's the story. When I was growing up in the home designed and built in Prichard, AL by my grandfather Joshua A. Barney from Tuskegee University, it featured several fireplaces that burned wood and large chunks of coal, let’s say up to ten inches across on any given side? My great uncle Edward Barney burned the smaller coal in the furnace of his house in Washington, DC, not far from Howard University where I studied Electrical Engineering. He would shovel the coal into his furnace as needed to provide hot-water heat through out the structure during the winter months. I never thought about it much when I was a kid, but remember the fire place as being bright with red embers and very, very hot but they could not efficiently heat the entire house! Furnace generated heat was more efficient but less charming and romantic as I recall.

So now, I have been sitting for a few moments at a railroad crossing here in beautiful La Grange, Texas near The Meerscheidt House, a historic, refurbished Bed and Breakfast equivalent to any refined hotel on Broadway, owned by architect, historian and gourmet cook A. Neale Rabensburg. He is refurbishing other nearby properties of equal significance. Sounds of Modern Broadway are the featured music at breakfast.

With crossing lights flashing and bells dinging, train horns blaring and many coal cars going by in a flash, I reflect upon an era not so long ago when direct energy received from burning coal was delivered by trains and trucks to homesteads.

Today, coal fired furnaces and fireplaces are not often used for heating each individual home along tree lined, perfectly wide streets as in La Grange. The décor and historic buildings architectures and furnishing around them are the perfect setting for visitors to the area for golf, bike and foot races, antique shows, county fairs, lovers or just fine living.

Coal energy is used these days to produce electric power and other coal burning byproducts. The delivery of energy is now a lot less expensive, cleaner and more efficient. In fact, the train I hear in the distance is mostly likely headed to the nearby Fayette Power Plant (FPP), as are many coal trains that melodiously pass through day and night. FPP is managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) which provides archives and historical information regarding FPP, its lakes, parks and other power plants. Illinois Senator Obama , DOE and the 110th US Congress support coal initiatives.

What do we do with the coal in those coal train cars?

How do we remove the coal from the train cars?

How do we minimize or eliminate the coal dust, even explosions?

Do we wash the coal cars when emptied?

How do we burn the coal to produce electric power and clean the smoke?

How do we remove hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) when burning coal and alternatives?

Mercury Pollution and the Fish We Eat, Mercury Pollution Controls and HAPs research at the University of Texas?
AEP expansion of CO2 reduction commitment through 2010; extends participation in Chicago Climate Exchange.
Progress in conversion of coal to gas without pollution for vehicles, electricity and useful byproducts.
Clean Coal Technology (Read more about the JEA Project. Crushed limestone added to the coal as it enters the combustor captures 90 percent of the sulfur pollutants. The fluid motion of the coal as it burns - accounting for the name "fluidized bed" - also allows a "slow burn" that prevents the formation of nitrogen oxides, another air pollutant that can cause smog.)
Tar Sands
T. Boone Pickens Wind Energy Plan

When I was a kid, we would shovel the ashes from the fire place or wood stove and spread the burnt ash over the garden soil. The concept was to fertilize the soil for improved plant growth pretty much like chicken manure or compost. I follow that practice today with ash from my charcoal barbecue grill. But coal to complement cow, chicken, or horse manure for plant growth? We need to learn more, I never thought about it in depth until now. I imagine that residue from burned coal must be infused into the resulting plant growth. Although the impact was minimal and unimagined, here is a clue of what we were consuming back then and now from those hearty plants? The Coal Combustion By-Products (CCBs) discussed by the Western Region Ash Group and Environmental Geology studies in New Zealand may be of interest for correlation purposes. Bottom line, it was and is all good stuff to recycle?

Since coal is mainly carbon in original composition, we know from Education Resources that “ash content of coal is the non-combustible residue left after coal is burnt. It represents the bulk mineral matter after carbon, oxygen, sulphur and water (including from clays) has been driven off during combustion. Analysis is fairly straightforward, with the coal thoroughly burnt and the ash material expressed as a percentage of the original weight.” Fly Ash in concrete for construction is a significant example of the benefits of recycled materials like coal ash by products.

Now, let’s get back to the coal train, processing coal for electric power, pollution suppression and prevention, greenhouse gasses and alternative energy resources.

Pulverized coal is removed from coal cars at power plants by hydraulics tipping the contents of the car onto conveyor belts for processing. Recycled Water is automatically sprinkled onto the load to suppress dust when the car is being tipped essentially up side down. The car is also rinsed out to remove residual dust and coal as the coal car is being up righted. The process only takes a few moments. The excess water runoff collected may be returned to the recycle pond from which it is taken by the sump-pump controller principle. Coal and ash are typically moved by conveyor management systems (CMS).

Listen to the lyrics of the original “Car Wash”. The new “Coal Car Wash” is in production by composer Preston Marsh in his music studios at the original Barney homestead.

Coal is inexpensive and the largest single source of fuel for the generation of electricity world-wide. However, perspectives vary on alternative sources of Energy and Pollution Prevention. Even Wind Farms present problems for developers. See the video of innovative work plans at Kenecott Coal and visit AmericasPower.org for more. Cleaner power generated from safely mined, clean coal and more alternative power resources is coming soon.

Listen to music samples. Minimize Music Site Window for continuous music........Use Browser Back to return.

Enjoy Music of Coal: Mining Songs from the Appalachian Coalfields ~ Various Artists (September 11, 2007). The cover is an American Classic.

With good, safe power system design practices, innovative energy production can be optimally provided. Click here to learn how it all works now and is planned for a Coal or Fossil Fuel Power Plant.

About the author: Al Marsh is President and CEO of ALCO.com Company @ alcocom.com.....a Delaware USA Corporation providing Engineering Consultants, Distributors of HIRO™ Beverages (NEW! HIRO™ Energy), SeaAloe and other dietary supplements among venues "Providing Balance To Lifestyles For Business".

Al Marsh is also a Barack Obama Supporter for President of USA and his energy development concepts.

Other ALCO.com Company Venues of Interest:

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