Agglomeration of ash in fluidized beds gasifying coal: the godel phenomenon

In a bed of anthracite or bituminous coke fluidized by air at 10 to 15 meters per second at 1200 degrees to 1400 degrees C, molten ash forms beads on the surface of a coke particle, some exuding from its interior. The beads merge and detach them-selves to grow further as loose fluidized ash agglomerates of low carbon content.     

A Market Study on the Anaerobic Waste-water Treatment Systems

This study analyzed global trends in the industrial use ofanaerobic wastewater treatment systems. Information on over 750anaerobic systems installed over the last two decades by three leading suppliers of anaerobic systems, namely ADI SystemsInc., Biothane Corporation, and Paques, showed exponential growthin the use of industrial anaerobic wastewater systemsinternationally up to the mid-1990s. After 1994, the number ofannual installations declined, and has been relatively constantover the last three years. The North American market was shown tobe relatively volatile, with no clear indication of futuregrowth, while the European market was found to be relativelymature. In North America, most of the anaerobic wastewatertreatment systems are serving breweries (26%), potato processingindustries (11%), or pulp and paper industries (9%). Ananalysis of the market history of the commercial anaerobic modelssuggests the phasing out of traditional UASB and fermentormodels, and the potential for growth of high-capacity and high-rate systems (>20 kg m^-3 d^-1) such as the BiothaneEGSB and the Paques Internal Circulation (IC) systems. Future efforts should focus on research into new designs for high-rate and high-capacity systems, and on the encouragement of economic incentivesfor industries implementing anaerobic wastewater treatmentsystems. A market study on other methods of wastewater treatment(e.g. aerobic treatment) is also recommended, to provide insightinto current economic trends in the area of environmental biotechnology.