Determination of a coal preparation strategy using a computer based enumeration method

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:="" en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">Coals are extracted from mine and upgraded on the surface through washing to meet the customer’s quality requirements. Coal washing in a preparation plant seems very simple but involves a complex decision process. A preparation plant is designed with several separate flow lines to wash coals of different size-ranges. Each flow line consists of several stages of processes Each stages gain involves a number of alternative operating conditions. The choice of these operating conditions controls the quality and quantity of washed coals. In this paper, a computer based enumeration method is presented to find the operating conditions of a preparation plant which maximizes the revenue from the washed coals satisfying the customers' requirements The solution, of the proposed method, seems quite good for implementation. Some test problems and computational experiences are also presented.</span>