Archive for April, 2009
Aluminum Product Of Frontiers
A GIANT consuming unbelievable quantities of food day after day hour after hourthat well describes an aluminum smelter. Its meat is the primary ore of aluminum bauxite or its byproduct alumina. Whichever one there must be a constant supply flowing through and at the same time vast quantities of electric power must be available. To establish a smelter area then there must be a major source of electric power and also a good port close by.
Would a location with these facilities be suitable near some large city? No because other consumers would be making large demands on the power source. An aluminum smelter must have practically exclusive use of the power supply. This is why the aluminum industry is usually a pioneer of frontier country.
To a large extent the determining factors for choosing a smelter site are geography and a climate with sufficient precipitation to ensure a steady volume of water. Norways only aluminum smelter takes advantage of power generated by water dropping 2735 feet from the surrounding mountains.
In Ghana the Volta River has been dammed by a hydroelectric generating station to supply an aluminum smelter and a plant for processing one of the worlds largest deposits of bauxite into alumina. The mountainous region of Minas Gerais state in Brazil at Curo Preto has three modern hydroelectric plants supplying a smelter that obtains its bauxite only one kilometer distant from the operation.
Fifty years ago at Shawinigan Falls Quebec the industry installed a large generating plant and smelter in the back country of the St. Maurice River valley one hundred miles west of Quebec city. A few years later north of that city a power plant and smelter were constructed on the Saguenay River at Isle Maligne. Shortly afterward Arvida a few miles east on the same river saw the beginnings of the worlds largest aluminum smelterone that opened to industry the onceclosed country of the Saguenay. Now on Canadas west coast part of the hinterland of British Columbia has been opened up by the Kitimat smelter installations of the Aluminum Company of Canada.
Opening New Frontiers
In Guyana country of the fabled El Dorado immense deposits of aluminarich mineral have been developed. For fiftyfour years the reddishbrown ore has been blasted out of beds averaging fifteen to fortyfive feet in thickness. By 1958 the area around the community of Mackenzie was producing 300000 tons of bauxite annually. Today the storage bins at its modern docks load almost three million tons yearly into vessels bound for Quebecs Saguenay smelters.
Ten years ago few people had ever heard of Weipa on the farnorthern coast of Queensland Australia. In 1955 an Australian geologist discovered in this isolated area what has turned out to be the worlds largest deposit of bauxite. Seventythree square miles were already blocked out by 1968 with 516 million tons of proven ore reserves. Scout drilling over another 160 square miles revealed a potential of 1200 million tons. Suddenly Australia was in the bauxite business to an extent that made the aluminum industry around the world sit up and take notice.
The Weipa mining operation is very simple. When the layer of ore is reached at times 30 feet thick no blasting is needed. Loaders simply lift it out of its bed and onto 50ton aluminumbody dump trucks. It is taken to the beneficiation plant where the ore grade is improved by sizing and washing. Conveyor belts then take the washed treated ore to an open stockpile from where a conveyor loading system transfers it to ore ships.
Already over 40000000 had been spent on this development by last year. In addition to the modern plant and harbor works there is a new community housing over 350 people with airconditioned homes a school stores a theater police and hospital services. From being a wilderness in 1957 Weipa is now one of the top bulkmaterial shipping ports of Australia. Maximum capacity of the installation in 1963 was half a million tons annually. This figure rose to four million tons in 1968 and is contemplated to reach seven million tons annually by early in the seventies.
Thus in Guyana and Australia new frontiers have been opened up. But in these as with other countries the spread of industry to frontier areas has not been an unmixed blessing. Trees and vegetation are knocked down and openpit mines replace the wilderness beauty. Of course the Creator put into the earth minerals for man to use and how rich indeed this earth is in mineral wealth! It is also Gods purpose that this earth be a Paradise. But man in his exploitation of the mineral resources of the earth often leaves unsightly scars and makes portions of the land a desolate waste. He has not solved the problem of using earths resources without marring the beauty of his earthly home.
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Alternative Fuels To Rule The Indian Car Industry
Petrol and diesel are very much in the industry since the introduction of automobiles but now some better fuel options are being visualized by car manufacturers. Furthermore the recent price hike in fuel prices and increasing awareness of ecofriendly automotives have paved a wider way for alternative fuels like CNG and LPG.
Here is a basic understanding of the two alternative fuels that are widely being used in the Indian as well as the international car market. These fuels are gradually taking over petrol and diesel and are expected to rule the industry with their superior efficiency and environment friendly nature.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas LPG
LPG also known as propane is the gas produced during distillation of crude oil and is also known as petrol gas with 100 octane. Octane number actually defines the fuels resistance to knocking any car can run on high octane fuel without any kind of modification or problem.
These days many car manufacturers fit LPG kits in their car models to deliver a smoother quicker and cleaner running of their car models. The renowned Indian cars running successfully on LPG today are Hyundai Santro and Maruti Suzuki WagonR Duo petrol and LPG.
Some of the benefits of using LPG as car fuel are:
It gives a smoother and cleaner running.
It is available at a much cheaper price and has lower service cost.
LPG has the ability to extend the cruising range.
Delivers enhanced power acceleration and cruise speed.
High octane rating makes it easier to blend with air for combustion.
It causes less damage to engine and engine components as compared to petrol.
The disadvantages of LPG are:
It takes longer to start the engine during winter because of the low vapor pressure of propane.
Low energy content lowers the driving range.
A friendly LPG kit cannot be fitted in all car models.
Compressed Natural Gas CNG
CNG is a fossil fuel that is made by compressing natural gas at standard atmospheric pressure to nearly about 1 of its actual volume. It is considered to be one of the most viable options against the traditional fuels like petrol and diesel.
Many cars in India today are attuned to this alternative fuel technology. Some of the most popular and successful car models are Hyundai Santro Hyundai Accent and Tata Indica.
Some of the key advantages of CNG are:
- CNG is almost onethird of the cost price of petrol.
- It is one of the cleanest fuels as carbon monoxide emissions is reduced by about 8090 and the carbon dioxide by about 10.
- The basic car engine need not be changed to convert gasoline engine to CNG.
- It is much safer as during any kind of leakage the gas escapes to the atmosphere.
Some of the drawbacks of CNG include:
- CNG kit occupies larger space in the boot.
- It reduces car performance to some extent.
About the writer: Carazoo.com
A Guide To Water Removal From Automobiles
When a car is submerged every nook and corner is exposed to water. This would definitely require proper water removal procedures to ensure that water is not left in the car. The car will need many steps to remove all the water that has permeated its systems. There is the interior for example. The obvious areas are the carpet and upholstery. These should be removed from the car as soon as possible. These need to be dried in a minimal amount of time to prevent molds and fungus. They should be treated with an antibacterial and antifungal agent. They should not be reinstalled until all moisture and treatments have dried or been removed.
Let’s break down this process the upholstery will require vacuuming out all the water from them as soon as possible. Then it needs to be placed into a dehumidifier with air or low heat driers. The same process should be repeated with the carpet and padding. If possible the carpet and padding should be removed and replaced. They tend to mold releasing biological agents into the air of your car which could put your family’s and friends’ health at risk.
You will now understand why a professional is required or why an insurance company often considers a car that has been submerged a total loss. Here we will talk about the mechanical aspects of water removal. All the oils and lubricants must be removed the areas cleaned of all water residue. These areas are the engine oil the brake fluid the lubricant from the rear end the wheel bearings the automatic transmission; all filters must be removed and replaced. The catalytic converter require a steady pressure to operate properly thus this is usually removed and replaced. Also the gas tank has been flooded with water. This requires the removal of the tank flushing it with a water removal agent putting it back onto the car and refilling it with gas.
Now the next area of concern is the wiring and computer system. Water removal here is obviously necessary. All are typically removed and replaced or they may continue to have problems in the future. Some of these problems might be ignition coil fuel injectors the wiring harness where your electrical system is centralized. Even small things like control modules might require replacement.
The computer is designed to search out your car’s system to identify a problem. What if this system also is submerged? Will it read your system as it was designed to do? Do you want to take that chance? Well let’s relate it to the computer you use from your desk every day. If your computer was submerged into water you would never think of trying to dry it out and depend on it to perform the tasks your require of it daily. Well would you?
The computer in your car regulates many systems from the operation of the car to the creature comforts. The new DVD players the mapping systems that directs you to where you wish to travel the air bags that saves your lives when you are in a serious accident.
This is just a brief summary of water removal from your car that might be required to restore your water damaged car. This article has only scratched the surface of automobile water removal but hopefully it has giving you enough information to make you double check your professionals’ repairs or lack thereof.
About the writer: Evie Parrish is a house issue disaster writer for Water Removal Service Peach Lake NY and Mold Remediation