煤矿科技英语.doc

煤矿科技英语1. INTRODUCTION Coal, a combustible organic rock 1 composed primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen 2. Coal is burned to produce energy and is used to manufacture steel. It is also an important source of chemicals used to make medicine, fertilizers, pesticides 3, and other products. Coal comes from ancient plants buried over millions of years in Earths crust 4, its outermost layer 5. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and oil shale 6 are all known as fossil fuels 7 because they come from the remains of ancient life buried deep in the crust.Coal is rich in hydrocarbons 8(compounds made up of the elements hydrogen and carbon). All life forms contain hydrocarbons, and in general, material that contains hydrocarbons is called organic material. Coal originally formed from ancient plants that died, decomposed, and were buried under layers of sediment 9 during the Carboniferous Period 10, about 360 million to 290 million years ago. As more and more layers of sediment formed over this decomposed plant material, the overburden 11 exerted increasing heat and weight on the organic matter. Over millions of years, these physical conditions caused coal to form from the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and inorganic mineral 12 compounds in the plant matter. The coal formed in layers known as seams.Plant matter changes into coal in stages. In each successive stage, higher pressure and heat from the accumulating overburden increase the carbon content of the plant matter and drive out more of its moisture content 13. Scientists classify coal according to its fixed carbon content 14, or the amount of carbon the coal produces when heated under controlled conditions. Higher grades of coal have a higher fixed carbon content.NOTES TO THE TEXT1 organic rock：有机岩2 carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen：碳，氢和氧3 pesticides：农药4 Earths crust：地壳 5 outermost layer：最外层地层6 oil shale：油页岩 7 fossil fuels：化石燃料8 hydrocarbons：碳氢化合物 9 layers of sediment ：沉积层10 Carboniferous Period：石炭纪11 overburden：覆盖岩层 12 inorganic mineral：无机材料13 moisture content：含水量 14 fixed carbon content：固定碳含量 煤矿科技英语2. MODERN USES OF COALEighty-six percent of the coal used in the United States is burned by electric power plants 1 to produce electricity. When burned, coal generates energy in the form of heat. In a power plant that uses coal as fuel, this heat converts water into steam, which is pressurized to spin the shaft of a turbine. This spinning shaft 2 drives a generator that converts the mechanical energy of the rotation into electric power. Coal is also used in the steel industry. The steel industry uses coal by first heating it and converting it into coke 3, a hard substance consisting of nearly pure carbon. The coke is combined with iron ore 4 and limestone 5. Then the mixture is heated to produce iron. Other industries use different coal gases given off during the coke-forming process 6 to make fertilizers, solvents 7, medicine, pesticides, and other products.Fuel companies convert coal into easily transportable gas 8 or liquid fuels 9. Coal-based vapor fuels 10 are produced through the process of gasification 11. Gasification may be accomplished either at the site of the coalmine 12 or in processing plants 13. In processing plants, the coal is heated in the presence of steam and oxygen to produce synthesis gas 14, a mixture of carbon monoxide 15, hydrogen, and methane 16 used directly as fuel or refined into cleaner-burning gas 17.On-site gasification 18 is accomplished by controlled, incomplete burning of an underground coal bed while adding air and steam. To do this, workers ignite the coal bed, pump air and steam underground into the burning coal, and then pump the resulting gases from the ground. Once the gases are withdrawn, they may be burned to produce heat or generate electricity. Or they may be used in synthetic gases to produce chemicals or to help create liquid fuels .Liquefaction 19 processes convert coal into a liquid fuel that has a composition similar to that of crude petroleum 20 Liquefaction. Coal can be liquefied either by direct or indirect processes. However, because coal is a hydrogen-deficient hydrocarbon 21, any process used to convert coal to liquid or other alternative fuels 22 must add hydrogen. Four general methods are used for liquefaction: (1) pyrolysis 23 and hydrocarbonization 24, in which coal is heated in the absence of air or in a stream of hydrogen; (2) solvent extraction 25, in which coal hydrocarbons are selectively dissolved and hydrogen is added to produce the desired liquids; (3) catalytic liquefaction 26, in which hydrogenation 27 takes place in the presence of a catalyst; and (4) indirect liquefaction, in which carbon monoxide and hydrogen are combined in the presence of a catalyst. NOTES TO THE TEXT1 electric power plants：发电厂 2 spinning shaft：旋转轴3 coke：焦炭 4 iron ore：铁矿石 5 limestone：石灰岩 6 coke-forming process：焦炭形成过程7 solvents：溶剂8 easily transportable gas：易输送的气体 l9 liquid fuels：液体燃料 10 coal-based vapor fuels：以媒为基础的气态燃料11 gasification：气化 12 coalmine：煤矿 13 processing plants：加工厂 14 synthesis gas：合成煤气 15 carbon monoxide：一氧化碳16 methane：沼气，甲烷 17 cleaner-burning gas：洁净煤气 18 on-site gasification：地下气化 19 liquefaction：液化 20 crude petroleum：原油 21 hydrogen-deficient hydrocarbon：缺氢碳氢化合物 22 alternative fuels：替代燃料 23 pyrolysis：高温分解 24 hydrocarbonization：碳氢化作用25 solvent extraction：溶剂提取 26 catalytic liquefaction：催化液化作用 27 hydrogenation：氢化作用煤矿科技英语3. FORMATION AND COMPONENTS OF COAL2006年8月1日 12:40:0Coal is a sedimentary rock 1 formed from plants that flourished millions of years ago when tropical swamps 2 covered large areas of the world. Lush vegetation 3, such as early club mosses 4, horsetails 5, and enormous ferns, thrived in these swamps. Generations of this vegetation died and settled to the swamp bottom, and over time the organic material lost oxygen and hydrogen, leaving the material with a high percentage of carbon. Layers of mud and sand 6 accumulated over the decomposed plant matter, compressing and hardening the organic material as the sediments deepened. Over millions of years, deepening sediment layers, known as overburden, exerted tremendous heat and pressure on the underlying plant matter, which eventually became coal. Before decayed plant material 7 forms coal, the plant material forms a dark brown, compact organic material known as peat 8. Although peat will burn when dried, it has a low carbon and high moisture content relative to coal. Most of coals heating value comes from carbon, whereas inorganic materials, such as moisture and minerals 9, detract from its heating value. For this reason, peat is a less efficient fuel source than coal. Over time, as layers of sediment accumulate over the peat, this organic material forms lignite 10, the lowest grade of coal. As the thickening geologic overburden gradually drives moisture from the coal and increases its fixed carbon content, coal evolves from lignite into successively higher-graded coals: subbituminous coal 11, bituminous coal 12, and anthracite 13. Anthracite, the highest rank of coal, has nearly twice the heating value of lignite.Coal formation began during the Carboniferous Period (known as the first coal age), which spanned 360 million to 290 million years ago. Coal formation continued throughout the Permian 14, Triassic 15, Jurassic 16, Cretaceous 17, and Tertiary 18 Periods, which spanned 290 million to 1.6 million years ago. Coals formed during the first coal age are older, so they are generally located deeper in Earths crust. The greater heat and pressures at these depths produce higher-grade coals such as anthracite and bituminous coals. Conversely, coals formed during the second coal age under less intense heat and pressure are generally located at shallower depths. Consequently, these coals tend to be lower-grade subbituminous and lignite coals.Coal contains organic (carbon-containing) compounds transformed from ancient plant material. The original plant material was composed of cellulose 19, the reinforcing material 20 in plant cell walls 21; lignin 22, the substance that cements plant cells together; tannins 23, a class of compounds in leaves and stems; and other organic compounds, such as fats and waxes. In addition to carbon, these organic compounds contain hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. After a plant dies and begins to decay on a swamp bottom, hydrogen and oxygen (and smaller amounts of other elements) gradually dissociate from the plant matter, increasing its relative carbon content.Coal also contains inorganic components, known as ash. Ash includes minerals such as pyrite 24 and marcasite 25 formed from metals that accumulated in the living tissues of the ancient plants. Quartz 26, clay, and other minerals are also added to coal deposits by wind and groundwater 27. Ash 28 lowers the fixed carbon content of coal, decreasing its heating value.NOTES TO THE TEXT1 sedimentary rock：沉积岩 2 tropical swamps：热带沼泽 3 Lush vegetation：茂盛的植物4 club mosses：石松 5 horsetails：马尾（木贼属的一种植物） 6 layers of mud and sand：泥砂层 7 decayed plant material：腐烂的植物材料 8 peat：泥炭 9 minerals：矿物 10 lignite：褐煤 11 subbituminous coal：次烟煤 12 bituminous coal：烟煤 13 anthracite：无烟煤 14 Permian：二叠纪 15 Triassic：三叠纪 16 Jurassic：侏罗纪17 Cretaceous：白垩纪 18 Tertiary：第三纪 19 cellulose：纤维素 20 reinforcing material：加固的材料 21 cell walls：细胞壁 22 lignin：木质 23 tannins：丹宁，鞣酸 24 pyrite：黄铁矿 25 marcasite ：白铁矿26 quartz：石英27 groundwater：地下水28 ash：灰分煤矿科技英语4. COAL DEPOSITS AND RESERVES Although coal deposits exist in nearly every region of the world, commercially significant coal resources occur only in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Commercially significant coal deposits occur in sedimentary rock basins 3, typically sandwiched as layers called beds or seams 4 between layers of sandstone 5 and shale 6. When experts develop estimates of the worlds coal supply, they distinguish between coal reserves and resources. Reserves are coal deposits that can be mined profitably with existing technologythat is, with current equipment and methods. Resources are an estimate of the worlds total coal deposits, regardless of whether the deposits are commercially accessible. Exploration 7 geologists 8 have found and mapped the worlds most extensive coal beds. At the beginning of 2001, global coal reserves were estimated at 984.2 billion metric tons, in which 1 metric ton 9 equals 1,016 kg (2,240 lb). These reserves occurred in the following regions by order of importance: the Asia Pacific, including Australia, 29.7 percent; North America, 26.1 percent; Russia and the countries of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), 23.4 percent; Europe, excluding the former USSR, 12.4 percent; Africa and the Middle East, 6.2 percent; and South and Central America, 2.2 percent. Coal deposits in the United Kingdom, which led the world in coal production until the 20th century, extend throughout parts of England, Wales, and southern Scotland. Coalfields in western Europe underlie the Saar and Ruhr valleys in Germany, the Alsace region of France, and areas of Belgium. Coalfields 10 in central Europe extend throughout parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. The most extensive and valuable coalfield in eastern Europe is the Donets Basin, between the Dnieper and Donrivers (in parts of Russia and Ukraine). Large coal deposits in Russia are being mined in the Kuznetsk Basin in southern Siberia. Coalfields underlying northwestern China are among the largest in the world. Mining of these fields began in the 20th century.United States coal reserves are located in six major regions, three of which produce the majority of domestically 11 mined coal. The most productive region 12 in the United States is the Appalachian Basin, covering parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Alabama. Large quantities of coal have also been produced by both the Illinois Basinextending through Illinois, Indiana, and Kentuckyand the Western Interior Regionextending through Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Other commercially important U.S. coal regions include the Powder River Basin, underlying parts of Montana and Wyoming; the Green River Basin in Wyoming; the Uinta Basin, covering areas of Utah and Colorado; and the San Juan Basin, underlying parts of Utah, New Mexico and Colorado.In 2001 estimates of total U.S. coal reserves were approximately 246 billion metric tons. At the beginning of the 21st century production amounted to about 980 million metric tons each year.NOTES TO THE TEXT1 coal deposit：煤矿床 2 reserves：储量3 sedimentary rock basins：沉积岩盆地4 seams：媒层 5 sandstone：砂岩 6 shale：页岩7 exploration：勘探 8 geologist：地质学家9 metric ton：公吨 10 coalfields：媒田 11 domestically：国内（产）地，民用地，家用地12 productive region：生产区 煤矿科技英语5. BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO COAL MINING Coal mining 1 is the removal of coal from the ground. The mining method employed to extract the coal depends on the following criteria: a. seam thickness 2, b. the overburden thickness, c. the ease of removal of the overburden, d. the ease with which a shaft 3 can be sunk to reach the coal seam, e. the amount of coal extracted relative to the amount that cannot be removed, and f. the market demand for the coal.The two types of mining methods are surface mining 4 and underground mining 5. In surface mining, the layers of rock or soil overlying a coal seam are first removed after which the coal is extracted from the exposed seam. In underground mining, a shaft is dug to reach the coal seam. Currently, underground mining accounts for approximately 60 percent of the world recovery of coal.5-1 Surface Mining Surface mining is used to reach coal reserves that are too shallow to be reached by other mining methods. Types of surface mining include open-pit mining 6, drift mining 7, slope mining 8, contour mining 9, and auger mining 10.A. Open-pit MiningIn open-pit mining, or strip mining, earth-moving equipment is used to remove the rocky overburden and then huge mechanical shovels 11 scoop 12 coal up from the underlying deposit. The modern coal industry has developed some of the largest industrial equipment ever made, including shovels capable of holding 290 metric tons of coal.To reach the coal, bulldozers 13 clear the vegetation and soil. Depending on the hardness and depth of the exposed sedimentary rocks, these rocky layers may be shattered with explosives. To do this, workers drill blast holes 14 into the overlying sedimentary rock, fill these holes with explosives 15, and then blast the overburden to fracture the rock. Once the broken rock is removed, coal is shoveled from the underlying deposit into giant earth-moving trucks 16 for transport 17.B. Drift MiningDrift mining is used when a horizontal seam 18 of coal emerges at the surface on the side of a hill or mountain, and the opening 19 into the mine can be made directly into the coal seam. This type of mining is generally the easiest and most economical type because excavation through rock is not necessary. If coal is available in this manner, it is likely to be mined.C. Slope Mining Slope mining occurs when an inclined opening is used to tap the coal seam (or seams). A slope mine may follow the coal seam if the seam is inclined and exposed to the surface, or the slope may be driven through rock strata overlying the coal to reach a seam. Coal transportation from a slope mine can be accomplished by conveyor 20 or by track haulage 21 (using a trolley locomotive 22 if the grade is not severe) or by pulling mine cars 23 up the slope using an electric hoist 24 and steel rope 25 if the grade is steep. The most common practice is to use a belt conveyor.D. Contour Mining Contour mining occurs on hilly or mountainous terrain, where workers use excavation equipment to cut into the hillside along its contour to remove the overlying rock and then mine the coal. The depth to which workers must cut into the hillside depends on factors such as hill slope and coal bed thickness. E. Auger Mining Auger mining is frequently employed in open-pit mines where the thickness of the overburden is too great for open-pit mining to be cost-effective 26. Open-pit mining would require the lengthy and costly removal of the overburden, whereas auger mining is more efficient because it cuts through the overburden and removes the coal as it drills. In this technique, the miners drill a series of horizontal holes into the coal bed with a large auger (drill) powered by a diesel or gasoline engine 27. These augers are typically about 60 m (200 ft) long and 0.6 to 2.1 m (2 to 7 ft) in diameter. As these enormous drills bore into the coal seam, they discharge coal like a wood drill producing wood shavings. Additional auger lengths are added as the cutting head of the auger penetrates farther into the coal. Penetration continues until the cutting head drifts into the top or bottom of the coal seam, into a previous hole, or until the maximum torque 28 (energy required to twist an object) of the auger is reached.F. Satellite Aids 29 to Surface Mining In the late 1990s some coal mining enterprises used technologies such as the global positioning system (GPS) 30 to help guide the positioning of mining equipment. Satellites operated by the United States Air Force Sp