Coal-Cleaning Plant Computer System Reliability

A coal-cleaning plant's environment can be hazardous to a computer system. The computer must be more reliable than the coal-cleaning plant mechanical processes if it is to help improve clean-coal quality and yield by performing data gathering and process control tasks. This paper discusses coal-cleaning plant environmental hazards and installation philosophies that can protect the computer. Specific reference is made to a computer system installed at the Electric Power Research Institute's Coal-Cleaning Test Facility.