The accurate determination of coal in stockpiles utilizing nuclear methods

Determining the tons of coal in storage is a function of the volume and density. This paper briefly discusses the volume determinations and, in detail, the density determination utilizing nuclear methods. The components of a coal stockpile inventory include: coal pile preparation; ground control; staking boring locations; aerial photography; volumetric calculations; density determination; moisture determination; tonnage calculations; chemical analysis; and the report of the inventory. Several methods of manual determination are discussed. Determining density by nuclear gauges is often recognized as the most accurate method. The variability of coal in a stockpile will determine the number of tests required to provide the desired confidence level. The number of borings will be determined by the size of the pile and experienced judgement.