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<br />r,., <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />- 5 - <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br />.- <br />C~ <br />....-f <br /> <br />.~- ... <br />'-- <br /> <br />contained in the capsules. This alternative is now being studied. The maximum <br />rate of coal movement will be 10 to 15 million tons per year. But, lesser <br />amounts can be carried, too; the load can be easily adjusted up or down. <br /> <br />< ., <br />.....-. <br /> <br />The concept of capsule transport by hydraulic pipeline is not new. In Canada, <br />the Alberta Research Council has been conducting research on the technology <br />since the late fifties. Related work has produced several types of experimental <br />pumps and capsule propulsion systems. <br /> <br />In Japan, <br />pipeline. <br /> <br />the Hitachi "Hydrohoist" is one method of propelling capsules in a <br />A variation of that system may be usable on the AQUATRAIN project. <br /> <br />But, nowhere has the technology actually been developed to an operational state <br />for coal transportation, and that is the job being proposed now by W. R. Grace & <br />Co. <br /> <br />Grace is now investigating several pipeline designs, conducting engineering studies, <br />and considering alternative pipeline routes to the Pacific. The starting point for <br />the line will, of course, be in Western Colorado, for access to dependable, long- <br />term supplies of both coal and saline water. But, a specific route to the Pacific <br />Coast, and the location of the line's terminus, must yet be selected. <br /> <br />A major consideration in route selection will be the need to service interested <br />U.S. electric utilities, especially new ones that can take advantage of the <br />premium grade of coal carried by AQUATRAIN, in their plant construction. In <br />these cases, the AQUATRAIN line or a branch of it would probably go directly to <br />the power plant. <br /> <br />Several alternative corridors are under consideration: a southwest route termi- <br />nating in Southern California; a westerly route to Northern California; a corridor <br />to the Pacific Northwest, and one to the coast of Mexico. <br /> <br />In addition to economic and engineering factors, the comparative environmental <br />impact of each route will also be analyzed as a major component of the route <br />selection process. <br /> <br />The construction of AQUATRAIN is a major technological undertaking. It is the <br />application of a new technology on a large scale. But, it is not merely a <br />monument to technology--it represents the kind of innovation that is required <br />