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HTC One (M8) receives Android 4.4.3 KitKat update
HTC's Vice President of Management, Mo Versi, has posted a tweet saying that the HTC One (M8) Android 4.4.3 OTA update will arrive "late next week." The update will be available to the international unlocked version of the phone as well as its developer edition.
Versi added that the update includes security fixes from the Android 4.4.4 version, which is good news. This means the company will skip the Android 4.4.4 update for the device and move straight to the Android L-release and do it fast.
The carrier versions of the phone for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon will also receive the update. Sprint users have been lucky and are already rocking Android 4.4.3 on their One (M8).
HTC One (M8) receives Android 4.4.3 KitKat update - reader comments
- Padamin
I have been waiting for the M8 update on Telecom NZ for a while too. Anyone here from NZ have 4.4.3 yet?
- Reply
- 2014-08-26 01:18
- 5gmS
- BigRick
I don't want to sound dumb but I've checking for software updates everyday to no avail. Am I doing something wrong because I thought the update was coming out earlier this month
- Reply
- 2014-08-25 15:21
- s7GE
- joseph
iam facing camera issue after d update in htc one m8
- Reply
- 2014-08-18 11:29
- vGDx


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Dallas-Ft Worth Area Veteran Job Fair
This event took place on March 7, 2013 at The Hurst Conference Center in Hurst, TX.
Interested in attending our next event in Dallas?
We're preparing for the Dallas All Veteran Job Fair on August 27, 2015. Register for the event today!
Featured Exhibitors
- Waste Management, Inc.
- DeVry University
- Bank of America
- Prudential Financial
- The Kroger Co.
- McDonald's Corporation
- American Income Life Insurance Company
- C.R. England, Inc.
- Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
- Oklahoma College of Construction
- Heavy Construction Academy
- The Art Institutes
- The Home Depot
- Lockheed Martin
- Pyramid Consulting
- Aviation Institute of Maintenance
- TravelCenters of America / Petro Stopping Centers
- First Command Financial Planning
- Union Institute & University
- Kwik Kar of Carrollton
- Texas Instruments
- Republic Services
- Dallas Independent School
- U.S. Department of State
- Lincoln College of Technology
- GameStop, Inc.
- Smith System Manufacturing Company
- Veterans Employment Service Office
- Central Freight Lines
- Farmers Insurance
- Equipment Depot
- Logicus, LLC
- Infosys
- Plastipak Packaging
- Kaplan College Co-Op
- L-3 Communications Integrated Systems
- Amazon
- Allies in Service
- Switch Commerce
- General Electric
- University of Texas at Dallas
- Luminant
- ATDS Truck Driving School
- GAF Building Materials
- MasTec Advanced Technologies
- Primerica Financial Services/Primerica Advisors
- Federal Reserve Bank
- Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol
- Flint Energy Services, Inc.
- Aviall
- Danos & Curole
- United Rentals, Inc.
- Trade Star
- OmniTRAX
- Penske Truck Leasing
- Trident University International
- Hilton Worldwide
- Exeter Finance Corp.
- Schlumberger
- FTS International
- Don Davis Auto Group
- AutoNation
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Niagara Bottling, LLC
- Microsoft Corporation
- MariTech Window
- United Petroleum Transports
- Malin Integrated Handling Solutions and Design
- International Schools
- My Computer Career
- WGU Texas
- WyoTech
A Career Day: Job Fair Held for North Texas Veterans
"CW-33 (KDAF)- NewsFix We all know how hard it is to land a job these days, from countless resumes and cover letters, to job searches, folks put in a lot of work just to get work. But for others finding a job means more than just another paycheck."
The Hire More Heroes Act is misguided. There is no veterans' unemployment crisis.
"Americans may be shocked to learn that there is no veterans' unemployment crisis. The unemployment rate in 2014 for post-9/11 veterans was 7.2 percent, the lowest level in seven years of tracking these veterans. "
Irving's RecruitMilitary Considered Biggest in U.S.
"The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas was the site of what organizers describe as the largest RecruitMilitary event ever. The event is held across the country and helps connect veterans and their spouses with jobs."
What Government Should Actually Do To Support Veterans' Employment
"The latest crisis at the Department of Veterans Affairs has called into question again the proper role of government in the care of our veterans. Whereas healthcare is clearly in shambles, veterans' employment is another realm in which well-meaning government involvement has been inefficient at best and ineffective or counterproductive at worst. "
Employment and Returning Veterans
"Peter Gudmundsson talked about the availability of jobs for returning service members."
The four myths and opportunities of hiring veterans today
"In an era when "support our troops" bumper stickers are common and billboards and radio advertisements abound with rallying calls to give veterans a job, it is not surprising that many employers are overwhelmed and confused. Good intentions permeate most efforts to employ veterans at the national, state and local levels."
Beyond Altruism
"Among the fondest memories Peter Gudmundsson '85 has of his three years as an active-duty U.S. Marine officer was the time in 1987 when, off the coast of Vietnam, he stood on the deck of a U.S. Navy ship looking up at the Soviet planes flying overhead. What was particularly memorable, he says, was not the plane flying overhead, but the reaction of the men in his platoon"
Money For Lunch
"Money for Lunch host Bert Martinez interviewed Peter Gudmundsson. Discussed veteran hiring."
Hiring vets is not charity work — it's good business
"Peter Gudmundsson wants to tamp down the idea that hiring veterans is your patriotic duty. The 50-year-old CEO of RecruitMilitary believes that tapping this growing pool of skilled, disciplined and hardworking workers is simply good business sense."
Helping veterans overcome job search challenges
"Mike Rollins is featured on America Now. Recently, America Now visited a RecruitMilitary job fair held at the Hurst Conference Center in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. "
Veterans Seek Work at Irving Job Fair
"NBC 5 (KXAS) Dallas/Ft. Worth - Veterans looking for work got some help on Thursday."
Specialized Job Fairs Help Veterans Find Work After Their Service
"Returning to civilian life is tough enough for veterans. Finding a job can be even a bigger challenge."
Unemployed veterans converge on Irving Convention Center
"Military families reunited with loved ones, back from tours of duty overseas, are finding a new battle on the home front - landing a job."
Job Expo Focuses on Veterans, Military Spouses
"Hundreds of veterans looking for jobs attended a job expo in Las Colinas on Thursday. Veterans said they were grateful for the opportunity to meet many potential employers. "There is some difficulty translating what you've done in the military and how companies can take advantage of it," veteran P.J. Preddy said."
KLUV 98.7 FM Speaks to RecruitMilitary about upcoming event: Hiring Our Heroes/RecruitMilitary Veteran Opportunity Expo - Dallas
"Mike Rollins, RecruitMilitary Event Director discusses Dallas Hiring Our Heroes/RecruitMilitary Veteran Opportunity Expo on KLUV 98.7 FM's Community Corner segment with Kathy Jones. "
Career Fair Held For Military Veterans
"Hiring Our Heroes/RecruitMilitary Veteran Opportunity Expo being held at the Irving Convention Center. Interviewed in the story is Mike Rollins of RecruitMiltiary, GameStop, and several veterans..."
TN veterans face tough battle to find employment
"By Naomi Snyder Terry Pack was an aircraft mechanic serving in the Army in Iraq, spending two of the last six years in combat overseas. Now that he's done his service for the country, he can't even get a job doing oil changes at Sears. "It's tough,'' said the unemployed Clarksville veteran, who was honorably discharged in January. "I've been looking for any job." A congressional hea..."
Veterans and Jobs
"Matt Murphy, RecruitMilitary's Senior VP of Business Development and Sales is a guest on Washington Journal to talk about a recent report that shows the jobless rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is over eleven percent. He talks about connecting employers, educational institutions, and franchisors to veterans because of their character, skills and training, diversity, and securi..."

subset: commoncrawl


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Frankel adds voice to Murphy's All Aboard Florida letter to feds
U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel has joined Rep. Patrick Murphy in calling on the federal government to pressure All Aboard Florida for greater safety and financial-disclosure improvements on its high-speed passenger-train service.
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"I knew he drank too much and was going way too fast," said a passenger in a car that flipped on New Year's Eve, according to the police report. " I kept telling him to slow down but he just kept going faster."
To continue reading this article, you must have a paid online subscription.
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GUILDERLAND — A Guilderland native is showing his first independent film project, The CulDeSack Kids, inspired by growing up in suburban New York in the 1990s, to audiences at the Guilderland Public Library.
Guilderland was a lens for national issues in 2014, home to the first general killed in combat since Vietnam, the place where a Chinese family was murdered, and where an addict was accused of burglary before hanging himself in jail.
GUILDERLAND — People who may not have access to personal transportation will now be able to visit the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.
"It was the first place I used a computer, it was a social place...and it was an educational place," said Joseph Burke, new director of the Altamont free Library. "I still remember the joy of discovering something new, something I'd overlooked before."
"It is always good when we approve a contract before the end of the year," Supervisor Kenneth Runion said, "because then we don't have to do anything retroactively." He also said some of the changes would result in cost benefits to the town.
GUILDERLAND — An inspection of a CSX Mainline Track between Schenectady and Selkirk last week revealed a faulty switch on a line running through the Northeastern Industrial Park.
James Verseput, one of the owners of Mill Hollow, said he did not see a conflict of interest with having the town's senior program located at a privately-owned senior-housing complex.
The town board put off making a decision on the rezone on Western Avenue, again.
McKownville residents are afraid a medical building would detract from the residential feel of their area.
Follow @theAEnews
Copyright © 2013 The Altamont Enterprise.
Albany County, New York


text:
Welcome to Job House!
Please note: Our location will be closed on Wednesday, July 1st for Canada Day.
Employers, have you heard about the Canada-Ontario Job Grant?
The Canada-Ontario Job Grant provides financial assistance to employers looking to update the skill-set of their employees. Click here for more information or call us at 416-925-2103 ext. 4000.
Follow us on Twitter!
Employment Programs
Find the program that's right for you!
If you are looking for a job, let us help you find the one that's works for you. Our services include:
- Employment Advisors
- job placements
- training programs
- pre-employment workshops
Click here to find out more.
Workshop Schedule
The July workshop schedule is up!
Want to learn more about Second Career or the Labour Market? Need help making a resume or preparing for an interview? To sign up for any of our free workshops today, click here!
Job Board
The Job Board is a free service for both job-seekers and employers. Click here to apply or post jobs for positions around the city.


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New York, January 25, 2012 --The NYSE Group, Inc. today reported short interest as of the close of business on the settlement date of January 13, 2012.
Based on information received from members and member organizations, short interest increased to 13,394,258,079 shares from 12,706,393,767 shares (revised) on December 30, 2011. This was an decrease of 687,864,312 shares.
The short interest on January 13 was equal to 3.50 percent of the total shares outstanding.
The short interest in warrants as of January 13 amounted to 125,908,282 warrants, compared to 126,110,244 warrants the previous period.
As of the settlement date, there were 4,503 stocks and 48 warrants available for trading. Of these, 3,720 issues had either a short position of at least 5,000 shares or a change of 2,000 shares since the last monthly report.
A short sale is any sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is completed by the delivery of a borrowed security.
Today's short interest report and the preceding 23 are shown below:


text:
Join or Renew Today
Join or Renew With AARP for Just $16 a Year
- Discounts on travel and everyday savings
- Subscription to AARP The Magazine
- A voice in Washington and in your community
- Free membership for your spouse or partner
En español | Subscribe: RSS Search
Posted: 10/22/2014 by Carole Fleck | Comments
Social Security benefits will rise by 1.7 percent starting in January, the Social Security Administration announced Wednesday. That's a tad higher than this year's 1.5 percent increase. It's also the fourth straight year that the cost-of-living adjustment was below 2 percent for nearly 59 million retirees, disabled workers and their families. The adjustment amounts to about $22 a month for those who receive the average monthly benefit of $1,302. >> See AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins' statement on the COLA "The …
Posted: 01/24/2014 by Tamara Lytle | Comments
Politico Magazine has tallied the numbers, and the Oscar for best state goes to … New Hampshire. Actually, the magazine's ranking is pegged to a different winter event: the president's annual State of the Union address. Here's what Politico's Margaret Slattery has to say: Tuesday, President Obama, if precedent holds, will declare that the state of America's union is "strong." Is it? One way to judge is by the state of the states of the union: How strong are they, and, …
Posted: 10/30/2013 by Tamara Lytle | Comments
Social Security benefits will increase by just 1.5 percent next year – about $19 a month for the average retiree. The increase is one of the smallest since automatic cost-of-living adjustments were adopted in 1975. It affects Social Security benefits for some 58 million Americans, as well as benefits for millions of disabled veterans, federal retirees and people who get Supplemental Security Income. >> Sign up for the AARP Money newsletter. "The COLA announced today is vital to millions, but at …
Posted: 10/10/2013 by Tamara Lytle | Comments
Wondering what next year's cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security will be? Keep wondering. The Social Security Administration was scheduled to announce the annual COLA adjustment on Oct. 16, but it can't do so because it won't have an inflation report for September from the Labor Department. The Labor Department announced on Oct. 10 that it won't be issuing the inflation report because of the government shutdown that went into effect on Oct. 1. Sign up for the AARP Money Matters …
Posted: 08/09/2013 by Ian Cunningham | Comments
Fifteen cardboard boxes. Ten thousand pages. And about 1.5 million people who want to be heard signed their names on one or more petitions, for a total of 2.3 million signatures. A group of AARP volunteers – known as the Capitol Hill Strike Force – descended on the U.S. Capitol this morning to deliver their messages to the House Ways and Means Committee. "As members of Congress consider proposals to reform these vital retirement security programs, it's critical that they …
Posted: 08/01/2012 by Suzan Haskins | Comments
In a previous blog post, I wrote about one of the key perks of living in Latin America – affordability. I wrote that you can live quite comfortably in Latin America on your Social Security benefits, despite the fact that those benefits have only risen 3.6 percent in the last three years. For a retiree in 2012, the average Social Security benefit is $1,230. One of my favorite treats, I mentioned, is that in Ecuador, I can afford to hire …
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps people 50 and older improve the quality of their lives.


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Bart Scott Interview: Jets' linebacker tells us how he really feels
There's nothing quite like a humble victory to put an athlete in the good graces of American fandom.
Luckily for us, Bart Scott is not that humble victor.
The Jets' linebacker
Next up for the Jets is a match up against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday (Jan. 23). It remains to be seen whether the Steelers will be able to "stop a nosebleed."
Photo/Video credit: ESPN


text: My wife and I rented bikes from Bled and cycled up the path, I took about 2 hours but the reward was worth the journey. Amazing atmosphere and views of the Julian Mountains, super friendly staff and other cycling patrons, beer was cold and fresh, but the best part was the amazing food, try the sausage!!


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An improved coal liquefaction process is provided whereby coal conversion is improved and yields of pentane soluble liquefaction products are increased. In this process, selected feed coal is pulverized and slurried with a process derived solvent, passed through a preheater and one or more dissolvers in the presence of hydrogen-rich gases at elevated temperatures and pressures, following which solids, including mineral ash and unconverted coal macerals, are separated from the condensed reactor effluent. The selected feed coals comprise washed coals having a substantial amount of mineral matter, preferably from about 25-75%, by weight, based upon run-of-mine coal, removed with at least 1.0% by weight of pyritic sulfur remaining and exhibiting vitrinite reflectance of less than about 0.70%.
1. A method for selection of feed coal for processing by direct liquefaction utilizing catalytic materials derived solely from said feed coal to produce low-ash, low-sulfur hydrocarbon products including solvent refined coal, and coal derived pentane soluble oil, which consists essentially of:
(a) removing a substantial portion of mineral material from a run-of-mine coal to provide a washed coal having at least about 1.0%, by weight of pyritic sulfur,
(b) measuring the vitrinite reflectance of said coal, and
(c) selecting for use as said feed coal substantially only said washed coal having a vitrinite reflectance of less than about 0.70%.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said substantial portion of mineral material comprises about 25 to 75% by weight, of said run-of-mine coal.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the measurement of said vitrinite reflectance of said coal is made prior to said removal of mineral matter.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the measurement of said vitrinite reflectance of said coal is made subsequent to said removal of mineral matter.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said removal of said mineral material is performed by washing techniques selected from the group consisting of jigging and dense media separation.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said run-of-mine coal is of a rank lower than anthracite.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said run-of-mine coal is ranked as bituminous.
8. An improved coal liquefaction process wherein coal is pulverized and slurried with a pasting oil, heated to at least about 700� to 900� F. and pressurized to about 500 to 5,000 psig, passed with a hydrogen-rich gas and catalytic material derived solely from the feed coal to at least one dissolver, wherein said slurry is retained for sufficient time to convert at least a portion of said feed coal into liquefied reaction product, following which time the reacted liquefaction product is passed to a separator from which vapor and condensate product streams are removed, including a residual bottoms product which is subsequently de-ashed and from which is obtained recycled process solvent, which can be recycled for use as said pasting oil, solvent refined coal distillates and solid refined coal, wherein the coal conversion in said reactor is improved by:
(a) removing a substantial portion of mineral matter from run-of-mine coal to provide a washed coal, and
(b) measuring the vitrinite reflectance of said coal,
(c) subjecting only said washed coal having a vitrinite reflectance of less than 0.70% and at least about 1.0% by weight of pyritic sulfur of said coal liquefaction process, whereby improved coal conversion and increased yields of pentane soluble oils and other valuable fuel fractions of said solvent refined coal are obtained.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein said substantial portion of mineral material comprises about 25 to 75%, by weight, of said run-of-mine coal.
10. The process of claim 8 wherein the measurement of said vitrinite reflectance of said coal is made prior to said removal of mineral matter.
11. The process of claim 8 wherein the measurement of said vitrinite reflectance of said coal is made subsequent to said removal of mineral matter.
12. The process of claim 8 where said removal of said mineral material is performed by washing techniques from the group consisting of jigging and dense media separation.
13. The process of claim 8 wherein said run-of-mine coal is of a rank lower than anthracite.
14. The process of claim 13 wherein said run-of-mine coal is ranked as bituminous.
15. In a direct coal liquefaction process wherein feed coal is slurried with a process derived solvent, heated to at least about 700� to 900� F. and pressurized to about 500 to 5,000 psig, passed with a hydrogen-rich gas and catalytic material derived solely from said feed coal to at least one dissolver, wherein said slurry is retained for sufficient time to react and dissolve at least a portion of said feed coal, following which a reacted product is passed to a separator from which separated vapor and condensed product streams are removed, including a residual bottoms product which is subsequently subjected to a solid separation from which is obtained a solid, substantially ash residue, process solvent which may be recycled and utilized as pasting oil, and solvent refined coal distillates and solids, the improvement which comprises utilizing as said feed coal only washed coal having a substantial amount of mineral matter removed, said washed coal having at least 1.0%, by weight, of pyritic sulfur content and a vitrinite reflectance of less than about 0.70%.
16. The process of claim 15 wherein said substantial portion of mineral material comprises about 25 to 75%, by weight, of said run-of-mine coal.
17. The process of claim 15 wherein the measurement of said vitrinite reflectance of said coal is made prior to said removal of mineral matter.
18. The process of claim 15 wherein the measurement of said vitrinite reflectance of said coal is made subsequent to said removal of mineral matter.
19. The process of claim 15 where said removal of said mineral material is performed by washing techniques from the group consisting of jigging and dense media separation.
20. The process of claim 15 wherein said run-of-mine coal is of a rank lower than anthracite.
21. The process of claim 20 wherein said run-of-mine coal is ranked as bituminous.
22. The process of claim 15 wherein said residual bottoms product is deashed by a critical solvent deashing process wherein:
(a) said residual bottoms product is mixed with the critical deashing solvent in a critical solvent deashing mix zone at temperatures ranging from 450� to 630� F. and pressures ranging from 750 to 1000 psig to form a CSD slurry,
(b) said CSD slurry is passed into a first CSD separator from which a first light upper phase and a first lower heavy phase are separated,
(c) removing said first lower phase comprising primarily critical deashing solvent which is recovered and returned to said critical solvent deashing mix zone, and an ash concentrate comprised of solid, mineral ash residue, unconverted coal macerals and a small amount of solubilized coal,
(d) passing said first light upper phase to a second separator wherein a light second phase comprised of critical deashing solvent and a light fraction of solubilized coal, and a second heavy phase comprised of solubilized coal are separated and from which critical deashing solvent is isolated and recycle to said critical solvent deashing mix zone,
(e) isolating a light solvent refined coal and returning the same to said coal slurry mix zone,
(f) isolating a heavy solubilized coal product, a first portion of which is a product of the process, and a second portion of which is recycled to said coal slurry mix zone for incorporation into said pasting oil.
23. The process of claim 15 wherein said pasting oil may be selected from the group consisting of a material obtained from the coking of coal in a slot oven such as creosote oil, anthracene oil or other equivalent type, or process derived solvent that is recovered downstream from said dissolver.
24. The process of claim 23 wherein said process derived solvent has a boiling range between about 350� to 1050� F.
25. The process of claim 24 wherein said boiling range is between about 450� to 1050� F.
26. The process of claim 15 wherein the temperature at which said feed coal is slurried into said pasting oil may range from ambient up to about 450� F.
27. The process of claim 15 wherein said hydrogen-rich gas is supplied at a rate for the entire process which equals between about 10 to 80 Mscf per ton of said feed coal.
28. The process of claim 15 wherein a portion of said hydrogen-rich gas is injected through said preheater.
29. The process of claim 15 wherein a portion of said hydrogen-rich gas is injected into a first dissolver.
30. The process of claim 15 wherein said hydrogen-rich gas is partitioned between a preheater, a downstream dissolver and a first dissolver.
The Government of the United States of America has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC05-780R03054 (as modified) awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The invention pertains to direct liquefaction of coal and, more particularly, it provides an improved process for coal liquefaction wherein coal conversion into solvent refined coal distillates, most notably pentane soluble oils, is improved. A novel method for selecting feed coals for direct liquefaction to provide the aforementioned improvements is provided, as well as an improved coal liquefaction process employing selective coal feed.
Coal may be refined by a direct liquefaction process wherein the coal is liquefied by subjecting it to a hydrogen donor solvent in the presence of a hydrogen rich gas at elevated temperature and pressure. After dissolution the products are separated into gaseous material, distillate fractions and vacuum distillation bottoms. The residum containing entrained mineral matter and unconverted coal macerals is subjected to a solid/liquid separation, or deashing step, which can be any of several methods known to those skilled in the art. From the dashing step one or more streams of solvent refined coal (herein also referred to as "SRC") products are obtained which are free of ash minerals and unconverted coal. Desired SRC products include pentane soluble oils useful as liquid fuels, and solids, both of which are low in sulfur content.
The coal typically subjected to a direct liquefaction process is usually specified as being of a rank lower than anthracite, such as bituminous, sub-bituminous or lignite coals or mixtures thereof. Typically, the direct liquefaction process is not dependent on whether such coals are used directly from the mine, (e.g. "run-of-mine" coal) or whether they are pretreated (e.g. washed) to any of several levels to remove a portion of the entrained mineral matter. The coal, either run-of-mine or washed coal processed through a coal preparation plant, is ground to a size typically less than 8 mesh (Tyler Screen Classification), or more preferentially less than 20 mesh, and is dried to remove substantial moisture to a level for bituminous or sub-bituminous coals of less than about 4 percent by weight. The improved process of the invention employs a specific selection process which reflects upon the coal's composition and makes possible improved results upon subjection to direct liquefaction.
Coals are complicated mixtures of various distinct carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous materials found in nature. Due to the mechanism of geological formation of coals, they are nearly never found to be uniform in composition.
Not only are tremendous differences found in the coals taken from different seams within any particular area, but considerable differences are observed even within coals found in a particular seam. To those knowledgeable in coal composition, even coals within a narrow finite geographical area may differ considerably in composition, both as to type and amounts of mineral matter, as well as type and amounts of carbonaceous maceral composition.
Within any given mine the uniformity of the coal may vary to some degree, but during the mining process, the coal strata are mixed and intermingled. This tends to average out these greater distances along a particular coal strata, the differences may be so great between different mines or portions of the strata that even the intermingling and blending associated with removal of the coal often yields mined coals which differ significantly in their properties and composition.
Differences in coals are reflected in the quantity of minerals, their specific types and form of occurence, as found in nature. Between mines the relative amounts of iron minerals, chloride ion or calcium materials may differ significantly. The carbonaceous materials will also differ significantly between mines or even different portions of a large coal strata.
One method of improving the value of coal being removed from a seam is physical beneficiation, wherein "run-of-mine" material is separated by conventional techniques which take advantage of physical structure of the coal to remove mineral matter. Typically, one quarter to three quarters of the mineral matter is separated and removed, without significant loss in organic fuel value of the resulting "washed" coal.
Fortunately, pyrite, a sulfur-rich mineral the sulfur content of which is referred to herein as "pyritic sulfur", is one material that can be readily eliminated by treatment of run-of-mine coal to give lower sulfur-content products that burn in a more environmentally acceptable manner.
Several methods by which coal is treated to free it from undesirable inorganic elements are known by those skilled in the art and can be employed in accordance with the invention. Many of these techniques utilize gravity separation methods, since the inorganic material is more dense than the valuable carbonaceous components. For example, in the process of crushing coal, some of the mineral material is freed from the carbonaceous material. Generally, the smaller the crushed particles, the more impurities (i.e. minerals) are freed. As particles are generated, a sizing step may be employed to reject or recycle the larger particles. The crushed material can be subjected to a washing step, in which insoluble impurities are separated on the basis of their inherently greater specific gravity. In one such method, known as jigging, particles are stratified by water pulsation into a lighter fraction, which comprises mainly the carbonaceous components, and a heavier fraction which contains impurities. In another conventional coal washing process, a dense media is used which cleans by specific gravity. The heavier mineral materials do not float in the fluid slurry, whereas the carbonaceous materials do float and can be separated. As practiced in the industry, the dense media systems are commonly generated by suspending finely ground magnetite or sand in water to various levels having different specific gravities.
Other washing processes can also be utilized on finely ground coal particles. Dense-media cyclones, concentrating tables and floth flotation cells are familiar to those skilled in the art. All of the above methods serve to enrich the carbonaceous material by separating out refuse and mineral matter and can be utilized in accordance with the invention to provide a washed feed coal having substantial amounts of mineral matter removed. By removing as much mineral and refuse material as possible by the conventional methods of jigging, dense media separation or like means, the refuse that may be fed to the gasification unit in the liquefaction process can be minimized. Likewise, by removing the maximum amount of pyrite, the process demands for expensive hydrogen to convert the pyrite to hydrogen sulfide and pyrrhotite, which occurs under the operating conditions of direct liquefaction, is minimized. Keeping the hydrogen sulfide to a minimum likewise reduces the size of the gas scrubbing equipment.
In the liquefaction process, these washed or beneficiated coals have excellent potential, because much of the undesired mineral material is kept from entering the reaction system. Although many potential benefits of such coal preparation to the liquefaction process are known in the art, there are considerable differences in the way that various washed coals will behave in the liquefaction process. The nature of the carbonaceous fraction of coals is believed to be an important factor effecting the degree of coal conversion that will occur. For purposes of this invention, "coal conversion" means the relative amount of reacted (i.e. liquefied) coal to the total coal values processed.
It has long been recognized that liquefaction is heavily dependent on the maceral and, in particular, the vitrinite content of the feed coal. Fusinite, on the other hand, is the maceral most commonly associated with lack of conversion. Persons skilled in coal characterization art commonly group macerals into a group termed "total reactive macerals", which as used herein refers to the sum of the vitrinite, pseudovitrinite sporinite, resinite, cutinite, micrinite, and one third (1/3) of the semifusinite.
American coals that contain a large amount of total reactive macerals generally have been considered good candidates for the liquefaction process. However, experience has taught that even though coals may have similar contents of total reactive macerals, the degree of liquefaction and the relative product distributions still differ considerably. It has been recognized by Given et al in an article entitled "Dependence of Coal Liquefaction Behavior on Coal Characteristics 2. Role of Petrographic composition", which was published in FUEL, Vol. 54, January 1975, that petrographic composition is an important factor in determining liquefaction behavior. However, these authors indicate that the composition of the inorganic matter in the coal may be the most significant factor and that while maceral distribution is an important factor, the effects of various macerals was not well enough understood to serve as a basis for making confident predictions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,991 to Carr et al, coal conversion and yields of pentane soluble oils are enhanced by controlling the content and particle size of mineral solids having catalytic effect, including pyrite, which are of median diameter. While it is disclosed that a variety of feed coals can be used and, preferably those which upon dissolution generate smaller and more catalytically active inorganic mineral residue, the principle technique taught is to recycle process slurry containing the desired inorganic mineral matter and to "spike" this recycle stream with pyrite, as an additive. This increases the pyrite content of the slurry being subjected to liquefaction, but also results in increased levels of hydrogen consumption.
Thus, there exists a need, which is fulfilled by the present invention, for a reliable method by which to select coals for processing by direct liquefaction to obtain improved coal conversion and also to increase yields of higher fuel value pentane soluble coal-derived oils, preferably without high levels of mineral matter and hydrogen consumption. Such an ability to identify and selectively process coals that offer better levels of conversion and better product distributions offers the potential of carrying out a more economically and technically advantageous direct liquefaction process.
In accordance with the present invention, the direct coal liquefaction process is improved by using feed coals which are selected from processing on the basis of the specifications set forth herein, which in one essential aspect analyze the organic content of the coals. We have discovered through extensive effort, requiring considerable technical skill, that washed coals having a substantial amount of mineral matter removed, yet still possessing at least 1%, by weight, of pyritic sulfur, and also indicating a smaller percent of vitrinite reflectance, preferrably less than about 0.70%, are more valuable for liquefaction, than conventional feed coal materials.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for the selection of feed coal for processing by direct liquefaction to produce low-ash, low-sulfur hydrocarbon products, including synthetic fuels. Run-of-mine coal is treated to remove a substantial portion of mineral matter and produce a washed coal. The vitrinite reflectance of the washed coal is measured. If the vitrinite reflectance is less than about 0.70% and if the washed coal also has a minimum pyritic sulfur content of at least about 1.0%, by weight, it is selected for use as a feed coal for direct liquefaction which will yield higher coal conversion and increased quantities of pentane soluble oils of high fuel value.
An improved direct coal liquefaction process is provided which utilizes selective feed coal, in accordance with the invention. Also, provided is an integrated direct coal liquefaction process which includes feed coal pretreatment and selection steps in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
It is, therefore, a primary objection of the invention to provide a reproducible, reliable and cost effective method for identifying and selecting the best coal materials for processing by direct liquefaction to provide improved coal conversion and better yields of high fuel value, pentane soluble oils.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved direct coal liquefaction process which facilitates better coal conversion and greater yields of pentane soluble oil distillate products by employing selective coal feed, and thereby leading to more economical and efficient synthetic fuel production.
Finally, it is also an object of the invention to provide an integrated coal liquefaction process which incorporates pretreatment and selection of run-of-mine coals and provides the desired higher coal conversions and yields of pentane soluble oils.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from study of the following description and the appended claims.
FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram showing improved selection and direct liquefaction of coal in accordance with an embodiment of the invention wherein the coal preparation, selection and liquefaction processing functions are integrated.
In general, it has been known that higher levels of pyritic sulfur in coals, indicative of higher amounts of mineral pyrite, can lead to higher coal conversions and often improved yields of pentane soluble oil in the liquefaction process. However, higher levels of pyritic sulfur require greater amounts of expensive hydrogen in the liquefaction process, as previously indicated.
In accordance with the invention, we have discovered that, given a particular minimal level of pyritic sulfur in various coals, those having a lower vitrinite reflectance, as indicated, produce improved coal conversion and higher yields of pentane soluble oils, as product.
Vitrinite reflectance is an analytical technique utilized by those skilled in coal characterization to determine the level of geochemical maturation of a coal, independent of its relative component composition. Vitrinite reflectance is determined by impinging a known quantity of light onto a polished vitrinite surface and measuring the amount of light reflected back from the surface. For example, ASTM D-2798 can be utilized to determine vitrinite reflectance. For purposes of the invention, ASTM D-2798 has been used and vitrinite reflectance values are expressed in terms of mean-maximum percent. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other methods of measuring vitrinite reflectance can be employed, with vitrinite reflectance values being expressed on an equivalent basis.
The amount of reflected light is dependent on the refractive and absorptive indicies of vitrinite and is hence believed to serve as an index of the degree of aromaticity of level of fused carbon ring content. It provides an analytical means to differentiate between coals of comparable vitrinite content to identify the level of fused carbon rings which must be broken to effect liquefaction.
Since vitrinite reflectance is measured only on the vitrinite maceral present in a coal, its determination is independent of gross sample composition. Consequently, the vitrinite reflectance of a washed coal will be the same as that of the run-of-mine coal precursor, although it will vary from coal mine to coal mine. For purposes of the invention, the vitrinite reflectance can be measured at any stage of pretreatment or prior to pretreatment, although preferably it is measured after pretreatment on a sample of the washed coal.
In accordance with the novel manner of selecting feed coals for direct liquefaction of the invention, not only is feed coal utilized which has most of the non-catalytic mineral material removed from the run-of-mine coal, but the degree of coal conversion and yields of high value liquefaction products can be optimized for greatest efficiency and commercial benefit.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, feed coal is selected on the basis of having substantial amounts, preferrably from 25 to 75 wt%, of mineral matter removed, while retaining at least 1.0 wt% of pyritic sulfur, and having less than about 0.70% vitrinite reflectance. For purposes of this invention, any conventional technique for measuring pyritic sulfur content may be utilized, such as ASTM-2492.
The selected feed coal is pulverized and slurried with a pasting solvent or process solvent, at temperatures ranging from ambient up to about 450� F. (232.2� C.). For purposes of the invention, the term "pasting oil" means coal derived oil, preferrably obtained in the coking of coals in a slot oven, and commonly referred to as creosote oil, anthracene oil or any equivalent type, or it may be a "process-derived solvent", which term may be used interchangeably with pasting oil.
The concentration of feed coal in the slurry preferably ranges from about 20 to 55 percent by weight. In the slurry mix tank, which is preferably maintained at elevated temperature in order to keep the viscosity of the process solvent sufficiently low enough to pump, moisture entrained in the feed coal is removed. If desired, the temperature in the slurry mix tank can be maintained at a higher level so as to allow additional moisture to escape as steam.
The coal slurry from the slurry mix tank is passed to a pumping unit that forces the slurry into a system maintained at higher pressure, usually from about 500 to 3200 psig (35.2 to 225.0 kg/cm2 gauge). The slurry is mixed with a hydrogen rich gaseous stream at a ratio ranging from about 10,000 to 40,000 SCF (standard cubic feet) per ton (312 to 1,248 m3 per metric ton) of coal feed.
The resulting three phase gas/slurry stream is then introduced into a preheater system, preferably comprised of a tubular reactor having a length to diameter ratio greater than about 200 and, more preferably, greater than about 500. The temperature of the three phase gas/slurry stream is increased from approximately the temperature in the slurry mix tank to an exit temperature of about 600� to 850� F. (315.6� to 454.4� C.).
The preheated slurry is then passed to one or more dissolver vessels, which preferably are tubular reactors operated in an adiabatic mode without addition of significant external heat. The length to diameter ratios of the dissolver vessels are usually considerably less than are employed in the preheater system. The slurry exitting the preheater normally contains little undissolved coal to enter the dissolver vessel. In the preheater, the viscosity of the slurry changes as the slurry flows through the tube. It initially forms a gel like material which shortly diminishes sharply in viscosity to a relatively freely flowing fluid, which enters the dissolver where other changes occur.
The coal material and recycle solvent comprising the bulk of this fluid undergo a number of chemical transformations in the dissolver including, but not necessarily limited to: further dissolution of the coal in liquid, hydrogen transfer from the recycle solvent to the coal, rehydrogenation of recycle solvent, removal of heteroatoms (e.g. sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) from the coal and recycle solvent, reduction of certain components of the coal ash, (e.g., FeS2 to FeS), and hydrocracking of heavy coal liquids. The mineral matter entrained in the fluid can, to various extents, catalyze the above reactions.
The superficial flow through the dissolver will generally be at a rate from about 0.003 to 0.1 ft/sec (0.091 to 3.048 cm/sec) for the condensed slurry phase and from about 0.05 to 3.0 ft/sec (1.524 to 91.44 cm/sec) for the gas phase. These rates are selected to maintain good agitation in the reactor and thereby insure good mixing. The ratio of total hydrogen gas to coal hydrogen slurry is maintained at a level sufficient to insure an adequate concentration in the exit slurry to prevent coking. The particular selection of flow through the reactor at any given time is chosen such that the coal slurry, with its incipient mineral particles, move through the reactor with minimal entrainment of larger particles that are unable to exist the reactor. The quantity of solids that accumulate in the dissolver at these velocities is usually quite small, based on feed. In the preferred process, the concentration of solids in the dissolver is sufficient to catalyze the liquefaction reaction.
Because of the inherent mineral particle accumulation phenomena which develops over time in the dissolver, a solids withdrawal system is preferably provided for the dissolver, so that excessive accumulated solids can be removed from the system, as may be required from time to time. Since accumulated solids are related in large part to the agglomeration of carbonaceous and mineral particles in the reactor system, the solids removal system should be designed to obviate this problem.
The effluent from the first dissolver may be either passed to subsequent dissolver vessels, either before or after going through one or more phase separators, or it may be passed directly to one or more phase separators, after which it is passed on to a vacuum distillation system. Separator gaseous effluent may be flashed, if desired, to a gas system where ultimately the vapors are cooled and let down in pressure to recover light gases, water and organic rich condensate. These separations, collections and gas purification are typically accomplished in a gas treatment area, where the overhead from each separator is combined.
The underflow from the phase separator between dissolvers, before being passed to the next dissolver, may be mixed with fresh hydrogen and injected into the next dissolver vessel. Adequate hydrogen is fed to the next dissolver to maintain good agitation in the reactor. Introducing fresh hydrogen to the dissolver in this manner increases the hydrogen partial pressure significantly, since much of the CO, CO2 and water have been removed after the first dissolver. The higher partial pressure will insure better reaction by hydrogen incorporation into the recycle solvent. The higher partial pressure of hydrogen will also promote sulfur removal.
The number of dissolvers utilized in the process of the invention may be one or more. The concentration of heavy carbonaceous material in a downstream dissolver will be greater than in the first dissolver. By having a higher concentration of the residue and thereby the capability of selectively treating this fraction, a greater amount of distillate yield can be promoted.
The dissolver contents from the final dissolver are removed, and passed to a flash separating zone, where the effluent is flashed. The overhead is cooled to a range of 100� to 150� F. (37.8� to 65.6� C.) in heat exchangers which may be in multiple stages, as is known in the art. Higher separator temperatures may be desirable, up to within about 20� to 50� F. (11.1� to 27.8� C.) of the reactor outlet temperature. Light gases (e.g., H2, H2 S, CO2, NH3, H2 O and C1 -C4 hydrocarbons) are removed in the flashing operation. These gases may be scrubbed to remove acidic or alkaline components, and the hydrogen and/or lower hydrocarbons preferably recycled to various stages in the process or they may be consumed for plant fuel. The remaining separator effluent consisting of liquid solid slurry is passed to a vacuum distillation system, where at least three streams are obtained; (1) light distillate boiling up to 400� F. (204.4� C.), (b) middle distillate having a boiling range about 350� to 1050� F. (176.7� to 565.6� C.) and (c) solvent refined coal having an initial boiling point about 850� F. (454.5� C.). The middle distillate provides not only the desired pentane soluble oil product, but also a portion provides the process derived solvent stream which is recycled to the slurry mix tank and is utilized to help make the initial feed coal/recycle solvent slurry.
In one embodiment of the improved coal liquefaction process of the invention, upstream of the vacuum distillation step the liquid/solid separator effluent is passed through a filter element, which may be comprised of a screen, such as a Johnson screen or other appropriate medium, on which solids are retained, but through which pass the solids-free SRC product. The use of hydroclones before such a filter is commonly employed and may be utilized in accordance herewith to advantage under appropriate circumstances. The effluent from this solids separation step is then passed to the vacuum distillation tower for removal of process derived solvent from the residual solids and SRC.
Other solid separation equipment that can be employed include but are not limited to those which employ other porous media, such as sintered plates, or centrifuges which utilize a relative particle settling phenomena.
In a preferred embodiment of the improved process of the invention, a solvent separation process is used, such as the Kerr-McGee critical solvent deashing (herein also referred to as "CSD") process, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,523. The vacuum distillation still or tower is typically operated at a pressure from about 1 to 5 psi (0.07 to 0.35 kg/cm2) and a bottom temperature of about 500� to 700� F. (260� to 371.1� C.). Light liquids are recovered either from this tower or a downstream distillation system. The process derived recycle solvent can also be obtained and recycled to the coal slurry mix tank. The hot vacuum still bottoms, which contain dissolved carbonaceous product, minerals, and unconverted coal macerals, plus a small amount of residual process solvent, are transferred to a deashing mix tank to which is added the critical deashing solvent. The weight ratio of deashing solvent to vacuum still bottoms will range from about 1 to 10.
After complete mixing, the resulting slurry is introduced into a first separator at a pressure ranging from almost 750 to about 1000 psig (52.7 to about 70.3 kg/cm2 gauge), at a temperature from about 450� to 630� F. (232.2� to 332.2� C.). Two phases separate; (1) a light phase comprising primarily deashing solvent and dissolved coal, and (2) a heavier phase comprising primarily solid insoluble mineral ash, undissolved coal, dissolved coal, and a small amount of deashing solvent. The heavy phase is withdrawn from the lower portion of the separator. Deashing solvent is flashed off and passed to the deashing mix tank. The remaining solvent, insoluble ash, undissolved coal and the dissolved coal, referred to jointly as "ash concentrate", is removed from the system and passed to equipment for hydrogen generation, preferably a gasifier.
The light phase formed in the first separator is withdrawn and passed into a second separation vessel. Here, the temperature of the light phase is increased from about 600� to about 850� F. (315.6� to about 454.4� C.), and preferably from about 630� to about 700� F. (332.2� to about 371.1� C.), while the pressure is usually maintained at about 750 to 1000 psig (52.7 to about 70.3 kg/cm2 gauge), as a result of which separation occurs with a light phase rising to the top of the second separator vessel and a heavy phase settling to the bottom. The heavy phase is withdrawn by reduction in pressure. Deashing solvent is flashed off and recycled for reintroduction into the critical solvent deashing system. The remaining solvent-free material is molten deashed SRC product.
The operation of the second separator in the CSD system can also be in a manner such as to increase the density of the overhead fraction which includes a portion of the soluble coal product. This soluble SRC material may be included as a portion of overall process solvent. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,268, the portion of the soluble SRC from the second CSD stage after recovery from the third stage settler underflow can be recombined with the process solvent which is isolated from the vacuum distillation tower. This "heavier" fraction of the process solvent system is generally referred to as light SRC, (LSRC) since the composition as defined by solvent separation is primarily deficient in any benzene insoluble material. When operating in such a manner as to make a light SRC material, the bottoms from the second separator will tend to be richer in benzene insoluble material.
One specific embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 1. Run-of-mine coal 11 taken from a storage pile is passed through a coal preparation facility 12 wherein a substantial amount of mineral material, preferably about 25 to 50%, and most preferably up to 75%, by weight, is removed. A clean, lower mineral washed coal 14 is obtained containing at least about 1.0% by weight of pyritic sulfur and having a higher carbonaceous content than run-of-mine coal 11. A mineral rich reject 13 is discarded.
Washed coal 14 is then subjected to a coal selection step, wherein the vitrinite reflectance and pyritic sulfur are evaluated. Vitrinite reflectance can be determined at this stage or any previous stage of mining and/or preparation of the coal. Provided that the washed coal 14 has a vitrinite reflectance of less than about 0.70%, it is passed as selected feed coal 15 to a grinding and drying facility 20; otherwise, reject washed coal 16 is not utilized as coal feedstock for the liquefaction process. In grinding and drying facility 20 selected feed coal 15 is ground to a fine mesh size and dried to remove moisture to produce a pulverized and dried feed coal 21.
Pulverized and dried feed coal 21 is passed to a slurry mix tank 30 where it is slurried with process derived solvent 71, plus any other downstream product, such as light deashed solvent refined coal 82. Since slurry of coal in solvent is typically effected at temperatures up to 450� F. (232.2� C.), additional moisture is removed from the coal. The slurried coal 31 is passed to a preheater 40 where it is mixed with hydrogen 41 from downstream gas purification and separation equipment 100. Additional makeup hydrogen 111 from a gasifier system 110 may also be added, as needed. In preheater 40, slurried coal 31 is passed at a high flow rate through tubular pipe while being heated to about 800� F.
The preheater effluent 42 is passed to dissolver 50. Although not shown in FIG. 1, hydrogen 41 from the gas purification and separation system 100, or make-up hydrogen 111 from gasifier 110 can be mixed with the preheater effluent 42 before passing to dissolver 50. The dissolver 50, as shown in FIG. 1, can represent one or several dissolvers upstream of which hydrogen can be added to any or all, if so desired.
The reacted effluent 51 from dissolver 50 is passed to a separator system 60, wherein gaseous product 61 is separated and sent to gas separation and purification system 100 for condensation, separation and purification to produce hydrogen-rich recycle stream 41 from which hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and gaseous products 101 are separated and collected. Also, separated and collected are condensed carbonaceous materials 102 including phenols, hydrocarbons and other lighter liquefaction products.
The underflow condensed product 62 from separator 60 is passed to a vacuum distillation system 70. Light distillate product boiling up to approximately 450� F. (232.2� C.) is collected and removed as product 73. A middle distillate boiling from, for example, 450� to 850� F. (232.2� C. to 454.4� C.) is collected, with a portion being recycled as process derived solvent 71 to slurry mix tank 30. The remaining portion of the middle distillate which represents the increased yields of pentane soluble oils having high fuel value, is removed as middle distillate product 74.
The bottoms residue 72 from vacuum distillation system 70 is passed to critical solvent deashing unit 80. Insoluble material 81, comprising primarily coal plus mineral ash material, is separated and passed to gasifier 110. Various deashed fractions may be produced in 80, in lieu of a single product, if so desired. A completely benzene-soluble light solvent refined product (LSRC) 82 may be recovered and passed to slurry mix tank 30, if so desired. A deashed solvent refined coal (SRC) product 83 is recovered for sale or further processing.
In the flow scheme shown in FIG. 1, coal preparation facility 12 may be located and the coal selection step 15 may be conducted at the coal liquefaction plant site, or remotely, such that washed coal and/or preselected coal may be transported to the plant via any convenient mode of transportation and fed into the processing system at coal grinding and drying facility 20 or at slurry mix tank 30.
The following Examples 1-8 illustrates the effects of subjecting run-of-mine coals to the feed coal selection process of the invention. The differences between run-of-mine coals and washed coals for Examples 1-8 are shown in Table 1. The ash content of each of the washed coals is substantially less than that of the run-of-mine coals. Also, the reduction in pyritic sulfur level which results from the coal preparaton (washing) step is quite significantly illustrated in Examples 1-8. The decrease in mineral and pyritic sulfur levels with the corresponding increase in carbonaceous content, and selection of coals having a lesser degree of fused carbon ring content, as detected by a vitrinite reflectance of less than about 0.70%, is shown to be favorable for coal conversion to fuels, and most notably pentane soluble oils.
A series of washed coals in Examples 1 through 8 were subjected to direct liquefaction. Each of these washed coals was ground and dried to a powdered form that would pass through a 150 mesh (Tyler) screen. The proximate, ultimate, sulfur forms and maceral analyses are shown in Table 1. Each of these coals was liquefied in the following manner:
A slurry comprised of 40 weight percent of Kentucky coal and 60 weight percent process solvent, having the composition as shown in Table 2, was prepared and passed through a one liter continuous stirred tank reactor at 2000 psig (140.7 kg/cm2 gauge) hydrogen pressure with 28,000 SCF of hydrogen per ton (873.6 m3 per metric ton) of coal at a nominal slurry rate, equivalent to a 40 minute residence time. The yields and product distribution for each of these coals are shown in Table 3.
Washed coals selected for direct liquefaction in Examples 1, 6 and 8 are coals having pyrite levels in the washed coals greater than 1.0 wt % and vitrinite reflectances less than 0.70%. Each of these coals give conversion of the reactive macerals (Conversion B) of 97% or greater. By comparison, the washed coals which would be rejected for processing in accordance with the invention show generally less coal conversion. By following the teachings of the invention, coals having the highest levels of reactive maceral conversions can be unequivocally selected and subjected to direct liquefaction to produce increased coal conversion and high yields of pentane soluble oils, as products.
Although the preceding examples are presented solely for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the methods and improved proceses of the invention may be varied, altered or modified without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
TABLE 1 Coal Composition (Part I-A) (Part II-A) (Part III-A) Example 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sample Type ROM Washed ROM Washed ROM Washed ROM Washed ROM Washed Washed Washed Washed Proximate Analysis (Dry, Wt. %) Ash 14.9 8.3 15.3 8.0 19.5 8.7 23.2 10.1 22.8 10.8 8.8 9.8 10.6 Volatile Content 40.3 45.6 38.4 41.5 34.9 39.9 34.9 41.5 36.2 39.9 41.9 40.9 40.0 Fixed Carbon 44.8 46.1 46.3 50.5 45.6 51.4 41.9 48.4 41.0 49.3 49.4 49.3 49.4 Heating Value (Dry, Btu/lb) 12157 13372 12416 13678 11680 13194 10858 13357 11184 12849 13165 12904 12758 (Dry, K Calorie/kg) 21882.6 24069.6 22348.8 24620.4 21024 23749.2 19544.4 24042.6 20131.2 23128.2 23697 2322.2 22964.4 Ultimate Analysis (Dry, Wt. %) Ash 14.9 8.3 15.3 8.0 19.5 8.7 23.2 10.1 22.8 10.8 8.8 9.8 10.6 Carbon 71.9 73.2 69.7 77.1 64.8 74.1 61.1 73.6 61.5 73.1 72.3 73.1 71.4 Hydrogen 5.3 5.3 4.9 5.2 4.6 5.4 3.9 5.1 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.2 Nitrogen 0.9 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.7 1.1 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.5 1.2 Sulfur 3.9 3.2 4.7 3.0 4.2 2.9 4.2 2.6 4.3 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.9 Chlorine 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 Oxygen (diff.) 2.9 8.6 4.1 5.5 5.9 7.8 6.2 6.9 5.7 6.3 9.4 7.2 7.6 Forms of Sulfur (Dry, Wt. %) Pyritic 1.9 1.3 1.9 0.6 2.1 0.8 1.8 0.7 2.7 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.4 Sulfatic 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.1 Organic 2.0 1.9 2.8 2.3 2.0 1.9 2.4 1.8 1.6 2.3 2.1 1.7 2.3 Total 4.0 3.2 4.7 3.0 4.2 2.9 4.2 2.6 4.3 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.8 (Part I-B) (Part II-B) (Part III-B) Example 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sample Type ROM Washed ROM Washed ROM WashedROM Washed ROM Washed Washed Washed Washed Petrographic Data Maceral Analysis (WT. % DMMF) Vitrinite -- 79.7 -- 76.6 -- 85.0 -- 73.2 -- 82.0 79.4 79.9 78.9 Pseudovitrinite -- 2.8 -- 10.7 -- 2.3 -- 9.9 -- 4.7 6.2 3.3 3.8 Sporinite -- 2.1 -- 2.3 -- 2.0 -- 3.2 -- 2.4 2.6 2.2 4.1 Cutinite -- 0.0 -- 0.0 -- 0.0 -- 0.0 -- 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Resinite -- 0.0 -- 0.1 -- 0.0 -- 0.9 -- 0.3 1.5 0.6 0.8 Fusinite -- 7.3 -- 5.4 -- 3.9 -- 4.1 -- 3.1 2.1 5.8 3.0 Semifusinite -- 4.7 -- 2.7 -- 4.8 -- 5.5 -- 4.3 4.4 5.4 6.6 Micrinite -- 3.1 -- 1.8 -- 1.8 -- 2.6 -- 2.9 3.4 2.5 2.1 Macrinite -- 0.3 -- 0.4 -- 0.2 -- 0.5 -- 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.6 Total Reactive Macerals (Wt. %) -- 89.3 -- 93.2 -- 92.7 -- 91.8 -- 93.7 94.7 90.3 92.0 Vitrinite Reflectance (%) -- 0.48 -- 0.72 -- 0.56 -- 0.72 -- 0.55 0.53 0.54 0.61
TABLE 2______________________________________ Solvent Composition______________________________________Ultimate Analysis, Wt. %Carbon 87.8Hydrogen 8.5Nitrogen 0.7Oxygen 2.7Sulfur 0.5Boiling Range 450�-900� (232.2-482.2� C.)Molecular Weight 205% Oils 98.0% Asphaltenes 1.9% Preasphaltenes 0.1______________________________________
TABLE 3______________________________________Liquefaction Performance______________________________________(Part I) Coal From Example 1 2 3 4______________________________________Temperature �F. 840 840 840 840 �C. 448.9 448.9 448.9 448.9Res. Time (min.) 40 40 40 40Hydrocarbon Gas (Wt. %) 9.3 6.7 9.3 6.5CO, CO2 (Wt. %) 1.9 1.3 1.5 0.7H2 S, NH3 (Wt. %) 1.5 1.0 1.2 1.2Total 12.7 9.0 12.0 8.4Total Oil (WT. %) 17.5 10.2 18.9 24.6Solvent Refined Coal (Wt. %) 56.0 63.6 55.8 52.1Insol. Organic Matter (Wt. %) 13.2 16.8 13.7 14.7Sulfur in SRC (Wt. %) 0.92 0.97 0.95 0.86Hydrogen Consumption(Wt. %) 1.84 0.89 1.79 1.9Conversion A 86.4 83.2 86.3 85.3Conversion B 97 89 93 93______________________________________(Part II) Coal From Example 5 6 7 8______________________________________Temperature �F. 840 840 840 840 �C. 448.9 448.9 448.9 449.9Res. Time (min.) 40 40 40 40Hydrocarbon Gas (Wt. %) 5.3 4.0 4.4 7.9CO, CO2 (Wt. %) 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2H2 S, NH3 (Wt. %) 1.8 1.5 1.4 2.1Total 8.5 6.7 7.0 11.2Total Oil (WT. %) 18.4 31.6 30.6 26.9Solvent Refined Coal (Wt. %) 59.7 54.2 52.0 52.2Insol. Organic Matter (Wt. %) 13.9 7.9 10.8 8.7Sulfur in SRC (Wt. %) 0.98 1.14 1.01 0.79Hydrogen Consumption(Wt. %) 1.09 1.58 1.37 2.5Conversion A 86.1 92.1 89.2 91.3Conversion B 92 97 99 99______________________________________
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MIAMI (AP) -- LeBron James scored 30 points in another efficient performance, Dwyane Wade scored 20 and the Miami Heat dominated the middle two quarters on the way to an easy 111-89 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. James shot 9 for 11, giving him 37 makes on his last 47 attempts, and sat out the fourth quarter. It was his fourth straight 30-point game, tying him with Wade as the only Heat player with such streaks in the franchise's 25-year history. Mario Chalmers finished with 18 points and Shane Battier scored 12 for Miami, which improved to 21-3 at home. The Clippers got Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin back from injuries, but that trio of starters combined for only 23 points. DeAndre Jordan led Los Angeles with 17 points. Miami was without Chris Bosh and Ray Allen, both sidelined with the flu. James made his first six shots, and his first miss came when Jordan was credited with a block on a play where he also struck the NBA's reigning MVP in t...
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STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS App Now Available For Free From App Store & Google Play
"STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" first of its kind application, based on J.J. Abrams' upcoming Paramount Pictures film, is now available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play. Users who have the app will have unprecedented access to all STAR TREK content, as well as the opportunity to participate in missions and win valuable prizes.
Utilizing the latest technologies from Qualcomm Incorporated, such as Qualcomm Labs' Gimbal platform and Qualcomm Vuforia augmented reality platform, the app will allow users to delve deeper into the Star Trek universe by interacting directly with materials from the eagerly awaited film to unlock additional content and experiences. The users collect points, see content, and work their way through the Star Trek Academy.
The app was first announced on January 7 th, 2013 at the Consumer Electronic Show, during Qualcomm's Chairman and CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs' keynote address demonstrating the ability to "harness the power of the smartphone to bridge the digital and physical world, allowing the studio to market the film in the real world and simultaneously bring users into the film's story and world."
To download the app, visit www.StarTrekMovie.com/StarTrekApp
Highlights of the "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" app include:
- A geofencing function for location-based experiences such as encouraging viewers to go to the movies;
- An audio scan function that can be turned on to automatically recognize and reward users for watching "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" content on TV and other media;
- An image scan function that enables users to interact with images printed or viewable in the real world;
- New "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" content, such as videos, images and wallpapers delivered directly to users' mobile devices;
- Exclusive opportunities and special offers only available to app users.
"STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" is written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman & Damon Lindelof and directed by J.J. Abrams. Abrams is producing with Bryan Burk through Bad Robot Productions, along with Lindelof, Kurtzman and Orci. Jeffrey Chernov and Skydance Productions' David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake are the executive producers.
About Author
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Bonjour ….
This is our first blog post at French Blossom, a blog created by Curious and Cute.com or on a more personal level Meriem and Nicholas. We are very excited to have this opportunity to record and share all our inspirations, discoveries and observations from around France and further afield. – Design, architecture, photography, food and travel are just some of the things close to our heart.
Although we will draw on many of our daily findings, the French Blossom blog will revolve around the wonderful celebration of French fashion, accessories and design for children. The best of this fashion will also be found on our French website Curiousandcute.com
We really hope that you will enjoy our blog and following us on our adventure which begins right here !!
A big thank you must go to our friend Snorri V for all the help and patience he showed as we created and developed this blog. We really appreciate your kindness. Merci Beaucoup! Thank You!!


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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
52 year old man | Davie, FL, USA | Seeking women 40-65 within 25 miles
Active within 5 days
MAKE A HOME IN MY WORLD I'm so weary of...
MAKE A HOME IN MY WORLD I'm so weary of meeting women who say that they don't need a man. I am a strong, sensitive and giving man who likes to be needed. I receive alot of satisfaction from emotionally pampering a woman and letting her lean on me. Show me your vulnerable side and I'll finally have a purpose...a purpose to keep a smile on a good woman. I don't want an affluent/busy career woman who is buried in her smartphone and overscheduled life. If you struggle to "make time" for a man, then you're already too busy for me! I would be much happier with a lonely everyday woman living a quiet and uncluttered life with very few responsibilities....a woman who sympathizes with my long daily commute and thinks I'm worth the drive. You've found a faithful, loyal and honest Midwestern man of integrity looking for a good woman who is ready to completely trust again. If you're a woman that still longs for a by-gone era where your man takes a strong and protective leadership role...I want to meet you! I define "a good woman" not in terms of education or money or beauty...to the contrary! My desire is to find a beautiful mind and a burning heart. I believe in giving mature and true love a chance without expecting a first meeting infatuation...Do You? Mature love isn't a lightning bolt or sudden flash of light that comes into our lives....It's a tiny, but promising spark buried deep in the clutter of loves promised and loves lost. That hopeful ember's languid flame grows; fanned by the breezes of kind words and loving deeds. Only with patience and care will the flames of passion deliciously and slowly build to a roaring flame that lasts a lifetime... If you're not an open minded/assertive lover, then we'd probably be wasting our time. I know that my "wholesome" appearance attracts them, but please...no uptight/conservative prudes! Consider me an empty-nester, medical professional and musician that has a lot of love to give and alot to offer.... ... a purely romantic man yearning to bring joy to a kindred spirit for the rest of our days. Simply put, I am hoping for a dogless, smoke-free woman whose children are grown. I own a house in a woodsy and desirable Davie/Ft. Lauderdale neighborhood. Can I find a sexy and outgoing lady that's willing to share this quiet lifestyle I have created? Please be willing to travel to Fort Lauderdale and work towards sharing life together in my home (see picture). I am serious about this and I wish I could really find a sweet woman for the rest of my life. Is that you? I know alot of us seem to be okay with the idea of going solo these days, but that's something I just refuse to believe. Life is too wonderful to walk through this world all alone. Take my hand and we'll try to find love again! I enjoy writing poetry...here's one that seems to be appropriate for the occasion: TRUE BLUE HEART Can a true blue heart shine just as bright- If it sparkles in no one else's eyes? No witness to this day's dance of light, My emotions, my laughs, my cries. Unshared memories, beautiful moments Overlooked in haste. Like teardrops in the ocean, Diamonds in the waste. Lift the covers from your feelings, Expose your insecure spots. Show the world what you're made of- Share the bravest of your thoughts. The things that we're concealing Will never let us grow. To throw ourselves wide open Can bring us more than we'll ever know. Open up your arms! You can show your heart's still true. Even if the color's almost gone- A Hue of Faded Blue.
Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Gardening/Landscaping , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Performing arts , Political interests , Travel/Sightseeing , Watching sports
Cycling, Inline skating, Other types of exercise, Swimming, Walking / Hiking
I don't exercise regularly.
I like Birds, Cats, Dogs, Exotic Pets, Fish, Horses, Other
Love the Park and anywhere woodsy and natural. I've always wanted to travel to Italy with that special someone..
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Chocolate and Mexican food is my favorite. My favorite color is purple or turquoise. My favorite TV show right now is Bill Maher Live on HBO. My favorite music is Smooth Jazz and Rock. My favorite movies are "Under the Tuscan Sun", "Love Actually".
I'd love to have someone to watch the latest tear-jerker romance on my home theater. I love music and am a musician. My favorite activity is walks in the woods or on the beach. Bicycle riding is also a fun activity. I am a man of simple pleasures.
Blu-Ray.com (always looking to update my Hi-Def movie collection). News online to keep abreast of current events/politics. Editorial/Political cartoons. Poetry.com
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What he is looking for
|5'9" (175cms)
|3'0" (91cms) to 8'0" (243cms)
|Body type:
|Slender, About average, Curvy, Athletic and toned
|No preference
|Salt and pepper
|No preference
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker
|No preference
|Medical / Dental / Veterinary / Fitness
|No preference
Xray Technologist
|$50,001 to $75,000
|Less Than $25,000, $25,001 to $35,000, $35,001 to $50,000, $50,001 to $75,000
|Never Married
|No preference
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they sometimes live at home, No, Yes, and they live away from home, Yes, and they live at home
|Wants kids:
|Probably not, No, No, but it's OK if my partner has kids
|White / Caucasian
|No preference
Swedish and British roots. (4th generation in U.S.)
|Spiritual but not religious
|No preference
Secular Humanist
|No preference
|Associates degree
|No preference
Two degrees- Xray Technology and Business


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Blazer Boys Top HHS
BHS, SHS Girls Also Advance
PENN LAIRD — In the second set Tuesday, Joe Dillenbeck did something that his coach said has been common this season: He lost concentration midway through his match.
Then, the Spotswood…
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Star Wars Fans 'Use The Fourth' To Celebrate
Today is May 4, unofficially known as Star Wars Day — seemingly for the lone reason that it presents an opportunity for people to tell one another, "May the Fourth be with you." But fans of the George Lucas films are also using the day as an excuse to break out costumes and photos, and generally let their Jedi flag fly.
You can find "full coverage" of the day over at the Star Wars website, which has launched a "microsite" to commemorate May 4. Back in February, the Walt Disney Corp. said it plans to release several new films in the franchise in the coming years, beginning with director J.J. Abrams' Episode VII in 2015.
If you're hankering to dive into the world of Star Wars all over again, you might like to check out the work of Jamie Benning, who has spent years compiling background information and alternative takes into compelling "filmumentaries" based on the original trilogy.
Released under the pseudonym Jambe Davdar, the videos contain "DVD Extra" material such as behind-the-scenes stories and outtakes. But they are decidedly "unofficial," and that means they're routinely deleted from YouTube and other sites. One of them, "Building Empire," is on Vimeo.


text: McGraw Hill Construction rolls out Dodge data product Published on June 18, 2013. Reprints Reprints Ad Age DataCenter $43.6B U.S. agency revenue Subscribe to Datacenter today and access the complete Agency Report 2015 featuring a database of World's 50 Largest Agency Companies with profiles, agency holdings, and more. Learn more New York—McGraw Hill Construction has launched the latest addition to its Dodge product line, Dodge DocuPro. Dodge DocuPro is a document management solution for the construction industry that enables construction project teams to organize and distribute project information. The product is available for use on a desktop or any Apple- or Android-supported mobile device. Since early 2011, McGraw Hill Construction has introduced a series of new business intelligence products, including Dodge BidPro, Dodge BuildShare, Dodge MarketShare and Dodge SpecShare. In this article: BtoB Advertisement Comments (0)


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We will be at this years End User Event conference in Utrecht with our reseller Macrocad. Come and see us to find out more about MODO workflows for product design and other design solutions.
When: Thursday 25th and Friday 26th June
Time: 10:00 am to 5:00pm
Where: The Florin, Nobelstraat 2, 3512EN Utrecht, The Netherlands
We are coming to Vancouver to present the recently launched MODO 901. Our reseller Annex Pro is organising an evening in which our Creative Specialist Greg Brown will show all the new and exciting features and how MODO can help you take on more challenging projects and put the fun back into digital content creation and design. The event is free, just RSVP below!
When: Wednesday 24th June
Time: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: Annex Pro, 1485 Venables St, Vancouver
We are coming to Sydney and Melbourne to present MODO 901 with our reseller Intraware. Don't miss this opportunity to see all the new features and exciting updates that were released just a few weeks ago. Find out more and register below.
When: Wednesday 24th June
Where: Harbourview Hotel, 17 Blue St. North Sydney
When: Thursday 25th June
Where: Water Rat Hotel, CNR Park & Moray Streets, South Melbourne
We will take part at SMPTE Conference and Exhibition in Sydney with our reseller Intraware. Come visit us at stand P-04 to find out more about all our product including NUKE, NUKE STUDIO, MODO and MARI. Our Creative Specialist Mariana Acuña will be available for demos and ready to ask any questions!
When: July 14-17
Where: Stand P-04, Hordern Pavilion & Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park, Sydney
We are coming to Japan for an amazing summer tour with the MODO Japan Group to show you all the latest and greatest of MODO. Our Creative Specialist Hiroshi Iwamoto will be demoing MODO 901, providing extensive information and tips on how to build MODO into your pipeline, and answering any questions! Join us in any of the cities below:
When: Wednesday 1st July
Where: UDX THEATER - 4F, 4-14-1, Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
When: Saturday 4th July
Where: Digital Hollywood Fukuoka - 11F IMS, 1-7-11, Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
When: Tuesday 7th July
Where: Digital Hollywood Osaka - 2F Asahi Plaza Umeda Bldg, 4-11, Tsuruno-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka
When: Thursday 9th July
Where: Nagoya Conference Room - 2F Nakatou Marunouchi Bldg, 17-6, Marunouchi, Naka-ku, Nagoya


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Professor Michael F. Sturley at the United States Supreme Court
For sixteen years, University of Texas law professor Michael Sturley has spent countless hours quietly working on an ambitious project: negotiating and drafting a new convention to govern international shipping. Although he has generally worked behind the scenes, Professor Sturley's strong leadership and influence in the development of maritime law have not gone unnoticed.
In September, American Maritime Cases (AMC), a leading maritime-law publication, dedicated its seventeenth, five-year digest to Sturley for his outstanding contributions to the field. Every five years, since its founding in 1923, AMC has honored prominent industry leaders, primarily federal judges and attorneys. Sturley, in his twenty-fifth year at the School of Law, is only the second full-time academic to receive this distinction.
New York maritime attorney Chester D. Hooper said the dedication was timely because the U.N. Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) just completed its Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea. Sturley began working on a predecessor domestic project in 1992 and has been centrally involved ever since.
The new convention not only updates international regimes written decades ago but also unifies aspects of transport law that international agreements never addressed. While the United States adheres to its aging Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA), other countries follow a variety of different maritime codes. In recent years, this breakdown in uniformity has caused commercial problems.
"With Professor Sturley's tremendous work on this convention, he's helping to unify the world's maritime law," said Hooper, past president of the U.S. Maritime Law Association.
The AMC dedication cites other aspects of Sturley's expertise in admiralty and Supreme Court practice: "Michael has been influential in the development of maritime law through his teaching and lecturing, his scholarly yet practical publications, and his participation in many of the leading appellate cases in recent years, particularly at the U.S. Supreme Court." The dedication illustrated the impact of Sturley's scholarship by noting three federal circuit courts' reliance on one of his articles to limit or reject a doctrine he had challenged. AMC also praised Sturley for his work in Supreme Court maritime cases, including five in which he played a significant role persuading the Court to grant certiorari.
Sturley, who will formally receive the AMC award in New York next May, said he's honored to be included among the luminaries who have received this distinction. He noted the honor was unexpected. "The people I work with appreciate my contributions, but much of what I do is quiet, behind-the scenes work. I'm never sure if anyone in the larger community has any idea what I do, let alone appreciates it."
With Sturley playing a key role, the U.S. delegation was at the center of the UNCITRAL negotiations. The completed convention—which addresses major changes in the industry such as the development of electronic commerce and the shipping of goods in containers—was approved by the U.N. General Assembly in December. The convention's formal signing, which Sturley plans to attend, is set for September 2009 in Rotterdam.
In the past sixteen years, Sturley has served as the reporter on the U.S. Maritime Law Association's committee that drafted a proposal to amend COGSA, as the rapporteur for the Comité Maritime International committee that prepared a preliminary draft of the new convention for UNCITRAL, as the senior advisor on the U.S. delegation to the UNCITRAL Working Group that negotiated and drafted the final convention, and as a member of the UNCITRAL Secretariat's expert group that assisted and advised the Secretariat during the process.
Sturley traveled frequently to Vienna and New York to attend formal meetings with representatives from sixty countries. But most of the real work took place between sessions and through informal negotiations during lunch, coffee breaks, and late evenings. "Much of the work is simply not in the public record at all. Small groups hammered out the negotiations, prepared the drafts, and figured out what compromises would work."
Sturley generally served as the U.S. spokesperson on substantive maritime law issues, providing invaluable advice and leadership to the delegation. "Everyone I asked said that Michael Sturley was the leading U.S. (and perhaps the world) expert in this area, and that he would be a key member of the delegation. They were right," said Mary Helen Carlson, a State Department attorney who assembled and led the U.S. delegation.
"This is a highly complex, technical subject with a long history. Many countries' delegates did not have much background in this area. Everyone came to rely on Michael," Carlson said. "Of course, he represented the United States, and therefore was always advocating the U.S. position on an issue. But everyone trusted him, and looked to him to give a fair, balanced, and accurate explanation of any issue." Carlson added that she often called Sturley the "intellectual spark plug" of the convention.
Carlson noted that on a personal level, Sturley was generous with his time and expertise and was a great teacher to all the delegates. "He treats everybody with respect and friendliness" including delegates from rich countries and poor countries, developed countries and developing countries, and countries that agreed and disagreed with the United States in the negotiation, she said. "He has a wonderful ability to work with everybody."
Tomotaka Fujita, the head of the Japanese delegation, said UNCITRAL colleagues often exclaimed with admiration that the American professor could explain other delegates' confusing statements. "Michael is one of the rare experts who can explain complicated issues in transport law so clearly that even a layman with little knowledge can understand," said Fujita. "Michael is no doubt one of a handful of people in the world who knows every detail of this important international instrument."
Not surprisingly, Sturley has written several law review articles (including for the Texas International Law Journal) about UNCITRAL's transport law project. In the coming year, he will coauthor (with delegates from Japan and the Netherlands) a treatise that will serve as a guide to the new convention. He is also scheduled to teach a seminar on the subject in Spring 2009. He said students will read the UNCITRAL public records, but they will also hear about the behind-the-scenes negotiations. "I can tell them where these compromises really came from and the motivations behind them."
Supreme Court Clinic
Before joining the law faculty in 1984, Sturley clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell and practiced with Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City. As a professor, he has written many articles on admiralty law and was instrumental, along with UT Law professor and admiralty expert David Robertson, in establishing the annual Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition fifteen years ago. But as his colleagues point out, Sturley's expertise and contributions to the Law School go well beyond admiralty and maritime law.
Sturley also teaches and writes in the areas of property, commercial law, and Supreme Court practice. Three years ago, he founded the Law School's Supreme Court Clinic with attorney David Frederick, a 1989 graduate of the Law School who regularly argues cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
"The UT Supreme Court Clinic has been wildly successful, both pedagogically and with respect to the outcome of its cases," said UT Law professor Lynn Blais, also a codirector of the Clinic. She noted that Clinic students have the opportunity to work directly, under faculty supervision, on cert petitions, amicus briefs, and merits briefs for submission to the Supreme Court, which is an opportunity that many practicing attorneys never have.
"Beginning with one case, in which cert was granted, the Clinic has grown under Michael's direction to the point where it has many active cases at varying stages of litigation, offering students unparalleled experience in high-stakes practice. Michael's vision in creating the Clinic, and his commitment to its development, have made a tremendous impact on the students who enroll, as well as the clients they serve," Blais said.
Scott Keller, a 2007 UT Law graduate, is familiar with the lasting impression that Sturley and the Clinic can make in one's legal experience. Keller, who worked on the clinic's successful first case, said Sturley was always willing to spend extra time with students to give them the constructive feedback needed to become effective writers. Sturley also imparted his knowledge of Supreme Court litigation to his students "through a patient style of teaching that encourages students every step of the way." Keller will clerk for Justice Anthony Kennedy in 2009–2010.
Sturley also had a profound influence in the life and career of his Clinic codirector Frederick, who as a law student worked as Sturley's research assistant. "He's been a loyal and supportive friend to me for more than two decades, as his role has changed from mentor to collaborator," Frederick said. "As a teacher, Michael could be maddeningly thorough, walking carefully through each proposition until reaching the conclusion. As a Supreme Court practitioner, he approaches problem solving with a keen understanding of how the Court works and a strategic sense of where the Court will go."
Clinic students every year have had the opportunity to attend an oral argument in Washington, D.C., at the Supreme Court. On December 1, students heard Frederick argue an age discrimination case that the Clinic is handling. Sturley is also frequently consulted in Supreme Court cases outside of the clinic context, often for his rare combination of Supreme Court and maritime expertise. His clients have ranged from impecunious seamen to some of the world's largest and most profitable corporations.
Friends and colleagues describe Sturley as a very accomplished man who is devoted to his wife, Michele Deitch, a criminal justice policy expert and attorney who teaches at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and his daughters, Jennifer and Elizabeth. His effective leadership style is often tied to his other personal attributes, such as extreme intelligence, self-discipline, hard work, enthusiasm, generosity, and patience. For all of his successes, however, Sturley remains modestly unaffected. "He's the premier scholar worldwide in the field of maritime commerce," Frederick said. "I had the rare opportunity once to dine with admiralty scholars from around the world and, to a person, they spoke of Michael's giant contributions. From his modesty, one would never sense his stature as an international legal superstar."
Robertson agreed. "Picture John Wayne with a law book," he said. "Shipping lawyers worldwide understand that Michael knows more about cargo law than anyone else. Specialists in U.S. Supreme Court practice are aware that Michael understands how and when to seek or oppose certiorari. But Michael does not publicize these attributes to his maximum advantage. If he were a self-proclaiming man, he'd be immensely rich by now."
Sturley is driven not by the limelight but by a passion for international issues, which he said was nurtured growing up in a household that hosted foreign graduate students every year. He gained his interest in maritime law while attending Oxford University, where the brightest law students were encouraged to study international trade. Another turning point in his career path was clerking for Justice Powell. "If it hadn't been for that Supreme Court clerkship, it's much less likely that I'd have an interest in Supreme Court litigation, and the experience to enable me to do it."
This article is an updated version of one which originally appeared in the Winter 2008 issue of UT Law magazine.
Related links:
Michael Sturley faculty profile
Kirston Fortune, Assistant Dean for Communications, (512) 471.7330 or email@example.com.