COAL CONFERENCE

Series

Series Name: Mining Review 10th Year

Issue

Issue No.

Date Released

Oct 1956

Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 3

Summary

NoS synopsis: international conference on chemical engineering at the NCB Coal Research Establishment, with a talk on the future of coal from Dr. Jacob Bronowski, director of the Coal Research Establishment.
NCB Commentary - A few miles away from the well tended spa of Chelteham stands the Coal Research Establishment of the National Coal Board, at Stoke Orchard.
Here, during one of the rare good spells of 1956’s pathetic summer, took place an international conference on Chemical Engineering in the coal industry.
Delegates from the four corners of the world assembled to discuss their problems at Stoke Orchard.
The civic seal was set upon the deliberations of the conference by the attendance of the mayors of Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, seen here being welcomed by Dr. Bronowski, director of the Coal Research Establishment.
Foreign visitors found that comprehensive arrangements had been made for their facilities during the conference.
Dr. Bronowski summed up the purpose of the conference in this way ...
Main purpose of the conference, as in any other international event, was the interchange of opinions and information among the delegates.
In the congenial surroundings of Stoke Orchard’s new buildings, visitors from Europe and Asia embarked on a sympathetic exchange of views.
Doyen of the conference was Sir Harold Hartley, of the World Power Conference, seen here in discussion with Dr. Bronowski.
Exhibits in th establishment inspected by visitors covered the range of research which is carried on at Stoke Orchard.
Stoke Orchard’s major purpose is to make better use of the coal that is mined in Britain today.
Here, delegates saw developments in the cleaning and preparation of raw coal, both in a pilot plant and on the laboratory bench.
Oxdation of coal to produce new solid fuels is another of the techniques being explored at Stoke Orchard.
Well known among their scientific parlour tricks is the making liquid of solid fuels, by blowing air through it.
New domestic fuels are emerging from this department of the research establishment.
Visitors were also shown some of the work on testing these new solid fuels for strength.
The long term future of coal hangs from the branches of the by-products tree. Much work waits to be done on new uses of coal developed through new processes.
During their four day conference the international delegates were constantly reminded of this fact, and at no time more strongly than by Dr. Bronowski in his summing up of the conference proceedings ...

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