Since, in order to convert our abundant Coal into more versatile hydrocarbon liquids and gasses - which can serve as direct replacements for those we now derive from petroleum - we have to hydrogenate the Carbon, of which Coal is essentially comprised, we herein continue to document the fact that such hydrogenation can be accomplished, simply and directly, through reactions between hot Coal and Steam.
And, what should be interesting, again as we have earlier documented, supplemental Carbon Dioxide can be added to such processes, since Steam provides an abundance of Hydrogen, so as to increase the production of hydrocarbons.
Moreover, Big Oil knew all of that, all the way out in California, more than thirty years ago, as evidenced by:
"United States Patent 4,162,959 - Production of Hydrogenated Hydrocarbons
Date: July, 1979
Inventor: Kandaswamy Duraiswamy, CA
Assignee: Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Los Angeles
Abstract: In a continuous process for recovery of values from a solid carbonaceous material, the carbonaceous material is pyrolyzed in the presence of a particulate source of heat to yield a particulate carbon containing residue of pyrolysis and volatilized hydrocarbons while simultaneously the volatilized hydrocarbons are hydrogenated. The particulate source of heat is formed by oxidizing carbon in the solid residue to heat the particles. Hydrogen for hydrogenation is obtained by reacting at least a portion of the hot particulate carbon containing residue of pyrolysis with steam prior to feeding the hot particulate residue to the pyrolysis reaction zone.
Steam and/or carbon dioxide can be introduced into the pyrolysis reaction zone to interact with carbon containing residue contained therein.
Claims: A continuous process for recovery of liquid hydrocarbon values from a solid carbonaceous material feed comprising the steps of:
(a) oxidizing particulate carbon containing residue resulting from pyrolysis of the carbonaceous material in an oxidation zone in the presence of a source of oxygen to produce hot particulate carbon containing residue and a combustion gas;
(b) passing carbon containing residue and combustion gas from the oxidation zone to a separation zone and separating in the separation zone hot particulate carbon containing residue from the combustion gas;
(c) forming hydrogen gas in a conversion zone by reacting at least a portion of the separated hot particulate carbon containing residue with steam in the substantial absence of unpyrolyzed solid carbonaceous material;
(d) simultaneously pyrolyzing the carbonaceous material and hydrogenating pyrolysis products of the carbonaceous material by combining hydrogen gas from the conversion zone, the carbonaceous material feed ... .
A process ... including the step of introducing carbon dioxide to the pyrolysis reaction zone ... .
A continuous process for recovery of liquid hydrocarbon values from a solid carbonaceous material ... ."
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So, more than three decades ago, Big Oil, out in California, claimed, and our United States Government, as herein, affirmed, that:
We can react "hot ... carbon" particles "with steam", thereby "forming hydrogen gas". Then, we can also add some "carbon dioxide to the ... reaction zone", and, by "hydrogenating pyrolysis products of the carbonaceous material", create "liquid hydrocarbon values".
All that about right?
How come, over the past thirty years, we haven't heard anything of it in US Coal Country?
We do have some "carbonaceous material" and some spare "carbon dioxide" lying about, don't we?
If manufacturing "liquid hydrocarbon values" would be of any interest, it might pay us to start looking around for some.
