In an earlier dispatch, we made report of the 1973 US Patent 3,740,193, "Hydrogen Production by Catalytic Steam Gasification of Carbonaceous Materials".
In that patent, Esso, before they were officially Exxon, explained how we could get all the Hydrogen we needed for both, as they stated specifically, "the refining of petroleum and for the production of synthetic fuels" by the Steam gasification of, among other things, Coal.
In this report, we further document Exxon's intensive development of related processes for obtaining the Hydrogen needed to hydrogenate and liquefy Coal, as one integrated function of a complete Coal conversion process, from reactions between Coal and Steam.
We enclose herein two United States Patents from 1974, with one link above and another following, issued in immediate numerical sequence, a fact we think to be of some portent, to different researchers in the employ of Exxon.
The first bears an impenetrably obscure title, but is, as they tell us deep within the bowels of the full Disclosure, a:
"process for the manufacture of a methane-rich gas from a sub-bituminous or higher grade coal".
And, it's difficult, as well, to parse out the importance of Steam, with only a hint as to why they're using it, until we stumble across this explanation:
"The fluidized bed reaction zone will preferably comprise a two-stage reactor ... in which feed particles of coal or similar finely divided carbonaceous solids are devolatilized to produce liquid and gaseous products and char and a lower steam gasification zone in which steam introduced into the zone reacts with the char particles to form principally hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The product gas taken overhead from the gasifier will thus preferably comprise a methane-rich gas formed by reaction of the coal or similar material with hydrogen gas obtained from the reaction of steam with char."
As with other, similar, technologies reported by and from other sources, this represents a two-step Coal conversion process in which highly-carbonaceous Coal char, left behind by an initial gasification, is reacted with Steam to generate more hydrocarbon synthesis gas, and excess Hydrogen.
That said, we present, without repeating the above passages, our further excerpts from the enclosed link, with another link and additional excerpts following:
"United States Pate 3,847,566 - Gasification Process with Reduction of Fines Entrainment
Date: November, 1974
Inventor: Edward Wilson, TX
Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company, NJ
Abstract: Fines entrained by the product gas from a fluidized bed reactor used for the gasification of coal or similar material are separated from the product gas stream and fed to a transfer line burner in which carbonaceous solids withdrawn from the fluidized bed are heated before being returned to the reaction vessel. The fine particles burn preferentially in the presence of air admitted to the burner to provide heat for the process. Fines carried overhead with the combustion gases from the burner are separated and recycled to the burner until substantially all of the carbon has been consumed. This results in more complete utilization of the carbon in the feed material and greater thermal efficiency for the process.
Background: This invention relates to the gasification of coal ..., particularly ... gasification processes ... to react the feed material with steam.
Claims: (A) process for the preparation of a product gas by reacting steam with carbonaceous solids in a fluidized bed reaction zone wherein said product gas is taken off overhead from said reaction zone and wherein a stream of solid carbonaceous particles is continuously withdrawn from the said reaction zone and heated by contacting said particles with an oxygen-containing gas in a transfer line burner, the improvement which comprises separating solid fines from said product gas, introducing said fines into said transfer line burner for combusting said fines with said oxygen-containing gas while in the presence of said stream of carbonaceous particles to heat said carbonaceous particles, and thereafter returning the heated carbonaceous particles from said transfer line burner to said reaction zone (and) wherein said carbonaceous particles are coal char particles (and) wherein said reaction zone comprises a gasifier including an upper hydrogasification zone in which coal particles are carbonized and a lower steam gasification zone ... .
A process ... wherein at least part of said fines separated from said combustion products are entrained in a carrier gas before being introduced into said transfer line burner (and) wherein said carrier gas is flue gas.
(Now, why would the particles be entrained in a CO2-rich "flue gas" prior to being reacted with Steam, if there weren't something else, that should be of interest, happening here, as well? - JtM)
It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides an improved process which is more efficient, results in more effective carbon utilization, and (as) a result of these advantages, the process has many potential applications."
----------
The "potential applications" lie, we think obviously, in the hydrogenation of Coal to synthesize the liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons now, as then, being derived from petroleum.
In any case, the above patent was mated immediately, by the US Patent Office, with it's conjoined, but much, much more plainly-described twin, as follows:
"United States Patent 3,847,567 - Catalytic Coal Hydrogasification
Date: November, 1974
Inventor: Theodore Kalina, NJ, et. al.
Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering, NJ
Abstract: Methane is produced by the thermoneutral reaction of steam with coal ... ."
---------
That one plain enough for you?
Don't let the term "thermoneutral" slide innocently by unnoticed, however. It means, as the full Disclosure, in confirmation of other reports we've submitted, reveals, that Coal can be converted, when reacted with Steam, into versatile hydrocarbons with no need for externally-supplied energy.
The economic implications of that should be self-evident.
And, to reiterate: Methane is of extraordinary value.
It can, as we have reported and will further document: Be converted directly into liquid hydrocarbon fuels; or, be added to processes of indirect Coal conversion to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels; or, be reacted, in various bi-reforming and tri-reforming processes, with Carbon Dioxide to synthesize liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
And, all we need to synthesize such versatile, valuable Methane, and, as in the first patent cited herein, nearly-precious Hydrogen, is Water and Coal.
