One of our earlier reports, documenting the former Texaco's, since absorbed into Chevron, development of technologies whereby Coal can be gasified with Steam, in order to generate an hydrogenated synthesis gas well-suited for catalytic condensation into liquid hydrocarbons, was posted on the web July 15 of this year by the West Virginia Coal Association; and, it detailed "US Patent 2,838,388 - Gasifying Carbonaceous Fuels".
That US Patent was awarded and assigned to Texaco in June, 1958.
Herein, we see that Texaco continued their Coal hydro-gasification development work, and were, less than one year later, awarded another US Patent for an improved process of generating an hydrogenated synthesis gas, specified by Texaco to be well-suited for catalytic condensation into liquid fuels, from reactions between Steam and hot Coal.
Several critical points are made in the Patent's full Disclosure, which we cannot adequately illustrate in our brief excerpts below, but which are thoroughly explained by Texaco:
First, all of the energy needed to drive this Coal conversion process is generated by partial combustion of the Coal.
Second, all, or nearly all, of the Carbon Dioxide produced by that partial combustion of Coal is recycled back into the system, where it is reacted with hot Coal and converted into more product Carbon Monoxide.
Third, all of the Hydrogen required is obtained from reactions between hot Coal and Steam.
However, it would be easy for prospectors of Coal conversion literature to be misled by the Patent's title, and to thus pass by all that vital information concerning a technology which efficiently produces the raw materials for liquid hydrocarbon fuel synthesis out of nothing but Water and Coal.
As seen in our brief excerpts from:
"United States Patent 2,879,148 - Production of Carbon Monoxide from a Solid Fuel
Date: March, 1959
Inventor: Harold Atwell, NY
Assignee: The Texas Company, NY and DE
Abstract: In one of it's more specific aspects, this invention relates to an improved method for the production of carbon monoxide and hydrogen from a solid carbonaceous fuel.
The process is particularly applicable to the reactions of powdered coal with oxygen and steam to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
In accordance with this invention, a portion of the fuel is burned substantially completely, while a further portion is subjected to reaction with the resulting gaseous products of combustion to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
Carbon monoxide, hydrogen and mixtures thereof are useful in a number of industrial processes. For example, liquid hydrocarbons suitable for use as motor fuels may be produced by reaction of hydrogen with carbon monoxide in the Fischer-Tropsch type synthesis reaction."
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In truth, the Texaco schematics do seem to indicate that some "flue gas" is discharged; and, we cannot speculate as to it's content or disposition.
However, at it's base, this US Government-approved technology thoroughly demonstrates, and confirms earlier of our reports, that both Carbon Dioxide and Steam can be reacted with red-hot Coal, resulting in breakdown and disassociation of those molecules, so that Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen, in proportions suitable for catalytic condensation into liquid hydrocarbons, are formed.
More than half a century ago, we, the United States of America, officially, knew that we could make "motor fuels" out of "carbon monoxide, hydrogen and mixtures thereof" generated from "reactions of powdered coal with oxygen and steam" with little, or no, emission of Carbon Dioxide.