Herein is further proof that, many decades ago, our own United States Government knew enough about the potentials for hydrogenating Coal with Steam, in order to generate Hydrogen-rich gases suitable for use as fuel, or for catalytic condensation into liquid hydrocarbons, that it devoted itself to refining Steam gasification techniques with respect to the different kinds of Coal, with their different reactive characteristics, that were available.
We don't now understand, if we ever did, the technical nature of the variances in feed Coal that were addressed by Pittsburgh's US Bureau of Mines laboratory, in their development of the invention they disclose in this United States Patent.
What we do, clearly, understand, though, is: The United States Government, as herein, developed, and assigned itself the rights to, a process wherein Pittsburgh Seam Coal can be efficiently reacted with Steam to generate an hydrogenated, Methane-rich synthesis gas; a gas which, we submit, would be ideally suited for further catalytic condensation, as via the Fischer-Tropsch process, into liquid hydrocarbons.
Comment follows abbreviated excerpts from:
"United States Patent 3,463,623 - Process for Gasifying Caking Coals
Date: August, 1969
Inventor: Albert Forney, et. al., PA
Assignee: The United States of America
Abstract: A methane-rich synthesis gas is produced from finely divided caking coals.
It is an object of this invention to produce a methane-rich synthesis gas from ... coal.
A reactive gas mixture of oxygen and steam ... reacts with particulate coal ... to produce ... hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane."
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As in many of the technologies for converting Coal into more versatile hydrocarbons, which have been developed and patented by the US Government and the Oil Industry, the Disclosures is so complicated and obtuse that the true import is blindingly obscured; and, we are driven to contend, deliberately so.
A study of the full document reveals a sophisticated understanding of a complex reaction sequence wherein, simply, hot Coal and Steam are converted into hydrocarbons through a series of reactions with each other, and with the products of their reactions.
That reaction sequence involves systematic recycling and re-reaction of product gases, which maximizes production both of CO-H2 hydrocarbon synthesis gases and of Methane, and, at the same time, minimizes the co-production of un-reacted Carbon Dioxide.
We note that any CO2 not recycled into, and consumed by, the reaction sequence, could, in any case, be reclaimed and reacted, in tri-reforming and bi-reforming processes, several of which we have documented for you, with a portion of the Methane produced herein to synthesize additional hydrocarbons.
In any case, our own United States Government, as herein, forty years ago, developed and assumed ownership of technology wherein a "methane-rich" hydrocarbon "synthesis gas" could be made from Coal.