We believe that we've previously cited for you at least one of the two inventors, both scientists at the University of California, Riverside, named in this recent US Patent for Coal conversion technology.
We call their work again to your attention since, in this already-issued patent, and in a later patent application filed by UC, Riverside, which we will make report of in coming days, several key facts about the conversion of Coal into more versatile hydrocarbons, which we have, from other credible sources, previously documented, are reconfirmed.
In the specific instance illustrated herein, we see, again, first, that plain old Steam can be made to serve as the source of Hydrogen in a process wherein the Carbon content of Coal is chemically converted into hydrocarbons.
Further, various sorts of Carbon-recycling wastes can be utilized as supplementary feed in a hydrocarbon production process based on Coal.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"US Patent 7,500,997 - Steam Pyrolysis ... to Enhance the Hydro-Gasification of Carbonaceous Materials
Date: March, 2009
Inventors: Joseph Norbeck and Collin Hackett, Riverside, CA
Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a synthesis gas for use as a gaseous fuel or as feed into a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce a liquid fuel in a substantially self-sustaining process. In one embodiment, a slurry of carbonaceous material in water, and hydrogen from an internal source, are fed into a hydro-gasification reactor to generate methane rich producer gases which are fed into a steam pyrolytic reformer to generate synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide. A portion of the hydrogen is used as the internal hydrogen source. The remaining synthesis gas is either used as fuel to produce electricity and/or process heat or is fed into a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce liquid fuel. In another embodiment of the invention, carbonaceous material can be heated simultaneously in the presence of both hydrogen and steam to undergo steam pyrolysis and hydro-gasification in a single step.
Claims: A process for converting carbonaceous material to energetic gases, the process comprising a) forming a liquid suspension slurry of particles of carbonaceous material in water; and b) feeding hydrogen and the suspension slurry into a hydro-gasification reactor without a reaction catalyst at a temperature and pressure sufficient to generate methane and carbon monoxide rich producer gases, wherein the ratio of water to dry carbonaceous material in the hydrogasification reactor is at least 2:1.
(And) wherein the carbonaceous material comprises municipal waste, biomass, wood, coal, or a natural or synthetic polymer ... .
(And a) process for producing a synthesis gas, the process comprising: a) forming a liquid suspension slurry of particles of carbonaceous material in water; b) feeding hydrogen and the suspension slurry into a hydro-gasification reactor without a reaction catalyst at a temperature and pressure sufficient to generate methane and carbon monoxide rich producer gases, wherein the ratio of water to dry carbonaceous material in the hydrogasification reactor is at least 2:1, and c) subjecting the methane and carbon monoxide rich producer gases to steam reforming reactions under conditions whereby synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide is generated.
(And a) process for producing a liquid fuel, the process comprising: a) forming a liquid suspension slurry of particles of carbonaceous material in water; b) feeding hydrogen and the suspension slurry into a hydro-gasification reactor without a reaction catalyst at a temperature and pressure sufficient to generate methane and carbon monoxide rich producer gases, wherein the ratio of water to dry carbonaceous material in the hydrogasification reactor is at least 2:1; c) subjecting the methane and carbon monoxide rich producer gases to steam reforming reactions under conditions whereby synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide is generated; and d) subjecting the synthesis gas to Fischer-Tropsch type reactions under conditions whereby a liquid fuel is produced.
(And) wherein said conditions and the relative amounts of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the Fischer-Tropsch type reactor are such that said liquid fuel is produced exothermally (arrangement is made for the transfer of) exothermic heat from one or both of the hydro-gasification reactor and Fischer-Tropsch type reactor to the steam methane reformer.
(And) wherein the carbonaceous material is non-pyrolyzed carbonaceous material (comprised of) municipal waste, biomass, wood, coal, or a natural or synthetic polymer."
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So, we can convert both Coal and, for instance, your old polyester leisure suits into "energetic gases" and, via "Fischer-Tropsch type" technology, "liquid fuel".
Note, that, as in other, similar technologies we have documented for you, using Steam to "reform" some of the Methane that is co-produced, along with the Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide hydrocarbon synthesis gas, generates plenty of excess Hydrogen which can be recovered and used, along with Steam, in the initial hydrogasification of all sorts of "carbonaceous material".
Further, we also note that one of our previously-cited "credible sources", concerning the Steam-gasification of Coal to produce hydrocarbons, as referenced in our introductory comments, is also based in California, as in our recent report detailing:
"United States Patent: 4162959 - Production of Hydrogenated Hydrocarbons; 1979; Assignee: Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Los Angeles".
And, again, in a dispatch to follow in coming days, we will, from some of the same University of California scientists named herein, confirm another fact concerning the hydroconversion of Coal and carbonaceous wastes into more versatile hydrocarbons, i.e.:
Such processes can be made to be not only self-sufficient in Hydrogen production, but, self-sufficient in the generation of energy needed to drive the processes, as well.