As seen in, for just two, out of now many similar, examples:
NASA Recycles CO2 to Methane at Room Temp | Research & Development | News; and,
Exxon 1981 Coal to "High-Quality Liquids" and Methane | Research & Development | News;
we can efficiently synthesize Methane from either Carbon Dioxide or Coal. And, as in the full Disclosure of the 1981 Exxon technology, such Methane can even be generated as the by-product of a process intended primarily to convert Coal into what Exxon describes as "high-quality" liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
And, herein, in support of other of our reports, as, for one instance, seen in:
USDOE Hydrogenates Coal with Methane | Research & Development | News; which concerns:
"US Patent 4,687,570 - Direct Use of Methane in Coal Liquefaction; 1987; Assignee: The United States of America; Abstract: This invention relates to a process for converting solid carbonaceous material, such as coal, to liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons utilizing methane ...";
we have confirmation, from the former East Germany, that such Methane can indeed be utilized to good effect in the gasification and hydrogenation, and subsequent liquefaction, of more Coal.
Brief comment follows excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent 4,605,487 - Use of Methane ... for Pyrolysis Gas
Date: August, 1986
Inventor: Wolfgang Michel, et. al., DD
Assignee: VEB Schwermaschinenbau Karl Liebknecht, Magdeburg
Abstract: Method for the production of liquid products, particularly, tar, from organic bulk materials. The invention relates to a method, whereby in an apparatus in one or a multiple of refining stages, organic bulk goods are refined to economically significant base materials, so that they are suitable, either directly or indirectly, for the production of gasifier or diesel fuel. The technical object is to utilize a fluidizing medium, with the help of which it is possible to produce, in a reaction chamber, an increased yield of liquid products, especially tar. According to the invention, the problem is solved by supplying a hydrocarbonaceous gas, especially a gas containing methane and hydrogen, as a fluidizing medium in the individual refining stages, whereby, under the particular refining conditions, there results a decrease of the portion of methane and hydrogen, and a comparative increase of the portion of the liquid product, especially of the portion of tar. Furthermore, the portion of the components which boil easier, short-chained hydrocarbons, are significantly increased in the produced liquid product.
Claims: A method for the production of a liquid product from an organic bulk material which consists essentially of: providing a charge of dry organic bulk material, said charge being suitable for fluidization in a fluidized bed reaction chamber;
(And) passing said charge into a reaction chamber capable of containing a fluidized bed;
(And) conveying only a gas stream consisting essentially of methane ... into and through said charge ...;
(And) whereby the concentration of the methane in said fluidizing medium is decreased, the proportion of liquid product formed in said fluidized charge in said reaction chamber is increased, and said liquid product has a substantially increased proportion of low-boiling short-chained hydrocarbon components, liquid product formation and refining of the liquid product thereby both taking place in said reaction chamber ...;
(And) in which the liquid product consists essentially of tar suitable for the production of ... diesel fuel.
(And) in which the organic bulk material consists essentially of coal.
Summary: The object of the invention is to refine organic bulk goods, according to the fluidized bed principle, in an apparatus having one or several stages, to (produce) economically significant base materials.
Its aim is to reduce the equipment and system engineering cost, as well as the portion of the auxiliary agents required by the method.
The technical object is to utilize a fluidizing medium, with the help of which it is possible to produce, in a reaction chamber, an increased yield of liquid products, especially tar.
A further object is to refine organic bulk goods to economically significant base materials, so that they are suitable, either directly or indirectly, for the production of gasifier or diesel fuel.
In comparison to conventional methods, the method provides the essential advantage of producing economically significant base materials from organic bulk materials so that, either directly or indirectly, gasifier and diesel fuels can be produced from it."
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This German technology, as we understand it, is simply a modified coking process, wherein Methane is utilized as the coking gas. As we have several time previously reported, Coal can be coked in such a way that primary Coal oils, "Coke Oven Tars", i.e., Anthracene, Naphthalene, etc., can be produced as condensates of the Coke Oven Gas, which is generated by the partial oxidation, and thermal decomposition, of Coal.
It is, we believe, related, or at least similar, to other technologies we have reported, wherein Steam can be used as an agent of Coal gasification in a modified coking process, with the result that Hydrogen is donated from the Steam, H2O, to the carbonaceous tars resulting from the thermal decomposition.
Use of such "Hydrogen donors" maximizes production of volatile Coke oven gases, through much more complete volatilization of Coal, and minimizes production of residual carbonaceous residue, and thus wastage of the Coal's Carbon content.
Since Methane, unlike Water, is free of Oxygen, the end products of this German process, using Methane as the Hydrogen donor, are more akin Diesel fuel. That, whereas the products of Coal gasification with Steam would be, to some extent, oxygenated; and, would thus be more closely related, when condensed into liquids, to, as we've earlier and separately documented, various alcohols.
In any case, we have herein direct confirmation of our USDOE's "US Patent 4,687,570 - Direct Use of Methane in Coal Liquefaction"; and, of the specific fact that Methane, as we can synthesize, via any one of multiple technologies, either from Carbon Dioxide or Coal, can be utilized to good effect in a process designed to convert Coal into useful and needed liquid hydrocarbons, such as "diesel fuels"