METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MIXTURES OF METHANE,CARBON MONOXIDE,AND HYDROGEN
Herein, we have yet another Coal conversion technology developed by a scientist in the employ of our local Consolidation Coal Company; but, one which generates a slightly different product mix of hydrocarbons, relative to another US Patent, issued to Consol in the same year as the subject invention of this report, and as seen in: Consol 1970 Liquid Fuels from Coal | Research & Development | News; which contains information concerning: "United States Patent 3,523,886 - Making Liquid Fuels from Coal; 1970; Inventor: Everett Gorin, et. al.; Assignee: The United States of America and Consolidation Coal Company".
Herein, another Consol scientist demonstrates that Methane can be generated as a co-product, along with a synthesis gas suitable for catalytic condensation into liquid hydrocarbon fuels, by, in a way similar to other Coal conversion technologies we have reported to you, reacting hot Coal with Steam.
The co-production of Methane in such a process, along with liquid hydrocarbon synthesis gas, has some implications we attempt to explain, following excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"US Patent 3,503,724 - Producing Mixtures of Methane, Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen
Date: March, 1970
Inventor: Homer Benson, PA
Assignee: Consolidation Coal Company, Pittsburgh
Abstract: In a continuous steam-iron process wherein finely divided iron oxides are reduced in a reduction zone and the reduced iron oxides are reacted with steam in an oxidation zone to make hydrogen, the improvement whereby high Btu gas may be made from carbonaceous materials which comprises effecting hydrogasification of carbonaceous material in said reduction zone. so that only two zones, instead of the usual four, are required for making high Btu gas by the steam-iron process.
(Note, that, in 1970, it was possible, in some certain, closed circles, to refer to Coal hydro-conversion, done to generate hydrocarbons, as "usual".)
This application relates to the production of mixtures of methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen which are particularly suitable for the preparation of high Btu gas from carbonaceous material such as coal ... .
In my present invention, the iron oxidation and coal hydrogasification steps are carried out in one reaction vessel and the steps of generating producer gas and reducing iron oxide are carried out in a second reaction vessel.
This arrangement has a number of advantages over the four-reaction vessel system described and claimed in my United States Patent No. 3,222,147.
(i.e.: Process for the preparation of mixtures of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane; December, 1965; Abstract: This invention relates to a process for preparing a mixture of gases comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane ... by reacting carbonaceous solid fuel with both hydrogen and steam, the hydrogen being obtained from the oxidizing reaction of a metal and steam.)
There are fewer vessels and less transfer of solids and gases. ... (And) methane and hydrogen normally lost in pretreatment of coal become part of the product gases.
(By) having both char and iron oxide in the same reactor, it is possible to have all the reactions listed above proceed at the same time and the exothermic reactions provide the necessary heat for the endothermic reactions.
In a large plant (as specified and conjectured) ... coal provides all of the energy required."
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We, thus, have herein yet another self-powered Coal conversion process. All the energy needed to drive the entire process can be derived from some exothermic steps in the total reaction sequence. No external source of energy, other than that derived from the Coal being processed, is required.
Schematics of the reactions, which we have not reproduced in our excerpts, illustrate that any Carbon Dioxide generated in the process can be reclaimed and returned to the gasification chamber, where it is "reduced" through reactions with hot Coal to form more Carbon Monoxide.
The system is, as well, self-sufficient in it's supply of Hydrogen, which is generated by reactions between Steam and hot Iron, following which the thus "oxidized" Iron is returned to the synthesis gas generation chamber, where it is reduced by the hot Coal back to useable elemental Iron.
And, keep in mind that the products are specified to be: "methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen".
As we can learn from our own USDOE, via: http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/factsheets/rd/R&D089.pdf; "The Fischer-Tropsch reaction converts a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide ... to liquid fuels."
And, as in: Pittsburgh 1941 CO2 + Methane = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development | News; there exists at least one process, "USP 2,266,989 - Manufacture of a Gas from CO2 and Methane"; which enables "the manufacture of gases suitable for the synthesis of higher hydrocarbons ... by reacting on methane ... with carbon dioxide".
Which Carbon Dioxide, we submit, could be recovered from any convenient industrial operation where copious quantities of CO2 are emitted as a waste gas, such as an industrial-size green corn Ethanol fermentation and distillation facility.