We've previously cited the named inventor of the United States Patent for Coal conversion technology we enclose herein. He is one of the authors identified in our earlier report of:
New York City (!!!) Improves Coal Liquefaction | Research & Development; which concerned: "Improvement of Coal Direct Liquefaction by Steam Pretreatment; O. Ivanenko, R.A. Graff, et. al., City College of New York".
We've eschewed the use of exclamation points in the headline of this dispatch.
It's no longer shocking to us that they would know, in New York City, that Coal can be efficiently converted into liquid hydrocarbon fuels, while the majority of public citizens resident in US Coal Country so far remain uninformed of the fact.
It seems almost typical that the cuckolded spouse would be the last to learn of a partner's adulterous affair.
The family gossips really should step in and start serving their function.
In any case, subsequent to the above-cited report, the City College of New York became the City University; and, they were awarded, as excerpted from the initial link in this dispatch:
"United States Patent 4,778,585 - Pyrolysis of Coal for Producing Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels
Date: October, 1988
Inventor: Robert Graff, New York
Assignee: The City University of New York, NYC
Abstract: Increased yields of liquid hydrocarbon are obtained from a carbonaceous material (e.g., coal) by a two-stage process comprising pretreatment of the carbonaceous material with an appropriate gas in a first stage, followed by pyrolysis of the pretreated carbonaceous material, in a second stage.
Claims: A process for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels from a carbonaceous material which consists of: pretreating said carbonaceous material with a gas selected from the group consisting of steam, inert gases, carbon monoxide and mixtures thereof, in the absence of added hydrogen ... .
(And) pyrolyzing said pretreated carbonaceous material in the presence of a gas selected from the group consisting of steam, nitrogen, helium, carbon monoxide, combustion gases, pyrolysis gases and mixtures thereof,
(And) recovering liquid hydrocarbons from said pyrolysis products.
(Note: If the Disclosure of our subject US Patent 4,778,585 sounds a little familiar to our long-term attentive readers, it should. The technology for treating Coal, in the course of liquefaction, with Steam and Carbon Monoxide is relatively well-established, as evidenced by:
USDOE Hydrocracks Coal with Steam and Carbon Monoxide | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 4,225,414 - Hydrocracking Carbonaceous Material to Provide Fuels; 1980; Assignee: The United States of America; Abstract: A process is disclosed for hydrocracking coal or other carbonaceous material ... entrained in a flow of hydrogen-containing gas (that can consist of) hydrogen and carbon monoxide or a gas having components which will react to produce hydrogen such as a mixture of carbon monoxide and steam"; and, by:
Exxon Hydrogenates Coal with Water and Carbon Monoxide | Research & Development; which details: "United States Patent 5,026,475 - Coal Hydroconversion Process; 1991; Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company; Abstract: An improved process for the hydroconversion of coal comprising pretreating coal in an aqueous carbon monoxide-containing environment, followed by extracting a soluble hydrocarbon material from the coal".)
A process for recovering liquid hydrocarbon values of a carbonaceous material which consists of:
(a) continuously contacting said carbonaceous material with a gas, in a pretreatment zone, said gas being selected from the group consisting of steam, inert gases, carbon monoxide and mixtures thereof, in the absence of added hydrogen ... .
(b) continuously pyrolyzing pretreated carbonaceous material in a gas selected from the group consisting of steam, helium, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, combustion gases, pyrolysis gases and mixtures thereof, and
(c) recovering liquid hydrocarbons from said pyrolysis products.
(Note, again, as above and following, that: expensive "added hydrogen" is notneeded.)
A process for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels from coal ... conducted in the absence of hydrogen.
Background and Field: This invention relates generally to the pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials such as coal, and is particularly related to a two-stage method of coal pyrolysis to produce synthetic liquid fuels.
In one of its specific aspects, the present invention is directed to a two-stage pyrolysis process wherein the coal is first treated with an appropriate gas prior to pyrolysis in order to maximize the yield of synthetic liquid fuels.
(It) is an object of this invention to provide a method for liquefaction of coal to obtain liquid hydrocarbons having substantial fuel value, e.g., synthetic liquid fuels, or more simply "synfuels".
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method involving pyrolysis of coal whereby large yields of liquid hydrocarbons are obtained without the use of a catalyst.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved coal pyrolysis process whereby large yields of synfuels are obtained without resorting to an external source of hydrogen gas.
The process does not require a catalyst nor is it necessary to employ hydrogen either in the pretreatment stage or during pyrolysis. The yield of hydrocarbon liquids from the pyrolysis of coal is markedly increased when the coal is pretreated as compared to the yield of hydrocarbon liquids obtained by pyrolysis of coal without pretreatment in accordance with this invention."
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So, we don't need free Hydrogen, or, apparently, and somewhat surprisingly, even "a catalyst", to achieve a "markedly increased" "yield of hydrocarbon liquids from ... coal".
All we need, it seems, to obtain such "large yields of synfuels ... without resorting to an external source of hydrogen gas", from Coal, is Steam, which we'll presume everyone in US Coal Country, at least those associated or familiar with the power generation industry, knows how to make; and, Carbon Monoxide, which, as found in:
Conoco Hydrogenates More Carbon Monoxide | Research & Development; which includes separate report of:
"United States Patent: 4564513 - Process for the Production of Carbon Monoxide
Date: January, 1986
Inventor: Dieter Becher, et. al., Germany
Assignee: Bayer AG
Abstract: Carbon monoxide is produced in an improved process in a carbon-filled, water-cooled generator in the configuration of a truncated cone in the longitudinal section, by the gasification of said carbon with a mixed gas of oxygen and carbon dioxide, wherein the improvement comprises injecting the mixed gas into the generator through at least one downwardly-directed, coolable nozzle arranged in the generator sidewall and removing the carbon monoxide formed";
we can produce by the seemingly-straightforward expedient of blowing Carbon Dioxide, recovered, perhaps, from a Marcellus Shale Gas cleaning, stripping and compressing facility, through red-hot Coal.