Gasification of combustible materials
In a recent dispatch, now accessible via:
West Virginia & New York Coal to Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development; we reported on a Coal hydro-gasification process that had been invented in Charleston, WV, by a scientist in the employ of New York's FMC Corporation; which, as we've documented in many other reports, has a long history of involvement in various Coal conversion research and development endeavors.
Some specifics include: "United States Patent 3,787,193 - Production of Water Gas; 1974; Inventors: Leonard Seglin, NYC, NY, and Charles Gray, Charleston, WV; Abstract: Water gas is produced by blowing steam through carbon suspended in a coal ash melt".
The process is further characterized as a method of producing hydrocarbon synthesis gas from Coal and Steam; further, it specifically cites, as direct precedent art, the US Patent we enclose in this dispatch.
And, from our point of view, this precedent art is more advanced in some ways than the FMC technology which came out of Charleston.
In this process, not only can Steam be used as an agent of Coal gasification, but, so can Carbon Dioxide.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 2,647,045 - Gasification of Combustible Materials
Date: July, 1953
Inventor: Roman Rummel, Germany
The gasification of combustible materials and particularly of coal is conventionally practised for the recovery of industrially valuable combustible gases such as "producer gas" (and) "water gas".
The formation of these gases essentially involves two types of reaction. The first is substantially endothermic in nature, and the second is substantially exothermic in nature.
In the first type of reaction the combustible material, such as coal, is brought to relatively high temperature and preferably incandescence and is then contacted with and endothermic gasification agent, i.e., an agent capable of oxidizing combustible material, such as coal, with absorption of heat.
Such endothermic reactants are, for instance, water and CO2.
Water is endothermically split into hydrogen and oxygen, and thus reacts with the combustible material to furnish a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen conventionally termed 'water gas'.
CO2 is endothermically decomposed into CO and oxygen, reacting in this manner to furnish 2CO.
In the second type of reaction a combustible material, such as coal, is contacted at relatively high temperature with a suitable gasification agent, i.e., an agent capable of oxidizing combustible material, such as coal, with generation of heat. Such exothermic reactants are, for instance, oxygen (or) air ... .
Depending upon the amount of combustion supporting gas used, the exothermic oxidation of combustible material, such as coal, may be guided to the formation of CO or CO2 or variable mixtures thereof.
(In other words, if we "guided" this "oxidation of" Coal appropriately, we could make much more Carbon Monoxide than Carbon Dioxide. And, the CO2 that did appear in the product gas would be just a fraction of the CO2 with which the Coal was, in the first place, reacted. It could be reclaimed and recycled, with added Carbon Dioxide recovered from an external source, into the gasification process of USP 2,647,045.)
Gasification of combustible materials with an endothermic reactant produces a "rich" gas, i.e., a gas high in combustible ... value. The heat loss, however, which is involved in the endothermic reaction necessitates frequent periodic re-heating of the combustible material to the required reaction temperature.
One method of accomplishing this is by alternately subjecting the material to be gasified to an endothermic and exothermic gasification reaction, i.e., contacting the material alternately with an endothermic gasification reactant such as steam or CO2, and the exothermic gasification reactant such as oxygen ... .
(Note the use of controlled amounts of Oxygen to support a limited exothermic oxidation of the Coal, which is conducted in such a way, preferably with purified Oxygen - which prevents formation, if plain Air were to be used, of Nitrogen Oxides. The oxidation is limited in such a way so as to limit production of Carbon Dioxide, in favor of the desired product, Carbon Monoxide. We've reported examples of similar art, as in:
WV DuPont 1954 Coal and Steam to Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 2,698,227 - Preparation of Synthesis Gases from Carbonaceous Solids; 1954; Inventor: Luther Peery, et. al., Charleston, WV; Assignee: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company; This invention relates to a process for the preparation of synthesis gases by the partial oxidation of comminuted solid carbonaceous materials ... (i.e., a) process for the preparation of a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen from pulverized coal which comprises suspending pulverized coal in superheated steam, mixing the coal-steam suspension, in a non-ignited state, with a sufficient amount of oxygen of at least 90% purity to convert the coal to carbon monoxide and hydrogen but insufficient to convert the coal to carbon dioxide and water"; and:
Germany Gasifies Coal with CO2 and H2O | Research & Development; which discloses the later, though very similar: "United States Patent 4,347,064 - Process of Gasifying Fine-Grained Solid Fuels; 1982; Inventors: Lothar Rey, et. al., Germany; Assignee: Metallgesellschaft AG; Abstract: A process of gasifying fine-grained solid fuels for the production of a product gas that contains hydrogen, carbon oxides and methane comprises a treatment with steam, oxygen and/or carbon dioxide in two interconnected gasifying stages".
Our subject "US Patent 2,647,045" hints at the later German patent, "US Patent 4,347,064", above, and others similar we've reported, wherein the Coal oxidation reaction, which generates the needed heat, is kept separate from the endothermic reaction between the hot Coal and the H2O and the CO2, which reaction generates the desired Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide hydrocarbon synthesis gas.)
The exothermic reactant ... such as oxygen ... causes a combustion with the liberation of heat. The endothermic reactant (such as) water vapor ... reacts to form with the combustible material CO and H2, consuming heat in the reaction.
If CO2 were to be introduced ... further amounts of CO would be produced.
(And, it) is thus possible to so adjust the amount of (Oxygen) that the heat liberated in the exothermic reaction will substantially balance the heat consumed in the endothermic reaction.
Claims: In the gasification of combustible material of the coal type, the improvement comprising substantially continuously introducing such a material ... into a molten slag below the surface thereof, substantially continuously contacting said material in said slag with a combustion supporting gas and with an endothermic gasification reactant for said material, and recovering a combustible gas mixture therefrom."
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Like some other Coal gasification technologies we've made report of, the mix of Carbon Dioxide and Steam added to the hot Coal can be adjusted so as to influence what specific ratios of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen are present in the resultant "combustible gas mixture".
Although not clearly stated by the inventor, such a "gas mixture" of CO and H2, we remind you, as stated quite directly in our recent report:
Pittsburgh 1941 Coal Syngas to Motor Fuel | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 2,244,710 - The Manufacture of Hydrocarbons from Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen; 1941; Assignee: Koppers Company, Pittsburgh, PA; The present invention relates to the manufacture of hydrocarbon mixtures suitable for use as motor fuel or as lubricating means, by the reaction of a gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide";
can be further converted into anything we now allow ourselves to be extorted by OPEC for the supply of.
We do note that our subject, "United States Patent 2,647,045", does stipulate that nearly-pure Oxygen be utilized to support limited oxidation of the Coal, which provides the heat needed to drive the chemical reduction reactions between Steam and Carbon Dioxide, and the thus-heated Coal.
And, we remind you, that, as in:
USDOE Algae Recycle CO2 into Liquid Fuels | Research & Development; concerning: "Liquid Fuels from Microalgae; 1987; USDOE; Abstract: The goal of the DOE/SERI Aquatic Species Program is to develop the technology to produce gasoline and diesel fuels from microalgae";
we can recover Oxygen from a vat full of Green Algae, who produce it as by-product of their all-natural, normal photosynthetic business of converting Carbon Dioxide into cellular materials that are easily refined into "gasoline and diesel fuels".
Or, we could make it as in:
Chicago Hydrogen from H2O | Research & Development; about: "USP 4,793,910 - Photoelectrochemical Cell for Unassisted Photocatalysis; 1988;
through the efficient, sunlight-driven "photolysis" of water, in a process that would also generate Hydrogen, which we could use separately in a process like that described in:
NASA Rocket Fuel from CO2 | Research & Development; which explains, that: "Although Mars is not rich in methane, methane can be manufactured there via the Sabatier process: Mix some carbon dioxide (CO2) with hydrogen (H), then heat the mixture to produce CH4 and H20 -- methane and water";
to synthesize Methane from Carbon Dioxide; and, which Methane could be used in a process like that in:
Texaco 1948 CO2 + CH4 = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 2,448,290 - Process for the Production of Synthesis Gas; 1948; Assignee: The Texas Company;
Abstract: This invention relates to a continuous method of manufacturing water gas involving the reaction of a gaseous hydrocarbon with carbon dioxide and steam so as to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen (which is) suitable ... for the subsequent conversion into hydrocarbons";
to react with even more Carbon Dioxide to make even more hydrocarbon synthesis gas.
Or, we could use the by-product Hydrogen - - after the Oxygen generated with it, via the Chicago process of "USP 4,793,910", was directed into the process of our subject "USP 2,647,045", to support the production of hydrocarbon synthesis gas from Coal, Carbon Dioxide and Steam - - in another process, as explained by:
WVU Hydrogenates Coal Tar | Research & Development; concerning the: "Hydrogenation of Naphthalene and Coal Tar Distillate; West Virginia University; 2009; Abstract: The hydrogenation of ... coal-tar distillates has been carried out in a Trickle Bed Reactor, in which the liquid is allowed to flow through the catalyst bed in the presence of hydrogen. (The) conditions employed (lead to production of) the hydrogenated product, tetralin (which can be used to effect) the direct reaction between coal and hydrogen (and) the conversion of coal to refinable crude hydrocarbons, from which liquid fuels such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, etc., can be produced";
to help, as WVU affirms to be possible, make "gasoline" rather directly from some of our abundant Coal.