United States Patent Application: 0080256852
A few years ago, we informed you that the Pennsylvania State University had applied for international patent protection on a Coal liquefaction technology they had developed, one which can efficiently convert Coal into a wide variety of liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
Our report of that fact is now accessible on the West Virginia Coal Association's web site via the link:
Penn State Seeks CoalTL Patent | Research & Development; and concerns:
"International Patent Application Number PCT/US2008/056575 - Integrated Process And Apparatus For Producing Coal-Based Jet Fuel, Diesel Fuel, And Distellate Fuels
International Filing Date: December 3, 2008
Applicants: The Penn State Research Foundation, University Park, PA
Inventor: Harold H. Schobert, US
Abstract: Coal-based jet fuel, diesel fuel and/or distillate fuels are produced by selectively introducing a coal-based product directly into the petroleum refinery process flow to thereby create an integrated refinery process for producing the distillate fuels."
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We also documented several times that the development of such an apparently comprehensive Coal liquefaction technology, or at least the establishment of the knowledge base for that technology at Penn State, appeared to have been financed, at least in part, by US public tax money, as seen in our reports of:
Penn State Liquefies Coal for USDOE | Research & Development; concerning: "Enhanced coal liquefaction by low-severity catalytic reactions: March, 1987; Report Number: DOE/PC/90910-2; DOE Contract Number: FG22-86PC90910; Research Organization: Pennsylvania State University"; and:
USDOE Pays Penn State to Recycle Coal Jet Fuel By-Products | Research & Development; concerning: "Refinery Integration of By-Products from Coal-Derived Jet Fuels; May, 2007; USDOE Contract Number: FC26-03NT41828; Research Organization: The Pennsylvania State University".
Herein, with no explanation for our lapse in not reporting it earlier, except that it might have to do with established and standard practice US Patent and Trademark Office delays between dates of filing and dates of publication, or with our own significant disabilities and insufficiencies, we submit the United States version of the "International Patent Application Number PCT/US2008/056575".
Comment, emphasizing an important point or two, follows excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"US Patent Application 20080256852 - Process ... for Producing Coal-based Jet, Diesel and Distillate Fuels
Date: October, 2008
Inventor: Harold H. Schobert, State College, PA
(As we have noted in previous reports, the ultimate Assignee of patent rights is often not named in early published versions of United States Patent applications. We presume, in this case, it will be the same as the "Applicant" named in our above-cited report of "International Patent App. No. PCT/US2008/056575"; that is: "The Penn State Research Foundation". Harold H. Schobert is most definitely on the faculty of Penn State University, as confirmed via:
http://www.eme.psu.edu/
Principal Areas of Expertise: Chemistry of coal and coal-derived materials, properties of coal ash slags, synthetic fuels from coal, carbon materials from coals; Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry, Iowa State University".
And, if Iowa State University seems an unlikely place for a Coal scientist to have been educated, we remind you that it is the home of the Ames Laboratory, about which we have also earlier reported, via:
Iowa Mines Metals from Coal Ash for the USDOE | Research & Development; concerning, in part: "United States Patent 4,386,057 - Recovery of Iron Oxide from Coal Fly Ash; 1983; Inventors: Michael Dobbins and Marlyn Murtha, Ames, Iowa; Assignee: The United States of America; The U.S. Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. W-7405-ENG-82 between the U.S. Department of Energy and Ames Laboratory; Abstract: A high quality iron oxide concentrate, suitable as a feed for blast and electric reduction furnaces is recovered from pulverized coal fly ash.
And, reports of additional, similar work that has been conducted at Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory are in progress.)
Abstract: Coal-based jet fuel, diesel fuel and/or distillate fuels are produced by selectively introducing a coal-based product directly into the petroleum refinery process flow to thereby create an integrated refinery process for producing the distillate fuels.
Claims: In a petroleum refinery flow process comprising at least one fractionation unit and at least one hydrotreating unit, an improvement comprising a selectable process for introducing a coal-based product directly into the petroleum refinery flow process thereby to create an integrated refinery process for producing a coal-based jet fuel and other distillate fuels.
The integrated refinery process ... wherein said process for introducing said coal-based product comprises a selectable coal-tar blending process.
An integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus comprising: ... apparatus for selectively introducing a coal-based product directly into a petroleum refinery flow process ... to thereby enable the integrated petroleum and coal-based refinery apparatus to produce a coal-based jet fuel and other distillate fuels.
The integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus ... wherein said apparatus for selectively introducing said coal-based product into said petroleum refinery flow process comprises a coal tar blending apparatus.
The integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus ... wherein said apparatus for selectively introducing said coal-based product into said petroleum refinery flow process comprises a co-coking introducing apparatus.
The integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus ... wherein said apparatus for selectively introducing said coal-based product into said petroleum refinery flow process comprises a solvent extraction apparatus.
The integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus ... wherein said apparatus for selectively introducing said coal-based product into said petroleum refinery flow process comprises a gasification by-product blending apparatus.
The integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus ... wherein said apparatus for introducing said coal-based product into said petroleum refinery flow process comprises at least two selected apparatus from a group comprising a coal-tar blending apparatus, a co-coking apparatus, a solvent extraction apparatus, and a gasification by-product blending apparatus.
(Covering all the bases, aren't they? Should you notice, above, the specification of "a gasification by-product blending apparatus" in addition to the "coal-tar blending apparatus", we remind you, that, as seen for just one example in our earlier report of:
Consol Hydrogasifies CoalTL Residues | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 4,248,605 - Gasification of Coal Liquefaction Residues; 1981; Assignee: Conoco, Inc.; Abstract: A method for gasifying the bottoms fraction from a coal liquefaction process by mixing the bottoms fraction with at least one finely-divided calcium compound selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide ... in an amount sufficient to produce agglomerate particles upon mixing with the bottoms fraction and thereafter gasifying the resulting agglomerate particles by reacting the agglomerate particles with steam in a fluidized bed. Claims: A method for gasifying the bottoms fraction from a coal liquefaction process wherein coal is liquified by extraction of said coal by a distillable solvent";
it is quite feasible to extract any remaining Carbon in the residues of a direct, solvent-extraction Coal liquefaction process by Steam gasification of those residues, which results in the formation of an almost "standard" hydrocarbon synthesis gas blend of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen, which the petroleum industry routinely produces from carbonaceous petroleum refinery residues and then catalytically condenses into liquid hydrocarbons.)
The integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus ... wherein said apparatus for selectively introducing said coal-based product into said petroleum refinery flow process comprises a solvent extraction apparatus that is remote from said integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus.
(How "remote" could it be? Could "a solvent extraction apparatus" be located somewhere central to a large and concentrated group of mines, say, in the Beckley-Charleston region, with shipment of the liquids by rail tanker, or pipeline, to an "integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery" on a major river barge route, say in Huntington?)
The integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus ... further including an input for introducing product of the solvent extraction apparatus into said integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus.
(Concerning the "solvent extraction" of Coal, see, for example, our earlier reports of:
NASA Liquefies Coal | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent 4,443,321 - Supercritical Solvent Coal Extraction; 1984; The USA, as represented by the Administrator of NASA; Abstract: Yields of soluble organic extract are increased up to about 50% by the supercritical extraction of particulate coal at a temperature below the polymerization temperature for coal extract fragments (450.degree. C.) and a pressure from 500 psig to 5,000 psig by the conjoint use of a solvent mixture containing a low volatility, high critical temperature coal dissolution catalyst such as phenanthrene and a high volatility, low critical temperature solvent such as toluene"; and:
Solvent Refined Coal | Research & Development; concerning: "The operating history of a Solvent Refined Coal (SRC) Pilot Plant from start-up through March 1978 is discussed. The Solvent Refined Coal Process SRC I (solid fuel product) and SRC II (liquid fuel product) operating modes for converting high-sulfur, high-ash bituminous coals into low-sulfur, ash-free boiler fuels have been successfully demonstrated".
Again, such solvent extraction processes can leave behind a still-carbonaceous residue, or "char", which, in addition tp our above-cited report concerning: "United States Patent 4,248,605 - Gasification of Coal Liquefaction Residues; 1981; Conoco, Inc.; Abstract: A method for gasifying the bottoms fraction from a coal liquefaction process";
as also seen in:
Exxon Recycles CoalTL Residue | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent 4,060,478 - Coal Liquefaction Bottoms Conversion; 1977; Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company; Abstract: Heavy bottoms produced by the liquefaction of coal or similar carbonaceous solids are converted into more valuable products by ... gasifying the char with steam";
can be further treated, via Steam gasification, to extract the remnant Carbon in the form of a synthesis gas that can, as via the Fischer-Tropsch process, be catalytically condensed into additional liquid hydrocarbons.
Conversely, as seen in:
South Africa 100% Coal Conversion | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 4,251,346 - Process for Coal Liquefaction; 1981; SASOL One, Proprietary, Limited, Orange Free State; Abstract: The invention provides a process for the liquefaction of coal. The comminuted coal is slurried in a solvent or pasting oil and digested ... . The solvent or pasting oil is obtained wholly or mostly by recycling from the distilled fractionation of the reaction products. ... The process can be controlled so that the coal is converted virtually completely into distillable products, more particularly predominantly in the crude diesel fuel range";
it is also possible to design and operate a Coal solvent dissolution process that converts "virtually" all of the Carbon into an extractable and useable liquid form.)
The integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus ... wherein said apparatus for introducing said coal-based product into said petroleum refinery flow process comprises at least one selected apparatus from a group comprising a coal-tar blending apparatus, a co-coking apparatus, a solvent extraction apparatus, and a gasification by-product blending apparatus, and wherein said at least one selected apparatus is remote from said integrated petroleum and coal-based product refinery apparatus.
A method of producing a coal-based fuel, comprising: providing at least one coal-based product; and introducing the coal-based product into a petroleum refinery flow process to thereby create an integrated refinery process for producing the coal-based fuel.
Description and Background: The inventions described relate to the field of fossil fuels. More specifically, they relate to fossil fuels derived from coal and converted into various fuel products, including jet fuels, diesel fuels, and other distillate fuels.
As the worldwide industrial demand for energy continues to grow annually, each country continues to expand its efforts to find and develop new sources of petroleum as well as alternative sources of energy. In the US, there is a rapidly expanding effort to become more insulated from dependency on oil imports and to stabilize and eventually lower escalating fuel costs.
In response to the ever increasing need to import larger volumes of foreign oil, many governmental and commercial entities are exploring alternative energy sources and researching diverse, lower cost alternatives to petroleum based products. It was recently reported in the press that approximately $800 million dollars per day flows out of the United States economy to purchase oil imports.
(That "$800 million dollars" lost to our economy, per day, sure would pay for a lot of US jobs; some better, and badly needed, US health care; and, better education for our Coal Country children, wouldn't it?)
(In) another aspect, at least one embodiment of the disclosed inventions economically produce jet fuel from coal-products utilizing existing refinery operations and infrastructure with minimal changes or additions to a standard oil refinery process and apparatus."
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In our concluding excerpt, Inventor Schobert, and by extension Penn State University, again emphasize that Coal liquids can be produced which can then be converted into "jet fuel", and other standard liquid hydrocarbon products, stipulating that the Coal liquids can be so converted "in existing refinery operations".
That is the important issue we noted in our introductory comments, but, one that has already been addressed, as seen, for example, in just one of our earlier reports:
USDOE Refines Coal Liquids | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent 4,132,639 - Improving Sedimentation and Filterability of Coal-derived Liquids; 1979; Assignee: The United States of America; Abstract: An improvement in the separation of suspended solids from coal-derived liquids (is achieved) by contacting the coal-derived liquid containing suspended solids with an effective amount of an additive selected from the group of sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, phosphoric anhydride and salts of sulfuric and phosphoric acid (under specified conditions) to achieve the desired separation rate. A variety of processes have been proposed for converting solid carbonaceous material such as coal ... into a liquid form reduced in impurities such as sulfur and ash. Some liquefaction processes convert the carbonaceous material into a liquid fuel suitable for combustion or a synthetic crude suitable for use as a feed for a gasoline refining plant";
wherein the United States Government itself asserts that Coal can be converted into "a synthetic crude" that is fully compatible with an apparently standard "refining plant".
Given our established domestic US petroleum refining industrial base, we see that as being critical to the early economic viability and initial success of any industry founded on the conversion of our abundant Coal into substitutes for our current petroleum-based liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
But, finally, in sum, we have herein clear statement, by a local, highly respected Coal Country institution of higher learning, that we can, in fact, efficiently convert our abundant Coal into anything, quite literally anything, it seems, that we now debase our nation and our citizens' quality of life to obtain from nations that are not only foreign to us in terms of borders and geography, but, foreign to us as well in terms of material purpose and democratic ideals.
Why, we again ask, as we have asked many times before, have we United States citizens, especially those of us United States citizens resident in US Coal Country, not, yet, been publicly told about any of it?