China, CoalTL, Capitalism



We have detailed China's extraordinary plans to develop an extensive coal-to-liquid conversion industry, to produce liquid fuels, chemical manufacturing raw materials and fertilizers from their vast reserves of coal.
 
They have undertaken that monumental task with the help of many foreign corporations expert in coal technology, including some from the US, such as Exxon-Mobil and Peabody.
 
As has been the Chinese practice in other areas of commerce and industry, they have begun to assimilate the technology of coal-to-liquid conversion, perhaps developed it a little further, and are now offering it as a Chinese export to the rest of the world.
 
Following are some excerpts from the enclosed link:
 
"Additron Technologies Inc.
Shen Xiang Road, Zhu Jia Jiao Town
Qing Pu Area, Postalcode: 201714
Shanghai, R.O.C"
 
"Additron Technologies has a developed a proven Coal-to-Liquid (CTL) technology that together with Nano Technology (R), converts low quality lignite coal into ultra clean, environmentally friendly, high-value and low-sulfur synthetic diesel fuel. Our proprietary technology is zero-emission based, wherein all harmful particles and by-products are recycled and rendered harmless."
 
(China is touting the environmental benefits, no doubt, as a sales point to impress the rest of the ecologically-minded world. It is, nonetheless, true, and a valid sales point. - JtM)

"The middle east has about 685 billion barrels of oil compared with 22 billion barrels in the United states. However, there is enough coal in the United states to produce 964 billion barrels of fuel, according to the pentagon (sic.)."

(Sounds as if they are chiding - justifiably - the US somewhat for not climbing onto this CoalTL train. - JtM)

"Synthetic fuels from coal can be used directly in today’s vehicles, with no need for modification."

Coal and Bio Conversion Cost Advantages

 
Fischer–Tropsch fuels from coal and biomass: Strategic advantages of once-through (“polygeneration”) configurations

Robert H. William, Eric D. Larson, Guangjian Liu and Thomas G. Kreutz


Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Guyot Hall, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA


The brief Abstract, as excerpted below, says it all:


"Systems that produce synthetic liquid fuels and electricity from coal and biomass with carbon capture and storage offer an attractive cost-effective approach for decarbonising (sic) liquid fuels and electricity simultaneously."


Our preference is for one of the approaches that actually captures and recycles the carbon, as we've documented to be possible and practical. But, according this report from Princeton, even if we were to waste the money it would take to waste the potentially-valuable CO2 resource - by pumping it underground,  i.e., the "storage" as above -  coal/biomass combined fuel/power production is "an attractive cost-effective approach".

Fuel + Power; No CO2

 
 
We submit the enclosed article in further support of our contention, that: Combining coal with biomass as feed for a suitably-designed coal-to-liquid conversion facility could result in a calculated total net "zero" carbon emission effect.
 
And, as we've earlier demonstrated, liquid fuels and electricity can be produced from coal, at the same facility, at the same time.
 
The excerpt: 
 
"Co-production of synfuels and electricity from coal + biomass with zero net carbon emissions: An Illinois case study

E.D. Larson(a), G. Fioreseb, G. Liua, R.H. Williamsa, T.G. Kreutza and S. Consonnic

aPrinceton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Guyot Hall, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA

bDepartment of Information Technology, Politecnico di Milano, via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy

cDepartment of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy

Abstract

Energy, carbon, and economic performance are estimated for facilities co-producing Fischer–Tropsch Liquid (FTL) fuels and electricity from a co-feed of biomass and coal in Illinois, with capture and storage of by-product CO2. The estimates include detailed models of supply systems for corn stover or mixed prairie grasses and of feedstock conversion facilities. The Illinois results are extrapolated to estimate the potential FTL production in 23 states."

Note the authors' credentials. We have previously documented Italy's coal-to-liquid conversion efforts and  cited researchers there. We have also noted the work underway at Princeton, and will be citing Dr. Larson, and his research, in additional reports.

Low-rank Coal with Biomass to Liquids


We submit the following technical papers, from researchers in Turkey, in further support of our contention that cellulose - biomass - can be converted, with coal, at the same time, to liquid fuels in a properly-specified and designed coal-to-liquid conversion facility.
 
Moreover, the coal used in these evaluations was a low-grade, high-ash Turkish lignite that would not have the higher carbon and Btu values of typical West Virginia bituminous. It would not convert as efficiently to liquid fuels and chemicals.
 
We submit the reports of this work to further support two of our earlier-stated contentions:
 
First, it is practical to consider using cellulose - waste from fast-growing trees, "woody" weeds and some algae - as another raw material which could be mixed with coal and converted into much-needed liquid fuels.
 
Using cellulose in such a fashion, especially cellulose from fast-growing trees and other plants, perhaps genetically engineered to maximize cellulose production and cultivated in bio-reactors or commercial forest and bio-plantations, could well provide another practical route, in addition to the direct capture and reduction processes previously documented, to the practical recycling of Carbon Dioxide generated by coal-use, and other processes.
 
Carbon Dioxide could be captured and profitably converted into additional liquid fuels, and other valuable products.
 
Second, it is feasible to convert low-grade coal, in this case lignite, into liquid fuel. And, the same processes, as we have proposed as possible, and as supported by Joe's 1970's WVU research into the recoverable organic content of coal mine wastes, and by the proposed Schuykill, PA, coal waste-to-liquid fuel facility, could be used to "clean up" coal mine waste accumulations, as are found in WV and other Appalachian coal-mining regions.
 
Coal-to-Liquid conversion technology could help improve the environment by "recycling" Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere into more liquid fuels, and by enabling industrial processes which could, in a profitable way, clean up waste accumulations left behind by prior coal mining activity.
 
We're not enclosing links in this dispatch, since there would be several and the transmission process would be impractical. 
 
The references are as follows, and they are easily accessible via Internet search:
 
"Coprocessing of a Turkish lignite with a cellulosic waste material: 1. The effect of coprocessing on liquefaction yields at different reaction temperatures

Fatma Karaca and Esen Bola

Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering Faculty, Chemical Engineering Department, YImage ldImage z Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract

In recent years, the liquefaction potential of waste materials has been investigated to increase the yield of coal conversion processes and the quality of liquid fuels from coal. The results have shown that the coprocessing of coal with biowaste materials increases liquefaction yields. In this study, the effects of liquefaction of Soma lignite with sawdust as a coprocessing agent, on total conversion, oil+gas total yields, asphaltene yields and preasphaltene yields were investigated at five different temperatures, 300, 325, 350, 375 and 400°C, 40 atm initial cold pressure, 1/1 (wt/wt) sawdust/lignite ratio and 3/1 (vol/wt) tetralin/(lignite+sawdust) ratio values.

 
Coprocessing of a Turkish lignite with a cellulosic waste material: 2. The effect of coprocessing on liquefaction yields at different reaction pressures and sawdust/lignite ratios
 
Fatma Karaca and Esen Bolat

Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering Faculty, Chemical Engineering Department, Yıldız Technical University, Davutpasa-Esenler, Image stanbul, Turkey

Abstract

Most of the research works done for alternative energy sources have shown that, in general, coprocessing of coal with biomass-type wastes has a positive effect on the liquefaction yields and these materials are increasingly studied as coliquefaction agents for the conversion of coal to liquid fuels. Addition of biomass waste materials to coal is known to be synergetic in that it improves the yields and quality of liquid products produced from coal under relatively mild conditions of temperature and pressure. This paper reports the coprocessing of a Turkish lignite with sawdust in the category of biomass-type waste material. The experiments have been conducted in a stainless-steel reactor, and temperature and tetralin/(lignite+sawdust) ratio were kept constant at 350 °C and 3:1 (vol/wt), respectively. This is the first time that the influence of reaction pressures on coliquefaction yields was investigated. In addition, the influence of the sawdust/lignite ratios on coprocessing conversion and product distribution was also investigated under the same reaction conditions. The runs were carried out at 10, 25, 40, 55, and 70 atm initial cold hydrogen pressure values and at 0.5:1, 0.75:1, 1:1, 1.25:1, and 1.5:1 sawdust/lignite (wt/wt) ratio values.

 

Coprocessing of a Turkish lignite with a cellulosic waste material: 3. A statistical study on product yields and total conversion

Fatma Karaca, Esen Bola and Salih Dincer

Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering Faculty, Chemical Engineering Department, Yıldız Technical University, Davutpa-Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to evaluate statistically the effects of coprocessing parameters on liquefaction yields, to determine the key process variables affecting the oil+gas, oil and asphaltene yields and total conversion. A statistical experimental design based on Second Order Central Composite Desing was planned fixing the liquefaction period at 1 h. Parameters such as temperature, initial cold pressure, tetralin/(lignite+sawdust) and sawdust/lignite ratios coded as x1, x2, x3 and x4, respectively, were used. The parameters were investigated at five levels (−2, −1, 0, 1 and 2). The effects of these factors on dependent variables, namely, oil+gas, oil and asphaltene yields and total conversion were investigated. To determine the significance of effects, the analysis of variance with 99.9% confidence limits was used. It was shown that within the experimental ranges examined, temperature and sawdust/lignite ratio were the variables of highest significance for oil+gas yields, oil yields and total conversion."

Bio-Liquefaction of Low-Rank Coal


 
We submit this additional research from Turkey in further support of the fact that many coal mine waste accumulations, as are found in West Virginia, and throughout Appalachia, contain sufficient organic content to be exploitable as sources of raw material for properly-designed coal-to-liquid conversion processes.
 
The biological liquefaction of coal wastes, or, actually, the biological extraction and concentration of organic values from coal wastes, via "living" processes that thus make the organic compounds available for conversion to liquid fuels and chemicals on a practical basis, is a technology that has been researched and developed since, at least, the mid-1970's, when Joe, as a WVU Geology grad student, performed in-field and laboratory data collection for a research project focused, in part, on that goal.
 
Excerpts, as follows: 

"Bio-Liquefaction/Solubilization of Low-Rank Turkish Lignites and Characterization of the Products

Yeşim Başaran
Department of Environmental Sciences, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06532 Ankara, Turkey
Adil Denizli
Department of Chemistry, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06532 Ankara, Turkey
Billur Sakintuna, Alpay Taralp, and Yuda Yürüm*
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey
 

Abstract

The effect of some white-rot fungi on the bio-liquefaction/solubilization of two low-rank Turkish coals and the chemical composition of the liquid products and the microbial mechanisms of coal conversion were investigated. Turkish Elbistan and Beypazari lignites were used in this study. The white-rot fungi received from various laboratories used in the bio-liquefaction/solubilization of the lignites were Pleurotus sajor-caju, Pleurotus sapidus, Pleurotus florida, Pleurotus ostreatus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Coriolus versicolor. FT-IR spectra of raw and treated coal samples were measured, and bio-liquefied/solubilized coal samples were investigated by FT-IR and LC-MS techniques. The Coriolus versicolor fungus was determined to be most effective in bio-liquefying/solubilizing nitric acid-treated Elbistan lignite. In contrast, raw and nitric acid-treated Beypazari lignite seemed to be unaffected by the action of any kind of white-rot fungi. The liquid chromatogram of the water-soluble bio-liquefied/solubilized product contained four major peaks. Corresponding mass spectra of each peak indicated the presence of very complicated structures."

In-situ biological extraction of residual organic compounds from coal mine waste accumulations, for use as raw materials in the production of liquid fuels and chemicals, could enable a profitable industry based on environmental improvement through the clean-up and recycling of coal mine refuse.