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Title: Synthetic fuels from peat by the IGT PEATGAS Process

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6894085

Peat gasification research at the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) began in 1974 under the sponsorship of the Minnesota Gas company (Minnegasco). The preliminary evaluation conducted under that program showed encouraging results and led to an expanded program under the joint sponsorship of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Minnegasco. The current program is also funded by the Gas Research Institute (GRI) and the Northern Natural Gas Company (NNGC). Since 1976 IGT has completed tests with peats from Minnesota, North Carolina, and Maine in laboratory-scale equipment and process development units (PDU's). Tests in the hydrogasification PDU (which represents a scale-up of 250 times the laboratory-scale equipment) confirm the laboratory results. Preparations are being made for pilot-plant scale gasification tests in a modified coal gasification pilot plant (HYGAS) in Chicago. Based on the experimental results obtained in the laboratory-scale tests, IGT conceived a two-stage gasifier (named PEATGAS) for converting peat to synthetic fuels. The PEATGAS Process can be used for making medium- or high-Btu gas as well as liquid fuels. A complete process design and cost estimates have been prepared for a plant producing 250 million cubic feet of SNG per day from Minnesota peat containing 50% moisture. These estimates show that the conversion of peat (containing 50% moisture) is competitive with other alternative methods of SNG production. This paper discusses the important and significant gasification characteristics of the peats evaluated. The paper also describes the use of the PEATGAS Process for production of medium-Btu gas, methanol, and gasoline.

Research Organization:
Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago, IL (USA); Minnesota Gas Co., Minneapolis (USA); Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC01-76ET10283
OSTI ID:
6894085
Report Number(s):
CONF-800876-2
Resource Relation:
Conference: 6. international peat congress, Duluth, MN, USA, 17 Aug 1980
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English