In-mine variation and its effect on coal gasification

Conference · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5479820

Ross, S F; Kleesattel, D R

Four different lithologic layers have been identified in the Freedom Mine (Mercer County, North Dakota) which supplies the lignite for the Great Plains Gasification Associates plant in Beulah, North Dakota. The layers ere identified on the basis of readily observable megascopic characteristics including luster, fracture characteristics and the presence of clay and silt zones. Lignite sampled from each of the four layers has been pyrolyzed in a bench scale reactor system designed to simulate production of gas liquor condensate from the pyrolysis zone of an actual gasifier. The yields of water-soluble organic effluents from each of the layers were found to differ significantly, particularly the yields of phenol, cresol and catechol. The ultimate analyses of these layers are virtually identical, but the actual chemistry, as evidenced by the pyrolysis results and the TOSCO Material Balance Assays, is very different from layer to layer. These differences could result in substantial changes in wastewater composition and operability of a tar/water separator in an actual gasification plant when coal from different layers is gasified. Petrographic analysis reflects, to an extent, the structural chemistry of the coal because the macerals generally derive from different kinds of plant constituents, and these original plant constituents in turn have different structures. Therefore, petrography should be a useful predictor of some pyrolyzate yields. Reasonably steady operation of wastewater treatment plants and tar/water separators depend on having reasonably steady wastewater composition and tar production, or at least the ability to predict these in advance. In order to achieve this, it is important to characterize the pyrolysis behavior of the coal layers to provide for blending or preferential mining and selective utilization.

• Research Organization: North Dakota Univ., Grand Forks (USA). Energy and Mineral Research Center
• DOE Contract Number: FC21-83FE60181
• OSTI ID: 5479820
• Report Number(s): DOE/FE/60181-188; CONF-860911-2; ON: DE86008932
• Resource Relation: Conference: 192. American Chemical Society national meeting, Anaheim, CA, USA, 7 Sep 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL
PYROLYSIS
COAL SEAMS
LITHOLOGY
PETROGRAPHY
VARIATIONS
TEST FACILITIES
PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
NORTH DAKOTA
SAMPLING
WASTE WATER
WATER TREATMENT
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL DEPOSITS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INFORMATION
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RESOURCES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
USA
WASTES
WATER
010404* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Gasification
010800 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Waste Management