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Title: Combined shift and methanation in a fluidized-bed reactor. Final report, 25 September 1979-31 December 1980

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6860778· OSTI ID:6860778

The objective of this program was to demonstrate the feasibility of employing a gas-phase, catalytic, fluidized-bed reactor to carry out the water-gas shift and methanation reactions simultaneously, without product gas recycle. The major portion of the experimental work involved PEDU-scale tests in a 6-inch ID reactor, operating at 1000 psig and temperatures in the range of 900 to 1000/sup 0/F, with a nominal catalyst charge of one cubic foot. These tests included operation for extended time periods (35 to 40 hours) with feed H/sub 2/:CO ratios of 2:1 in the absence of steam, and 1:1 using steam:gas ratios of 0.1:1 to 0.2:1. Five different catalysts were evaluated. Bench-scale tests, each of approximately 10 days' duration, were also conducted. At H/sub 2/:CO = 2:1 (without steam), no significant carbon deposition occurred at temperatures of 800 and 950/sup 0/F. At 1100/sup 0/F, however, considerable carbon formation did occur, possibly due to the onset of CH/sub 4/ pyrolysis. At H/sub 2/:CO = 1:1 and 950/sup 0/F, carbon deposition took place readily in the absence of steam. Small amounts of steam in the feed (e.g., steam:gas ratio = 0.1:1) were effective in inhibiting carbon formation, although larger amounts (steam:gas ratio = 0.5:1) resulted in deactivation and loss of metal surface area through sintering. Results of auxiliary studies at Brigham Young University (BYU) on rates of carbon formation and removal are also presented. As to the relative tendencies of the various catalysts to undergo carbon deposition, results of the BYU studies generally confirmed observations made during PEDU testing at BCR. Catalyst regeneration tests at BYU with 10 percent O/sub 2/ in N/sub 2/ showed that 80 to 96 percent of the original metal surface could be restored at temperatures of 572 to 662/sup 0/F.

Research Organization:
Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., Monroeville, PA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC21-79ET14815
OSTI ID:
6860778
Report Number(s):
DOE/ET/14815-20
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English